Mike Cheng-Yu Lee

On Friday November 20, 2015 I attended a guest recital performed by Mike Cheng-Yu Lee. He performed four piano sonatas by Mozart. Mr. Lee performed his recital at both Indiana and Cornell University.  The recital took place at the Moore building in Watkins lecture hall all four of the pieces he played were breathtaking and it w very clear that he was invested in every not he played of his music.The first piece that was played was Mozart’s sonata I d major. As soon as the pianist started to play the piece the audience was taken away by his talent. The piece was very up beat and had lots of spirt in the rhythm. It was a rondo: allegro and gave of a high spirited sense of emotion to myself and many other members in the audience. The fast movement of his fingers looked as if he was just shooting lasers out the tips of his fingers. The sudden stab of louder chords throughout the piece added even more suspense to the upbeat piece it was nice to see how lost Lee got into his performance. You could tell by the very first phrase that he played that he was in complete bliss. 

tackas string quartet

On December second I attended the lie performance of takas string quartet at the Rackham Theater. In the days leading up to this concert I found myself growing with excitement. It was the first time that attended a string instrument performance live. Growing up as a dancer I was always rather fond of the cello, viola, and violin. The sound each of them make, create the dense feeling of compassion, and I always found it reliving to be able to combine it with my dancing. I was excited to see how they created their movement and even more excited to see how they connected with it.

            The Rackham theater is an auditorium located behind the hill auditorium. Although the theater is not as large as the other performance venues like power center or hill auditorium, It was just as nice. The venue was surrounded with artifacts that looked like they were from the ancient roman era. When you walk in the theater you could see that it was structured like a coliseum. There were pillars around the back of the auditorium separating the sections of seats. The stage was somewhat of a semi-circle that was carved out of the wall the way that The stage was set up made it easy for every member of the audience to see the performers. What I found even more interesting was that the performers were able to look at he celling when they were on stage. The celling was enchanted with moon and tar patterns. The paintings that covered the entire span of the top wall were hypnotizing. I found myself staring at it for a solid fifteen minutes before the performance started. I was lost in the artistry of the paintings and when the performance started I became lost in their music.

            The quartet performed many pieces. They all meet a modern contemporary sound. You can see by the way they played each note that it sparked satisfaction through their bodies. The first piece they played was very diverse in harmony and rhythm. The cellist would mimic the viola in perfect unison but would do it at a slightly lower pitch, preventing it from drowning out the sound of the other instrument. This music was enchanting, it matched the feeling the venue and the artists gave off. 

Sarah Blog Post #7

Looking back on my first semester in college and LHSP, so much has happened that I had no idea was coming. I thought I was ready to handle anything college could throw at me, since I went to boarding school for six years (and I've went to sleep-away camp and studied abroad a few times). I knew that I could handle missing my family and my home, but getting used to a new environment has its challenges every time, no matter how prepared you are, because every new environment has different people. As I've learned this semester at Michigan, every environment is composed of different classes and activities, and has a unique spirit, and that's what will make it important to you, and eventually make it your home. I like to say sometimes that I don't get nervous, I just have "logical concerns". This is mostly due to fact that I really only actually get nervous doing something for the very first time, so unless you see me doing something new, it seems like I don't get nervous. I definitely was nervous starting this semester, but am excited to start next semester with only a few "logical concerns". At the same time, I can't wait to push myself to try even more new things during my experience at Michigan.

End of Semester Sayonara

When I elected to be in the Lloyd Hall Scholars Program I had no idea what I was getting myself into.  The idea of having a class in my dorm seemed intriguing but I didn't expect it to be a completely different environment than all my other classes.  I really enjoyed this semester discussing writing and seeing with everyone, I think each of you challenged me at least once to think in a new way or explain my ideas in more detail.  The variety of perspectives the group was capable of offering made the class an amazing environment to be in, and made me increasingly curious what it would be like to live all over the country and even world!  My style of writing has changed immensely over the course of the semester, and I'd like to think how I see the world has been broadened.  It was interesting learning as a group how the two actions are impeccably intertwined and challenging ourselves to acknowledge who we are in the context of the world.  I hope you all have many more adventures and discoveries in your final semester of freshman year! :)

