Me, Myself and I [Self Evaluation]

I can honestly say my writing has improved from being a lot from being in English 15. I have always been a strong english student so I thought this course was going to be a piece of cake. I soon learned that this English class was not going to be as easy as I expected because it forced me to look at my writing on a closer level than I have ever done before.
This semester I learned a lot about editing my papers. The peer reviews we did were very helpful because they gave me another perspective on my papers. They also helped reveal minor mistakes that I may have looked over. I also learned to use all the resources available to me on campus. Going to the writing center was helpful because the more eyes that review your paper the better. Also going to office hours and talking about minor concerns I had about my writing clarified many issues for me.
My favorite writing assignment we had this semester was the memoir unit. I liked that unit the most because it helped make my writing more clear and precise. The memoir made me focus on one specific situation with depth, which was harder than it originally sounded.
The other units like the visual analysis and the research paper we had to do also helped me focus on specific details. I learned that it is more effective for me to write specific about one issue, than trying boldly covering over many issues.
I think this course sharpened my writing skills tremendously.
The cultural events we had to attend were a nice aspect to add to the class. The events I attended were two events I would have attended anyways without the assignment. It was still nice to see how many cultural opportunities Penn State has available to the students. I think that it is important for all students to attend cultural events because they broaden your mind and help you look at life with a different perspective.
I also like writing a blog for this course because I enjoyed reading the responses my classmates had on different things. Although we are all about the same age we come from different cultures, and towns so we all have different opinions on everything.

2. http://stanceinthearts.blogspot.com/2012/04/talk-that-talk.html#comment-form
http://fedappolon.blogspot.com/2012/04/take-care.html
http://dependsonthewind.blogspot.com/2012/02/depends-on-wind.html
http://ajf5302.blogspot.com/2012/03/at-psu-we-know-how-to-party.html#comment-form

3. I completed my SRTE.

4

“You’re the one that gives your all. You’re the one I can always call. When I need to make everything stop finally you put my love on top.” As an artist who has won Grammys and awards, Beyoncé is definitely at the top her game. She is at a place in her career where she can make an album that reflects the experiences she is going through in her life. The southern sweetheart released her fourth studio album on June 28, 2011 that she titled “4”. Although it was leaked onto the internet a few weeks before its release, it still managed to sell 310,000 copies in its first week. “4” has a different feel than her other previously released albums. It focuses heavy on being happy in a monogamous relationship which mirrors her life currently. She is currently what seems to be happily married to Jay Z. Her previous albums had songs like “Me, Myself, and I” which was about women in unhappy relationships that needed to focus on what’s best for themselves. We can see how she has stepped away from that message to a message that is showing women it is okay to be head over heels in love.

Beyoncé’s “4” has many more ballads and slow songs than we usually get from the songstress. She tests her singing abilities on many of these tracks in ways the world is not used to. This album shows how versatile she is because she pulls different types of genres together and makes it her own. “4” has some reflections of R&B, pop, vintage soul, rap, and reggae. She has featured artist like Kanye West, and Andre 3000 who both have two different styles of music. Beyoncé doesn’t completely forget her roots as she has songs like “Run the World”, “Countdown”, and “End of Time” which are upbeat dance songs that still exude her overall message of love.

With this album Beyoncé has opened up to the world in a different way. She is not afraid to say she is in love and is in a good place. The fans really connect with this album because we have all watched Beyoncé grow from a young teenage member of Destiny Child who sang about being an independent woman, to a wife and mother. Beyoncé is singing new songs now that say “And it’s me and you and that’s all we’ll have when the world is through. Cause baby we aint got nothing without love.”

Black Girls Rock [cultural event]

I attended an event put on by the Back Student Union called "Black Girls Rock". The event mimicked an event put on annually by BET that commemorates the achievements and accomplishments of African American women. It was held in Heritage Hall in the Hub.The program included a fashion show representing different eras along with students putting on skits to honor some exceptional women. Women were recognized from the music industry, sports, and the academic world. I have been to similar events that uplift the great work the African American community has done. They ran out of the fried chicken and we were stuck eating wraps which weren't that good . I expected this event to recognize more modern day women, but i still enjoyed it

The most memorable part was the performance by grammy award winning songwriter and singer Melanie Fiona. She sang some material from her new album and we all went wild. I always knew she was talented  but seeing her live made me appreciate her talent even more. When she hit the stage she immediately connected with the audience. She sang about love, and heartache something that almost everyone in our age bracket can relate to. I definitely will purchase her album after experiencing her performance.

My overall experience was a good one. The performance made me enjoy the show as much as I did.  If the food was better it would have been a perfect night!

vagina monologues vs. penis monologues [cultural event]

Why are people so uncomfortable with the word vagina? How much do you know about penises? The Vagina Monologues and the Penis Monologues were both productions put on by Penn State students set out to answer these questions. Coincidently they were both being performed on the same weekend and only a few rooms apart in the Forum building. They both used humor and stories to educate the students of Penn State about their bodies without making anyone feel awkward or uncomfortable. In my opinion the Vagina Monologues was more educationally enriching, while Penis Monologues focused more on humor and irony.

