Expectations

A few days ago, on Thursday November 10, 2011, I attended Dave Housley’s reading in the Chambers Building.  I really had no specific expectations for the event because I had never actually been to a writer’s reading.  Basic questions, What will he read? How many people from our class will actually show up?, filled my thoughts beforehand.  I texted a friend from the class and asked if she would be attending, she was, so we walked together.  We arrived pretty early, and besides one guy, the room was empty.  Definitely one thing I was not expecting.  Soon after though, the room was filling up as the minutes moved closer to 7:30.  Sheila, my English instructor, was soon there and talked to us.  Several others from the class also piled in.  Dave Housley was quite an attractive man if you ask me and seemed to have a great personality, making for a nice, humorous, much-needed atmosphere to spend my evening within.

I was pleased with the atmosphere, the readings, the presence of everyone in the room and the night overall.  It was a new experience and one that I am thankful for having, attending my first reading.  Right off the bat, the atmosphere was funny.  The guy who introduced Dave (Forgive me, I can see his face but cannot remember his name!) also had an obvious air about him that allowed everyone to simply relax.  To my surprise we got a free literary magazine! I hadn’t expected that, but am glad that we did, I’ve already been reading it.  Dave introduced his book Ryan Seacrest is Famous and you may call me crazy but I have seen that book before! I believe it was in the Penn State Bookstore in the HUB, but Dave didn’t announce that as a place where we could purchase it.  I’m definitely confused on that one!  Either way, we got a taste of the book.  My best description would be funny and random, very random.  Maybe if I read the entire thing or knew more about Dave, the subject matter would relate, but I found each of the stories to be different and really good.  He read two shorter pieces and a longer one.  The first thing I had to get over was that even though he was reading in the first person, it wasn’t “him” speaking as the character in the story, at least I didn’t think so, cause he’s not missing a finger?  Anyways, I had initially listened as if he were the character talking, making for a very humorous experience seeing that some of the content being read and the fact that his parents were in the same room, should not mix, if indeed it were about himself.  Hilarious.  I could not stop laughing at some parts, and I couldn’t help but glance around to others to see their reactions as well.  I definitely enjoyed the Princess and the Frog story, very heartfelt and still humorous.  I will admit that one expectation I did have was for the reading to be longer, it was much shorter than I had planned for, and I actually wished it had been longer at the time.  I was content in that room, with those people, in that moment.  In the most disastrous weeks in my life here at Penn State so far, I had one of the best experiences.  Who would have thought?

Attending Dave Housley’s reading has really opened me up to the idea of becoming more enveloped in the world of literature.  It’s intriguing through both readings and literary magazines.  I can’t wait to attend another, hopefully Sheila’s!  English has become a new, intriguing subject for me, that I’m considering pursuing as an area of interest, perhaps someday a major.

Oh, and one more thing, I actually did know who Jerry Garcia was, thanks to my sister the once “Dead Head” you might say who used to have a 9 fingered Jerry Garcia Doll, guitar and all, that I thought was so funny to play with when I was little.  Thanks sissy, and to Dave, I got the reference and the humor.

Kiss me goodbye, Kate!

The musical, Kiss Me, Kate, that we attended as a class this past weekend was one that I did not know what to expect of.  I had never heard much about the play so I wasn’t sure what it was really even about other than it was a musical.  I love musicals and I love to go see them being performed live, however I must admit that Kiss Me, Kate was not one of my favorites.

I do not wish to say that it was a “bad” musical or unentertaining, but rather it just did not fit my tastes as well as others I have seen.  It did not capture my attention in the ways that others have.  I enjoyed it as an assignment but I would not wish to see it on my own time again.  I did however enjoy the idea of the play within a play.  It was a little confusing at first to distinguish between what the characters were supposed to be portraying in The Taming of the Shrew and the actors themselves in Kiss Me, Kate.  It became more evident as the show went on and we became identified with the different roles of the characters.  I did enjoy the beautiful voices and dancing especially.  The musical had a lot of humor and made for an enjoyable experience but I became bored and found myself anxiously checking the program to see how many songs were left, perhaps the 3 hours seemed like a stretch, like overkill.

