The Discover Dean Day this past Friday was a success as usual. My tour was actually with one family, a boy and his mom, which turned out to be really nice. Like everything at Dean, the tours are personal and comfortable, but this one was even more so. I enjoy the dynamics that accompany small, medium, large, quiet, loud, and awkward tour groups; everyone is completely different.
The main part of the day that stuck out for me, however, was the reveal of our Admissions video. For all the prospective students out there, it would be extremely helpful as well as beneficial to see this video. I was blown away by the format of it, yet not surprised by its message. It completely captured the essence of Dean and all that it has to offer. Once again, they have gone above and beyond for the students and have truly invested in their educational, as well as personal, well-being.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Midterm Assignment
Many people I have come into contact with ask, "As a dance major, do you have tests? What are you even graded on? How is that a major?". For those that are not involved in the dance world and do not know how it works or what it entails, I can understand their questioning. A great example of what a dance major has as an assignment would be my midterm assignment for my Dance Composition class.
This class is designed to teach us how to compose a dance (also known as choreographing). Our main focus has been building a movement phrase, then developing the phrase utilizing choreographic tools or devices to help us manipulate the movement we have created. This is also known as "movement invention". A phrase in dance could be understood similarly to a phrase in a song, or a stanza in a poem; it is an idea in itself that will grow and develop, possibly continuing a central theme or sometimes changing completely.
For our midterm assignment in this class, we have to choreograph a solo. The final product will be performed alone in front of the class with or without music, however, if the dancer chooses to perform with music there cannot be any lyrics. Lyrics can limit the dancer's movement because the choreography can easily turn into an interpretation of the lyrics of the song (another artist's work) rather than the dancer's physical self discovery. We are being graded on how the movement develops; it needs to have a beginning, a middle, and an end. There is no time limit, we just have to develop the movement. I'll keep you updated on the process : )
This class is designed to teach us how to compose a dance (also known as choreographing). Our main focus has been building a movement phrase, then developing the phrase utilizing choreographic tools or devices to help us manipulate the movement we have created. This is also known as "movement invention". A phrase in dance could be understood similarly to a phrase in a song, or a stanza in a poem; it is an idea in itself that will grow and develop, possibly continuing a central theme or sometimes changing completely.
For our midterm assignment in this class, we have to choreograph a solo. The final product will be performed alone in front of the class with or without music, however, if the dancer chooses to perform with music there cannot be any lyrics. Lyrics can limit the dancer's movement because the choreography can easily turn into an interpretation of the lyrics of the song (another artist's work) rather than the dancer's physical self discovery. We are being graded on how the movement develops; it needs to have a beginning, a middle, and an end. There is no time limit, we just have to develop the movement. I'll keep you updated on the process : )
Back to school.
The nice long weekend was defiantly the perfect break I needed. Conveniently the T is in Franklin and less then a 5 min. walk from my dorm so I was able to go see an important person over the long Valentine's weekend. :]
Once back at school my classes we the same, but because of my crazy Tuesday's and Thursday's I got a bagged lunch from the cafeteria with all the necessities so I can eat in class when I don't have the time to get to the cafe.
For anyone doing the play it's getting down to crunch time, the play goes up in one week, so after class my friends and I eat dinner then make our way to the Center for Performing Arts and rehearse. We are all excited for the show and this week we all made our stops to the costume shop where we get our outfits for the show. The costumes we get are either hand-made or picked from a plethora of clothes kept in the costume shop. The play that we are doing is a rendition of As You Like It by Shakespeare, and it's set in the 50's so all of our costumes are so cool: greasers, poets, and classy 50's high society.
Can't wait! Come and check it out at the Center for Performing Arts:
February 26 & 27 @ 8PM Saturday February 28 @ 2PM & 8PM
Sunday
March 1 @2PM
Once back at school my classes we the same, but because of my crazy Tuesday's and Thursday's I got a bagged lunch from the cafeteria with all the necessities so I can eat in class when I don't have the time to get to the cafe.
For anyone doing the play it's getting down to crunch time, the play goes up in one week, so after class my friends and I eat dinner then make our way to the Center for Performing Arts and rehearse. We are all excited for the show and this week we all made our stops to the costume shop where we get our outfits for the show. The costumes we get are either hand-made or picked from a plethora of clothes kept in the costume shop. The play that we are doing is a rendition of As You Like It by Shakespeare, and it's set in the 50's so all of our costumes are so cool: greasers, poets, and classy 50's high society.
