Connor Mayers
Arts Scholar
Semester 1
How does the structure, delivery, and required graded items compare to what you expected of university courses (ie: other than Colloquium)?
Obviously, the structure and delivery of my courses is much different than I would have imagined at first, due to the online nature of the semester. In terms of online classes though, the structure and delivery made sense, with each professor choosing to do what best fit the curriculum for their class. Graded items were mostly what I expected, although some classes had more work than I expected while others had less work than I expected.
From your experience so far, what Arts supporting courses and/or courses you are taking towards your major show the most interesting, surprising, and revealing intellectual connections to what you have learned or experienced in CPSA100? Cite at least one course and describe the synergies connecting the knowledge you acquired in that course with that acquired in Arts Scholars.
My English courses this semester have helped me make the most connections to CPSA100. Specifically, ENGL280 (The English Language) has been most insightful as it has really opened my eyes up to the myriad of different ways English has changed throughout its history. Understanding this has led me to better understand that other subjects evolve this way too, such as art. Art has been constantly changing for centuries, just like English has, and I think understanding how these changes fit into the greater world can help one better appreciate the subjects.
CPSA100: What have we covered in colloquium that you didn’t expect? What did we not explore (at least not yet) that you were expecting? How do activities, virtual or otherwise, beyond the classroom (e.g. “field trips”, pentathlon, Scholars Serves, peer mentor and Arts Advisory Board events) compare to what you thought it would be?
I wasn't really expecting learning as much about art in relation to social justice as we did, but it was certainly very worthwhile to do so. We haven’t talked too much about art history, which I’m hoping we may do in the future. Obviously things like field trips were much different this semester, but still very engaging and fun. Other activities beyond the classroom are also fun to complete and I am really excited to see how they will evolve once we move into a post pandemic world.
Life as a University Student: whether you live in the Cambridge Community, elsewhere on campus, or at home, how does University life compare to your high-school vision of it? How might your perceptions change as you consider your lifestyle arrangements for next semester and sophomore year?
I lived in Bel Air until Thanksgiving and then returned home, and although this certainly wasn’t how I would have originally imagined my semester going, it ended up working really well. The main thing I wanted to accomplish while being on campus was to create some deep friendships with people who were passionate about the same things I am, which I was able to do. I imagine next semester may be somewhat similar, but as the vaccine rollout begins, it will be nice to gradually have more and more freedoms as to what we can do..
How has the COVID-19 crisis and the university’s response to it either fit your expectations or contrasted with them?
I thought the University’s handling of the COVID situation was actually quite good and exceeded most of my expectations. Deciding to give everyone singles and have frequent testing were both great ideas that I think helped mitigate the spread of COVID really well.
Looking back across your first semester, what was the most thought-provoking, noteworthy, or impactful thing you learned in Arts Scholars? Describe at least one artifact (i.e., an assignment, a class session, a guest artist presentation, an Arts Scholars event, a meeting with a faculty member or student leader in the Arts community), what you learned, and how you might apply this knowledge in the future.
I think the most impactful experience I had from Arts Scholars this semester was the short film field trip I got to attend. All the films we saw were really interesting and thought provoking, and it was nice to see what my fellow Arts Scholars thought about the films as well. I learned that you can say a lot using film in a short amount of time, and I think this might inspire me to see how I can make art that is similarly engaging, beautiful, and concise.
Image Source: BBC.com
Semester 2
Throughout my first year at Maryland and in Art Scholars, I’ve learned a lot and grown significantly as a person. The following reflection will look back on some success and failures from throughout the year.
One of the most important things about life in college is making connections. Getting involved in clubs and organizations, as well as cultivating strong friendships is crucial to having a good experience in college in my opinion. Making connections with faculty members is also incredibly important for a plethora of reasons. This year I found it a bit harder to connect with my teachers than I ever previously had, because all of my classes were online. It felt kind of easy to just sit in the Zoom room and not say much, which I normally wouldn’t do in an in person class. A couple of my professors did a very good job of making themselves approachable though, and so I was able to connect with a few of them. My advice to any incoming students would be to remember that professors and faculty members are regular people just like the rest of us and that you shouldn’t be hesitant to try and connect with them in some way.
