Humanities: Fall 2010

Humanities Retreat: I thought that the first year retreat at Recreation Unlimited was really one of the first times that I got to know my fellow Humanities students. The teamwork exercises were "interesting" and there was very little personal space. It turned out to be a lot of fun despite the cold wind and having to get up really early. From the trust falls to awkwardly trying fit our group into that small box, the retreat was a great way for us to become more comfortable around each other.

Chicago: I really enjoyed the Chicago trip. Honestly, I was excited about the Chicago from the first time that I heard about it back at Scholar's Day. I had never been there or any city bigger than Indianapolis before. In Chicago, we went to see a Second City comedy show. That was probably my favorite part of the trip. I also really enjoyed going to Navy Pier, although I never got around to riding the ferris wheel.

Zoo: Going to the Wildlights exhibit at the Columbus Zoo turned out be a lot of fun. The lights were really cool, although I spent most of the time talking. I was disappointed that we never got to see the polar bears, but we did see the elephants. Also, I want a pet sun bear. They were my favorite out of all the animals that we saw.

Humanities Fall Quarter

Sorry about the lateness of my post but I had some technical difficulties with the blog. Anyways during my first quarter as an OSU Humanities Scholar I attended the retreat, the Chicago Trip and the Potluck dinner. The retreat started out rather poorly as it required me to wake up early and ride on a bus, however, it was an interesting bonding experience. I believe, however, that most of the bonding occurred over the mutual commiseration about the early morning and the temperature, rather than the activities themselves. That being said I did enjoy participating in the trust fall. The Chicago Trip was an excellent experience, even though I had been there previously I had not spent as much time walking around the city itself. I enjoyed the free time and the ability just to walk around the city and immerse myself in the city's vibrant atmosphere greatly. The potluck dinner was a nice social gathering where I got to meet and converse with others in the scholars program. I was curious to see what food would be brought to a potluck dinner by a bunch of college students, most of whom lived in dorms. I have to say that I was rather impressed by the quantity and the quality of the food that was brought to the dinner. All in all I greatly enjoyed my first quarter at OSU and my participation in the Humanities Scholars.

all things humanities by Ashley Cornett2010x

Sorry Ben and Daniel I could not figure out how to blog last night! Any way this quarter I went to the Potluck, the zoolights, had a conversation partner, and went to the retreat. The Potluck was a lot of fun and i had never been to one, it was nice to see that everyone brought food to share and it made for a great evening. The retreat was crazy, first getting up in the cold was a struggle but once we all got there we realized that it was a lot of fun and I learned a lot about my fellow humanities scholars. The zoo lights were soooo cool! I never even knew they existed so getting to see them was a cool bonus. Lastly, all throughout the quarter I have had a conversation partner that I met with once a week. It was a very educational experience getting to know all of south koreas customs and seeing how they differed from ours. Also, it was cool to get to help her with her english and become more comfortable around more people at osu.

Fall Quarter 2010 Humanities Blog

BP Dinner and Dialogue:

This Humanities Scholars event consisted of a professional expert discussing the effects of the BP oil spill which occurred earlier this year. Even though I was not able to attend the entire event, the portion that I did participate in was very interesting. The professor discussed the major damage and lack of clean up available to the spill. This enlightened me on the significance of government relations and the need for communication between large corporations such as BP and the United States government. Prior to this dinner and dialogue I was not informed of this environmental disaster. Overall, I found this to be very well detailed and an excellent presentation.

Humanities Potluck:

Fight Club and Cane's Chicken Fingers was a great way to celebrate the quarter. It was nice bonding experience with the Humanities Scholars. The movie was very thought provoking and offered a challenge to complete understand the meaning. I enjoyed discussing the movie afterwards with my floor mates back in Haverfield. I think that this was great way to bring together all ages and the Humanities Scholars and was a wonderful success!

Chicago:

This first year trip is close to the top of the best memories I have had so far this year. From traveling on the bus to figuring out the train, staying in the hostile, and exploring downtown Chicago, this trip really was excellent. My favorite memory of this trip was navigating the city on the second night. Two other Scholar's and I traveled through the city attempting to find a certain destination. Sadly, we never came upon the destination, but we were able to see the Chicago culture first hand. To me, being exposed to a new culture is what traveling is all about. It is an exciting way to learn about how other people live. Chicago is only six hours away from Columbus but everything is different from the entertainment to the people to the food. I loved being able to immerse myself in this city and I have taken a lot from this trip.

Fall Fun With Humanities: Foodbank, Urban Arts Space, and Chicago

Mid Ohio Foodbank:

  Way back in October, I volunteered along with six other Humanities Scholars, at the Mid Ohio Foodbank.  In around 2.5 hours, we were able to sort and box nearly 2,000 pounds of frozen meat that had been donated from grocery stores.  The boxed meat would then be distributed to local food shelters.  I have to say I was pretty impressed withe cleanliness and design of the Foodbank facility, as well as the Foodbank staff.  The building is brand new, and LEED certified.  The staff all had really great, positive attitudes, you could just tell they loved working at the Foodbank and helping others. 

