Alright fellas, it's my final semester of undergrad. Due to the fact that I took a very full course load the past four years, I dont have very many courses I need to take to complete my majors, so Im taking it easy and having a lot of fun this semester. Unfortunately, my senior fall crashed and burned in November and did not ever have a comeback, so this senior spring has to be good enough to make up for it. Fortunately, Im feeling pretty optimistic about that happening. Here are the things Im doing in my last semester:
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Ballet
This is my last college class ever and my first class in the dance department. I did dance for a very little bit in middle school, and I thought this would be a fun, low-stress class to take in my last semester. This class meets Monday and Wednesday mornings at 8:30am, and its a wonderful way to start my day. Ive always liked morning classes because they give me a reason to get up early, and when theyre over I feel like theres still so much of the day left.
One of the funniest things about ballet class is the music. All of the dancing we do is to piano covers of songs that are either showtunes, a 1980s-2010s pop or rock hit, or a song that was on Glee at some point. Frequently the songs fall into more than one of these categories. A lot of the time these covers are redone completely differently than the original, so Ill be dancing for a while before I notice that the song is Cake by the Ocean. Music aside, so far Im really enjoying revisiting something I havent done in a long time. Its fun to stay active and dance with a group of people who are at a lot of different skill levels. The class is open to non-majors, but there are quite a few dance majors in the class who are way better than me. However, I dont feel intimidated, because I decided to take the class to learn and have fun, and now thats exactly what Im doing.
Lessons and Large Ensemble
As with every other semester, Im taking private lessons with my studio instructor, Professor Jeff Scott. Right now Im gearing up for my Senior Recital, which is in a few weeks on March 27th. Its been over two years since my Junior Recital, which was in October of 2019. A while ago, I decided to push my Senior Recital from my fourth year to my fifth year in the hopes that the Conservatorys Covid protocols would change; last year, audiences werent allowed for recitals, but thankfully thats changed and my family will be able to come see me later this month. I picked repertoire I like, Im enjoying preparing for the recital, and Im looking forward to it, but Im also very glad that when its over, a huge weight will be lifted and Ill have two months of next to no responsibilities before graduation. And, as of today, Ive officially turned in my program to be printed! In addition to preparing for my recital, Im also rehearsing in orchestra for our weekly concerts. My first concert of the semester is going to be March 18th, and its going to be the first time Im playing in a section with my best friend (whos also a horn player) since the spring of my sophomore year.
ExCos
Im taking two this semester: MythCo and CultClassixCo. All of the ExCos Ive taken thus far have been practicum-based, which are more hands-on and involve doing an activity or learning a skill, but both of these ExCos are academic, which involve more discussion of material. CultClassixCo is a course on cult classic movies, including The Rocky Horror Picture Show, The Room, Donnie Darko, and Heathers. For most of my life, the vast majority of movies Ive watched have been animated; I love animated movies and musicals, and its always seemed like a big commitment to sit down for a two to two and a half hour film. Somehow, since the pandemic started, I have grown a longer attention span, and I now find myself interested in watching a bunch of classic movies that I might not have the motivation to watch if I werent enrolled in a class about them.
The other ExCo Im taking is MythCo, a class about the Percy Jackson and the Olympians book series. Funnily enough, my wonderful former roommate of three years, Emily, researched and designed this course for her first Winter Term project, and began teaching it soon after. Sadly, I didnt get to take the course with her, but Im happy to continue her legacy and take the class with the student instructor she passed it off to. I read this book series so many times growing up, and Im excited to reread them for the first time in a while, and discuss them with a group of students who are as enthusiastic about them as I am.
VIBE Tap
Not a class, but Im super excited that Ill be continuing my tap dancing escapades in 厙ぴ勛圖s this semester. I certainly think its never too late to join a student organization, and Im really looking forward to tap dancing more and making new friends in this group this semester. Auditions were last Saturday, and rehearsals are now underway my Tap ExCo was my favorite thing I did last semester, and Im really happy I get to keep doing it and perform in the Student Dance Showcase again. I wish that I had taken the Tap ExCo sooner so that I could have been tapping for most of my time at 厙ぴ勛圖, but even if I didnt start as soon as I wish I did in hindsight, Im still glad I made it here in the end.
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Heres to finishing strong and getting those degrees.
