Self Evaluation

            This semester I definitely learned a lot about writing and the Penn State arts community and how this community interacts with me every day. As far as writing goes the main thing that has stuck with me through this semester is ethos, pathos, and logos. I was unaware of how much of a role these three elements played in everyday life! Any or all of these elements can be found in any news article, advertisement, or any book that you decide to pick up. I am now consciously aware of when a company or author is trying to grab my attention by using any of these methods and how using these methods could affect my decision making. I also learned about the different types of art forms that are all around me every day.

            I didn’t know that there were so many ways to define art and how the definition of art could apply to so many things. We spent quite a large amount of time attempting to redefine Penn State as an artistic community and this proved to be quite a difficult task. This was hard because there are so many different ways to define art and so many different ways to apply them to Penn State.  Ironically, after the Sandusky scandal Penn State needed really needed a redefinition and luckily (or not so much) for us, we were in the perfect position to do this. Penn State is a thriving artistic community that is much more than just the football team, the Blue Band, or the artworks in the Palmer Museum of Art. Penn State is a community that is made up of people that contribute to its artistic community every day. Penn State is much more than just a place to learn and obtain a degree; it is a place that promotes art. I’ve never talked about art so much in my entire life and I never thought that I would enjoy it as much as I did! I am beyond glad that I was able to take this class and look beyond the “football crazed and drunk” Penn State stereotype.