Tag: university of delaware

“Speak to Me” by Andrew Smith

Warm are the words
you spoke to me then.
Now I fear them in longing
of everlasting concavity
that I should hear them again.
Sweet honey oozes in somber timbre,
they flow through me and rush!
like a river fills every crack in the stone.

Majestic and nay, angelic, that God
graces the land with an image of He
but rather a voice of disastrous beauty
entranced even now by
mere temptatious thought.
In dreams I await to hear echoes and
reverberations an ounce remaining
still potent in my existential awestruck.

 

This is a romantic poem composed by  Andrew Smith, a Class of 2024 student in the Honors College. In celebration of National Poetry Month, “186 South College” will be posting the work of Honors students weekly throughout the month of April and May as bonus content. If you or someone you know would like to share their work as a guest writer like Andrew, we are still accepting submissions at this link: https://bit.ly/186Poets22

“‘Working for the Knife’: Mitski and Academics” by Chris Hope

Indie singer-songwriter Mitski’s popularity has skyrocketed since 2020, which is somewhat of an anomaly for an artist whose most recent album was released in mid-2018 and whose last performance prior to that had been announced to be her last performance ever. Her 2018 single “Nobody” achieved popularity online, but until 2020, her popularity remained more insular. This can be attributed to many things, whether it be her excellent songwriting, her often melancholy lyrics speaking to people living through quarantine, or, funnily enough, TikTok trends. Continue reading

“Values” by Jenny Gloyd

Last week, I had an experience in one of my classes that really challenged me to think. Not about science or math, but introspectively. My professor asked me to write a 5-page essay about what I value and why. At first, I didn’t think I would ever be able to fill 5 pages–this is my usual fret when it comes to longer essays. Then, after a few minutes of deliberation, I was suddenly worried that I would not be able to fit my thoughts into the given constraint. 

To start, there are a lot of different categories of things that can be valued. For one, I value a lot of what has been given to me in my life. I value, maybe not most importantly, small material items, like a well-made latte, or a new, brightly-colored sweater. Little items like these add a bit of joy to everyday life. I value things in my life supplied by nature, like forests to hike through or the sounds of birds chirping in the morning. I also, at my core, value people. I think highly of the time I spend with my friends and family. Continue reading

“Electives: Off the Beaten Path” by Jenny Gloyd

Imagine you are in the photograph above. You are taking a hike on a beautiful day in Newark. The birds are chirping and the sun is dancing on the path in front of you. The best part about the hike is that the trail is a loop, so you don’t have to think too much about the direction in which you are going. Before you know it, you will end up back at the start. Deciding on a college major is, in its simplest sense, like this hike. Once you choose a major, let’s say a biochemistry major, for instance, there is a predetermined path to take in order to be handed your diploma. Each biochemistry major needs to take organic chemistry, calculus, metabolism, etc.

But if you hiked this trail often, you might wish that it wasn’t so straightforward. Hiking in a loop does not leave much room for exploration or adventure. Indiana Jones trailed through the rain forest and needed a bit more direction than, “follow the dirt path in front of you.” In a similar sense, having every student take the exact same set of courses doesn’t feed this sense of adventure. At UD, we have fortunately accounted for this inclination. The College of Arts and Sciences, the Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics, and the College of Engineering, like the rest of the colleges at the University of Delaware, all require breadth courses. In fact, at almost any university, students are expected to take classes that are off the beaten path. 

From theater, to studio art, to economics, to math, you may not cross paths with these subjects if it weren’t for this requirement. These classes may prompt you to pick up a minor. Maybe you really enjoy modern dance or public health. Or, it may reaffirm that you are going down the correct path (don’t worry, that C- in philosophy won’t count towards your major GPA). Regardless of what part of your college career these classes contribute to, they will provide you with experiences that you might not have had otherwise. 

I learned that I had a passion for singing because of an elective in high school, and this colored my choice of breadth courses in college. I personally have gravitated towards classes in language and music, taking history of rock, choir, and linguistics. Although it’s entirely possible that another biochemistry major has taken history of rock or linguistics at some point, all of these classes were ones that biochemistry majors don’t particularly need in their career-oriented skill set. The major takeaway here is certainly not that every chemistry major needs to develop a keen sense of music or language, but rather that they should  experience a broader variety of what is out there is to learn. 

A professor of mine once leveled with their class: “I know this is not a subject that you may care about, but many others care about it. So, please give me 30 minutes to explain this perspective.” The class was, of course, absolutely happy to listen to the lecture. I think we all understood that even if it was not our core interest, it was an invaluable experience to learn something that was not in our expertise. 

So, next time you are hiking and you see an overlook, or a tree to climb, spend some time climbing that tree, or paying special attention to the view of the forest. In other words, if you see a class you might like to take, but it’s out of your comfort zone, take the chance–you might learn something that you’ll carry with you forever.

“College: A Work in Progress and a Work of Art” by Grace Kearns

My earliest memory of campus takes me back to my little, four-year old pigtails, tied up with blue and golden bows. As I sat on my dad’s shoulders, he pointed out the very sports field that he used to play football on each week. For weeks after, I ran through the house, humming the “Fight Song”. With two proud Blue Hen alumni as parents, I felt as if I had heard all there was to know about the University of Delaware. During my first official tour, I couldn’t help but make connections. Old College was not just the postcard campus building, it was where my parents first met. Russell was not just a dining hall, it was where my parents would sneak in a quick lunch together between classes. And Main Street was not just a little stretch of shops and restaurants, it was where my parents went on their very first dates. That being said, I adjusted to life at UD pretty fast. It felt familiar. Honestly, this worried me. I worried that I could outgrow it too fast. Continue reading

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