Self Evaluation

I definitely have a different approach when I’m writing now, then when I had just begun English 015. This year, I feel like I have discovered myself as a writer, which I think will help me a lot in the future. I never thought I would enjoy writing so much, but there were many things in this course that made me enjoy it and see it in a different light. After reading memoirs and getting to write our own, I realized you don’t always have to sound formal in every single paper, and using “I” isn’t poison, which is what my high school teachers made it sound like. Writing a memoir was unlike any writing I’ve done before. I wrote about something that changed my life, and being able to write it out on paper, full of details, was hard but very refreshing at the same time. However, aside from writing, I’ve also learned a lot from seeing different forms of art throughout the semester. I got to experience different cultures through music, and also a range of different artistic talent at the Palmer Museum of Art.

         After finally finishing my freshman year at Penn State, I am happy to say I wouldn’t want to go to any other school. This school has all kinds of people and everyone is extremely kind and friendly. As corny as it may sound, I honestly feel like this university is one large family. Especially after the scandal that occurred this year, our school has come closer and it truly feels like one unit. I have definitely learned a lot about myself as the year went by, both through my writing and learning in other courses. Now, as my final blog comes to an end I would like to mention how blogging really helped me really know what I’m thinking, since I’m writing it on paper, and I’m definitely considering blogging in the future.  

Responses:

http://fedappolon.blogspot.com/2012/04/take-care.html#comment-form

http://kevinbeebie.blogspot.com/2012/04/babys-fifth-blog-post.html?showComment=1335749027961#c3253692564656275017

http://voiceoflaurenrhoden.blogspot.com/2012/03/so-what-we-like-to-party.html#comment-form

         

American Idiot

Combine a 21st century rock band, the troubled life of teenagers in today’s society, and the growing creation of suburbia, and you've got director Michael Mayer's Broadway production of "American Idiot". Expanding off of the band Green Day's 7th album, American Idiot, this production intertwines about thirty of the albums songs with a very unique and entertaining story line. American Idiot is set in "Jingletown, USA" in the recent past, and revolves around three young adult friends who leave suburbia to explore their dreams, and the outside world. One of the three friends has to stay because his girlfriend found out she was pregnant. The other two, however, left and eventually went their separate ways, one experimenting with love and heroine, and the other convinced into joining the army. This Broadway show keeps the audience tuned in at all times, with its very talented cast and creative stage setup, all working together to develop an overall dazzling performance.

            Before I knew it the performance was over. It began with the song “American Idiot” and kept going song after song. The songs all matched perfectly with what was occurring in the play, making it clear and easy to understand each situation. For instance, one of the songs, “St. Jimmy”,  performed when the main character Johnny conjures a reflection of himself called St. Jimmy, who represents his addiction to heroine throughout the play. Many of the scenes were extremely unexpected as well, keeping the audience engaged at all times. One scene had two of the performers gracefully appear to be floating, while singing to each other, which conveyed an amazing and powerful message. American Idiot had a very good pace for the entire 95 minutes, ending with a standing ovation by an amazed audience.

            The first thing that caught the audience’s eye when the curtains opened was the buzzing televisions all over the background of the stage. They all showed something different, but all related back to the medias impact on society, and on us humans. It was a very powerful image, and the television screens were used throughout the whole play. They were used when one character was seduced by a television ad about joining the army, showing a soldier in the fame light of a celebrity. Another contributor to a fantastic stage setup was the ability to put three different settings, (suburbia, New York, and war) all on the stage in front of you. The light would shine on different settings throughout the song, but even when only one was under the spotlight, the other two settings still had performers singing and moving. The constantly active and creative stage setup had a strong and positive impact on the performance in its entirety, keeping eyes glued on the stage. 

            The cast of American Idiot was an extremely talented cast, full of skilled dancers, singers, and actors. The main performers were all triple threats; sporting all three talents and giving the audience everything they could, keeping viewers engaged. With their strong voices, the powerful way they acted, and the graceful or fierce way they danced, emotions were portrayed that touched the audience, setting different moods throughout the whole show. The talented performers were what brought this show over the top, leaving people stunned at their overall performance.

            Today’s media has a huge impact on society and targets teenagers by influencing and pressuring them into actions ranging from drugs to body image. The Broadway production American Idiot is a perfect demonstration of teenager’s struggles under America’s society’s expectations. The first line of Green Days song “American Idiot” is “Don't want to be an American idiot. Don't want a nation under the new media”, and their entire album revolves around this belief. This fearless album fueled Michael Mayer to expand it into the Broadway show American Idiot, an incredible, powerful performance that attracts audiences all over the nation, and is definitely a sight to see. 

