Arts/Cultural Blog Post #8: Album of the Year

The name Kendrick Lamar sounded extremely familiar to me. I've seen it on TV, on Twitter, on Facebook... everywhere. I knew who the man was, but I never listened to his music. That all changed when the album, "good kid, m.A.A.d city," was released on October 22, 2012. On this date, I officially became a Kendrick Lamar fan.

It's not even a question to me that this is the album of 2012, especially for the hip-hop genre. In what is considered to be a dying field of music, Kendrick has put life back into it, giving us arguably our best artist since a young Kanye West came onto the scene. In the album, Kendrick displays a unique ability to tell stories in a song. The album is about his rough upbringing in the gang laden town of Compton, CA. It hits all the emotions, as different tracks make you laugh, make you cry, and make you fearful. It is truly a work of art and has thrust Kendrick Lamar onto the pedestal of being hip-hop's new golden child.

My favorite track on this album has to be "Poetic Justice" featuring rap sensation Drake. Using the sample of Janet Jackson's song "Anytime, Anyplace," Kendrick and Drake turn this mellow beat into a soothing hit. MTV has called this song "flawless," and it is easily the highlight of the album. It's moving, especially my favorite line, "I can never right my wrongs, unless I write them down for real."

If you're into the hip-hop genre and haven't had a chance yet, please check out "good kid, m.A.A.d. city" and you won't be disappointed.

Arts/Cultural Blog Post #7: My First Bruce Springsteen concert

I've never really been a Bruce Springsteen fan. Not to say that I disliked him, but I've never been the type of guy that could jam out to his music on my iPod. My mom, on the other hand, might be the biggest Bruce fan in the world. She's been going to his concerts since she was in middle school and has been to close to 200 of them in her life time. Surprisingly, she had never asked me to go to one with her... until this summer.

I was awaken early one morning by a call from my mom excitedly telling me "The Boss" announced he'll be coming to Penn State and performing at the Bryce Jordan Center in the fall. I was told to get up and get over to the BJC immediately to get two tickets. Two tickets? I wondered, was my dad going to come up? Nope, my mom was coming up by herself and wanted me to come with her. If I told you I was excited, I'd be lying.

On November 1st, the day of the concert, my mom flew up and arrived here around noon. I was extremely excited to see her, but I got the feeling I was only the second most important person up in State College on this day... she was here to see Bruce. As night came down and it got to concert time, her excitement rose. I was shocked when we got to the venue how many people were there. This was going to be different than I thought.

For a man that's in his 60s, Bruce Springsteen is an impressive performer. The amount of energy he put out during his show was shocking. Even more impressive were his die hard fans, my mom included, who knew every word to every one of his songs. Bruce wasn't just a musician... he was an artist. Even though I'm still not the type of person who will listen to his songs, I have to say I have gained tons of respect for him and the career he has put together. Definitely an eye opening experience.

Arts/Cultural Blog Post #6: Self Evaluation, etc.

#1 Self-Evaluation
It's unreal how fast this semester flew by. It feels like just yesterday I was the big quiet hockey player from Florida looking for my first friends here. Now I'm a completely different person... or so it feels like. I learned so much this semester, from managing my time, to putting school first, to even getting the right amount of sleep. College is no joke, you have to be focused to succeed.

When it comes to Penn State, I learned a ton. Being from out of state, I never dreamed of going here. I always pictured myself at a Miami or a hockey school in the Northeast. But ever since I've made my decision to come here, I've been in love with this place. I feel like if you love the school, the school will love you back. Just ask the football team about that!

What I learned about myself was that I can handle change and adversity. As many of you know, I came here to play hockey. That plan unfortunately needed to be put on hold this year because of a shoulder injury. When the news came down, I took it hard. I was borderline depressed for about a week and seriously considered leaving and never stepping foot in an ice rink again. Luckily for me, I found something to pick me up. I joined a fraternity and got heavily involved with Greek life and realized there was much more to this school for me than hockey. I can proudly say that I'm a much happier, better person now than when I first enrolled here.

