Title of Event: Exhibit in Holmes
Date & Time of Event: November 16th
Location of Event: Holmes rm 103
Type of event: Gallery
I really like how the mixed media is used in her work and how you can see the time and effort that she put into creating her pieces. i also thought that it was a really interesting location as the pieces catch my eye as I walk to class. the repetition of similar images was interesting as well.
Title of Event: Friends and Stranger
Date & Time of Event: Tuesday, December 10, 1:30 pm
Location of Event: PBS ART21
Type of event: Episode
The four different artists shown in this video, all use different art to elaborate on part of their identity. Through their work they all want to gain intimacy to people. The four different artists had very different mediums, yet they all used their art to connect to a population and broaden others view as well as their own. Another part that I find quite interesting that a couple of the artists touched on is letting people misunderstand. There is a power in leaving your art up to interpretation that makes it that much more powerful instead of explaining ur reasons for creating it, you let ur work have more effect and meaning for more people because it can take so many more meanings without a label. Art is a process instead of a creation, that gives meaning to work. At is the life that you live. What I find amazing is that what all of these artists had in common, was that they had a vision and they followed through on it, it didn’t have to be this elaborate art form or idea they just used energy and excitement to create it for everyone to relate to. Art lets you bypass today and lets you think about what it means in the future, lets you belong to a place and scale visibility to social norms, being able to collaborate with others even if you make the art alone.
As any younger sister tended to do growing up, I liked to shadow my older sister’s every move. I went to the same school, picked up the cello, and would eat two paninis as an afternoon snack, just because that is what she did. So it was only natural that once she started getting into learning about climate change and the environment I did too. She joined the environmental club, and so did I. I did have a fundamental interest in the subject, it wasn’t merely because of my sister’s presence that i started to get involved, but it was a passion suppressed by my sister’s passion and joining in on her community. It wasn’t until 3 years ago when I was really able to shape my own fervor for the topic, when I got a job on a local organic nonprofit farm nearby where I live. No pesticides were used, only organic mechanisms, which meant that a lot more problem solving and human labor went into producing all the crops. We would spend hours picking tomatoes in “tomato jail”, hand weeding beds, and bunching radishes. My appreciation on how food was grown, especially the extra time and energy to use less harmful practices and produce crops in a sustainable and responsible way amazed me. This experience was an epiphany in my life, because it was an experience that made me realize the importance of everyone’s actions and how vital protecting the environment really is. After this experience, I came back the next two summers to learn more and promote the cause. I also really changed my way of life, only buying what is necessary, and purchasing as much produce and products locally, to take advantage that I have access to that. Not only did it give me a specific and personal purpose to change my practices and help change others to care for this planet, but I became a part of a community, where I was surrounded by people who weren’t in it for the money but were there because they cared and wanted to help. Our days from 7am – 5pm doing even the dreariest tasks were made fun by the conversations and group experience we were having, for we really were all in it together, and everyone was growing as people together.
dogs are able to experience a wide array of emotions, similarly to humans and have complex thoughts that show their intelligence – rachael boardman
Title of Event: virginia smith poetry reading
Date and time of event: September 26th 2024
Location of Event: Bucknell Hall
Type of Event: Guest Poetry Reading
1.) Provide a brief detail-oriented technical description or summary of the event you attended. – This was a reading of the poems that will be included in the new book that the poet is publishing. Then it was followed by a Q+A.
2.) Use the section below to write a well-structured paragraph focusing on your personal criticalinsight / response to the event. How did you interpret or react to what was presented to you?
In my opinion, I thought the poetry was a bit confusing and went all over the place and didn’t really have a clear flow of what was happening. However, the poet did go into some topics that were personal and deep which I thought was meaningful. I also thought that her use of words were amazing.
3.) What information, ideas, images, etc. most impressed you and why?
I was most impressed by the way she was able to change topics so quickly
4.) Overall, how would you rate this event (10 being the most worthwhile)?
(10 / 9 / 8 / 7 / 6 / 5 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1 )
2
5.) Justify your rating in the question above:
I don’t really think that poetry is for me, I just wasn’t able to get into it. I also think that it was an odd sense of themes thrown together.
