Semester Reflections

Semester 3

I believe that art can help us gain a better understanding of different cultures, history, and beliefs in a more interactive and hands-on way.  When I think of art in this context, my mind immediately jumps to our colloquium where we had the opportunity to learn how to play African drums all together.  If I were learning about this in a different way, such as reading articles or studying textbooks, I feel like the information I learned would not have had the same impact as I did when I was doing the activity myself.  I wasn’t particularly interested in this genre of music and culture, and I doubt I would have ever learned about it if not for this colloquium.  I didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as I did.  When tackling a large creative endeavor, it is best to have a work plan laid out so you can get your thoughts organized and ensure you will be able to complete it on time.  The constant feedback we receive every week during colloquium aids us in further refining our project ideas and plan.   I’m glad Art Scholar’s is having us make our own work plans for our capstone projects. Given the amount of time we have it is important that we use it to the fullest.  My meetings with staff and classmates have also shaped my project in a different, more clear direction.

Another art supporting course that I took last semester that I feel like connects to Art Scholars in a way is ARTT200, Multimedia art.  In this class, there was a lot of learning about new art forms that I would have never imagined myself doing or enjoying for the most part.  I feel like this follows the same theme as Art Scholars, these classes always have me stepping out of my comfort zone, discovering new art mediums that I actually enjoy quite a bit, like working with clay, wood, and music.  

A lot of the people I’m friends with were made through the art scholars program.  Whether it was because we lived in the same building, or attending the same small class every week, I feel more comfortable with these individuals through my time here.  Our similarities and shared hobbies for the arts helped us connect fast.  Oftentimes we will study for classes we have together, share notes, and advice for different classes.  Though I have other friends outside art scholars, it wasn’t as easy to make a connection with them and it is difficult to maintain communication.  

I’ve participated in all the field trips I’ve signed up for, workshops, and colloquiums for my entire time at Art Scholars, as well as participating in service day.  I’ve tried to participate as much as I can in events that are not mandatory, such as attending concerts and shows occasionally, and answering google forms for feedback.  With this semester my free time has been restricted quite a bit so I haven’t been able to attend these as much.  I wish I had more time to attend these events with my Art Scholars friends, as we usually end up having a fun time during and after the event.  

I believe that Art Scholars definitely challenge us and work through our thoughts and beliefs with our peers.  I think it’s important to be able to share our opinions and be able to healthily debate with others on topics that we might feel strongly about.  Exploring perspectives different from our own can help grow our understanding of different topics and ideas, expand our knowledge and help us be more thoughtful of other people around us.