The Art of "Fratting"

            Last year for the Fourth of July, I went to visit my sister in Boston.  My sister goes to Drexel university, and every other semester they do co-ops.  She had been to Boston a few times to visit one of her friends from home.  She loved it, so for her second co-op she decided to get a job in Boston.  Her and her boyfriend lived with some of the people my sister had met on her previous trips, at a MIT frat house.  Now that I have been to numerous frats at Penn State I decided to compare Penn State frats with MIT frats.

                First I will talk about the appearance of the frats; inside and outside.  The appearance of the outside of Penn State frats is really nice.  They are huge houses and most of the time they have really big lawns.  These frats are located off campus but they are generally all in the same area on “frat row”.  At MIT the outside appearance of the houses are extremely different.  Because of the fact that MIT is located in a city, the houses are either really close together, or connected.  The houses are still extremely nice but it is really different than being in a college town; the neighbors on either side of the house were millionaires.

 

                The inside of the houses is a different story.  If you are visiting a Penn State frat house when there is not a party going on, it is somewhat clean, but you can tell that it goes through a lot of wear and tear.  During the party’s the house is repulsive.  It is extremely messy and there are spills all over the house.  The people at the frat also have a tendency to force everyone to go into the basement, which is crowded, and uncomfortably hot.  There are frat brother that are in charge of “working” the party, which includes giving people drinks, and guarding the doors.

 

The inside of the frat house I went to at MIT was gorgeous.  It had a huge staircase in the middle of the house that went up numerous stories.  There were also side staircases that were all painted differently (one of them was painted like a piano and when turned on, it played like a piano as you went up or down the stairs).  I got a tour of the house which was extremely unique compared to every other frat house I have been to.  Each room had something interesting to see, or do.  For example, one of the rooms, which was called the net room, had a giant net going across the whole ceiling of the room.  You could craw around, sit in it, or even hang on the bottom of it.  When the party was going on the house wasn't crowded or discusting.  You were free to roam the house and most of the party happened on the roof where we had an excellent view of the Boston fireworks.

 

Another difference between Penn State frats and MIT frats is the people that are in it and their mentalities.  At Penn State, most people that join frats are just doing it for the parties.  Their main hobbies include drinking and talking to girls.  They go through the process of rushing and pledging, picking out only certain people to join.  At MIT everyone in the frats are extremely accepting of everyone and everything.  They make program light shows and play with liquid nitrogen for fun.  Their rush activities include eating carbonated fruit and playing with power tools.  Joining a frat at MIT doesn't only mean getting to go to parties, but also making numerous connections with unbelievable intelligent people.

 

Overall, there are many differences between MIT and Penn State frat houses.  If you are looking to go to a crazy party, visit a Penn State frat any Thursday, Friday, or Saturday night.  If you are looking for a fun experience, where you talk to intelligent interesting people and have a great time, take a trip to an MIT frat house.

I'll Make a Man out of You

           

              The art and cultural opportunity I chose to go to was the Red Shirt Remix.  This event is also sometimes referred to as RSR.  It is a THON related event for all of the rules and regulations committees to participate in.  Each committee has to make up a dance to a song and perform it for all of the other committees.  There are random judges who watch all the different groups dance and determine the winner.  The winner of this event gets to perform their dance during at THON!

This year the theme for RSR was musicals.  My committee went through a bunch of different options but finally settled on doing I’ll Make a Man out of You from Mulan.  In our committee we each have different positions.  There were two RSR chairs in my committee who were responsible for creating the dance.  The event took place right after we got back from thanksgiving break, and right before break I was in Tennessee playing soccer, so I missed all of the practices.

The girls that made the dance videotaped it and sent it to us so that we could all learn it.  I took some time to make sure I knew the dance so that I didn’t embarrass myself in front of all of the other committees.  About an hour before the performance our group met up, to do one last run through.  We all wore black pants, and a blue, green, and white tie-dyed shirt.  Our practice went well and we were ready to perform.

When we got to the HUB it was a little intimidating.  A lot of the other committees went all out for their performance.  One group dressed up as elderly people; they spray painted their hair gray, wore glasses, baggy grandparent clothing, walked hunched over, and even talked as if they were actually elderly!  Another committee was doing Annie so they all had buckets as props, they were all dressed in pajamas, they had “dirt” on their faces, and the girls put their hair up in pigtails to look like little orphans.

             Inside Alumni Hall was extremely crowded and hot!  As we awaited our turn to perform I got more nervous by the second.  Our group, To InJimmity and BeTHON, was set to go sixth.  Some of the people before us were amazing, which made me more nervous, but there were also some groups who made it obvious that they hadn’t had much practice.  My committee ended up doing really well.  All of the people on my committee nailed the moves, and at the end of our performance everyone was clapping.  This was a really good experience and it was interesting to see how we all started with the same criteria, and all ended up with such different dances.

