Self Evaluation

            

 1.

              My first semester at Penn State went by pretty quickly. A lot of information was thrown at me over the past couple months. One specific area where I learned a lot, is writing. The most important thing I’ve learned in English this year is to use my voice in my writing. No one needs to use long words or ridiculous sentences to be a good writer. All you need to do is find your own voice, and stick to it in your writing. Aside from that, one of the first things we learned this year was how to use rhetoric tools. One thing that I took from the lessons was how to use pathos, ethos, and logos for effective writing. Pathos can be used to appeal to an audience’s emotions, whether it’s vivid imagery or compelling words. Ethos is used to appeal to the ethics of an audience, establishing a writer’s credibility with them. Logos is for appealing to the logic of your audience, by reasoning or even persuasive language. Throughout the year, I learned to apply these rhetoric tools to my writing. First, I applied them to write a visual analysis paper on an advertisement, next to write a memoir on an important time in my life.

            Writing and rhetoric were not the only topics covered in class this semester. We also learned a lot about Penn State, and how the arts are involved at the university. For starters, Penn State has on of the most prestigious English departments in the country. Each and every day, there are opportunities to go out and get involved in the arts community. One thing that Penn State has that a lot of other colleges may not have is its own art museum. The Palmer Museum of Art is filled with a wide variety of art exhibits, and it is definitely worth the trip. Penn State also has a great theatre department. For our class we saw them put on an excellent performance of In the Red and Brown Water at the Playhouse Theatre, one of many venues at the school. Another venue where more famous artists perform is the Bryce Jordan Center, where concerts and events are held year round. Our class also made a visit to the university’s arboretum, possibly one of the most scenic, unknown spots on campus. One other kind of art we explored during our time together as an English class is cinema. We attended the IAH Film Festival at the State College Theatre downtown. There was a diverse selection of movies to see all centered around a college theme.

            One last area where I made some discoveries this semester is in myself. I always dreaded writing of any kind in high school. These past few months though, I don’t mind it as much, I’m actually starting to feel comfortable writing papers. Another thing I realized over the semester is that I do enjoy most of the arts here. The theatre was interesting as well as the Palmer Museum. I also enjoyed the arboretum and the IAH Film Festival. Overall, I’m glad I decided to take English 15S here at Penn State. 

 2.
 

1. http://pbandkelly122.blogspot.com/2012/10/old-school.html?showComment=1349407988102#c4765733724815156899

2. http://sedwards10.blogspot.com/2012/09/my-blog-analysis.html?showComment=1349973954759#c3685611853529927918

3. http://satisfyyourbordom.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-beautiful-arboretum.html?showComment=1349974297548#c1076610293658601884

4. http://showmetheartspa.blogspot.com/2012/09/photos.html?showComment=1354049693120#c8197198479838965137

5. http://bblissfullyblogging.blogspot.com/2012/11/in-red-and-brown-water.html?showComment=1354049908883#c1146286373001559072

6. http://sedwards10.blogspot.com/2012/10/animal-house-review.html?showComment=1354056599436#c4687542938018464285

7. http://kristinajoelle.blogspot.com/2012/11/in-red-and-brown-water.html?showComment=1354057206629#c3578144482515808511

8. http://obrienseyes.blogspot.com/2012/11/5-in-red-and-brown-water.html?showComment=1354388897381#c7962628957158441642

9. http://kaylaswritten.blogspot.com/2012/10/artscultural-response-undergraduate.html?showComment=1354724420241#c4127487684952129978

    10.    http://partyar.blogspot.com/2012/09/man-and-woman-seated-richard-diebenkorn.html?showComment=1355182492691#c8853077124325847571


 3.

Hey Mrs. S--- I completed my SRTE online !

Arts/Cultural Response: Wiz Khalifa 2050 Tour

Wiz Khalifa and company turned up the volume at the Bryce Jordan Center in October when the 2050 Tour came to town. Other big name performers Juicy J and Chevy Woods accompanied Wiz Khalifa on the October 12^th stop of his North American tour. A few friends and I decided to grab tickets and check it out. Why not when we get the student discount?

