Journal #10 - SRTE

Hey Ms. S

My angel does not have a SRTE form to fill it.  If there was I would do it.

Love,
Ronnie

Journal #9 - Self Evaluation

Throughout the course of my first semester in college I have learned a lot about myself, some good and some bad.  I learned that I can successfully survive on my own and live without my parents.  I fed myself, did my own laundry, woke myself up for class, and did everything on my own for the first time.  Honestly it felt great to not have anyone telling me what to do for the first time.  I would come home at 3 o'clock in the morning and no body would say anything to me.  This also taught me how to have a great sense of responsibility.  Even though there was no one to tell me what to do for the first time I had to make sure that I was responsible and stayed out of trouble.  I learned a lot about myself and in the process I learned a lot of habits that I do not like about myself including my uncleanliness and procrastination.  It is hard being on your own for the first time but I think my parents prepared me as best as they could and I was successful in my first semester alone.

I learned a lot about the arts at Penn State through my English class.  I went to an art museum for the first time and I loved it.  I could see myself going back to an art museum in the future.  There is not much of a difference in my writing style since I start in college I have always written pretty much whatever is on my mind but I liked that this class gave me a medium for my open writing.  I learned that art can be whatever you make it and that Penn State is full of art.  In my first trip to the Arboretum I my eyes were opened to the beauty of the Penn State campus and all of the art that it had to offer.  Penn State is a beautiful place to learn and grow into young adults for the first time in our lives and I am happy that I had the opportunity to experience it.

I feel that after my first semester at Penn State that I am a better person on many levels.  I have lived on my own for several months now and I have seen a variety of eye opening things.  I have learned how to stay focused and do things efficiently.  The most important thing I learned this semester is to be yourself. be yourself in your writing.  Be yourself in your everyday life.  Be yourself when it comes to girls.  No matter what it is you have to be yourself in order to be successful.  I am happy with my first semester and who I am today.

Outside Readings

This semester I was not able to go to any outside reading because I am very busy at night time.  Needless to say I was very happy when I saw on the blog that there was an alternative to going to the outside readings in the form of the online journal Qarrtsiluni.  I have no idea how to pronounce that word but it is my savior for fulfilling my outside reading requirement.  It is a pretty easy cite to navigate and it is full of interesting artistic pieces and poetry.

The first work that caught my eye was a picture called Cathedral Forest by Steve Wing.  It caught my eye because I did not really know what it was it is kind of confusing.  At first glance it just looks like some trees but when you look closer you can see that there is a Cathedral in the background.  There is no sort of caption on the picture it is just the picture so it is unclear what the picture is or means.  You can not tell if it is a real picture of a cathedral in the forest or if he photoshopped it or if it is a painting.  I like it because it provokes thought and does not come right out and say what it is.  It creates a sort of surreal feelings when you look at it because it looks like something that does not exist.

The next piece on the blog that catches my attention is a poem called Every Green Growing, http://qarrtsiluni.com/2011/11/30/every-green-growing/.  It is an odd title.  What could a poem called Every Green Growing be about?  It sounds like ever green.  Before I even read it I assumed it to be about life and growth.  The poem is very hard to read at first you do not really know exactly what to think.  The last line "life calling life to begin" is very thought provoking because in nature new life continues to create new life.  There is a constant cycle of life.  The poem does its best to describe nature and the life cycle.

The next work that caught my eye on the blog caught my eye because I think its stupid.  This lady Carol Beth Icard made this painting but I have no idea what it is.  Apparently it is not supposed to be anything in particular she kind of just did whatever she felt with the colors and then called it art.  The good thing about art is it can be whatever you want it to be but then at the same time people will just put like color on the paper and then call it art even though it is the stupidest looking thing and does not look like anything.  She calls it Affirmation, whatever floats your boat Carol Beth Icard, whatever floats your boat.
To me it looks like a piece of cheese cake, but hey what do I know...


http://qarrtsiluni.com/2011/10/13/while-sitting-in-church/

I really like one of the posts on the blog that is a video called While Sitting in Church.  The first line in it says I was sitting in church but I did not hear what the preacher was saying.  This reminds me of when I go to church I find myself sitting there dozing off and becoming distracted by everything around me.  He does a good job of relating to how people actually think which is what I am interested in.  Maybe it is because he works at a juvenile correction facility he needs to be able to understand how the kids think and write tailoring towards them.  I also like the illustrations in the video they are very interesting.  I think this is one of the better posts in the online journal.