Lovely Spring Weather We're Having This Winter

As much as I hate Michigan's freezing winters, I must say this 60 degree weather in December is frightening. I didn't even wear a coat today, that's not suppose to happen!! What kind of freak shit is our planet going through? No but seriously, something has to be wrong. Going from record snowfall and low temperature to record high December temperatures in two years time cannot be a good thing. The theories currently don't sound good. I've heard people say that our seasons are switching so that it's cold in the sunmer and hot in the winter. I've heard that the weather patterns of the north were switching to that of the south and vice versa. Whatever will happen there is no doubt our planet is telling us we have to change. If the weather patterns continue to change so rapidly our crops won't grow or the yields will reduce greatly. This weather is nice, but it's the scariest thing I've seen in a long time.
p.s Michigan is petty because the one day it did snow I had to cancel my trip to MSU to  hang out with my cousins

Yuxin Xuan Blog 7

Looking back through the whole semester, I feel that I have gained a lot of essential knowledge and useful experience. In my studio classes, I learned how to consider composition, lines and weight and so on as a whole and draw an impressive painting, how to make 3D projects with different materials like clay and wood, how to use simple elements to create a design that conveys the meaning or feeling that you want viewers to get...In the writing class, I had the chance to improve my writing skills and see many others' nice works. I am still exploring how to write specifically because sometimes I may forget the readers' feelings and continue typing to the end. Anyway, after I read the DSP essay, I felt I did improve a lot in writing. I will take LHSP230 next semester and I hope I can do even better in this upper-level writing class.
Also, as an international student, I am happy to say that I have conquered homesick and the feeling of unfamiliarity. Now I know this place better, have many new friends and chat online with my family regularly. I will keep optimistic and productive and prepare for the challenges in the future.

Yuxin Xuan Blog 6

When thinking of personal and social identities, I feel that sometimes differences in identities can bring people closer instead of separating them. It is true that similar people tend be good friends, but those with quite different identities and personalities can still attract each other. I can always see cross-age friends, for instance, an elderly and a youth playing chess around the corner of a street. When traveling in California, I also met a 9-year-old Beijing girl with whom I became good friend. Sherlock and Watson came from different backgrounds and have different specialities and experience. Still, they became equal partners and trustworthy companions and investigated complicated cases together. In fact, the differences contributed to their firm friendship and successful cooperation. Sherlock had extraordinary intelligence while Watson could understand social occasions better. Therefore, the relationship between human beings is not like the character of magnets(opposite poles attract and like poles repel each other) or otherwise. It is more complex and there is no definite answer or agreement. Whether similar or different, people all have chances to become good friends or soulmates.

DSP reflection

It was extremely interesting for me to read the essay that I wrote over the summer. Not only did I get to see how much I've actually grown and changed as a writer in these few short months, but I was able to see how it was I actually changed. It's funny - you never know you are changing while its happening, kind of like how you never feel yourself getting older. When someone asks you on your birthday: "Do you feel older?", obviously the answer is going to be no. I did not think that my writing style had changed so dramatically. I almost did not even recognize the essay as my own writing! At the time, of course, I was confident that I had written a good essay. Now, writing a peer review to myself on how I could have changed and improved many many aspects was extremely easy - almost too easy. It it easy for me to be hard on myself, because that's just how I am, but I was able to have an objective perspective on this essay and critique myself in a healthy way, especially knowing what I know now.


Although this class is coming to a close, I look forward to improving my writing through the next LHSP course and/or writing course I take. I am excited about how much I have learned.

Thank you, Scott, for such a great semester!

A Word on Words (also social identity)

        Words are symbolic, you know? They have this sic quality called Arbitrariness. Spelled: A-R-B-I-T-R-A-R-I-N-E-S-S. It, like, basically means that words--like-- don't have to be related to what they mean. The relationship is arbitrary (look it up on Websters Dicktionary if you're seriously still confused).Think of the word stomach. What kind of visual can you get from that weird ass word? Like you can't really, it doesn't even really spell out like how it sounds. English is weird, like look at another word--a type of tree--Dogwood. Ok? Like I get that trees have wood so the part of wood in the name makes sense, but why dogs? Because they pee on trees? Well it's not like they only pee on Dogwoods. Nah, dogs be like, "Imma mark my territory on all these stumps cuz I ain't no chump," dogs will/do pee on Cherrys, White Pines, Red Oaks, Elms, Sugar Maples, Amur Corktrees, Japanese Zelkova, and even those lil bitch-ass trees that really just need to be classified as bushes. Dogs don't care. The tree probs has some deep, mystical linguistic history as to why it's called Dogwood, but, like, since no one knows or really cares about this history, the relationship between the tree and its name is halfway totally fucked. Word.