Anousha Shankar

            At first glance, combining Spanish Flamenco with Indian classical traditions may seem a little risky and hard to picture. However, Anoushka Shankar combines these two cultures in a very relaxing and graceful performance. Influenced by her father, Ravi Shankar, Anoushka plays the sitar, a 21-23-string instrument. In this performance, Shankar works with flamenco producer Javier Limon, and re-forges the historical connection between Spanish and Indian music. With the use of many instruments—the sitar, Spanish guitar, tabla, bansuri flute, and Spanish vocals, Shankar presents a culture filled performance that sets a relaxing mood with its variety of talents.

            The performance included many small visual aspects that worked together to portray a unique and rejuvenating mood for the audience. Candle shaped lights were set behind the band that would change color tones during, and between songs. Shankar included the audience during her performance, telling them the title of her songs, and at times some background on them. Anoushka was in the center, surrounded by her band that was all sitting on the floor or a chair, creating a very soothing atmosphere throughout the show. . Shankar’s use of unique visual aspects, created a very appealing visual scene during the entire performance.

            The combined cultures were easy to tell apart with Shankar’s explanations when she introduced performers and their instruments. Also, the performers apparel ranged depending on their culture, which kept the audience on track. Shankar wore a gypsy-like skirt, while Spanish vocalist, Sandra Carrasco, wore a work attire outfit.  So, if an audience member was unaware of the background on the performance they were filled in throughout the entire show. This kept audience members engaged and gave a standing ovation by the end of the performance.

            When one hears the word flamenco, the last thing to come to mind is Indian classical tradition. But Shankar’s concert showed exceptional talent from both cultural ends. Spanish vocals were gracefully combined with the sitar and the beat of the Mridangam drum. Other instruments also meshed perfectly creating an overall unique tone. Performers would at times exchange mouth beats, a form of beat-boxing in a way, adding some more spice to the performance.

            The creativity portrayed in this performance was truly stunning. Anoushka Shankar introduced two cultures and blended them perfectly, a risky move that worked perfectly. The show kept you tuned in at all times, introducing different beats and tunes with every song, leaving you wanting more. This show is definitely a sight to see. 

Shanghai Tango

At first glance, a folk tale about a mother divided between her husband and her lover may seem cliché and not very appealing. But when this tale is told through unique dance performances, unlike most dance works, cliché is no longer in the picture. Shanghai Tango is an artistic work developed by modern dancer and choreographer Jin Xing. It’s a combination of both East, and West in dance, costumes, and music. Although Shanghai Tango is not actually a tango, the music by Astor Piazzolla, creates a distinct tango feel that works really well with the dancing. The performance is set in the mid 1800s and 1900s, displaying a hint of Shanghai’s city’s cultures and passions. This performance consists of an amazing visual appeal that keeps the audience engaged at all times, due to unexpected dance moves and a wonderful array of colors.

             All the scenes told a story, which all went back to the Chinese folktale about the mother and her love situation. However, even though the scenes were beautifully presented and performed, the meaning behind each dance was hard for viewers to grasp. Some performances created more of a soap opera feel, and it was hard to catch what exactly was happening and what emotions were felt between the dancers. The music would be upbeat and then slowdown, and dancers zoomed back and fourth across the stage, creating a confusing plot that was hard to follow. If a viewer did not read any background information on this piece prior to seeing it, they would experience the following: amazement due to the unique talent and visual appearance, and extreme confusion on what was happening throughout some scenes.

            Growing up in China’s cultural revolution, Jin Xing went through a difficult life and overall journey to achieve everything she has today. When you sit down and watch the 90-minute performance of Shanghai Tango you are truly impressed at the skills each of these dancers have. It’s an incredible, serene show that introduces audience members to a unique style of dance and music, with vibrant colors and different moods that stand out from other dances. Even if you’re confused on what occurs in each scene, in the end the show is quite an experience. From hearing the sound of tango, to seeing, not only a dance show, but also a light show, Shanghai Tango is definitely a sight to see. 

