Corie Baldwin
Week 1: FSHN 120, Contemporary Nutrition
Week 2: ECE - Saturday engineering for Everyone
Week 3: Lecture Series: Shawn Johnson
Week 4: PLANning For Spring
Week 5: Uncorked with the BR Quartet
Week 6: This week I combined multiple TED videos on technology
and social media on how it is affecting our everyday lives.
Week 7: I again strung together 3 TED talks -this week
focusing on domestic violence.
Week 8: Illinois Brass Quintet
Week 9: NONE
Week 10: Navy Base in Florida (Spring Break)
Week 11: Dody & Frazier
Week 12: The Thinking Eye - Edward Tufte
Week 13: NONE
Week 14: The Other Guys Concert
Week 15: UI Latin Jazz Ensemble
During the semester, I would usually choose which events to
go to base off of my schedule. This system would usually work out in my favor,
I would find myself at events I knew nothing about but could relate them back
to my personal interests. This also gave me the advantage of attending a
variety of events, like Kranert music events to engineering talks. I do not
have a favorite event from the semester, because from each event I found
something I could take away from it. Attending multiple music events brought me
back to my middle school and high school days, when I use to be the performer.
Going to these events made me realize how much I miss the musical arts and I
hope I continue to go even though the semester has ended. From events I knew
nothing about going into, such as, PLANning For Spring or Saturday Engineering
for Everyone, turned into an enjoyable time. PLANing for Spring, was easy to
relate to my best friend, who has bees and a huge garden in her yard. She
always talks about what is going on with her flowers and the bees but I never
appreciated it – after this lecture I have started to understand her interest in
her garden. The engineering for everyone was intimidating to attend, but they
won me over right away with the free Panera bagels and coffee. This specific
lecture I was able to relate back to my own major with new studio lighting; I
was not expecting this at all and the idea of it blew me away. Since then, I
have attended two other Saturday engineering lectures, to experience what else
is out there.
This course has taught me not to judge events by their
title, because they can truly be surprising and open up new interests or
restore old ones. I wish I have taken this class earlier in my college career,
because it brought me to places I had never been on campus and new experiences.
It also would have taught me to take
advantage of the multiple event opportunities on campus, even if I did not have
a friend that would tag along. UIUC has so much to offer that I wish I would of
taken advantage of in my four years – I am happy that I was able to experience
it in my last semester (even if my health did hold me back).
Chris Daleen
WK1-
Krannert Uncorked: What is the Civil Rights Movement?
WK2-
Youth Empowerment Performance Program of Chicago
WK3- Sex
and Eroticism in Ingmar Bergman's Swedish Films of the 1940s and 50s
WK4-
AsiaLENS Screening of "Mulberry Child"
WK5- Sex
& Gender Film Series | Reflections Unheard: Black Women in Civil Rights
WK6-
Coffee House Series: Open Mic Night (Never showed up)
WK7-
Lecture: The Trouble with Stars: Vernacular vs. Global Stardom in Two Forms of
European Popular Culture
WK8-
AsiaLENS Screening of "High Tech, Low Life"
WK9- Less
Commonly Taught Languages Program Film Series: "Destiny"
WK10- Marsh
Beast Airboat Rides (Spring Break, Florida)
WK11- CLACS/Lemann
Cinema Series: "Chinese Take-away/ Un cuento chino"
WK12- The
Thinking Eye - Edward Tufte
WK13-
Nutritional Sciences 500 Seminar with Timothy Abbott
WK14-
Teaching with Technology Brown Bag: The Limits to Digital Manipulation in
Journalism
WK15-
Krannert Uncorked with Lauren Turk and Friends, Motown/blues
There
was a fairly broad range of difficulties in the events I attended. I am a big
movie fan, as I think a good film is art, so I attended quite a few films and
documentaries throughout the semester. The educational quality of such films
varied, however. On the one hand “High Tech, Low Life” was a deep and
thought-provoking documentary, while the movie “Chinese Take-Away” had a fairly
corny plot and a cliché moral teaching. I also attended multiple live
performance shows. Several of these were really moving and informative. The
Youth Empowerment Performance Program used monologue and dance to vividly show
the struggles of being an LGBT young adult in an urban setting. “What is the
Civil Rights Movement?” at the Krannert center combined a fascinating slideshow
with soulful songs from the civil rights era. One of the more difficult events
I attended was Edward Tufte’s lecture called “The Thinking Eye”. Tufte was a
polished and well-spoken man, and he talked about interesting ways for
communicating information visually. He delved into some concepts that were
quite complex. However, I definitely pushed myself the most when attending
the Nutritional Sciences 500 Seminar. As others in the class noted, it was
clearly a guest lecture for grad students mastering in nutritional science. I
was a bit out of my element. I scribbled notes until it felt like my hand was
going to fall off. A big scientific word would go into one of my ears and out
the other. I liked the challenge though, so I used the powers of the internet
to make sense of my notes that night. In the end, the lecture was actually
pretty cool. I did attend two particularly frustrating events however. The
first was the event at the Women’s Research Center that I attended. The hosts
were very unprepared, and one of the only people there besides my fellow miners
and me made several rude remarks to me for being a man at the Women’s Resource
Center, which is totally allowed (I checked). The other frustrating event was
the Open Mic Night at the Illini Union, which never actually took place and
lead to me missing out on posting for that week.
I think I gained a lot from this
semester. I experienced many different modes of expression and teaching. I
expand my horizons on social, cultural, and racial issues. I watched people
sing and dance, and tell their powerful stories. I acquired outside
perspectives on issues pertaining to my future career. And, for the first time
in awhile I sat in a lecture hall where I was completely overwhelmed by the
information being presented to me, and then I made sense of it. Most of this learning
was not necessary and won’t help me get a job someday, but it will help me
combat the ignorance that plagues so much of this country. I feel like I grew
as a person from this course, and I definitely want to keep digging beyond this
semester.
