Friday, March 02, 2007
Jessica's Happy Day
Today, my dear readers, I have decided to give you a glimpse into the happy life of a Purdue freshman art student. This post is especially geared towards high school seniors who have not yet made a commitment to the happiest school in the state, and to students at other schools who are unaware of why they are unhappy (because you're at the wrong school, doofus!) and finally, to my many depressed friends who are not in a happy art major.
Jessica awoke to the happy sound of her alarm clock. This sound would have been unhappy anywhere else, but alas, to our heroine, it beckoned the arrival of a new day full of happy classes at a happy school.
Jessica arose happily, and wrote a short paper for English 106. Upon its completion, Jessica noticed that she was short on time and packed breakfast instead of taking the time to eat something before rushing out the door.
After turning in her brief paper to her TA, Jessica went to the Purdue Memorial Union, where she combined what she had packed for breakfast: a jar of honey nut cheerios and a jar of milk. During the happy meal, Jessica talked to her dear mother on the phone. Mrs. Young sounded slightly bummed that she had not studied art in her own college days, but was comforted by Jessica's assurance that she would get to see our heroine over spring break.
After breakfast, Jessica went to a computer lab, where she filled out a survey on SSINFO about how awesome her school was. Jessica was happy to click "5" (on a 1 to 5 scale) on most categories. Had she been a student anywhere else, fate might not have handed her that happy opportunity.
Shortly thereafter, Jessica went to EE and sat through Professor Parrish's exciting art history lecture. During the delightful lecture, Jessica was thankful that she had the opportunity to learn so much from such an amazing professor. Amazing professors flock to amazing schools.
After the lecture, our heroine headed home. On a normal Friday, she would have gone to A&D 106 (the most EXCITING class she has ever taken!!) but her TA had cancelled class this Friday. While slightly bummed to miss out on the exciting class, our heroine was glad to go home and have a happy lunch with her happy sister.
Jessica and her sister biked back to school together after their happy meal. They were sad to part at Grant and Sylvia (Sara's class was in Heavilon, whereas our heroine's class was in Stanley Coulter), but their bummedness was lessened at the happy prospects of class.
After Jessica's exciting class, she checked her facebook and email in a computer lab. She was stoked that Purdue has such awesome computer labs, some of which are open 24 hours a day. If she attended a lesser school, she would not be so privileged. However, she shall not name any of the 'lesser schools' because she has a strong conviction against slander.
Then, Jessica biked home while the Bell Tower chimed happily.
Now, Jessica is at home in her happy kitchen with her happy roommates. Life couldn't be happier.
Now, to those of you not currently at Purdue, my life might sound unfathomably awesome. However, this day was in no way extraordinary. In fact, it was actually a less fun day than the average day of a Purdue art student. However, I didn't want to bowl you over with jealousy or cause you to quit on your own school midsemester because Purdue is so much more awesome, so therefore I decided to post about one of my least amazing days. Also, for the young high school students who read this post, I didn't want you to get dissatisfied and restless with your own situations and allow your grades to drop. I'm sure you all know you need to study hard and get good grades so you can get into Purdue!
Moral of the story: Study hard and get good grades so you can come here and share in the bliss!
Jessica awoke to the happy sound of her alarm clock. This sound would have been unhappy anywhere else, but alas, to our heroine, it beckoned the arrival of a new day full of happy classes at a happy school.
Jessica arose happily, and wrote a short paper for English 106. Upon its completion, Jessica noticed that she was short on time and packed breakfast instead of taking the time to eat something before rushing out the door.
After turning in her brief paper to her TA, Jessica went to the Purdue Memorial Union, where she combined what she had packed for breakfast: a jar of honey nut cheerios and a jar of milk. During the happy meal, Jessica talked to her dear mother on the phone. Mrs. Young sounded slightly bummed that she had not studied art in her own college days, but was comforted by Jessica's assurance that she would get to see our heroine over spring break.