When I was about 14, I prepared a performance piece for a mid-season piano recital, Solfeggietto by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach. This was a casual recital, no crazy intricate performances that showcased the best of our abilities, but rather an update to what we’ve been practicing. During practice, I recall being satisfied with the speed and volume of my piece, and prepared to perform on stage with it. Except once I arrived at the music center, my piano teacher guiltily informed my mom and I that, of the small group of players who had said they could attend, I was the only one who was actually able to show up. But he was determined to make the performance happen, so he ushered in the random woman who was in the waiting room, and I performed the song, which was maybe 2 minutes long, to three people. The setup was strange, I was facing them rather than being set at an angle, playing on an electric weighted keyboard. But I had practiced, recorded myself, and played at various speeds, so everything should’ve been fine. But it wasn’t, because I fumbled the performance enough for it to be obvious to my very small audience, and I probably threw any attempt at dynamics out the window. The entire event was probably done within 10 minutes, but I was embarrassed and disappointed with myself. It is a constant reminder of how a perfect practice will not always be replicated on stage. I was probably nervous from the strange performance I was having, but I still don’t enjoy participating in artistic performances.
Adjectives: perfect, fine
Verbs: perform, practice, fumbled, replicate,
Emotions: embarrassed, disappointed, nervous
Central Terms: piano, Bach, speed, only one
This is an artwork by Stanley, it is untitled and does not have a date. It is watercolor on paper and it is titled “Bequest of Ethel Ward”
Overall, in the videos I watched, I learned about animal intelligence in a variety of animals, including dogs, dolphins, monkeys, etc. In these videos, researchers in one test dolphins to see if they can recognize themselves in a mirror. Their change of behavior suggests that they understand they are looking at a reflection of themselves. Another talks about how certain animals, including dogs and monkeys, will deceive humans and other animals. This suggests that not only are they capable of complex thoughts, but that they understand others have complex thoughts as well. Another video talks about how worms are similar to humans in that they will test a number of different ways to get a leaf into a hole in the group, similar to how a human may try to fit a couch through a doorway. Another video talks about how one species of crows has the same intelligence of a 7 year old. All of these videos taught me that animals are much more intelligent than I had previously thought. They are able to analyze and solve complex problems, along with recognizing other animals and their own reflection. It was very interesting to see comparisons and similarities between how animals act and solve problems to how humans do.
Response: I watched a YouTube video called “Dogs Can Smell Cancer”. It is discussed in the video how dogs spend more time watching humans than any other animal. Many dogs have a strong sense of connection with their owners and the humans they live with because they are very social creatures. They have the ability to read the body language of humans and can sense what is coming before it actually happens, such as how they express that they know they are going for a walk before the wonder actually decides that themselves. It is described in the video how a dog, Max, changed his mood and acted depressed and less energetic towards his owner because he sensed that he had cancer. Once his owner was treated for her cancer, his behavior drastically changed. It is explained that dogs can smell the tiny volatile chemicals given off by cancerous tumors, and with training they can accurately pick out a cancerous patient from a group of patients from a selection of urine samples. They can also sense when blood sugar levels are getting low and alert people before an allergic reaction happens. The main ideas from this video are that dogs have incredible capabilities when it comes to helping people because they have a sense of connection with humans and are very intelligent creatures. They can be trained to use their senses in helpful ways. They also try to communicate things to their owners every day of their lives and can often warn them before something happens. They can be very useful in the medical world, as well as to dog owners in general.
Thesis: Dogs are very social and intelligent creatures that can save lives. They are keen observers that can sense what is coming before it happens and they have abilities to sense diseases such as cancer, when blood sugar levels are low, or when a person is about to have an allergic reaction. They can be trained to be of service to humans in the medical world, along with the services they provide to their owners every day.
Downtown Samek Art Museum
Paul Villinski – Soaring
As a 4th grader, over summer break, I joined a Civil War camp in which we would tour battlefields and learn about the incredible struggle that took place in the early 1860s. In particular, we went to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, to walk around one of the most important battlefields of the entire war. Not only was it a very historically intriguing adventure, but also carried a deep and solemn weight knowing that thousands of people died fighting for certain freedoms and ensuring that others could live and prosper. This battle, essentially, decided the fate of the Civil War given that a Union defeat would mean the occupation of Washington D.C. by the confederate army of Northern Virginia, spelling disaster for president Lincoln and the U.S. as a whole. Knowing this it is very exciting to be able to go to the real place and understand the rich events that took place. Since then, I have gone to Gettysburg about five times and am looking to go a sixth sometime soon. It is amazing that such a basic place can hold such great power and significance in the mind just because of what happened there. Ultimately, this trip opened the door to a much larger love for history and the American Civil War and the desire to understand the sacrifices made to keep the U.S. together in the face of incredible challenges.