Course Wrap Up

1. Self-Evaluation

I haven’t even been at Penn State for a full semester and I have already learned so much.  One of the things that I have noticed recently is that these semesters go so fast and before I know it, my freshman year of college will be over! This is very scary to think about but this semester has been extremely fun, and I can’t wait to continue learning and experiencing new things.

To start off I learned a lot in the class English 015S alone!  I learned how helpful having other people opinions on your work can be.  The rough draft workshops helped my writing and made sure my final product was one of quality.  Also, most teachers just give you a grade without much feedback, but Ms. S gave so many specific details that enabled me to figure out where I was going wrong in my writing.  Doing a full revision of a paper gave me the idea of what it would like to be a professional writer where you have to edit and revise your work a hundred times before you print the final copy (which I would not enjoy).

 Finally, I learned that it is extremely important to have a focus and a specific audience when you are writing.  I have been given some assignments in the past where I just follow the rubric and just write to get it done.  In this class I learned that you need to start out writing your paper with a goal of what you want your readers to get out of the piece.  When you write something, sometimes it is for your own personal use, like a diary, but when it is shared with other people, you need to keep their interests in your mind as you are writing.

I also learned that you can learn a lot about yourself through writing.  When I first started writing my memoir I knew that my subject was something that had affected me but I wasn’t sure how.  I have always had trouble describing my feelings and beliefs.  As I was writing I actually learned a lot about myself.  I can see why people keep notebooks and journals as a way of expressing their feelings which sometimes might be easier to write down, then to show.

I learned a lot about Penn State and the community as a whole.  I have learned about what it means to be a student at Penn State, not only the academic expectation, but also the social expectations.  Our freshman class is very different than all of the past classes because this is a rebuilding year at Penn State.  We all chose this university even after the scandal had occurred and now we are shaping the “new Penn State”. 

       Overall, I learned that Penn State has so much to offer.   There are so many opportunities and resources that come along with your tuition including the writing center, free student run plays, and amazing teachers.  After going to some of the arts and cultural events, I figured out that these things are inexpensive and entertaining!  Being in English 015S taught me not only English, but also about myself and the University that I attend.

2. Blog Response Round-Up

http://englishscaresme.blogspot.com/2012/09/life-in-toy-box_11.html?showComment=1348720512219#c1955855819770865117

http://obrienseyes.blogspot.com/2012/09/3-flower-filled-excursion.html?showComment=1349666433315#c2786722752177628049

http://elysamkolvek.blogspot.com/2012/09/nothing-seems-to-fail-me-about-penn.html?showComment=1349667168671#!/2012/09/nothing-seems-to-fail-me-about-penn.html

http://kristinajoelle.blogspot.com/2012/12/university-choir-fall-concert.html?showComment=1354573791509#c4663105527755276349

http://marisacutillo.blogspot.com/2012/10/iah-film-review.html?showComment=1350312071183#c7040951345444551057

http://turningbloggingintoanartform.blogspot.com/2012/10/nonstop-enjoyment.html?showComment=1350919470265#c460644512582335880

http://sedwards10.blogspot.com/2012/10/animal-house-review.html?showComment=1351464922357#c5594665434760019388

http://mopbtcb.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-bad-bugs.html?showComment=1352221143557#c4228213235815902391

http://kaylaswritten.blogspot.com/2012/10/artscultural-response-undergraduate.html?showComment=1352222477494#c4870461428723861077

http://kristinajoelle.blogspot.com/2012/10/scream-2.html?showComment=1352878596873#c3488176335634218972

3. SRTE Evaluations

I have completed my SRTE Evaluation! J

In the Red and Brown Water

The play “In the Red and Brown Water” is set in the projects.  The main character is an African American track star named Oya.  At the beginning of the play she struggles between taking a scholarship and leaving town to pursue her dreams, and spending time with her dying Mother.  She chooses to deny the opportunity to leave town, but when her mother passes away and she wants to go to school, she find out that it is too late.  In the second part of the play, Oya becomes unsatisfied with her life.  She marries Ogun Size, a man that has always loved her, but she quickly realizes that she loves Shango.  She breaks it off with Ogun but then finds out that Shango got another girl pregnant so she didn’t have a chance.  At the end of the play Oya set’s herself free by cutting off her ear, giving it to Shango, and peacefully passing away.