After breakfast, Jessica went to a computer lab, where she filled out a survey on SSINFO about how awesome her school was. Jessica was happy to click "5" (on a 1 to 5 scale) on most categories. Had she been a student anywhere else, fate might not have handed her that happy opportunity.
Shortly thereafter, Jessica went to EE and sat through Professor Parrish's exciting art history lecture. During the delightful lecture, Jessica was thankful that she had the opportunity to learn so much from such an amazing professor. Amazing professors flock to amazing schools.
After the lecture, our heroine headed home. On a normal Friday, she would have gone to A&D 106 (the most EXCITING class she has ever taken!!) but her TA had cancelled class this Friday. While slightly bummed to miss out on the exciting class, our heroine was glad to go home and have a happy lunch with her happy sister.
Jessica and her sister biked back to school together after their happy meal. They were sad to part at Grant and Sylvia (Sara's class was in Heavilon, whereas our heroine's class was in Stanley Coulter), but their bummedness was lessened at the happy prospects of class.
After Jessica's exciting class, she checked her facebook and email in a computer lab. She was stoked that Purdue has such awesome computer labs, some of which are open 24 hours a day. If she attended a lesser school, she would not be so privileged. However, she shall not name any of the 'lesser schools' because she has a strong conviction against slander.
Then, Jessica biked home while the Bell Tower chimed happily.
Now, Jessica is at home in her happy kitchen with her happy roommates. Life couldn't be happier.
Now, to those of you not currently at Purdue, my life might sound unfathomably awesome. However, this day was in no way extraordinary. In fact, it was actually a less fun day than the average day of a Purdue art student. However, I didn't want to bowl you over with jealousy or cause you to quit on your own school midsemester because Purdue is so much more awesome, so therefore I decided to post about one of my least amazing days. Also, for the young high school students who read this post, I didn't want you to get dissatisfied and restless with your own situations and allow your grades to drop. I'm sure you all know you need to study hard and get good grades so you can get into Purdue!
Moral of the story: Study hard and get good grades so you can come here and share in the bliss!
Jessica 4:50 PM
7 Comments:
Somehow remarking "oh brother" doesn't sound quite appropriate.
Oh sister.
Oh sister.
Jess, I must protest your assessment of your school and your major as "the best." My school is in no way inferior (except that the administration hates the students, but the professors love us).
My experience with art has been the complete opposite of your experience- drawing was terribly painful physically, emotionally, and mentally. Wire sculpture was even more physically painful (I fear I will have scars on my fingers from the wire cutting me. I also got a bruise in the middle of my palm from spending 4 hours finishing my project.) Drawing and wire sculpture are both dirty in a way that catches you by surprise, as in, you don't realize that your hands are dirty and you touch something that's supposed to be clean, and thus get it dirty. Next we are progressing to clay sculpture, which sounds like it may be more fun, and not so hard on the hands (my professor called it a 'mud pack', as in the spa treatment) and we have been well warned that it will be VERY messy. Lastly, we are painting, which I haven't decided yet whether it will be fun or not. Based on drawing, I think I should dread it.
Thus, I lovingly disagree with you on your analysis of your school and your major being so superior to all others.
My experience with art has been the complete opposite of your experience- drawing was terribly painful physically, emotionally, and mentally. Wire sculpture was even more physically painful (I fear I will have scars on my fingers from the wire cutting me. I also got a bruise in the middle of my palm from spending 4 hours finishing my project.) Drawing and wire sculpture are both dirty in a way that catches you by surprise, as in, you don't realize that your hands are dirty and you touch something that's supposed to be clean, and thus get it dirty. Next we are progressing to clay sculpture, which sounds like it may be more fun, and not so hard on the hands (my professor called it a 'mud pack', as in the spa treatment) and we have been well warned that it will be VERY messy. Lastly, we are painting, which I haven't decided yet whether it will be fun or not. Based on drawing, I think I should dread it.