The first week that I was on campus, I was in the lounge in Bel Air talking to some other people and realized that a couple of us had very similar tastes in music. This common interest was incredibly useful in helping us connect, and those people quickly became my best friends here at Maryland. It was awesome that something as simple as our taste in art was enough to help us form a really good bond, and I think that is one of the greatest things about Arts Scholars: the people in the program are going to have similar interests with you. I would encourage incoming Arts Scholars to be open and vocal about their passions, such as music, film, or visual arts, which will help them connect with the other Scholars well.
The Arts Scholar community is great because it allows me to explore things that I never would have imagined doing before. For example, at the end of this semester I attended a hip-hop dancing field trip, which was a ton of fun but not something I normally would have considered because I am a terrible dancer. Getting to just hang out and chill to some good music while getting a workout in with fellow students was a great experience that I would not have done without Arts Scholars.
Throughout this year, I’ve learned a lot more about different forms of art and how they can impact my life. I’ve learned that art has played a much larger part in my life than I ever imagined and I also discovered that the people around me often view art in much different ways than I do. I encourage future Arts Scholars to keep an open mind and use the program to learn as much as they possibly can.
I think the aspect of Arts Scholars that was the most beneficial for me was my workshop. Amy did a great job leading it, and it was a great atmosphere in which to see other people’s creative processes and to get good feedback on my work. I think for future Arts Scholars my best advice on getting the most out of the program is to participate as much as you can, especially with your peers.
Semester 3
Throughout my third semester and Maryland and in the Arts Scholars program, I’ve learned a lot about myself and my relationship to art. This reflection will detail how that happened by answering some key questions and providing specific moments this semester which had an impact on me in some way.
“How can art reshape or recontextualize an understanding of our (individual and societal) learned history, biases, and beliefs?”
I think art is really powerful in allowing us to understand our history in such a powerful way. When we watched the documentary about the Mount Pleasant riots in colloquium, I felt like the way that they imbued music and various visual art forms into the story really helped me understand the events on a deeper level. It also made the uprising seem much more real, instead of just a random historical event I have no connection to.
“What are the theoretical models and practical strategies for initiating the creative process?”
One model we learned about was Liz Lerman Critical Response Process, which is designed to optimize feedback that someone receives on a given project. By allowing the creator to better guide what type of feedback they get, they are able to better improve whatever creative project they are working on.
“How can we effectively incorporate feedback to revise and refine our ideas with greater depth and clarity?”
I think one of the best ways to do this is to just get as much feedback as possible. The more eyes you can on a piece of work, the more varied types of feedback you’ll get. By analyzing all the options you now have, you can select the best improvements while still maintaining your own artistic voice.
From your experience so far, what Arts supporting courses, and/or courses you are taking towards your major, show the most interesting, surprising, and revealing intellectual connections to what you have learned or experienced as an Arts Scholar? Cite at least one course and describe the synergies connecting the knowledge you acquired in that course with that acquired in Arts Scholars.
One course that I got a lot out of this semester was ENGL359D “Queer Modernisms.” In it we discussed queer modernsit litearture, which I found to be a really interesting topic. One of the things we discussed most however though, was how modernist authors of this time used different writing techniques to points about queerness. The idea of linking together artistic techniques and identity is one that we certainly have touched on in Arts Scholars, and also will inform lots of the work on my Capstone project.
Discuss how or whether your learning was improved by interacting (in or out of class) with fellow Arts Scholars. Please use particular examples of how being a part of this living-learning community (virtual and otherwise) aided in expanding your learning and conversely, where it fell short.