   So I like hope you get it by now. Words don't gotta be anything like what they mean. They're aren't like people, man. People, you know cuz hopefully you're a person and not a dog on the internet who's completely snapping in praise for my eloquent moment of clarity on the topic of nondiscriminatory peeing viewed as a cultural ritual and biological necessity in the Dog community, are judged by what they appear to be in society. Like I can have a sick tan, be under 5 feet, have the visible anatomy of a female, and be judged exactly as so. Like, what I mean is that people will view me as weak, like I need to be protected or that since I'm without protection, I can be taken advantage of easily. Don't take that to mean the complete extreme that you might be thinking. People can be taken advantage of in many subtle, discreet, and culturally accepted ways. Often, I feel that my voice is silenced, from my physical description, people will assume that I'm weak or shy, vapid and/or unintelligent--like a vegetable, apparently I can't take care of myself. Admittedly though, many days it's unreal how gullible or unobservant and hard of hearing I can be, but that's just me and doesn't mean all people with a comparable social identity need, or are, this way. These qualities and the frequency with which they manifest, add to the presumptuous attitude, based on certain factors of my social identity, that people have.

   But, to be real tho, I gotta confess to you, my fams, that I have in the past, like used the "faults" of my social identity to my advantage. Like, if I need something pulled off a tall shelf am I gonna get the chair, climb on that shit, risk injury or embarrassment,  and still struggle to reach what I want? Or, am I gonna get the tall kid and ask him or her, if they haven't taken the initiative to help my "weak" and "disadvantaged" person, to kindly reach what I need in a timely and effortless manner. Come on! If you were me and tired of the sympathetic bullshit people are spittin at you then you'd really get the hang of manipulating their bullshit to your advantage. It's a dog eat dog world (another shout out to dogs) so you gotta sharpen your teeth or let others sink theirs into you. Word.

  Once again, I hope you got it by now. Everyone's got an identity that society views and makes judgements about. These judgements are hella annoying, persistent, and something we all gotta deal with, some of us on a more daily basis then others. Like, even dogs have a social identity that people make judgements on! Dafuq is that! We even judge animals--living creatures that don't talk, mind their own business, and can't actively take part in human society! Like in The Lady and the Tramp, yeah once again a sic movie about dogs, the dogs are judged on their social fucking identities. Like the pure-breed cocker spaniel, The Lady, and The Tramp, that mixed breed Mutt, can't really be together cuz of the judgements society imposes on their different backgrounds and identities. But you and I both know that when tramp and lady mistakenly go for the same string of spaghetti and they their snouts almost touch that none of that society bullshit matters! They love each other and that's that. Like holy shit, who knew a Disney movie about dogs was such a powerful tool and way of teaching kids about the ludicrous necessity of society to pigeonhole certain people into certain social categories that they are unable and forbidden to disprove and move past?

  Like I said, dogs are the shit, words are arbitrary, and social identity is a curse we all gotta live with in order to make "sense" of the world. Word.

  If you're bored af, or were deeply enlightened and moved by this shite piece of writing, idk what to call it, comment about your social identity that manifests physically and the assumptions that society makes about it. If that's too personal, and you wanna talk about dogs, that's chill too, I'd love to hear that shit. if you're a cat person, and this did not resonate with you at all, GTFO. Literally.

When You Really Like Someone, but You don't Know How to Tell Them...

When You Really Like Someone, but You don't Know How to Tell Them...

You're like fancy organic fish food,

I'd pay $40 for you anyday to avoid fish cannibalism.

You're lactose in milk and I fear I'm intolerant...

intolerant because I can't speak in front of you

When you asked for my highlighter, it's like you asked for my soul

And I hesitantly gave it to you.

Like an indiscreet sunset--you--make--me--glow.

Bring the highlights in my hair out

Make me listen to Whitney Houston while sipping creamy jasmine tea.

All the bullshit I've never seen me doing,

I see now with the glare of your sunset making love to my eyes.

Oh God, did I really say that?

I know we are soulmates and you feel the intangible tension too.