Thus, I lovingly disagree with you on your analysis of your school and your major being so superior to all others.
the wire sculpture can be quite painful if you don't have pliers, but thankfully, Andrew had a pair I could barrow, so I enjoyed the project emmencely. and yes, drawing (charcoal especially) is quite messy, but if you wear old clothes and wash your hands before going home, it's not too problematic.
unfortunately, with a bad TA or professor, art can be confusing and/or painful. A good teacher needs to teach the students to see before teaching them to draw. Exercizes in value, contour line, and negative space help a lot. i'm sure you've heard "draw what you see, not what you know". We all have preconceived ideas of what things look like, and to create realistic art, we need to ignore what we know and draw solely from what we see.
and once you can truly see still lifes for their values, shapes, colors, textures, and negative space, not for what they are, you can improve on what you see. in beginning drawing, students are taught to use the exact values they see, but once you have mastered that, you can stretch those values. unless if you're going for some sort of hazy look, or a dark look, you want to use your darkest value and your lightest value. So if the still life only gets as dark as 2B for instance, you still make it 8B. It's really frickin' awesome. I'll have to show you my skeleton drawing, and you'll see. :-)
And yeah, Kara's always getting at me for trying to "convert" others to art majors, but really, I think it's awesome that you are in el ed. Every one has different talents, and I know you would be a great elementary school teacher (or homeschool commune-dwelling hippie mom! ;-).
unfortunately, with a bad TA or professor, art can be confusing and/or painful. A good teacher needs to teach the students to see before teaching them to draw. Exercizes in value, contour line, and negative space help a lot. i'm sure you've heard "draw what you see, not what you know". We all have preconceived ideas of what things look like, and to create realistic art, we need to ignore what we know and draw solely from what we see.
and once you can truly see still lifes for their values, shapes, colors, textures, and negative space, not for what they are, you can improve on what you see. in beginning drawing, students are taught to use the exact values they see, but once you have mastered that, you can stretch those values. unless if you're going for some sort of hazy look, or a dark look, you want to use your darkest value and your lightest value. So if the still life only gets as dark as 2B for instance, you still make it 8B. It's really frickin' awesome. I'll have to show you my skeleton drawing, and you'll see. :-)
And yeah, Kara's always getting at me for trying to "convert" others to art majors, but really, I think it's awesome that you are in el ed. Every one has different talents, and I know you would be a great elementary school teacher (or homeschool commune-dwelling hippie mom! ;-).
I had 2 pairs of pliers, but somehow I still managed to cut myself several times. Four our midterm reports our professor talked to us, and she didn't seem too surpirsed when I told her that I was too impatient to be an artist.
I'm glad you like it, but I definitely prefer useful art, like clothing or food.
And I would like to see your skeleton (maybe over spring break?)
And I belive you enjoyed the project "immensely"...
I'm glad you like it, but I definitely prefer useful art, like clothing or food.
And I would like to see your skeleton (maybe over spring break?)
And I belive you enjoyed the project "immensely"...
Wow! If you are so happy in the total boringest major at Purdue, can you imagine how overflowing with joy you would be if you switched to an amazing major like aviation?! You still get a lot of credit though, cause even our art is way better than any other school's best major.
"boringest"? I get the feeling you haven't taken any art classes at Purdue. Or English grammar, for that matter! jk ;-)
At least the campus of IUB is pretty. Purdue is ugly and smells bad too (reminds me of one of the elementary school "your mama don't wear no socks" rhymes about how she threw them at Purdue and that's why their initials are 'PU'. Oh wait, y'all were homeschooled so you probably have no idea what I'm talking about. Oh well.)
On the topic of art, you should come help me with my clay project over break, it'll be fun and messy, and then I can give you a tour of the beautiful IUB campus :)
On the topic of art, you should come help me with my clay project over break, it'll be fun and messy, and then I can give you a tour of the beautiful IUB campus :)