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For my U.S. Folk Experience English class, I have to interview someone that has been part of the University District for a long period of time...having either owned a business or lived in the area forever, gone to school at OSU and still live here, teach at OSU and grew up in the area...whatever the case may be, we're to interview them to get a sort of oral re-telling of the history of the district and get a sense of how it became what it is today, and how being here through the changes of times has affected them. The instructor assigned us to specific people to interview (they're part of a calling-list of people for the purposes of this class project and other various historical society goings-on) based on what she knows about us from meeting us and our writings. She assigned me to a woman named "Karen Bell," a lifetime resident. I have a feeling that this "Karen Bell" could possibly be the Karen Bell; Dean of the College of the Arts at OSU. Hmm....I have no idea what to expect, but I'm excited, if it is or ISN'T that Karen Bell.
*UPDATE: NOT the same Karen Bell!
This class is by far one of the most interesting classes I've taken at Ohio State, and oddly I feel the same way about another class I'm taking this quarter - History of Art 202 - Renaissance to Modernity. GECs can be fun and interesting, who knew!?
PS: I turned 21 yesterday! In one of my classes today, the teacher asked for a show of hands of who was 21 or older, and in a class of at least 20, I was only one of four! For the longest time I've felt like the youngest person in the room, always, and it was ironic, being the day after such a pivotal life-changing (ha ha) birthday.
The Ohio Union Activities Board (OUAB) at Ohio State allows students to work with other students and faculty members to create groups and organizations. Once approved by the Board, the members of the group must acquire a faculty member to serve as the advisor. Additional requirements to be recognized as a university affiliated group/organization include appointing members and writing a constitution. Groups may receive funding per each quarter to cover costs for hosting events and production and publishing costs.
My cousin and our mutual friend and I are the creators of the group. Katie is the President, Marina is the Vice President, and I am the treasurer. The intent of the zine is to appeal to a broad range of students on campus and will be chock-full of obscurity & randomness, art, literature, rants & raves/opinions, local stuff (restaurant reviews, boutique bits, events), and culturally relevant subject-matter. We're really excited to launch this project and hope that we can get it into the hands of students and members of the campus community ASAP!
If you're interested in being part of the group, check out our Facebook!
I feel like finals week isn't really that stressful most of the time, because each quarter I take at least one art class in which the final is due the week prior to finals week..which leaves me with only two or three during the actual week of finals. I prefer it that way. After getting a huge art project out of the way - this quarter for me it was Design 202 & two of my classmates and I pulled an all-nighter at my apartment working on it together - I feel so relieved and ready to devote the rest of my time to studying for the remainder of them.
My grades this quarter were mediocre - more mediocre than I'd like to admit. I tried very hard, too. Went to office hours, asked questions of TAs, sought help, studied for every test and completed every single assignment and homework - but it wasn't enough to bring home all A's unfortunately. I asked my parents if they were disappointed in me and, even though I'm sure they're mildly disappointed, my mom said, "No way! We know you try very hard at everything you do. You experienced a lot of disappointment (see: rejection from design program) during this quarter. But you have to move past it and do better next time." My parents are so encouraging.
Next quarter I'm taking a full course load of four classes. It'll be the first time I've done that. Even though my counselor assures me that taking three courses at a time is perfectly O.K., I still decided to try taking four to see if I could handle it. The Mosaic magazine layout is to be completed entirely during spring quarter, and I'm working 20-ish hours a week, still; I will have a completely full plate. Strangely, I'm looking forward to it. It's a matter of proving to myself that I can handle it and succeed, really.
The uncertainties in my life currently outweigh the certainties which can make for quite an uneasy feeling. But having faith in that things will work themselves out is keeping me in check.
UNCERTAINTIES
- my place of residence for the '08-'09 school year
- when I'll get over this horrible illness they call THE FLU (ps: it's going around OSU like wildfire, so wash your hands all the time, keep Airborne on hand and don't share drinks!)
- if I'll get into the design program next year when I apply again
- if I should even apply again
CERTAINTIES
- I am taking a full course-load with four classes next quarter. I've decided not to drop History of Art 212.
- I won't be graduating on time (if I was on a four-year track I'd be out of here by spring of 2009)
- I'll still be in school when the main library re-opens after three years of renovation
I've never taken summer classes. If I did, I'd definitely be able to graduate sooner, so that's an option I'm contemplating. All of the people I know that have graduated on time or are going to graduate on time have taken classes during at least one or two summer quarters, or have taken 4 classes the majority of their quarters. This is very telling, and influences my future and plans to graduate sooner than later. There's always an alternative, better way, or reasonable explanation for these kinds of things. So, 4-class-spring-quarter, here comes a formerly 3-class-per-quarter-ONLY student!
