A Hopeless Romantic

Sometimes I wish I lived in the past. I am that type of girl that romanticizes the simple "good old days" that I'm so often told about, when people actually went out on the town in the evening instead of parking themselves in front of the television. While I am quite aware that I am oversimplifying a long gone era, and that I probably could not last a full day without my smartphone, I do still yearn now and then to be transported back in time. My favorite kind of art, is that of the past.

Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds, and Donald O'Connor from Singing in the Rain

One of my favorite things to do is watch old movies with my parents. We love to record our favorites when they play on the classic movies channel. I'm talking about movies from about the 1930's to the 1960's. I love the black and white ones, I love the ones with big musical and dance numbers, and I even love the ones where soundtracks were a fairly new thing, and there are awkward silences and odd transitions throughout. For some reason, I cannot get my friends as excited about old movies as I am. It's a mystery, I tell you. One of my fondest memories with my mother is a recent one. This summer, right before I left for college, Singing in the Rain was released in theaters for a day for its sixtieth anniversary. My mother and I adore this movie and were so excited. We went out to see it with my best friend Rachel, who had to shush both of us for trying to sing along. I guess you could say I just love the art of Hollywood in its golden age. 

The old courthouse in Pittsburgh that I pass on the way to hockey games.

Another one of my favorite things to do is to travel into Pittsburgh for the day. I live only about 40 minutes away when traffic is being forgiving, and I usually end up in the city for one thing or another several times a year. While I'm there, I sit in the car and marvel at the old buildings. I love how much detail went into the architecture, even the little and seemingly unimportant buildings. There are little details carved into the bricks, like letters or symbols. I love the materials they used to make the buildings: large stones, sometimes with even marble or granite on the inside. My absolute favorite building in Pittsburgh is the Cathedral of Learning on The University of Pittsburgh's campus. The first three floors of it are absolutely gorgeous. They never fail to make me step back and appreciate the architecture of yore, every time I go in. And trust me, I've visited those first three floors many a time. Going to school here at University Park also feeds into my happiness. I love all of the old buildings here, especially since they have the year they were built engraved in them. I want to go to the bell tower of Old Main before I graduate. I love to be in West Halls with its old collegiate feel, and I eat lunch there everyday with my friends who live there, secretly envying them the whole time. The new, fancy, sleek skyscrapers people build nowadays just don't cut it for me. I love the art of the old buildings.

My last favorite way to romanticize the past is by looking at old photographs. I just love how photographs capture a moment in time.You can tell lots of things from a photograph, like the fashion and technology of the time. I even have my favorite historical photograph hanging in my room as a poster.

If someone could guarantee me a job with a history major, that is what I would be studying right now. I love to learn about past events, and I love to look at older buildings, movies, and photographs and appreciate them. The art of long gone eras is something that I find endlessly fascinating.

Self Analysis

1. What have I learned this semester? I have learned many a thing, let me tell you. I have learned that I hate biological anthropology. I have learned to enjoy/tolerate the taste of espresso. I have learned that the library is a sanctuary. And I have learned that apparently, I give off a "freshman vibe." It's unavoidable. All of that aside, I have also learned much in English 15S. I am getting much better at analyzing text for deeper meaning, something I struggled with before. However, I think the most important thing I learned about writing is to write in your own voice. I was never confident in this method before. I always found it easier to meet the requirements of a paper precisely, and to do so in a somewhat formal manner. I will admit that I still hang onto this voice, and that yes, I am using it right now. However, I've forced myself to break out of it at times, trying to throw in a piece of humor here or there. Before I had been writing papers for the teacher. I wrote what I knew they wanted to hear. In English 15, little by little, I started writing them for myself. I find it's much easier to write a paper when I want it to be good, and not just for a grade. I want to be able to look back on it and know that I think that it was done to the best of my ability. 

As for my relationship to the arts, I have discovered that lots of things can be art; it just depends on how you look at it. Art is not just paintings and music, it can be a movie, a building, or a flower garden. My group for the curated art project discovered that everyday things can be art, such as the art of being a freshman.There are plenty of rituals and behaviors that we partake in as freshman, that makes us who we are. And that is nothing to be ashamed of. It is worthy of celebration. 

I have learned from Penn State what it is like to be a part of a community that has pride in its school. My high school was a tiny little thing, which had a reputation for not exactly providing a prime education. At times, I was reluctant to tell people I attended that school. But now I feel pride when I inform someone that I go to Penn State University. I know that my school is providing me with an excellent education. I could already tell that during the first week of classes. Here, I am learning. Although I may complain about a class or two, I know that my professors (or in one case, my TA) are providing me with an education that is worlds away from what I ever had in high school. 

College has also taught me independence. Before college I was working, doing my own laundry, and paying for gas for the car, but I was still living under my parents' roof. Here I am by myself and I am totally on my own when it comes to making sure I meet all of my responsibilities. 

However, I think the biggest lesson I have learned from college is to not take for granted what I have at home. I would often go away to various camps and vacations over my summers at home. I was never the kid who was homesick; I was the one who was incredibly upset when the week was over. Now that I have been gone from my family for so long, I realize that I do miss them very much. I miss my little sister asking me to listen to music with her, and I miss watching our favorite TV show with my little brother. I miss my parents and all of the nice things they do for me on a daily basis. So, I think the greatest lesson that I have learned from college is to appreciate what I have at home. 

2.  http://austinluboff.blogspot.com/2012/09/artscultural-blog-post-2-palmer-museum.html#comment-form
http://kristinajoelle.blogspot.com/2012/09/on-friday-september-7-our-english-class.html#comment-form   http://emmatabacchi.blogspot.com/2012/09/botanical-gardens.html#comment-form http://scribblesndsuch.blogspot.com/2012/09/a-flower-y-english-class.html#comment-form http://mopbtcb.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-social-failure_3.html#comment-form http://obrienseyes.blogspot.com/2012/10/4-good-will-hunting.html#comment-form http://marisacutillo.blogspot.com/2012/10/iah-film-review.html#comment-form http://cuesandcommissions.blogspot.com/2012/10/old-school.html#comment-form http://bblissfullyblogging.blogspot.com/2012/10/hunting-for-good-will.html
http://turningbloggingintoanartform.blogspot.com/2012/11/good-not-great.html#comment-form

3. Hi, Ms. S-- I completed my SRTEs! ... :)