Tiffany Nguyen
Arts Scholar
Pentathlon Semester 1
Game Day! #presentation
September 12th, 2020
On September 12th, Arts Scholars mentors Vicki and Amy hosted a game day with their mentees through zoom! We played games such as Among Us, Codenames, and more. I had a lot of fun meeting with the other students in my mentor group and new people from the Arts Scholars program. This experience helped me connect with other passionate artists in a fun and relaxed environment. I am now more comfortable reaching out to my mentor and other fellow mentees if I ever need help, and I feel more involved in the Arts Scholars program and am excited for the future events to come!
The Power of Words #film
October 2nd, 2020
For my second Pentathlon, I watched The Help on Netflix. Much overdue, I finally watched the popular movie set in 1960s Jim Crow Mississippi where a young writer enlists the help of local Black housemaids to write a book, voicing the experiences and injustices they had to endure under the hands of the white families they served.
Watching this helped me realize that in school, the Civil Rights Movement is glazed over as a blimp in the American history timeline, but it is much more than that to many people. I never got a chance to really understand the experience and oppression black people had to endure during the 1960s and this movie allowed me to only understand slightly more, due to the Hollywood filter placed on this move; and that speaks for the level of privilege I have as an Asian-American.
In the Art Scholars Program, we discuss how art can be used as a device for social activism, and in this movie, the book written by Skeeter is exactly that - a work of art that aimed to bring about social activism. I hope through the Arts Scholars Program, I get to learn more about the experience of others through art, like this film, and expand my knowledge and worldview.
My First Ever Zine! #Visual Art
October 8th, 2020
I had never heard of a "zine" before, so I was extremely intrigued when Art Scholars TA Maddi offered to host a zine making workshop for all of the Art Scholars through Zoom. Fortunately, I wasn't the only one who had never made a zine before. Maddi walked us through what a zine was and how to make them, and even offered sources and links to zine collections and zines from other artists.
The overall experience was really fun and also extremely relaxing, which is exactly what I needed after a week of midterm exams. I got to chat with more fellow Art Scholars and we just listened to music while creating our zines together. At the end, we all shared our zines and I got to see other Scholars' artwork. I hope we get more opportunities like this where we can all share our interests and artworks.
Concert Connection #music
October 11th, 2020
Concerts and live music events have been canceled because of COVID-19, but that doesn't stop many artists from providing musical performances for their fans! A.C.E, a South Korean boy group, and one of my favorite artists, recently held an online concert, performing songs from their most recent albums and giving spoilers for upcoming releases. While I obviously couldn't be there in person, me and thousands of other fans worldwide enjoyed the concert live while simultaneously chatting and tweeting.
Although there was a language barrier, coupled with the technology barrier, I felt connected on a whole other level; I communicated with other concert viewers online who were enjoying the performances as much as I was, and A.C.E expressed their feelings and concerns to viewers (with the gracious help of translators). After the concert ended, I was reminded why I love art and music so much—they transcend any boundaries and can touch the hearts and minds of whoever is open to it.
Chill With A Quill #literature #artscholars
November 17, 2020
AAB held a 'Chill With A Quill' event where I got to write a letter so my future self. I took a second to step back and really reflect on what happened in the past year and how that affected not only my academic life, but also my social life and mental health. Being allowed to do so, and also writing about it in a letter to myself helped me realize how hard this year has been in all aspects, and allowed my to give myself some slack given the circumstances.
I also really enjoyed conversing with other students in the Art Scholars program about our letters; I'm not alone in feeling confused about school because of the pandemic, and we got to connect about other classes outside of the Arts program.
Pentathlon Semester 2
Computer Competition #presentation
February 6th, 2020, Home, Zoom
My peer mentor Vicki hosted another game day on Zoom with peer mentor Amy Yim! I had a really fun time playing games like Drawphone and Among Us with my peers in the Art Scholars Program. Since we've spent a semester with each other, it was nice seeing a few familiar faces and enjoying games with them.
Now that I've gotten the chance to become familiar with online schooling, the next step is to conquer online socializing, and I think I really got to connect with the other Art Scholars through some fun competition.
Space Sweepers #film
February 25th 2021, Home, Netflix
For my second pentathlon, I watched Space Sweepers, a Korean film that was released on Netflix! What intrigued me the most about this film was the racial diversity among the cast. The main plot included the Earth becoming so polluted that the population had to relocate to space, where neither country nor language limited communication with other humans since translation devices were used. The main characters were Korean, but there were people from different countries, speaking different languages all over the movie! Being a Korean studies major, I love being able to overcome the language barrier to be able to communicate with other people, and this film highlighted what I love so much about learning languages.