Urban Arts Space:

I have always really enjoyed visiting galleries, especially when they show the work of local artists.  During our trip to the OSU Urban Arts Space in downtown Columbus, we were greeted with the instillation of the latest exhibition, "Hair Works."  At first I completely frowned upon what I saw, in fact, I was a little repulsed by it--one of the pieces included a hair ball, three feet in diameter, with hair that had been collected from around the city.  Another piece included a door mat, with "Welcome" spelled out in thick chunks of hair.  One of the directors of the space later explained the artist wanted to communicate the idea that hair on the body is considered beautiful, but once it's no longer on the body, it's repulsive.  After hearing this explanation, I was a little more at ease looking at the exhibit, but it was still pretty difficult.

Chicago:

Just like the other posts talk about Chicago, it was reallfun!  My favorite part of the trip was the Second City performance.  I was expecting a really big theatre, but was delighted to find the stage to be small and almost intimate. I had been a little uneasy about the idea of staying in a hostel, but it ended up being a really great experience.  I never really realized there is an entire world of hostelling to explore!    

So much fun with Humanities!

Graduating in 2014

Chicago:

I love the Windy City!! Everything about this trip was amazing. First off, the hostel was so much better than I had envisioned a hostel to be. I imagined a run down, dirty, and smelly place however this place was spotless and better than some of the 3/4 star hotels I have been to in the past. Another awesome experience involved Second City. It was absolutely hysterical. It makes sense that some of these comedians started here and ended up on Saturday Night Live. The hilarious songs, variety of skits, and clever plot line, added to a great atmosphere and great night. All in all, this trip to Chicago was one of the better times I have gone. I'm so glad I became closer to the people who went and had a great experience in general.

First Year Retreat:

The retreat at Recreation Unlimited was also an awesome time. Learning about the different ways to communicate with people, i.e. verbal, body, etc., proved both helpful and informative. Although we left early and the weather was dismal and cold, we all managed to huddle close and grow closer, similar to the college trip. In fact, I liked Recreation Unlimited so much that I am planning on applying to work there over the summer!

Colin Beavan:

Colin Beavan's book was one of my least favorite reads. Although his ideas and his way of following his beliefs are nothing short of admirable, I could not stand his writing style. His condescending tone was similar to nails on a chalkboard! The book definitely had its strengths though. One particular strength I found was Colin's intimate details about his family life and how their relationships changed. I found that part to be particularly interesting.

Flag Football:

Flag Football was unfortunately a bust. I was thrilled to be a part of the team, I love football and team sports, however, we could never get enough people to show up. I went for the second game and only 4 of us showed up, so unfortunately we had to forfeit. Hopefully our other intramural teams will have better attendance so we can play!

Aida and Wildlights!

Aida:
Wow! That's about all I can say! I'd never had the opportunity to see Aida before, but was totally blown away! It was so good! The story was amazing and the music was great (I love Elton John and Tim Rice!)! It was really cool talking with the cast and crew at the end too! I loved hearing their perspective on the play.

Wildlights:
So, I'd been to Columbus Zoo before, but seeing the zoo like this was amazing! It was so pretty! I loved walking around with my friends and seeing all of the lights and animals! I really hope we can do this again next year!

A Couple of Things...

Chicago:
I had a blast on the Chicago trip. The hostel was pretty cool and I got to meet a lot of different people. One of my favorite things was the comedy show. It was hilarious. I also went shopping and to the Sears Tower. Which was freakin' high! (I loved it)
I also learned that Ben Fortmen is freakin' famous in Chicago, everyone knew him. He's also a rebel according to Cosmo( in case you were wondering.)

Zoo:
The Columbus Zoo lights were pretty cool. However, I like my hometown of Toledo's lights better. I DID GET TO SEE A PUMA, the Polar Bear's weren't out. I know disappointing. But I had a lot of fun with me group: Jenny, Cindy and Emma.

chicago and retreat

Humanities retreat:
The humanities retreat was very fun. We left at about 8 in the morning and stayed until about 1 in the afternoon. I really enjoyed the camp grounds and all the activities we did. My favorite activity was the one we did at the end where we had to fit everyone through a tangle of ropes that looked like a spider web. It was really funny trying to fit everyone through this rope course. There was also another activity we did where we had to fit about 15 people on a really tiny block and everyone kept falling off the block. These activities took a great amount of strategy and were a lot harder than they appeared at first sight.

Chicago trip:
I also really enjoyed the Chicago trip. One of my favorite activities was the comedy show Friday night. The stunts the comedians did were hilarious- especially the skit where they pretended to be a radio show. I also really enjoyed walking around Navy Pier and the shopping we did Saturday afternoon. There were so many stores and places to see including a glass museum, a giant Ferris wheel, and shopping centers about twice as big as any I have ever seen. I have never been to Chicago before this trip, but I am really glad I had the opportunity to see this city. I also really enjoyed seeing the giant reflective bean in the center of the city.

Humanities Fall Quarter

Chicago Trip: I have been to Chicago before, but this time was extra special. I loved being surrounded by my friends and not my family for once. I could experience the city in a whole new way. I enjoyed the time we had to roam around Chicago Linda and I went to many restaurants and ate an item from each. Sprinkles cupcake bakery was by far the highlight of that day. Although, going into the American Girl Doll Store with Tony, Karl, and Chase was hilarious. I thought the speaker at the Humanities meeting had an interesting idea, but the way she delivered her speech was rather flat and boring. I didn't think her speech was horrendous, just slightly hard to be engaged in. Chicago was a great time and I learned a lot about the people in the Humanities Scholars Program!

