SEMESTER 1

As I reflect on my first semester of college, here are some of my thoughts. The structure of the class was typical of what I thought a university course would be like. However, I didn’t expect to move so much in this class. It was pretty fun. I did things that I would not have expected to do in colloquium and got out of my comfort zone. It felt good. From the vogueing to the exercises we did with Baye & Asa. I feel like we often forget that there is art in the way we move our bodies and not just what we create on paper. I wish we explored more cinematic art and music. I thought the field trips would incorporate more types of art as well. In addition, for Service Day I went to Fairland Park. I thought Service Day would be more art related but nonetheless I enjoyed my time there. I enjoyed many of the AAB events as they gave me a chance to wind down in between studying and all of my school and be able to be present and connect with my peers.

This semester I took ARTT100. I was surprised to see how much we learned about different artists and their approaches to creating art and their purposes for doing so. I think this relates to this class because we often do the same thing where we learned about other artists and their reasoning for creating their own art.

What I thought college would be like is a lot different than what it is actually like. Academically, it has been pretty challenging. Not only the work itself but managing all the different classes and work loads as well. It has also been a challenge to manage my academic and social life. I didn’t expect it to be so face paced either. I imagine that as I settle into university life I’ll get the hang of it eventually and be more comfortable, but for now it has been such an adjustment.

I didn't expect to make so many friends this semester but I'm grateful that I have and that has been one of the best parts of this semester.

When school first started I was surprised to see that masks were not mandated in classrooms anymore. As more and more people were getting sick as school progressed I was very worried about getting sick as well and thought the university would do more but they did not.

For me, the most impactful thing I have learned this semester is how diverse art is. When a lot of people think of art, what comes to their mind is often drawing, or just visual art in general, but it is much more than that. There are many different art forms and serve various purposes. What they often have in common is uniting people no matter their backgrounds. For example, when Baye & Asa visited the class, I was surprised by how relatable the film was even though I had not experienced such effects of toxic masculinity personally. I learned a lot more about it, and I enjoyed how talking about it with others united us as a class. I think it will always be something that I can refer to as an example in the future and makes me curious enough to learn more about.

SEMESTER 2

This semester I have definitely taken more advantage of office hours and extra sessions outside of the classroom. However, one obstacle I’m still facing is having the courage to ask for help when I’m stuck or in need of guidance. It can still be intimidating for me at times even though I know faculty are there to assist me.

Coming to college, I was overwhelmed by the amount of artistic interests that my peers had. I was under the impression, that I myself was not interested in many things to begin with let alone anything remotely artistic. But as I've settled into Arts Scholars, I've come to realize that there are numerous interests that can be considered artistic. I personally enjoy crocheting as one of my few, newfound hobbies. Crocheting has helped me connect with so many different people whether they crochet as well, think its cool, or want to start crocheting themselves. There’s even a club on campus dedicated to just that. It’s something I have got a couple of my friends interested in as well and now it is something that we can bond over and it’s really fun! One piece of advice I recommend to next year’s freshmen is to connect beyond the classroom and beyond Arts Scholars. While Arts Scholars is filled with wonderful people and opportunities, the entire Scholars community is also brimming with interesting individuals. It’s exciting to learn what others do in their respective programs and explore some of their interdisciplinary interests. I would consider many of the connections I’ve made in and outside of Arts Scholars to be lifelong. I think the Scholars community as a whole is one that is intellectually curious and continues to fascinate me. There so much to explore within the community!

There have been quite a bit of events helped by Arts scholars and AAB that encourage us to connect beyond the classroom and provide a chance to unwind from classes. Many of those events required some kind of artistic engagement. For example, I attended the Ceramics Craft & Chat in which we made our own ceramics creations. I had limited experience with ceramics so this opportunity was really fun to engage in with my peers as we enjoyed creating various pieces. Another way Arts Scholars helped foster community was through service day. For service day, my group and I volunteered at Fairland Recreational Park. Despite the heat and exhaustion, it was so fun to connect with people and enjoy each other’s company as we cleaned up the park and removed invasive plants. Not only were we able to foster community within ourselves but also within our surrounding community by volunteering.

