Standing in front of a classroom filled with teenagers, my heart begins to pound. My guidance counselor knows that public speaking isn’t my strong suit. Why did he put me in this class?! As I struggle to remember what I practiced last night, my vision goes blurry and I fall to the ground. Being pushed out of the classroom in a wheelchair is definitely on my list of most embarrassing moments.

As I listen to muMz recite his poems, I am shocked at his level of comfort in front of a crowd, his ability to memorize thousands of words, and his performance of his poems. I guess it doesn’t say much since this is coming from someone who faints when public speaking, but I was truly amazed at how comfortable muMz was on stage. He immediately connected with the audience, making eye contact with each viewer and allowing the audience to participate in parts of his act. I honestly have no idea how muMz memorized all of those words. I can’t even memorize the formula for hydronium for my chemistry class. muMz also emphasized his poems perfectly and allowed the audience to understand his emotions. The spit flying from his mouth and the sweat dripping from his forehead gave his performance a better sense of authenticity. Another aspect of muMz’s performance that I liked was the structure of his poems. He smoothly transitioned from one piece to another without the interruption of the audience clapping.

There were several moments in muMz performance that I found dull. Although many people loved the simplicity of the performance, I wasn’t a big fan of it. The plain brick background and the lights didn’t cut it for me. When my eyes began to droop and muMz words started to sound like mumbles, I yearned for something to keep me going, to keep my head from falling to my chest, but I didn’t receive that. As someone who doesn’t really know much about hip-hop, it was hard to keep up with the hip-hop references and to understand the meaning behind some of MuMz’s lines.

As a teenage girl starting off her college career, muMz’s words about overcoming fear really appealed to me. There are many challenges being thrown my way right now and even though some may scare me, I must continue to try my hardest. muMz spoke about his college experience and about finding his true self, which is something that I’m really struggling with right now. I came into college knowing what I wanted to major in but soon realized that I have no idea who I am and what I want to do for the rest of my life. muMz allowed me to accept that I’m unsure of my future and validated my feelings of doubt. Yes, I question myself on a daily basis and yes, I am afraid of growing up and dealing with the future, but “fear is a warning and I’m scared.”

This performance would appeal to a wide range of communities. Even if someone doesn’t know much about hip-hop, the majority of the content is about muMz’s personal experiences that anyone could relate to. I really enjoyed the show and would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for both a laugh or a cry.

Stepping off the subway, Arlene and I look at the GPS on our phones confused, trying to figure out which way INTAR Theatre is. As we look up at all the bright signs, we figure it must be toward all the other theatres on Broadway. Suddenly the blue dot seems to be getting farther and farther away from the pinpoint at INTAR. Puzzled, we turn around and start heading toward the pinpoint. After walking several blocks, we finally reach 500 W. 52 St. Now how do we get to the 4^th floor? Should we listen to Professor Healey’s warning about the creepy elevator? Sweat dripping from our foreheads, we decide that the elevator can’t be thaaaat bad. We push the button for the 4^th floor, but the elevator seems to be moving down. Unexpectedly, the door opens to a brick wall with a note apologizing, “Sorry for the inconvenience. You’ll be getting to your floor right away.” The door closes and up we go. When the elevator door opens again to a room, I let out a big sigh of relief. We are greeted and handed a playbill, then find ourselves seats in a sketchy waiting area. What has Professor Healey got us into?

David Koteles play, Teach Teacher Teachest, is a captivating adaptation of Eugene Ionesco’s The Lesson. The three actors were able to turn a small room into what felt like a huge theatre. The set was used as a jungle gym, a house, and a classroom all in one. The interactive play made us all laugh until ours bellies ached, but it definitely had some hidden meanings as well. Behind all the jokes, the truth about the American education system was revealed. The professor would ask the student questions and when she would say an answer that he didn’t approve of, which wasn’t necessarily wrong, he would call her stupid. He would make up absurd answers to his own questions that didn’t even make sense. I guess that is what school feels like sometimes, when you try your hardest but still get the answer wrong. For instance, on my chemistry quiz last week, I did all the work for a problem right but rounded my answer wrong and received a 0/10 for the entire problem. Sometimes all your effort doesn’t matter and the play really captivated the struggles of being a student.

The play ends both dramatically and comically when the teacher smashes a watermelon, which represents him killing his student. This made me think about the faults in the education system. Many students feel so uncomfortable going to school every day that they get depressed. This is an obviously sign that something isn’t right. Students shouldn’t have to choose between their grades and their mental and physical health. As a student, the play really appealed to me. Although it was really funny and I enjoyed myself, it allowed me to think about the difficulties of being a student and opened my eyes to the reality of our education system.