Roshni Doshi
Wk 1:Sex
& Gender Film Series | To Educate a Girl// Women's Resources
Center//703 S. Wright Street, 2nd Floor, Champaign
Wk 2: Dish It Up: Advocating for Sexual Health
Education:// Location Women's Resources Center, 703 S. Wright Street, 2nd
Floor, Champaign
Wk 3: Hobbico E-Fest Indoor Electric Airplane Festival
// University of Illinois Armory, 505 E. Armory
Wk 4:
Japanese American Cultural Values: A Personal & Historical Perspective //
Asian American Cultural Center
Wk 5:
Sonya Renee "My Body is Not An Apology" Leading a Radical Self Love
and Body Empowerment Movement // Women's Resources Center
Wk 6:
Spurlock Museum WorldFest // Spurlock Museum
Wk 7:
Yaadein: Memories for a Lifetime // Foellinger Auditorium
Wk 8:
EUC Visiting Scholar Lecture: The New History of EU Law: Promises and
Challenges // Lucy Ellis Lounge, 1080 Foreign Language Building
Wk 9: ALL DAY //Laurel Falls Trail // Trailhead: From
Sugarlands Visitor Center, turn toward Cades Cove on Little River Road and
drive 3.5 miles to the trailhead where there are parking areas on both sides of
the road.
Wk 10: Food for Thought - Lean on Me; Advocacy and
Awareness for Sexual Assault Awareness Month // Asian American Cultural Center,
1210 West Nevada Street, Urbana
Wk 11:
HOLI 2014 - A Festival of Colors // The FAR soccer field lawns
Wk 12:
Food for Thought: The Sikh American Experience - Challenges and Opportunities
// Asian American Cultural Center
Wk 13:
Last Lecture Series: Lessons Learned from Homeland by Kimiko Gunji // Asian
American Cultural Center
Thinking about this semester and how fast it went by made
me reflect on my four year experience at the University of Illinois. I have
made some great friends and worked long hours on projects, but never made it a
priority to check out the campus's resources. I took this course last year and
fell in love with the idea of exploring outside of my norm. I believe it
changed my perspective on education and the so called "college
experience." Last year this class opened my eyes to social issues and
controversial topics occurring on campus that I would have never known about if
I never actively sought out opportunities to attend university funded events.
This semester I had a better idea of what I was interested in and chose events
to attend very carefully. I knew if I went to an event that seemed worthwhile I
would appreciate writing and reflecting on the event later. I attended many
events held by the Women's Resource Center and the Asian American Cultural
Center as I discovered their events the last time I took this course. There
were a few events that really had an effect on me personally and
intellectually.
This semester I have been thinking and learning more
about who I am and how to embrace my authentic self. I have struggled
throughout my college experience trying to understand my self-worth and I think
it is still an ongoing process, but something I have recognized as something I
want to work on and discover. My four years at UofI were made up of good
decisions and bad decisions, but going through this class and the events I have
attended, I have learned that there are no good or bad decisions, but rather just
meaningful experiences that have become my "teachers" for the future.
I attended the Last Lecture Series: Lessons Learned from
Homeland by Kimiko Gunji and was moved by her wisdom and efforts to making this
campus a meaningful place to study. Being the former director of the Japan
House and Professor for various Japanese Art and Aesthetics courses, she has
influenced and changed the lives of many students. Her speech provided a whole
new way of looking at life and cultivating happiness. Particularily she
mentioned how she noticed students walking down the streets of Champaign-Urbana
focusing on the road ahead, but never noticing the simple beauty of a blooming
flower buds passing them by. She believes in embracing the beautiful ways of
nature and noticing the little things in life in order to be truly happy. That
made me think about another event where I went hiking in the Smokey Mountains
on this amazing trail that lead to a waterfall. I think Gunji Sensei is so
right when she mentioned the effects of nature because when I was up in the
mountains It felt so simple and quiet. Being up there made me appreciate the
opportunity to be near so many types of trees, flowers and plants. All the
textures, smells, and colors were so interesting to look at and I finally felt
I was truly embracing the Gunji Sensei's Japanese saying "Ichigo
Ichie" (One time, One Meeting). At
that moment I felt my stresses all disappeared and instead I learned that
enjoying every moment makes life simple, easy and happy.
The
idea of simplicity and embracing the current moment is something I truly felt
at the Holi event on campus. During my four years here I have never felt so
connected to the students around me than during that day. Everyone was
authentically living in the moment, moving to the music, throwing colored
powder, and interacting with strangers with so much goofiness and love. The
unity I saw that day made me think of how peaceful our world could be if we
just embraced everyone's uniqueness and just lived side by side with love as
our connection. I think this was beautifully stated by Ms. Sonya Renee during
the event "My Body is Not An Apology." She really inspired me how to
truly embrace the true you without worrying or thinking about what others
think. She utilized her uniqueness within her career as a performance poet,
which seemed so perfect because she is able to raise awareness and stand as a
role model for other individuals struggling with personal problems that have
isolated them from society. She talked about taking a step towards the risks
and fears we have in order to gain confidence. I thought this was life changing
because for so long I have made decisions based on my fears, but recently
stepping into uncomfortable situations have taught me more about myself than
when I was just comfortable. I was able to force myself to attend another
portfolio review this year even though I was terrified to hear all the
criticism about my work and myself. However after that day I was able to learn
how much I have grown up and how much better I have gotten at presenting my
work, which used to be my biggest fear.
Overall
It has been a humbling experience to have learned a great deal about self
growth and the meaning of life through this course. This has widened up my
spectrum of knowledge on various topics and about myself. I am truly
appreciative to have had this experience and will continue to attend these
powerful events on campus next year as my final year at the university.
