One Last Thing...

For my final post on the blog, I will be reviewing the movie Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer. I'm sure most of you have seen this classic christmas movie, but have never taken the time to analyze it further. So, for my last post on the blog, here it is:

Produced in 1964, the story starts with two misfits, Hermey the elf that wants to be a dentist, and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. The amount of social rejection experienced by these two characters is staggering, and, when they finally meet, they become fast friends. When the two have finally had enough of being outcasts, they decide to run away. After a short time on the run, the two friends meet Yukon Cornelius, an eccentric prospector in search of silver and gold. The band of three eventually come into contact with the Abominable Snowman, an island of misfit toys, and Rudolph's love interest, Clarice. In the end, Rudolph gets to lead Santa's sleigh through the fog, and Hermey is finally accepted as the dentist he is.

Aside from the plot, what really makes this movie memorable is the animation. Hand-crafted characters that were shot in stop motion give the movie an incredibly authentic and innocent feel. You cannot help but smile when the Abominable Snowman slowly trudges his way towards the gang of misfits in a wholly cartoonish manner. Also, the vibrant colors of the characters and locations contribute to the christmas feel and can only incite more happiness. These two aspects combine to make this movie stand out from the crowd of christmas movies, and still allows it to be relevant 50 years later.

Every year I end up watching this movie, regardless of my age, and it never fails to entertain me. Often, watching movies from your childhood ruins them or reminds you of how easily you were amused back then. However, this movie in particular continues to entertain generations nowadays, and will continue into the future, as well.

The Curtain Call for Curtin Call

1. Self Evaluation

As my first semester ever as a Penn State student draws to an end in a crescendo of fear, finals, and formals, I have to take the chance to evaluate myself as a student of good ol' State and as a person in general.

I am not the organized person I once was. This is the first thing that comes to mind when thinking back on this semester. From forgotten homework assignment to the post-Katrina state of my half of the dorm room, it can be said that I lacked organizational skills this year. I have lost my wallet, key, phone, shoe, shirt, remote, etc. countless times this year, often finding them in ridiculous positions within my room. This really traces back to my lack of time management, as well as my chronic procrastination, but I will be sure to improve upon this area in future semesters at University Park.

Despite this lack of organization, however, I have found a way to improve my study habits. Knocking out many hours in the Paterno Library has done me well, and most of my major writing assignments and midterms have displayed my preparation. This is a stark contrast to my study habits in high school due to the fact that they were non-existent. College definitely raised the bar on the amount of personal preparation and commitment to the material from high school, and I have stepped up to meet it... for the most part.

Another positive attribute I have gained from these first few months at Penn State is a greater appreciation for other people. This includes art, ideas, and social encounters, as well. Through English 15S, I was able to delve a little deeper into the art world than I would typically be accustomed to, taking me to the museum, arboretum, and vast supply of art on the internet. Also, reading the compositions by my peers, whether on paper or on their blogs, has increased my grasp of what makes good writing and solid communication. These are the intangibles that only a college experience will allow you to attain. Lastly, through social experiences at Penn State, I feel that I have become a better communicator: verbally, emotionally, and through body language. The clash of hometown-cultures at Penn State is incredible even though most outsiders would not consider our campus an incredibly diverse place. Whether it is common sayings and slang like "jawn", "lampin", "doe", "chill-to-pull ratio", and countless others, or the way people party up here, it was a mixing pot of the pop culture of my generation from across the United States, as well as a few foreign countries.

Finally, though clichéd as it is, I have learned a lot more about myself this year than I ever have in the past. I have learned that I cannot trust my own memory when it comes to important things to remember, which proved itself numerous times this semester. Also, I learned that I am a pretty adaptable and easygoing person. I never would have thought I could put up with the annoying things my roommate does, or the minimum-wage-job-esque aspects of pledging, however I have put my head down and not let either bother me the least bit. I have gained a lot of confidence this year, both in my writing and in the way I carry myself. I can attribute all of this to my experience and education at Penn State, and I feel that I am beginning to find out why the alumni are so head over heels for Dear Old State.

With seven more semesters to go, I can only hope that Penn State will continue to have the positive influence on me that it has had up to this point. I anticipate many more 5-minute friends on the White Loop,  sleepless nights after football games, and small victories after a late night paper. Basically, I can not wait to look back on my years at University Park with fond memories and no regrets as I drop my future kids off at East Halls.