My apologies for the negativity my posts have been composed of in recent times, I promise it's due to the fact that I'm so desperately longing for spring! I blame everything on the weather.
Yes, it snowed all week. On Tuesday after class I stopped to take some pictures with my new cellphone to depict the environment around campus.
The West Campus parking lot, also known as an ice skating rink.
My feet were completely buried.
Remember when I mentioned that sometimes you need all of your rain AND snow gear at the same time? It's true.
5 inches! The snow was cotton candy-like, fluffy and soft, melted quickly. Later, it turned into pounds of ice.
I t was so cold! Even inside my car! The angry stare is actually not angry at all - my eyes are extremely sensitive to the brightness of the sun reflecting from the snow. Ouch.
I enjoy snow, but I don't think I can say enough how badly I want it to be spring! I've scheduled for spring quarter and am very excited about my classes - English 367.05, Design 203 and Design 310. My design 203 class lasts until 6:30PM every Thursday, which is perfect timing for spring Thursday picnics!
Don't ever expect them or get your hopes up for them. Ever. They just DON'T happen at Ohio State.
Get your UGGs/rainboots/boots of any kind, heavy coat, sweat pants, mittens, scarves, hats, earmuffs, hoodies & umbrellas ready, and have them prepped for use at a moment's notice .. sometimes for use all at the same time - like today.
I scraped a sheet of ice and 5 inches of snow off of my car this morning and slid my way on the roads to school. I parked on West Campus in a lot with thousands of other students' cars that were parked nowhere near the actual parking lines - people just DON'T KNOW HOW TO DRIVE IN SNOW! This, in my opinion, should all be grounds for a snow day, but.. wishful thinking, hm? I sucked it up and trekked in the freezing rain to both of my Tuesday classes.
There's been only one snow day at Ohio State that I can recall since I've been here. It was last Valentine's Day - so, this same week last year. Sarah Silverman (the comedian) was supposed to be performing a free show for students, but it was cancelled and never rescheduled (sad.) That there was a snow day was miraculous.
In the meantime while all you crazies are praying for snow days, I'll be trying to figure out my life and going to two advising appointments AND scheduling for spring '08 on Thursday. Ah, such is the college life of confusion and contemplation.
Sprrriiinnnggggg hurry up so my friends & I can have picnics on the Oval and so I can start working on the Mosaic mag. layout!
Today I received my self-addressed stamped envelope in the mail from the Department of Industrial, Interior & Visual Communication Design.
As I opened the letter I hoped and prayed and almost choked over my racing heartbeat, my eyes searching for "Congratulations! You've been accepted...."
but instead,
"I regret to inform you that you have not been selected to enter the design program for autumn quarter 2008."
I wish I could articulate how I'm feeling right now, but I'm feeling so many different things that I can't. The most prevalent is overwhelming disappointment and failure.
Something I was so sure of...was never a sure thing at all. I'm at a true loss for words.
Ohio State, you'll help me find my way again...right?
My previously quoted "number one prospect" in the way of off-campus housing has failed and is no longer a prospect at all. The landlord is seeking fewer occupants than our quad o' roomies.
Searching the OSU housing site and multiple local properties dilligently, we've happened upon a cute 4-bedroom place on King Avenue near the medical center. It's one-half of a duplex, with a front porch and a balcony. The rent, divided by four, is nearly the same as I'm paying now, but I'm able to make it now sooo..I guess I'll be fine.
(Is it ridiculous of me to hold out hope for finding a place with hardwood floors?!)
The most important thing, really, is close proximity to school. The place on King Avenue meets that goal, so hopefully we'll all four like the interior of it when we go on our tour next week.
In other news, Spike Lee is coming to the Wexner Center next week to receive his Wexner Prize. I'll be attending a private event in which he'll be speaking with students in a Q&A-format. I believe there are still tickets available to the general student event, held also at the Wexner on Tuesday - see the ticket desk @ the Wex for more details!
I need to make an appointment for a quarterly check-up on my academic progress. I'm concerned about my graduation schedule (& that I'm not aligned with what it should be.)
Graduating in four years doesn't look to be in the cards for me. I'm okay with that - I like school, but what about my monetary funds, financial aid, and loans? I have no idea what extended graduation plans will change about those. Maybe I need an appointment with a career counseler and a financial consultant?
