UNCC

Settling in to Graduate School

By Curtis  |  2011/09/01 12:58 Posted in Graduate School, UNCC  |  Comments Off

I have never been indecisive about my class schedule until this semester. Even as a freshman my class schedule seemed to be pretty well guided, but this semester, things have changed so much from my initial registration.

Theoretical Approaches to Sexuality and Introduction to Lesbian and Gay Studies has been a constant on my schedule. Those two have not changed at all.

The other spaces have shifted around. I went from Philosophy of Social Justice and Research Methods to Counseling Ethics and Tutorial in Sociology. Finally I am in Tutorial in Sociology and Transnational Feminism.  Course descriptions are provided below.

For the Tutorial in Sociology I am working on the topic of “masculinity”.  I started off being a little nervous about the tutorial course because initially I could not get any information about the course from the assigned instructor and then I found documents that contradicted what I was being told. I am becoming a little more relaxed with it now that I have met the instructor that I am doing the course with. I now know what is expected and know that I can do it.

Initially I started this semester knowing that I would have 1 class with Chris, Lesbian and Gay Studies. It is a class that is of interest to both of us, for obvious reasons. At least for me it is sort of like having an overview class of a missing part of my cultural history, as well as giving some insight into the movements for social justice.  Now, after a week of classes, Chris found displeasure in one of his other courses, and is joining me in Transnational Feminism (it is a cross-listed grad/undergrad course). I am looking forward to having someone to discuss the course with, but I’m not looking forward to the fact that when he writes his final paper, it doesn’t have to be nearly as long as my final paper.

 

Theoretical Approaches to Sexuality [WGST6601]
Katherine S. Stephenson
An interdisciplinary examination of the history of sexuality and contemporary theories of sexuality and the body. Topics covered include historical aspects of sexuality; representations of sexuality; politics of sexuality; critiques of psycho-analytic approaches to sexuality; feminist engagement with biological constructions of sexuality; and queer theory. — 3 hours

Active

Introduction to Lesbian and Gay Studies [WGST2050]
Theresa L. Rhodes
An overview of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender issues from historical, sociological, psychological, and cultural perspectives. This introductory course examines a broad range of contemporary gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender issues in various contexts including bio-medical, sociological, political, racial and sexual. The purpose of the course is to introduce the students to key concepts, terms, and issues related to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. Additionally, the class will include historical influences over the past fifty years that have shaped the present day culture within the LGBT communities. — 3 hours

Active

Tutorial in Sociology [SOCY6895]
Stephanie M. Smith
Prerequisite: permission of instructor. Directed reading and/or research; development of expertise in substantive area. May be repeated for credit. (Fall, Spring, Summer) — 3 hours

Active

Transnational Feminism [WGST5050]
Robin James
Transnational feminisms address questions of gender and sexuality as they pertain to or emerge in contexts that cross, transgress, and problematize “national” borders and the idea of the “nation” itself. It is a discipline that examines how women’s lives, and the functioning of gender and sexuality, shape and are shaped by “globalization.” While this “globalization” is often the “invisible hand” of a neocolonial, neoliberal, Eurocentric capitalist hegemony, it also includes bottom-up feminist, queer, and postcolonial practices that resist and subvert this hegemony. Transnational feminism both makes this invisible hand visible, and gives it a kick in its erstwhile ass. In contrast to “global” liberal feminisms, which ultimately fail to de-center Western notions of gender, sexuality, politics, etc., transnational feminisms examine the intersections of “local” knowledges, practices, and values, with this more “global” Western hegemony. Transnational feminisms are attentive to the heterogeneity of women and queers both across and within nations. — 3 hours

Active

Fall 2011 Courses

By Curtis  |  2011/06/22 14:44 Posted in Class Schedules, Graduate School, UNCC  |  Comments Off

I have delayed posting about my fall 2011 courses due to my program of study being somewhat indeterminate until recently. The schedule itself is still somewhat flexible, due to the fact that I have not yet consulted with my advisor about the final plan for my program.

The graduate level courses I plan to take are the following:

Philosophy and Social Justice [PHIL6050]
Prerequisite: Permission of the department. In-depth treatment of selected problems and issues in philosophy. May be repeated for additional credit as topics vary.