This was not only my first concert at the Bryce Jordan Center, but it was also my first rap concert. I’ve gone to see Dave Matthews Band, John Mayer, Train, and Zac Brown Band in concert before, but never any hip-hop artists. I expected the show to be good, I do like a lot of Wiz Khalifa songs, but I just didn’t expect a rap concert to capture the same live performance feeling as a rock or country concert. I knew the beats and even some of the lines at the concert would just be recordings, and I felt that that wouldn’t be the same as hearing artists actually playing their instruments for the crowd. In that sense I was right, but the live performance put on by Wiz Khalifa was mind blowing.

Student tickets were all general admission, which basically means first-come first-serve. So my friends and I got to the BJC about an hour early, and we ended up standing pretty close to the stage. By the time Wiz Khalifa came on, about three quarters of the floor was filled up. It was hot, crowded, and really loud as Wiz Khalifa began his first song. The whole mass of people immediately began to bounce up and down to the beat of the song. From that point on, the atmosphere in the BJC was electric. The best part in my opinion is when he played the song “Never Been,” my favorite song from one of his older mix-tapes. One thing that surprised me about Wiz Khalifa was his on-stage persona. He danced around on stage and held the microphone stand like an old rock star bursting with charisma. I definitely did not expect to see that from a rapper.

             My friends and I all really enjoyed the concert. The Bryce Jordan Center is a great venue to see an act perform at. I would definitely go to another show there, however I don’t know if I would go see another rapper aside from Wiz Khalifa. His live performance was amazing and I think that sets him apart from other hip-hop artists.

Uncaged

Uncaged, The Zac Brown Band’s third studio album hit the shelves on July 10, 2012. It is the first release from the band since they put out You Get What You Give in 2010. The album, like its predecessor, landed itself on the top of the Billboard Hot 200 during the first week of sales. However, something sets Uncaged apart from Zac Brown Band’s previous two albums. Band member Clay Cook describes the band’s first two releases as simply “collections of songs,” whereas Uncaged is an “album” (1). That being said, this CD is best listened to from start to finish, rather than jumping from track to track.

The album kicks things off with “Jump Right In,” a song that will put your mind on vacation in the Bahamas. Title track “Uncaged” only adds to the collection of Jimmy Buffet style lyrics. The beginning of the album continues to flare with upbeat ocean music. Zac Brown sings a deeper mood with the slow paced radio hit “Goodbye In Her Eyes.” Bob Marley and Bacardi are sung of on the reggae-country-rock tune “Island Song.” What you can really see in the first half of Uncaged is where Zac Brown Band is branching their country roots outward. Zac Brown himself referred to the new album as: “your basic Country-Southern rock-bluegrass-reggae-jam record” (2). The album continues to amaze right through the next few tracks. “Natural Disaster” starts off with a slow pace that develops into an upbeat country jam. The last two songs on the record “Day That I Die” and “Last but Not Least,” are filled with rich chords and deep country lyrics.

You can clearly see how much Zac Brown Band has changed since their first album years ago. Uncaged is filled with a variety of songs all with roots in different areas of music. Quite the opposite of the band’s first album The Foundation, filled with mostly bluegrass-country style music. Experimenting with new sounds can be a good thing for any group, but an act like the Zac Brown Band will always stay true to their down home roots.

Overall: 7/10

Sources: 

(1) http://tasteofcountry.com/zac-brown-band-uncaged-album-details/

(2) http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20120425/wire/120429730?tc=ar

In the Red and Brown Water

In The Red and Brown Water, the main character, Oya, faces some of the toughest challenges of her life. At the beginning of this coming-of-age tale, the audience is shown that Oya is the fastest track runner in her hometown, the Projects in the Bayou of Louisiana. In fact she’s so good at track, that she receives an offer from “State,” a college where she could be a member of the track team. Oya is forced to decline the offer so that she could stay and look after Mama Moja, her mom who is very sick. It is obvious to the audience that one of Oya’s friends, Ogun has a crush on her. He stutters while trying to talk to her, and is treated badly by Shango, a smooth talker whose main goal is to get with Oya. Mama Moja passes away, and Oya discovers that it is too late for her to run track for State. She falls for Shango, who does not truly care about her and sleeps around with other women. Shango leaves for the army and Oya is left with Ogun, but that’s not what Oya’s heart wants.

            I feel that Oya’s main problem is struggling with the decisions that she has made. First, she turned down an offer to go to college, possibly her only way out of the projects. Then she fell for a man who didn’t truly love her. Now she’s left with nothing. In the end, Oya did not achieve what she set out to achieve.