"Adulthood" is so confusing. The good thing about Ohio State, though, is that I pretty much have all of the resources I need to get these issues straightened out.
I visit my academic adviser regularly, & she has saved my life multiple times. I'm fairly sure I've mentioned several times in this blog how important and vital your adviser will be to your college career!!! Even if you think you're sure you're on-track academically, VISIT THEM ANYWAY! They always have useful information and advice that you'd not have thought of otherwise.
There are career counselers at the Younkin Success Center, whom I intend to benefit from in the near future. As far as the financial planning goes, there are people that can assist students with financial planning in the Student Wellness Center at the RPAC. I'm going to go call them.....
As a student at Ohio State, off-campus housing decisions are typically made in the first few months of the year. That being said, I am on the hunt for my second-ever dwelling away from home (my parents' home, that is.)
I live with my sister in an apartment in Grandview, 5-10 minutes from campus, and I love it. It has become the interior decorating experience of my dreams. My apartment is the essence of me; when you step inside, it is immediately evident that I am the occupant. Because it is my first apartment & I have put my heart and soul into making it my own, it makes me sad to think about moving. NOT TO MENTION I HAVE TWO CLOSETS!!! Where else am I ever going to have that luxury again?! I feel like I've hardly lived there long enough to even start thinking about potentially living elsewhere. Such is the off-campus housing market, though, I guess.
The main reasons I would consider moving are,
- finding a place with cheaper rent (I pay $362.50/month for my share of the rent, and about $60 for my share of the cable bill - I am perpetually broke)
- new experiences & roommates (My sister and I are looking for a 4-bedroom house with my cousin Katie, an art education major at OSU, and our mutual friend Marina, an art & tech/art history major at OSU)
- closer proximity to places I could go on foot
Our number one prospect is a 4-bedroom house on West 2nd Avenue in Victorian Village. It's adorable! Two balconies, 3 stories, close to everything!...but the girl who told us about it & who lives there now - Katie's friend - isn't sure that the landlord wants 4 people to live there, despite it having 4 bedrooms. I guess he wants it to be more of a family-style home than a college-student rental.
I am going to call the landlord next week & see what he says and hope to return with good news!
I'm finally rank 3 - junior status! I got an e-mail the other day verifying that my date for scheduling my spring quarter classes is February 14th. That is so much earlier than I've ever scheduled before!
This quarter I'm planning ahead. I've already used schedulizer.com & Buckeye Link (Browse Master Schedule, Check Course Availability) to check out potential classes and schedules. The following are the classes I'm considering:
-Design 203: Introduction to drawing as a design tool. Emphasis is placed on sketching and drawing to explore, analyze and communicate design concepts and design processes. 3 credit hours
-Design 310: Introduction to drawing as a design tool. Emphasis is placed on sketching and drawing to explore, analyze and communicate design concepts and design processes. 3 credit hours
-Statistics 135: Introduction to probability and statistics, experiments, and sampling, data analysis and interpretation. 5 credit hours
-English 367.05: Discussion, analysis, and writing about U.S. folk culture with a concentration on individual life stories. 5 credit hours
-History of Art 202: Examination of the history of art in Europe and the United States, from about 1500 to the present. 5 credit hours
The dilemma for me whilst scheduling each quarter is how many hours to take. 13? 15? 20? The standard full-time loads are 15-20 hours (3 & 4 classes, respectively). My design classes are only worth 3 credit hours each, as I've mentioned before, & I don't understand why! Taking into consideration the amount of time outside of class I spend on them, they should be worth 10 each! Ha! Anyway, I only have a handful of GEC (general education curriculum - everyone has to fulfill a certain amount of these, dependent on the majors & minors) left to take, so I'm not sure if I should take those yet, so that I'm not taking all major courses/studio classes at once.
So confusing! Good thing I have nearly a month left to decide. I think I'm going to push my boundaries and step outside my comfort level and take 4 classes. I always say I'm going to do that, but I always take the "easy" (not really) way out and take only three. Time is the issue, there!
PS: I'm still waiting for my design letter to come in the mail...
PPS: I don't know if it's still being offered or was only a one-time thing, but there was an English 596 class on the poetry & music of Bob Dylan. What I wouldn't give to take that class!....
This week I was interviewed and quoted in OSU's newspaper, The Lantern, about my experiences working on my design exam.
Design admissions stays competitive for students
Only 18 students admitted into each of three majors
Joe Miller
Issue date: 1/16/08 Section: Campus
While most Ohio State students were resting from their school responsibilities and assignments, Kate Hutson spent her December working on an exhausting exam.