The final post that I really liked is called Hamburger Jesus because I think it is hilarious.  It is like any other picture of Jesus but he is holding a hamburger.  What would make anyone think of putting a hamburger in Jesus' hand is beyond me but I think it is so funny.  It puts a modern comedic spin on something as serious as an old picture of Jesus.  John Sherman Lathram III does a good job of catching the audiences eyes with this picture because if Jesus was not holding a hamburger it would look like every other picture of Jesus and get briefly skipped over without much of a second thought.

The online journal does a great job of bringing art together in a common place for everyone to see.  It is a brilliant collaboration of poems, readings, audio, and videos.  It is a good way to explore art and find new pieces that you have never read or heard before.

Journal #7 - Kiss Me Kate

I have never seen a live theater performance before and I was kind of upset when I was not able to go see Kiss Me Kate.  I forgot when it was and accidentally scheduled a bus to go home that weekend.  It was stupid of me because I have never seen a play and I was wondering what it would be like.  The idea of going to see a live theater performance never really appealed to me, honestly I thought it was gay.  All of my friends would go see the plays that our high schools would have and I used to make fun of them when they went.  I grew up in a house where neither of my parents were big into reading or going to see theater so I never really took the time to do either of them.  I honestly do not think I have ever seen my dad read a book in 19 years.  I'm not even really sure if my dad knows how to read.  I like to write about things that I want to write about but that is about the extent of what I liked about English coming into Penn State.  I am more of a mind person I like to think about what other people our thinking.

I do not really have anything to compare it to but I feel like watching the movie Kiss Me Kate is nothing like seeing the live version of it.  I do not think that watching a movie of anything can compare to the live version of it.  When you watch a live version of a play it kind of comes to life and makes you feel like your a part of it more.  I wish I would have been able to go see Kiss Me Kate live because I feel like seeing a live theater performance is something that you should do in your life.  Maybe I will go see a play in Philly when I get home.  I do not have a favorite musical because I have never seen one and I do not really know that much about them but in middle school and high school I read a lot of Shakespeare for class and I feel like I would like to see one of those plays live.  I have never seen the Taming of the Shrew but I feel like having seen it would have made Kiss Me Kate make more sense.

Although I did not get to see the musical live and I have never seen a live theatrical performance I am happy that I had this experience to get me thinking about the experience and make me want to go see one.  I guess you never really know if you like something until you try it.  This whole time I assumed that I would not like a musical but who knows maybe I will find something new that I enjoy to do.

Journal #8 - What just happened?

I have a blue Penn State hoodie that I wear everywhere.  Its my favorite hoodie and without hesitation I put it on every morning because its warm and I like it.  Over thanksgiving break I was walking down the street and people kept staring at me.  What the hell do people keep staring at me for I thought to myself.  It was then that I looked down and saw that I was as usual wearing my Penn State hoodie.  I smiled, shook my head and kept walking.  It is unbelievable that the hoodie that I wore so proudly a couple months ago now has people staring at me as I walk down the street.  I still hear the same "Oh you go to Penn State?" whenever I tell people where I go to school but now with a different tone.  It is no longer the excited thats awesome tone that it used to hold, instead it is a tone of pity and confusion.  Unfortunately I share their confusion.

I can't help but laugh at some of the questions that my friends would ask me over break.  Instead of asking me what I did while I was away at school they would ask me questions like, "So why'd Joe Pa rape those kids?"  "Did you see the news van flip?"  "How was the riot?"  "What is gonna happen to your school?"  My response to every question that anyone asked me was I don't know no matter how stupid they were.  Honestly I feel exactly the same as I did before the scandal took place.  I still go to class, watch tv, and hangout with my friends.  People think that my world ended because one idiot messed up.  I think Jerry Sandusky is a scumbag, and I dont think what he did should have any reflection on the students that did nothing wrong.   Do I think the administration knew about it and covered it up? Yes.  Do I think Joe Pa knew about it about covered it up? As much as people don't want to hear it, yes.  That is really my only opinion about the scandal.  Other than that I don't really know what to think. I don't know what's going to happen to the school in the future, I can't see the future.