The pollution aspect of the film also resonated with me since now more than ever, the environment is a topic of discussion amongst the general public, and people from my generation are very outspoken about their passion for the environment; me included. Ever since I took an environmental science class a couple of years ago, I’ve become more aware of my carbon footprint and just how much waste I was putting out. This film reminded me of the importance of preserving the planet on which we live, and how crucial it is that we take care of it.
2-for-1 Penthalthon Event: Skribbl.io #presentation #ArtsScholars
February 28th 2021, Home, Zoom
For my 3rd & 4th pentathlon credits, I co-lead a 2-for-1 event as a member of the Arts Advisory Board. I helped facilitate the breakout room that was playing Skribbl.io, an online game akin to Pictionary, where one person is drawing out a word and the rest of us have to guess what the word is. While the event was very fun, I have to say that preparing for it was very difficult. First, since neither I nor my co-host had ever used Zoom as anything besides a student before, navigating the application was a bit of a challenge with all of the breakout rooms. Secondly, there were some technical difficulties that none of us foresaw. The website took a long time to load, making the students wait in silence while the hosts figured it out. Also, none of us knew that the game only allowed 12 participants at a time to play until the students were actually already playing; some students were forced to sit there and do nothing for 25 minutes.
I enjoyed the process of planning this event with the AAB members, and the actual event was very fun, and I got to see more faces from the Arts Scholars program, but I think the overall process of everything could have gone smoother/better if we had practiced a bit more or chosen to do a different game.
AAB Slam Poetry #literature #ArtsScholars
April 6th 2021, Home, Zoom
For my final pentathlon credit of the semester, I attended the slam poetry event hosted by AAB. I have to say this was one of the funnest events I’ve attended this semester. I really enjoyed seeing and hearing creations from other students in the Arts Scholars program, and experiencing them in such a cozy and welcoming environment where we all supported each other was really nice. It was so interesting to see how different people interpret poetry and how much they choose to share and express in their writing. Since the pandemic had started, my mental health and subsequent creative output had gone downhill, but this event is one of many that have renewed my love for poetry, and how simple but powerful it can be.
This poetry slam event leaves me wanting to explore creative outlets other than the ones I usually frequent. I often am put in a rut with my painting, but I sometimes forget there’s countless other ways I can express myself through art, like poetry. Specifically, I’m wanting to explore sewing/clothes making, jewelry making, and countless other things.
Pentathlon Semester 3
cherry blossom celebration #visualart
September 17th, 2021, NextNow Fest @ The Clarice, ARTECHOUSE Renewal 2121
For my first pentathlon event, I visited the ARTECHOUSE installation they had at The Clarice for NextNow fest. The theme for this installation explored the Japanese cherry blossom festival and celebrated it through various art technology, like AR, interactive machines, etc. This installation also aimed to raise awareness about environmental concerns.
They had a large mural that showed AR (augmented reality) aspects when you connected to their phone app, which is what my first picture is from. I had never attended an event or seen an art installation like this before, so it was a new and fun experience. Seeing this light art and technology art in person and even on my phone through the AR app opened the doors for me to see a new dimension of art that I could experiment with.
As someone with an interest in environmental science and raising awareness about the industrial effects on the environment, experiencing the ARTECHOUSE renewal provided me with a new lens with which I can view environmental activism through, and a new medium with which to do so. Especially because technology is seen as more effective and less wasteful, this art installation had a really lasting impact on me.
activism in art #film
October 2nd, 2021, Netflix, my dorm, Princess Mononoke
For my second pentathlon event for this semester, my suitemate and I watched the 1997 Studio Ghibli film Princess Mononoke. As a fan of Miyazaki’s other works, like Spirited Away and Howl’s Moving Castle, I took this pentathlon opportunity to view another piece of his that I had heard about. As I start the movie, I’m immediately bombarded with the vibrant greens of nature. The beautiful vivid animation tells a story cautioning humans about the consequences of industrialism on the environment and wildlife.
This movie made me think about the concept of activism through art or using art as a vehicle for change. Studio Ghibli has a tendency to focus on nature in their movies, but environmentalism was especially present in their films from the mid 1980s to the early 2000s, and Princess Mononoke was no exception. I feel like a lot of art, especially film, is made for the purpose of sending a message of change, especially as our society becomes a little more progressive and perceptive to social change. This movie also made me think more about how I could advocate for change in my own art, and made me ponder if I could do more with my own creativity, and what I would be interested in voicing through my own work.
aab art house #ArtsScholars #music
October 15th, 2021, Cambridge Community Center
The Arts Advisory Board put together an Art House as our first event of the semester. Finally being able to work with other students within the Arts Scholars program and seeing all of them work together and interact made me realize just how close and fun this community is. The planning process was definitely a little hectic since it was the new officer’s first time planning an event ever, and it was in-person, too! But, we all compromised and put our heads together to make sure we ordered the appropriate materials and got the assistance we needed from others.
