Macaulay Seminar One at Brooklyn College

To be totally honest, this has been my first time visiting both the Vietnam Memorial and the 9/11 Memorial. I was certainly moved. My feelings at both Memorials were similar in a sense but yet differed.

Visiting the Vietnam Memorial brought tears to my eyes. I felt a personal connection to those who died in war even though I couldn’t have known them. Although I was not born while the war was happening, I felt as if I understood their pain. The words written on the wall were extremely powerful. As I tried to slowly connect the words and create the sentences, I felt a shiver running down my spine. I knew at that moment that I was moved by the words, that the sensational words had power.

The first paragraph that caught my eye reads, “Dear Pete, Just a short note. Please don’t do anything foolish. Seriously Pete, please take care of yourself. Don’t be a hero. I don’t need a Medal of Honor winner. I need a son. Love, Mom.”

I stood in front of the wall, reading those words over and over. I wondered how old the boy was, was he drafted? I wondered what the mom meant when she said, “I don’t need a hero.” If her son is fighting in war, he is a hero! I wondered what Pete’s mother was feeling when she wrote this note. What was Pete’s original reaction? Here, I was able to take one letter and connect it to my life, as if I knew who Pete was. Creating these connections, made the war seem more personal to me. It made me question what could’ve happened if the war occurred in my time!

When I arrived at the 9/11 Memorial, I was stunned. The area was beautiful and comprised of a forest of trees and 2 square pools with the largest manmade waterfalls in the US flowing down their sides. These pools were built where the twin towers once stood. Surrounding the pools and inscribed in the bronze plates were the names of those victims lost in the 9/11 terrorist attack. Additionally, a rose was placed on top of the name of each victim who has a birthday that same day. This rose-placing made the memorial seem more personal to the victim’s family members.

The architecture itself really got to me. The fact that the pools were created in the footsteps of the actual twin towers made the visit extremely moving. It was as if this Memorial was sending a message that the twin towers will never be replaced and that those who died will not only be always remembered, but will be remembered in the same location that they died. The noisy water rushing down made me feel as if nothing else mattered at that moment. That it was just me standing silent and alone, commemorating all those innocent victims of the attack.

I remember 9/11 like it was yesterday. I was in the first grade, when I was rushed out of class, into my family car, and home to see the burning towers on every channel on TV. I’ve heard stories of people I knew who either died in the towers or were spared. Although you would assume that I felt more connected to the 9/11 Memorial, I can certainly say I was moved more by the Vietnam Memorial. Reading actual letters written by or to the victims of the Vietnam War left me heartbroken.

The opera, a branch of art that I’ve rarely experienced. This was my first time to an Opera in about 8 years and it was amazing! The stage was large, the seats were good, and the performances were spectacular. I loved their interpretation of the play because it was so off the walls and hilarious. The characters had great voices and I commend them for singing for so long, that is a true feat.

Unlike other forms of art, this didn’t make me feel much. I wasn’t moved or forced to think critically about anything, I felt like this was solely for my entertainment. The only underlying messages I found were the clever ideas that Shakespeare conveyed through this play about how our ideas of love may be very skewed, like a woman loving a donkey. Overall this was one of the best if not my favorite event that we have gone to, it was so much fun, but way too overpriced. One more awesome thing was the stage. I loved how dynamic it was, always changing to set a mood or switch scenes, that added a lot to the experience, seeing the odd figures fly across the stage, or the black moon with a red outline, all of it helped to make this experience great.

That’s all folks.

The Metropolitan Opera is gorgeous! I’ve walked past it many times when I come to the city, but I hadn’t been as close to it as I was during the night of the opera. It’s so grand. Anyways the actual show was great too. The set was my favorite part because it was so far from what I was expecting and the funny thing is I felt like it depicted the forest more than a couple of cardboard tress would’ve. I especially liked the concept of the doors it gave the stage depth and I think the trees stabbed in to the doors was the set designers trying to be funny since it was one of Shakespeares’ silly plays. I also really liked the costumes towards the second half of the show because they got a little more opera-esque. Since I’ve read the play I knew what was going so I guess I wasn’t really watching that pan out. What really caught my attention throughout the night was how everything was presented, I’m glad I watched it that way though. I liked differentiating what I would’ve seen at the theater and what I saw at the opera.

I was super excited to go to the opera last week. I always imagined the people to be dressed in fancy clothes and expensive jewelry on, which did not fail to disappoint my expectation. I always knew that an opera involved singing, but i never realized that the ENTIRE thing was all singing with no microphones. I was really impressed by the amount of talent and skill and dedication they have to this profession. The set blew me away. It was so detailed and moved and at different angles to make it look like it was moving

I really enjoyed the concept of Zoe Strauss’s exhibit. I agree that there is so much beauty that surrounds us on a daily basis, yet we ignore such things and consider them boring or grotesque. Her pictures showcase the poverty and dysfunctional culture of Southern Philadelphia and the sketchy areas of New Jersey. Each picture was grotesque and at some points downright depressing, but there was a lot of beauty within. From prostitutes to Vietnam veterans, almost every subject had a smile on their face, or looked as if they were excited about something. This proves that money and fortune do not equate to happiness. These people, with almost nothing in their lives, still find the will to laugh, smile and joke around with their counterparts. Within this concept is the true meaning of Strauss’s exhibit; The setting you live in should not dictate your emotional standings and love for others. It is the small things in life that are important and tend to be the most beautiful; the crooked, sarcastic smile of a prostitute, the embrace between two veterans, one without an arm, in their sketchy hotel room.

My favorite, out of all the pieces, was the Chanel naval ring from Ocean City, New Jersey, 2009. It brings to light the disgusting and horrid reality of what our society usually refers to as sexy. You can see the naval is beginning to infect, and a liquid is starting to seep from the top. But, what really caught my eye about this piece was if you look closely into the silver ball at the top of the ring, you can see the reflection of the camerawoman, as well as her counterpart.