I stood in the middle of the riot.  I watched people get maced.  I watched cops get pelted with beer cans and rocks.  I watch the news van flip.  I watched light posts get ripped out of the ground.  I watched people run around like idiots with their shirts off and gas masks on.  I'm embarrassed but theres nothing that I can do about it.  I can only hope that people realize that there is much more to Penn State than like 6 stupid people.  Theres 40,000+ people that go to this school and are devastated by the scandal that took place, its not fair for all of us to be judged because of what one sick individual did.  I'm actually afraid for the future.  Common sense tells me that it is going to get a lot worse.  Could you imagine if Sandusky walked like Casey Anthony or OJ Simpson?  They would have to call in the military.

So as I sit here and write this blog I can only say what just happened?  How in one month can the university I call home go through such a embarrassing scandal?  Do I feel any differently about Penn State?  Absolutely not.  I love going here I am proud to call it home.  That would be like hating the city you live in because there is a lot of crime.  Not everyone in the city is a criminal but the select few that are make things difficult for everyone else.  I am going to put on my Penn State hoodie and walk proudly down the street and when someone says "Oh you go to Penn State?" I am going to say Yes, and I wouldn't have it any other way.  Penn State will overcome the scandal that it has been involved in.  You can not erase all the good that the school does because of one person.  WE still raise millions of dollars for children with cancer.  WE are still one strong community that is always there for each other.  WE will continue to carry on day by day and get through the scandal.  WE still are...

The Arboretum

4 days ago I had no idea what an Arboretum was, so when I heard that our English class was taking a trip to The Arboretum on Thursday I was very confused.  For the second time this year I have made a trip to a place that I have never been before, the first was the Palmer Art Museum and the second was The Arboretum.  Trugging along the cold pavement in my work boots at 8 o'clock in the morning to a place that I had no idea what it was was not the way that I wanted to start my day on Thursday.  I made the turn onto Park Ave. and to my pleasant surprise there was a big fountain and elaborate agricultural piece sitting in front of me.  I can't believe I had never seen this masterpiece sitting in front of me before.  Am I the only one that had no idea this place existed?  My pace quickened, I had to figure out what this was.

I wish I could of seen the look of my face as I walked through the gate into The Arboretum.  The sheer awe, confusion, and excitement on my face must have been very funny.  I love gardens. One of my favorite places at Disney World is the gardens that they have.  Unfortunately most of the stuff in The Arboretum was dead because its cold out but I could only imagine seeing it in the spring time when everything is in full growth.  I walked aimlessly through all the different gravel paths and just took everything in.  I must have walked past the same place like ten times.  It was kind of like a maze, or maybe I was still just half asleep.  As you walk around the art jumps out and strikes you with you having to look for it.  Everything around you is art.  All of the plants, flowers, and trees are strategically placed in order to provoke emotion from those who see it.  Walking through the garden I kept noticing more and more forms of art.

My favorite aspect of The Arboretum is the fountain in the front.  I love fountains, ever since I was a little kid whenever my mom took us to the mall I made her take me to the fountain so I could throw change into it and make a wish.  Water fountains are a brilliant example of art.  The way that the water sprays in all different directions is elegant.  There are also different colored chairs in a sitting area in the middle of one of the garden areas.  This is art because of the different colors of the chairs.  They were red and orange and yellow instead of just plain wood.  A few steps down the path there were dozens of pumpkin and squash in a big pot.  The way all of them sat in there in no particular order was very artistic.

Penn State never ceases to amaze me you learn something new everyday.  Last week I had no idea there was an Arboretum and now I have had the pleasure of walking through it.  There are not many places where you can go to an Arboretum whenever you want, especially at your school.  Penn State is perfect because of the city downtown feel and the country north campus aspect.  It is a beautiful campus and it is quite evident in The Arboretum.