Welcome to college

When I told people I was going to Penn State for college, 90% of the time there response was along the lines of "oh, you're gonna go crazy", or "#1 party school you're going to have a blast," and "The American Life" podcast is a very accurate portrayal of why people see this university in this way. Some of the content shocked me, some of it didn't surprise me at all, and a lot of it I found pretty entertaining.
Unfortunately, what was reported in the podcast did make Penn State students seem like a bunch of disrespectful idiots who don't let anything stop them from getting plastered and collecting stop signs, but go to any other large state school and you will encounter pretty much the same thing. During the podcast, the broadcaster and other adults said a few times that they would most likely be doing the same thing if they were our age. But why is there so much drinking in the first place? Well, if you drive about 30 minutes away from the campus you've reached the Amish, so students party as a way of relieving stress and having something to do.
What I found to be most memorable in the podcast was when a 50 year old woman walks up to a girl at a tailgate, and gives her an alcoholic drink for her 21st birthday. It just shows how much alcohol and tailgating is part of the Penn State atmosphere, not only in the eyes of students but older adults as well. Whether some are proud of it, and some find it disgraceful, we are a party school, theres no doubt about it.
My thoughts on Penn State still remained exactly the same after the podcast. I don't see why anyone would be proud of their school for being the #1 party school. We do party a lot, and do cross the line too when girls are seen pulling up their skirts and peeing on someones property, or neighborhood children wake up with an 18 year old passed out in their room.  However, every big school will have their disgraceful party stories, but most students already know Penn State is far from simply a party school. We are a school that is #1 in job recruiting, and the school that created THON and raises millions of dollars every year for kids with cancer, and so much more. These facts should not be overlooked because they put Penn State in the positive light it truly deserves.

What is Art?

What exactly is art? Different people define it in different ways, and to me art is anything that combines creativity and displays emotion. When I look at a piece of art, I expect it to convey some sort of message by the artist, that explains his thoughts for doing this piece. There are several pieces of arts that I admire that come in all forms. Whether it's a Monet painting, an ancient greek sculpture, an Edgar Allen Poe poem, or even a Rolling Stones song, I see it all as art because whoever created it wanted the viewer to get something from it.
Although created millions of years ago, cave paintings from the stone age truly amaze me. Its crazy to think that art existed in a time before languages, and any form of education, and how a message was still developed through the painting. Dating back to prehistoric times, these paintings were a way for people to communicate. But what really strikes my curiosity, is the fact that a caveman had this idea, discovered how to put these messages "on paper" and passed it on to someone else. This form of art still remains a big mystery and has many unanswered questions, but the way I see it, its the first type of art far before the concept of art even existed.

I took a double glance when I saw Jerry Kearns 1987 piece "Affirmative Action"at The Palmer Museum of Art. It's an acrylic painting of a woman wearing a dress that stops right before her muscular knees, and open toed heels on her feet. Her hair stops at her shoulders, and looks delicate and neat.She is shoveling what appears to be dirt or manure in a very firm steady posture, with her legs apart for balance and a very tight grip on the shovel. She seems almost tired, but her jaw is clenched and her face gives the viewer a feeling of courage and determination. Behind the woman there is a backdrop of a city full of red buildings with yellow windows, and a yellow and red mixed sky. The woman is painted white with a black outline, almost like a comic book character. The woman appears a lot larger than the city as she stands before it shoveling, with her face looking on the ground towards the viewer.

The first thought that came to mind was women's rights. She is struggling with the shovel but shows no signs of quitting, instead the woman portrays a brave, independent attitude. The painting represents a woman's struggle in the workforce. She is dressed in work ready attire but is left shoveling manure. She's one of many woman who were prepared in every way to get a successful job, but weren't given what they deserved because of their sex. This painting goes back to women's want for equality since around the 1920s, and finally reaching great progress in the 1970's and 1980's. However, not only does this piece represent the fight for women's rights, but also those of all minority groups who struggled immensely in the mid 1900's.

Being a Hispanic women, raised around my parents Hispanic cultures and beliefs, helped me relate to this painting. When my mother moved to the states in her 20's, she was denied several jobs because of her race, and slight accent, even after graduating from law school. She has engraved in my head that even through all the frustration and desperation she had gone through, she never once stopped trying and eventually found a job and is now a successful human rights lawyer. In the piece "Affirmative Action" the woman represents all those being discriminated due to race, religion, sexual orientation, etc. and their determination to change, that lead to were we are today with equal rights, and where we will be in the future.

Jerry Kearns has a very unique artistic talent, and in his paintings he combines comic book like characters, or super heroes, with reality. His pieces all relate to his view on different issues in today's society, many times in a very satirical and ironic way. A lot of his art work is about discrimination and his overall view on society and human rights.

I enjoyed visiting the Palmer and witnessed a lot of different styles, opinions, and messages in different forms of art, varying from sculptures, to photographs, to paintings. I definitely want to return to the Palmer and learn about the paintings I didn't have time to stop and think about. Going to the museum gave me an idea of what type of art really speaks to me and grabs my attention, and I left wanting to explore more of these paintings and their artistic meanings and opinions.