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Flourish Online Magazine | Summer 2007 |
Sun Up to Sun Down: A Day in the Life of COTA Majors
By Willena Moye
Many people look back on their college days as a whirlwind of classes, exams and social activities. For students in the KSU College of the Arts, the moments between those things are also jam-packed—with private lessons, rehearsals, volunteerism, professional exhibitions and more. COTA students are also expected to perform or exhibit regularly. Despite the heavy workload, arts students take on even more responsibilities by volunteering in the community and serving in leadership roles across campus.
“Most artists are passionate about their work,” says Joseph Meeks, dean of the college. “They are also highly motivated and conscientious. Our students certainly exhibit those traits.”
During the spring semester, Flourish spent a day with students in each of the three College of the Arts departments to get a sense of the time and dedication it takes to be an arts student.
Daniel Pence, visual arts
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| Daniel working on a piece in ceramics class. |
Daniel Pence is quiet, but he has a powerful voice: his paintbrush. Like other visual arts students, he juggles his studio classes with his academic classes and works a significant number of hours every week.
Unlike music or theatre students, however, visual artists spend a lot of time alone. For Daniel, that time tends to be in his campus apartment, where he has set up a painting studio. In Spring Semester, he finished two paintings (each painting taking 50 to 70 hours), and six sculptures or vessels for his classes. In addition, he did a series of drawings for the student literary magazine. And, he worked in Associate Professor of Art Robert Sherer’s private studio helping him prepare for upcoming national and international exhibitions.
A Day in Daniel’s Life
9:00-2:30 Work in Robert Sherer’s studio
2:30-3:30 Commute to campus
3:30-5:45 Ceramics I class
6:30-7:45 Senior Exhibition class
8:00-10:00 Studio time to work on projects for Advanced Painting class
Laramie Rodriguez, music education
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| Laramie jamming in his class outdoors. |
Laramie Rodriguez wants to share his love of music with young people. “I’m working hard to prepare for my chosen profession as a high school band director. My personal goals include motivating my students to pursue music with passion, not just as a pastime.”
In addition to the student teaching experiences required of any education major at KSU, he also has to participate in at least two music ensembles—he chooses to be in four. And, he takes private lessons on both piano and clarinet. Outside of school, he serves as the music director at his church and performs in the church orchestra.
A Day in Laramie’s Life
6:30-7:15 Commute to campus
8:00-9:15 Statistics class
9:30-10:45 Instrumental Methods class
11:00-12:15 Music History
12:30-1:45 Jazz Band rehearsal
2:00-3:15 Wind Ensemble
3:15-7:00 Practice clarinet and piano homework
7:00-10:00 Play for the KSU opera production, “The Elixir of Love”
Marium Khalid, theatre & performance studies
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| Marium rehearsing for an upcoming production. |
Marium Khalid has big dreams: To move to New York or London when she graduates. To start a theater company. To eventually produce documentaries.
“I was born in London. I’ve lived in Pakistan, Dubai and Bangladesh, where you see thousands of street children. The moment my brother and I stepped on the tarmac (in the U.S.), we grew up.” There are things she feels need to be said. “I can’t imagine doing anything else besides acting. The moment I saw my first play, it changed me. You know, it is the best way to get a message out there. Acting is the only thing I want to do with my life.”
It was a tough semester: Because of her load, she had to temporarily give up her weekly volunteer shifts at a children’s center, working with abused children.
A Day in Marium’s Life
7:00-8:30 Homework
8:30-9:00 Commute to KSU
9:00-10:45 Voice and Diction class
11:00-2:00 Rehearsal for Acting for the Camera
2:00-3:15 Acting III class
3:15 -7:00 Rehearsal for mainstage production of “The Laramie Project”
7:00-10:30 Meet with “Uncle Vanya" scene partners to rehearse for Acting III