Other musicals that I have had the pleasure of seeing live are Wicked, twice on Broadway in New York City, The Lion King, Annie, and In the Heights, all three of which were on tour for Broadway in surround cities.  I have seen numerous other musicals put on by smaller companies or schools, such as Fiddler on the Roof, Arabian Nights, etc.  I have seen many Disney classic musicals performed in Disney World including The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, and Beauty and the Beast.  Musicals have always been something I’m drawn too, I love everything about them, the acting, singing, dancing, the sets, plots and storylines, everything!  I have watched them on video as well, such as Rent.

I love the musical-theatre genre and most of the ones I named above are my favorites, especially Wicked and The Lion King.  Both are phenomenal and I would definitely see them again and again if I could.  I also love the atmosphere of seeing a show on Broadway in NYC.  It is an unforgettable experience that everyone interested in the arts should have.  More than just the show, the entire city adds a feeling that makes the entire trip feel worthwhile.  I will definitely be pursuing my goal to see even more Broadway shows in the future, hopefully sooner rather than later. 

With a widening knowledge of musicals and a high interest in them, I was very excited to see Kiss Me, Kate.  Comparing to the previously mentioned shows, Kiss Me, Kate lacked greatly for me.  The talent was great, but to me, the play just lacked in holding my interest and creating the “awe” that I usually experience in musicals.  Most likely, I assume, it just wasn’t exactly for me.  Part of this reason may be that I have never read or seen Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew.  It was easy to follow without that background knowledge but perhaps it would have been more interesting and captivating of an audience who identified more with that part of the musical.  I’m not sure exactly why, but it was not a play that I am apt to pursue more about or see again.  I would not discourage others from seeing it because it is most likely just personal preference that kept me from really liking it.  That being said, I would still encourage others to explore their tastes in musicals and see it and broaden their musical experiences as I am, it’s a fascinating form of entertainment.  Even without much interest I am thankful to the English department for purchasing my ticket and am glad I attended.

The Art and The Arboretum

           Walking around The Arboretum this cold, crisp morning was not the first thing I would have normally planned to start my day but it turned out to be an awesome start to my Thursday.  It was so peaceful and actually felt really good to have that long walk so early in the morning.  It’s beautiful there and I can’t believe I didn’t take the opportunity to see it earlier in the year.  I’m extremely glad we did this together as a class activity because now I know where it is and what I wonderful place it would be to return to. 

Kristen and I walked around the concrete sidewalks and dirt paths, finding mysterious and unique little plants that caught our attention, like the tiny red blooms resembling chili peppers or the wavy, purple leaves that reminded me of saturated purple cabbage.  I loved experiencing all that was around me and having a peaceful time to just talk to Kristen and get to know her even better.  The walk was relaxing and made me see the beauty that surrounds us here at Penn State; sometimes it’s easily overlooked.

Another aspect of The Arboretum I enjoyed was the sundial.  I am wondering what the stones were around it, is that a way to read the time?  It’s intriguing because it’s something we don’t see nearly as often today.  I can’t wait to return next year to see the decorative gourds and vines that wrap around the archway that Sheila described. I think that would be beautiful.  The orange pumpkins were awesome! The huge pumpkins by the pavilion were magnificent; I wish I could carve one! Now I know that The Arboretum’s pumpkin festival is something I should have attended and most likely will attend next fall.

Experiencing The Arboretum this morning made me realize how lucky I am to be at such a great university.  Comparing my experiences to those I know from home, so much more is available to me here.  I am so thankful to be at main campus as a freshman because I have access to far more than I would at another campus and even the other universities I applied to.  I was very unsure at first but it is only the first semester and Penn State is already proving that it is the university for me and I will not regret my decision to come here.

While walking through gardens, all this was coming up in my mind, the beauty, the art and the thankfulness I was feeling.  Perfect for the month of Thanksgiving.  It’s a wonderful place that I would encourage anyone to visit, especially those interested in the arts or looking for inspiration.  The criteria in which Kristen and I discussed that made art was engaging the senses and then conveying, or executing emotions or inspiration into something thus creating a work of art.  I often think both the artist and the viewers define art, because art is different for everyone.  Together Kristen and I felt like engaging the senses was key because art does just that.  It engages one into a variety of feelings or emotions based on their senses, whether it is the visual of a painting, the sounds of music, the tastes of culinary creations, or the smells of plants and blooms arranged strategically to create a beautiful garden.  Art is everywhere, even at The Arboretum.