One way that my life was improved heavily was by making friends with other Arts Scholars. One particular instance of this is the relationship I have with my good friend Carey. When Carey and I first met ;ast year we realized we had very similar music tastes, and we ended up bonding heavily over that. This year, we ended up going to a bunch of concerts together, which was really fulfilling. We saw Hop Along, Mannequin Pussy, and Lucy Dacus together, which all made for really amazing nights. Unfortunately, I no longer live on campus, so I feel like I haven’t been able to connect with a large amount of people in the Arts Scholars program.
Scholars encourages active contribution by students, either in academic settings (e.g., colloquium discussions and projects; field trip activities; etc.) or as part of the larger Scholars community. In what manner have you contributed to the Arts program and community the semester? What opportunities do you wish you were able to leverage to contribute more or in alternative ways?
In general, I feel like I could have contributed more in Arts Scholars this year. I showed up to Colloquium and went to an event and a field trip, but I felt like I was doing it more for the requirement and less because I was really interested in it. That being said, the field trip I attended, which was at the Glenstone Museum, was an amazing experience. The museum is one of the most unique I have ever been to and it really opened my eyes about how powerful art can be. I hope to have more experiences like that one in my last semester.
Discuss whether being in Scholars brought you into contact with people or concepts that challenged your previous beliefs or opinions. What is the value of exploring perspectives that are different from, or challenge, your own? Please provide an example.
I guess one way in which I’ve encountered differing beliefs in the Arts Scholars program is the way in which there are a lot of people with different interests than me. For example, my friend James and I are very different people. He is an engineering major, while I am an education and English major. But, we are both Arts Scholars because we have an interest in the Arts. I think have these differing perspectives in the program is really important and can help a lot of people learn.
Semester 4
Looking through my Pentathlons from both last year and this year, I think it is really easy to see how my abilities to write and talk about works of art have improved a ton during my time in Arts Scholars. When I started out in the program, I had fairly surface level analysis when it came to talking about art. I knew what I liked and what I didn’t, but I often struggled with expounding upon why this was the case. Throughout my time in the program though, through both expanding my horizons and practicing, I was able to much more effectively communicate my thoughts and feelings.
One example of my perception of art being influenced by my time in Arts Scholars was very recently, when I went to see a choreopoem performance for one of my Pentathlon events. I was familiar with what a choreopoem was before I attended, but actually getting to see one performed live was incredibly eye opening. The way in which the performers seamlessly combined poetry, dance, music, and theater was truly breathtaking, and the message behind the performance was only enhanced by all of these elements coming together. Another instance of my perceptions changing during the past two years was when we viewed the film La Menplasa, which depicted riots that took place in DC in 1991. The film was very intriguing in the way that it blended documentary and music while also depicting a lesser known piece of American history through the eyes of the people who participated in the event.
Throughout my capstone process, one of the biggest things that I tried to incorporate was focusing more on the artistic process more than anything. To me, the best part of the capstone process was going out and capturing sounds in the world around me, as well as making music for the first time. In Arts Scholars I always felt that the process behind making the art was always more emphasized than the final work itself, so I tried to use that mindset when working on my capstone.
Arts Scholars definitely helped me expand my creative abilities and interests. As previously mentioned, I had never made any music before, but both my capstone project and the workshop I took this spring allowed me to do so for the first time. Beyond that, I also found myself becoming invested in new artistic mediums in my time in the program, such as film and dance. Researching these mediums has been very fun and I think overall Arts Scholars has made me a much better consumer of artistic media.
One thing that helped me collaborate better with people was my capstone project. I wanted to use some music played by other musicians on my project, so figuring out a way to communicate to them about music was a challenge at first, since I have no real technical background in music though. Eventually though I was able to find ways to articulate what I was looking for on the project and was able to incorporate contributions from other people in my final work.
In general, I think Scholars will help me a lot going forward in life. As someone who wants to teach English, I think I have developed much better ways in talking about and sharing thoughts on art, which I think will be especially helpful as a teacher. Arts Scholars also helped me make a ton of awesome connections that have provided me with both good friends and people I can potentially use for guidance or help down the road.