Thanks for having the most perfectest smile and laugh,

How'd you know those were my fav qualities in a person?

You knew cuz I know that you know that we belong

Like we're supposed to sit next to each other in class

But you sit in the seat directly behind me.

The glare of your sunset taunts me from behind,

I wish to muster up enough courage to stare into the sun one day.

Ode to Cherise

                                                                 Ode to Cherise

Im the once and irreplaceable Cherise,

Don’t try and see me in light other than what I shine on you.

Let me go, so you are forever enticed by me.

Gouge my eyes out, 

slap me red and silly,

I’ll patiently wait here trying to write for you and about you.

Like a father and mother, you have been.

Five years old, ball of innocence wearing the plushy mask of childhood.

You, mother and father, bundle me in red blankets of passion.

Lift my feet and take my shoulders. 

I’ll swing back and forth like the restless summer shandy in my warm belly.

My brothers are jealous of my warmth.

Magnify the light on them

Reap these ants of life.

It’s a bug’s life after all.

I’ve never seen you click the safety on your gun,

And I’ve been shot many times. 

Build me up with smiles and eyebrows, defined and chiseled,

only to turn the magnifying glass in my direction,

I hope I did you justice,

kiss me goodnight before bed and tuck me in real tight,

Like Mother—like Father.

No, it’ll never be the same.

*This is an excerpt of a poem I wrote to my dear friend and artist Cherise Arthur, she taught me a lot about life over the course of our friendship.

Personal Narratives

Personal narratives are hard.  I remember feeling a sort of relief when it was announced that a personal narrative would be our final paper.  After spending a good week stuck in regards to what topic I would write about, I know now that I'm pretty clueless about myself.  I finally decided to just write about a recent good memory, one that I very thoroughly documented and thus won't forget any of the details (which happens a lot).  I still haven't gone in and made any changes to my first draft yet, but it was a really cool experience to see my own personal memory be communicated to other people.  Their opinions are really helpful, and I am working to write in a way that my memories will be preserved. 

Danny Ziegelman #7

Blog #7: My life and sports 

Danny Ziegelman

December 10, 2015

My life and sports have always been intertwined.  I loved playing basketball and flag football in middle school, but baseball was the sport that I dedicated myself to.  I had the best time being on a team sport and having a sense of belonging.  I think its definitely important to have a core group of friends you can call brothers.  That is why when I came to college I either wanted to be on the baseball team or in a fraternity.  Having a group of friends to support you and have your back at all times is really important to me.  Travel baseball gave me the opportunity to build relationships with kids that I didn't go to school with playing for my high school team (which was not very competitive) was a lot of fun to meet new kids from other grades and share something in common.  Each team had my back and I had theirs.  That is an important detail about sports, everyone there has the same interest as you, so its easier to get along.  I am proud of the background in sports that I do, I know how to get along with others, be a team player, get to shine when the opportunity presents itself, and have the support from everyone around if things are not going well.  

Danny Ziegelman #6

                                                     Blog #6: First Semester in college

                                                                                                                                      Danny Ziegleman
                                                                                                                                   December 10, 2015

            My first semester in college has been crazy for lack of a better term. I have never before in my life been in a situation even remotely similar. I had never really been away from my parents for more than a few weeks at a time and quite simply, I have never had to be on my own. During drop off, I was so scared I could barely speak. I was extremely sad and didn't know really what to do. Leaving my little brother was also very tough. He just turned 14 years old, but still is in 8th grade, so he still feels young and will always be my baby brother.
            I knew I always wanted to come to Michigan and it is the right school for me, but its size was frightening at first. A lot of fear at the beginning of the term. When things started to settle down after a few weeks and I was more accustomed to being a college student and rush was coming to an end, pledging began. Pledging has been an extremely difficult process so far, it isn't over yet. I can almost see the light at the end of the tunnel but when the day comes for initiation I know I will shed some tears. I have gone through a lot, and that just makes the end that much sweeter.

