During Week Six, I had the privilege of representing UC Blue Ash at the fifth annual A2RU Emerging Creatives Student Summit that was held at Louisiana State University. The theme of this year’s summit was Spectacle and the Collective Experience. Spectacle is a visually striking display that evokes some type of emotion. The first day of the summit, we were able to network with our peers and discuss majors and backgrounds. The second day, we were divided into our teams. I worked on a team with four other students coming from various majors and schools including: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Penn State, and University of Michigan. We were then challenged to brainstorm together and created an interdisciplinary spectacle of our own. After a few hours of brainstorming, we then took a field trip to Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO). Here, scientists observe gravitational wave activity. We were able to take a tour and listen to a presentation from an astronomer. Saturday, we listened to a panel on the ultimate spectacle—Mardi Gras. We learned the historical context and traditions of the grand festivities. We also continued our group work and projects in order to prepare for our presentations on Sunday. For our Spectacle, we decided to focus on Music. We created a moving music parade for a college campus that would focus on one culture and would move chronologically through the music. We focused on African-American culture for our example and explained that the grand displays are a way for people to advocate for social issues. Here is a link to our presentation in case you want to check it out: https://prezi.com/xqw1yrhvtktx/edit/?auth_key=8uzia5h&follow=cpti5mhbgf-4#163_45341393

 

I felt like I was able to make an impact at this summit by telling others what a great institution the University of Cincinnati is and was able to represent our school outside of Cincinnati. This event impacted me even more because I was able to work with a team that challenged my thinking and eventually made me a better leader and learner. This was a great opportunity and I am so glad that I was able to be a part of it.

 

In my classes, I learned about the how social deviancy affects the individual. It could potentially make someone feel disconnected from society and rebel even more. Sociology is by far my most interesting class and I love learning all the new concepts.