2. Update (with additional required info):

Blog Comments -

http://liddycoddington.blogspot.com/2012/09/walk-mile-in-my-shoes.html?showComment=1347482528026#c762560092305669164

http://bryancarse74.blogspot.com/2012/09/first-college-field-trip-palmer-museum.html?showComment=1348335613093#c2627013527540821181

http://ashleelindoh.blogspot.com/2012/10/movie-madness-social-network.html?showComment=1349563437338#c7029801453831012586

http://ifartcouldtalk101.blogspot.com/2012/10/national-lampoons-animal-house-is-1.html?showComment=1350853387368#c482063370443607757

http://samanthamartinblogspot.blogspot.com/2012/10/a-movie-review.html?showComment=1351520818451#c8825666948890986970

http://carascornerthearts.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-social-network.html

http://jimmyschlupp.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-social-network.html?showComment=1352518347319#c4638562200502020587

http://tarasaverageblog.blogspot.com/2012/11/5-in-red-and-brown-water.html?showComment=1353213663963#c2673959311384962273

http://takingonsociety.blogspot.com/2012/11/in-red-and-brown-water-review.html?showComment=1355200295328#c3578589591864834848

http://artandrhetoric.blogspot.com/2012/09/a-stroll-in-park.html?showComment=1355200495621#c2411553526518065117

3. Hi, Ms. S--I completed my SRTEs!

In the Red, Brown, and Often Confusing Water

Quick Summary: 

     On Tuesday night I attended a showing of Tarell Alvin McCraney's play In the Red and Brown Water. Oya, the protagonist, is a young, African-American female and aspiring track star raised in the southern United States. As she is beginning to enter womanhood, her mother, Mama Moja, dies and leaves her to do some growing up on her own. Prior to Mama Moja's death, Oya turned down an offer to run for "State" as a college athlete due to her mother's failing health. This decision is later remembered as a possible turning point in Oya's tragic story. As she is courted by three different men in her hometown; Shango, Elegba, and Ogun Size. Each man is drastically different from the next; Shango is an aggressive and dominant soldier that attracts the most of Oya's attention, Elegba appeals emotionally to Oya through song and talking with her, and Ogun Size is the most dependent and stable man for Oya. Throughout the play Oya develops relationships with each man, which later comes back to bite her. Oya's ultimate goal is to bear a child, something that she does not realize until too late that she is physically unable to do. The audience must keep in mind that the characters are representative of Yoruban gods, further reading can be found here.

Ogun Size

Analysis:

     For me, Ogun Size's attempt to be a good husband and take care of Oya was a striking theme in the story. Oya would never love Ogun Size as a husband, but he tried his best despite this. Ogun Size put his financial and emotional assets at stake and never achieved happiness with Oya due to her uncommitted approach to the marriage. Also, Oya's inability to control her own life seemed like a very striking aspect of the play. She had many chances to change where her life was headed, who she was with, and her quality of life, and failed to do so. This lead to her failing to ever become something significant, as well as ever find happiness with a husband or a child.

Oya and her men

     The African drums and other instruments were incredibly authentic and, coupled with the superb set design, created a very believable and real mood for the play. Watching two of the actors dance to the drums at the end of the play was incredibly entertaining.

Shango (left) and Elegba (right)

     As for critiques, I cannot say anything bad about the performers themselves. That being said, however, I did not enjoy the spoken dialogue that included stage directions and other script aspects that are traditionally not spoken aloud. Also, the random crude sexual parts seemed awkward, and the spots put in for cheap laughs broke the suspension of disbelief that had been so well cultivated throughout the play.

Shango "curling" Oya

     When comparing this performance to other live theater performances I have seen in the past, it does stick out. While In the Red and Brown Water does not stand out as a favorite, it does distinguish itself due to its uniqueness and non-typical genre. I have not seen many plays that follow such a unpredictable plot, as well as a genre focused on the struggles of African Americans in the South.

     I would definitely recommend this play to my friends, however I would warn them that they will be very confused for a while after seeing it, as the themes and historical significance do not make themselves clear initially.