Covers theories of justice from Plato to Rawls and non-violent strategies in the civil rights movement, the women’s movement, the gay rights movement, and the issues relating to immigration and poverty/homelessness. Beyond using established historical and contemporary philosophical texts on these issues, the class has several guest speakers. — 3 hours

Research Methods [RSCH6101]
Identification of logical, conceptual, and empirical research problems; application of methods and procedures, including conducting library research, interpreting research findings, and preparing reviews of related literature. (Fall, Spring, Summer) — 3 hours

Theoretical Approaches to Sexuality [WGST6601]
An interdisciplinary examination of the history of sexuality and contemporary theories of sexuality and the body. Topics covered include historical aspects of sexuality; representations of sexuality; politics of sexuality; critiques of psycho-analytic approaches to sexuality; feminist engagement with biological constructions of sexuality; and queer theory. — 3 hours

PHIL 6050 in its standard catalog definition does not count toward my program, but I intend to seek approval to use it in my degree program from the program director because the course focuses on two areas that are covered by my program, and contains concepts that could be beneficial to be knowledgeable of if I were to use a directed topics course to close out my program.

RSCH6101 I know will not apply to my active program no matter what, but applies to other programs that I intend to go into in the future (primarily MA Counseling). Having the course already completed will benefit my application for the programs, as well as help me have some requirement already met. Taking this course also helps meet the requirements for being a full-time graduate student.

WGST6601 is a core course in my current program. The course represents the primary reason I am in my present program.



Posted from Charlotte, North Carolina, United States.

The Torture of Admissions

By Curtis  |  2011/03/01 16:58 Posted in Academic, Graduate School, UNCC  |  Comments Off

I know very few processes that have the same level of stress, anxiety and anticipation as the process of applying to an academic program. To individuals that desire to pursue education, an admissions decision is a big deal. The decision of an admissions committee (or a program coordinator) can alter the outcome of a person’s life. That one little decision makes all the difference. Neither decision is particularly bad, admitted or not admitted, it doesn’t seem to matter, but they have a profound impact on a person’s life. Being not admitted to a program that an individual is a good match for and being admitted to a program that an individual has no chance of success in are equally bad outcomes. It is possible for dreams to be crushed, but it is also possible for people to discover what their potential truly is and perhaps think outside of their comfort zone. To the applicant all that matters is acceptance. Everyone wants to be accepted, in some form or another.

I am presently more nervous than I have been since I began the application process. My application to Cognitive Science has been decided. All I know about it at the moment is that my application’s status is “DECISION MADE”. No further information is available. This is where the torture begins. I am informed by the graduate school that the decision letter will be release in the next 24 hours. The decision letter contains the actual answer to whether or not I am admitted. If I am accepted, it will also contain an offer of admission, which I must accept or decline (if I’m accepted, there is only one possible response to that question). There is just something extremely torturous about knowing that the decision has been made, but having absolutely no access to that information. 

Too early to consider a graduate certificate?

By Curtis  |  2011/01/27 00:38 Posted in Academic, Graduate School, UNCC  |  Comments Off

Well, on the topic of adding stuff to a graduate program of study, I’m about to contradict myself. You CAN add stuff to a graduate degree program, primarily through the use of a graduate certificate to take up any elective spots, and if correctly placed they can enrich the overall program. I am seriously considering adding Cognitive Science as a graduate certificate if I am admitted to the Clinical & Community Psyc program at UNC-Charlotte.

Cognitive Science Program: http://cognisci.uncc.edu/content/view/3/2/

Military Science in Spring 2008?

By Curtis  |  2007/09/20 21:20 Posted in Academic, UNCC  |  Comments Off

Today on campus I observed one of the military science lab courses (ROTC Cadets at drill/instructional practice) on the field in front of Cato Hall. I watched them for several minutes and analyzed their behavior, attempting to figure out what it is that intrigues me about military guys, and I found it… the pure precision of execution of movement, as well as their ability to still seem human while doing it. It is likely that because of the way my life is, I will not ever get a chance to have military experience. It is because of this that the Military Science/ROTC courses have always intrigued me. I believe that it would be very beneficial to me to take the introductory course, if for no other reason, just to get some leadership experience.
Course Descriptions in bulk: http://www.provost.uncc.edu/Catalogs/2007-2009/MSCI.htm
I’m looking at the following course pair to satisfy my curiosity:
MSCI 1101. Introduction to ROTC. (1) Preprofessional corequisite: MSCI 1101L. Introduction to ROTC and the U.S. Army including the rationale of the national defense structure and the mission and the role of the Army. Participation in the physical fitness program is optional. (Fall, Spring)
MSCI 1101L. Introduction to ROTC. (0) Leadership lab. Practical application of the material learned in the corequisite course. (Fall, Spring)
file photo:

What happened to Fall 2007?

