It was a long week and I had a lot of school work. Coming up this week, I have all of my first tests so I have been spending a lot of time studying. This week in class, we had our first experience with imporv. I feel that improve is kind of like "icebreakers". They are awkward and not everyone wants to do them. I think with some, they are fun and can be something that everyone would want to do; however, in a class environment, that isn't easy. Lacy is trying to show us different things that are going to get us out of our "comfort" zone in an attempt to learn in a different way. She is doing this i feel to make this class abstract. I am not really sure though. On a other note, I went to the UMASS game over the weekend and it was packed. It was awesome to see all of the fellow Niners come and support the team who brought us another victory. We are currently undefeated at home and ranked 2nd in our conference right behind VCU. It is going to be interesting to see how we do this year as the season starts to come to a close. Anyways, I hope everyone had a great weekend and ill see you in class on Monday.
I agree with you. The improv can be very awkward at times but it is also a lot of fun too. I also have 2 major tests in Biology and Chemistry this week and I have a Statistics test next week. SO yes, I'm gonna be swamped with work and studying this week as well. And heck yeah man! That game was awesome! It was so packed and exciting and we got the job done again!
ReplyDeleteI think improv is Lacy's way to get the class thinking and working together. They always somehow connect to what we're doing in class. For example the "Yes and..." game connects to the "believing game" when we accept and take another person's ideas and add to them. Good luck with all your exams!
ReplyDeleteHey man, just wanted to comment on the basketball portion of your blog. I think the team has been pretty good this year. It sucks that we weren't able to get a signature non-conference win against the two ACC schools that we played, but the effort has been tremendous this season. The thing that excites me the most about our team is that we don't have many seniors, and the majority of our starting lineup is freshmen. We should be an fun team to watch in the next couple of years as we make the transition to Conference USA. Hopefully we make the NIT this year, and make a run for the Big Dance next year!
ReplyDeleteImprov definitely gets us out of our comfort zone. I loved the "yes and" game. It does tie in to each other and offers us a way to see other people's thought process! Lacy definitely knows how to keep the class interested! Beast of luck to you on your exams! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Michael, I am interested in thinking with you about connections between your reflections on improv and college basketball. I am with you on your thinking that these kinds of movement things push people or at least some people out of their comfort zone. It is interesting to think about how the academic side (if we believe for the moment that that their separate entities in college experience) of college life usually constructs students as inactive, alone, passive, receivers of information. Improv does some small work to nudge this narrative around. Interestingly another side of college life, the "non-academic" sports scene, seems to naturally bring students together, talking, traveling even, actively engaging in the culture based on interests. I wonder why the academic side is constructed the way it is and why the social side the way it is. How are the lines between academic and social blurry? Or do you/we think they are at all? (P.S. This is the kind of thinking I hope you and others try out in your blog posts. I want you to try bringing the stories, events and ideas that you are interested in talking about into conversation with the academic work of our class. I will be honest that I have doubts (doubting game) about if people will be willing to do this. I hope this dialogue doesn't make blog posts go all school-rote-justsayingstuffyouthinkIwanttohear. I also believe (believing game) that we might as well try to do this.
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