What is the American Dream? Millions of foreigners travel long distances seeking opportunity and the ability to succeed in a new home. As a second generation Iranian, my parents moved to America to ensure a better standard of living for our family. Leaving all of their belongings behind, my parents rode donkeys, climbed mountains, and eventually escaped from Iran. When they finally arrived in America with nothing but a few dollars, they moved into a small apartment in Queens. Working day and night my parents saved up every last penny. After several years of hard work and determination, my parents were finally able to move to Long Island. My brothers and I were raised in Great Neck and were given many opportunities to succeed. Our geographic location enabled us to get a better education than many people and gave us the chance to study at top-notch universities. Many people aren’t as lucky as you or I. If a child grows up in an impoverished neighborhood, his or her chances of getting a proper education and succeeding in life aren’t very high. Social mobility in America has become a serious issue. The ladder of opportunity is failing and social mobility is declining.

Oliver Stone’s movie, Wall Street, effectively portrays class structure in America. Taking place in New York, the difference between lower, middle, and high class families is accurately displayed. Bud Fox, a middle-class stock broker trying to become wealthy, manipulates his family and friends and ends up losing everything he had and going to jail. On the other hand, Gordon Gekko is a filthy rich man who accurately represents the upper class. He steps on others and won’t stop at anything to make money. Even though he already owns millions of dollars, he continues to scheme his way through life and steal the jobs and money of others. Bud, who admires Gekko, changes his values throughout the movie and eventually learns that money doesn’t buy happiness. Social classes are depicted by where different people eat. Bud’s father and his other blue-collar friends hang out at the local bar, whereas the white-collar big shots eat at fancy restaurants. In addition, Bud makes it clear to his father that those who live in Queens are going to struggle to climb the social-class ladder. Throughout the movie, Bud moves from a small crowded apartment to a large one with fancy paintings and a beautiful view.

Robert De Niro’s role in the movie Taxi Driver exposes the reality of the lower class. While working the night shift, he sees how filthy New York truly is. Travis describes all that he sees when he says, “All the animals come out at night – whores, skunk pussies, buggers, queens, fairies, dopers, junkies, sick, venal.” (Taxi Driver) Surrounded by prostitutes, pimps, and criminals, Travis begins to go mad. He is disgusted by the scum-filled streets and he resorts to violence to make a statement. The lower class have a tough time getting by, which forces them to resort to prostitution, stealing, and killing. No matter how hard they seem to work, it seems almost impossible for them to climb the social-class ladder.

Both of these films depict the differences in social classes and how each class has it’s own struggles. Whether you’re cleaning semen off the back seat of a taxi like Travis, or riding go-karts on the beach like Gekko, each person has his or her own hardships. Both Taxi Driver and Wall Street truly epitomized the theme that money doesn’t buy happiness.

Ten minutes have passed and I simply cannot put into words what art means to me. Art is the feeling I get when I see an old photograph or the chills that appear on my arms when I listen to my favorite song. There are many forms of art. Some people think of art as what you see in a museum, but I couldn’t disagree with this statement more. To me, art can be anything and everything. I believe that the turkey sandwich I made for lunch today, or even the laundry piling up on my floor, are art. Both of these get a reaction out of me, and that is what art is all about.

One of my most recent experiences with art occurred as I was waiting in line for the ferry to get to the Statue of Liberty. No, I’m not about to rant about how beautiful Lady Liberty is. Rather, I am going to share with you an amazing artist that I met. It was a hot summer day and the line hadn’t moved in minutes. As my cousins and I waited and waited, we heard an unfamiliar sound from the distance. The artist slowly made his way through the crowd and when he finally came close enough for me to see him, I was astonished. Using a large rounded pot, the artist had created an instrument. This seems like an unconventional form of art, but he had managed to create such beautiful sounds out of an everyday object. Seeing the amazement in my eyes, he said to me, “What is your ethnicity?” I told him that my parents are from Iran and he immediately began to play Happy Birthday in Farsi. A smile had formed from one cheek of mine to the other, and that is what art is all about.

I’d like to share with you a form of art that I find really interesting. Banksy is an English graffiti artist who uses his street art as a form of political activism. He travels the world and leaves an imprint wherever he goes. Although Banksy has won several awards and is well known for his art, he allows everyone to view his art for free. No one has to pay an entrance fee to get into a museum and see his work, and that is what I like most about him. The image below is one of my favorite pieces by Banksy.

Banksy is making a statement about the effects of social media on young adults. Many people rely on likes or comments to make them feel accepted. Although social media has its benefits, it has also led to depression and suicide in many young adults. This is a problem that many people today don’t take seriously. Banksy is using his talent to teach people about today’s issues, and that is what art is all about.

Although I truly enjoyed visiting the Brooklyn Museum, the paintings and sculptures that I saw didn’t accurately portray my vision of art. Obviously those who created the paintings and sculptures put in a lot of effort to create them and they are clearly beautiful, but I personally find that museums care more about making money than allowing their visitors to immerse themselves in art. Honestly, I find it kind of frustrating to stare at a painting and try to figure out what the artist means. But then again, maybe that’s not what the artist wanted. Maybe we’re all supposed to look at a painting and turn it into our own by using our personal experiences. I guess writing this blog is making me question myself. Isn’t that what art is really all about?