Arts/Cultural Event: "From Up Here"

     Last week, I attended Professor Rob Schneider's production of Liz Flahive's comedy, From Up Here. It was performed at the Penn State Downtown Theatre Center, right past ΣΑΕ and Panera. To preface this post, I'm not typically interested in live performances of plays. However, this particular play seemed to make a strong connection with the audience and really grabbed my attention and kept me very interested and entertained.

A typical argument in the family

     Throughout the play the motives of the actions of the characters as well as the events prior to the opening and unseen to the audience reveal themselves. The story picks up just as a family is struggling to deal with unhappiness, disunity, and legal issues. With an anal retentive matriarch, a son that is suspended for bringing a gun to school, a slutty daughter, a hippie aunt, and an overly-energetic stepfather, the stage is ripe for conflict.

The story of From Up Here encompasses the family's external and internal struggles. Externally, Kenny, the son, has brought a gun to school and pointed it around, causing the family name to bear distaste and to be shunned socially. This single external struggle causes many rifts within the family system. The mother, Grace, cannot handle her nonexistent relationship with her son, as well as her superficial relationship with her newly-married second husband. The husband, Daniel, cannot find his place in the family as he is continually disregarded and disrespected while trying to play a positive parental role. Lauren, Kenny's sister, is a strong-willed, argumentative 15 year old girl struggling to gain attention in school while looking out for her older brother during his time of need. Lastly, Kenny's aunt, Caroline is a vital part of his life that often isn't there. Due to her work in the Peace Corps, she is often in exotic, foreign countries for extended periods of time. Regardless of her lack of time spent with Kenny, she is the one person that he opens up to. It is a very interesting and complex relationship within the family, and, when combined with a complex plot, makes for a great story. I'm not going to explain what exactly happens in the play on here, but I would definitely recommend reading From Up Here by Liz Flahive or even catching it in a live performance.

Professor Schneider laying down the law

     As for the production value, Prof. Rob Schneider and the Penn State Theatre 100 Company did an excellent job. It was interesting to see the same actors that perform in my Theatre 100 class up on stage in a full-fledged, paid production. The set was intricate and authentic, as well as adaptable. With the family's kitchen as a permanent fixture of the stage, other venues were depicted by adding small details to change the kitchen into a completely different scene. Also, I later saw Bridget, who plays Lauren, the sister, at a party at my fraternity. It was sort of like seeing a mini celebrity simply because I didn't realize that the actors/actresses were people as well, partying like the rest of Penn State.

    The next play the Theatre 100 company is putting on is Hugh Wheeler's Sweeney Todd, and I'm sure this will be another great production if it has any similarity to the experience of From Up Here.


Have you seen any recent theatrical productions here at Penn State?

Are you interested in attending future events put on by the Theatre 100 Company?

Do you enjoy long walks on the beach?

Leave it in the comments!

Movie Review: Old School

Gallons of beer, beautiful women, and Will Ferrel... Old School has it all, and more! Produced by Dreamworks Pictures and The Montecito Picture Company, and written by Todd Phillips, the screenwriter for Borat, The Hangover Pt. II, and many other comedies, Old School is a great college movie consisting of strong casting and an extremely comedic plot. This film sets itself apart from other college movies by providing an accurate portrayal of many aspects of college life while maintaining an engaging and incredibly humorous plot. This movie had me laughing out loud often in my dorm room, especially when my roommate walked in just as an old man was preparing to wrestle two topless girls in a pool of KY Lube.

As far as the plot goes, you follow the destruction of the respective relationships of Mitch Martin (Luke Wilson) and Frank "The Tank" Ricard (Will Ferrel) until a point is reached where neither one can continue to live in their own home. When Mitch Martin, a relatively soft-spoken and successful man, comes into possession of a house practically on the campus of the local college, Frank Ricard quickly joins him, along with their third best friend, Bernard "Beanie" Campbell (Vince Vaughn). After throwing a large and successful party, the three men are effectively back to college life, albeit without the academic side. Eventually they even end up creating their own fraternity, which is the trigger for the conflict with the dean of the school.

The characters are incredibly well-cast and have a real depth to them. Of course, Will Ferrel shines as Frank the Tank and is the source of the biggest laughs throughout the film. However, the rest of the casting is high-caliber as well, with numerous celebrity cameos during each scene. Vince Vaughn basically plays his same character from Wedding Crashers, and Luke Wilson plays a confused, slightly unenthusiastic man to the T. Also, the subtle nuances of the characters and comedic side comments from Frank add a great amount of detail to every scene.

