This week I went to see the band Atreyu in concert at The Webster in Hartford. Concerts have always been a HUGE stress relief for me. I think seeing one of your favorite bands live and hearing their music live is one of the best feelings ever. A lot of people only relate stress relief with quietness, or rest and relaxation, but to me being in an environment that makes you truly comfortable is stress relief. I find comforting to be surrounded by so many strangers with loud music blasting and being able to listen to the lyrics and let out all your frustrations by singing your heart out. This band in particular makes me really happy to see because every time that they come to Connecticut, me and my boyfriend make sure we don't miss them. In a way it's become sort of a tradition. I know a lot of other people may not think that this is really stress relief, but I guess the point i'm trying to make is that really good stress relief is surrounding yourself with things that you love. Whether it is music, movies, books, family, friends, or a nice soft bed, i think that it is important to find what really makes you feel happy and at ease. As a college student it may be hard to not feel stressed out, especially around this time of the semester when the second half is kicking in. But i think that it is crucial to seize the moments where you know you can truly be happy and stress free. That is why I try to never miss a concert of one of my favorite bands. For me, it is one of those things that make me feel truly alive and happy with my life, and that is the best feeling ever.

F for Grade Inflation

The idea of grade inflation makes me mad and confused. I don't get how anybody truly benefits from grade inflation. It just doesn't make sense that average students are getting above average grades, and below average students are getting average grades. It seems completely unfair and goes against the ideals that I thought education as a whole was all about. When a student deserves a certain grade, but they receive a higher one than what they truly earned, alls that they are learning is to do average work. It seems backwards to me that schools are participating in this sort of thing, especially when what we are all being told over and over again is how the working world is looking for people who are creative and STAND OUT. A student who is getting higher grades than they deserve will go out into the working world expecting high praise for average work. With that mentality it seems that finding a good job will never become possible. As a student i know what it's like to have grading curves. And even though im happy when i do bad on an exam and my grade is curved, i know that its not truly the grade that I deserve. I don't understand how people can be happy knowing that people are giving them this sort of false hope when it comes to their intelligence. While I don't think schools should be making students feel less intelligent than they really are, I definitely do not agree with boosting their confidence by giving them false grades. Because when they get to the real world they will in no way be prepared for the sort of criticism that is thrown at them.

Midterm Video Project

I'd like to think I did a good job on my project, considering I used Power Point. Unfortunately I only could find this way to upload my presentation to my blog, and it got rid of my audio. In my actual presentation I had narrations and background music. But despite that being absent I'm pretty proud of my project. :}

Delayed gratification

View more presentations from Michelle Olsen.

Generation Facebook

From reading the article Generation Me it got me really thinking about this generation and the level of narcissism we truly have. Thinking about it more I've realized what i think to be one of the biggest sources of our narcissism : Social Networking Sites. While they can be a great way for people to get connected, it is also a mecca for young adults to ramble on about themselves. We post statuses CONSTANTLY about where we are, what we're doing, what we're thinking.We keep this up as if it's our job. As if we were to stop updating our profile we would lose some part of our identity. Sometimes it amazes me at how personal people get on Facebook. It seems like people just can't get enough of sharing everything with everyone. As if "going to school. going home. then work" is that important. We spend hours and hours analyzing our friends profiles, our friends of friends profiles and our own profiles. We've begun to think that Facebook is an extension of our personality. No longer is it a tool. It's a part of us. Social networking sites are part of us. And it makes us share everything with everyone all the time. and this plants seeds in our heads that we are more important than we really are. in the end does it REALLY matter what youre eating for lunch? Do people HAVE to know where you're going when class is out? No. But we live in a world where we set up profiles ALL ABOUT US and it makes us think that every detail of our lives is important. That attitude translates to every facet of our lives. And its the reason why this truly is Generation me.

blogs, blogs, and more BLOGS

There are many things that make up a good blog post. A good blog post is successful in 

getting it's point across clearly and interestingly. A good blog post is one that you enjoy reading. It isn't just a simple summary, or generic story. It has personality, detail and emotion. When you are reading a blog it is almost like you are reading someones private thoughts. So you expect those thoughts to be interesting and personal. In my opinion, a good blog post is one that makes you think, relate back to yourself, or want to know more about. An example of a good blog in my opinion is Oscar's  blog. His posts are generally interesting, descriptive, personal, and very creative. I really like his titles because they are always creative and catch readers attention. I also liked Lynday's blog because she uses a lot of unique pictures to capture a readers attention. Essentially that is the whole point of a blog; to catch the eyes of the readers and make them want to come back for more. I think that I have the potential to be a really great blogger, but a lot of the time I am missing one of the most essential ingredients for a great blog post: a passion for the topic. Some things are easier for me to write about than others. And most of the time when i am told what to talk about I end up sounding generic. So I need to learn how to master a good blog post even when initial interest in the topic may not be there.

histoire de l'art

When applying for college I had the intentions of becoming a Chemistry major. I wanted to be a chemist, or a pharmacist, or something having to do with medication. But as the year went by I realized that I wasn't cut out for it. While I loved chemistry, I couldn't see myself being happy having a career focused around it. And I also was not looking forward to the extensive math courses I would have to take. Last minute I decided that I wanted to go to school for art. So I applied to Southern as a Studio Arts major. But once again I had a change of heart and I now want to major in Art History. I have no yet officially switched my major to Art History yet. It is still under Studio Art. But I consider myself to be an Art History major. Art History is my chosen major because I completely love it. All my life I have lived art, and I have also had an interest in history. Art History is a perfect mix of the two, and I something that I can foresee myself being very happy with in my future. I love learning about different cultures and how art has been influenced and changed by each one. Some people may think that it is boring, but I however feel it is one of the most interesting things. People don't realize how much you can discover about an ancient culture just by their art alone. My major in art history is just the first step in being where I want to be in my future. My dream is to be an art curator or restorer at an amazing art museum such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, or at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Mass. It is something that I dream about all the time. I dream of going to France to see all the impressionists works of art, and going to England to see the medieval style architecture. Art History is something that I love, and is something I enjoy learning about an pursuing during my college career.

Ichiban!

I haven't really been to any specific events at Southern besides orientation. I would like to attend more, and I plan to, but it is just so hard to get the time to come back to campus when I am a working commuter. My topic for this blog isn't technically and event, but it is an art exhibition. It is called Ichiban! and it is a display of all sorts of historic and contemporary Japanese artwork. The exhibition is a celebration of 150 years of the first Japanese Diplomatic Mission in the United States.  As a lover of art, I was really interested in seeing this exhibition, and I wasn't disappointed. The pieces of art were unique and beautiful and helped me open my eyes to parts of Japanese culture that I wasn't aware of prior to that. From uniquely ornate robes and scrolls to cute childrens lunch boxes and games, the Ichiban exhibit is something that is worth taking a look at. It is nice to know that Southern appreciates art and different cultures and I hope that in the future they have more exhibits featuring even more different and interesting cultures.