I think that the most important thing about the story for Oya was figuring out where she belonged.  When her mother passes away she was lost.  She thought going to school was the answer, but when that didn’t work she decided to get married and start a family.  When a baby never formed in her belly and her first love came back, she knew that she wanted him all along.  At the end of the play when Oya gets the news that there is no hope for her and Shango, the person she belongs with, she kills herself.  She sets out to find what makes her happy and in the end she decides that ending her life would make her happy.

All of the actors and actresses in the play did a fantastic job of portraying their characters.  Other than the acting, I was compelled by the music and dancing.  The heavy drums/percussion added a lot to the play.  It is something so small but it made a huge difference.  When big scenes were happening the music would follow the plot almost to a T.  The dancing also caught my attention.  When the characters danced, they went all out with their movements.  They had so much passion and enthusiasm in their dances which made it easy for the audience to stay connected to the play.

My only critiques of the performance would be that at the end of the play I didn’t feel as though I got full closure on what had happened.  I left the play unsure of what went on during some of the scenes.  To some this could also be seen as a good thing because it kept you thinking even after you left the play.  Overall, the play was very well put together and I didn’t have any complaints.

I have seen other live theater performances before and I didn’t expect this play to come anywhere close to a Broadway musical, but it did.  I was impressed by how enthusiastic the actors and actresses were about their roles.  I was sitting in the front row which added a lot to the experience.  At some parts during the play I even felt as if I was part of the action.  I would definitely recommend all Penn State students to take advantage of the plays put on by our own students.  They are cheaper than Broadway, and they are almost just as impressive.

Hunting For Good Will

It must be excruciating to spend your whole life studying something and then watch a high school dropout do the same things you can do, and more, effortlessly.  “Most days I wish I'd never met you 'cause then I could sleep at night. I didn't have to walk around with the knowledge that there was someone like you out there. I didn't have to watch you throw it all away.”

The film “Good Will Hunting”, directed by Gus Van Sant, tells the story of Will (Damon), a disobedient janitor at MIT whose priorities are misconstrued.  He is more interested in going out and drinking with his friends than living up to his full potential.  Lambeau (Skarsgard), a math professor at MIT, writes a difficult algorithm on a blackboard in the hallway for students to attempt to solve.  Will completes the problem with ease and no one knew who solved it until a few days later when Will gets caught in the act.  Will get’s into some trouble for fighting and Professor Lambeau offers him an out by allowing him to do math with him daily and go to counseling instead of going to jail.  Lambeau has trouble finding a councilor that will put up with Wills shenanigans but eventually settles for his old college roommate, Sean McGuire (Williams).  Will struggles with the idea of leaving his blue-collared job, and best friend Chuckie (Affleck) behind and moving on to start a new life.  Along the way he meets a special girl, Skyler (Driver), who opens his mind, and his heart.  Will and Sean work together to overcome their pasts and move on to a brighter future.

The goal of college is to get an education.  A good college movie is not just about telling a story, it’s about teaching a lesson.  The film “Good Will Hunting” written by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck teaches viewers the following lessons: don’t take things for granted, follow your dreams, and above all, no matter how smart you are, or how much potential you have to make money, in the end you need to do what makes you happy.  Unlike other college films, this movie encompasses not only the social aspects of college life, but also the emotions of leaving friends behind (which all college kids can relate to) and the importance of academics.

This film has an outstanding cast which keep the audience engaged through each individual scene.  Their performances outweigh the overall predictable plotline.  One scene in particular that stood out to me, demonstrated Williams’ impeccable performance when he finally got through to Will that “it is not your fault”.
 

Overall, “Good Will Hunting” tells an interesting story of a boy who has the answer to any problem, except the one inside himself.  It teaches lessons that college students should keep in mind while pursuing their degrees.  While I would recommend this movie to college students, I would not recommend bringing younger siblings seeing as it is rated R and includes foul language.

Walkin' in a Floral Wonderland

               When I first found out that our class was going to be held at the arboretum I was thrilled.  My RA took our whole floor there to get our pictures taken and to do some activities with another floor when we first arrived on campus, so I knew what to expect.  Personally, I would choose to spend class outside exploring over sitting in a cramped, dull classroom any day.  Although I had been to the arboretum before, I was only near the fountain and did not have much time to look around.

 

                We arranged to meet at the big pavilion at the arboretum.  When we were standing under it talking, I was gazing around, wondering why I hadn’t spent more time there.  The pavilion is a giant stone structure with white drapes flowing down around the perimeter; it looked to me like the perfect place to have a luxurious picnic.  When we were finally unleashed to explore the grounds, I notice that the arboretum was more than just flowers; it expands out miles and miles through paths in the woods and there are plans for further development.

