In the past year, I have blazed through 3 honors experiences. As I reflect on how my sophomore year of college went, I can trace a clear line and narrative through these experiences and how they have shaped my path. This was also my first official year as a Media Production student in CCM. These honors experiences were integral to my development as a technician and storyteller.
At the beginning of this year, I found myself embarking on a new semester, having just barely returned from my trip to Malta. Classes started the week after I returned. To go from learning about the most severe of conflicts to beginning a news semester at college (which is an inherently privileged opportunity) was a case of emotional whiplash that I hadn't anticipated. To welcome change, in any regard, is considerably complex. In this case, it exposed truths about myself and my current role, and whether I felt they aligned with my core values. In the Fall of 2022, my thoughts explored the experiences in Malta and examined how they would fit into who I am. They centered around combating apathy and embracing action.
An interesting foil to this was my experience in UHP CRITS, where I had the opportunity to explore storytelling through the 5th edition of D&D. Playing D&D was certainly out of the ordinary for me, and it became a common topic of conversation at most family dinners and phone calls. I wanted to do well, so I watched video after video to try and figure out what exactly I had gotten myself into, but the nature of D&D itself revealed a truth that I have spotted often since; sometimes, the most effective way to learn is by doing. By playing through the campaign, I learned much more about storytelling and character development. Through this experience, I learned to fully embrace my love for storytelling, as well as my role as a storyteller.
Finally, in the Spring of 2023, I had the pleasure of joining UHP's "The Human Condition" seminar. When I was registering for classes, I asked my honors advisor if this class would put me in the throws of an existential iris. I am happy to report that her assurances were correct. After the turbulence of the previous year, studying and observing my ideals from an academic perspective was invaluable. We became comfortable using the term "dialectic" to refer to the method of learning through discussion. We learned from each other by sharing our perspectives and experiences on complex scholarly works. Through the series of papers and verbal analyses, I was able to develop my skills in writing and expressing clear and valuable lines of reasoning. Dr. Zalar assured me that when we take the time to add focused structure to our work, we become incredibly powerful writers and creators. I loved being in a room with people who were passionate and focused on learning how to live well.
As I look back on my sophomore year of college, I struggle to accurately describe it in my mind without the presence of bias. Initially, I thought that it focused on change, then that it focused on the lack thereof. I believe that only hindsight will reveal which one is more correct. Regardless, change is dependent upon action. Whether by ourselves or someone else, for change to occur, we must act. I hope to use the experiences of this year to take action in ways that will produce positive change in my life and through the rest of my collegiate career.