Brigitte Fitzgerald
Week
1: Krannert Uncorked: What Is The Civil Rights Movement With Ollie Watts Davis
Week
2: Youth Empowerment Performance Program Of Chicago
Week
3: Sex And Eroticism In Ingmar Bergman's Swedish Films Of The 1940s And 50s
With Arne Lunde
Week
4: Asialens Screening Of The Mulberry Child With Jian Ping
Week
5: Reflections Unheard: Black Women In Civil Rights
Week
6: Coffee House
Week
7: The Trouble With Stars: Vernacular Vs. Global Stardom In Two Forms Of
European Culture With Olof Hedling
Week
8: Asialens Screening Of High Tech, Low Life
Week
9: Less Commonly Taught Languages Program Film Series: Destiny
Week
10: The Slingshot
Week
11: 9th Annual Edible Book Festival
Week
12: The Thinking Eye With Edward Tufte
Week
13: Nutritional Sciences 500 Seminar With Timothy Abbott
Week
14: Teaching With Technology Brown Bag: The Limits To Digital Manipulation In
Journalism With Lulu Rodriguez
Week
15: An Evening of Carnatic Music
Stepping
outside of my major for the duration of this course taught me that creativity
flows through all aspects of this campus in different ways. More often than not
the events I chose were well suited to my interests. With that being said, I
did tend to look for events that stood out to me, like film and performance.
There were maybe two events that really pushed my focus because I wasn’t as
interested in the material and my attention span is pretty short when I get
bored. These events were more mathematical/scientific and the language used
would just go right over my head.
I
think what I gained most from this class was getting to know UIUC and what it
has to offer. I never would have thought to go to any of these events if I had
not taken this class. It was nice to broaden my horizons and meet new people.
Most of the lecturers were talented, entertaining speakers who made it worth
the while. I also learned that these event makers could benefit a bit from the
art school because they are very poorly advertised…
Under my
own direction I was able to attend the events that best suited my mood. I could
step outside my comfort zone, have fun watching performers, or learn something
new that I could apply to my own major. It was also nice to go to all of them
with friends. It made things more comfortable but also a better time, and we
could talk about what we thought once the event had ended. The structure of
this class allowed for us to be independent in a relaxing way.
Anne Grzyb
WK1- Research Park presents ‘Pitch Party’
WK2- Study Abroad Scholarships Workshop
WK3- Shawn Johnson speaks on ‘Dream Big and Keep a
Winning Balance’
WK4- AsiaLENS Screening of "Mulberry Child”
WK5- Roommate Conflict Workshop
WK6- Sonya Renee presents "My Body is Not An
Apology"
WK7- Spanish Story Time: Book Fiesta
WK8- The Art Theater Co-Op screens “Waterlife”
WK9- ‘Building Effective Student Teams: What, How, and Why’
WK10- Marriott's Cypress Harbour presents ‘Make Your Own
Scented Candle’
WK11- Kisoboka Variety Show
WK12- A FashionAble Fundraiser 2
WK13- Project Unbreakable Keynote Lecture
WK14- Ellen Fireman’s “Last Lecture”
WK15- Jim McKelvey, Co-Founder of Square Lecture
When
choosing events to attend for the week, I would go through the list of posts and
briefly skim read what each event was about. I would pick a few that sounded
interesting and then of those events I would see which one worked with my class
schedule the best and I would attend it. I think students on campus sponsored a
lot of my events while non-student run organizations sponsored a few such as
Spanish Story Time. For the most part, I think I enjoyed more of the lectures
that were sponsored by Illinois. My first event was in Research Park and I
think I was one of the youngest people who had attended that lecture and that
made me a bit uncomfortable, I since then stayed away from events in Research
Park. My favorite events were mostly somewhere in the Union.
A good
amount of the lectures I attended challenged me. The most challenging lecture
was the lecture about Building Effective Student Teams, I was extremely
uncomfortable and nervous the entire event. I would fear that I would get
called on and not know the answer; I was concerned what everyone was thinking
of Maggie and I since we were the only undergrads in the entire classroom. But
once we got put into teams, I think my nerves settled a bit, I actually won a
contest, which made me proud. I also finally understood why I have had so many
group projects on campus, which made the lecture worth it. When Bri and I had
attended the Pitch Party and we were asked to evaluate each speaker, I was
nervous because I had never done anything like this before and I was concerned
that my feedback wouldn’t even be worth reading since I was so new to this type
of event critique. Also, Project Unbreakable was challenging in the sense that
I was surrounded by so many survivors and I could feel the tension and sadness
and anger in the room and I felt so helpless.
I know that
I have grown a lot after experiencing both this semester of Mining and last
year. I have attended events that have helped me learn and understand history,
such as the screening of Mulberry Child. I was never taught about the Chinese
Revolution and this movie alone helped me gain a better understanding while
also showing me examples of the differences that have taken place through one
generation. I have received valuable tips for life, which included the Roommate
Conflict Workshop. I have been having a tough time between my roommates and I
for several months now and this lecture has given me important steps and
guidelines to follow when resolving issues between my roommates and me. I have
also gone to several events, which were motivational for me, such as Shawn
Johnsons lecture about her struggles with her friends and then with her
struggles with letting people down. Listening to Shawn speak really intrigued
me since she is our age. I am now very aware of the water crisis that Illinois
is a large part of. I have learned about several different cultures, the
Kisobka Variety Show had taught me about how many students are making a
difference by visiting Uganda and helping out, which makes “it possible” for us
to help other countries in need. Lastly, The DRES Fashion Show that almost had
me in tears has had such a deep impact on my day-to-day living. I could not
believe that so many people who could not walk have such a beautiful outlook on
life. It really helped me be thankful for everything and also to be more
positive.
Mining the
University has been one of my favorite classes that I have taken at the
University of Illinois. Between Sonya Renee, Ellen Fireman, and Shawn Johnson,
these were some of my favorite events that I have excavated this year. I have
laughed, I have almost cried, and I have learned. I have learned about historic
events, I have learned to always keep my head up and I have gained valuable
advice from many of the events I have attended.