By Curtis  |  2007/08/29 04:46 Posted in UNCC  |  Comments Off

A lot has happened that I haven’t reported here (I think I forgot that I have a blog) with the Fall 2007 semester.
First, for a short period of time I considered taking a break from my BA curriculum and working on some general ed stuff at the community college level, just to give myself time to refocus and determine my academic path and perhaps force myself to dive into my interests and emerge with a clue as to what I want to be when I grow up. At some point, I decided that I really didn’t need that time and that I would always have time to work on new areas of interest once I get one (or two) out of the way first.
In June I was assigned to a new adviser. In July I met my new adviser for the first time and a detailed plan for my Fall semester was constructed. The new objective is full steam ahead towards degree completion (just the requirements, I can decide whether or not to petition the registrar for graduation clearance once I finish the requirements). My new adviser seems to be more accepting of my academic interest in things like art, writing and social sciences. Bruce Long was never this supportive of anything outside of SIS (even though SIS requires a minor). Dr. Lejk (pronounced Lake) almost forced me to declare Studio Art as my minor.
Next came the course selection. I had decided early in the summer that I wanted to take Drawing. I found a section available at Gaston College with a time slot that seemed good to me. I had already missed the early registration period, so I went to be advised on July 5th. On July 16th I registered for my first course at Gaston College in over 2 years. At some point during the summer, I registered for Advanced C++ at Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC). At one point during the summer I was registered for 24 credit hours during the fall semester, including 3 studio courses (for a total of 33 class hours per week, normal/sane is about 18 class hours). When registering at UNCC I was supposed to be registering for Ceramics Studio, but was unable to do so because of an instructor hold on the course. I contacted Tweedy to request a permit to enroll, she denied my request (which shocked me). After a meeting of Tweedy and Roy Strasberg (the Art department chair at the time), I was permitted as an overflow student to Tweedy’s hand-building course.
Before the semester began I evaluated my course load and dropped Advanced C++ as a result of it seeming unnecessary and excessive to the schedule. It is likely a course for a future semester. On the first day of Ceramics Handbuilding, I was asked if I want to go to Ceramics Studio. I was asked why there was a sudden change, after my request during the summer. I was informed that Tweedy thought I would be “with a better group of people” in the studio course. Hence, I was asked to perform a drop/add with the registrar’s office. Later that same day, I went to the first meeting of my Photo Media 1 course, which I also decided to drop, due to excessive demands of studio courses on my time (and the desire to explore the topic more when I have time to dedicate to it).
Now I have 5 courses at UNCC and 1 at Gaston. I am perfectly content with my schedule and very happy that I don’t have the spare course at UNCC and the other at CPCC, that would have been 8 courses total, YIKES!

Fall 2007 Semester Schedule

By Curtis  |  2007/08/29 04:40 Posted in UNCC  |  Comments Off

Here is my Fall 2007 Schedule:
[View My Graphical Schedule]
[View My Text Schedule]
In addition to this schedule I also have a computer science course and a math course online.
I meant to post this days ago, as well as a summary of everything after I first went to my classes, but I haven’t quite gotten to it yet.