            I was most compelled by the dancing and choreography of the performers. I found it fascinating that they walked through the aisles during the play. The sounds and moves were almost otherworldly, for example when Elegba explained his dream to Mama Moja. The fact that almost the whole cast was involved in these dancing scenes made them even better.

            The cast and crew did an excellent job, and I was very impressed by the performances. However, the play itself was a bit difficult to follow at times. One specific part of the play that made very little sense to me was towards the end when Oya cut off her ear. I don’t understand why she would do something like that. Personally, I like when a movie or story makes you look for hidden meanings and read between the lines. I’m sure everyone does not feel the same way though, so if you are the kind of person that likes a story to be very simple and forthright, maybe In the Red and Brown Water is not the play for you. But if you are like me, this would be a very enjoyable performance for you to see.

            This was my first time seeing a live theatre performance. I was completely shocked at how much I enjoyed it. When I thought of going to see a play, I thought of the typical “high school play” episode of any TV show that I had watched as a child. I was impressed at how complex the characters in the play were and how deep the plot actually went. That being said, I would not think twice about making another trip to the theatre here at Penn State. 

           

Old School

             Do you ever wish you could live in a fraternity and host wild parties every single night? The three friends in Todd Phillip’s hit blockbuster, “Old School” (2003), are lucky enough to live this dream. Big name actors Luke Wilson, Will Ferrell, and Vince Vaughn are transformed on the screen into the goofy, loveable characters of Mitch (Wilson), Frank (Ferrell), and Bernard (Vaughn). It’s not all fun and games for the hilarious trio however; their new frat house leads them to a series of predicaments and relationship problems.

            The adventure begins when Mitch comes home from a business trip early only to make a shocking discovery about his girlfriend, leading him to end his relationship with her. Down on his luck, Mitch’s friends Frank and Bernard help him find and move into his new house right off campus of the fictional Harrison University. Their antics and hilarious shenanigans eventually gain attention from the dean of the college, who happens to be the grudge-holding subject of the threes’ bullying back in high school.

While at times, the plot can seem a little less than believable; Old School definitely holds its viewers’ attention throughout. Will Ferrell captures the spotlight with his college persona “Frank the Tank,” and his love for the oldest fraternity pledge, “Blue” who is pushing 87 years of age. The crew undergoes a series of difficult tasks to retain fraternity status and keep their house and learns a few life lessons and captures the hearts of their audience along the way.

            Whether you are a die hard fan of the actors, or this is the first movie of theirs you’re watching, they do not disappoint. This is the perfect movie for any college student looking to get a good laugh. If you’re not a fan of raunchy comedy or excessive swearing however, Old School is not for you. Either way I would give the movie two thumbs up.

           

My First Experience With Nature at Penn State

At first, I was quite skeptical about going to the arboretum. Although I enjoy the outdoors, I would hardly consider myself a nature-lover. I like going fishing and being outside, but when I pictured the arboretum, I imagined it as just a flower garden, which isn’t really something that sounds interesting to me. After making the trip there with the class, my mind was changed.

            I found the arboretum to be a very peaceful, scenic place. One of the most interesting spots I came across there was the small man-made pond. Colorful bunches of aquatic plants littered the water between the floating lily pads. In the center, the tallest of the plants stood higher than six feet out of the water. There were even a few larger lily pads two or three feet in diameter scattered around the surface. The thing that intrigued me the most about the small pond was the bright orange goldfish that you could see meandering through the underwater garden. Some of the plant life I saw here even reminded me of the plants that I saw in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. It’s truly amazing to me that people were able to get such a diverse range of plants to grow in an area that they are not native to.

            One other characteristic of the arboretum that caught my attention was the diverse amount of flowers and plants that you can see when walking through the gardens. On one side, giant bulbs hanging from plant stems six or seven feet off the ground fence in the paths. The other side is filled with a colorful array of flowers that look like they should be on an island in the Caribbean. Another interesting plant that you can find at the arboretum is the palm tree like shrub that is near the man-made pond. It looks like a miniature palm tree that you would see lining the streets in Miami or Las Angeles. This really amazed me that a plant like this could be found in the fall in central PA. At the end of the arboretum, there is a giant white canopy overlooking the forest in the distance. One bare tree stands before the large expanse of fields bordering the gardens. In my opinion, this was the best view offered by the arboretum.