Journal #6 - Party School

When you think of college what is the first thing that comes to your mind?  Of course theres meeting new people, broadening your horizons, and expanding your academic knowledge, but theres also partying.  Unfortunately I had to listen about it from two of the most annoying people I have ever heard. I think the podcast is hilarious and 100% true, but I do not like how condescending the narrator's are.  What do they expect.  Its college.  Kids get drunk and do stupid things.  I've gotten drunk and done stupid things.  I have a theory that freshman in college can be so bad with alcohol and controlling themselves because it is the first time that they are ever been on their own away from their parents.  Some of them have never even had alcohol before and when they get to college they do not know their limits and get really drunk and get into trouble.  My parents exposed me to alcohol when I was in high school so by the time I got to college I was smart enough to handle myself.  Anyone who has ever been to a college party knows, it is no place to learn how to drink safely and properly. The funny thing about this pod cast is that I can envision everything in it happening, or have seen it first hand.  Its sad that partying overshadows how hard students at Penn State work academically, but its the negative partying and vandalism that draws negative attention.  If everyone was smart about their partying and their walk home then nobody would pay any attention to it.  But then again drinking makes people do crazy things.

I've seen fights.  I've seen people get they're teeth knocked out.  I've been in fights.  I've seen people peeing in public.  I've seen people ripping signs out of the ground.  I've seen people destroying things for fun.  I drink Natty Light and they're right its disgusting.  I'm only half way through my first semester of college and I've already seen all of these things.  I can't imagine what else I could possibly see in my next three and a half years of college.  Honestly I dont think anything I could see would surprise me.  The podcast does a good job of describing situations that students can relate to and makes them think wow have I done something like that.  One thing that they do not put enough emphasize on is that Penn State is not the only school that acts like this.  I have friends that go to schools all of the country Ohio State, Notre Dame, University of Delaware, Rutgers, and even small schools that no one knows about like Goldie Beacom.  It doesn't matter what college you go to, there is going to be partying, its college.

The podcast adequately covers every argument from every angle of the issue, ranging from the students, to the residents, faculty and police.  Ethos was very strong for the resident that live in State College because they feel very passionately about the drunken college kids ruining their property.  There is not much a drunk college student can say, however, in the ethos department to justify getting drunk and breaking things.  Pathos on the other hand hits home for some students like the frat brother who's friend died as a result of drinking too much. Their are many mixed feelings toward partying and underage drinking.  I have developed the feeling that if you do it safely and smart there is nothing to worry about.  There are many statistics and facts because it is very easy to make statistics out of a touchy subject like college partying.  People feel safe by statistics.  They want as many statistics as possible.  It is also very easy to make definitions in college like "fracket" and "drunk bus".  Pretty much whatever the first thing that comes in to your head when thinking about a topic can become a definition.  Once one person starts saying something then everyone starts to say it.

Penn State is a great school that provides many job opportunities for its graduates.  With that being said ti is also a big party school there is no deny that.  I do not think that the school should be judged based on kids going out and drinking on thursday, friday, and saturday after a long week of studying.  Especially because it happens everyone.  Of course underage drinking is bad but so is texting while driving or anything like that.  It doesn't make you any less of a person it just makes you a person with flaws like everyone else.  The residents of state college have every right to be upset by drunk college kids being a nuisance, but at the same time what do you expect.  If you want quiet dont live with 40,000 18-22 year olds.  They also fail to illustrate the many residents that love the kids.

Journal #3 - Description

Every tuesday I walk from my film class, through downtown state college, back to my dorm room.  For the first time this week, I decided to take the time to notice the things around me instead of blowing by the many shops and tents that line College Ave. without even a glance.  What I saw was a very pleasant surprise.  Tucked away into one of the streets of downtown State College is an incredible farmers market. Although placed right in the middle of downtown,  I had barely acknowledged the farmers market other than extending confused, weird looks to the patrons.  This Tuesday I decided to take a walk into the farmers market and explore the rows of tents selling various fruits, flowers, and baked goods.  The first thing that caught my attention was the large gathering of people and the vibrant colors coming from the farmers market, I cant believe I hadn't noticed it before.  The pinks, yellows, reds, blues and greens coming illuminating from the flowers, fruits, and vegetables for sale stand out like fireworks to the students and citizens walking through downtown.  As you draw in on the farmers market the smell of the pretty flowers and baked goods grabs you by the nostrils and pulls you right in.  Right about noon time as you prepare for lunch you walk by the farmers market and think to yourself "maybe I should try and eat healthy for lunch today".  It doesn't get much healthier than fruit and vegetables straight from the farm.  Next time your walking through downtown pop into the farmers market and check out the breathtaking flowers, fresh fruit, and tantalizing baked goods.  Its easy to get caught up in routine and become oblivious to everything around you but if you take a couple minutes out of your day to appreciate the your surroundings you might stumble upon something new and unexpected.