Overall, this semester has been a great learning experience for me. I now know what to expect in the future and what to do to make myself a successful student and person here. I really enjoyed this class- especially the teacher! Thanks so much for everything!

#2 Blog Comments
http://tstratford.blogspot.com/2012/09/palmer-museum-of-art.html?showComment=1355433326556#c2210995167426356002

http://englishscaresme.blogspot.com/2012/09/flowers-flowers-and-more-flowers.html?showComment=1348891643761#c7680764063438784074

http://emmatabacchi.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-social-network.html?showComment=1355433054072#c7867458404872190347

http://kaylaswritten.blogspot.com/2012/10/wonder-boys-review.html?showComment=1355433207993#c4725695665078061444

http://sedwards10.blogspot.com/2012/12/never-forget.html?showComment=1355432828168#c1356561460679695158

http://cuesandcommissions.blogspot.com/2012/12/the-end-unless-there-is-lesser-quality.html?showComment=1355433491076#c2316141698373244502

http://showmetheartspa.blogspot.com/2012/09/photos.html?showComment=1355433640955#c3538709658557749133

http://pbandkelly122.blogspot.com/2012/12/self-evaluation.html?showComment=1355433874794#c9176250735313507610

http://abbyejackson.blogspot.com/2012/12/spilling-on-one-direction.html?showComment=1355434024666#c6284098185380368465

http://thebodaciousblogger9.blogspot.com/2012/12/self-evaluation.html?showComment=1355434169134#c5750652235789253017

#3 SRTE Evaluations

Hi Ms. S-- I completed my SRTEs!

Arts/Cultural Blog Post #5: In the Red and Brown Water

In the play, Oya is a young runner who gives up her dreams of being an athlete and going to college in order to tend to her dying mother. Eventually, Oya's mother passes away and Oya falls in love with Shango, who eventually leaves her as he becomes a soldier. While Shango is away, a man named Ogun steps in and attempts to win over Oya's heart, but it never happens as Oya waits for Shango to return to her.

It really struck me that Oya gave up so much but received so little in return. She gave up her dreams to be with her mother who would end up leaving her. Then she falls for a man who leaves and never truly comes back. It seems like she sacrificed so much and had much more at stake than any other character. Unfortunately, Oya never achieved what she had hoped for.

I was definitely most compelled by Oya in this performance. She really was the focal point of the play and I was saddened by her story. I really felt bad for her character as the story went along.

I don't have any major critiques of the performance as I'm not really a big theater guy. I found it a little hard to follow at times, but it was not too bad. If you're the kind of person that's into plays, I'd advise you to see it.

This was not my first time seeing a live theatre performance. I've seen a few different plays in my hometown. The play pretty much lived up to my expectations of what it should be. This performance was not the best one I've ever seen, but it certainly was not the worst.

Arts/Cultural Blog Post #4: A Movie Review

"Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life, son."  The quote from the late John Vernon playing Dean Wormer in the movie "Animal House" is one of the most recognizable lines in the history of film. As someone who grew up hearing my father quote this movie, I was pleasantly surprised to see it listed as one of the movies being shown at the IAH film festival last weekend. After watching the film, there is still no doubt in my mind that "Animal House" is the greatest college film of all time.

To be a great college movie, there need to be three main things in the film; lovable relatable characters, an emphasis on frat life, and a heavy focus on the extracurricular activities in college, rather than strictly on the academic side. "Animal House" absolutely hits on all three.

When it comes to characters, who can forget the image of Bluto (played by John Belushi) piling his plate sky high in the cafeteria and then proceeding to start a food fight? Is it possible not to root for the two innocent, nerdy freshman pledges Pinto (Thomas Hulce) and Flounder (Stephen Furst) as they try and fit into the Delta Tau Chi fraternity? Even supporting characters like pot smoking Professor Dave Jennings (Donald Sutherland) or African-American singer Otis Day (DeWayne Jessie) had limited roles but were extremely memorable in the grand scheme of things.  The characters in "Animal House" were very well defined and extremely relatable, as I know I wasn't the only one sitting in the crowd who knows a frat guy who's just like Greg Marmalard (James Daughton).