Through the appreciation of art, I’ve been able to connect with others that I probably wouldn’t have connected with otherwise. This is definitely the way I’ve been able to make most of the friends I have this year, through our shared appreciation for certain art forms and pieces. I would say I’ve learned to appreciate art a lot more now than I ever have as I’ve learned how important it is in uniting others and igniting conversations with groups. For future Arts Scholars, it will quickly become clear how prevalent art is in our lives and the bigger impact it has on us. We take it for granted sometimes. I recommend they think of the ways that art helps us connect and branch out into thinking about different forms of art. I feel like we often forget that art comes in various forms and not just the traditional forms we often think about when art comes to mind.

This semester, I really enjoyed the field trips we went on. Even though the field trip was mandatory it really felt like a chance to step out of the classroom and step into the real world. I think this is important because there’s only so much we can learn and discuss about art within the walls of a classroom. For this, I am grateful for the opportunity to go to such field trips and experience certain art, its history, how it connects people and creates thoughtful discussions surrounding art. For incoming Arts Scholars, it is much more beneficial to look at these field trips with an open mind rather than just another obligation or assignment but as a chance to interact with what is around us and appreciate it. Hopefully, they are encouraged based on future field trips to go out on their own to museums for examples or different art experiences on their own.

SEMESTER 3

In my third semester at college, I've found a stronger footing in my role as a student. This semester, I dedicated more attention to my academics compared to the previous ones, a change that I'm content with. Yet, this increased focus has had its toll on me. At a certain point, I made a conscious decision to prioritize self-care, recognizing its paramount importance as I juggle multiple responsibilities.

As it relates to Arts Scholars, I firmly believe that art has the unique capacity to reshape our understanding of personal and societal histories, biases, and beliefs by offering multifaceted perspectives. Personally, engaging with art has expanded my viewpoint beyond binary thinking. For instance, following my visit to the Library of Congress, I took time to interpret the circumstances surrounding the exhibited pieces. Particularly intriguing were the artworks in the "Not An Ostrich" exhibit, prompting me to delve into the historical contexts, beliefs, and biases that influenced the creation of these pieces.

Throughout our classes, we delved into various theoretical models and practical strategies such as brainstorming, mind mapping, and Bloom’s Taxonomy. For brainstorming, it allows us to get ideas flowing, and slowly build upon them as we transitioned into mind mapping. Mind mapping gave us a visual representation of building upon brainstormed ideas, allowing for making connections between existing ideas. For TRYathlons, Bloom’s Taxonomy, a framework of six categories, was recommended to build upon our critical thinking skills for these reflections. For the creative process, Bloom’s Taxonomy initiates creative thinking by allowing us to create, evaluate, analyze, apply, understand, and remember.

A recurring theme that has resonated with me is the importance of embracing diverse perspectives. Feedback serves as a valuable tool for refining ideas, requiring an open-minded approach. It's crucial to discern which feedback holds relevance, ensuring that it aligns with our vision while improving our work for greater depth and clarity. Iterating with feedback in mind is another effective way to incorporate it into our creative process.

Following my visit to the Library of Congress and experiencing the "Not an Ostrich" exhibit, I realized the profound impact of photography in capturing historical moments and ongoing conflicts like the Palestine-Israel issue. Visual media, easily accessible yet powerful, serves as a conduit for expressing personal values and raising awareness about significant issues.

Surprisingly, my previous course, INST201, which focused on information science, drew parallels with themes explored in the Arts Scholars program. Both emphasized contextualizing and presenting information, albeit in different contexts—one in information science, the other in the realm of art.

Although being in a living-learning community provided insights into art-centric discussions, I occasionally felt confined by its focus solely on art. As someone with interdisciplinary interests, I yearned for more opportunities for diverse subject intersections. This sometimes deterred my active participation in class, fostering preconceived notions about certain discussions. I observed that scholars' programs might lack diversity within each program, impacting the breadth of discussions due to shared beliefs and opinions among participants.

Taking the leap to run a workshop next semester initially made me apprehensive. However, the preparation process, and reviewing the positive feedback from the workshop preview has deepened my connection with the Art Scholars community, fueling my enthusiasm for ArtsFest and the workshop itself.

Participating in scholars' communities has expanded my social circle, fostering engaging conversations, particularly within programs like Justice and Legal Thought (JLT). These discussions challenged my perspectives, broadening my understanding of societal issues and refining my opinions.

These diverse experiences have added depth to my understanding and provided me with credibility in certain conversations. For instance, field trips like the one to the Library of Congress have broadened my knowledge base, empowering me to contribute meaningfully to various discussions and topics.