Journal #2 - Palmer Museum Visit

I have been to many places in my life but I have never once stepped inside an art museum.  I did not really know what to expect when visiting the Palmer Art Museum but when I walked through the doors I was pleasantly surprised.  I went to public school my whole life up until high school and in pubic school you have to take an art class every year so I am no stranger to art, although I had never really thought much about it.  It wasn't until my senior year art history class that my whole perspective of art changed.  My teacher Ms. Hackerman was artistically genius.  She knew everything there was to know about art not just by studying art in books but by experiencing the art first hand.  You name it and she has seen it in person.  She gave me an appreciation for art and having never stepped inside a art museum before I was jumping at the opportunity to take a look inside the Palmer Art Museum.

I knew going into the museum I wanted to write about the first thing that honestly made me go "wow look at that".   Being inside an art museum is like an experience all its own.  Its so quiet and your surrounded by such interesting things its hard to believe I've gone my whole life without experiencing it.  I was walking aimlessly through the corridors just looking around taking it all in when I saw it.  It was the most breath taking sculpture I have ever seen.  Placed strategically right before you walk up the steps to the up stairs portion of the museum is a blue, orange, and yellow glass piece that you can not help but stop and look at.  Its called Peacock Blue and Yellow Seaform Set with Yellow Lip Wraps by Dale Chihuly.  It is amazing how the artist uses blown glass to create such an ascetically pleasing sculpture.  The colors are so bright and vibrant it catches the attention of anyone walking by.  Below there is a picture of the artwork:

I found this sculpture very rhetorically interesting because of its ability to catch the attention a passerby.  When I look at it it instantly reminds me of the ocean or a coral reef.  Its beauty provides a carefree attitude to those who look at it.  The artist created this work in 1995 which explains the more modern feel to it.  Chihuly is known for his blown glass sculptures of many vivid colors.  It is very different from other sculptures in that when you look at it you are not reminded of a certain time or date you just look at it for the pleasure of looking at it.  That is the beauty of working with blown glass you can make it any shape or color that you want unlike marble or stone which is only a small variety of colors and is limited in its shape.  Unlike ancient roman sculptures which are very specific to their time this work of art depicts a modern theme that no time that can not contain a time limit.  Its beauty creates a very neutral stance in that anyone can look at it and think something different about it.

Pathos I think is the most important part of a rhetorical piece because as human beings we depend heavily on feeling.  We base a lot of our decisions based on our emotions.  Walking around the museum there was a lot of interesting pieces of art but none caught my attention as well as Peacock Blue and Yellow Seaform.  Just looking at made me happy, I think the vivid colors and peaceful ocean shapes made me feel calm.  Its almost like the sculpture has the ability to reach right into your soul and control your emotions without even trying.  I think it is impossible to be angry looking at such a bright and cheerful work of art.  It makes you appreciate the good things in life and not dwell on the bad things.

Dale Chihuly is known for his work with blown glass.   All of his sculptures are blown glass that incorporate vibrant colors and create a calming affect.  His consistency of blown glass sculptures that make people happy pad his his credibility.  He has the rare ability to create breath taking art that draws in peoples attention and makes them feel good about themselves and the things around them.  It is hard to make people happy and Chihuly perfects the art.

I think the sole purpose of this piece to give pleasure to museum goers.  It is a nice piece to look at and it creates a feeling of happiness for those who look at it.  Peacock Blue and Yellow Seaform to me is only persuasive in the aspect that it persuades you to be happy.  There is no alternative motive to the sculpture, it is not trying to get you to buy something or believe in something.  All the glass sculpture does is provide pure happiness for everyone to share.

My first trip to the Palmer Museum of art or any art museum for that matter was a huge success.  I saw alot of paintings and sculptures that I had seen in books or class before, but seeing a painting in a book is nothing compared to seeing it in person.  I did not know what to expect going into the museum I thought it would be a lot of stuck up art enthusiasts sitting around with their monocles judging the art but I was wrong.  The museum was almost empty and I felt free to roam around and do whatever I wanted.  It was very quiet, I liked having time to myself to think and just enjoy the art around me.  I can definitely see myself going back whenever they have a new exhibit or art work.  I honestly didn't even know the museum was there until you told us to go there.  I am very happy I know about it now though and I can't wait for my next trip.