The Italian Festival: I loved the Italian festival because they sold my absolutely favorite food, cannolis. The fee to get in was quite large, but it was all worth it to eat a cannoli. My friends and I sat in a tent and ate pizza while watching men and women perform a traditional dance to Italian music. I thought it was fun to people watch because I definitely saw some of the stereotypical "guidos". It honestly looked like some of the guys popped straight out of the TV show Jersey Shore. Overall, I had a great time with my friends and ate delicious food.

Treating the Hungry: I had a fantastic time at Treat the Hungry. My roommates and I dressed up in ridiculous outfits and had a ball running around the neighborhood. It was hilarious to watch peoples' reactions because they would first look at us with disgust because we were so old and then they would light up once they found out why we were there. I would definitely do this opportunity again. It was a blast and I even got some free Halloween candy!

Humanities

The Chicago Trip:
The Chicago trip was pretty fun...I had never been to Chicago so that was exciting. I was pleasantly suprised at how nice the hostile was, and at how centrally located it seemed to be. I really enjoyed seeing the city, eating, and taking pictures infront of statues. Olivia and I, wanting to eat at as many places as possible, decided to eat an appetizer at one restaurant, an entree at another and so forth. Even though we were unable to entirely complete our goal we still managed to eat an unreasonable amount of food over our short trip, so we consider it a success. I was also able to visit the American Girl Doll store- I had felt left out all these years as my friends would visit it, so I consider that childhood dream fulfilled now. The humanities festival speaker we heard was interesting, I had trouble following some of the questions the audience asked her but I thought she did a good job considering the subject. Overall it was a good time.

The Italian Festival:
The Italian Festival was interesting, although I felt the admittance fee of 5 dollars was excessive. I was able to eat pizza and get an italian ice from a Corbo's Stand from Cleveland so that was exciting. I've been to my fair share of Italian fests and although this one offered an abundance of food it was lacking entertainment, except for some carnival rides for small children. It was nice to get off campus and see the short north though!

What Motivates Us

So waayyy earlier this quarter I went to see the FYE with guest speaker Dan Pink who gave a talk called Drive, What Motivates Us.

To give a very brief recap of what he said - people do more/better when the reason for doing it is because they want to as opposed to because of whatever material reward they may gain from it.

He said that in the 20th century, the "if you do this, I'll give you this," reward system worked very well, but it won't in this new age. True motivation, he explained, constituted three elements: autonomy (or doing things without someone making you do them), mastery (getting good at something), and purpose (small sacrifice for greater good) He said that now, with technology that can do so much of the work that people did before, we are leaving the age in which technical skills are emphasized and entering a time in which creativity and empathy are more valued.

A few people asked him questions related to their majors or their career. They weren't sure if they should pursue a certain major or career because it was really hard, or they didn't like it, or they were just doing it for the salary etc. He suggested that people ought to pursue what really makes them happy. First, they'll probably do it better than those who don't, and second, they're creativity in that area could give birth to remarkable things that could change the world.

Good stuff.

Catching Up.

I am very behind on these.

1. The Windy City.

As you all know, the first year students took their trip to Chicago in the beginning of November. I have never been there, and I would have absolutely no problem going back. I mean, I practically know my way around now. Not really. But it was great. I have an obsession with big cities. There is just so much to do. In two days, we saw a comedy show, heard a woman speak about scandals, went to Millennium Park, went up in the Willis Tower (formerly known as the Sears Tower, and will probably always be referred to as the Sears Tower), ate authentic Chicago pizza, and made new friends. I think that was one of the main purposes of the trip, and I'm glad I was a part of it.

2. Treat the Hungry.

The Thursday before Halloween, a group of Humanities Scholars ventured out into the semi-cold to find canned goods for the Mid-Ohio Food Bank. The way it was done was not your traditional canned food drive, though. We went door to door, and instead of getting candy, we asked for non-perishable food items. I had never heard of doing anything like this until I came here. It was an interesting experience, and people were very generous. Some houses gave us grocery bags full of items. I was slightly shocked at how willing people were to give away their food. I got to meet new people through this experience as well, which kind of makes me excited, because I came to Ohio State being able to count the people I know here on one hand.

3. Potluck and Movie Night.

This was probably the only experience in which I did not meet anyone new. I did, however, love the concept of everyone getting together andcontributing to the food we had. I was in many groups in high school, and none of them really did anything like this. Once a year, the band would get together in the gym and watch a movie, but we were not responsible for food. Plus, I had never seen Fight Club, and it was completely different than I thought it was going to be. I ended up liking it way more than I anticipated.

4. Aida.

Up until I got the program for Aida, I had no idea what it was about. I knew it was a musical, and that was pretty much the extent of my knowledge. I was told it was a rock musical, so I was expecting some 90’s street theme. I was a little taken off guard when I found out it was set in Africa, and I wasn't really sure how it was going to work out. I ended up liking the story, but the ending threw me off a little. It was a good ending, and it was different than your typical love story, and not what anyone was expecting. But there is just something about musicals that doesn't sit well with me. When songs start taking too long, I get antsy for the story to continue. I like a progressing storyline. I get bored when it stops on one thing for too long, and that happened to me a couple times during Aida.