Paws of Pride, Partying and a Podcast

          My initial response after listening to this podcast is a mixture of conflicting feelings.  These conflicting feelings are arriving due to the fact that so much was touched upon within the podcast.  Beginning very negatively, I felt ashamed listening to the content of the podcast and embarrassed that I may be associated with the people first interviewed in it.  The opposing feeling comes from the end of the podcast, displaying a much more positive outlook with the final act surrounding the “WE ARE” chant, so famously exemplifying who we are as members of this university.

            I’m torn, probably because I’m not a partier.  I recognize that a lot of people do party and I don’t judge or act unfavorable towards them.  Honestly, I am friends with a lot of them.  Everyone is different so everyone has different personal opinions.  For me, partying isn’t as accessible or wanted at this moment in my life. I have a lot of other things that don’t allow me the time, need or want to party.  So here I may become biased because I feel like some of the people interviewed/or discussed were acting so stupid, for example, the young girls attacking the police car who acting so disrespectfully towards him.  Did they know they would be on a podcast for the whole world to hear? Probably not, but even so, it’s embarrassing for other university students, even partiers, to be judged and become victims of the persona that others have created.

            I’m proud to be a Penn State student, but am I ashamed too? I might be if I acted in the manner that some people interviewed in the podcast did, but I don’t.  I shouldn’t be ashamed for other people’s actions because they are embarrassing themselves.  While some might take a different approach, I feel that the university is large enough to hold a variety of stereotypical groups, not just the “partiers”.  I don’t have to be associated with them if I make it known that I am not.  Rather than worrying about our pride, we should be more focused on the safety of our students.  With safety will come better choices and therefore better outcomes.  To me, that is much more worthy of pride than being considered the number one party school in America, but again, that’s a personal opinion.  I’m not for banning alcohol in the University, but I do believe action can be taken to limit it so as to not inflict on those, such as the neighbors, who do not want to be a part of it.

            Many appeals occurred throughout the podcast.  I noticed logos a lot throughout it.  Credibility of many subjects came up, including the survey that ranked us “#1 party school”.  Graham Spanier himself quoted that the “students vote” therefore we were ranked #1 for a reason right?  He insinuated that we are ranked number one because students want to be number one, we want to be number one in everything, including football, mascot, partying, etc.  He has a point.  The fact that Graham Spanier was quoted several times and audio of him was used allows for better logos of the production company of this podcast.  With the President speaking, it must be pretty legit, right? I thought so.

            Ethos is obviously used too, we all have arguments within this situation, and so we all have claims.  For the students, the claim is that it’s college and according to the one fraternity member, when else will we get to do this?  He has a point too.  This may lead to the questions like, when does it become too much though?  This claim is that of those held responsible, the University, it’s staff, Graham Spanier, the alumni, etc.  Another claim in this podcast is the podcast itself.  They are making a point to shed light on the University’s drinking problem because that is the sole topic, so of course every effort has been made to expose it.  I do believe though that the podcast presented it professionally and made it personal, they included many recognizable on campus locations such as McLanahan’s, Indigo, Beaver Stadium etc.  This helped in its claim and credibility as well as constantly providing listeners with nation-wide statistics and research about university students and drinking habits.

            One major appeal to logos in this podcast too was the research and discussion of the most recent alcohol related death of a PSU student.  The interviewers/narrators provided insight into the ordeal, why and how it happened and what the University did afterwards.

            Overall, I felt that this podcast was intriguing and done respectfully.  It defined PSU through the perspectives of many, including community dwellers, students, police force, and even staff.  The definitions seemed accurate to me and were a mix of positive and negative.  I feel that there is still an issue here to be addressed but I also think that the University will remain much the way it is because it is loved so much by its growing abundance of students and alumni.

Opening Night

            This past Tuesday night, October 18,2011, I went to Eisenhower Auditorium where the Center for the Performing Arts at Penn State presented the Tony-winning best musical, In The Heights.  The show started at 7:30 but my advisor, Laura Brown had reserved tickets for the special living option I’m involved in, Discover House.  I didn’t have a ticket but lucked out and was able to go in place of someone else on the floor that could not attend. How lucky am I?  We arrived an hour early to talk to two of the main members of the cast, Celina Clarich Polanco and Benjamin Perez.  Both were brilliant in presenting the musical accurately.  They are both so engulfed in their roles and are most obviously passionate about their careers, specifically in this musical.  Celina even described to us the process she took to land this role, including seeing the musical 36 times and auditioning 16 times.  They are a part of this tour, the second national tour for this musical, which we were told is rare in the theater industry, for a second national tour to be produced so largely and precisely like the original.  Fortunately for Penn State, they chose to start off here in State College with Tuesday night’s performance as opening night.

