Semester 1

My expectations for the University of Maryland were somewhat based on the experiences of my brother’s time here since he’d already been a student at UMD for two years and lived on campus for one. I was expecting to have a really tiny room and not really foster many relationships with the people on my floor or in my dorm as a whole. On a more positive note, however, I did expect to meet tons of new people, foster new relationships, and explore my interests within my major and outside of the classroom. I was pleasantly surprised when I arrived at Bel Air on move in day and my corner room was a pleasant size. I love having two windows because they let in so much natural light and really brighten up the room. Despite some of the challenges, like not having an elevator and washing machines that don’t work, I love living in a smaller dorm. I’ve created so many friendships within Bel Air alone, which is probably also due to us all being Art Scholars.

In terms of my academic expectations, I didn’t really have any expectations. I knew that the structure, delivery, and required graded items would be different from the process in high school, but I didn’t have many expectations as to how. One of the things that did throw me off in all of my classes was either how little points an assignment could be worth or how many. For example, so many assignments in CPSA100 and my BSCI135 were one or two points. However, in my COMM107 class, there are many assignments with over 100 points. I do enjoy the quick feedback I’ve received so far, which I didn’t expect. In high school, assignments would be graded very slow and it was rare that we would actually get tests and quizzes back. Here, like in MATH120 for example, we get back every single quiz and midterm. And in general, assignments for all my classes are graded within a week of when we submitted or took them.

Because my brother’s freshman year at UMD was during the height of COVID-19 and he stayed at home to learn virtually, and his sophomore year was still impacted by restrictions, I thought I had a pretty good idea of the university’s policies. I was perhaps a little surprised and worried then, when UMD lifted the mask mandate at the beginning of the first semester. I didn’t know what to expect, since this isn’t how it was for my brother. However, I’m generally happy with the policy of UMD regarding COVID-19. I did like the fact that a lot of students when they became sick at any point in the year would wear masks to keep others safe. And it seems like the university promotes health behavior and practices.

As an Art Scholar, we are required to take two supporting courses to supplement our learning in colloquium. Both of my supporting courses are in the form of AP classes I took in high school that I earned credit for. The two courses that fulfill this requirement for me are AP Art History and AP English Literature and Composition, and their equivalents here at UMD ARTH200 and ENGL278 respectively. One of the pieces I learned about in both AP Art History and colloquium was Marcel Duchamp’s Fountain. The other material I learned in AP Art History also helped me make my art work for our showcase at the end of the first semester. I included many pieces of art that we had learned about in class and that I was still fascinated with. Although I haven’t taken any further art history courses at UMD thus far, I recently added a minor in Art History, so I’m excited to see what connections I can make to Art Scholars with these courses.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from colloquium, although I figured it would be pretty exciting and interactive based on what I already knew about our Service Day. I was proved right with all of the guest speakers and activities we did in class. I wasn’t expecting to have such an interactive colloquium and be able to discuss art with so many different people (like the guests). The one that caught me super off-guard was the voguing, although it was so much fun and forced me out of my comfort zone. I appreciate the effort it took to get so many guest speakers to UMD to share their craft with us. Doing assignments like the Pentathlon and the field were also interactive and enjoyable because it allowed us to explore campus and the arts simultaneously. Overall, colloquium was way more exciting than I thought it would be.

Looking back across my first semester, one of the most thought-provoking and impactful things I learned in Arts Scholars was to look for art in everything and everywhere, and to take advantage of it as much as I can. Doing each Pentathlon forced me to reconsider my personal bias and perceptions regarding art, and forced me to look for art in things I wouldn’t have thought of. For example, I wouldn’t have considered storytelling an art before I chose one for one of my pentathlons. The reinforcement of this idea after each one has made me look forward to seeing art in everything I can. It truly is everywhere. The field trips, in addition to the pentathlons, have also given me the opportunity to take advantage of this idea and create art. Being so busy in my senior year of high school and the summer before freshman year of college, I hadn’t had a lot of opportunities to enjoy and explore art, which is something to do. The field trips made me remember how important it is to me and made me realize I need to find time to create and enjoy art more often. I remember this thought first occurred to me when I did the blacklight painting workshop for our first pentathlon, and it was only reinforced from there. I intend to take advantage of my winter break to enjoy my favorite forms of art and explore some new ones!