The event itself was set with low mood lighting, cheerful autumn decorations, and good vibes from everyone that attended. I saw so many Art Scholars come out (and so many freshmen, too!) and share their passions, and the audience was so receptive and supportive. Art truly does bring people of all kinds together! There were many musical performances, from self-written pieces to Adventure Time and Disney covers, but also stand-up sets and presentations.
I never saw stand-up comedy as art before, but through this event I realized just how much creativity and comedic planning goes into writing jokes. There was also a presentation of memes made from coding/editing, which seems more technology and computer-based, but also takes a lot of artistic thinking.
making my own earrings! #ArtScholars #visualart
October 30th, 2021, Bel Air Lounge, Spooky Jewelry Making
I attended a TA-led spooky jewelry-making session, and made my first pair of self-made earrings (with much difficulty)! I had no idea how to get started since I had never dabbled in jewelry making before, but once I got a good look at the materials provided, I became inspired and improvised to the best of my ability to create my earrings. In Art Scholars, there’s a lot of open-ended things that we can interpret in our own ways, and I feel like I felt that when I attended this jewelry-making session; the earrings I made definitely don’t look like something you would buy in a store, but it was because I made them without a rhyme or reason, and definitely not in a professional way, but they feel organic and are unique to me!
I can relate this experience to my major, Psychology, because my unique personality, which was influenced by my environment growing up along with genetic and societal factors, can explain how I approached this challenge. Other people who also participated in jewelry making for the first time probably approached it in a different way than I did because they had a totally different experience than I did growing up, and view the world and certain challenges in a different light than I do.
clashing of cultures #dance
November 19th 2021, Stamp Colony Ballroom, TASA Tour of Taiwan
I attended TASA’s Tour of Taiwan last Friday, which was a huge celebration of Taiwanese culture, history, and food! Not only was there Taiwanese culture presented, there were also performances with roots from all over the world, with performances put on by Ethnobeat, an A capella troupe that sings songs that are strictly non-English, and GGWB, a K-pop cover dance group, among many other performances. While the main focus of the event was to showcase Taiwanese culture, it felt like a clashing and celebration of all cultures, and felt like a welcoming space where everyone was appreciating different parts of others’ cultures. There were trivia questions that quizzed participants about the history of Taiwan, like its tallest buildings or first president, and I got the chance to learn more about Taiwan since I didn’t know much about the country before. Using the skills I learned in Arts Scholars, I was able to observe and indulge in this new culture and truly appreciate all the art that was presented to me. I also got to experience a beautiful Taiwanese dance genre that I had never seen before, and similar to how we approached new concepts in Arts Scholars, I really sat in my emotions and reaction to it, and admired how beautiful the dance was. I personally am not coordinated enough to dance, but I could see the pouring of emotions from the dancer through her body and movements and how she was expressing the music through her steps, and thought that it was such an amazing outlet of creativity.
Pentathlon Semester 4
necklace gifts! #visualart
February 4th, 2022, Prince Frederick Hall, Self-Project
My close friend invited me over to her dorm on Friday night, and we took some time to make jewelry together! Though it wasn’t big nor expensive, I decided to gift the necklaces I made to my roommate whom I care for very much. In making them, I chose pendants and colors that I thought would suit my roommate, Alison, the most; green, brown, and light pink. Luckily, I attended a jewelry-making Coffee & Crafts last semester so I had a little semblance of an idea of what I was doing. However, I was working with elastic string this time, so I had to learn how to tie it without it slipping out. It was really frustrating learning how to work with that string since it was really slippery and wouldn’t stay tied, but I improvised and did some off-brand girl scout knots that I tried to remember from years ago and finally got the string to stay tied. If I ever venture into jewelry making again, I want to learn better and more efficient ways of tying elastic string, or learn how to use materials that will be more efficient for me.
This event gave me a better perspective on jewelry making as an art form, and now I’m definitely more interested in it. I had a really fun time making these necklaces for my roommate—from picking out the colors, designing the pattern, and taking the time to put love into a creation—and would be interested in doing more with jewelry making in the future!
but i'm (not) a cheerleader! #film
February 14th, 2022, Hoff Theater, SEE Spring Movie Series, But I'm A Cheerleader
This Valentine’s Day, I attended SEE’s screening of But I’m A Cheerleader (199), an iconic movie within the LGBTQ+ community. I was really excited to see it since I had never before, and so many of my friends enjoy it, and I looked forward to seeing LGBTQ+ representation on the big screen, especially since it was being endorsed by a university-affiliated group.