SEMESTER 4

As I reflect on my semester 3 reflection, I realize as I’ve had more opportunities throughout the program to speak in front of others, I think I’ve grown more accustomed to public speaking. It is something that has always made me extremely nervous. With running a workshop, I had no way of escaping public speaking, so I had to just lean into it even when I was uncomfortable or did not want to. I had to find ways to make things more fun for myself and my students as I was honest about my doubts as a workshop leader. Through all the comments and feedback I’ve received on my work in past semesters and lesson plans this semester, I have been able to consider what is being said about my work, assess the comments being made and if possible find ways to make improvements based on feedback.

As I interacted with plenty of my peers to learn more about their capstones, I have greatly appreciated the perspective gained on different purposes of art. It is ever-changing and art doesn't have to be flat, or stagnant, it can be moving and purposeful. As I watched Kayley’s capstone performance, I was in awe of the experience she was able to create for others. She taught an autism dance class in which the participants learned dance routines as a form of communication. Art isn't just about creating something for people to look at. In this case, Kayley was able to help students express themselves when other options were not available to them. She thought extensively about how each element of her dance class affected those that she worked with. It's important to think about what audience is being served through artwork which is something that challenged my perception of art.

At the MET during our New York Trip, I noticed how each collection transported us to different parts of the world through colors, lighting, positioning and the selection of specific artworks, etc. Keeping all these things in mind, when it came to the Greek and Roman sections it felt bright and central, suggesting their significance, seemingly positioning this region as the epicenter of the world's cultural heritage, but when it came to the African exhibits, everything was dark and pushed in the corners. I couldn’t stop thinking about perception; how would someone else perceive the culture represented in this exhibit and are they willing to challenge these perceptions? Furthermore, what I took away from this was that art can really take us away from reality. As I continue taking African American studies classes, I am intrigued to learn about the shortcomings of European powers as they took advantage of Africa and I subconsciously keep that in mind as I explore museums. I am always astonished by the duality; a group being able to create such beautiful things while also committing horrible atrocities can exist at the same time.

My capstone project drew a lot from last semester’s course, CPSA200, as I battled with the decision to run a workshop or an individual capstone project. In this course, I learned the ins and outs of running a workshop with previews of lesson plans, crafting syllabi, and devising a course structure. Additionally, I became more comfortable with creating presentations, presenting, and receiving feedback from my peers. Throughout the program, I have learned how to connect better with others, especially in the classroom as I put these things into practice, making sure that I am constantly supporting my students and making sure they knew that I was here for them because after all we are a community.

Through my workshop, I’ve been able to expand on my crocheting skills as I taught students how to crochet. I learned many new things from students who were more skilled than I was but I was also able to strengthen my existing skills by reinforcing basic concepts. I didn’t always have the time to crochet or view crocheting on the internet this semester just because of how busy I was. However, through this workshop I was able to continue my passion for crocheting which I am very grateful for. Additionally, in my first semester, I was able to expand on my love for poetry through the group project for CPSA100 and create poems for others to enjoy. I usually only created poems for myself but I challenged myself to go outside of my comfort zone. This ended up being very rewarding as I not only felt fulfilled by creating more poetry but I also found another community that would help me thrive in this area. I had a friend in the program that had told me about the Jimenez Porter Writers House for creative writing and instantly applied to this living learning program. Balancing two llps presented some challenges, but in the end I made it work.

In my very first semester of Arts Scholars, I remember having to complete the group project which I found a little challenging. I was worried about how all our different interests and abilities would come together to create a collaborative piece with a shared goal in mind. At first there was confusion on my part as to how we came up with the idea that we chose. I wasn’t sure how we concluded basing our artwork around a specific existing artwork, Van Gogh’s Starry Night. In the end we came to a compromise and it turned out very well.

I hold other roles in which I often teach so the lesson planning and class engagement strategies I’ve learned from CPSA260 will be very helpful. For example, this summer I am working for I4C in the CS department, in which we will be hosting K-12 tech summer camps. I will be teaching middle and high school students how to code. As far as my career goals, I didn’t expect to 1) enjoy teaching as much as I have and 2) fuel my existing passion for education. I do not have intentions of being a teacher in the future. However, I know that I want to combine education with technology and support educators in the future.