Cate Hummel
1. Exploring Greek Traditions// Union Courtyard Cafe
4. Skywatchers of Africa // Staerkel Planetarium
3. Pheonix Improv Comedy Show // Illini Union Courtyard Cafe
4. VOICE Reading Series // KAM Gelvin Noel Gallery
5. Winter Tales // Spurlock
Museum
6. Titanic Players // Illini
Union Courtyard Cafe
7. Sex & Gender Film
Series | Pray the Devil Back to Hell
8. David Yager: “The Case for
an Unusual Collaboration: Artist-Designer, Physicians, and Nurses” // Knight Auditorium
at the Spurlock Museum
10. Biophysics and
Quantitative Biology Seminar: Why are some lakes sicker than others?
"Disease ecology, habitat structure and the plankton" // B102 CLSL
11. Art of Science 4.0 - Opening Reception // Indi Go
Artist Co-Op
12. N/A
13. LINGUISTICS - Less Commonly
Taught Languages Program Film Series: "The Songs of Sparrows" // FLB
Lucy Ellis Lounge
14. New Directions Lecture -
Reinventing Russia: Modernist Myth-Making and National Self-Identity,
1898-1914// 101 International Studies Building
However,
I don’t think I would have grown near as much if I hadn’t gone to the events
that I did. If I had attended other
things I would have grown in a very trivial sense as the knowledge I gained
would have been a pool of random facts about random topics. I feel that I grew in a much more meaningful
way. I really needed to see myself
harshly critique stupid things because if I hadn’t, I might not have realized
why I was having such a hard time accepting what I wanted to major in.
I
have been rejecting art for as long as I can remember. I’ve always called it a hobby and “back
burner-ed” it to everything else it my life, I just couldn’t and wouldn’t take
it seriously. I’d shred my ideas to
piece before I’d ever let them gain enough momentum to amount to anything. In a way I’ve always done that, stopped
myself from approaching anything with real heart because I could never really
justify jumping blindly into something with both feet when I wasn’t really sure
where it would take me. In fact, I began
a research paper this semester that questioned photography’s validity as an art
for in today’s world and am trying to understand where it is heading. I was once under the impression that creating
a piece of quality art was about how much of an emotional response it could
evoke. However, now I believe art to be
the process in which you work through an issue, however that maybe.
So
that is what this class (along with a few other things this semester) has
helped me figure out. I want to spend
the next for years working through problems in a area that is hands on,
interesting and intriguing enough to keep my focused and involved, while collaborative,
changing, and challenging to me for me to really dig into.
It’s
not that I’m expecting myself to become some incredible artist or even a
starving artist for that matter… I have no intention of producing fine art for
the rest of my life (literally NONE… I
think a ton of art is BULLSHIT). What
I’m interested in is the process of dreaming up and idea, working out the
issues and seeing it through to the end.
I
don’t want this response so sound like I feel like I know anything even
remotely profound because I don’t… but in a way, what I experience this
semester (really in the last month) was rather profound. I feel as though I’ve grown out of this very
defensive and childish way of thinking and grown into someone who is ready to
really put her mind to work and start taking herself and the things she is
doing a little more seriously. Things
should start to get pretty interesting and for the first time in a really long
time, I feel genuinely excited about what’s ahead of me.
Jill Karcher
List of Events Attended:
W1 Krannert
Uncorked: What is the Civil Rights Movement?
W2 Youth Empowerment Performance Program of
Chicago - a theatrical performance
W3 Sex
and Eroticism in Ingmar Bergman's Swedish Films of the 1940s and 50s
W4 AsiaLENS
Screening of "Mulberry Child"
W5 Sex
& Gender Film Series | Reflections Unheard: Black Women in Civil Rights
W6 Coffee
House Series at Illini Union Courtyard Cafe
W7 Lecture:
The Trouble with Stars: Vernacular vs. Global Stardom in Two Forms of European
Popular Culture
W8 AsiaLENS
Screening of "High Tech, Low Life"
W9 Final
Defense - Justin Hepler
W10 Rose. Rabbit. Lie. Variety Show at the
Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas, Nevada
W11 9th
Annual Edible Book Festival
W12 The
Thinking Eye - Edward Tufte
W13 Nutritional
Sciences 500 Seminar with Timothy Abbott
W14 Last
Lecture – Ellen Fireman
W15 An
Evening of Carnatic Music
This course has taught me many things. Not only did it force me
to experience events and lectures outside of my major and most importantly my
comfort zone, but this class also taught me about the university I attend. Most
of the events I attended were located in university buildings that I would have
never entered had I not enrolled in this class. Especially since, I am in the
College of Fine and Applied Arts, and most of my classes have been confined to
one building. This course has allowed me to expand not only my knowledge of
other areas of study, but the layout of the campus.
Looking back at these past fifteen weeks, I see a trend through
the first half of the semester. During the first half, I seemed to focus my
time on the events that were entertainment focused. This ranged from theatrical
performances to documentaries or lectures involving the topics of film and pop
culture. I now notice that I gravitated to things that I was genuinely
interested in. These allowed for my personal enjoyment and the ability to
learn something I have not before. For example, my first event, Krannert
Uncorked, was a mix of music, socialization, and a PowerPoint presentation of
the facts about the civil rights movement. The two documentaries, “Mulberry
Child” and “High Tech, Low Life” gave me an insight into culture than I am
fairly uninformed on. The family dynamic and way of life that I witness in both
documentaries has taught me that what is normal to me is completely foreign to
another culture.
As the semester continued, I feel as if I became more confident
and expanded my comfort zone. I began choosing events that I had no previous
knowledge about. These events were more difficult to follow and more than not
left me confused. In fact, two events in particular come to mind. In week
nine, I attended Final Defense by Justin Hepler. This event was probably the
most uncomfortable for me. It was Hepler’s dissertation presentation. Not only
was the content (Sequential Exposure Bias) difficult to follow, but I was the
only undergraduate in a room full of graduates and the psychology board. The
Nutritional Sciences Seminar was another event that I felt unprepared for. It
reminded me why I did not enjoy biology, chemistry, and anything related to
science. These events have prepared me to expand my horizons and try new things
that I would never before.
