Jenny

Tuesday, June 28, 2005

Grades

Classes officially ended on Thursday of last week and Friday we had course evaluations, and review of the final exams. On my cultural studies final exam I got a 99! I had to read eight chapters...a total of 255 pages. This book is not an easy read that is for sure. But our exam covered the last eight chapters for the book, Literature, Drama, Music, Dance, Film, Photography, The Interrelationships of the Arts, and Is It Art or Something Like It?. I had put off reading most of it because of the papers that were due and just getting overloaded with work for both classes, but thank God I did read it because all the questions come from the book, and I would of been dead. As much as I didn't want to take this course because of the papers, I really enjoyed it. Ron is a great teacher and I'm planning on taking the second cultural studies class with him. My final grade for the course is an "A"

As for my photography course, I thought that class was going to kill me. That course I thought would be so much easier than the general ed, but I was wrong. It was all technical, like memorizing the shutter speeds, apertures and ISO's. At one point I really thought I would have to take this over just, most people in the class were having a hard time with it. But I studied and I'm not joking a good two days solid for this exam, and it paid off let me tell you. I got an "A-" on my final exam! As I was taking it I'm thinking to myself, man this is so much easier than I thought it would be. The exam covered everything for the beginning of the class until the end, so there was a lot of information. My final grade for the class is a "B-". I guess busting your butt really does pay off!

I'm off of school for two weeks, but really its only one because for every session we have what's called a prep-week assignment due the first day of class. This goes for both our photography courses and our gen-ed's but this session coming up I only have my photography course to worry about. For the photography courses for the most part it is a photo assignment but for our next class its 50 questions. For the gen-ed classes its usually a paper that is due. So I will have to start working on that soon. I have to buy some more equipment this week (so much money), I have to buy a light meter and a flash for this next class. I also have to start buying some books in the bibliography and get some reading done. Next week I am going to head up and visit Sara and Jason for a couple of days then head back here and get some more stuff for school done.

This weekend I rearranged my room a bit, did laundry at the laundromat for the first time since I have been here (usually I do it at a friends house to save money). Saturday evening, Daryl, Barry and I had a cook out on the beach up in Santa Barbara...awesome time. We had steak, grilled corn on the cob, mushrooms, hot Italian sausages and a tomato, mozzarella, prosciutto salad with kalamata olives...yum yum. Walked the beach for a bit and just hung out. I got to hang out with Mandy this weekend for a bit. We went out for her mom's birthday on Sunday night. We went to a really nice restaurant in Santa Barbara (actually right near where I was on Friday night), for some really good seafood. I had salmon, and it was the best salmon I have ever had in my life. Last night Mandy and I made dinner for our friend Ben who leaves for Hawaii on Wednesday. He is doing a YWAM program down there , so we had a little going away party for him.

I guess that is it for now. I'm going to head to school in a bit and try to sell my cultural studies books to some new students.

Thursday, June 23, 2005

And then there were 12

Eight weeks ago the Visual Journalism program started with an April 2008 graduating class of 18 students and now there is 12, possibly less. For the most part people failed the course, but one lady is taking the summer off to spend with her children, and then there is Christian. He is leaving for a couple reasons I guess. I can understand where he is coming from but extremely sad to see him leave. He's a great guy and knows what he is doing when it comes to photography, he's just been such a great example and inspiration during this course. He'll still be living out her in Cali so I'm sure I'll see him ever now and then. Today was our last official day of classes. Tomorrow is just course evaluations and reviewing of our final exams! I'll update this tomorrow night and let you know how I did. I have an idea but not 100%.

I made it through my first session! And right about now I am so excited that it is over. I am looking forward to this break, sleeping and relaxing. My next class doesn't start until the 12th of July so I am going to go up and see Sara and Jason around the 4th of July. Speaking of Sara and Jay, congratulations to them...they just bought their first house! I am so excited for them and can't wait to be able to go and visit them back on the East coast.

Ok off to bed, can't keep my eyes open any longer. I'll write more tomorrow.

Monday, June 20, 2005

AIDS in Africa Final Project

For my Cultural Studies class I had a final project due and a final paper to go along with it. We had to pick and artist that inspired us and create a piece of work of our own based on that inspiration and also write a seven page paper that talks about our artist, our subject matter and why we chose both of them. I chose my sister, Sara as my artist and her mixed media piece called "window of opportunity" (http://sssparks.blogspot.com). So below in pictures of my piece...AIDS in Africa.

We had our presentations in class today of our pieces of art, I think mine went well, (I'll let you know my grade when I get it back), and our paper is due on Wednesday.