Frat life is huge in college. Everyone knows the stereotypes that come along with it, and "Animal House" hits on it in a comedic way. The top-tier Omega Theta Pi fraternity that Pinto and Flounder attempted to rush, but were shunned from, is a perfect replication of one of your "tier I" fraternities. The nice house, the high class suits, and the cheerleaders at the door let you know immediately that our two main characters, Pinto and Flounder, have no chance of getting in. Meanwhile, the disaster that is the Delta Tau Chi house, is you're typical "on probation" fraternity. The movie showcases them as a rules-don't-apply-to-us bunch who are always on the verge of being kicked out. The rivalry between these two fraternities is a huge story line and part of the film's lust.

The shenanigans that take place in college are memories for a lifetime. You might not remember what you learned in your freshman year english class, but you definitely remember that one crazy weekend you had with your best friends. "Animal House" does a great job focusing on the lighter aspects of college life, such as the scene where Delta Tau Chi brothers Otter (Tim Matheson) and Boon (Peter Riegert) hit golf balls at the ROTC cadet officer for picking on their pledges. The comedic aspect of being a young adult on your own for the first time is the main draw to a great college movie, and "Animal House" gives us plenty of situations that send us into laughter.

Like I said before, "Animal House" still stands as the greatest college film ever made. I would recommend seeing this move again and again, especially as a college freshman. Even though it's over thirty years old, "Animal House" is still a classic.

Arts/Cultural Blog Post #3: The Arboretum at Penn State

I absolutely do not think of myself as a nature lover at all. I think part of it has to do with where I come from. Being from south Florida, it is hot and humid all the time, making it a miserable experience to be outside for an extended period of time. On top of that, palm trees can only be interesting for so long. Nature was never something I could truly enjoy, as I just became bored with it way to easily

Surprisingly, I enjoyed going to The Arboretum. This happened to be my first time going there. The walk was a bit of a trek from my dorm, but it was a nice cool day and gave me a chance to experience what fall actually feels like (we don't really have seasons in Florida). When I began to approach the Arboretum, I saw just a ton of green. From a distance it looks like just your average field. As I walked up the hill, the vivid colors of the garden started to come in to view. When I made it up to the Overlook Pavilion, it stunned me just how large the garden is. I was immediately drawn to the map of Penn State's campus just outside the Pavilion. I thought it was extremely cool once I realized what it was that  I was looking at. I stayed with the group as we walked around the garden, walking under what seemed like a massive arc made of trees to get to the outer edge of the garden, where I took the picture above. I think the fountain was a real nice touch too, as it added a sort of tranquility to the center of the Arboretum.

Overall, I enjoyed the trip. It was very eye opening on how beautiful nature can be when it's outside of your normal enviroment. I'm not quite sure if I would go back there on my own time, but I would not complain if I was with a group of friends and they suggested that we go back there. It was a cool experience and something I will always remember.

Arts/Cultural Blog Post #2: Palmer Museum Visit

No piece at the Palmer Art Museum caught my eye in quite the same way as the sculpture above did. The sculpture is of a Peruvian monkey, and the artist is unknown. It stems from the Moche culture and was made during the early intermediate time period. It was given to the museum as a gift by Dr. and Mrs. Kehl Markley. The piece seems to be something that the artist decided to make on his or her own time. I do not believe there is much of a social/political aspect to it, but there definitely has to be some sort of cultural background to it. If I had to guess, I'd say the artist was of a the Peruvian background and these types of monkeys are common in his or her local area.

The piece really connected to me on first glance. It was the first piece of art in the museum that made me think back to something back home in Florida. It immediately made me think of my younger brother and sisters. As strange as that sounds, I vividly recalled some inside jokes between the four of us centered around a monkey. It touched me emotionally in that way, making me think about my family back home and wishing they could've been there with me. It made me think about how much my sisters would've enjoyed the experience of going to the Palmer Art Museum. If I dig deeper into my emotions, the piece sparked the values instilled within me of family first. It reminded me that even though I am far away, my family is still with me in my thoughts. It really was a great feeling.