Danny Ziegelman #5

Blog #5: A Look Back 

Danny Ziegleman

December 10, 2015

Looking back on this year, with all the work that I have put in and the last essay due in just a few days, I find relief.  I am glad that I have grown as a writer and thinker.  Scott pushed me beyond my limits in terms of writing and I think that it is paying off.  I now am able to think more critically about my writing, as questions like why and how instead of what.  By reading other people’s essays and peer reviewing them, I am becoming a better critic of my own work.  I look for specific instances where I could describe things differently.  By becoming a better “self-critiquer” I am more capable of describing things in more detail and more specifically than before.  Also, being specific instead of general is something I am still working on as a writer.  The more specific I can be, the better the essay or what ever I am writing will be.  There is an elegance in simplicity.  However, the word choice is important to describe something in simple terms.  Overall, I am excited to finish the last essay and my first term in college.  I know that I will take the lessons from this course and apply them to the rest of my writing career.  

Omg, who wrote this terrible paper?

Yes, the title of my blog post shows my exact reaction when I finished reading my DSP paper I wrote this summer. When I came to this class, I considered myself a decent writer, not the best, but somewhere a few levels above average. Did I want to become better? No, I would hardly take a rigorous writing class in college if I did not end up in LHSP. I would end up in some English 125 eventually, but I feel, none of them would make me experience such a wide range of feelings from mental breakdown and screaming: "I WILL NEVER write again in my life" to overwhelming joy of getting an A.
This class made me work. However, it was not work for nothing, because I did become a better writer. I can see that from the difference between my summer paper and all the papers I produced for this class. I never thought I loved writing.
In this class I realized that I do.

10 Things People Actually Never Tell You Before You Start College

10 Things People Actually Never Tell You Before You Start College

1) You’re going to get sick. All the time.

From living in such a small space with another person, to communal bathrooms, to touching stair railings and bus seats and desks that are no doubt infested with germs from the hundreds of other students that have touched those things before you, no one is safe! Emergen-C needs to become your best friend. Stock up.

2) People are going to make themselves comfortable on your bed, whether you invite them to sit there or not.

Beware: because of limited seating space in a small dorm room, a bed seems like a great place to sit for the common intruder.  Lofting your bed may initially seem daunting, and having to climb up a ladder to get into bed may not sound like the most comfortable option, but it may beat having random people put their shoes on your pillows.

3) Naps will become your best friend.

Not only are you probably sleep deprived due to late nights partyi- um, studying, but walking around and around campus gets exhausting. When you have one class at 3:00 on one end of campus, and another at 4:00 on the other end, both your body and your mind are exhausted by the time you get back to your dorm to get in a power nap. Sometimes, even 10 minutes of sleeping can be a blessing. (But, if you don’t have time to nap, espresso will never betray you.)

4) You are going to be spending a lot of time in the library.

Quiet places are hard to find on campus, and it can be hard to study in your dorm. The library is quiet, and there is something about having people studying all around that is motivating. Remember bring plenty of snacks and coffee with you, because chances are you’re going to be there indefinitely. 

5) You will really start to appreciate the itty bitty things.

Things like having to wear shoes every time you shower and not being able to sleep naked. (Did I say that out loud?)

6) You actually can get in trouble for underage drinking.

Contrary to popular belief, (usually a belief created by TV and Movies), there can be repercussions for underage drinking. Whether you are drinking in the dorms and your 

RA catches you, somewhere on campus and campus police catch you, or off campus and city police catch you, Alcohol Violations and Minor in Possessions, (MIPs), are very real, and very prevalent. Be smart.

7) You aren’t going to find your best friends right away.

People often speak of their college friends being the best friends they’ve ever had. What they fail to mention, however, is that it can take a while to find your niche and meet the people that you really connect to. Hang in there, though, it’ll happen.

8) You are going to eat your meals at really strange times.

Between complying with dining hall hours, class schedules, social schedules, studying, sleeping, and everything in between, you eat when you can. This may mean your first meal of the day is at 3:30PM, or your last meal of the day is at 3:30PM. Shout out to cereal and fruit snacks. 

9) You will start calling your dorm “home”.

Before long, you will start referring to your dorm as your “home”. After a long day of classes and meetings and just traipsing around campus, you will be aching to get back to the one spot that is completely yours - somewhere you can shut the door and take off your pants and just be. The first time you say it, you’ll even surprise yourself a bit - when you say to your friend: “I’m going home” and you realize you mean your dorm room.

10) But, there is no place like home home.

Okay, chances are you’ve heard this one before. But it’s true. Your own bed, your mom’s cooking, annoying siblings, childhood friends, and just not having to be “on” all the time. You’ll come to realize that all of that is sacred. Plus, you get to come back and show off how grown up and educated (and stuff) you are. Going off to college is incredible, but nothing beats coming back home again. 

