Saturday, August 23rd, 2014...1:45 pm
What I Think About My Sophomore Year
Hey all! I thought it would be a nice idea, as the semester has come to a close and I am beginning to enjoy my summer months, to fill you all in on what I have been up to during the past semester. Visit my Academics page to see a bulleted list of my classes, assignments, awards, and activities!
I continued, as I have since Spring 2013, with a 19 credit semester, including two art history classes, a history course, a Macaulay seminar, and various other electives and requirements. Because of how classes fell out this semester, I was able to “theme” my term. This was something that I was really excited about. The arbitrary theme I chose (let me clarify, “theming a semester” is not an official term by any means, and is uniquely a Marina idea) was Ireland. I took a History of Ireland course, 
Celtic Mythology (English department), and Early Medieval Art History (which focused for more than half the semester on Celtic art). Though I didn’t much enjoy my history course – I felt it was too much of a “gloss” of the subject – I found that the information I learned from all of the classes aided me. Artifacts that I learned about in my Art History course translated well into my Celtic Mythology course where I even included imagery analysis in one of my English papers. Basic identifications that I learned in my History class also helped me better understand the culture that was described in the Celtic tales. To be honest, starting off the semester in Celtic Mythology, an upper level English course with necessary pre-requisites that I had waived by the professor, I was very nervous. Everyone else in the class was either an English or Comparative Literature major, and I assumed that they would have a much higher understanding of the material. After our first online discussion forum, I realized that I had nothing to worry about (though I was still quite hesitant about my ability for a while longer). My professor, Dr. Jeffery Cassvan, mentioned my connections between various texts to the class, and acknowledged me personally afterwards. This was my first “real” English class setting since high school, since English 110 Honors was more of a basic class in which we learned the basics of composition.
Perhaps my most interesting class, though, and the class in which I learned the most information was Art History 200 – Sexual Difference. Taught by Professor Saslow, the same professor I had taken a semester before (Art History 220 – Renaissance and Modernity), the three hour, once a week, lecture was captivating! It was an overview of the appearance of sexual deviance throughout history, from Greco-Roman art to the present. I learned that art can be viewed in many different ways and through various different lenses. The course was part of a larger Teach Queer Initiative on campus this semester.
To fulfill my 19 credit desire, I took a one credit FNES (Family, Nutrition, and Exercise Sciences) course in Folk Dance. In 16 weeks, we learned 16 dances from around the world – England, Scotland, Estonia, Russia, Yugoslavia, Mexico, America, Denmark, and Italy. The class was comprised of mostly physical education students, as it is a requirement for their major. The work out proved to be more extensive than one might think, and I returned to my dorm, sweaty, every time! The professor, Robin Osborne, acknowledged me as the best in the class (I’m not bragging), and my peers always looked to me for guidance and review.
Extracurricularly, I kept myself busy. Volunteering at the Museum of Tolerance as a docent has been really enjoyable for me. I usually give 4 hours of my time each month, giving two tours to groups of high school and middle school students. I plan on continuing this position throughout my college career, as long as time permits. I am also ushering at the Kupferberg Center for the Arts on campus. It allows me to see shows that I would otherwise not, and it exposes me to various cultures – in the past month, there were several Indian Culture events. Of course, I continued Wind Ensemble this semester and will pursue it again next year as well.
As for the future? I am off to Spain in a few weeks for my first study abroad experience. I will be studying Spanish Art at the University of Rey Juan Carlos in Madrid. The trip proves to be an exciting one, as I will also be traveling to Segovia and El Escorial, as well as visiting the Prado with my class. Afterwards, my family will meet up with me and we will go down to Malaga to visit my paternal family – I always enjoy spending time with them! And next year? Well, I have been elected President of the History Club, a club which, as of yet, has been unsuccessful in recruiting members and hosting events. With this position, I hope to foster a History community at Queens College, especially as I don’t really know that many history majors! Secondly, I have been accepted as a CERRU Fellow for the next two years, and will be training with the Center on how to lead and encourage discussions about controversial and sensitive issues. During my Spring 2015 semester, I hope to have acquired a museum internship, and by the end of my junior year at QC and Macaulay, I will have completed my double major!
Right now, I am just enjoying the time I have off. Though I am great at managing my time during the school year, and I find myself with plenty of time to relax and de-stress, there is something special about the summer, when I don’t need to worry about anything! So, with that, I am going to sign this post off and enjoy some crocheting (a hobby that I have really picked up in the past several months, making dolls and baby blankets for people). Thanks for reading!