            The Vagina Monologues is a nationally known production that is reenacted by different women all based on the original Vagina Monologues created in 1996.  In Penn State’s rendition they had women of different races and backgrounds perform skits about sex, love, rape, masturbation, birth, menstruation, orgasms and about how they all relate to vaginas. They made jokes about how uncomfortable tampons can be and what vaginas would say if they could talk. They also touched on international struggles of Japanese women who were repeatedly raped physically, mentally, and emotionally by soldiers. This part of the show really touched me because the actress who spoke about this delivered it with so much passion and pain I felt like I was really listening to one of the abused women. Day after day the Japanese women were forced to have sexual intercourse with hundreds of soldiers. They wouldn’t allow these women to get properly cleaned, use protection, eat proper meals, or keep the babies they had as a result of this traumatic experience. It was really disheveling to know that innocent, and young women had to go through that kind of pain and helplessness. This skit really had an impact on me because these young women were about the same age as I am and I couldn’t imagine going through that type of abuse and disrespect. The worse part of the whole scene was that the Japanese government tried to ignore the situation like it never happened. They swept it under the rug like the blood, and tears these women shed were insignificant. Hearing that really upset me. All these women wanted in return was a public apology from the government saying that they acknowledge the pain they suffered and they are sorry that they had to experience that. That is honestly the least they could have done for them.

            I had never heard of the Penis Monologues so I was very interested to see what they are all about. It was a show inspired by the vagina monologues but the twist was that it was for guys. The purpose of the monologues is to give a funny parody about penises. The actors in this production made jokes about blue balls, oral sex, masturbation, penises in cold water and other stereotypes people male about penises. The Penis Monologues gave men the opportunity to jokingly talk about embarrassing sexual experiences, and insecurities. My favorite moment was at the ending when all of the actors ran out into the audience and jumped up on the arm rests of the chairs and yelled out their favorite nicknames for their penises. They also yelled out orgasmic sounds and it was very amusing. I learned there are lots of names people call penises because they are uncomfortable with the word. They kept the crowd very engages in the entire performance.

            Overall I enjoyed both performances and enjoyed seeing how each director interpreted two very different yet similar body parts. If anyone is interested in a light and comedic show I would recommend the penis monologues but if they wanted an amusing and educational show I would recommend the vagina monologues. 

We Party Hard but Study Harder

As a living, breathing, and thriving Penn State student I believe that the podcast was an accurate depiction of the party life at Penn State. Every weekend there are girls in little dresses, and random signing on the buses. All of this is apart of Penn State's tradition but partying is not the only aspect of this tradition. I don't take it as an insult that Penn State was once the #1 party school because I know that Penn State students are ranked as some of the best  prepared students by job recruiters. I know that Smeal College of Business is ranked nationwide as one of the best Business Institutions in the country. I also know that 70% of our premed major get into medical school. All these facts show that Penn State students are rounded individuals that party hard but hit the books harder. When I decided to attend University Park everyone was impressed and held Penn State to a high caliber. 

The podcast showed two sides of pathos. One side was the point of view of the residents who have to deal with the loud noise of from parties, the trash on their lawns, and the drunk students walking into their homes. It made me feel a little bad about how loud I can get on the weekends and how I would feel if it were my home town. On the other hand it spoke on the pathos of the students and how they understand that this is the only time period in our lives where we can live life before having to deal with the hardships of the real world. 

The most shocking part of this report is that students actually walk into random homes and fall asleep. I have never heard of anything like that before and for that to be a common incident in very surprising to me. 

Overall I thought the report was fair depiction of a weekend at Penn State. I hope when the general public listens to this podcast before they start judging they consider what weekdays at Penn State are like. Personally during the week the only place I party is the library 

I Don't Know What You Cal It But I Call It Art

In my opinion art is any form of creative expression.  I consider anything creatively done that evokes a message to be art. Art can be something as simple as a drawing done by a 3 year old to as extensive as the Sistine Chapel. Although the Sistine Chapel is elaborately done, the 3 year old's picture is also expressing a message that it wants to share.Art is such a broad topic that it can include paintings, photography, music, sculptures, fashion, poetry, hair, etc. Almost anything can be transformed into art. The only things I wouldn't consider art is anything that is very mathematical. Art in my opinion needs to be free and debatable and in math their is little room for debate.

An interesting piece of art I discovered was a picture from the Natural Hair Show http://www.natreview.com/2010/10/28/review-transcendence-natural-hair-show/

I chose this piece of art because I find it amazing that someone could take something as simple as hair and turn it into a masterpiece. The time, and effort it took to put this together is unimaginable to me. This piece demonstrates strength and individuality. Strength because even though this a complex style it does not appear to be easily destroyed or damaged. Each lock of hair is intertwined in a way that removing or altering one piece would ruin the whole thing. Each piece of hair must come together for the greater beauty of the hairstyle. I also see individuality in this piece because of the different types of feathers that are involved. They make the piece stand out. I really like this piece because of the deeper meaning I take from it. From this piece I take that I should not be afraid to be strong or standout but their is also strength in numbers.  