Semester 2

Adjusting to university has definitely not been easy. That being said, some of what made it easier were the first connections and friendships I made within 48 hours of being on campus. I would say that just by indulging in my artistic interests and being an Art Scholar in the first place has allowed me to make connections with other students both in Art Scholars and otherwise. I’ve realized that UMD is a very connected place, and if you know one person, you likely know five others. With the few friends I made the first day being here at UMD while waiting to leave for the service projects, I’ve made so many more. These other friends have been in other Scholars programs, as well Honors and not in a program at all. Meeting these friends have enabled me to cope very well with the adjustment to university. Most of us have a shared struggle with university, whether it be the dysfunctional washers of Bel Air or similar course loads. It’s refreshing to be able to share emotions with those close to you, and it only strengthens bonds. I feel as though there aren’t any huge obstacles when it comes to pursuing these friendships, at least none that I have experienced, but I will say it can be overwhelming trying to keep up with everybody. I would say to the incoming freshman that it's important not to rely on these new friendships too much and maintain a sense of individuality. However, because most of the friends you will make are going through the same sense of adjustment, you can bond over almost anything.

On a similar note, the Arts Scholars program has helped foster a sense of community as well as artistic engagement. This semester in particular, I was able to get extremely close with the members of my Art Therapy workshop. Being in the workshop together every week and working on our final projects together all while decompressing through art allowed us to get really close as a group. Not to mention, all of the workshops coming together to present our artwork for ArtsFest created a sense of community not only in Scholars, but with the rest of the community coming to view our work. In terms of artistic engagement, we are encouraged to explore different forms of art every two weeks or so with Pentathlon and the field trips allow us a fun space to do so as well. In the future, I might be able to continue to contribute to the Arts Scholars community by attending events such as ArtsFest to support incoming members. As a sophomore in Arts Scholars, I will also be directly involved through my capstone project.

Through my experiences as a first year student in the Arts program, my understanding and appreciation of art has been enhanced and enriched. Completing the Pentathlon assignments periodically have forced me to look for art in things I wouldn’t normally, such as film or literature. I find that I naturally find art in more things than I did before this semester, and even before I was an Art Scholar at all. I would say that experiencing the interplay of different forms of art at once on field trips, such as during Cirque du Soleil and the Harry Potter musical on the NYC trip also expanded my knowledge and enjoyment of art. My participation in the Art Therapy workshop this semester allowed me to realize how much I enjoy certain forms of art. The workshop made me realize I do have artistic talent in mediums I had been too scared to explore. Future Art Scholars can expand their own definitions of art by immersing themselves in new or unusual experiences and forcing themselves to confront their preconceived notions about art.

Over the duration of the entire semester, I grew tremendously academically and personally, some of which happened as a result of being an Art Scholar. I touched on this briefly above, but I felt as though I experienced the most growth through my workshop this semester. Although I enjoy art, I had never necessarily considered myself a (good) artist. Being in the Art Therapy workshop allowed me to explore artistic mediums, many of which I had little confidence in, and find comfort in them. Painting had always been stressful for me, but I found a love for watercolor and even did my final project using it. I truly believe that Arts Scholars can get the most out of the program by putting themselves out there and by making an effort to try new and uncomfortable things.

Not only have I fostered new relationships with my peers, but also with faculty. I would say my greatest success in developing relationships with faculty members has been with those within my major and concentration. It takes a lot for me personally to feel confident to reach out or connect with professors and academic leaders, so this was a huge obstacle to overcome. Connecting with professors teaching my major classes can help open opportunities for me and find other connections within my field. I feel like it will be difficult for me to reach out still, however, since the prospect of fostering a new relationship is anxiety-inducing. I do recommend that students connect with professors in a class that they enjoy or one that applies to their field so that they are actually invested in the relationship.

Semester 3

As an Art Scholar, the idea that art is subjective and always evolving has been reinforced consistently. Therefore, discourse about art in any form can form new perceptions and challenge preconceived notions about art. Having conversations about art during colloquium and experimenting with its different forms, from learning about the history of art to participating in workshops and using drums, has at least allowed me to reshape my own understanding. I have rediscovered a love for watercolor painting through my workshop last semester and have had my preconceived notions about the boundaries of art challenged throughout my time as an Art Scholar through conversations with my peers and real-world exploration. I’ve learned as an Art Scholar, that the best practical strategy for initiating the creative process is trial and error. As someone that experiences creative blocks frequently, I find that taking insight from my own past works or experiences, as well as my personal inspirations in the art world helps me move forward in my creative process. One thing I love about the creative process is that you can continuously add to pieces, or even scrap them and start over if needed. For example, my final project for my workshop last semester drew upon my childhood for inspiration. I worked with a subject I was familiar with and a medium that I was rediscovering. Just by experimenting and “playing around,” I created a product I was satisfied with. With this mindset, we can effectively incorporate feedback to refine our ideas. The creative process is about building upon a foundation, and so feedback will only enhance the final product. As I use trial and error, I can experiment based on feedback I receive.

