Semester 3

Arts TRYathlon #1: Choose Your Own Adventure

Event Logistics: Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025, The Anthem, Pulp

#concert #music #rock #britpop #theanthem #dc #washingtondc #livemusic #90s

After standing outside in the pouring rain, waiting to enter the venue, I saw one of the preeminent groups of the 1990s Britpop wave, Pulp, in the reunion tour promoting their new album, More. Though the group was performing in Washington, D.C., they bring with them a uniquely British style of rock and pop music that emerged in the early 1990s, fusing catchy, guitar-based riifs and hooks with hyperliterate, dour, and often self-critical lyrics reflective of contemporary England in decline. Some of their most popular hits are social satires that play on perceptions of class and wealth. For instance, "Common People," released on the album Different Class and arguably their biggest song, details a rich girl who wants to fall in love with a poor boy and pretend as if she is of a lower class. Another favorite, "Help the Aged," concerns the mistreatment of the elderly and the constant march of time that consumes everyone. Their politically-charged and economically-conscious rhetoric has likely helped to boost the relatability and relevance of their art.

Arts TRYathlon #2: Choose Your Own Adventure

Event Logistics: Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025, Kay Theatre, The Clarice, WMUCFest

#concert #music #rock #indie #theclarice #collegepark #WMUC #livemusic #collegeradio #collegemusic

Since I enjoyed WMUCFest so much last year when I was a green and wide-eyed freshman, I decided to get a ticket to this year's version of the free music festival. Moved indoors to avoid the rain, this year's WMUCFest featured two bands: Flowers for the Dead and Six Foot Blonde. The entire purpose and meaning of hosting a no entry fee, free for all musical event is to support and encourage the availability and accessibility of art in all spaces (especially ones on campus for students). The group Flowers for the Dead, for example, is a group from the University of Maryland featuring University of Maryland students, showing how vital the sponsorship and spreading of local student art is to the larger UMD community. The event is also a catalyst for bringing new students to the WMUC radio station above South Campus Dining Hall and spreading the community and passion for art that occurs there with as many as possible. The history and future of the station is so crucial and must be carried on by students to come.

Arts TRYathlon #3: Arts Scholars Event

Event Logistics: Friday, Oct. 3, 2025, Bel Air Lounge, DIY Suncatchers

#craftandchat #makermixer #craft #creation #art #studentart #DIY #stuff #suncatcher #chain #star

For my choice of Maker Mixer, I selected the DIY Suncatchers event and used provided supplies as well as things I had laying around to create my suncatcher. In using a combination of provided jewels, chain, wire, and charms, along with the reflective tab of a Monster can and other elements I added later, I was able to integrate recycling and repurposing in my artwork, highlighting the importance of being ecologically-mindful in art. By adding these repurposed items on relatively unadorned and undisguised, one can easily see that they have been taken from everyday places like energy drink cans, office supply cabinets, and discarded electronics. I could go even further by visiting a thrift store and extracting the jewels and stones from donated jewelry to enhance the reflectivity of my creation.

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