Pearl Uva
Arts Scholar ePortfolio
TRYathlon
Semester 4
As an experiential component of College Park Arts Scholars, I attended a selection of three art events during my third semester. These events ranged in art mediums and each sparked dialogue among my peers.
Triathlon 1:
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
Event Logistics: 02/07/2024, Hoff Theater, Stamp Student Union
Pentathlon category: #film
While in the process of readjusting to being back on campus this semester, my roommate, Lila, and I were able to see The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes while it was showing in the Hoff Theater in Stamp. I really enjoyed this film for various different reasons. This was a great way for Lila and I to relax before the semester began to pick up. Additionally, I thought the film itself was really well done, having read the book previously, I thought that the film was a great adaptation and the acting work really tastefully fit within the Hunger Games franchise. Once again, this event made me appreciate how art has the innate ability to bring unlikely people together. While watching the movie, Lila and I found ourselves talking and laughing with others in the theater who we did not know previously. I believe this is really related to arts scholars, since one of the goals of our program is to bring people together through our appreciation and love for different forms of art. I would never have talked to many of the people that I do now if I had not met them through events such as these.
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Moving on to the film itself, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is the best film I have seen this year. As an avid book reader, I am always wary of film adaptations especially of books that I feel attached to, such as the Hunger Games series. I am also a fan of the film adaptations of the original trilogy, but I felt that the plot structure and much of the character nuance was lost in the first four films. Mainly due to time limit that a film inherently has. In The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes I felt that the character progression was much more well done, we get to see Coriolanus Snow's clear descent into madness and the connections between Lucy Gray Baird and Katniss Everdeen. This was very much a film that added positively to the series in a way that I feel prequels often don't. It's pleasurable to see as a stand alone movie, but also adds to one's experience if they are a long-time fan. There are many easter eggs and critical moments in the film that greatly add to one's understanding of the full plotline leading up the the original Hunger Games. I believe that making art enjoyable for all types of audiences is important and this film achieves this well. If you are fan of the Hunger Games, or if you are in need of a good film, I would highly recommend this movie.
Triathlon 2: Arts Scholars Open House
Event Logistics: 03/11/2024, Bel Air Lounge
Pentathlon category: #ArtsScholars
On March 11th I had the pleasure to attend one of the open house events for Arts Scholars that newly admitted students attended. Throughout the event I was able to share about my experiences in scholars as well as hear more about some of my peers' experiences. I enjoy attending these events since it's an opportunity for me to connect more with others in scholars. Setting aside time that I would otherwise be devoting to classes or studying is nice in a way that it no longer feels that there is pressure to perform in a specific way. I have also learned that I really enjoy teaching others, so an opportunity where I can share my own information and experiences is always welcome. This event was great due to the fact that all the newly admitted students were so curious and asked many questions. I enjoyed getting to know them and learning about all of their interests as well as providing some support and reassurance to subjects they may feel less secure about.
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I am passionate about the things that I do on campus and I love watching others who also love what they do thrive. I believe that's one of the reasons that I enjoy college so much. Being able to be in an environment where you are constantly meeting and learning from new and amazing people is a great opportunity; an opportunity that I believe Arts Scholars intends to provide to their students. Attending this event made me appreciate more of the nuances between difference people and the different weight they place on their values. It helped me to better respect where people of all different backgrounds and interest come from and where they are going.
Triathlon 3:
National Museum of Asian Art
Event Logistics: 03/23/2024, National Museum of Asian Art, Washington DC
Pentathlon category: #VisualArt
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Over spring break my friend, Cal, and I had the pleasure of visiting the National Museum of Asian Art. As someone with Chinese heritage I really liked this experience and I feel that it connected me more to my roots and made me better appreciate my family. I mostly appreciated the Chinese decorative pottery and kitchenware. My grandparents are from a very old family in Taiwan and growing up I used to complain that much of the kitchenware in their house was hard to use. It would be intricately decorated, or made of stone and other heavy or fragile materials. Seeing the resemblance of those items to the ones in the museum made me reminisce on my childhood as well as appreciate my grandparents more for the wealth of wisdom that they are.
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I believe that art has that amazing capability to share and bring back memories that you didn't even realize you had. Like we have been discussing in Arts Scholars, sometimes art means different things to different people, and while Cal probably just appreciated the pieces for their beauty and history, I appreciated them for the memories that they brought back to me. I enjoyed sharing my stories with her as well. Art also have the capability of bringing people together like that. It gave me the opportunity to share my heritage with my close friends as well as have fun and learn more about different cultures. I have not been to this museum before despite all of my visits to DC. I am happy that I was able to go and that I was able to share the experience with people who are important to me.