Hutson, a junior in pre-design, is one of many prospective design majors who devoted a large portion of winter break to the design program's entrance exam. The exam, which began Dec. 7 and was due Jan. 7, is the basis for accepting students into the industrial, interior and visual communication design majors within the College of the Arts.
The exam is extremely competitive. This year, about 150 students applied to the design program, but only 18 will be admitted to each of the three majors.
"We're a small program because we feel that the best design programs give the students an opportunity to work in teams and give the students an opportunity to work on real world projects. As such, we limit the size to 18 students for each major," said Wayne Carlson design department chair.
Seth Shaw, a sophomore in visual communication design, completed the entrance exam last winter quarter and said he agrees with the low admission numbers.
"Admitting 18 students, while highly competitive, creates an environment where the professor can give more attention to individual students," Shaw said. "I feel like I would take less, experience-wise, from my studio if the numbers were increased."
The highly competitive nature of the admission process made the exam difficult, but the one-month deadline truly made it a daunting task. Hutson was prepared for the sacrifices she would have to make to have a chance at becoming a visual design major.
"I kind of anticipated having to give up my entire winter break," Hutson said. "I definitely had to make a commitment to (the exam) and pass up my social options. (My friends) were actually at my house when the exam got assigned on the design Web site and I was like, 'Well, it was nice hanging out with you guys for this one night. I'll see you in a while.'"
According to the entrance exam requirements, which were posted on the design department's Web site, the exam consisted of three separate compositions.
These drawings required solutions to interesting problems, such as communicating the process of building an igloo in two pages without using words. The applicants also had to complete several writing assignments.
"Somebody might be able to draw well and not be able to explain what their drawing is about," said Carlson. "In the design profession, you have to do both."
Carlson said it was a lot to accomplish in one month, but maintained it did not diminish the quality of work the students submitted.
"They have one month to do this. Everything. To compile it all, to solve the problems, to do the drawings, to write up the narratives, to solve the process, and put it all together," Carlson said. "But we get some really incredible work over that month, and that speaks volumes about what a person's motivation and abilities are. To take their own personal time and work on (the exam) and take it seriously."
Now that the exams have been submitted, the design faculty has begun the process of selecting which students will be admitted to enter the design program. The faculty will narrow the selections throughout the next several weeks and choose about 25 students for each major to be interviewed. Then, based on the results of those interviews, a final 18 students will be admitted into each major at the end of January or beginning of February.
Those students will be permitted to register for further design classes and will go into studios that focus on their specific majors for the next two years. Their work culminates in a thesis project that each student is required to do that is exhibited and critiqued in a public venue the final quarter of the students' senior year.
Although the admissions process is difficult, time consuming and stressful, Shaw still feels that it was all worth it to become a visual communication design major.
"I enjoy the program greatly," Shaw said. "It's very challenging and I feel that it's going to prepare me for a career in the field of design."
The part about my friends being at my apartment when the exam was assigned on the design website - at midnight on Dec. 7th - is completely true! It's funny that he put that quote in there.. it was a candid remark.
Anyway, I'm still waiting..impatiently..to find out......
Event planning is not one of my prime strengths. I lack the patience to organize events & see them through, send invitations and recruit attendees -- if I'm alone in the endeavor. However, the other members of the Wexner Center Student Council & I have been asked to plan an event for winter quarter.
The aim of the event is to invite students to the Wex for some sort of free event that will facilitate the goal of having more eyes opened up to all that the Center has to offer - the current exhibitions, information on upcoming films & performances (music, dance, art), the Wexner Center Store (best book collection ever, by the way, and is also an authorized Apple store.. so you can buy computers, software, iPods, etc.)
At our meeting last Thursday we brainstormed some ideas such as a bake sale, a guitar hero/DDR contest, a costume party, carnival, fashion show, live music & food, cooking competition, open mic, leap-year themed party with a time capsule......We couldn't really come to a consensus. Winter is a difficult time to get people to go out of their way for an event. But.. it will be free! & there will likely be food! And the Wexner Center rules! I would have no trouble convincing my own alternatively-thinking art&tech-savvy friends to come out for the shin-dig, but I'm wondering about everyone else at OSU.
The Wex has been positively reviewed by the New York Times & other respected publications and has more to offer than what one may see at a glance. I think the architecture alone is enough to draw anyone inward!
