Macbeth

I thought Macbeth was a very interesting production, especially due to the fact that the play was not traditional in style. In fact, it was unlike any other play that I have ever seen or even heard about. I remember hearing Director Appel talk about it during his presentation, but it wasn’t until I saw it in person that I realized how unique it actually was. I found it somewhat strange that there were no costumes or major props used within the play. This, in combination with the fact that many actors played multiple characters was somewhat confusing at times and made the tracking and recognition of the different characters within the play a little difficult. However, I did read and analyze Macbeth in my English class last year, so that was fairly helpful in regards to following the plot of the play. But, I was still slightly confused at certain times throughout the play. Despite the fact that there were no costumes or props prevalent within the play, and it was a little confusing, I did think that the actors were talented and very passionate about what they do. It must have been especially hard for them to adopt and represent several different characters, instead of just one. So overall, I enjoyed seeing Macbeth in an actual live play format, rather than just reading and analyzing the script in class. But, although I  thought the unique format of the play was very interesting and served as a break from a traditional production, this style of theater made the plot and characters somewhat hard to follow and confusing at times.

Activities

I attended several activities during my time at FSSP. In addition to the major / minor fair and Macbeth (which are written about in different posts) I also attended a fireside chat as well as office hours for one of my classes. The speaker at the fireside chat was Dr. Gallucci due to the fact that the scheduled presenter was sick and unable to make it. It was interesting to hear about Dr. Gallucci’s past and how he actually became a professor here. Also, it was good to hear him talk some about research and how it is a good thing to get involved with. I also attended the office hours of my history class before our essay was due. I did this to receive help on citing different sources for my essay as well as interpreting the prompts.

Appel & EAP

I thought that Dr. Appel’s presentation was very interesting. It was entertaining to hear about his career and the way in which he had always wanted to be a famous actor, but eventually found out that he enjoyed being a director much more. It was also interesting to hear about his time as a professional actor, traveling around the United States and living in New York. It was also good to hear him talk some about Macbeth and give a little background before we went and watched the actual play ourselves. Additionally, I thought the visit to the EAP office was informative. At some point during college I hope to study abroad; however, I am not sure where I would like to go yet. There was lots of good information presented at the EAP office. For instance, it was good to know that if I do decide to go to a country where the classes are taught in a language other than English, I have to complete some language classes here at UCSB before I am eligible. Furthermore, it was also good to hear that there are many programs offered where the courses are taught in English. Also, I was interested in hearing about the lengths of the programs. One thing I thought was noteworthy was that you can choose a semester program with the option to extend to a full year if you choose to do that after experiencing studying abroad first hand. This seems like a good option because it is fairly flexible.

I thought Dr. Lubach’s presentation was great. I especially enjoyed how he made his presentation dynamic through the use of the prezi format, instead of just a traditional PowerPoint. Additionally, I enjoyed how he incorporated a wide range of topics and stories into his presentation. Several things which I found especially entertaining and meaningful were his talk about critical thinking and the story about the man who proposed a new theory regarding bees which was initially rejected but then widely accepted. I also found the library visit and presentation extremely informative and useful. Two resources that I learned about from the presentation that I am sure I will be using very often are the subject guides and the course guides. I had no idea that classes already had customized pages with specifically selected resources, or that many of the library resources were organized in regards to specific subjects within the subject guide page. This makes finding useful tools and resources much easier and less complicated and time consuming. Another portion of the librarian’s presentation which I thought was very useful was the information on how to both access and search databases. The many ways in which I learned you can refine your search will make finding a relevant and useful article much easier. Also, learning how to access the library website and its resources while not on campus was very helpful. Finally, her explanation of how to navigate and understand the library catalogue as well as how to request a book to be sent to UCSB from another college were both things I was glad to learn and I am sure I will utilize at some point.

After reading the plagiarism articles, I learned a lot and several things were both interesting and surprising to me. One thing that surprised me is how easy it is to unintentionally commit plagiarism. It would be very easy to unconsciously include key phrases from another work within your essay without properly citing them. So, I realized that it is important to always pay attention to what you are actually writing, and double check to make sure that you give the original author proper recognition. I also realized that it is essential to cite your source even if you are using your own words to paraphrase an idea. That idea, despite the fact that you reworded it in an original way, is still not your own. So, it must be cited and attributed to the author of the idea. Another thing that I did not really think about or realize before reading the articles is that you must acknowledge a person who gives you help with writing the paper. Had this not been pointed out, I never would have thought to include such a citation. Also, I learned the names and specific types of plagiarism: direct plagiarism, mosaic plagiarism, paraphrase plagiarism, and insufficient acknowledgement. Before the articles, I had no idea that there were specific types of plagiarism. But now, I feel confident that I understand each type, and am educated on how to avoid plagiarism on the whole. I feel that as long as I stay attentive and remember the information in the articles, I will be able to create my own original work, giving credit to others where necessary.

I thought the librarian’s lecture last week was very interesting. I was surprised by the breadth of her job description, and how different her job is compared to that of a librarian not employed at a university. I was also glad to learn about the many resources available to me both at and through the library. I feel that these will be indispensable as I make my way through college. She also mentioned the library renovations that are currently underway, and I am sure that the new building will be a great place to study. The Career Counseling visit was also very helpful for me. I was not aware that so many resources were available through Career Counseling. I will surely use the resume review service offered there at some point in my college career. Additionally, I plan to take advantage of the graduate school information which is located there if I do in fact decide to pursue further education. Yet another resource that I discovered and am planning to use is the interview preparation service. This seems extremely useful and such a service would make me much more comfortable in an actual interview, in turn making me more likely to get the position which I am interviewing for. We were also informed that GauchoLink is an online database that contains internships, part-time and full-time jobs, and a resume builder. This is an extremely convenient way to search for work as well as internships, and I am sure that I will be using it soon.