End of Semester: Spring 2007

By Curtis  |  2007/05/09 02:00 Posted in UNCC  |  Comments Off

This has been an eventful semester for me, both academically and personally. Now that things are coming down to the last few days and I have only one more exam to take, I am beginning to freak out a little bit and things are getting stressful. The most active thing on my mind at the moment is that Tweedy missed her exams on Tuesday morning. The registrar gave her Tuesday and Thursday for her exams and she consented to allow students to be evaluated on Tuesday, but yet, she was no where in sight. Another thing on my mind is the glaze kilns, I know that several firings have been conducted, but I don’t know the exact content of those firings or if the most recent firing will be completed on time for my evaluation on Thursday at 2pm. I worry that my present ware won’t be good enough and I worry that my big sculptures are too big and simply won’t get finished in time, because smaller pieces will go ahead of mine in the normal studio protocol.
Next up on my issues chart, I have been trying to get a specific course registered at CPCC for the past week. I want to take Creative Writing 1 at CPCC for fun, but because they have no record of my ENG111 (writing and composition stuff) credit, they are unable to admit me to the course and of course it isn’t enough to remind them that I have ENG112 (the next level of english after ENG111) on my record. They apparently need proof of ENG111 to be able to allow me to register for the course. Finally last night I got a response from the director of the department, and I was told to fax my documentation to her and it would be taken care of. I did that, and today, I had no reply from her, and I am still not allowed to enroll in the course. What is a desperate student to do?
Next, It is spring, and this is very obvious to me. I have been so horny in the last few days, I don’t know what to do with myself, I get excited at the tiniest little thing (probably bad wording, but who cares). I want to find something to do to expel my sexual energy that doesn’t involve my hand. I have thought about focusing on working out more and finding more physical things to do, but somehow just the thought of being that physically active makes me feel lightheaded.
Finally, I haven’t worked nearly enough on my personal website or any of my little projects and summer isn’t looking good for them either, because I am planning to spend a lot of time outside doing things like working on my garden, swimming, hiking and whatever else I can find that will keep me out of trouble.

Behind in Ceramics

By Curtis  |  2007/04/24 04:26 Posted in Ceramics, UNCC  |  Comments Off

I have thrown many pieces, including my sculptures, but I am back to my same fear from last semester, I am missing something or something will not go right.
My sculptures are all done but one, but because of their size, I am now worried that I won’t have time to get them fired and glaze fired. I am planning to work on a very small backup sculpture project, something that meets the minimum 12″ height requirement, but thats about it. I’ve considered things like stacking bowls in unique ways, but also thought about things like throwing organic forms, like different types of squash, maybe a tree of two.
In addition to the things I feel that I NEED to do, I also have some unfinished business that I WANT to do. For example, I would really love to throw a 50lbs bowl, even if it sucks at the end. I also have a desire to complete a few more tall narrow forms for fun. I still plan to throw up until the very last minute of throwing, so I will probably try to do a few more sets of things while I’m at it, or maybe I will stick with my tradition of doing big things. It is said to be risky to do things with lids that are over a diameter of about 8″, so perhaps I can throw a casserole that is about 14″ diameter and also throw an appropriately sized lid (about 13″ most likely) for it.
I can feel that I am running out of time, but somehow I feel even more pressure in myself to keep throwing, to move forward and to make great leaps in my work in the final hours remaining. I have done it once before, and I will do it once again.
Here I go, just a few more days to go, and I am filled with creative energy.

Potter Going Crazy

By Curtis  |  2007/04/13 03:22 Posted in Art, Ceramics, Hobbies, Personal, UNCC  |  Comments Off

It is 0330, I should be asleep right now, but as much as a try, I can’t fall asleep, all of these thoughts are converging on my tiny brain at once.
With such a short time remaining (14 days) it is becoming more of a challenge to keep these thoughts under control. I am going to spew them here….
1. I am thinking about scrapping the original set of sculptures idea, instead, making the drawing (see a few posts back) the final member of the set, and starting from a much simpler point, the sculptures have to be 12″ tall, so I will do a large bowl, cut a hole in the bottom, add a cylinder that is almost closed at the top on top of that, make it have a hole in the bottom as well. That should be 12″, or higher, so that will be the first one, and I will develop from there to arrive at the final piece, which is in the diagram. If I can’t think of enough transitions, i will go back to my adding vines idea to finish out the set. Doing it like this presently is just too difficult, I am a wheel potter, not a sculptor, so the intricate detail of the vines, leaves, and flowers (well… wheel thrown roses aren’t that hard) is just an overload that I can’t do, i took a risk on trying it, and the risk failed.
2. Talked to Molly a lot today, and we came up with a plan to mid-range fire some ware upon approval from Keith. Keith always says yes to a reasonable request, so we are go for that. I am planning to mid-range fire my sculptures just to make sure they have more of a chance of survival. I mean no disrespect to the mighty Alpine and Geil kilns, but the gas reduction is just a bit too much for some of my ware, so a Cone 6 oxidation might just do the trick to settle my nerves. (will custom mix glazes)
3. I am planning to fire the soda kiln, since no one else is, i’m going to light a [metaphorical] fire under my subordinate classmates (the lower level of wheel students) to get them to prepare some stuff for that kiln. I have a piece that fired apart that I plan to have glazed fired in here to make sure it is a safe ride for it.
4. Projects Remaining -

  • 3 – 5 sculptures
  • 2-3 more big bowls (final project)

The sculptures will just round out the last few pieces of the set and make sure I have enough to cover my ass. The big bowls are to be really creative big bowls that will stand out above the rest of my work. I am working diligently to make sure my final project is a success. I have worried myself about my lidded wares, but I have finally convinced myself that enough of them exist and that everything will turn out OK. I have 5 seated in the piece and a lot more seated in the lid. I think I have met quota.
Let’s do a quick check to see that I have done everything, shall we?