Today I have been studying all day long. I finished one paper this morning before class, had class, came home and have been reading for my Cultural Studies final on Wednesday and my Basic Photojournalism exam that is tomorrow night! That's the one I'm actually nervous about. I am review notes, re-reading the assigned chapters, going over my old quizzes and what not, just praying that I don't freeze up on this exam. I really should get back to studying...its 11:01 here, and there is lots to get into my brain. Hopefully I will go to bed before 2:00 am this time.

I'll write more later this week...tomorrow and Wednesday are going to be jam packed with studying, papers and exams.

AIDS in Africa (a) ?Jenny S. Manseau, 2005
Originally uploaded by jennyjene.

AIDS in Africa (b) ?Jenny S. Manseau, 2005
Originally uploaded by jennyjene.

AIDS in Africa (c) ?Jenny S. Manseau, 2005
Originally uploaded by jennyjene.

Saturday, June 18, 2005

One Week

Ok, only one week left of my first session at Brooks. This past week was beyond stressful. Not much sleep, running around trying to get everything done in time (didn't really work well), and trying to find some sun light. We needed sun light for a project that was due on Thursday and the whole week was "June Gloom", but its funny yesterday and today...full of sun shine, not a cloud in the sky! We had to have our assignment in by 4:00 on Thursday so I was out in the morning and afternoon shooting and got back home, did all that I had to do, went to turn it in and my ftp server wasn't working. Its about 3:30 now and I was on the phone with the IT department at school and about 3:45 we just decided that I would e-mail my files to the guy and he would put them in for me. Ok great! Except my files got to her two minutes late. I guess better late then not at all right? Well lets hope so. These pictures were sooo bad. Just about everyone's weren't that great. A few people even posed their pictures, which by the way is a big NO around here. Photojournalist aren't allowed to do that, but it depends on who you work for and their policies, here at Brooks is a NO. Some people have lost their jobs over doing stuff like that, and lets just say, the people who did that on this project, all failed. This class is hard enough, and to get an "F" over something like that is going to kill their final grade significantly.

Well I have a mixed media project due on Monday along with a five page paper, then on Tuesday I have my final exam in my Basic Photojournalism course, Wednesday I have my final paper due (seven pages) and my final exam in my Cultural Studies class, Thursday I have my "Five Favorites" due in my photo class (five of my favorite pictures I have taken since the start of class), and then on Friday I have two 50 minute classes, one for my Cultural Studies and one for my Basic Photojournalism class...they are just review and evaluation classes. Then its BREAK! I can't wait.

I registered for my next session on Friday, I am taking Understanding Light on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 7:00 am - 10:00 am. Which means I don't start class again until July 12th, so that gives me more time to go up and visit Sara and Jason after they get back from Maryland.

Guess I should go and get back to studying, papers and my art project.

Tuesday, June 14, 2005

STRESS

Ok its official, stress has hit. With less than two weeks left and a junk load of work to get done, I'm about to go crazy. I will be out shooting ALL day tomorrow...from 7:00 am - 6:00 pm (only because we have a class tomorrow night) and Thursday is our last day to turn in any assignments! So I have to re-shoot two and for the first time shoot two assignments tomorrow all of which are due Thursday by 4:00 pm. Thank God I broke down and bought Photoshop for my lap top, that right there saves me so much stress from having to go to the lab. Now if I could only afford another lens so I wouldn't have to check them out all the time, and I don't have time to do that tomorrow, soooo I will have to make the two lenses that I do have work! I think I can pull a "B" in this class, or at least I am praying for that.

When I got home I had a small pot of Daisies (my favorite flower) out side of my door with a little note of encouragement from Mandy, she is such an awesome friend. Thanks Mandy! I don't think this could of come at a better time.

And at some point I need to write a five pager paper and a seven page paper for Monday and do a "mixed media" piece of work about AIDS in Africa for Monday also. And study for two final exams, one on Tuesday and one on Wednesday of next week. And find my five favorite photographs from this session (don't really have any, so I will need to get those done too)and turn those in on Thursday. Those will also be the start of my portfolio.

Friday I get to register for my next session, not sure if I am going to take one class or two, depends on when the gen ed classes are being offered. I already know that my next photography class, Understanding Light is on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings...at get this, 7:00 AM! Talk about a junky time for a class. Guess no one from class will be out on Monday nights drinking.

At some point today California had a Tsunami warning...but its over with, so no worries. Well I need to go and sleep, tomorrow is going to be a crazy day.