We're still working on our event (if anyone has suggestions, shout them out!) & I hope that the exposure will broaden the horizons of some future Wex-regulars.
I've been MIA for about a month or so...here's why:
I turned in my application (in the form of the assigned exam & supplementary portfolio) on Monday to OSU's department of design at exactly 11:11am. "That's lucky!" said the receptionist in the office. I certainly hope that's the truth.
The design exam is released once every winter. Student who wish to be considered for admission into the Design program must complete the exam, which consists of 3 portions that are assigned and created entirely by the student during the one-month period between the exam release date (Dec. 7, 2007) & deadline (Jan. 7, 2008). Additionally, there are several questionnaires, essays, & transcripts that must be included. There is also an opportunity for students to submit up to 20 pieces of additional supplementary work.
At midnight on December 7th I printed out three copies of the exam (you know, just incase..) & began working on it. My discipline of choice - Visual Communication Design - had the following exam problems:
1. Create a composition of 2 vegetables & one inorganic object such as a kitchen or garden tool. Draw the composition from 2 different viewing angles. The drawing must convey material quality and texture, etc. Each drawing must be on its own 8.5x11 sheet of paper.
2. Choose a logotype or signature that is successful, mount it on an 8.5x11 sheet of paper, and on a seperate paper, explain why it is successful. Then, choose a logotype or signature that is unsuccessful, mount it on an 8.5x11 sheet of paper and on a seperate paper, explain why it is unsuccessful. Then, re-design the unsuccessful logo on another sheet of paper.
3. Using 2 8.5x11 sheets of paper, visually communicate - WITHOUT WORDS - how to construct an igloo. Include up to four pages of your process.
It was extrememly time-consuming. More so than I thought possible, that's for sure.
I don't know that I've ever felt so relieved yet so scared and nervous and crazed at the same time. Whether or not I get accepted to the department will determine the remainder of my college career. The design program takes three years to complete, and I am already in my third year at OSU & have accepted the additional two years of school if I get in.
My fate rests in the hands of the faculty of the department of the design, and it will be held hostage from me (at least that's how it feels) for 3 or so weeks. Because the VisCom program attracts so many applicants & the program is so competitive (only 12-18 students are accepted each year!) the top 20 applicants will be interviewed & the group is narrowed down thereafter. I hope & pray I get one of those interviews! This is my destiny!
NERVOUS NERVOUS NERVOUSSSSSSSS!
The annual rivalry to end all rivalries...in the world of college sports, that is...is upon us. Today is the Ohio State vs Michigan football game.
The fall season on Ohio State's campus can oft' be summarized, measured and recalled simply by referencing each Saturday - game day.
Let me reveal something about myself, and I'm being really vulnerable, here: I have really never cared for sports a day in my life. I didn't even like them when I played soccer as a kid. I didn't enjoy sitting in the stands watching my my best friend and sister play her heart out on the volleyball court. I attended high school football games strictly for socializing. I don't mean to be cruel or negative towards them and I certainly don't denounce them all together, but sports just aren't my thing.
That being said, during my second year at Ohio State, I convinced my parents to purchase season tickets to OSU home football games for me. I couldn't resist the surge of energy that rushes through campus on game days and I certainly couldn't pass up the chance to order an entire season worth of tickets for $145. My dad was especially excited to do that for me. He was adamant about allowing me the experience of enjoying Ohio State football games from the Shoe. In the end, I really enjoyed myself at the games I attended. The memories are irreplaceable. But....my feelings for the sport in general can be described in a nutshell with my experience from last year's incredibly hyped and memorable OSU vs Michigan game.
During the 2006 season, both OSU and Michigan were undefeated at the time they met on the field here in Columbus. I had my own reserved seat in the stadium to this once-in-a-lifetime game. And I was broke. So, I sold my ticket and therein missed the game that most will never EVER forget (and in turn really disappointed my dad.) But I gave my seat to someone who cared a lot more about the game and had much more love for the sport than I could ever muster.
In the space of my mind reserved for athletic thoughts, there is very little room. However, in that space will always be a little regret for missing that game. I'll think of it on every OSU vs Michigan game day for the rest of my life!
WHO: Bruce Mau
WHAT: lecture
WHEN: 7:00 pm - Wednesday, November the 6th
WHERE: the Wexner Center's Mershon Auditorium
I had the opportunity to attend a free lecture with graphic designer and sustainable-life visionary Bruce Mau, this week.