Personal Narrative Draft Process

I remember clearly at the beginning of the semester when Scott announced to us that we would be finishing the semester with a personal narratives, declaring that writing about yourself is often seen as one of the easier genres of writing, when actually it can be the most complex.  In the moment I remember a grin slowly spreading across my face, I hadn't written stories in years and I would at last be getting to write in the way I originally learned how.  I didn't think much about the difficulty he had proclaimed would be associated with the process until about a week ago when I was sitting in the lounge staring at my screen blankly.  Every idea I had felt like it wasn't good enough, no single experience or moment could sum up my personality or personhood.  Each event I could think of, big or small, had already been carefully analyzed by my tireless, over-thinking brain.  I wanted to think of a moment that excited me, to explore a territory never before charted within the recesses of my brain, and everything that came to mind felt much too surface level.  What I resulted in was writing about a specific moment that highlighted my thought process, and how it is related to my social identities.  It was a simple moment but one that I found I could share both my thoughts and what causes those thoughts, going deeper and deeper into asking who I am.  In this process I realized how frequently we put so much weight into ideas experiences we see as "defining moments" when really they play such a small part of our lives.  Our ability to determine what emphasis we choose to highlight is one which is developing increasing value in my college years.

Eva's post-my growth in the class

The hardest paper for me to write for this class so far was the third one. I struggled to balance content with things like sentence structure and organization. I also initially had trouble with hitting the word count because i neglected incorporating things like effective transition because i was so caught up with the content of my essay. I didn't set myself up for it to be an easy essay to write, but i am proud of how much I discovered through writing it. Even though as a final product my second essay was stronger than my third i am still in some ways more proud of my work on the third essay. I learned how to bring together many separate ideas and analyze them to form a conclusion rather than to build ideas on top of each other. Since the class began i am much more conscious of using active verbs, vivid nouns, and having a strong specific thesis. I also think that i have grown in my ability to analyze and compile my thoughts in an effective manner.

Being Fair

On Tuesday in class, we played a card table where if the player who won got to move up to the next table, but the player who lost had to move down to the next table. However if there was a tie between the winner, it was done alphabetically. I found that I had tied two games in a row, but because my name began with an “M,” I never got to move up. I was not mad as I understood this was just a card game trying to teach us valuable lessons in life. Yet I can understand that this injustice done in a different situation would be  annoy and frustrating. 

To have the success of your life (or in this situation, the game) be judged by something so silly like the first letter of your name is dumb. No one should have something that they are born, something that was not under their control be a deciding factor on their life experiences. I am disappointed that this happens so much in life. Because to the people who it does not personally affect, it would be hard to care. But to the people it does affect, it would be impossible not to care. 

You are Russian, so u don't get cold, right?

If I got a candy every time I hear the phrase: "You are Russian, so u don't get cold, right?" I would probably gain freshman 45, not 15. Yes, it gets freezing in Russia during winter, but IT DOES NOT  MEAN that I do not feel this cold and I do not have to look like penguin wearing 10000 layers. I am still a human, not a cold-blooded reptile, you know. Also, it's not always cold in Russia, in summer people in my city complain about extreme heat, secretly wishing they could go naked around because wearing clothes is unbearable in such weather. Russia is not a big ice-cube, we have our four seasons with different kind of weather. Yes, sometimes it gets so freaking freezing outside that children do not go to school, but usually it is not that bad if you wear warm clothes. It's so funny that people actually believe in stereotypes about Russia. If I'm Russian, it does not mean I love vodka, I actually despise it. And I do NOT have a pet bear. Why anyone would have a pet bear which would grow up into a giant terrifying creature and scare you to death? And if I do not smile, it does not mean I am rude, I'm just not used to smiling at people I have never met, it's not a thing in Russia.
By the way, it is true that we have our own version of Winnie the Pooh, and I think that it's much more adorable than American one, absolutely love it.
Stereotypes limit are perspective insanely, so I always try to look beyond them. And I do not mind explaining people how things really work in Russia, but, well, sometimes telling the same thing over and over again can get annoying. I wish I could actually get a candy for that!

