Recently I started an art appreciation class and one of the assignments in school is to go round the campus and document the art works that I can see. Well I went around the campus with my camera and captured the images of what I saw. Some are good, others are well... I will let you decide...
A large majority of Post World War II generation of Americans don't know what poverty means and how it feels to live poor. Most people here in the US are used to living well, driving a car, eating out 2-3 times a week. Until recently there was a perception that money in America will never become scarce. But the past few years economic downturn and the resultant recession has brought to focus that America can also become poor and there is a need for people to be aware of what poverty is.
So where do we start educating American people about poverty? In college campuses of course and Collin College is conducting a Poverty Simulation event next week during which groups of participants will live through four 15-minute week's of simulated poverty and experience what it means to navigate through economic adversity.
According to the website of The Poverty Simulation: "The Poverty Simulation is a simulation experience developed by the Missouri Association for Community Action. During the simulation, participants pretend to be members of a low-income community attempting to survive four 15-minute weeks of poverty. The simulation relies on role playing techniques and extensive props to help particpants understand the day to day challenges faced by families living in poverty."
I wish I could attend this program but my class schedule conflicts with this and hence I can't attend this event. I am pretty sure this would be a great event for Americans to participate and learn about how to live minimally... if not in poverty. After all American Poverty is still affluent compared with poverty in Africa, China, or even India.
During the wintermester I took up a course in basic/ introduction to Humanities. The course was supposed to introduce students to humanistic traditions of art, architecture, music, etc from around the world. Unfortunately the textbook is written in such a way that the complete focus of the curriculum is on European, specifically post-renaissance culture. Every major culture/ tradition was represented in the textbook and the course barring Indian/ Hindu. As part of the course requirements I created a presentation to introduce the tradition of Hero Stones to the class. Here is the presentation for you all to look at and comment:
Summer classes started on Monday and things have become atrociously busy since then. Six hours of classes every evening with at least one quiz, test or exam every day. This semester is short, just five weeks, 20 days of classes and in that we need to cover 10 quizzes, 5 tests, 3 exams and one comprehensive final exam. What does this mean? 18 out of 20 days we will be having something or the other. The only way to excel or get an A grade is to obtain 90-100 in every one of the test, quiz or exam.
When I first started college in the US last year somethings were shocking. For one thing students never address professors as sir/ madame, it was by their name. On the contrary some professors address students as sir and madame. Something almost impossible in India... at least in my college days.
When I told people that I was studying, they would ask me "Which school do you go to?" Initially I wondered whether I look like a high school kid or are they pulling my leg. But later I came to know that here, a university is referred to a school and a PhD research scholar is also going to "school".
Students come in and go out of classes whenever they please, no need to ask permission of the faculty.
Most students come into class carrying bottles of cool drinks, tall mugs of coffee/ tea, snack boxes, sandwiches, etc. Classes are like picnic spots, students can eat, drink, chew gum, etc. The only requirement is to listen to the lecture and not disturb other students. Even professors bring drinks and sip on during the lecture. This never happened in India. I remember in my college days if anyone was found eating in class, he/ she would be sent out.
There are hundreds of similar differences I could write about. For now this is enough I guess. Would like to know your thoughts.
Long semesters somehow give this feeling of fatigue towards the end. First the four months of the long semester seems to drag on for ever, then every other day we have a test/ quiz/ exam which makes the course seem stressful. Now after four months of grueling drudgery the semester is finally coming to an end. Each one of my classmates appear stressed about grades and glad that it is coming to an end.
On my front, I am glad this is over, but this is not the end. It is just a station in my journey, I have a long way to go before I can get off the train and say I have arrived. So far the academic journey has been pretty good, mostly As... I hope this continues the same way till the end.
For now I look forward to the semester ending on Monday when I have my final exam and then for the next one month I can concentrate on finding a job, before summer classes begin. For now finding a job is the priority.
Well, what do I say? I have not blogged since 4-5 days because nothing significant happened. My routine has been quite the same... classes, library and home. Pretty boring.. huh... well that is how life is if you are in the US and belong to the burgeoning student community. You can't work outside of the campus and with the economy the way it is, on-campus jobs are all taken by local students, so that leaves us international students jobless. The best we can do is to spend maximum time in the library either studying or browsing the internet.
If one is supremely lucky and has found a good group of friends in the college then you could go and hang out in the student life area and play pool, Table Tennis or something like that. But otherwise life is pretty boring as mine is right now...
On Monday, I finished my Economics exam and was walking through the corridors towards the exit when I chanced to see a notice that the college dance ensemble would be performing at the auditorium and it was free entry for students. I immediately decided that I would go and take a look and started walking towards the theater. Anyway the programme started on dot 8.00 pm and ended an hour later at 9.00 pm. The English musical dance drama titled The Producer, was well executed and the entire team did a great job of entertaining the audience which comprised mostly of students, faculty and other staff members of the college. Since I had the camera handy I thought I'd shoot some pictures and present them on my blog. I also shot a video which I will be posting soon after I add some titling and edits to it. For now you all enjoy the pictures, they are a bit dark but that is the best I could do given the limited lighting in the auditorium. 
