Post #7

Apologies for the gap in posts! I have been ill this week and presented at the Dean’s Honor Symposium on monday.

So today before class a student approached me in the hall. She was crying and seemed very distressed. It turns out that she had just found out that she didn’t get the funding she had applied for for a study abroad program, and she was devastated. She said that she wasn’t sure she could make it through the class, and I told her she could sit this one out. She said she was worried that the professor would be angry because she had written letters of recommendation for the program. I assured her that the professor would understand, and that I would talk to the professor and explain what had happened. She went home, and I think I made the right decision.

This week students began presenting their final research paper topics (around 10 minutes per person, 5 page papers). Presentations in class were really impressive! We only got a few classes left, so I appreciated the amount of time we devoted to each discussion. Everyone who presented had thoroughly researched slides that were dynamic and interesting. I was really proud.

All other class-related things have been going smoothly. A couple of students emailed me their power points for their presentations over the weekend and I replied with suggestions.

Looking forward to another class soon!

Post #6

So I realize I should have more than 6 posts by this point in the semester but things in class have honestly been going so smoothly I have had very little to report. We are currently discussing Miranda rights and the right to an attorney granted by the case Gideon v Wainwright. The professor has been mostly lecturing alone, leaving very little for me to do in class. I’m not complaining- by this point in the semester things are usually pretty chaotic, but especially now since I am applying for jobs, I am relieved to not have to prepare as much for class (especially since it is twice a week!) On that topic, the professor and I had lunch last Friday and had a really nice talk about preparing for the post-grad job hunt. I was nervous about asking her for a letter of recommendation (I don’t know why, I’ve known her for years), but she happily agreed to write me one. She also said that a recent New School graduate she worked with got a director position at Gay Men’s Health Crisis immediately after graduation, and offered to put me in touch with him. I am looking forward to getting in touch with him and continuing to work with my professor to find my career path.

Post #5

And we’re back! I hope everyone had a nice spring break. Over the break my mom visited from Wisconsin, and we visited museums together and celebrated her birthday. It was lovely!

My professor was hiking in the Andes in Peru. She said the trip was wonderful (did you know Peruvians have over 4,000 different types of potatoes??), other than a “minor” bicycling accident that resulted in some scrapes and a couple broken ribs. She, of course, did not mention this until she needed help reaching the projector screen and casually explained the accident. I want to be her when I grow up.

As for class, we are now reading “Miranda: The Story of America’s Right to Remain Silent” by Gary L. Stuart. It is our second book this semester and explains the 5th and 6th Amendment protections against self-incrimination. Its a fascinating read, but not the easiest, and I am a little worried since I only see about half the class bringing in a physical copy of the book. I hope everyone is doing the readings!

I am meeting with the Professor on Friday to have lunch and discuss how I’ve been doing as an Academic Fellow. I am also planning on using the meeting to ask her advice about law school and job searches, and ask that she write me a letter of recommendation. Wish me luck!

Post #4

So I am really excited about writing this post. Class last week went GREAT! I was able to get through my entire lesson plan with time to spare. First we went over the facts of the case with a power point presentation I made and ate chocolate chip cookies I brought. Then after a question-answer period we watched a short video of a real supreme court oral argument reenacted by dogs. Then I presented my oral argument for the petitioner all the way through, which was about 10 minutes long.  We broke down the sections of argument and constructed a working outline on the board. Then after answering more questions, we got out early. A couple students stayed afterwards to ask questions about their papers, and two even thanked me for the presentation and told me I did a great job! 

I had rehearsed over and over again and pictured myself teaching the class to stay calm and confident. I was pretty sure I did a good job, and the oral argument presentations by students absolutely confirmed it. Their arguments were more organized and much better structured than last year’s, and everyone who presented was prepared and clearly rehearsed. A couple of outstanding students even had their notes almost memorized! I was blown away and my Professor agreed she was too. She said when she left last Monday she felt like the class had a loose understanding of the case, and when she came back everyone sounded like lawyers! When she asked what helped make the assignment really “click”, the first thing someone said was my power point presentation. I was ecstatic. I’m so proud of everyone in the class!