"You're my boy, Blue!"

As for the components of the film, itself, the action and plot devices seem like genuine representations of many aspects of college life. I, myself, can relate to the humorous scenes where Will Ferrel is forcing the pledges to clean and do other ridiculous tasks. Also, the plot engages the viewer directly and forces you to root for the three amigos to win over the dean of the school. This is important in a college movie due to the fact that, without an engaging plot, the movie is forgotten and only enjoyed during the screening. This movie really leaves a lasting impression as well as your stomach muscles sore from laughing.

This film is really for anyone looking for a good laugh while following good story. The casting is brilliant and well thought out, and the plot really engages the viewer emotionally. The production value is very high as well, and this movie will not let you down. If you get the chance, I would definitely recommend Old School for a movie night with friends or all by yourself with a tub of ice cream.

I'm Thinking Arby's

The Arboretum is gorgeous, let's just put that out there. From the overall layout of the landscaping to the strategic placement of plants contrasting each other's shape and color, a lot of thought went into the aesthetics of the H.O. Botanical Garden.

One of the most interesting aspects of the garden was the sheer amount of plants and colors that seemed to remind me of other places and moods. I'm not typically the artsy-fartsy kind of person that sips wine while listening to Bach and viewing a piece by Van Gogh, but I definitely felt a strong connection with the plants. I am a nature-enthusiast as well, so I guess this connection shouldn't be that much of a shock, but I still found it interesting the heavy impression a simple tree or leaf can make on a person.

 For example, the hay featured above reminds me of all the time I spent as a kid bailing hay and hanging around the horses at a farm beside my house. It was more than just the memory of the action of riding my horse, instead, it was the feeling you get from it. After seeing this plant for one second, I was instantly feeling the same way I felt as a kid when I would throw on my cowboy boots and run down to hop on my geriatric white pony, Molly. The hay is a better reminder than a picture for some reason; it seems to take a different avenue to awaken the memory that it connects to.

As for this picture (on the left), it reminded me of the movie Gone With the Wind for some reason. I used to be forced to watch all four hours of it with my mom and my sister, and seeing a sight like this triggered that memory in my brain. Also, just viewing the open field and blue sky seems to be a very positive visual stimulant. The garden, itself, contains beauty, but the unconstrained nature of this view seems to be even more pleasing.

The Arboretum seems detailed from the macro to the micro level. From an aerial view, the stone structures, winding paths, and lush vegetation add small accents to the larger design. Also, when viewing individual plants, you see the intricacies and minute detail afforded by nature over years of evolution and development. The plant below stands out among the flowers, with its multi-tiered / multi-colored assortment of petals, but is lost in the grand scheme of the garden when you distance yourself from it. This draws an interesting parallel to students at Penn State; everyone is a unique person, but when viewing Penn State as a whole, only the large aspects standout. It also reminds me of Trix cereal, so there's that. 

But, getting back to the garden, itself, I would definitely bring my friends there when they come to visit me. It seems like one of the few places that doesn't reflect the 40,000+ student population here, which is nice when you need to hangout without people lighting cigarettes, talking on the phone, or almost hitting you with their bike.


Did anything remind you of completely unrelated memories / situations?

Did you enjoy your trip there?

Do you like Trix cereal?

Hit the comments!

My Take On the Palmer

     Recently, I visited the Palmer Museum of Art at Penn State with my English 15S class. I frequent the Carnegie Museum of Modern Art back in Pittsburgh, so it was refreshing to see different collections and presentation style at this museum. One piece in particular really stuck out to me, probably because I am easily amused by bright colors and fancy shapes... Anyhow, here's my take on it:

     First of all, the piece is by Dale Chihuly and is pictured below.

Peacock Blue and Yellow Seafoam set with Yellow Lip Wraps

Analysis: When I first approached this piece, I was immediately drawn to the colors, and then noticed the structure afterwards. The smoothness of the glass coupled with the bright contrasting blue and orange (yellow according to the artist) created a very delicate and complex scene. The piece claims that the human brain is wired to compare what it sees to what it knows, in my opinion. I instantly think of an organic, ocean-based plant when I see this piece. However, on paper, it is simply blown glass of various colors and patterns. It reminds me of the types of plants you see when you watch the Discovery Channel simply because my brain wants it to find solid footing with something I know. Also, the rhetorical decision to place it in front of a window allowed it to be illuminated and more transparent than any other piece in the museum, assigning it a distinctly light feel. This could also add to the beach-like ethos appeal of the piece, or create another claim.