There is almost no credibility on this piece of work because the artist is unknown. It could've been anyone who made it. It could've been a man or a woman, a boy or a girl. It could've been a masterful sculptor or a young student. That is part of the mystique behind this piece, not knowing exactly who made it, why they made it, or what else they made. Still, I believe this piece was very well crafted and the artist absolutely knew what he or she wanted to do with it.

The piece persuades me to look deeper into it, to see if there is a deeper meaning than what it shows on the surface. At first glance, I believe the claim to this piece is strictly cultural. I thought it intended just to show that the monkey is a part of Moche Culture. Then, as I thought about it more, I came to the realization that the claim this piece is making may be about how great of an animal the monkey is. It could be speaking about how intelligent it is, and even how us humans were at one point on the same level as it. There can definitely be more than one claim on this piece of art.

Overall, I'd have to say I surprisingly enjoyed my experience in visiting Palmer Art Museum. Normally, I'm not a big art guy. It was like pulling teeth to get me to go to an art museum on any given day. I'm not a great artist myself, so I never truly had an appreciation for the time and effort that goes in to making these pieces. Being that it was my first time here, it was refreshing for me to realize that this museum was different than most museums. It was refreshing to be able to take pictures of the works and in some cases be allowed to touch them. I don't know if I'd go back on my own time for leisure, but if I had to go back to the museum for another class or for this class again, I would not complain. Considering most of my peers in the class had a similar view point to mine on the arts, it was nice to have them along with me. I do not believe I would have enjoyed this experience as much if I would have gone by myself. Having friends there really made this a memorable experience for me.

Arts/Cultural Blog Post #1: What We Talk About When We Talk About Blogs

Template: I wanted to go with a pretty basic template for this blog. I wanted it to be easy to navigate and have the information pop right out at you. I also think having a navigation bar on the top is a huge help in keeping the blog easy to use. I also added a picture of me playing hockey in the background to make this blog unique.

Title: I wanted to go with a title that was a play on words. The saying "Picture Me Ballin'"has become popular among the basketball/rapping community, so I slightly changed it to "Picture Me Bloggin'" to come up with my blog's title. I thought it was catchy.

Color: I went with basic black and white on this blog. It meshed well with the picture in the background and it made the text easy to read. I feel like the white on black pops off the page.

Font: I'm not to creative when it comes to fonts, but I liked the way the "Lucky Guy" font looked on the top page for the title and description. For the text in the blog itself, I want with the basic "Times New Roman" to show professionalism and clarity.

Pages: I'm still trying to figure out exactly how the pages work, but I like having them accessible through the top of the screen on the navigation bar.

Sharing/Finding: The archives are available on the right side of the blog for easy finding of information.

About Me: In my About Me page I included some information about myself. i want everyone to know why I'm here, where I came from, and what I enjoy doing in my spare time..

Overall, I like the way my blog looks and believe it is easy to navigate. let me know what you think!

About Me

What's up guys? My name is Austin Luboff, I'm 18 years old and I'm from Parkland, FL, which is located about 20 minutes west of Ft. Lauderdale. I decided to move away from Florida and come up here to Pennsylvania for many different reasons, ranging from the chance to play hockey for this school to getting out of the hot Florida weather. So far, I think I've made the right decision.  

My main hobby is ice hockey. I've played competitively for as long as I can remember, and I've put in years of hard work to get to where I am today. I couldn't be more honored to be part of the hockey program here at Pennsylvania State University, and I hope to help build the program into one of the best in the nation.  

Aside from hockey, I enjoy other sports like basketball and football. I also enjoy music, specifically the hip-hop and rap genre. My favorite artists to listen to are Big Sean, Drake, J. Cole, and Wiz Khalifa. I love meeting new people and making new friends, so feel free to introduce yourself to me. Oh, and I'm obsessed with twitter... follow me @luby3131!!  

I hope I can keep this blog interesting, and will try to post more than just class assignments on it. I hope you enjoy it!