Here’s hoping we don’t get snowed in tomorrow, I want to see the rest of the arguments!

 

Post #3

So last week my professor asked me to lead the class while she is out of town on Wednesday. We are approaching the midterm project and will be performing oral arguments for an upcoming Supreme Court case. I had already agreed to give an oral argument as an example, which would be 7 minutes long. Now, I will be responsible for the content for the entire hour and forty minutes. I have taken all of the professor’s classes before and have never seen her trust an academic fellow with so much responsibility. I am enormously honored but also extremely nervous. I have never taught a class before.

The case we are focusing on involves a brutal rape and murder of a mother of 6, so the content is fairly touchy. I sent out an announcement on canvas to warn the class about the sensitive material included, and assure them that they will not be expected to memorize any of the crime scene specifics. We will be focusing instead on the constitutional question of withheld exculpatory evidence. My lesson plan (so far) is as follows:

First, I’m going to bring in chocolate chip cookies, because the case is so graphic and I feel like everyone was fairly tense in the last class. Combine public speaking with a brutal murder case and you don’t have the most comfortable classroom environment. So I think its a good idea to begin with snacks.

I have prepared a powerpoint on google slides that includes a recap of the facts of the case, maps of the crime scene area, the withheld exculpatory and impeachment evidence, the legal precedent involved, and the constitutional question at hand.

After answering any questions, I will explain the role of oral arguments in the Supreme Court and show a short dog reenactment of a recent SCOTUS argument. I will then demonstrate how to perform an oral argument by reading one I have prepared out loud. Next, I will break down each section of the argument and create an outline for an oral argument on the board. With any luck, discussion and questions about the case will take up sufficient time so that the class will not be let out too early.

I am super nervous but I feel better knowing that I have the professor’s confidence and chocolate chip cookies on my side. Our pedagogy class is immediately after the class, so I will probably be fairly sweaty and rocking a sweet adrenaline high! Wish me luck!

Finishing things up

So its been a hectic week- finishing pieces, laying everything out to see what still needed to be added, and editing to decide what would end up in the show. At this point, I believe there will be 11 finished pieces hanging at the thesis show, and two in Parsons Fest at the Sheila Johnson Gallery. (This could definitely change after I meet with my professors on Tuesday). This weekend my leg was bitten by a dog in the park, and am going to the doctor tomorrow to get a tetanus booster and have someone look at my leg. (It was a small dog, I’ll be fine. Assuming I won’t have time between the doctor and finishing my final pieces to update the blog before Tuesday, lets assume this will be my final post.

I’ve learned so much this year and had such great help from my incredible instructors Noel Claro and Lauren Redniss. I’m super grateful for their input as well as that of my classmates, who I adore. I’m also thankful to my mom, Peg Orcutt, for giving me the privilege of sharing her story and interpreting her journey through my imagery. I hope these works reach a broader audience to give some understanding to those who have not been affected by cancer and build empathy and camaraderie amongst survivors.

Here are the last few progress shots I took; enjoy, and thank you for reading!

IMG_0631 (1) IMG_0634 IMG_0632 IMG_0612

And here is a scanned version of the last piece I posted in progress:

Scan 41

More Woodshop Updates!

IMG_0540 IMG_0541 IMG_0542 IMG_0543

I’ve been SUPER busy wrapping everything up- mostly learning how to cut 45 degree angles and use the belt sander. Just submitted two pieces for Parsons Fest, which will be featured in the exhibit from May 6-20! It will be really cool to have my work in two exhibitions at once. And once everything is done, it will be really cool not to have sawdust and wood glue all over my clothes and hair anymore, ha.

This weekend in the shop!

IMG_0516 IMG_0517 IMG_0518 IMG_0519 IMG_0520

So its been a while since I uploaded, because I have been in the woodshop for the last couple of days. I bought 1”x2” at home depot, cut it at 45 degree angles, and set to gluing! Since I cut the originals on my parents’ table saw in their basement in Wisconsin, they were all slightly different sizes, so I measured each individually.

Lots of work but lots of progress: I’m really excited about seeing these guys framed the way they deserve to be!