Before the lecture, I knew only that he was a graphic designer and one of many big names working in the name of environmental and sustainable-living causes. After hearing him speak, I learned of his efforts within the country of Guatemala to esssentially rebuild it from the ground up, more in terms of their way of life. He's working closely with Guatemala's Minister of Education to improve the quality of life in the country - education, environment, culture, politics, future - all facets of the society.
He's spearheading this initiative called Massive Change whose slogan is "It's not about the world of design, it's about the design of the world."
Because I'm becoming increasingly interested in the issues of the environment and try to participate in all acts possible to reduce emissions and harmful pollutants to the Earth, try to do good each day, and associate myself with causes that are positively effective, I was inspired by Bruce Mau's wonderous imagination. To suggest that an entire country can be re-shaped, and propose that our world can effectively sustain the accomodations necessary to usher in the expected 9.1 billion humans in the year 2050 by us - you, me, Bruce Mau - acting now is quite a powerful plan!
The thought that has lingered since I left the lecture that night is, What can I do? I'm not Bruce Mau. I don't have connections worldwide and am not the head of an organization with capabilties of initiating huge, world-wide projects. On a small scale, what can we - you and I - do to help sustain the quality of human life and our Earth that will have long-lasting results?
This is my new personal research project, so, thanks Bruce Mau! I'm really glad that Ohio State and the Wexner Center have the ability to invite and host influential persons such as Mr. Mau in our education community.
Otherwise known as art critiques, these long and monotonous classroom events actually provide many fine points for an artist in education.
I have personal experience with art critiques dating back to my days as an elementary student taking CCAD Saturday Morning Art Classes on scholarship. Of course, at age 9 I didn't take them too seriously because after all, my digitally animated characters with triangle-shaped heads and charcoal drawings of the person at the easel next to me definitely didn't need improvement. (Ha!) But now, as a junior in college, I've learned the value of an art critique.
In each of the art classes I have taken at OSU, critiques have followed all assignment due-dates. Entire 2-3 hour classes are devoted to reducing works of art to their positive and negative aspects, and providing suggestions and advice to the artists. One of the first elements of critiquing a work of art is to look at it in an un-biased way, such as describing what something actually is, ie: "black ink on white bristol board paper" and not what you, as an individual assume is the work of art. This is a real challenge for some people because we naturally render what we see almost immediately as something that we know and have seen before. But art is more than that!
Art critiques can be both very harsh and very rewarding experiences. I often dread them, fearing the worst from my classmates. In general, people are very complimentary in a classroom-setting...but in my design class, we're instructed to be as honest as possible and give informational feedback. As I mentioned, this can be harsh, but receiving feedback from other artists and instructors is so beneficial! For every new assignment I begin, I try my hardest to take into consideration all of the comments and feedback from prior critiques and apply the advice and suggestions when necessary so that I can improve my work.
My midterm assignment is due in design 201 on Tuesday. Professionals, grad students and other design faculty will be invited to our presentations and critiques. I hope my nerves don't get the best of me!
Good news on the Mosaic front! My section – layout staff – does the majority of our work in designing the magazine during spring quarter. This is perfect, because over winter break and quarter I'll be so busy applying for the design program and (hopefully) taking 17-20 credit hours (the odd number is because most design classes are only worth 3 credit hours, which is ridicccccuuuuuulllllooooouuuussss!!!).
Random tid-bit: I schedule for winter quarter classes on Monday and I haven't even planned out a possible schedule, yet. I saw someone using a website called Schedulizer (www.schedulizer.com) to plan out multiple schedules with varying time slots and classes. I think I'll utilize that!
Aside from my extra-curriculars, I've been getting really into my Comm367 class. That's the one in which my final is to give a 5 minute persuasive speech on a topic I've been conducting research and surveys on all quarter. I'm a little confused about how I'm going to formulate my speech because I want to go in several different directions, but in the meantime, I'm to write an audience analysis survey paper. In the paper, I'll discuss the results from the 11-question survey I created that all of the students in my class participated in. The basic point I'm trying to get across, or attitudes and beliefs to persuade, are that information about mental health treatment should be more widespread and easily accessible across campus to students. My survey intentions were to gage students' knowledge about mental health treatment in general, how they felt about it, and whether or not they were aware of their own health insurance coverage. (That was sort of a trick question because all students at OSU are required to have health insurance..and some students don't even know that they have it.) It is my personal belief that mental health treatment is often neglected because of perceived stigma, lack of knowledge about it, and lack of information on how to access treatment. Not everyone needs treatment, but those who may potentially benefit from it forgo treatment as a result of negative attitudes and inaccessible information.