Can't wait! Come and check it out at the Center for Performing Arts:
Thursday and Friday
Sunday
March 1 @2PM
Upcoming Events
Hi Everyone,
This past week has been pretty hectic at Dean College. However, I doesn't take away from the excitement that we are all feeling about the upcoming Discover Dean Day tomorrow, Feb. 20. Every Discover Dean Day is an amazing experience for all that are involved; the students who give the tours, the faculty who love to display their knowledge about the college, and our prospective students who have the chance to see a new environment. We are all anticipating tomorrow.
This upcoming weekend, Feb. 19-21, Student Activities Committee is having their Wild, Wild West Weekend, and as a SAC member I am having an awesome time helping to prepare for the festivities. The events that are scheduled are students are that they can have old time photos taken with friends, they can sing country songs karaoke style, they can ride a mechanical bull that will be set up in the Campus Center, and there will be a poker tournament. This weekend is only one of the four major weekends that SAC has planned for the Spring Semester.
Student Activities is only one of the many organizations that students can join on campus, which help them to get involved and also to help spice up life at Dean College. I hope that you all have a nice and relaxing weekend. If you have any questions about the college and/or about the life of a typical Dean College student, you can email me at mhuels@student.dean.edu.
This past week has been pretty hectic at Dean College. However, I doesn't take away from the excitement that we are all feeling about the upcoming Discover Dean Day tomorrow, Feb. 20. Every Discover Dean Day is an amazing experience for all that are involved; the students who give the tours, the faculty who love to display their knowledge about the college, and our prospective students who have the chance to see a new environment. We are all anticipating tomorrow.
This upcoming weekend, Feb. 19-21, Student Activities Committee is having their Wild, Wild West Weekend, and as a SAC member I am having an awesome time helping to prepare for the festivities. The events that are scheduled are students are that they can have old time photos taken with friends, they can sing country songs karaoke style, they can ride a mechanical bull that will be set up in the Campus Center, and there will be a poker tournament. This weekend is only one of the four major weekends that SAC has planned for the Spring Semester.
Student Activities is only one of the many organizations that students can join on campus, which help them to get involved and also to help spice up life at Dean College. I hope that you all have a nice and relaxing weekend. If you have any questions about the college and/or about the life of a typical Dean College student, you can email me at mhuels@student.dean.edu.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Discover Dean Day
Hello!
Have you visited campus yet? If not, this Friday we are having a Discover Dean Day. This is a great event, as you'll get to meet with faculty, staff, and coaches. You'll also go on a campus tour led by our very own Student Ambassadors!
Here's the schedule:
10am-11am: Registration, continental breakfast, and meet and mingle with faculty, staff, coaches and students
11am-11:45am: Welcome and presentation
11:45am-1pm: Campus tours
1pm-1:45pm: Lunch
1:45pm-2:30pm: Optional sessions on Admissions, Financial Aid, Academic Support, and Dance
Call or email us to reserve a spot: admission@dean.edu, (508) 541-1508
Have you visited campus yet? If not, this Friday we are having a Discover Dean Day. This is a great event, as you'll get to meet with faculty, staff, and coaches. You'll also go on a campus tour led by our very own Student Ambassadors!
Here's the schedule:
10am-11am: Registration, continental breakfast, and meet and mingle with faculty, staff, coaches and students
11am-11:45am: Welcome and presentation
11:45am-1pm: Campus tours
1pm-1:45pm: Lunch
1:45pm-2:30pm: Optional sessions on Admissions, Financial Aid, Academic Support, and Dance
Call or email us to reserve a spot: admission@dean.edu, (508) 541-1508
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Peer Tutoring
As mentioned before, I am a peer tutor in the Learning Center for general help...
Today I actually had someone I worked with a few weeks ago come back for help. She had initially come to me to help her redraft an essay she wrote for a scholarship. When she first came in her work was beautiful and creative but way too wordy and disorganized. I soon found out she was an accomplished poet and she found it difficult to condense her ideas as well as remain clear and concise. After a half hour session with me she left a little disheartened with all of my marks on her work but optimistic she could revise it and return with a better paper. I told her to walk away from it for a couple days and come back to it with a clear mind. Today she came back with the revised version and it was like a completely different writer. Her ideas were clear and her points were developed just enough; I was elated and she was so proud of her work.
