Zach Morley Introductions

1. What has been your favorite course of study in or out of school? Why?

Film. I thoroughly enjoy watching films, making films, and learning new things about film.

2. How many pages was the longest paper you have written? Did it include endnotes and bibliography?

I think it was around 9 pages including a bibliography

3. Which was your favorite paper? Please tell us about the topic in a couple of sentences.

My favorite paper was from my high school senior year english class. The prompt was to describe the perfect president and to add images in order to symbolize different aspects of the perfect president.

4. Is there a particular kind of writing you love to do?

I generally enjoy writing about fictional characters and events. I feel too much pressure when trying to write about something that actually happened. 

5. Which books have you read lately: art, fiction, non-fiction, sci-fi, poetry, environmental, film? Any comments  are welcome. A Bold Fresh Piece of Humanity by Bill O'Reilly, Enter the Past Tense: My Secret Life as a CIA Assassin by Roland W. Haas, currently reading Adam by Ted Dekker

6. Which artist or writer really impresses you? Why? Can't really put a finger on just one. I've never really stayed attached to just one writer.

7. What is your main interest besides writing, art, music, (i.e., the humanities)? Flying. I'm hoping to become a fighter pilot in the Air Force.

8. Please describe briefly an article in a newspaper or a magazine that got you thinking lately.

I read an article about the funeral of one of the Navy Seals who was killed in the helicopter attack. It talked about how his dog layed down in front of his casket at the service and never left the entire time. Very touching

9. Which recent cultural event has really impressed you? This can be a museum, a concert, or anything like that, but also a sports game (if you consider this a cultural event, for which there are good reasons). I haven't been to any cultural events recently. Worked too much this summer.

10. Is there another, non-cultural event that has affected you deeply. The attack on the helicopter by Taliban that killed many U.S. soldiers got me angry. 

11. Please share with us a thought or an idea that really widened your intellectual horizon. If possible, give a source for this idea so that those who are interested know where to go. The thought of just how fast an act of kindness can spread really urged me to try and be kind to people as often as possible. I forget where, but I saw a commercial that showed one person doing something kind to another person and then that person did the same and it spread like fire after that. Thought it was very interesting. 

Scott Ferguson Introduction

1. What has been your favorite course of study in or out of school? Why?

My favorite classes so far have been my sculpture class visual thinking and my first digital art class. Sculpture helped me learn how to install work and actually make physical 3-D objects and digital art opened my eyes to video and sound performance along with installation.

2. How many pages was the longest paper you have written? Did it include endnotes and bibliography?

18 pages with a bibliography.

3. Which was your favorite paper? Please tell us about the topic in a couple of sentences.

My favorite paper was a research project I had to do on the artist Gordon Matta Clark last semester. It's the first time I've really enjoyed a research assignment along with writing because I was actually interested in the topic. It was over the life and work of Matta Clark who was best known for cutting buildings in half or altering them.

4. Is there a particular kind of writing you love to do?

I enjoy writing about art that interests me, but I struggle a lot with writing.

5. Which books have you read lately: art, fiction, non-fiction, sci-fi, poetry, environmental, film? Any comments are welcome.

I've recently read Submarine by Joe Dunthorne and am currently reading a book on the history of sound art.

6. Which artist or writer really impresses you? Why?

John Cage really impresses me because he completely changed my perspective on what art can be, with performances like 4:33 and Water Walk.

7. What is your main interest besides writing, art, music, (i.e., the humanities)?

Besides art my main interests are snowboarding and climbing.

8. Please describe briefly an article in a newspaper or a magazine that got you thinking lately.

I recently read an article in Climbing magazine over a hut called Refugio Frey in northern patagonia that I stayed in last summer in Argentina and it made me realize that I need to start getting outside more again.

9. Which recent cultural event has really impressed you? This can be a museum, a concert, or anything like that, but also a sports game (if you consider this a cultural event, for which there are good reasons).

I saw the band Beirut play at lollapalooza earlier this month, it was one of the best concerts I've ever been to.

10. Is there another, non-cultural event that has affected you deeply.

A family friend committed suicide a month ago a few hours after I had just seen him, it has made me think differently about a lot of situations in my life and has made think more positively about people.

11. Please share with us a thought or an idea that really widened your intellectual horizon. If possible, give a source for this idea so that those who are interested know where to go.

One of my old professors, Phil Solomon, talked about how you very rarely see people just sitting by themselves thinking how more often that not we're looking at our phones, computers, listening to music etc... This made me want to spend more time by my self in my own thoughts and with myself because for a very long time I wasn't comfortable with that.

Siobhans Introduction

Please answer the questions in a separate post, and label as "Introductions."

Also, please (feel free to) post a thumbnail picture of yourself and/or your artwork, etc.