While viewing this movie, I was reminded of all the cruel and unusual forms of “conversion” therapies that LGBTQ+ folks had to go through, and still have to do through today, as it is still legal in some U.S. states. I realized how easy it is to not be reminded of these harsh realities when you live in such a diverse and multicultural community and are surrounded by people of all backgrounds. While this movie was very comical, it made me think of how much the LGBTQ+ community has had to suffer to get to this point of acceptance, and to have this movie openly shown in an academic-adjacent setting was very heart touching.
A lot of times when we are talking about art in Art Scholars, it is always emphasized that the history of the artist behind the piece is extremely important, and I think that sentiment is especially present when it comes to But I’m A Cheerleader when you consider the director identifies as part of the LGBTQ+ community, and especially when you think of all she must have to go through growing up.
Overall, the screening of this movie was an incredibly insightful and thought-evoking experience, and I hope SEE continues to put on these types of movies in the future!
gamer girl #music
February 27th, 2022, The Clarice Performing Arts Center, The Gamer Symphony Orchestra Delayed Fall 2021 Concert
My roommate, who is an officer of the Gamer Symphony Orchestra, invited me to their Fall Concert last semester. Unfortunately, the first iteration of it was delayed due to COVID, but they moved it to the Spring semester and I’m so glad they did! This was my first orchestra concert in years and I’d forgotten how much I missed the sound of the violins tuning at the beginning and the goosebumps I get when the music first swells into the piece.
GSO only plays pieces from video game soundtracks, which was a new concept to me since I don’t really play video games. Experiencing it though, from musicians who are so passionate about the pieces they are playing, created such a mesmerizing atmosphere in which I could get immersed into the music. I gained a new appreciation for video game soundtracks since I experienced firsthand how beautiful they can be. I’ve always admired the way musicians can channel their creativity through their instruments, and that sentiment remained true as I saw the orchestra move and sway with the music they were playing.
This experience reminded me of that one Arts Scholars class with The Drum Lady that we had where the whole class sat outside, got instruments, and kind of just vibed out together. The sense of unity that music brings is such a special feeling, and I’m glad I got to experience it in person once again! I’ll definitely be looking forward to future orchestra performances, especially any through Arts Scholars!
art therapy #visualart #ArtsScholars
April 1st, 2022, Bel Air Lounge, Peer Mentor Painting Event
For this pentathlon, I attended a painting event hosted by peer mentor Reshma Jasmin. She set up lots of different paints for the attendees to use, like acrylic, tempera, and watercolor so I had many medium options to choose from. The casual and friendly atmosphere made me feel at ease as we all engaged in a fun painting session. While I enjoy painting, I hadn’t had a chance to sit down and paint in a while since I’ve been swamped with schoolwork during the semesters, and too unmotivated to do so during the breaks, so attending an event where everyone was just painting and having fun was very exciting to me. There was fun music and great conversation, so I had a great time playing with paint and talking to friends. After the event, I felt so happy since I had such a fun time. I was reminded of the importance of taking time for myself to do things that I love, and plan to take more time to paint or do things that help me relax and uplift my mood.
I can see a connection that this event makes to my major, psychology. Many studies support the positive effect of art therapy and painting on mental health, and I can contest that I felt these positive effects, too. I found myself in a good mood after the event ended, and am interested in looking more into the research behind art therapy as a psychology field.
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heart of hà nội! #dance
April 15th, 2022, STAMP Colony Ballroom, VSA Heart of Hà Nội
This week I attended VSA (Vietnamese Student Association)’s Heart of Hà Nội event, and experienced a fun night rich in food, culture, and good vibes. Being of Vietnamese descent, it was so amazing and heartwarming to see so much of the culture I previously had only experienced at home all around me on campus. People were adorned in traditional áo dài, and we took a “tour” of the country by visiting trifolds that educated us on the features of each country. I actually learned so much about the country that my parents are from, like its history under various colonial rulers and its tourist attractions, and grew to appreciate its beauty even more.There were musical performances, fan dances, and guest speaker KevJumba! It was amazing to experience a clash of culture and art, and I think being surrounded by so much art allowed me to really be immersed in the atmosphere. I think introducing arts to an audience in the format of a culture night is so effective and useful since people are learning both about the art and getting educated on the culture which provides for meaningful enrichment. I hope I get to attend more culture night events like this in the future!