Semester Reflections

Semester 4

Over the course of these first two years, my ePortfolio has gone through quite a few changes. As the semesters have progressed, I have had to go back and revisit things I never expected I would have to change. My bio looks very different from how it first began- my major is new (as is my minor) and my resume has gone through even more changes. Having a site to go back to and update has reminded me of all of these changes and how important it is to stay aware of them as they happen in order to keep everything up to date. 

Being in Arts Scholars has helped me broaden my idea of what can be considered “art”. If you had asked me two years ago if I thought the circus was art, I probably would not have had an answer. I don’t think I would have particularly cared to find an answer, either. Now, though, I would answer yes. I had the opportunity to see Cirque du Soleil perform, and now I would struggle to describe the show as anything other than art. I also got to experience art in more interactive ways- my field trips and TRYathlons were never done alone, I always had a friend (or many) along with me to experience everything with. I had friends and peers that encouraged me to go to events I never would have gone to alone, and yet looking back I would only regret not going. Thanks to my fellow peer mentors for convincing me to go to the Silent Disco last September!

The success of my capstone was very much dependent on people being able to make a personal connection to my work. Scholars helped me figure out what resonated most strongly with people. I was able to bounce ideas off of my classmates and advisors to help me focus on which elements I needed to focus on. Having other people excitedly interact with my work also helped keep me motivated working on my project, even when I felt stuck or like I didn’t have the energy or ability to keep working at it. 

Having Scholars in my schedule helped me make time for art in my busy schedule. Through projects like my capstone, I was able to revisit mediums I learned I love like the printmaking I did in high school. During other activities, like our in-class activities, I was able to try new things I never would have done on my own like Vogue dancing or West African drumming. Having a constant creative outlet in my schedule helped me both broaden my horizons and dive deeper into what I already knew I loved. 

I very vividly remember our brief adventure into the world of stop motion animation in the fall. We were split into teams and tasked with creating a 30 second animation of anything at all using the supplies we were given. Nobody I worked with, including myself, had ever done something like this before. As we all rushed around and pivoted our ideas to create something to show by the end of class, we had to make sure we communicated with each other above all else. While we didn’t make the next Academy Award winner, we did have fun and get a few laughs watching our clothespin man get abducted on the big screen. 

Overall, Scholars gave me the ability to connect with people I never would have met otherwise. It showed me that whenever I felt lost or confused or alone, there was someone I could turn to for help. While there were plenty of bumps in the road, Arts Scholars helped me learn to rely on the resources I had in order to perform my best. While it can be tempting to try to do everything alone, the quickest route to success is through collaboration.