Semester Reflections

Semester 2

I felt tired this semester. My air conditioning unit vibrates at nighttime, as if there is an elderly man shivering and chattering his teeth inside of it. My ears started making a strange clicking noise, like little snaps in each ear. The ENT said it was a muscle spasm, though the clicks sound as loud as a shout. When I fall asleep, I wake up at 3 AM to the sound of snapping and clicking. I've never been able to fall back to sleep on these nights, so I've made it into a routine. I'll stare at the ceiling for an hour or so as to not wake my roommate. At 4 AM, I'll get up and make my bed, and maybe do my laundry. The laundry room is always empty at 4 AM, and I'll be able to use my favorite washing machine! The machine on the left, closest to the door, has hot water which helps get out the grass stains on my jeans that I get from skating. The machine on the right smells like mildew and doesn't make hot water, so I try not to use it. My clothes never feel clean in that washing machine. I might wash my hair at this time, too. It'll be dry by my first class which is exciting. Then, I'll change into my day clothes and take my time putting on a full face of makeup. It's too early to do schoolwork, so makeup is something relaxing enough to eat up my time with. I'll watch the sunset and sit outside the Yahantemetsi Dining Hall until it opens at 7 AM. There's barely anyone there at this time, and it's super quiet and surreal. I like working on my homework at the dining hall when I'm feeling productive.

I've become close with my Spanish teacher, Maestra Ofelia. I think I might want to be a Spanish minor. I made this connection by trying to come to all the classes, and sitting near the teacher. She is so sweet, and always checks up on her students. It’s a lot easier to form relationships with faculty in smaller classes that meet frequently. I don’t know the faculty well in my larger lectures. I’ve also become closer with the teacher in the job training class for becoming an adventure trip leader. Her name is Meagan, and she is such a comforting person. One time, I started crying in class and ran out, and she sat next to me in the grass and talked to me. It was so lovely, and I am very grateful for that.

My closest friends have dropped out of scholars. That’s okay, though. The scholars program is a lot of work, and I understand that it’s not something that a lot of people can do. Even so, I’ve become closer with some of the people in my workshop this semester, especially the TAs. I think actively participating in workshops and taking advantage of the optional scholar activities helped to foster these connections. I’d recommend future art scholars to look into the events offered within Scholars by taking some time to skim the newsletters. I’ve found some really cool opportunities that way. I’ve started to get more involved with some on campus clubs, such as the WMUC radio station and We Sk8 (inclusive skating club), by helping run their social media pages. I've also become more involved with the music scene in college park. I suppose this is a way I’ve used my artistic interests to be more involved with the community. The Art Scholars program influenced the relationship between people in my dorm. I’ve heard other dorms not in a living learning program are a bit more disconnected, where in Bel Air Hall, everyone sees each other once a week for a class and so they’re more friendly to each other. In the future, I hope to continue to contribute to the Art Scholars Program by continuing to be a graphic designer for the Art Advisory Board and by completing a capstone project my sophomore year. By the end of the semester, I noticed that art can exist in so many different forms. Art doesn’t need to be perfect and super technical. The prevalence of more abstract art in modern times was apparent, as many people’s art showed these features at the Art Fest.