  • 5 small cylinders – check, all accounted for and done
  • 10″ or higher cylinders – check (little low on these, but more have been thrown to cover my ass and I have a few that count as multiple)
  • Lidded forms – check (see above)
  • Sets (2) – check (bowls and steins)
  • Sculptural forms – almost, working
  • Cumulative Body of Work – check (but with uncertainty)

5. Glazing – not exactly on my high priority list, I will eventually get to it before the end of the semester. I’m looking forward to getting this finished. If I am not careful, I will end up being my own glaze load or two, I should probably start on that soon so that I can stager the load over all of the remaining glaze kiln loads.
6. The weights of my clay balls – so many times in the past few days I have been asked how much clay I use for certain things. I DONT KNOW! I have ceased weighting my clay, I just crab from my personal barrel what I think I need and I work from that. There is no science behind it, just ceramic intuition. I feel bad that I don’t have the numbers for those that ask, I am going to try remembering to weight after I pull out of my barrel so that I have more to offer than a dumb look.
7. Space Consumption – I have 2 standards (5 shelves each), one table (about 10′ x 4′), about 3 other shelves and some floor space (for the really tall ones) currently claimed with my ware. I am concerned that I am becoming a studio hog. I have so much ware and I don’t know what to do with it all. I want to be more organized about it and clean up a bit, but i just don’t know how to go about it. I didn’t really ask if I could use the table (i just sort of started landing on it one day and it has grown from there). I have bisque ware on several shelves, glaze ware on one shelf, and the rest of the space is greenware that hasn’t been fired yet. I don’t know when I will ever find the time and patience to manage to get everything dry enough to fire. More importantly, when do I stop throwing? I know I can work until the last day (April 26th), I’m just not sure how that will work out. I want to clear out my table of greenware, and turn it into a table for glazing (mostly for me, but kinda open for others too).
8. Bonus project – if I complete my sculptures in my next visit or two to the studio, I plan to utilize the time to work on another “final project” of sorts. I want to work more on my tall vessels. Up to this point, all of my tall vessels have had “accidents” in the kilns (2 in bisque, 1 in glaze). I want to take some time and attempt to do 6 – 10 tall stacked pieces to sort of utilize the last days as best as I can and maybe show Tweedy my dedication to the course. In addition to these tall things, I intend to work on doing small projects for myself as well. I have had a request for some salad bowls, which will be a challenge for me, but I think I will enjoy learning how to make them. I hope my friend Oscar won’t be too critical of them since this will be my first time doing a shallow bowl. One thing I found the night I did the set of steins (yes, the whole set, in one session) is that I am good at sets. I have a talent for repetitive throwing (Tweedy mentions that a lot, but not usually in a good context), I want to exercise that talent.
9. Wheel work at home – I have been working some on my wheel at home, I have gotten good at sets in earthenware too. I am more conservative with my clay at home than at the studio (where I have been given Carte Blanche on clay consumption), because at home, I have to pay for my clay. I likely won’t do anything big at home during the summer, but I will keep throwing as long as I can still afford to buy clay and can throw things small enough to fit in my kiln.
X. Tweedy has pneumonia, this doesn’t make me happy, since there is a lot left to be done, critiqued or put down. How can we finish the semester without Tweedy? Also, I have noticed that I am the only person in my class who is this far along to completion, everyone else is trailing by at least two projects. I am trying to offer encouragement, but these guys are easily put down by their own bad emotions relating to the stresses of the course. This isn’t a course that can be done lightly with success, it requires skill, motivation, and most importantly, a belief that when it all comes down to the last few moments, your ware will all emerge from the kilns and be safe, and the course will come to a dramatic halt as the pieces are paraded like show horses on a summer day in Tennessee. I feel really bad for Tweedy, at the start of the semester she stepped on a needle and was out for a few weeks and now she is ending like this.
Its 0400, I feel slightly more tired, but not by much, but at least I have had a chance to do a proper memory dump.