Belated Bruce

Although a decent amount of time has passed since I went to see Bruce Conforth be interviewed by a Sweetland staff member, some words of wisdom he offered us has been on my mind lately and I thought it may be a nice thing to share.  I want to begin with my first impression of Bruce, he reminded me a lot of the people I have grown up with in Ann Arbor, music loving, down to earth, and generally entertaining to be around.  He seemed to be a total townie, and as someone from Ann Arbor that was somewhat refreshing after being surrounded by people from so many places in the same spot.  However, what grew to really impress me throughout Bruce's interview was the brutal honesty with which he spoke.  Not only were the words he was saying full of life despite being occasionally controversial, but also the way he made eye contact with the interviewer and audience as he said it, spoke to me as being quite candid.

One of my favorite parts of Bruce's interview was his description of what it feels like to write or play music really well.  The experience, he described, is when you forget that you're writing, or you forget that you're playing music, that's how you know you are doing something really great.  The feeling of being lost in music or writing is certainly one I can relate to, and as he closed with the wisdom that "This moment right here is all you have" I started to think about how I want more of those moments in my life.  In college I often feel like I am always working or avoiding work, but I want to start making time to do things I really enjoy like playing the guitar or writing regularly.  If you didn't listen to Bruce's talk I totally recommend it, it's on Sweetland's website so check it out!

Sarah Blog Post #6

Looking back, our class discussion of My Body, My Weapon, My Shame by Elwood Reid honestly blew my mind. In a way, the essay reveals truths about college athletics that I never knew, but when it comes down it, I probably was so effected because there were many parts of the essay that hit close to home for me. I think our discussion made me realize that in a way I do thrive on the pain I experience as a runner, and I'm not sure how to feel about it. As I mentioned in class, the paragraph on page 2 ending with "If there were limits, I had yet to find them," for me encapsulates sort of why someone would put themselves through what Reid does. As I also said, I believe that if you've experienced that feeling it can be addicting. I definitely think that I have experienced the feeling at times, and therefore, maybe Reid's essay was so shocking to me because it functioned as a cautionary tale.

Gender Roles in Music

For the third and final section of my musicology class, we have been discussing the social identities and gender roles in music. There have been many parallels between what has been discussed in that class, and what is being discussed in this class. For example, the gender roles in pop music, and the expectations of music stars based on their gender has been a large discussion, along with the discussion of how people view music (and how lyrics can change) when listeners are made aware of background information about the singer or song. For example, in the song Constant Craving by KD Lang, the lyrics may be initially interpreted a certain way and people may feel as though they connect to the lyrics for their own personal reasons. However, when listeners learn that this song was about Lang's struggle with her lesbianism and sexuality (the song came out in the same year that Lang came out as a lesbian), the attitude and interpretation, and all around perspective on the song may completely change.

Additionally, we discussed how in the past, music (and art in general) has been deemed as a feminine thing, yet men still dominate. Can you name one woman composer? Have you ever seen a woman conductor? Girls in my class, who are students in the Performing Arts Technology program, said the program was probably only 20% and 80% male. They spoke of how even though they were just as qualified, men would ask them if they needed assistance as if they were incapable of executing something without the help of a male.

We also spoke of how some instruments and sounds are even seen and heard as feminine or masculine, such as harps and flutes seen as feminine due to the sweet, light, beautiful sounds, and tubas and basses seen as masculine due to the low, booming, louder sounds.

It is interesting to note the gender roles in music, for they are everywhere. I look forward to studying this further.

Florida Girl Takes The Michigan Winter

For someone who knows winter to be maybe two days of 50 degree weather in the heart of January and February, I expected coming to Michigan to be an insane change to say the least. However, the warmth prolonged for quite a while and I have been told that this has been one of the warmest falls that Michigan has seen in a long time. Although this may be true, the weather that is considered 'warm' to native Michiganders, is equivalent to the coldest days of the year in Florida.

That being said, I have noticed my threshold for what I deem warm has severely changed from what it was when I first arrived straight out of Florida. If you had told me the weather forecast in Florida said it was going to be 65 degrees a a few months ago, I would have broken out my warmest sweatshirt. Now, if someone were to tell me it was going to be 65 degrees, I would legitimately consider wearing a tank top and shorts.

The first major snowfall was exciting for me of course - I had only seen snow fall one other time in my life! It was a real life winter wonderland. I knew, however, that the coldness and the wetness would soon get old, just as the heat and sweat and humidity does to those who visit Florida during the summer.