As a whole I found this “intellectual banquet”
to be very fulfilling. It made me realize how many intelligent people we have
at the university, and also the resources to draw others to come speak here. At
the beginning I was timid to branch out of my comfort zone, but as time went on
I became more courageous to try and experience new areas and events.
Lindsey Law
WK1- In My Backyard, Staerkel
Planetarium, Parkland College
WK2- Skywatchers of
Africa, Staerkel Planetarium,
WK3- The Sullivan
Project | Lost Lake by David Auburn // Krannert Center, Studio Theatre
WK4- None
WK5- Venice Baroque
Orchestra, Krannert Center, Foellinger Great Hall
WK6- Krannert Uncorked KAM
WK7- Mindful
Meditation, Gallery of Ancient Mediterranean Cultures, Spurlock Museum
WK8- Illinois Brass
Quintet, Krannert Center, Foellinger Great Hall
WK9- Live Webcast: A
Union's Greatest Challenges: Europe's Future Path toward Economic Growth,
Global Competitiveness and Addressing Debt // 507 E. Green St., Room 411
WK10- Went to a Job
Negotiation fair but forgot to do a post…
WK11- Horticulture
Club Annual Moms Weekend Flower Show and Plant Sale
WK12- Much Ado About
Nothing, Krannert Center, Colwell Playhouse
WK13- Coffeehouse
Series, Illini Union Courtyard Café
WK14- Denim Day, Main
Quad
WK15- Jazz Saxophone
Ensemble & Jazz guitar ensemble, Krannert Center
My
first thought in relation to this class is that I am so thankful that I chose
to sign up for it. Taking this class could not have come at a more perfect time
in my life. It was refreshing to have an excuse to go out to do activities and
experience new and exciting things. This past semester has been particularly
lonely for me due to the fact that I moved into an apartment and most all of my
best friends were studying abroad in Europe. I felt secluded at times. I felt
kind of stuck in my apartment so I was very excited to go do something random
to take my mind off of things every week. I started dating my boyfriend last
summer so this was our first school year as a couple, this was also fun because
he joined me on a lot of my events. It gave us something do and it usually
began or ended with an out to dinner meal. The events I chose were topics that
interested me for the most part. Rarely did I just attend an event to attend an
event. That only happened a couple of times when events didn’t work out with my
school schedule.
I
began my events by attending shows at the Starekel Planetarium at Parkland
College. This was so much fun for me and my boyfriend and I loved it so much
that I went back for a second week. It was great to feel transported into another
world and was a great chance to get your mind off of everything for an hour or
so. It felt like an adventure traveling out to Parkland as well which was
great. I learned a lot from the Planetarium shows as well. I wanted to go for a
third week but figured that I needed to expand my horizons a bit.
I
decided to attend a play at Krannert the following week. This was interesting
to be able to see the set design and costume which is something that I have
always been interested in. Plays were not always my thing growing up and I
honestly don’t think I would have been to a play for a long time coming if it
had not been for this class. I
definitely gained a new appreciation for production and can relate that to my
photographic works back at the art building. I attended a couple music concerts
and really enjoyed that. These were not really stepping out of my comfort zone
because music has always been a huge part of my life. I really enjoy hearing
live music. The three most fun events that I attended besides the planetarium
shows were the Meditation hour, the wine tasting and the horticulture fair with
my mother. Experiencing meditation like I did was surreal. It was surreal
because I was doing it on the U of I campus. I would have never expected that
to happen. I learned a lot about posture and breathing which I take with me
through my day to day life. This was a challenge for me though, It was a
challenge for me to stay focused with the meditation and to really follow
through. One of the recent events I went to was “Denim Day.” I learned about
the story of Denim Day and how largely this day of awareness has spread across
the country. Hearing the story was shocking and hard to listen to but hearing
it from a women who was so passionate about helping, was really inspiring to
me. I took a lot out of the that event as well. I enjoyed this class because it
not helped me with expanding my horizons but it was a good excuse to be social
and was able to bring people together. I attended events with my mom, my
boyfriend and my friend. It was a great excuse to get out of the house and soak
in new information and experiences.
Overall
I am very thankful I took this class. I gained new experiences in subjects that
I was always either intimidated by or uninterested in. This class helped me
step outside my comfort zone and dabble in new and exciting things going on
around campus. I do hope I have the opportunity to take this class again.
Joey Lund
Events
Attended
Wk 1 – Not yet enrolled in class
(made up later)
Wk 2 – American Advertising
Federation Informational Meeting
Wk 3 – From Black and Red Power to
Hip Hop: Black and Native Relations, 1960s to Present
Wk 4 – VOICE Reading Series
Wk 5 – Winter Tales at Spurlock
Museum
Wk 6 – UI Philharmonia at Krannert
Performing Arts Center
Wk 7 – Lecture
Series: Breaking Bad’s RJ Mitte
Wk 8 – Afterglow: The Bad Plus at
Krannert Performing Arts Center
Wk 9 – Irish Dancing for St.
Patricks
Wk 10 – Blanchard Springs in
Arkansas
Wk 11 – Breaking Our Bonds With Wall
Street
Wk 12 – Linguistics Seminar and
Linguistics Club Lecture: Prof. Paula Winke, Michigan State University
Wk 13 – Nutritional Sciences 500
Seminar with Timothy Abbott
– (For make up) Developmental Brown Bag --
Nicole McNeil -- University of Notre Dame
Wk 14 – Reinventing
Russia: Modernist Myth-Making and National Self-Identity, 1898-1914
–
(For
make up) Sustainability Film Festival: Terra Blight
Wk 15 – Physics
Colloquium: "Messy magnets and dirty superfluids"
Although I didn’t happen to stumble
upon my passion, I certainly could have.
To me, that’s the point. I put
myself out there and didn’t idly stand by for something to come me. I wanted to open myself to as many
possibilities as possible, and I greatly appreciate this course for forcing me
to do that. I didn’t exactly “step
outside of my major”, because I don’t have one.
