COLUMN: Are the arts a part of your Aggie college experience?
Coming all the way from New York City, I had no idea what to expect out of Logan, Utah.
Back in New York, I attended a specialized high school for the arts which allowed me to focus in on my creative talents and gifts. We would spend a good amount of time going on field trips to see Broadway shows and musicals. It was such a good experience. My school was so close to 42nd St., there was never a dull moment for me. I thought I would lose that arts and culture aspect once I got to college.
I wondered, “Would there be any shows? Do performers come to Logan?” I am proud to say that now I am surprised at the arts life here in Logan.
My first semester here at USU made me very skeptical about what happens in Logan. I love to write poetry, and once I heard about the Poetry and a Beverage event happening on campus, I went nuts.
I was excited, but once I arrived, it was on the TSC patio and there were fewer than 30 people there. I had waited all day just for the evening to come so I could share my poem. After I signed up, I waited. There was one guy who got up there and played his latest song cycle about how much he misses his ex. Finally it was my turn and I got up on the stage, nerves rattling, and I performed my poem. No applause. Just a few occasional stares and the sound of lemonade being sipped. It was at that point in which I wondered if the students at this university even cared about art at all – or was it all about sports?
I tell you this story to raise a few questions. What art or cultured event have you attended recently?
After my freshman year, I can see how one could spend an entire four years and not receive the full Aggie experience. Don’t get me wrong, the Boise State game at Romney Stadium will be live, the USC game in the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum will be something else, but it’s the arts that bring everything together on campus.
I am happy to say this past Saturday I had the chance to go to the first PoBev of the semester, and it was definitely not the same as my freshman year memory. I was glad to see students out and about enjoying the art and even participating with some poetry of their own. I am not going to list every single event on campus in this article, but I do want to encourage the students and faculty here at USU to attend these events.
Grab an Aggie passport, look on the Caine College of the Arts webpage, etc., because a full college experience includes going to the arts events on campus.
Who knows; you might actually learn something new.
– T.J. is a senior majoring in music from Harlem, N.Y. He is a member of the A-Team, Black Student Union and various other clubs and groups on campus. Send any comments to anthony.pratt@aggiemail.usu.edu.