            The musical, In The Heights, is set in Washington Heights, New York, a Latino neighborhood.  Seeing that most of them speak English and Spanish, the musical incorporated both languages a lot.  They executed the use of the languages so well though that even those who knew no Spanish, like myself, could follow the plot and events easily.  The music was brilliant! A mix of hip-hop, rap and Latin, it was like none that I’ve heard.  It was very inspiring and the choreography was phenomenal.  I personally loved watching the dancing that took place throughout the entire musical because that is my favorite form of art, dance, most likely because I am a dancer myself and have been for most of my life.  The overall effect of the musical was wonderful.  I felt connected with the characters and the events that happened were ones that almost any family could relate to in some way or another.  For me, I identified most with one of the main stars, a young girl named Nina who struggled with finding herself and affording college at Stanford. Virginia Cavaliere, an amazing young actress, singer and dancer who really brought her character to life for us, played Nina’s role.  The entire musical was one to be remembered and I would recommend it to anyone to see if they had the opportunity.

A Peaceful Escape - Prompt #3

This afternoon, I experienced the most peaceful moment I’ve had since arriving at PSU.  Around 11:00 I grabbed a to-go lunch from Irving’s Bagels.  As I was heading toward Willard Building, the Hintz Family Alumni Center’s beautiful gardens caught my eye.  I entered a small, iron gate next to the colorful Secret Garden, a gift from an anonymous donor, which led down a small dirt path and to the soft, green lawn.  I crossed through the moist grass, passing the duck pond to the Ridge Riley’s Bridge.  It seemed like a great spot to sit and eat, study or relax. It was full of natural sounds, much different than the normal sounds of campus.  The ducks’ quacks were the most evident sounds I heard.  The ducks ran around near the pond, chasing students, or launching into the water.  I listened to the occasionally stirred water below and the rustling leaves above.  A massive tree seemed to lean over the bridge resembling a green rooftop, providing shade and concealment.  Today was a great day to visit, with the slight breeze that passed through, I sat very content on one of the cool stone benches of the bridge.  I enjoyed my savory bagel sandwich and sat still; just experiencing all that surrounded me.  I realized today how much I loved it there because it was an escape.  It created a feeling of peaceful separation from the busy bustle of campus life.  It allowed time for quiet reflection and most of all, comfort.

The Palmer, my first visit.

          While meandering through the beautiful Palmer Museum of Art, I came across a wonderful piece of artwork in the David and Gerry Pincus Gallery that had appealed quite rhetorically interesting to me.  It’s title is a date, 4.11.2007.  To me, this was a surprising title for such a piece of art, nonetheless it is quite simple and perhaps that was the artist’s goal.  The artist then, is Mark Sheinkman.  He is an American artist born in 1963.  The materials used for this brilliant piece are oil, alkyd, and graphite on linen.  It was made in 2007.

            I sat on a wooden bench in front of the piece to observe it and to create a thorough description, attempting to capture its essence in words.  The best descriptions I came up with were as follows:  The piece hung as a rectangular shape on the wall with a very dark background, almost black but not quite.  Its color scheme was made up of every variation of black and white, including every shade of gray in between.  The brightest white parts appeared the closest to me, while the soft grays seemed to hang in the air behind the white, reminiscent of mist, or smoke.  The entire picture conveyed the concept of smoke.  It was made up of soft, swirling motions that seemed to hang in the air.  It appeared to me whimsical yet ominous, both somewhat evil and yet very pure.  The “smoke” as you may call it took every possible movement through swirls, curves, turns, twists and circles, intertwining within one another’s rungs.  It seemed not as one definite wisp of smoke, but many that each started and ended on different parts of the linen canvas.  They spread out along the sides of the canvas but all clustered together in a diagonal across the center of the painting, leaving the bottom left corner and top right corner mostly empty.  The entire painting just radiated delicateness to me.  It seemed as if you were to move too quickly past it, or to reach out a hand and touch it with the tip of your finger that the entire picture would disintegrate.