5. ZOO!

On Friday, we went to the Columbus Zoo Wildlights. And I got to pet a baby goat. As sad as it may sound, it was the highlight of my night. I was very excited. I am an animal fanatic- you can even ask my roommates if you think it is necessary. The lights were nice, but I was way more interested in the small amount of animals the zoo had to see. I can’t even tell you my favorite, because I do not have one. I met someone new on the zoo trip, so I consider this is a good way to finish out my first quarter at Ohio State. in the small amount of animals the zoo had to see. I can’t even tell you my favorite, because I do not have one. I met someone new on the zoo trip, so I consider this is an excellent way to finish out my first quarter at Ohio State.

My English Conversation Partner

Zhang, Zhang, Zhang. Though I had known you for only three quarters of an hour, I’ll always remember this day we met…

Well, it was a Friday, if my memory serves me correctly. I arrived at the front of Fischer College, saw no Zhang, and took a seat on the steps. I waited as ten minutes passed. I waited as twenty minutes passed. I even waited as this huge passing line of middle school kids began mocking me. Really, I didn’t mind waiting, but after about forty-five minutes he came and introduced himself as if he arrived right on time. I offered to take him out for lunch.

To teach English to a man six years older than me was quite amusing, but soon I was touched by his sincere eagerness to learn. I tried to explain that, back in high school, I had once taught an ESL student enough English to pass his English Ohio Graduation Test. “You’re lucky to have me,” I said jokingly, but seriously, too. He grew silent, and from the look on his face it seemed as if he was not gettin' what I was sayin’. After that short moment, he just reached in his pocket and gave me a small red box. Inside was a cute necklace.

So just like that, I never saw him after that day. He never showed up where we planned to meet (which is okay; like I said, I don’t mind waiting). I called him now and then, but every time he never answered. Once, it seemed like he did pick up, I could even hear his presence on the other end, but suddenly the call must have dropped. I redialed right away but then what I heard was something like “This line doesn’t exist...” or whatever. I don’t know. Life can be so mysterious.

I guess this necklace he gave me is the only thing I have to remember him by.

I wear it every day.

(This blog is long, and you should stop here, but I would like to mention another strange thing that happened later that day) I was relaxing in a hot tub while enjoying a smoothie, and this woman in her fifties sat next to me and mentioned what a good-looking boy I was (which I know is not the least bit true). She took my hand, examined my pinky knuckle, and told me that a lot of girls would be coming my way. I would break up with one when I’m 19, another when I’m 25. I don’t know how she was coming up with these numbers. She then turned my hand over to read my palm, and I saw that she had a concerned look on her face. “You’re very stubborn, and when you grow up you're gonna be bad with your money."

Eh?

Final Book Club Discussion

So I just got back from book club. It was a good time, there were bagels and hot chocolate so that was cool. We talked about the book for about 45 minutes and then watched the movie. Good times.

Aida Musical

Just a week after the Potluck and Movie night, I attended the Aida Musical, put on by the OSU theater and CAPA. I had never seen Aida before and did not know the plot beyond "Egyptian love story." However, all things Egypt are right up my ally so I knew I would probably like the show. I was not disappointed. I knew this was going to be a good show when we got to the theater downtown. The opening and closing number tied the show together nicely, and I appreciated the framing technique. All the singers and actors were fantastic, but Aida really stole the show, her ability to sing and to portray emotion in her voice while speaking or singing was amazing. Amneris was also a wonderful singer, but what was really great about her role was her ability to add humor to situations, and also be very serious at the end of the musical. Radames, like the other two main characters, was a very strong singer and had a lot of personality. The costumes and sets were beautiful and really made the show. Overall it was a great show with quality production and actors. I will definitely go to more OSU theater productions.

Potluck and Movie Night

Usually I have a hard time making it to most of the Humanities Scholars events. Many that I have wanted to participate in before (such as the gallery hop and Chicago trip) I was unable to attend due to all the other things I am involved with. However as soon as I saw an opportunity to watch Fight Club and get free Canes I seized the opportunity. Fight Club is such a great movie, I have seen it before but it was interesting to see it again knowing the surprise twist ending. I really love all of the movie until the very end, where I can't suspend my disbelief. I still love it and the ending makes sense, but my inability to believe that the movie is possible kind-of spoils some of the fun. The food was great and there were plenty of drinks, and of course the movie was awesome. I had a great time at this Humanities scholars event.

Chicago!

As I said before, with my busy schedule I'm just trying to catch up on blogging!

Chicago was a blast! I had never been to a city as big as it before, and it was awesome! First off, I was very pleasantly surprised at how nice the hostel was! The Second City comedy show was great and full of laughs! The Humanities festival seemed like it would have been really cool to spend some more time in the different sessions. The free time had to have been my favorite part of the trip; Cindy, Emma, and I walked through Millennium Park and went to the top of the Willis Tower! The group dinner at Gino's was a lot of fun and the pizza was SOOOO good! Navy Pier had to be my second favorite part of the trip; the ferris wheel especially! Overall, it was a great time and I can't wait to visit Chicago again!