But I did dip my toe into quite a few, and it certainly answered some
questions. Mostly about what I don’t want to pursue. I now know that I could never be happy as a
MCB or Physics major. And that while I
enjoy crawling through caves, Art History can cause me to have claustrophobic
panic attacks.
For roughly the first half of the
semester, I went to events that interested me.
I attended more of the fine arts, more performances. I went to these because I thought I would
enjoy them, and that they might help me pull the trigger on declaring a similar
major. For the most part, they were not
particularly taxing for the audience.
However, once I returned from Spring Break, I decided to switch it up. I went to more research-based lectures,
focusing on the sciences. I just wanted
to see what was going on on that side of the University. In fact, a couple times I chose events that I
knew I would hate, or events whose description left me clueless as to what they
were about. I figured what the
hell. These events definitely proved to
be more difficult to follow. Some of
them, like the Nutritions Seminar and the Physics Colloquium flew miles over my
head.
As a whole, I found my weekly
excursions exciting. They reminded me
that I am enrolled at a world-class institution. Whether it was research being done here, or a
revered guest speaker we got to come, there is a plethora of incredible and
important work being done at the U of I.
True, maybe none of the individual events changed my life. But you can’t measure the benefit of engaging
your own curiosity. I believe that,
simply by principle, participating in this many intellectual discussions is an
incredibly productive use of time. It’s
a mentality. The mentality that no
matter what you’re doing, there is something to be learned. That is
life changing. A degree is one thing,
but that’s an education. That is the
type of learning relationship I expect myself to have with my environment. That being said, this class has helped me seize
a level of initiative in my education that I am proud of. All the time, my friends would ask me why I
was going to this, or why I was going to that; I learned to respond by asking
them, “Why not?” They never had an
answer. For those reasons, taking ART
499 has been an enriching experience, and I plan to keep up its practice in the
years to come.
Maggie Nordsiek
1. List of all
your lectures/events you attended by week
WK 1: Meet Mary Mattingly // Allen Hall
WK
2: Study Abroad Scholarships Workshop // Study Abroad Office
WK 3: Lecture Series:
Shawn Johnson // Illini Union I-Rooms
WK 4: AsiaLENS Screening
of "Mulberry Child" // Krannert Art Theater
WK 5: Roommate Conflict
Workshop // Lincoln Hall Room 1065
WK 6: Sonya Renee
"My Body is Not An Apology" //
Courtyard Café
WK
7: Lecture Series: Breaking Bad’s RJ Mitte // Illini Union I-Rooms
WK
8: WATERLIFE // The Art Theater Co-Op
WK
9: Building Effective Student Teams:
What, How, and Why // 428 Armory
WK 10: Make your own
scented candle // Marriott's Cypress Harbour in Orlando, FL
WK
11: Kisoboka Variety Show // Illini
Union Courtyard Café
WK
12: A FashionAble Fundraiser 2 // Krannert Center, Lobby
WK
13: Project Unbreakable Keynote
Lecture // 112 Gregory Hall
WK
14: Last Lecture with Ellen Fireman //
Illini Union Ballroom
WK
15: Jim McKelvey, Co-Founder of Square
Lecture // Illini Union I-Rooms
2. Write about
what you gained by stepping outside of your major.
While attending
events for this class, I was able to learn so much new information. One major thing
I learned about was campus! This class allowed me to visit new places such as
the Krannert Art Theater and the Art Theater Co-Op located downtown. I also
learned personal information about celebrities such as RJ Mitte and Shawn
Johnson. Hearing them speak about themselves as well as important topics, like
following your dreams, was really interesting.
3. What type of
events did you choose?
While reviewing my
semester, I noticed that I attended a wide variety of events. From learning
about Mary Mattingley's artwork to hearing about Jim McKelvey's business, all
of my events were different in some way. I noticed a majority of mine were
spent in the Union café and ballrooms. Several of my events were lectures as
opposed to movies or performances. I liked the style of lectures because they
tended to be interactive with the crowd. As I look through my events, I realize
it is tough to pick a favorite. It would probably have to be the event I
attended on week 6, which was Sonya Renee's spoken performance called "My
Body is Not an Apology". Her performance really spoke to me as a woman and
as a social worker. She was very interactive and friendly with the crowd which
I really enjoyed.
4. How challenging
were these events?
I like to think of
myself as a pretty laid back person, so none of these events were necessarily challenging
on a comfort scale. Some of them were confusing at times because the content
focused on topics I was unfamiliar with. The move Mulberry Child which I
watched during week 4 was slightly confusing because it talked about history and
lifestyles in China, which I know nothing about. But I was able to learn some
new information about those topics which I enjoyed.
5. Most
importantly, how did you grow under your own direction?
While attending
these events, I noticed that the subjects tended to relate to social work
somehow. I hope to a social worker in the future, so I tried to put myself in a
work setting and learn new things from these events. Some of the events I
attended related to body empowerment, sexual abuse, disabilities, and event
roommate conflicts. These topics all seem relatable to some type of social
work, so I was able to think as a social worker and imagine what I would do if
I had a client similar to the people that spoke in the lectures or events. I
was also able to broaden my perspectives on new groups of people as well as new
locations around me.
Sean O’Connor
Week
1: Skywatchers of Africa @ Staerkel
Week
2: Prairie Sky @ Staerkel
Week
3: #ONECAMPUS moving beyond digital hate @ KCPA
Week
4: Wait Until Dark @ Parkland
Week
5: Capote + Synecdoche, NY (PSH tribute) @ Art Theater
Week
6: oops
Week
7: The Planets @ Staerkel
Week
8: IUB Drag Show @ Union
Week
9: oops
Week
10: Notebook on Cities and Clothes @ SAIC
Week
11: TEDxUIUC @ IHotel
Week
12: Skeletal Lightning @ IMC
Week
13: Spamalot @ Parkland
Week
14: Never Meant video shoot
Week
15: I suck (senior show)
I
did not push myself as hard as I should have. Most of the events were
pretty well within my comfort zone and not very challenging. I challenged
myself to think deeply about what it was I was going to each week. That would
be my main extraction. I went to events I thought I would enjoy before ones in
which I thought I would truly learn something I previously had known nothing
about. That is not to say that I did not learn new things about the events I
went to. Quite the opposite. But I must start by saying that I could have
pushed the envelope much further if I would have pushed myself further beyond
my comfort zone in choosing which excavations to attend.