The paper should be 7 pages long and cover a variety of different areas of research and survey results. All of our papers in Comm367 are written in APA format, which I'm having annoying troubles with. My version of Microsoft Word Perfect is anti-headings, or something, because whenever I enter a header, it disappears when I save the document. Citing references is kind of annoying and redundant, too, but getting in trouble for copyright infringement/plagiarism is much more annoying, I'm sure. Anyway, I haven't started the paper yet because I just got my survey results back. It's due on Wednesday. Ready..set..WRITE!
I received acceptance via e-mail from the Mosaic magazine layout staff two days ago. I am now a member of Ohio State's undergraduate literary-arts magazine staff. They've already scheduled our first meeting for Thursday, November 1st...and I'm already scheduled to work that night. I hope I can work something out with my boss so I don't have to miss it. I'm really excited about this because it could be a jumping-off point for me getting into the field of publication design. Even if it's not, it'll still be something really worthwhile to do with my time, will look good on a resume, and be a creative outlet.
In addition to the excitement of Thursday's acceptance letter, I attended my second meeting with the Wexner Center Student Council. From an info page I found about the group: "Launching this fall, the Wexner Center Student Council is an initiative intended to engage Ohio State students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels in the contemporary arts and the mission of the Wexner Center. Council members will help plan events for fellow students, meet artists and art professionals, get a behind-the-scenes look at Wex events and exhibitions, and provide a voice for the OSU student community."
I'm not 100% sure what our agenda for the year is yet, but we've talked about organizing some film festivals, and also discussed ways to get Wexner Center events out to a more broad range of students and otherwise. So far, it looks like we'll be doing a lot of neat stuff. At our meeting, I briefly mentioned to the coordinator/advisor that I was interested in talking with the Wexner Center design department (who design all of the flyers, website, advertisements, brochures, catalogs, post cards, tshirts, event pages and books, etc.) and she said she would look into having them come speak with the group. I really hope that can happen! The meeting was also filled with loads of inspiration a la Chuck Helm, the administrator and Director of Performing Arts at the Wexner Center. He gave us a brief biography, telling of how he got to his current position (which he's held for 16 years) and I couldn't believe some of the experiences he's had. That man has the coolest and most fulfilling job I can think of.
Ohio State's literary arts magazine - Mosaic Magazine - just officially ended their 2007-08 recruiting season on Friday, October 19th. I'm excited to report that I am a potential 07-08 staff member of the magazine, which features literary and art works from undergratuate students. A dilemma I faced while deciding to apply for staff is that staff members cannot submit work for the magazine, which is something I'd like to do, too. Not that I'm hoping for it to happen, but, if I don't get accepted as a staff member this year, I'll be able to submit art work.
The magazine staff is comprised of 3 sections - art, literary, and layout. Being that my future career goals consist of designing magazines, books, brochures and other printed media, I thought that being on layout staff would be a really good opportunity to work gain more experience, design-wise. I was on the staff of my high school's literary arts magazine and really enjoyed the creativity I was allowed to share during production.
This particular magazine is published once annually in the spring. Copies are available to all students for free. All undergraduate students are welcome and encouraged to submit works for consideration. Several rounds of submissions are taken in throughout the year. More information can be found on the magazine's website, or on their Facebook group.
I'll receive acceptance or rejection in the next 3 weeks, I believe! Wish me luck!
At times, I think that student is me.
I am a smart and intelligent person, but I really lack proper and efficient study skills sometimes! Last night I made a pact with myself to read the assigned chapter for one of my classes....BEFORE class. Not a difficult task, right? Well, I usually just read when I find the time during weekends, so reading before class is actually something I have to kick myself in the butt to do. Or had to do, I should say.
The importance of familiarizing yourself with text and class material beforehand is invaluable. Whereas during most classes prior I scrambled to write down the notes from each of 20+ slides, today I wrote down the information I knew was most important and that I didn't get from reading the text. I could write and listen, instead of drowning out the instructor's voice to focus on the information on the slides. I really got the most out of the class that I possibly could, and will undoubtedly be more prepared and have to study and read less (10 chapters less!), come test time.
Not reading for class is the real waste of time!
This school year has started off well. I am taking three classes, which may seem to some like a slacker-kind of thing to do. I even felt that way before school began and considered adding another class to my course-load. Honestly though, I don't think I could handle it. My classes are pretty time-consuming out of class - projects and papers are due every other day, for the most part. My time management skills are really being put to the test this quarter. With classes and schoolwork and work 4-5 days a week, when is there time to sleep?!