It is days like these that remind me why I peer tutor. Something that comes easy to me may seem overwhelming and sometimes insurmountable to someone else. The relief the student had on her face was priceless, she knew she had written a high quality essay and was confident in mailing it out for her scholarship. I was so happy to be a part of her experience of realizing what she was capable of.
Today I actually had someone I worked with a few weeks ago come back for help. She had initially come to me to help her redraft an essay she wrote for a scholarship. When she first came in her work was beautiful and creative but way too wordy and disorganized. I soon found out she was an accomplished poet and she found it difficult to condense her ideas as well as remain clear and concise. After a half hour session with me she left a little disheartened with all of my marks on her work but optimistic she could revise it and return with a better paper. I told her to walk away from it for a couple days and come back to it with a clear mind. Today she came back with the revised version and it was like a completely different writer. Her ideas were clear and her points were developed just enough; I was elated and she was so proud of her work.
It is days like these that remind me why I peer tutor. Something that comes easy to me may seem overwhelming and sometimes insurmountable to someone else. The relief the student had on her face was priceless, she knew she had written a high quality essay and was confident in mailing it out for her scholarship. I was so happy to be a part of her experience of realizing what she was capable of.
Spring is in the air !
Since the weather has been slowly warming up you can definitely feel people spirits being raised around campus. I've been finding its so much easier to get up for my early classes knowing that I won't be blasted with cold, frigid air the moment I step outside. I've made myself get outside the past couple of days and go for walks around town just because it is so nice out! I love seeing all of the gorgeous New England style houses in this area as well.
Today girls from the dance studio in my home town of Oneonta, NY are here at Dean taking dance classes. Their dance instructor attended Dean, and she thought bringing her high school girls here to take classes would be a great way to introduce them to classes that are at the college level and a little more professional. After talking to them they seemed to enjoy the classes a lot even though they said they were a little challenging. I think it is so great that people can try out classes here, because I know when I was looking for schools as a dancer I wanted to be sure I liked the classes. Well I think that is gonna be all for now, I wanna get outside for a little bit and enjoy the sunshine!
Today girls from the dance studio in my home town of Oneonta, NY are here at Dean taking dance classes. Their dance instructor attended Dean, and she thought bringing her high school girls here to take classes would be a great way to introduce them to classes that are at the college level and a little more professional. After talking to them they seemed to enjoy the classes a lot even though they said they were a little challenging. I think it is so great that people can try out classes here, because I know when I was looking for schools as a dancer I wanted to be sure I liked the classes. Well I think that is gonna be all for now, I wanna get outside for a little bit and enjoy the sunshine!
Sunday, February 15, 2009
New CA in the Condos
I am happy to announce I have been hired as the new CA in the condos. Due to another CA's resignation, for various reasons, there was a spot open and I decided to apply to help build community and help in giving my fellow residents some peer support.
Being a CA in the condos (an off campus residence hall for upper classmen) is a little different than being a CA on campus. CAs in the condos are "on duty" every three nights (Sun-Wed until 12am and Thurs-Sat until 2am) instead once a week or every ten days or so like the CAs on campus. They also have to be more creative in finding ways to get their residents to participate in activities because there are no common rooms in the condos like a normal dorm. Each condo has bedrooms, bathrooms, and living rooms so residents don't really have any reason for leaving their doors open or venturing out to hang with other residents because they live with their friends and have access to everything they need inside their condos.
I feel up to the challenge and look forward to figuring out new ways to approach community building and peer interaction.
***A "CA" is a Community Advisor and is similar to what other colleges call an "RA" or Resident Assistant. It is a student hired to be in charge of their floor; they are in charge of a bulletin board with upcoming campus events and activities and plan activities for their dorm to help build community.
Being a CA in the condos (an off campus residence hall for upper classmen) is a little different than being a CA on campus. CAs in the condos are "on duty" every three nights (Sun-Wed until 12am and Thurs-Sat until 2am) instead once a week or every ten days or so like the CAs on campus. They also have to be more creative in finding ways to get their residents to participate in activities because there are no common rooms in the condos like a normal dorm. Each condo has bedrooms, bathrooms, and living rooms so residents don't really have any reason for leaving their doors open or venturing out to hang with other residents because they live with their friends and have access to everything they need inside their condos.
I feel up to the challenge and look forward to figuring out new ways to approach community building and peer interaction.
***A "CA" is a Community Advisor and is similar to what other colleges call an "RA" or Resident Assistant. It is a student hired to be in charge of their floor; they are in charge of a bulletin board with upcoming campus events and activities and plan activities for their dorm to help build community.
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