Colin Beaven: No Impact Man

OK, so between school work and marching band, I have had barely any time to blog! So, I am finally getting caught up on this!

On October 5th, I had the privilege of seeing the author of "No Impact Man", Colin Beaven. I'll admit, I really wasn't the biggest fan of the book. I liked the idea behind his mission, I just didn't think he wrote about it very well. The book was very repetitive and just boring to me. I was looking forward to seeing Mr. Beaven, but didn't expect much from it. I was very surprised at how much I enjoyed the event. He was funny and didn't really discuss the book much. I loved hearing the story of how his daughter got in trouble at school the day before. He seemed like a really down-to-earth guy and the entire program was a pleasant surprise! I was very glad I attended this event!

Potluck and Movie Night

On Wednesday, November 10, we held a movie night in the Royer, which I thought was a great way to kick off the Veterans Day "break". Usually I can never make the Humanities meetings because Athletic Band practice conflicts with the meetings; however, since this even ran until around 9 instead of 8, I actually made it in time to pick at the scraps and finish the movie. I never seen Fight Club before (and still I have not seen it all the way through). The narrator defiantly had Gollum-Smeagle syndrome (and it was funny seeing on the security cameras the narrator just being beaten up my nothing).

Haverfield Project (a.k.a. the History of Haverfield)

On November 9, a group of navy veterans and Haverfield family members, who run a project called the Haverfield Project, talked to the PSL scholars (and the few Humanities scholars who went) about the history of Haverfield, both the man and the building, and why it is important to continue to pass down this knowledge. I thought it was important to know who our dorm is named for; interesting enough, most of the 4 story dorms on the Ohio State University are named after OSU graduates who had died between the Second World War and Korea. Our dorm is named after a naval officer who died at Pearl Harbor on the U.S.S Arizona. After his death, the United States honored him by commissioning a naval ship in his name (the one in the picture down stairs in the lobby).

Jane McGonigal

On November the 9th, Ms. Jane McGonigal provided an audience of OSU students with a different outlook on how video games are applicable to the real world. The topic sounded somewhat interesting, but after listening to her speech I felt as if I was being mesmerized by absolute ridiculous statistics and applications, not to mention the colorful adjectives. Her studies were very unique, and I for one would never have thought of applying such gaming activities to real life. I must give her credit for the distinct research that she has performed, but in no way do I feel as if the statistics she revealed to the audience actually relate to day-to-day life. The words she used to describe findings were loaded, such as "super-hero" qualities. Overall, Ms. McGonigal's presentation was unique, but didn't cross over into my credible interests.

Chicago!

Before this past weekend, I had never been to Chicago before. I'd heard so many great things about it, so I was very excited about being able to spend a weekend there with the Humanities Scholars! On Friday night, we saw a comedy show by The Second City, which is the group that has trained comedians like Steve Correl and Tine Fey. It was a fun time and a really enjoyable show. Saturday morning we went to the Humanities festival at the University of Illinois Chicago and listened to a lecture about the general population's fascination with public scandels. We had free time for most of Saturday afternoon. I went to Mullenium Park with my friends Molly, Alexis, and Bethany, and we took some fun pictures at the bean statue. That night the whole group went to Gino's pizza for a yummy dinner, and then Navy Pier to ride the ferris wheel. I'm scared to death of heights, but I went on it anyway-it ended up being worth it. The view of the city from the top of the ferris wheel was spectacular! I had a great weekend in Chicago, and I can't wait to go back again sometime!

Waiting For Superman

Last tuesday I joined other Honors and Scholars students for a $3 special viewing of Davis Guggenheims newest film "Waiting For Superman". This was not a specific Humanities event, it seemed most of the students were from Mount Leadership Society or ACES. However, I would definitely recommend this film to anyone with an interest in education. I found the film extremely interesting and it provided a rather shocking reality check.

The film chronicles the current state of education in the U.S. and how it is affecting children and young adults. The film is emotionally stirring because of the unique perspective it gives. Rather than illustrating a broad generalization of education, Guggenheim choses to explore the lives of five children from different parts of the country. The children's contrasting situations show the depth of current educational issues in the U.S. The ending of the film provided the shocking reality that despite the determination of these five children, the majority of the chronicled youth are in some way denied the basic right of a good education. A denial that is mirrored in a growing majority of American youth.

URBAN ARTS SPACE

Personally, being a pre-design major and a huge art (sometimes contemporary art) fan, I loved going down to the Urban Arts Space. The people that worked there were really nice and helpful with explaining the abstract art pieces. And the pizza was delicious.

The hair exhibit was a little strange. Admittedly, the explanation was really cool (the artists were making a statement about how hair is viewed as attractive on people and really gross once fallen off the scalp—so true), but I still couldn't get over the shocked-and-in-disgust factor in seeing hair on tiles, portrayed as art no less. I guess a lot of contemporary art is like that though. There are some pieces you look at with your eyebrows scrunched together and wonder, "how is this art?" Sometimes the title or explanatory summaries help clarify the artist's intentions... but when there are no summaries and the title is "Untitled," contemporary art can be a bit frustrating.