1. What has been your favorite course of study in or out of school? Why?

Learning how to be a raft guide was absolutely my favorite thing I have ever done, It was exciting and I learned a totally new skill that I can use forever. 

2. How many pages was the longest paper you have written? Did it include endnotes and bibliography?

20 pages 22 with cover page and a bibliography

3. Which was your favorite paper? Please tell us about the topic in a couple of sentences.

My favorite paper I ever wrote was a creative writing piece about a girl that was addicted to drugs and going to rehab for it. It was grungy and I thought I did really well in the way I wrote it. 

4. Is there a particular kind of writing you love to do?

I love to do humorous writing, I have a blog of my own that is mostly based on humor. 

5. Which books have you read lately: art, fiction, non-fiction, sci-fi, poetry, environmental, film? Any comments  are welcome.

I recently re read the Harry Potter books as well as The Dharma Bums by Jack Kerouac and I'm starting to read Timequake by Kurt Vonegut 

6. Which artist or writer really impresses you? Why?

I'm a huge fan of Chris Moore, he does dark comedy and literally makes me laugh out loud at his books. He and Tom Robbins are the only two writers that have gotten me to go out and buy all of their books.

7. What is your main interest besides writing, art, music, (i.e., the humanities)?

I am always excited to be outside and that is a large part of my interests. Aside from that I have been going to a lot of shows and going to school, which tends to be pretty time consuming. 

8. Please describe briefly an article in a newspaper or a magazine that got you thinking lately.

I recently read an article, that my Dad pointed out to me, about the different companies that help you teach English in other countries. Simply put it made me readjust my plans for the next few years. 

9. Which recent cultural event has really impressed you? This can be a museum, a concert, or anything like that, but also a sports game (if you consider this a cultural event, for which there are good reasons).

Recently I went to Global Dance Festival. Not only am I a huge fan of Dubstep and really any dance music but the amount of people there that were all excited about the same thing. Everyone at those types of shows are always looking out for each other. The people are more impressive than the music. 

10. Is there another, non-cultural event that has affected you deeply.

When I moved back to boulder, there was a huge change in not only where I was living but the people I was surrounded by. I went from hippies with dreads hanging out slack lining in the park to frat boys and girls who actually care about what they wear. They are all great people but it got me thinking about the type of people I surround myself with. 

11. Please share with us a thought or an idea that really widened your intellectual horizon. If possible, give a source for this idea so that those who are interested know where to go.

Mumford and Sons has a line in one of their songs that say's "decide what to be and go be it." It's pretty simple but great, if you are not happy, change it. If you want to be a ski bum, go work at a ski resort. Simple and profound. 

Sierra Weir Introductions

1. What has been your favorite course of study in or out of school? Why?

My favorite course of study in school besides art is anthropology. I like learning about evolution and cultural changes over our species' history. Not to mention, the anthropology department at CU has the most interesting faculty, and I learn things that affect my life. Wonder why everyone gets their Wisdom teeth pulled? Blame it on the invention of agriculture. You will find out these trivia-worthy things if you take anthro courses.

2. How many pages was the longest paper you have written? Did it include endnotes and bibliography?

I wrote a 15 page paper for an upper-division humanities course last semester that included endnotes and bibliography, but I wrote a 25 page creative, fantasy piece back in fifth grade when I was an intense little writer.


3. Which was your favorite paper? Please tell us about the topic in a couple of sentences.

I wrote a short story about turkeys protesting on Thanksgiving from a turkey's point of view. The turkey was invited on the "Today Show" to voice his and the four-to-six million turkeys consumed over that holiday's opinion. The piece was funny and creative, which I like. I made Al Roker go on a tofurkey diet.


4. Is there a particular kind of writing you love to do?

Creative writing.

5. Which books have you read lately: art, fiction, non-fiction, sci-fi, poetry, environmental, film? Any comments are welcome.

I love fiction and devour books. I finished "The Help" and thought it was a brilliant book, and the film was a fairly good adaptation. I started "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle." It interests me because I believe that good, pure nutrition can solve a lot of our country's problems.

6. Which artist or writer really interests you?

Audrey Niffeneger ("The Time Traveler's Wife") creates very believable scenarios in her writing despite the fact that none of her inventions, such as a time-traveling genetic disorder,
could physically exist. It is this artful ability that translates to magic when authors construct fantastical yet believable worlds that truly feed my own imagination and inspire me. J.K. Rowling has the same effect over me.

7. What is your main interest besides writing, art, music, (i.e., the humanities)?

I love the sciences - biology, zoology, anthropology; basically all of the ologies.

8. Please describe briefly an article in a newspaper or a magazine that got you thinking lately.

The famine in Somalia has dominated international headlines. There was one article talking about a pair of twins born to a starving woman that only weighed two pounds each. I read it while casually baking a dozen chai cupcakes. It got me thinking about the inbalance of wealth and resources in the world...and my ironic display of excess.