            The rhetorical situation of the piece is that it is quite secluded.  I have researched to attempt to find a reason behind the title of Sheinkman’s 4.11.2007, but found no answers.  To me, this made the piece even more rhetorically interesting because it’s place/time of creation is not very precise.  I know that it was created in 2007, which matches the year in the title, yet I was unable to find any further explanation as to why it is a specific date. Perhaps, that was the date that he created the idea for the piece, began working on it, or maybe the finish of it.  I also know that Sheinkman has done various pieces that are part of an exhibition called Leaded, in which his pieces seem to imitate each other and are made of the same materials, and color scheme that go along with graphite.  I do not believe it belongs to a historical moment exactly, but rather Sheinkman’s own cultural moment in which he creates these similar pieces of artwork.  To me, the piece is very much in conversation within the moment, being so comparable to his other works such as Audobon, Chisum, Twelfth, and many others.  One other factor that may influence his work through this cultural moment is the fact that he resides in New York.  New York is a very busy, inspiring city and to me, the piece 4.11.2007 incorporates some qualities of the city such as the smoke that obviously comes with the pollution from any city, especially such a large one.  Another idea could be the evil and purity that radiate through the piece, like different parts of a city.  There are countless interpretations that can be composed from a viewer’s aspect.

            The piece involves pathos, especially to me, because it evokes certain emotions within me.  I found the piece very inspiring and peaceful, ominous almost.  It captivated me and I was forced to sit and stare at it for quite some time.  I felt at ease just looking at it, trying to formulate ideas behind Sheinkman’s purpose, and his strokes that seem so life-like.  Considering myself a very amateur artist, I felt so inspired by his painting because it speaks directly to the values I have, and the type of art that I yearn to be capable of creating.  To me, it connects to my values of passion and drive, to inspire people, and create art that can be interpreted in so many ways.  More than anything the beautiful painting just captivated me in every way, drawing me close and I believe that is it’s most powerful aspect in which I could not escape.  Also, a little personal fun-fact: My favorite colors are black and white.  They are so classical, and appeal to me more than most colors.  I have my entire room at home done in black and white, with silver and gray accents.  I think this is another reason why 4.11.2007 appeals to me so much, it is a piece of art that I would never even hesitate on having in my future home if I could.

            The artist establishes his credibility because immediately upon researching him, I found various pieces of artwork that match the style of 4.11.2007 which easily showed his passion for this type of art, and also his talent.  One thing I noticed about this piece was that along the sides of the canvas’ edge are his fingerprints that are left from the residue of the graphite.  I find it interesting that he left them there, giving the piece such a personal touch and credibility all in one.  He is an established artist in New York, and as I mentioned a few paragraphs ago, has many creations that are comparable to the one at The Palmer Museum of Art.  Here are some links to other works of his, as well as an article in which 4.11.2007 was used:  http://www.vonlintel.com/Mark-Sheinkman.html

http://www.marksheinkman.com/press/pressimages/sheinkman_2008Artpapers.pdf

I am unsure whether Mark Sheinkman is making any direct claims through 4.11.2007, but if he is, one that I may consider is simply the idea of inspiration.  To me, that is the largest standing aspect of the painting.  I feel as though it is meant to evoke emotions, as it did to me, in all viewers, whether the feelings are of mystery, or fascination, fantasy, or realism.  The piece can be interpreted in so many ways that I feel that is it’s ultimate claim, to be interpreted.  This also fits in with the fact that there are no words in the title, because the words may distract the viewer from formulating their own ideas of the piece.

            Finally, to reflect on my overall experience at The Palmer Museum of Art, I loved it!  I realized that I am a definite newly discovered museum-goer.  It was my first time at The Palmer, and I would love to go back to just spend some more time mulling over the beautiful pieces!  I was fascinated, specifically by the upper-level, with all the variations and varieties of art.  I love art, and I now know that art museums are a wonderful pastime for myself.  I have been in several museums before, but none close to home.  I recently was in the Smithsonian in Washington D.C. but our schedule lacked time and I was robbed of the overall experience.  This summer was my first real-loving museum experience at The Louvre, in Paris, France.  It would take months to go through everything in The Louvre, and although I only had a couple of hours there, I was in love!  So to experience, on a much smaller scale, such a wonderful, serene place so close to home was something that I will definitely continue to do.  Thank you Sheila, for the assignment. I loved it.