Journal #1

When I was a freshman in high school I had an teacher named Mr. Brady who changed my whole perspective of not only English and writing, but also life.  He is the smartest man that I have ever met and I there is no doubt that taking his class has made me not only a better writer but a better person.  Every time he assigned a paper or an essay and we all moaned like typical freshman he would respond with the quote "Why do writers write? Because it isn't there", by Thomas Berger.  It was the first time in my life that anyone had referred to me as a writer in a class not just a student who has to write papers and get a grade on it.  Mr. Brady stressed not worrying about grades, in fact he did not put grades on the papers, instead he stressed writing for the purpose of writing and our on benefit.  Although the importance of Mr. Brady's teaching style did not make a great impact on me as a fourteen year old freshman in high school who absolutely dreaded writing papers, as I progress in my academic journey and mature as a man the importance of writing has become clear to me in a way that I want to be able to share what I have to say and make my own mark in the world.  I went to a college preparatory high school where all I did was write essays and papers, for every class not just English class.  Whether it be a 2 page research paper once a week for my freshman world history class or a 25 page epiphany paper for my senior english class, writing is not a chore for me anymore it is just something that I do it has become almost natural.  Mr. Brady made me like writing because he taught me you can write anything you want, your writing is unique to yourself.  I'm actually going to send Mr. Brady this blog entry when I am finished writing it.

I think that one of my greatest strengths in writing is my ability to have a voice through my writing.  I try to write the way that I talk when it is a more creative typing of writing, instead of writing in a very boring scripted manner.  I don't want to bore the teacher who is reading my writing because if I was the teacher and I had to read something boring I probably would barely even read it and give it a mediocre grade.  When appropriate I try to inject some humor into my writing but I guess well see how that turns out.  Another strength that I have gained in writing is my ability to write very clear and allow people to understand what I am talking about.  Mr. Brady taught me it is better to write a 2 page paper and say exactly what you want to say instead of writing a 10 page paper and repeating yourself over and over again.  Hopefully my strengths in writing out way my weaknesses this year in class.

My absolute greatest weakness in writing is I can't stand writing about things that I don't want to write about.  When I was a junior in high school my English class was called British Literature and we had to read these obscure British poems and works I could barely even get through the material let alone write a paper about it.  I like writing assignments that give you a lot of freedom in your writing.  I find it very difficult to write about things I am not interested in or want to read.  Most of the time I try and keep an open mind and give everything I read a fair chance.  Unfortunately another weakness I have in my writing is my grammar is not always up to par.  Sometimes I get very excited and caught up in writing and neglect to pay attention to grammar mistakes.  Proofreading is not my strong suit, it never has been.  Who knows maybe I can learn to pay attention to detail this year.

I would really like to be able to write without procrastinating this year in class.  I despise waiting until the last minute to write a paper or an essay but the deadline always seems to sneak up on me and cause me to rush at the last minute to get the assignment done.  I would like to take more time to sit and think out everything that I have to say.  It is a goal of mine not to procrastinate in college.  I am doing good so far even though it has only been a week.  Hopefully it doesn't turn out like January at the gym where everyone says they're gonna start working out for their new years resolution but in two weeks is eating ice cream every night again.  I'm trying to keep myself more organized and plan out what I have to do ahead of time in order to solve my problem of procrastination.  I have always wanted a blog I feel like this class is going to improve me greatly as a writer because I am going to be very excited to write things on my blog.

Music is a very important form of art to me.  I listen to music when I wake up, when I'm walking to class, while I'm doing homework, at parties, and before I go to sleep.  Pretty much all day I listen to music; all different kinds of music.  I think music is one of the best ways to express yourself artistically.  My favorite song is called The General by Dispatch:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3JjlkfX5Gk

I think that the lyrics in this song make you think a lot about yourself and your life.  When it says "take a shower and shine your shoes you got no time to lose you are young men you must be living".  I apply it directly to my life as I get older and prepare to take on the challenges that life presents me.  When I hear it it makes me think that I can go do anything and shouldn't waste time worrying about things in life that aren't important.  The first time I heard this song was while me and my best friend were driving across the country and I'll never forget this song and how it makes me feel.  Art is what you make it, thats the beauty of it.