Seminar Sandwich

I've found the Macaulay Honors Seminar to be amongst the few things that my classmates will complain about regarding our program. They are time consuming and without a doubt amongst the hardest classes one might encounter during the early years of college. Most students here are academically well rounded and can easily handle this, but don't like how their new freedoms are compromised by being forced to study topics beyond their realm of interest or expertise. On a personal note, the Arts and Culture of New York City plays to what I think are my strengths. I truly enjoy it. (You won't catch me complaining until the Science and Technology of NYC...and even then I've kinda wanted to take a Geography class.) Regardless, everyone can acknowledge that the honors seminar takes us all around the city of New York and offers plenty of eye-opening experiences. Yesterday, such experiences framed my already exciting day.

In the morning, my class and Macaulay Honors College Dean Ann Kirschner met at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Due to a chance of rain, Big Bambú, the rooftop installation that we read about and planned on seeing, did not open until 11:00. Because of this, we spent our first hour at the museum viewing Katrin Sigurdardotti's Boiseries and the period rooms that inspired these sculptural installations. When I view modern art, I usually wonder where the artists get their ideas. Walking through these white cut-out rooms, I could see their source. It was very creative. But it wasn't the only creative walk-through exhibit at the Met. Big Bambú blew my mind! It is made of thousands of bamboo poles, tied together to create a expansive organic environment within the city. Although we were unable to secure an appointment to travel on a ramp throughout the sculpture, it is something that I MUST do, before it closes in a few weeks. So much more than Panda (or stoner) heaven!!!

I then returned to Hunter, had lunch with my friends. I also studied for my first ever college midterm. I took the aforementioned test (Introduction to Literature) at 4:10. I think I did alright, but timed essays are definitely my weakness. I couldn't help but hope that my other exams, which I take next week, run more smoothly.

But I also couldn't dwell on it as I rushed from English to Hillel. A few weeks ago, I received an Emet Leaders Fellowship. As a result, I get to participate in weekly Jewish programs with Rabbis and other Hunter Students. We also get free dinner and a choice between a stipend and a trip to Israel following the 10 week program's completion. Last night, we ate pizza and discussed shabbat, but I had no time to rest.

I had to leave early, change in to formal wear, and get on a bus to Rockefeller Center. I would finish yesterday with my Seminar Class at the Metropolitan Opera. We saw Les contes d'Hoffmann, which is about the failed romances of a German Poet, who is modeled after Ernst Theodor Wilhelm Hoffmann, writer of the stories that inspired the Nutcracker and Coppelia. I enjoyed the modern staging and strong singing. Although, I like to think that I could get more entertainment for the money spent, it was a very good way to end a day.

I didn't get home until after midnight and have been tired ever since. Thus I really don't know what to say about today's media class and lecture on General Education Requirements. But I'm still content and ready to meet my classes' challenges, even when it is just an ordinary day.

-Danielle