            Overall, I would say my experience visiting Penn State’s arboretum was a positive one. It was my first time even hearing about it, let alone visiting it, and hopefully I’ll be able to make it back there sometime soon. Would I recommend visiting the arboretum to my friends? Of course I would. It may just be one of the most scenic spots on campus. Whether you are a nature person or not, it is definitely worth the trip. The arboretum could be a great spot to go check out on a not so busy day, especially since it’s only a few minutes walk from East.

My First Experience With Art at Penn State

Artist: Utagowa Hiroshige

Title: Gotenyama hanami (Flower Viewing at Gotenyama)

Materials: Woodblock Print

Description: A white sky is the backdrop for the wooden ships sailing close to the shore. A few more sails are visible over the horizon. The blue ocean almost blends in with the grass that seems to drop off steeply before the water. The land is littered with people both standing and sitting on blankets with their eyes focused on the white cherry blossom trees. More people are still piling into the area to try to get a spot to sit. Among the cherry trees are also taller slimmer trees that look as if they could be pine trees. On the right side of the grass field, you can see a banner of some sort hanging between a tree and a wooden shack or hut.

            This woodblock print was created between 1838 and 1843, as part of a series of woodblock prints. The artist was simply depicting a common scene during springtime all over Japan. What caught my eye in this art was the extreme detail. There’s a lot going on in the picture. It gives me a feeling of peace and sets a calm mood. To me, this piece is reminiscing on the way things used to be for these Japanese people. Less than ten years after the artist created this print, the Gotenyama area was destroyed to make barriers for war. Such a simple tradition is shown in this picture, and knowing that the tradition is no longer alive at Gotenyama because of war sends a strong message to me. The art seems to be making the argument to stop war and preserve traditions.

            Utagowa Hiroshige began making “landscape” style prints in the middle of his career around 1831. His small-scale landscape prints were some of the first of their kind. This specific piece of art was made prior to the land at Gotenyama being destroyed. So when Utagowa made the print, I think that he was trying to persuade his audience to preserve traditions and nature, while still depicting a great time of celebration for the Japanese people. The massive amount of spectators gathered in the picture just illustrates how big of a tradition this is among the people living in Gotenyama. Seeing the picture now, and knowing that the area is no longer there, this really sends me the message that we should appreciate traditions and natural occurrences like that because one day, they might be gone.

            I never really was a “museum-goer,” and this trip to the Palmer Museum of art was my first time ever inside of one. I pretty much knew what I expected the inside of the museum to be set up like. Rooms with pictures on the walls and occasional sculptures where there was space. However, I did not know what kind of art to expect to see inside of the museum. I was pleasantly surprised by the different pieces that I got to see. Almost every room had more than one picture or sculpture that I found to be interesting. I would definitely encourage anybody who hasn’t yet been to the museum to try to get there at some point. Maybe I will even make another trip there to see everything again.

What We Talk About When We Talk About Blogs

Template: For my blog, I wanted to choose a background and color scheme that made it easy to read. I felt it would be more effective if the writing was the focal point, not the background. I ended up going with the simple "off-white" color. I didn't want my blog to be too boring, but I also did not want it to be too loud or overbearing. When it came to the layout of the page, I just wanted it to be organized, so that things would still be easy to find once I started to add more posts to the blog. The color scheme, while simple, still reflects Penn State. I made it that way to show that I support the school and I'm proud to be a part of it.

Title: This blog will be used for English 15S assignments, so it only made sense to me to include the name of the course in the blog title. However, I needed to add a personal touch to it. By adding the "We Are," I not only made an eye catching title, but I also expressed my support for Penn State.

Font: The font used on a page can make or break it. If it is too loud or hard to read, it will be ineffective. If it is too bland or boring, it will be just as ineffective. For my title, I chose the font "Puritan." To me, this seemed like a casual font that invites the reader in. The font in my writing however, is a little more formal. Since my posts will be significantly longer than the title, the font will need to be easier for the eyes to read.

About Me: I just wanted to use a brief section of my blog to give the reader a little information about myself. I may continue to add information to the about me as I spend more time on my blog.

Other Content: Among the other features I included on my blog is the Penn State Nittany Lions Logo. Once again, Penn State Pride, you can never have too much of it. There's also a follow by e-mail gadget, in case anybody is really into my blog and wants e-mail updates. I included a link page on the top of my blog. At the moment there were no links that I felt necessary to include, but as the year goes on I'm sure I will find helpful or interesting sites that I can share with everyone via the link page.