I first gained the inspiration for my capstone project from my courses as a Criminology and Criminal Justice Major. One of the parts of my CCJS342 course was to read news articles for class each week, and I came across a New York Times article discussing the relationship between art and mass incarceration, which I eventually ended up using for my capstone project research. The article describes the art of mass incarceration, in terms of artists creating within prison and artists creating from outside prison, inspired by the system. It describes art created by inmates both while incarcerated and after their incarceration, in which they were able to express frustrations with the system they faced as well as things they were forced to confront about themselves while serving time. Since I ended up using this article as inspiration for my capstone, being in the Arts program definitely helped me understand it better. Within my CCJS course, I looked at it from a corrections standpoint, but I was able to look at it from an artistic perspective through its use for my capstone. The article, in my opinion, highlights the importance of art in all spheres and spaces of life, including prison. It is a necessary part of human expression and should not be limited to the few.

As someone whose Arts supporting courses were fulfilled through credits from high school, my Art History minor shows the most connections to my experiences so far as an Art Scholar. My ARTH201 course that I took last semester reminded me of the importance of art historically and how the art world is a cycle of influence. Throughout history, artists were inspired by past artists to create similar or opposing artworks. This is how artistic movements were created. And still today, artists are influenced by past movements as well as other artists in the current ones. This relates to the creation of my final capstone, as I am inspired by the history of prison art, in addition to what we have learned in the past semesters as Art Scholars. Throughout my time as an Art Scholar we have been asked to synthesize information about art and create our own pieces in response, taking inspiration like I described above.

Overall, my learning was definitely improved by interacting both in and out of class with my fellow Arts Scholars. Being a part of this living-learning community is what allowed me to make my first friends here on campus. I met a fellow Art Scholar during summer orientation, and we both connected with what would eventually become our friend group during the Scholars Service Day. Starting the semester with such a strong foundation allowed me to positively interact both in and out of class. I was able to communicate with these friends outside of class to help each other with inspiration or give feedback on assignments. It was also nice to be able to enjoy field trips and class time with people I felt comfortable with. Within class, I was able to more effectively enjoy and interact with other classmates since I had such a strong foundation. I think if I had not known anyone going into Art Scholars, I wouldn’t have been as likely to reach out and meet others. Due to this, I was able to make the most of my Art Scholars experience. I looked forward to class and outside activities, and was able to collaborate effectively with my peers. Because of this, I don’t think the living-learning experience fell short in any way. Through the experiences of the living-learning programs, I was able to meet others and expand my interests outside of Art Scholars.

I think the most obvious manner in which I’ve contributed to the Arts program, as well as the Scholars program generally this semester, is just by being an active member of the community. I attend colloquium weekly, engaging by participating in various activities led by my TA as well as listening to the occasional academic presentation. I attempt to connect with and communicate with my TA group to the best of my ability each class, hoping to get to know them more and continue to forge bonds within Scholars. I also engage in discussion about field trips that we’ve been able to experience. Within Art Scholars, I also attend Craft & Chats and various activities outside of class to remain present within the community. In terms of the larger Scholars community, I stay engaged by conversing and attending events with my friends in other programs. We often provide inspiration for each other in our creative and academic assignments, lending new perspectives with conversation. I wish I was able to contribute more in terms of events outside of colloquium. I think it is important to be active outside of class, and aim to attend more of these events to connect with the larger community.

As I mentioned above, being an Art Scholar allowed me to gain many of the good friends I have at the current moment. Although we all share Art Scholars in common, or just Scholars in general, we are all also from different backgrounds. This group of friends is able to have conversations about our different backgrounds and converse about anything from silly to serious topics. Since we come from some different and some similar circumstances, we are able to share opinions that may lend a differing perspective. Even when we don’t necessarily agree on everything, we converse in a respectful manner and this allows us to at least ponder and consider other perspectives if we don’t immediately agree. There is a great value in exploring perspectives other than your own. You may think a certain way due to the way you were brought up or the media you consume, and may be limited to this way of thinking. Having people surround you that challenge these beliefs, or at least paint things in a different light, is crucial because it forces you to constantly reaffirm your beliefs. It’s important to be intellectually stimulated in this way and be educated in your beliefs. Exploring other perspectives may lend nuance to the way you think. For example, my group of friends and I converse frequently about music. We recently listened to a new album that just dropped, and after independently listening to it we all convened. Hearing what my friends had to say about each song made me look at certain songs in a new light and appreciate them more if I didn’t originally like them at first.

Semester 4

One of the biggest, and perhaps most important, ways I see my growth as an Art Scholar highlighted in my ePortfolio is through my resume. Coming into college and into Art Scholars, my resume was not very well composed and just generally bare. As a Sophomore about to enter my Junior year, it has become so much more professional and has become filled with experiences, accomplishments, and skills. This development showcases my academic and professional growth not only with what I am able to include on my resume, but also how I present it. With more information to present, I’ve had to get creative with how to present it all. Another way in which I’ve grown in my ability to articulate my ideas through written forms of communication is in my Pentathlons/TRYathlons and semester reflections. When I first started completing these assignments, I wasn’t very adept at communicating my thoughts. The connections I would make were not very developed and it seemed as though I wasn’t as open-minded. Reading through the multitude of these assignments highlights how my ability to articulate my ideas through them has greatly improved.