There were some very interesting pieces at the space though. My favorite of the night were the bookmarks. There was a whole wall dedicated to a line of bookmarks, posted on top of an ink-stamped page of a book to give it the illusion that the bookmarks are resting in-between an open page spread. Some of the bookmarks were real bookmarks but most of them were random pieces of paper. People apparently use a variety of unusual things as bookmarks: grocery lists, child-drawn pictures, notes from history class...etc. The most memorable of the ones on display was the financial bucket list. Things like "create a beautiful home" and "travel to Europe and China" were included among other personal benchmarks of financial success. It's amazing how much you can learn about someone from their bookmark.

In my humble opinion, I think the best kinds of contemporary art are those that makes statements about people and their lives. The best ones usually fall into one of two categories: things that are seemingly obvious/boring or things that are taboo. Contemporary art is the perfect place for both. (Like post secret! If you haven't heard of it, please check out www.postsecret.com, a perfect example of contemporary art.)

Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed the Urban Arts Space. Please feel free to comment about your favorite and least favorite pieces if you would like.

Thanks and sorry for the lengthy post!

Mid Book Club Discussion

Last night a small group met in the Haverfield lobby and walked with Ben and Daniel to Kafe Kerouac to discuss Eat Pray Love. First of all, the cafe was fantastic! It reminded me a lot of The Donkey at OU, if you haven't been to either I highly recommend making the trip up High St or down to Athens to experience what a true coffee shop should be. Eclectic, slightly alternative with records and Dr. Who books on sale,serving lattes named after authors ( I enjoyed some Franz Kafka). I must admit, I'm over 2/3 through the book and don't really understand what all the hype is about. In my opinion, it must be wonderful to have a career as a writer where you have the freedom to take time off and explore the world, but this is not my reality, nor do I believe it is a possibilty for many people. Many excellent thoughts and concerns were shared inside the tiny cafe and I can't wait to finish the book and attend the final discussion.
        

Retreat!

As a commuter student, I really haven't been able to get to know many of my fellow Humanities Scholars. Whenever I would I go to meeting, I would feel super awkward. Finding out about having to wake up at 6:15 AM in order to get to Haverfield by 7:30 AM for a retreat in 30 degree weather didn't make me any more excited either. I took a nice nap on the way to Recreation Unlimited and woke up pretty bummed about how cold it was. As the day progressed, I got more and more close with my group and started enjoying myself! The trust fall was my favorite activity because we definitely had to work as a team in order for everything to work out. In the end, I'm much more comfortable being a Humanities Scholar and I'm happy that I chose to be apart of the program.

First Year Retreat

On October 30, the first year Humanities scholars were rolling out of bed in order to make the 8am bus trip to make the mandatory retreat. I, like many other scholars, was very not so happy to be up and running at 8am on Halloween weekend. The cold October air quickly caused many of us to complain about being outside, but after an hour or so, the temperature wasn't too bad. The actual retreat started (for the gold team) by passing around a ball in order to get to know each other's names. I felt as if I was back in elementary school, but understood the purpose in the activity. Throughout the morning we participated in other activities including a blind fold maze, getting across carpet squares in specific patterns, and the trust fall. Each activity was somewhat ridiculous, but in the end each one had a specific message to go along with its purpose. Whether it was learning to work together towards one goal or to plan ahead in order to achieve success, each activity was accompanied by a hidden theme. I was never happy to be on retreat on Saturday morning, but I have to say that I came out of the retreat knowing a few more people from our Humanities scholars program and now had the ability to relate to them.

Trick-or-Treat for the Hungry

This past Thursday (October 28), I joined a group of Scholars that went to Hilliard to trick-or-treat for nonperishable food items for the Mid-Ohio Food Bank. My roommates and I had a great experience at this event. The people were very generous, and we filled the trunk of my Bug with cans for the food bank. Actually, when we unloaded and took all the food up to our room, it fit in a giant trash bag! The homeowners praised us for what we were doing, and thanked us by giving us candy. It was a great night and a lot of fun.

-Kierra Dye

English Conversation Partner

I was nervous at first to be a part of the English Conversation Partner program because I was not sure how well I was going to be able to communicate with my partner. However, after I met my partner, I became less nervous and more excited to meet someone of a different country and culture. My partner is from South Korea and she is a Senior this year. She knows English fairly well and so it is fun to just go out to lunch and talk with her about her college/life experiences.

I think this program is a great idea because it allows American students to learn about different ways of life and interact with people that they would not normally have a chance to before. I also think it is very good for the international students because they can be helped to improve their English or to just make new friends. I think it is also important to note that our society is becoming much more connected to other countries and it is important to be well-versed in different world cultures.

All around, I think this program is beneficial to everyone and it can teach everyone a little something.

Flag Football 10/10/10

Two Sundays ago was the kick-off for the Intramural Flag Football. Even though all the food was gone by the time our team got to the football fields (and therefore many of our players had nothing to eat since who knows when), I still enjoyed being on the football field again. In the game, we did score first on our first possession and were in the lead. However, we never scored again, leading to our crushing 31 - 6 lost. We still can make the playoffs because the International Affairs Scholars Program team forfeited this past Sunday (maybe the Obama Rally had something to do with it...) and this week we are playing the one team that has a worse record then we do. We just need to win this weekend.