I
did spend many hours or days in reflection of my events in order to properly
digest them and come up with something observational and compelling to say in
my weekly reports. Some events did not render the same depth or quality of
these revelations in which others did. For example, week 3 brought on numerous
new vantage points in my contemplation of race and it’s relation to my
immediate setting on campus. Some of the things said during that program still
stick with me today when I think about societal racial division. It has opened
my eyes to the severity of a major problem that of which is made out to be
almost nothing in our society. It compels me to lend my voice to the minority
that speaks out against it and has spilled into my art practice and so-called
“attempt to master the world” (that’s a quote about art from the Notebook on
Cities and Clothes doc fwiw). And then the next week, I saw a play and then
watched the Audrey Hepburn film adaptation of it on my own. That’s not to say
that Wait Until Dark didn’t raise any new questions or ideas to me. But
it made me think more about Hollywood’s portrayal of women as submissive and
helpless objects than it did about how to overcome those sexist stigmas. That
excavation forced me to come up with something that was my own reading of the
subtext rather than teach me something new forthright. I find that it’s more
difficult to learn when you’re forming thoughts based on things you already
know rather than someone coming in and teaching you, speaking of entirely new
ideas that previously, you hadn’t an inkling existed. That kind of leads me
into my Planetarium visits.
I’m
a visual/auditory learner and an extremely visually oriented person. I have a
hard time reading and writing cohesively I think because I just don’t fully
comprehend written communication. So I go to the planetarium because I like
being physically, visually immersed. I gained general knowledge on the
formation of the stars as visible from Earth and how that same knowledge
impacted the very lives of our ancestors many thousands of years ago. The
anthropological aspect of astronomy led me to many realizations on the
implications of how our ancestors deciphered the night sky, something nobody
even closely comprehended until about 100 years ago, and how those observations
probably led to things such as religious entitlements and an understanding (or
lack there of) of the universal importance and meaning of life. While the
planetarium is very cool and visual and slick, the information during these
shows was often very surface and general. I understand why this is. There’s a
diverse crowd in these shows (little kids to older couples and everywhere in
between) an there is not a whole lot you can cram into these 45-60 minute shows
without giving up to the visual content. But I would prefer to go to more
events such as Prairie Skies where the screen operator takes control over the
screen and lectures on an informative level, rather than stick the tape in the
VCR and hit play on a show I probably saw at Adler when I was 9. But the point
is, the immersive visual experience of the planetarium often left me
contemplating my new information for several days after the fact. I’m the kind
of person who can think better about something with a visual understanding of
whatever it is. That’s why I was so good at Physics in high school.
It’s
these contemplations I am thankful to this class for. Thinking about the world
around me with new information not only contributes to my attempted ‘mastery of
the world’, but it also teaches me how to think. Its hard to explain exactly
what that means for me. I suppose it’s just a specific order of electrical
firings in the brain at the fundamental level, but our brains are very
mysterious and amazing organs.
WK 1 - Sex & Gender Film Series | To Educate a Girl
WK 2 - Dish It Up: Advocating for
Sexual Health Education
WK 3 - From Black and Red
Power to Hip Hop: Black and Native Relations, 1960s to Present
WK 4 – Discussion with Jian
Ping and Lisa Xia, "Mulberry Child"
Dish
It Up: Unfinished Business for the Constitution: The Equal Rights Amendment
WK 5 - Japanese
American Cultural Values: A Personal & Historical Perspective
WK 6 - Sonya Renee
"My Body is Not An Apology" Leading a Radical Self Love
and
Body Empowerment Movement
WK 7 - Sex & Gender Film
Series | Peace by Peace: Women on the Frontlines
WK 8 - IUB Drag Show
WK 9 - Native American Health &
Nutrition
WK 10 - From Sochi to Paducah:
Award-Winning Photojournalists from Russia
WK 11 - Food for Thought -
Lean on Me; Advocacy and Awareness for Sexual Assault Awareness Month
WK 12 - Walk with Xochitl
WK 13 - Women of Faith Speak on
Dating and Relationships
WK 14 - Langar on Campus 2014 hosted by
Sikh Student Association
WK 15 -
Last Lecture Series: Lessons Learned from Homeland by Kimiko Gunji
It’s strange to sit here—ten days away from
graduation—and write out a summary of my thoughts. This last semester, and the
past four years in general, have been a whirlwind. The game changer for me
happened when I became an upperclassman. This is when I began to take classes
like Mining the University, Japanese Aesthetics, and Contemporary Women’s
Issues. These courses have given me access to the intersectional dialogues that
I think are oftentimes at the forefront of social justice issues, cultural awareness,
and other topics that I have developed an interest in.
For those reasons, I tailored this class in
a way that would help me learn more about the people that inhabit this world—my
world. If I’m not taking the initiative myself to understand those around me,
how can I expect others to? How can I expect others to be compassionate? I know
that trying to unpack the history and systematic issues of roughly seven
billion people is a fairly daunting task, but I can certainly try to soak in
bits and pieces of information here and there. I think those valuable moments
are necessary to reduce ignorance, which is still very prevalent in our
society.
Whether I challenged myself through this
class is not exactly clear to me though. I tended to choose events that were
somehow relevant to my own identity, such as my Asian background and the female
gender. However, I wouldn’t necessarily see that as a criticism, but rather as
an opportunity. These things manifested themselves even in my personal
photography work this year, which has been both therapeutic and empowering at
times. Learning about one’s own self is just as important, I’ve realized.