As a result of the experiences I’ve had through the program, my basic perception of what I even consider to be art has been influenced and redefined. This occurred through many of the events I went to as part of my Pentathlon/TRYathlon assignments. For example, I attended an AAB pumpkin painting event in the first semester. When I think of art, I certainly don’t think of pumpkins, much less painting them. I associate them typically with carving. Activities such as these helped me open my mind to relate things I wouldn’t normally, with art. Being constantly exposed to art in different ways like this has helped me consider my experiences differently. Instead of waiting to reflect on how my perception has changed, I actively seek ways I can relate the real world to art. Another way in which this occurred was with two of our guest speakers, Baye and Asa, as they helped us experience stretching as a form of art. As a sophomore, I continued to have my perception of art be influenced by my peers’ capstone projects and workshops. Two in particular that stood out were the playlist-making and typography workshops. These two emphasized the importance of curation in making playlists and making typefaces, as well as how this curation can be a means of self-expression. Through experiences such as these, I have become more open-minded in regards to what I consider and seek out as art. I find the beauty of art in more daily experiences, such as stretching, making playlists, or reading signs.

My capstone project highlighted what I’ve learned throughout my two years in the program by building upon skills I’ve learned during colloquium. One of the key ideas I learned throughout colloquiums and my art history supporting courses was that the majority of art we view has been inspired by art or artists of the past. I was able to see this through numerous artworks we studied in both types of courses. This realization was key for me because it reduced many of the anxieties I had about creating art solely from scratch and needing to make something totally original. Studying historical movements and famous pieces made me realize that all artists take inspiration from past movements or past works of art. I utilized this mindset in my capstone project by conducting a lot of research and collecting inspiration from artwork by incarcerated individuals and about incarcerated individuals.

As I mention in the “About Me” section of my ePortfolio, the artistic disciplines I was primarily interested and experienced in were dance, photography, and music. This manifested more specifically in my love for ballet and film photography. I wouldn’t say that I was close-minded when it came to other disciplines, but I tended to stick to those that I was comfortable and familiar with. Not to mention, I had also spent so many years improving within each discipline. Being an Art Scholar, however, has allowed me to deepen my artistic talents by encouraging and enabling me to explore forms of art that I was experiencing or unfamiliar with. For example, I rediscovered my love for watercolor painting in my Art Therapy workshop as a Freshman. This workshop had us explore a different medium every week in relation to its benefits. I created my final piece, inspired by a favorite childhood book, with a medium that I also loved when I was younger. This workshop allowed me to rediscover my love for an old medium and allow me to connect with my younger self simultaneously. Another example was in my Crochet 101 workshop this past semester. For as long as I can remember, I had wanted to learn how to crochet but was too intimidated to start. Not only did I successfully learn how to crochet during this workshop, but I created two beautiful final pieces, and will continue to use this knowledge outside of academics.

Looking back on my experiences in Art Scholars, where I see myself having best demonstrated the ability to collaborate effectively with those holding diverse artistic perspectives, interests, and abilities was in CPSA250. The section I was in was the biggest out of all of the sections combined, which brought numerous artistic abilities and perspectives together in one room. Each one of us had very different ideas for our capstone projects and were showcasing them in very different ways. And in this class, we were always encouraged to ask questions and provide feedback regarding our capstones. Therefore, it was important to be able to effectively and respectfully provide feedback as well as take feedback. I feel as though I effectively demonstrated this ability by being able to have constructive conversations with my peers about her respective projects when prompted to do so in class. For example, many of my peers emphasized how important it would be to showcase the research and meaning behind my piece, leading to the final “murder board” idea for my curation.

I think my Scholars experience will first inform my future, inspiring me to continue enjoying and creating art. Being an Art Scholar has opened my eyes to so many new ways of creating and perceiving art, having reinspired my love for certain art forms all while teaching me others. In terms of more academic skills that were reinforced from being an Art Scholar, I know I will continue to use some of the same research techniques. Being a college student requires lots of research, especially in my field, so I will see myself using many of the same techniques to conduct, synthesize, and present research as a Junior and Senior, as well as in post-grad. Although I don’t see my future career working with art as closely as this, I hope to continue to take time to be creative and pursue art as a hobby. I’ve learned as an Art Scholar, however, that art is everywhere and can be seen in small daily experiences with things like making a playlist or reading signs on your way to class. Therefore, I expect to experience art everyday regardless.