Present Moment Thoughts
Part 1:
My stress level on Tuesday afternoon was about average - lots of projects, papers and exams coming up in addition to non-school stuff running through my head all day like figuring out summer plans for housing/jobs and preparing to host friends...not surprised I had come down with a bad cold over the weekend.
This is about the level of stress I feel most of my time and I think I’m so used to it now that I don’t even really consider it stress anymore – I pretty much just accept that this is what college life is like. The only times I’m not thinking about these things would probably be over long breaks from school like winter break, spring break, or weekends when I’ve planned far enough ahead to get everything else done that I feel I need to prior to it. I know final exams are usually considered a high stress time for students, but I think it’s approaching so quickly I don’t really even have time to think about it, but I do wish I had more down time to enjoy my last weeks here before school ends.
For the hour prior to the presentation I went to stand on the special sound point in Lily Plaza; which was very cool and something I hope to share with other people when I walk by it. Then I walked with Nick to Starbucks at the Cube because I think drinking coffee/tea beverages is relaxing and one of my favorite ways to avoid doing school work and spend time with friends. Fortunately it was a beautiful day and we walked back to Northrop to sit outside at the tables. Campus is much more lively and a happier place to be when the weather is nice and other people are outside. I felt much more calm after my free hour and didn’t really think it was worth being stressed out about other things when it was so nice out – although I admit we talked about future plans and summer jobs even during our free time.
At first I wasn’t even aware of the installation at Nolte…I think I walked right by it the first couple of times I entered and exited the room. I probably would have missed it unless I knew I had to find it because I really only think about where I need to be and not always what else is around me. I really liked the blue light showing underneath the rocks, I thought that was one of its strong points because it made it soothing and not just a pile of rocks on the ground. I also liked the soft-wall and think that if I lived in a larger apartment it would be really cool to be able to separate off a section of a room with it. I liked that light could show through it and reflect, but I guess I felt the space was too small. I would either want to be in a small space like that entirely closed off from the public, or have a much larger space like that accessible to the public. I thought it was interesting that later in the presentation there were pictures of the rocks being picked up and examined or played with, but I didn’t really feel like it would be entirely appropriate for me to do that myself when I initially walked in. I also don’t think I would have sat down on the stool or spent a lot of time in that space if I were by myself because I’d feel out of place which is another reason I’d want it to be a bigger space with a lot of seats or bigger chairs to really sit down in for a longer period of time instead of a small stool.
Part 2:
If I had to evaluate the Present Moment Project I would say it’s a great idea and I would definitely be interested in seeing more installations being put into place around campus. Right now it is just getting started and I think it will take a lot longer to really make an impact on a large group of students. I would like to see installations in areas of campus that have more student traffic because that was the first time I had ever been in Nolte and it’s not somewhere I’d go out of my way to stop by on a regular basis even though I liked the space. I am excited to see what happens in Rapson Hall and I think it’s interesting to note the kind of spaces chosen for the project so far. I consider Rapson pretty open to allowing an installation since it is the home of architecture students, and Nolte also seems like a pretty laid-back space, but I couldn’t imagine it in some of the other buildings on campus like Moos Tower or Willey Hall where I feel people are always in a hustle (maybe these are the areas where students need to be reminded to take a moment to de-stress the most).
The Present Moment Project is an art because it takes the mental sensation of stress and tries to construct a physical environment that will have an effect on targeting that stress and hopefully alleviating it or at least making people aware of their current stress level. Just like going to an art museum or gallery allows the viewer to focus on artwork, the environment created by the Present Moment Project aims to get a person to focus on their immediate surroundings instead of thoughts and worries that will be occurring in the future.
If I were asked to propose a project to address stress on campus I would like to see something that really grabs peoples attention and doesn’t require the student to go out of his/her way to be a part of it but also doesn’t force the student to do anything on his/her part. I know I’ve been invited to participate in stress-awareness related events before and sadly but truthfully I would just decline because that’s another thing I don’t want to see on my To-Do-List. I like when I’m walking on campus and I come across things that are right on my way to class because that’s usually the only way I’d find out about them. I love when I walk over the Washington Avenue Bridge and there is stuff set up right where you begin or end walking across. Usually it’s people giving away free food or drinks (which I think makes all students happy) but if there were an installation to walk through for all or part of that stretch it would be something I would definitely remember and it might even get students to walk outside instead of take the bus. I think it would be particularly powerful to have something visual for students to see and think about when they’re walking on campus. I always like looking at the murals painted on the inside portion of the bridge advertising the various clubs on campus so I think it would be kind of cool to see some other kind of artwork along the way. Nature sounds, soft lights, and other outdoor elements are always a plus.