DESIGN 201 (3 credit hours): I love this class. It's required for design majors. (I say "design major" very giddily ... I will anticipate applying to the program every day ... until December!) I am really learning a lot and improving my drawing skills. Even though the drawing class I took spring quarter does not count toward my graduation credit hours at all, I am seeing now how much it helped me and prepared me for this drawing class. Oddly enough, this class is only worth three credit hours but it is by far the most demanding & time-consuming class I'm taking.
That was my second assignment in the class - a contour drawing of (6) hands in motion.
COMMUNICATION 367 (5 credit hours): (aka my second writing course/GEC fulfillment) This persuasive communication class requires a lot more time than I've been able to devote to it thus far, but I really want my final presentation and speech at the end of the quarter to be excellent! I'll be trying to persuade my audience that mental health treatment is beneficial, and encourage college-age students to seek help if needed. Studies have shown that a high number of college-age students exhibit & admit needs for treatment, but few ever seek it due to a number of barriers. A secondary aim of my speech will be to encourage the audience to take action to prevent and reduce those barriers.
ART EDUCATION 252 (5 credit hours): This class is so easy. I'm not really getting much out of it because I already know how to use Photoshop - the basis of the class. I hoped that I'd be getting to learn some advanced techniques, but that's not the case. Alas, it counts as a GEC fulfillment and I'll stick it out. Later in the quarter we'll be working with Flash, which I'm not too familiar with, so maybe I'll change my mind about the worth of the class then. This is the first time in college that I haven't really felt challenged by a class. I'm working on my midterm project currently, which is a diptych of two correlating images that visually explore the role of karma in daily life. I'll post it when I finish!
Walking around campus today on the first day back to school - and the first day I've been on campus since JUNE! - I felt a sense of revitalization. The student body has been revitalized with a whole crop of wide-eyed freshman, excited to get involved and learn and be part of everything (100+ clubs & groups, activities and events, and thensome) going on on campus. The campus has been revitalized with many construction projects. This quarter I have the privelege of having a class in the brand-newly remodeled Jennings Hall (which had been under construction for the entirety of my experience at OSU). I've been revitalized personally with intentions of expanding my knowledge and learning as much as I can, and, most of all, an eagerness to get all A's! It's unfair to myself and my future to slack off.
The one thing that has not been revitalized is my bank account. Moving out was the best thing I've ever done, and I've been doing great since living on my own, but this year is going to be a real test to see how well I can juggle working a substantial amount, taking full course-loads, and applying for my major. Ahh, money. ......Can't wait to get text books! To anyone reading: what is your take on buying text books online versus at any of the campus book stores? Is it really any cheaper? What web-sites do you use? Leave me a comment, please!
Happy new school-year to everyone!
One of the magazines that founded my interest in magazines was Jane Magazine. I started reading it early in high school and was struck by how blunt, witty, and honest the writing was. Jane didn't just talk about designer clothes and attractive Hollywood heartthrobs. Jane filled me with a wealth of information. While reading my monthly fill, I found myself highlighting things, folding over page corners, and bookmarking all over the place. I've been catching up on the last few month's issues and was inspired by an article about knitting and decided to re-take up that hobby (that my nana started teaching me last winter .. I never finished my first yellow scarf!)
A few issues were casually displayed on my coffee table during one of our housewarming parties, and a friend of mine said, "Did you hear about Jane Magazine? I was on their website the other day trying to buy a subscription, and I couldn't. It said that the magazine was shutting down!" And I melted! I actually didn't really believe it, and as I do most often when I need credible information (ha) I googled "Jane Magazine, shutting down" and found the following:
Conde Nast closing down Jane magazine
Mon Jul 9, 2007 2:46PM EDT
Conde Nast is closing down Jane magazine after a 10-year run for the fashion and beauty publication targeted at women in their 20s, the publisher said on Monday.
The August issue will be the last published by Conde Nast, which is also closing down the magazine's associated Web site.
"We worked diligently to make Jane a success. However, we have come to believe that the magazine and Web site will not fulfill our long-term business expectations," Conde Nast Publications Chief Executive Charles Townsend said in a statement.
Jane, which has struggled with depressed advertising, was founded in 1997 by Jane Pratt. In 2005, Pratt left the magazine.
Conde Nast also publishes Vogue and GQ, among other magazines.
(source: http://www.reuters.com/article/industryNews/idUSN0930109720070709)
Bummer. My insipiration from Jane will never die!
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