The Art of New Experiences
I recently began my third year at Guilford College in pursuit of obtaining degrees in Biology and Health Sciences. I am someone who has immense passion for broadening his horizon, so I decided to enroll in a class of the arts during the three-week session.
For someone who has studied a great deal in the sciences the past two years, I was certainly hesitant about venturing into this new subject area.
After conversing with my adviser, Associate Professor of Biology Christine Stracey, during class registration this past spring, I decided that I would enroll in Art 243: The Political Print with Visiting Assistant Professor of Art Katy Collier.
I honestly did not know what the art of political print would entail nor what would be required of me as someone who has very little experience with art. All I knew was it would satisfy my art requirement. Not to mention, COVID-19 would soon roll around to pose many challenges for students and faculty across the globe.
All summer, I eagerly waited to hear Guilford’s reopening plans, but things appeared grim when the school start date began to approach. Nevertheless, Guilford remained committed to its plans to reopen, and I would soon find myself on campus. I remember feeling a great deal of uncertainty and caution because COVID-19 exists as a threat to the community, and I had never enrolled in a “hybrid” course.
Despite those feelings, I had a memorable experience in Art 243: The Political Print. Katy was extremely professional, organized, and did a remarkable job at creating camaraderie among the class. Throughout the course, Katy effectively communicated and was more than willing to help with anything I was unsure of.
I have found that when the instructor is approachable and fully committed to my learning I am most enthusiastic to be an active participant. This translates to a wealth of knowledge obtained. I really enjoyed learning about the various prints and techniques, the history of political print, and doing a group project at the end.
While Guilford has employed strict rules for the fall semester in an attempt to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, Katy did everything and more to utilize the resources available to engage students. Our class would have a Zoom lecture most days of the week, followed by in-class work time in small groups, and some form of written discussion to complete that night.
My favorite part was it was structured in a way where Katy expected a certain amount of a project to be due each day. This helped me effectively learn the techniques, ask questions along the way, and to stay on top of my work. I would definitely recommend this class to my peers. And I will miss the evenings spent working in the Art building and having great conversations with my newly befriended classmates, who were all so welcoming.
Guilford believes in a well-rounded liberal arts education. Schedule your personalized visit today to learn more about the newly imagined Guilford Edge curriculum.
Come build your path at Guilford.
Apply, visit, or ask us anything — and your gift, of any size, powers financial aid and the 189-year work of teaching a handful of students at a time.