I think it’s true that the person I was
four years ago is no longer who I am now. And that’s a good thing. I owe these
changes to my experiences and education at this University, and I am forever
grateful.
Kelly Pisanko
Week 1 –
Exploring Greek Traditions
Week 2 –
Illini Showcase with Esteban Gast
Week 3 –
Phoenix Improv Comedy Show
Week 4 – 15th
Annual 21st Century Piano Commission Award Concert
Week 5 –
Global Transfer Afterglow: Joshua Abrams’ Natural Information Society
Week 6 –
Sonya Renee “My Body is Not an Apology” Spoken Word Performance
Week 7 –
Rudolf Haken, Viola Performance
Week 8 –
Did not attend an event
Week 9 –
Illini Jukebox Live
Week 10 –
(Spring Break) PetCo Adoption and Fundraiser Event
Week 11 –
Tuvan Throat Singers
Week 12 –
Immigration and Common Ownership of the Earth Lecture
Week 13 –
Coffeehouse Series
Week 14 –
Sustainability Film Festival: Terra Blight
Week 15 –
UI Jazz Saxophone Ensemble and UI Jazz Guitar Ensemble
After a
semester of Mining the University, I still have much to do. My initial
inspiration for taking the class came from googling some obscure building on
campus and stumbling across an old blog kept by a past ‘Mining the University’
student. I ended up reading a good portion of her weekly posts, where she would
go see theatre performances, watch documentaries, and even learn how to make
chocolate. I thought the concept of the class was really unique and I wanted to
be a part of it, especially if it would help me break out of my very small comfort
zone.
Having finished the course, I am grateful to have been
introduced to the amazing range of events that go on at the University every
day. The performances, lectures, movies, and music that I have been fortunate
enough to experience over the last few months are invaluable and have defined
my semester more so than my core classes. These opportunities to expand outside
the School of Art and Design broke up the frustration of an art-heavy and
project-laden semester, provided refreshing variety and spontaneity to my
weekly routine, and reminded me of the vastness and diversity of the UIUC community.
Perhaps the best example of this, and my personal favorite
event, is the Tuvan throat singers. Prior to attending the performance, I
didn’t even know such people existed, but after the concert, I knew I had seen
something that was probably once in a lifetime. I even sent all my videos and
photos to my family back home, who got a kick out of the relation to the ‘Big
Bang Theory,’ but weren’t as fascinated as me. Seeing it live is a different
experience, I suppose.
I also really enjoyed the Phoenix Improv Comedy as well as
the various open mic-nights at the Courtyard Café. I found myself gravitating
towards performance-based events, which is something I always wanted to pursue
myself but never had the confidence to do so. Perhaps I’m reading too deep into
it, but I think I loved these types of events so much because they showcased
people expressing themselves through a non-visual art form. They contained all
of the passion and expression of the visual art that I have chosen to study but
applied it in a completely different way and it was fascinating.
Although my experiences were enriching, I admit they were
limited by an intense weekday schedule that prevented me from attending most
events held on Monday through Thursday. This was not something I considered
when first adding the class to my schedule. (Hindsight is 20/20.) Despite this,
I’ve definitely succeeded in encountering new art forms, perspectives, information,
languages, and people. However, I know I’m not finished. As I said, there is
still much to do! I would absolutely benefit from making a continued effort to
step away from the world of design and seek out more abstract subject matters,
whether it be poetry readings at the Union, Tuvan throat singers at the
Spurlock Museum, or something completely new.
Alex Wallbaum
Wk 1 C-U Spinners and Weavers Guild
Wk 2 The Big Bad Musical
Wk 3 February Dance: Hybridity
Wk 4 PLANning For Pollinators
Wk 5 Wisconsin Union Directorate's Distinguished Lecture Series with the reddit.com founder Alex Ohanian
Wk 6 Krannert Uncorked KAM
Wk 7 Lecture Series: Breaking Bad’s RJ Mitte
Wk 8 CU West Coast Swing Dancers 3rd Sunday Monthly Dance
Wk 9 oops!
Wk 10 Paint Your Own Pottery
Wk 11 Art of Science 4.0 - Opening Reception
Wk 12 Krannert Uncorked with The Afrikania Cultural Troupe featuring Midawo Gideon Foli Alorwoyie, Ghanaian music and dancing
Wk 13 Lunar Eclipse Observing
Wk 14 Treasures from the Museum Attic
Wk 15 UI Latin Jazz Ensemble
For this round of Mining the University, I tried to span my experiences over a wider assortment of events. Even after making a conscious decision to go to a larger variety of events, I ended up going to a lot of musical / dance events. My interests crept into my event planning subconscious! Although these events were “out of my major,” they still related to some sort of arts. When I went to lectures or talks, I usually found myself drifting off, which didn’t happen at the other events. I think my favorite event was the Art of Science 4.0 opening reception, because it was able to combine art and molecular biology. It was a way for me to keep my interests engaged while learning something I might have only learned at a lecture, which I have come to hate. The events I chose were not necessarily “challenging” for the most part (with the exception of 2), but they all required genuine interest and focus to actually experience them successfully. In the case of the dance events I attended, most of the time I was just an audience member. On the rare occasion they actually got me involved in dancing, it was very challenging. If you ever saw me try to dance, you would understand. I was able to grow in more than just the “traditional academic expansion” kind of way. For me, taking Mining the University during my last semester of college was a way for me to experience the University in the way it was supposed to be experienced. All of these events are available for everyone to attend and learn from, but the majority of them do not. I have grown in the sense that I have learned to experience a place that I am very familiar with (22 years here), in an entirely different way. I have been preparing to move to Chicago, and for the first time in my life, I will be in a new city. I will confidently be able to experience the city in a more fulfilling way. Mining Champaign-Urbana has once again helped me realize that I am only bored and unengaged if I choose to be so. There is always something interesting going on, you just have to know how to find it.