Of course, 30 degrees is still cold for me - I think it is pretty cold for anyone. I made the mistake of expressing and confessing my weakness to a native Michigander, and they promptly and pompously scoffed and told me that it was going to get to be 0 degrees soon.

I'll keep you updated on how I handle THAT.

Hamilton

Today I made a point to bring up the newest Broadway play, Hamilton. I was invited by a friend to listen to the soundtrack of the musical last night and I was blown away. I thought the idea of a musical based off of one of the founding fathers would be sort of ridiculous and quirky. To be honest, I was expecting something reminiscent of Book of Mormon or something. We all probably learned a little bit about Alexander Hamilton in AP US History, but his life was complex and deeply entwined with the development of the country as we know it. Beyond that, Lin-Manuel Miranda both wrote and stars in the musical, beside an almost exclusively African American cast. The parallelism between the current turmoil in our country and the events during its conception create a rich storyline that not only informs the audience about the life of Hamilton, but also raises questions about the climactic moment of our current circumstances. The use of modern hip-hop sounds and occasionally explicit language to give a story that otherwise might've been about a bunch of old dead white guys into a complex conversation about our connection to our past as a country. Everyone please take some time to listen to it from beginning to end. I got a lot out of it.

https://play.spotify.com/album/1kCHru7uhxBUdzkm4gzRQc

More than a game

This Tuesday, I hardly expected someone to be more excited than me when we played card game in class. I absolutely love card games, especially those that require a lot of strategy planning and cognitive effort.  My dad taught me to play poker and preferans - more complicated Eastern European version of poker - when I was twelve. Since then, I have never missed an opportunity to advance.
Playing cards is more than just a game for fun. It involves a lot of psychological analysis, logical thinking and an ability to measure risk. The better you can read people - the better you are at the game. Of course, there is always a chance to lose no matter how advanced player you are, if luck absolutely ignores you that day. But among experienced players, no one wins or loses only because of luck. Luck is just a nice addition to a well-planned strategy, like in real life talent is only 10% of success, whereas hard work is other 90%.
Playing cards is also a very good opportunity to discover the real personalities of people often hidden behind appealing masks. When the game is in full swing, people are more inclined to lose control over their emotions, being driven by a desire to win. Our card game in class definitely showed me the sides of my classmates I have never seen, especially because everybody was so confused about the rules. As for me, I admit that I was irritated when my carefully planned strategy collapsed when I moved down one table. But we do not always get what we want and we have to keep playing, which in real life means keep going no matter what obstacles prevent us from our goals.

religious identity?

I am not sure what my natural feelings towards God or religion are. I do not know how I would feel towards the notion of a greater power or how I would feel towards the concept of religion if I was not born into a certain system of beliefs, or if the concept of faith was presented to me with my mind a blank slate on the subject. No one really knows, I suppose, but some people seem to have this innate, strong, convincing belief in the omnipotence of God that truly appears to come from within. Then, there are those who, after years of conditioning and reinforcement of the Bible, or the Torah, or the Quran, have a belief that to them, truly does feel completely real and inherent. There are also those who believe because they want to - because it is comforting, because they need something to believe in, or because believing “just in case”, as I have heard people say many times, is better to them than not believing at all. To this day, I do not know which category my beliefs belong in, if any. 

How To Start Your Fourth Essay

What struck my eye during class discussion a couple of classes ago was when we were discussing the idea of how to start our final essay. I agree with Scott in that we should begin our essay in the middle of the story that we are focusing on. The first paragraph of the entire essay should be the story of what we are going to discuss in detail and analyze later. As I was discussing in class, some movies are also set up in this organizational structure. Think of a movie like The Hangover. In this movie, the first scene is the day after the fun/party night. In this first scene, every character is waking up with a different problem. However, they do not understand/remember where they are and how they got there. After showing the viewer this scene, the entire movie is focused on how all of these characters were put in that situation and what happened to them leading up to the morning after. Another movie that this occurred was in Gone Girl as the opening scene is the same as the final scene. The only difference is that the viewer’s perception of the wife in this movie has changed. These movies were both extremely successful and I believe that it had a lot to do with the organizational structure. Because of this, I think that this organizational structure is extremely powerful and could be used to help engage the reader.