Towards All Flag Football Players: DO NOT FORGET THAT WE HAVE A GAME THIS WEEKEND @ 4:30! Thank you. :D

Tommys Pizza Night

So last Thursday there was an alumni night going on Tommys Pizza on Lane Avenue for the college of Arts and Sciences here at OSU. It was a lot of fun, there was tons of free pizza and drinks, and students had the chance to talk with alumni about majors at Ohio State. I talked with a guy who had gone to Ohio State, I think he said he graduated in 1992, and lived in Drackett while he was here. He works at Nationwide now, I wish I could remember his name; he was really nice.

"Two In The Wave"

This recent Friday, I and a couple of my friends went to see a French documentary about the "New Wave" that occurred in France. The documentary was a sort of biography about the two most popular filmmakers in France during "La Nouvelle Vague," Francois Truffaut and Jean-Luc Godard. Rather than showing a bunch of boring interviews, the film frames its backward looks with images of the actress, Isild Le Besco, looking through old magazine articles and visiting significant places in accordance with the story. The documentary starts from the beginning: how the two filmmakers first met, how they progressed throughout their lives through films, their interactions with each other and with the public, and even the conclusion of their professions within the "Nouvelle Vague." The film is narrated by a male voice actor and occasionally the actress, Isild. Although some may find reading subtitles and listening to French boring and a waste of time, hearing how a local Frenchman speaks the language while reading English subtitles is a very thrilling experience. I, personally, had an advantage, seeing as I have a limited amount of knowledge of French. Overall, the experience was very enjoyable. I learned about the past of another country's culture, as well as expanded my horizon with the French language. I suggest to anyone interested in foreign languages or just someone who enjoys foreign films to go to the Wexner Center and inquire about any additional foreign films they will be playing for the next couple of months.

Italian Festival!

Going to the Italian Festival was like going home for me. Lebanon, OH loves to have festivals for everything, my favorite being Apple Fest! I loved the small town feeling that the Italian Festival gave off. I had no idea that there was such a strong Italian presence in Columbus. I loved that there were people speaking Italian everywhere, it was fascinating. I saw a lot of Italian foods that I had never seen before...or even heard of! I had a great time with all my fellow Humanities friends! I would definitely return next year.

Gallery Hop

I know this is long overdue....but rather late than never, right? (Or something like that!)

So Gallery Hop wasn't anything like I expected it to be. First off, Short North looks EXACTLY like my hometown's downtown. (Lebanon, OH anyone?) Tons of antique and novelty stores. Unique family owned shoppes that you wouldn't be able to find anywhere else! (yeah right) I guess I was sort of underwhelmed by it all. I thought that something as famous as Gallery Hop would be a little more unique to Columbus. It turns out that it isn't really unique to anything.

It turned out to be a horrible night for gallery hopping anyway so my group and I didn't stay long; we weren't really partial to trudging up and down the streets in the rain and cold- to each his own. We ended up going to a member of our group's grandmother's house- who lives in Short North. I got more out of that than anything out of the Gallery Hop itself. This woman opened up her home to 3 complete strangers and made us all hot chocolate and brownies. Talk about feeling welcomed. I guess it just goes to show that in an area where I expected to find a snobbish, artsy population...I found home :)

English Conversation Partner

I must admit that I was fairly nervous when my roommate and I went to go meet our English Conversation Partners last Monday. I had no idea what to expect. I was hoping for someone who was a native of a Spanish speaking country (as I have studied Spanish for the past 5 years.) I thought it would make communicating a little easier. But when I walked into the room, I saw that every single conversation partner was of Asian descent. Wow. I knew that their presence on campus was strong, but I had no idea that there the program catered to the Asian community. Not that I'm complaining about my partner or this fact...I was just shocked that other nationalities weren't represented. That being said, I am looking forward to future meetings with my partner. Her name is Xinhui and she is here at Ohio State pursuing a masters of accounting. After our first meeting , it seems that we both have a lot in common. I think I'm going to learn A LOT about China and it's really going to open up my eyes to other cultures. Even though there are a lot of Asians on campus...I find myself realizing that I don't branch out to talk to people of other cultures that often. I guess birds of a feather really do flock together. I'm excited to break out and make a new friend.

Italian Festival

Yesterday I went to the Columbus Italian Festival. I used to go to all the cultural festivals in Toledo (where I'm from), so it was nice to be at an event that felt familiar. Everything about college is so new... the sights, voices, noises, scents, flavors, etc. The Italian-ice, lasagna, dancing, gambling and singing is more or less the same no matter which culture appreciating, festival hosting city you find it in.

The church that hosted it was gorgeous, the people were friendly, the music was good, the dancing was entraining, the food was delicious, and the world's largest meatball, though, I heard, slightly smaller than the world's largest, was a humorous sight to behold. I especially enjoyed the tent with art for sale. The oil paintings of Italy we're beautiful and, from my perspective, had a dream like quality about them. Most of all, I enjoyed watching the copper painted man move from his statue position and startle onlookers whenever little kids dashed forward to place their parents' donations in the urn.

