educational update

Math has always been my strongest subject, and recently it has become my favorite. I must say that I haven't taken a math class since my senior year of high school. Three entire years have gone by and I haven't once been forced to work on a math assignment. Why then is it recently my favorite subject? Because there is one characteristic of math that separates it from all others. POWERPOINTS. Powerpoints are the devil. They're very 2000 and, frankly, are the most offensive forms of communicating valuable information. They're lackluster. They're indolent. They're inane. Yeah, you could argue they have some educational value but let's face it, if there's nothing in the presentation that pops out of the ordinary, students (or any audience of a powerpoint) get bored. What's this have to do with math? Math rarely uses powerpoints. It's much easier for a math professor/teacher to do so by showing the process (i.e. writing it on a board and not saving it as a computer file for years to come). In addition (and the reason I bring the subject up at all), math - with both the subject as a whole and with powerpoints - has no room for error. Decimals cannot be misplaced, spacing cannot be altered, and there are, overall, less errors. Errors in math are errors with the result. Most other subjects (history, English, foreign languages, business, science, fine art studies) can make errors that don't distract... at least that's what a professor thinks.

I start with this for a simple reason. I have class currently called Digital Media & Culture. This course has two parts: A lecture (50+ students )and a seminar (small group of 12 students). I love the seminar. Each week is a debate and discussion on whatever topic we are currently studying (or supposed to be studying. We tend to get off topic!). I look forward to the seminar each week. The lecture, on the other hand, is a waste of my time. I have not come to that conclusion with ease, as I try to find the good out of each situation regardless of my first impression. This lecture, however, has failed at offering beneficial instruction or ideology to contemplate. My professor's weekly powerpoint is a constant, white background with a small 'artsy' wisp running along the top each slide. How original! (I joke) the 30+ slides contain fragment after fragment and bullet point after bullet point. Most punctuation is completely absent, and pictures are rarely organized cohesively. What's worse is that nothing from the powerpoint is material that can't be found in the required course reading (I've learned that 'required' here is the US equivalent of 'optional'). So for 50 minutes each week I could waste my time listening to the mousy ramblings of 'media enthusiast' or I can read the chapter, which will take 20 minutes tops. Since I've bought the book, I will choose to read. I have only skipped one lecture, but there are likely few others I will attend. This past week there were 8 students in the lecture theatre. A space that holds around 300 students. 8 (out of the 60 that take the class) showed up and sat near the back: myself included (I normally sit closer to the front but last Tuesday I was running late and hadn't showered before heading to class). 

This brings me to an opinion/observation that I am sad to report. The educational value of my studies in the United Kingdom (strictly educational. This doesn't include personal development) is far less than 1) I expected and 2) Than my studies in good ol' Berea, OH. There's an extreme lack of investment and the passion of professors is so pitiful that I often wish they would tape and listen to themselves ramble. That's precisely what a lot of it is: Rambling. I of course don't intend for this to sound like one large complaint. I am still learning much, especially from my Experimental Cinema course. I just wish I were being challenged a bit more academically. 

So yesterday I decided to finally visit Stirling Castle, which is conveniently located in town. I'll did pay to go in, which I struggled with but it's irrelevant now. I truly believe, as I have argued time and time again, that the most thrilling and worth-while sights in the world will never cost a dime to see (Except Versailles. I'd pay to tour in a heartbeat). The castle, once home to James I, and most famously Mary Queen of Scots (only for a bit, given her tendencies to run away from wherever she was) was beautiful. The gardens were quaint and well-kept but the inside was almost pitted out. Mostly just the 'skeleton' of the castle was to be seen with many rooms just recently opened and restored by decree of HRM Elizabeth II. There was very little furniture/furnishing, which was sad, but some portions were pretty amazing. We went into one room where a woman was talking about her work of making tapestries. The entire room was the home of one large loom which she had accomplished about 6 or 7 inches of the massive tapestry commissioned by the Scotland. It was very interesting to hear her talk about the differences she must incorporate, including actual gold-coated yarn. Who'd have thunk it! 

Now, in news unrelated to Scotland, I have confirmed my summer plans, which is super exciting for me. After too many stressful Skype interviews complicated with schedule differences due to the 5-hour time difference, I will be working at Weston Playhouse Theatre Company in Vermont. Yes, this is where I worked last summer, but now I won't be an intern (on an intern's pay) and I have a better title! I will be Assistant Stage Manager for the musical Next To Normal, as well as the classic drama To Kill A Mockingbird. I'm very excited, as I get to work with Broadway designers, directors, and actors for both shows. One step closer to what I've always wanted to do.

This coming week I will be traveling to Dublin, Ireland, so you can expect some more pictures soon (or a video if I have time to waste).

What would be ugly in a garden constitutes beauty in a mountain
                                 -Victor Hugo