 

                I enjoyed the arboretum because you could take your time strolling down the countless winding paths and you would never end up at the same place.  There were numerous different spaces and they all had something unique about them.  The first space I walked through was a vibrant array of colorful flowers.  My favorite flower in this section was a sunburst of colors, starting with yellow in the middle, and transforming into red on the tips of the petals.  The warm colors contrasted nicely with the green stems and leaves.

                As I continued down the path I ended up at a arch entangled in vines.  Through the arch was a sunflower paradise. I’m not exactly sure why, but I associate sunflowers with hippies, so this space was peaceful and relaxing to me.  I also saw some unique sunflowers that stood out to me.  They looked like sunflowers, acted like sunflowers, but they did not resemble the sun in any way because they were maroon!  This baffled me because I have seen numerous plants and flowers in my days, but never have I seen a purple sunflower.

                Once I got over this fascination with the discolored sunflowers I went in search for the fountain.  I got distracted (typical) on the way there when I was trying to smell a flower and came face to face with a bee!  It was a close call but I got away without a sting.  I eventually ended up in an area with a circular pond.  The pond was full of assorted lilies and lily pads.  I became extremely tempted to try to sit on the gigantic lily pad in the middle of the pond, but I resisted the urge because being wet wasn’t an option on that frigid day.  I settled for just taking pictures and ended up spotting a comet (fish, not extraterrestrial mass… yet just as lucky).

                I thoroughly enjoyed my time at the aboredum and know that I will find myself back there in the near future.  This trip reminded me a lot of home because my parents are avid gardeners.  Not only do we have our own mini arboredum, we also have a pond surrounded by plants, and full of fish.  One of these times when my parents come to visit I will make sure to take them to the arboredum to share the beautiful landscape, and stunning architecture with them. 

Girl Power

Affirmative Action by Jerry Kearns 

 

           When I was first looking around the Palmer Museum I saw a lot of different pieces that caught my eye.  I went around taking pictures and writing descriptions of everything, but I knew right when I saw the painting Affirmative Action by Jerry Kearns that it was the one that I would do my blog post on.  This piece caught my attention for a few different reasons.  To start off, it might have been less elaborate and colorful than the other ones, but it said so much more.  It wasn’t just a painting, it was an argument.

            The first thing that I thought about when I saw this piece was women’s rights.  With a little more research, I discovered that the artist of this painting, Jerry Kearns, was a cultural activist.  He takes issues that he is passionate about and makes statements through his art.  Kearns got is MFA degree from UC Santa Barbra and won the Rome Prize for Sculpture in the same year.  Shortly after he joined a multitude of different activist organizations and continued to speak through his art.  Today his work is displayed throughout 33 different museums and public collections.

            Kearns was an American artist and he was born in 1942.  A year after his birth the view on women in the workforce changed dramatically.  It was during World War II and there were tons of new factories opened to produce weapons.  When it was time for the soldiers to be deployed the companies realized that they didn’t have enough workers to continue with the amount of production that they needed.  The government came out with “Rosie the Riveter”, the ideal working women, to lure women into the workforce.

            This painting is quite similar to Rosie the Riveter.  The woman portrayed in Affirmative Action is a strong, hard working woman.  The look on her face makes her appear determined to accomplish whatever comes her way.  She is shoveling dirt which is not an ideal job.  She is doing the dirty work while still dressing to impress.  At the time when this was painted, many people saw women as always having to look nice. They not only had to look good but they were also expected to, not only take care of the household, but also take on a job.  Another thing to point out is the perspective of the painting.  The woman is a giant in comparison to the red and yellow cityscape behind her.  This makes her seem like she is, once again, very determined.  She is ‘on top of the world’ and nothing can stop her.  The colors that Kearns chose for the background are ones that represent anger and energy.  All of these things together make for an awfully moving piece of art.

            I chose this painting mostly because I am a firm believer in women’s rights.  Not only should women be able to work the same jobs as men, but they should be treated equally.  In the era that this was painted women couldn’t even compete with men for jobs.  A lot has changed since then but things are still not equal; there are still some women who are getting paid less to do the same exact job as men.  This piece of art makes a very strong statement against what I believe to be an extremely relevant issue.

            Overall, my experience at the Palmer Museum was enlightening.  It is interesting to see how different people express themselves in different ways.  Some people express themselves verbally but these artists have a way of speaking through their art.  There were a variety of different pieces from paintings to sculptures to drawing, but they all had something to offer.  I never thought of myself as a “museum-goer”, but I would consider visiting other museums after my trip through the Palmer.

Sources: http://oneartworld.com/artists/J/Jerry%20Kearns.html
                http://www.nps.gov/pwro/collection/website/rosie.htm