Another added bonus for the evening- I took my English conversation partner, Yinghao, with me to the festival. Before we left I explained that in the US, because we have so many people from different backgrounds, we like to have festivals to celebrate each other's culture. He told me they have festivals in China for holidays, but not for Greeks, Irish, Italians, etc. My friend and I got him to try Italian ice, which he enjoyed. I took him in the Catholic Church and explained all the statues, pictures and architecture styles. He told me that he hadn't been around so many Americans all at once. Also, that in China it's crowed everywhere he goes. He says a lot of the shopping malls are as crowded as the festival was last night! Can you imagine that!?

Everyone I talked to enjoyed the festivities hosted by St. John's Church. For me, it was nice to be around the familiar. For my friend Yinghao, it was a mess of new things. Overall, it was a very nice event.

English Conversation Partner

I must admit I'm surprised no one has done a post on this already. I know a couple of people who went to this.

I went to the English Conversation partner orientation and have already met up with my partner after the meeting. So far we've only talked about ourselves and the various differences in our lives and cultures, which I have learned are many. I'm looking forward to continued conversations.

We speak entirely in English but I'm hoping that as soon as my Chinese's skills improve perhaps we can communicate both ways. I also feel pretty good about really helping someone improve his skills so he has an easier time living here in the USA.

Colin Beavan: No Impact Man

I attended the Buckeye Book Community, An Evening with Colin Beavan, author of No Impact Man. I really enjoyed the book No Impact Man when I read it over the summer so I was very excited to see him speak in person. While originally reading the book it gave me many things that to think about. I began to try and implement small changes in my life. When he came up on stage and started talking I liked how he didn't immediately start right off into the content of the book. He first talked about how his daughter was and made a few jokes about the whole project. He didn't actually talk much about what changes he made in his project or what was in the book. He instead focused on why he started this project and what we can all do to make a difference. During his lecture he made many good points and I liked that he included many small stories that had very good lessons. One point he made was that if you are passionate about something you should find ways to incorporate it into your life even if it won't become your profession. I also like how he made that point that it doesn't matter who created a problem but we all need to work together to get it fixed, otherwise, it will hurt us all in the end. This made a very powerful point to me and I think many people overlook this fact. We all have to do our part to help change the world rather than looking to place blame on others and waiting for them to fix it. I greatly enjoyed listening to him speak and I loved how he brought insight and humor into his speech. I would definitely recommend reading his book and listening to him speak to other people because he brings such meaningful insight and light to such a large issue as the environment in today's world.

Short North Gallery Hop

Taking the COTA bus down to the short north was one of the easiest things I had ever imagined. The only thing you had to do was to make sure you got off at the right stop or you'd have to walk farther than you would have liked. The shops along the short north are not all galleries. There are shops with almost anything that you can think of: clothes, jewelry, shoes, hats, pets, food, restaurants, etc. Although I did not walk down to the Convention Center, where most of the art works and galleries are, due to the rainy, cold weather, I was able to wander along both sides of High st. looking at a few local galleries here and there. I and my friends stopped at zpizza where we had a very nice and filling pizza dinner. It was very helpful for me and my friend, Kathryn, especially considering our food allergies, for which zpizza gladly accommodated us. I have the feeling that my experience may have had a much more positive spin if the weather wasn't as dreary and gloomy, adding a more negative effect on the whole experience. However, now that I know how to take the COTA bus down to the short north whenever I please, I anticipate going back again when the weather may be much more pleasant. I suggest to those who are curious about the short north or those who just want to go hang out with friends and get away from the college life for a bit, go see the short north: wander around the shops, for you can find pretty much anything, and explore to your hearts content as you experience the Columbus life in the short north.

On the Grapes of Wrath: A Sense of Community and 2010

Having never read the novel before this evening, I had no idea of what to expect when showing up to see the film and discuss the questions posed and the possibilities of ideas for the Builder's Association. My general impression was based on several brief descriptions that I had read on the internet, asked friends and roommates about, and figured out through notes given by both the Builder's Association and the Humanities department. The difference was remarkable, in that the very development and emotions of the characters cannot be defined by a general definition of the book. And I also learned that the end of the novel is drastically different from the end of the movie; however, under observation I noticed that between the breast feeding a hungry man in the novel and continuing to plug on in the movie, the words that Ma says at the end ("They can't wipe us out. They can't lick us. We'll go on forever, Pa, cos we're the people") seems to resonate in both--as was stated in our discussion. The novel more so addressed the central theme throughout the book.

Community and gender were other aspects that were particularly interesting about the content of the story: the relations between the men and the women--and it was also mentioned that there was a very feminist viewpoint in the novel, which without reading the book, I can come to terms with with Ma, who is a dominating character in both. The Builder's Association will definitely have a challenge on their hands when trying to reproduce this masterpiece in present day. Such things as culture, community, technology, relationships, generations and families, and historical appeal, will play a large part in trying to develop and shape this story--as mentioned by another member of the viewing audience. And it is my belief that the most challenging part of this feat will be community: because our community compared to the late 1930s and early 1940s is drastically different. The technological age has affected our generations and created an environment where personal confrontations are uncommon, even frightening. Our sprawling communities and dying sense of unity complicate how Road Trip will be able to interact with the communities that they come across and the people that they meet.

How exactly will the Association accomplish it? I definitely recommend developing dynamic characters that, like Steinbeck's, interact not only with their fellow characters, but also with the surrounding plot line and environment. The characters, more than the scenery, will be the key to developing Grapes of Wrath in 2010.