     After further review of this piece, it seems like it wouldn't be a stretch to say that it is arguing the fragility of the coral reef. The piece could easily fit into somewhere like this and maintain the same delicacy and beauty of it's organic surroundings. Although it is simply colored, blown glass, it displays the same characteristics of many aspects of coral reefs. It could house fish and sea anemone, as well as survive the temperatures and general climate of a typical reef plant. This could be an incredibly off-track inference made by a freshman in college, but I really think it has some connection to environmental and oceanic life.

     As for the credibility of Dale Chihuly, further investigation reveals that he is widely renowned for his blown glass work and has quite a following. His other works have been exhibited at many museums across the world and he has brought in a reported $26 million worth of sales. Viewing more of his work, as well, helped me understand the significance of the piece at the Palmer. It was placed alone by the stairway, rhetorically assigning it more emphasis than some of the other pieces of pottery placed side by side. Without knowing the credibility of the piece, I just viewed it as another cool piece, but, after further review, it tells me I was privileged to have seen a piece from such an accomplished artist.

Also, the dude has an eye patch - instant credibility in my book.

Closing Thoughts: Overall, the Palmer turned out to be a book that shouldn't be judged by the cover. The building itself seemed small compared to what I had been used to in Pittsburgh. However, upon entering and making my way through the museum, I realized that it contained much more quality art than I expected. I definitely imagine myself going back, especially because it is free and who doesn't love free stuff?! Hopefully they will continue to bring in new exhibitions and artwork throughout my years here, as I will be looking forward to a better experience than the last for every visit.

Do you agree/disagree with my views and inferences on this piece?

What is your opinion on eyepatches?

Know any good jokes?

Leave it in the comments!

   

Curtin Call Overhaul

I just spent about an hour and a half meddling with the template, color scheme, background, and font on my blog and I still feel like it needs work. At one point my background was a cat staring at an astronaut... 

Basically, what do you guys think? Is it too dark? Too complex? Too simple? 

Help would be greatly appreciated, leave a comment if you can.

Welcome to Curtin Call

So, first of all, welcome to the blog! This post will address the rhetorical choices that went in to the creation of Curtin Call as well as a little philosophizing at the end as an added bonus, enjoy!

Blog Title: When it came to titling this blog, the possibilities seemed endless. Questions such as, "Should it be witty?", "Should it include my name?", and "Should it be detailed or vague?" arose immediately. I decided that I should pick a title that connected to my life, directly, as it is right now. The choice became easy after that and I figured you can never go wrong with alliteration. And as Forrest Gump would say, "That's all I have to say about that."

Template: I chose my template purely off of what was visually pleasing to me. I am sure that I will mess with it continually throughout the lifespan of this blog, but, as of now, I chose a template that easily shows all of the necessary links, posts, and gadgets. This template also refrains from both oversimplification and unnecessary complexity. Some templates were much too minimalist and made the blog look empty and untouched, while other cluttered it up so bad that it looked like a 14 year old girl's newsfeed on FaceBook. I found a happy medium with this template and hopefully it works for you, the reader, as well.

Color: Right now I am leaving the blog with colors that appealed to me when I made it. They happen to be Penn State colors as well, so that definitely works towards the overall theme. However, I may eventually incorporate different colors, patterns, and backgrounds that are more visually pleasing.

Font: When it comes to the meat of the blog, I like functional fonts that don't distract the reader from the content. The choice fell to Arial, a very functional and easily readable font. For the title, however, I wanted a more distinct font. Syncopate seemed easily identifiable and simplistic while still maintaining a more stylized look.

Pages: I threw the pages on the sidebar among the other gadgets because I wasn't sure how pivotal that link would be to my blog. As I further develop the blog I will most likely expand this gadget. But, as of right now, the only page I have is a short bio about me.

Sharing/Finding: My Twitter name is up on the side in case people would like to see a different side of me other than the blog. Also, I put up a subscription gadget even though I have no idea what it does (I don't visit blogs much).

Links: The links are definitely a work in progress. I may decide to link to other peoples' blogs in my class or just other blogs I find on the internet.