9. Which recent cultural event has really impressed you? This can be a museum, a concert, or anything like that, but also a sports game (if you consider this a cultural event, for which there are good reasons).

Unfortunately I had a really culturally anemic, white bread (literally, I worked at the Smiling Moose Deli) summer, so I have no recent events in mind. I went to Cavalia last fall with my mother. It is like Cirque du Soleil on horseback with the most gorgeous and beautifully trained horses and talented acrobats I had ever been exposed to.


10. Is there another, non-cultural event that has affected you deeply.

This was my first summer living away from home. This also was my first summer in which I had to fully support myself. Working at minimum-wage barely covers Boulder rent prices. I really learned budgeting, discipline, and normalcy. Not everyone in this country takes annual summer vacations.

11. Please share with us a thought or an idea that really widened your intellectual horizon. If possible, give a source for this idea so that those who are interested know where to go.

Quotes and proverbs on the tags of teabags have a wide variety of cultural and intellectual messages. It's a cheap way to gain insight over your breakfast. Yogi Tea brand and Celestial Seasonings varieties will give you a step in the right direction towards widening your intellectual horizons.

Introductions

1. What has been your favorite course of study in or out of school? Why?

Film and wine. They are forever changing, experiential, and entertaining.

2. How many pages was the longest paper you have written? Did it include endnotes and bibliography?

“25ish,” it is tough to recall. It did contain a bibliography.

3. Which was your favorite paper? Please tell us about the topic in a couple of sentences.

I recently wrote a short paper on Nietzeche’s philosophy in connection to Dadaist film of the early 20th century. It is interesting to try and propose a thesis in defense of ‘nothing’ and accredit this nothingness to having inspired ‘something’.

4.Is there a particular kind of writing you love to do?

Love is a harsh word. I do enjoy writing short narratives.

5.Which books have you read lately: art, fiction, non-fiction, sci-fi, poetry, environmental, film? Any comments are welcome.

This summer I read several books on wine from various countries. It can be like reading dictionary or some the most fascinating historical non-fiction.

6. Which artist or writer really impresses you? Why?

Caravaggio and Andrei Tarkovsky. They lived fast and changed everything. I envy those that can truly devote themselves entirely to their work without care of any consequences.

7. What is your main interest besides writing, art, music, (i.e., the humanities)?

Food and wine.

8. Please describe briefly an article in a newspaper or a magazine that got you thinking lately.

Warren Buffet recently wrote an article in the New York Times addressing our governments struggle with our financial crisis.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/15/opinion/stop-coddling-the-super-rich.html

9. Which recent cultural event has really impressed you? This can be a museum, a concert, or anything like that, but also a sports game (if you consider this a cultural event, for which there are good reasons).

In May, I spent a day in Rome visiting different works by Caravaggio. Although Rome is a city suffering from it’s own beauty, the streets, power, and history of that place influenced Caravaggio’s work and still exude his presence today. It is what could be called, intense.

10. Is there another, non-cultural event that has affected you deeply.

Driving through the Adirondack mountains of New York this past weekend.

11.Please share with us a thought or an idea that really widened your intellectual horizon. If possible, give a source for this idea so that those who are interested know where to go.

Be creative without care. Surround yourself with people that push you, no matter how bizarre, sick, or destructive they can be. Your friends are everything. Don’t get addicted. It’s good to be scared.

My dear friend Eric Westerlind was one of the first people I had this conversation with.

Introductory questions

Please answer the questions in a separate post, and label as "Introductions."

Also, please (feel free to) post a thumbnail picture of yourself and/or your artwork, etc.

1. What has been your favorite course of study in or out of school? Why?

2. How many pages was the longest paper you have written? Did it include endnotes and bibliography?

3. Which was your favorite paper? Please tell us about the topic in a couple of sentences.

4. Is there a particular kind of writing you love to do?

5. Which books have you read lately: art, fiction, non-fiction, sci-fi, poetry, environmental, film? Any comments  are welcome.

6. Which artist or writer really impresses you? Why?

7. What is your main interest besides writing, art, music, (i.e., the humanities)?

8. Please describe briefly an article in a newspaper or a magazine that got you thinking lately.

9. Which recent cultural event has really impressed you? This can be a museum, a concert, or anything like that, but also a sports game (if you consider this a cultural event, for which there are good reasons).

10. Is there another, non-cultural event that has affected you deeply.

11. Please share with us a thought or an idea that really widened your intellectual horizon. If possible, give a source for this idea so that those who are interested know where to go.

(Questions courtesy Nancy Hightower, and Kira Van Lil, modified by Frances Charteris)