Another piece I found interesting was a poem by Maya Angelou called "Still I Rise" http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15623
This poem is about female empowerment and taking an optimistic outlook on the future. I chose this poem because I truly connect with this piece. As a young woman I find this piece both comforting and encouraging because Maya Angelou is telling us to leave all the hurt and pain of the past behind you so that you can rise in the future. As humans it is hard for us to look past the pain but their are brighter days to come. We decide our destiny, and we have to recognize our self worth. 

The artist behind Harlem Rose

This is the artist of Harlem Rose. In this video he explains a how he got started working with women shoes. Enjoy :)

Harlem Rose

Harlem Rose is  a sculpture by Wilie Cole created between 2005 and 2006. 

Although this piece of art was created in 2005, it is representative of the Montgomery Boycott in 1955.  The Montgomery Bus Boycott was a public demonstration by the African Americans in Alabama to desegregate the public buses. Prior to this boycott African Americans were forced to sit in the back of buses and give up their seats for white people. Even though these bus riders paid the same fare, they were still reduced to second class treatment. Harlem Rose is a sculpture composed of scuffed, and worn out women shoes formed into the shape of a sunburst. These are some of the shoes of women who participated in the Boycott. These shoes hold the struggles, and memories those women faced taking a stance for something we take for granted. 

As an African American female I feel a special connection to this piece because I know all the abuse, and struggles they faced were to make it a little bit easier for individuals like me to prosper. Without their contributions I would have never been able to attend an institution like Penn State or any of the other opportunities I am afforded. This connects to my values because I believe that things I am doing will help future generations and the progress will never stop. 

Willie Cole is a well known artist from Newark, New Jersey who does a lot of pieces constructed from women shoes. He was born in 1955 so the Boycott was something he knew about. He also works heavily with african art. He has created tribal warriors out of women shoes, so he is very knowledgable on Africa and African American art and culture. 

In my opinion this is a representational piece of art. I think it is trying to honor the hard work of these women and pay homage to the impact they have had on our lives. I think he chose to form these shoes into a sunburst because the sun is a symbol of a brighter day. Without each contribution the sunburst could not be completed. Without each individual contribution we might still be sitting at the back of the bus. 

This was my second trip to the Palmer Art Museum. I previously attended for another class to interpret pieces of art. I have always enjoyed art muesums because their is so much you can learn by just stopping and thinking why the artist made a piece. The art is also very beautiful. Although I enjoyed the art I am not very creative or artistic so I only enjoy going to art museums once in awhile. If I had to go to the museum again I would probably bring some friends along because it's not as fun alone. 

THON 2012

My first THON at PSU was an indescriable feeling. I am one of the proudest Penn State students after this weekend. I am so grateful for the opportunity to participate in an event that created so much unity and that emphasized on selflessness. I am very excited for next year to get even more involved. 

Purple = Shanice [1st Blog Post]

Enter at your own risk is an appropriate title for this blog because I want my readers to know they are welcomed and encouraged to read my blog but I have strong beliefs that they may or may not agree with.

I believe my blog is an honest, and genuine refection of the type of person I am. Besides the cliché' reason that my favorite color is purple, I chose the color purple as my background color because it is a color that reflects me on many different levels. Lavender is representational of my soft, and sweet side. I love little kids and I am very nurturing and patient while they are in my care. Violet tends to have a more bluish tint, which embodies my athletic side. I am very feminine but I love to play sports and I am not afraid to sweat. Dark purple symbolizes royalty and I translate that into my reliability. The Queen or individuals in the royal family are constantly called on for different needs, and problems that their subjects have so they can help or come up with a solution. My friends or anybody in need can call on me and I will come up will try to come up with a solution to help them with their problem.

Eighteen is a very transitional period in a young person's life. We are not little kids anymore but we are not old enough to do everything on our own. I think stripes are the perfect way to portray that message and that is why they are included in my blog. Polka dots are fun, whimsical, and a little juvenile. Stripes are the perfect contrast of fun yet mature but not as mature and old as the floral print in nursing homes. I want my purple stripes to make the statement that I am old enough to make my own decisions but I still need my parent’s advice and money sometimes. I am independent with a little emphasis on dependent.

I kept my about me page very simple. I started my introduction with one of my favorite quotes so that my readers could get a better understanding of who I am and what kinds of things attract my attention. I didn’t want to say too much obvious information about myself because I believe I can make a bigger impact by showing what I believe versus just saying it. I included a picture of THON because it was an experience that really impacted my life recently.

Making this blog took a little longer than I expected because I have never blogged before and I didn’t know their would be so many choices or thought that would have to go into this process. I think blogging in this class will be an enriching way for our class to get exposed to other people’s feelings, opinions, cultures, likes, and dislikes in a way we may have never gotten the chance to.