What really excited me about the work was the apprehensions I initially experienced when viewing the videos. I felt as though I was evading these peoples privacy looking into their bedrooms and offices. After a moment of unease I realized that these videos are all harvested from YouTube - they are intended to be public for the public to view... This transition from apprehension to acceptance lead me to think of the second part of the title How I learned to Stop Listening and Love the Noise

I mentioned above the texture that this piece creates on the wall. I found this to be very interesting. The varying brightness levels of the videos creates a depth it seems as though one could walk into these gaps that have been created on the white walls. Another interesting visual texture that is created can be experienced when you are close to the wall looking down the piece. It seems as though the videos are shingles on a roof--- they have a 3D layered quality to them. These visual tricks remind me that we too, like the poor Mac computer, need to process this information, and sometimes the overwhelming stimuli can trick our minds.

If anyone is interested in revisting this project Chris has it documented here Hello World... Documentation

Leah has taken this microcontroller and made something that is, perhaps, more accessible. She has broken the traditional rules of engineering and made something that is less efficient and more aesthetically sound with more intuitive interactions. Here is a picture of the Leah's LilyPad --

What I found really great about Leah was her passion for DIY (Do it Yourself)! She was very interested in empowering people to take control back from corporations and to no longer depend on them to fulfill your needs. Instead of buying an expensive light up biking jacket, Leah encourages you to make your own using something like the LilyPad--- What is really great is that throughout the time Leah was staying in Minneapolis I saw her around town sporting her own Light Up Biking Jacker--- She is a person of action- and someone I really admire---

Leah is great at documenting her work and helping people like ourselves jump into the world of DIY! Her website can be found at-- LINK TO LEAH'S WEBSITE

she has a wonderful collection of links for materials at LINK TO MATERIAL'S SITE

and you can buy your own LilyPad at BUY A LILYPAD!

Key facets of the presentation:

An introduction to the artist, including why you chose this person.

The presentation of 2-3 works by this artist.

A discussion of how your discipline-based perspective influences your
interpretation of this creative work.

A question that you pose to the group for discussion, highlighting an
aspect of the artist's work that you has peaked your curiosity.

My experience with stress is probably like any other college student who's trying to juggle school, work and having a life. This time in the semester is one of the most stressful times with school winding down. I will admit to getting stressed out easily. This is something I'd like to change about myself, because I think that stress about important things is intensified when I stress about the little things.

I think that people, including myself, don't take enough time to just sit and relax in a calming area. I know I don't, because I don't feel like I have the time and I know that if I were to do this on a daily basis (even for only 10min or so) I would spend the time worrying about all of the things I have to do. I think this is a result of being born and raised in a very high-paced society. Everyone is always in a rush, and I think that this pushes me to stress out more. I worry about not getting things done in time. I've even had nightmares about a project not getting done, or being late to a class.

This entry may make me sound crazy, but ironically I'm not bothered by being stressed. There's always that chunk of time where I'm worried and upset, but once I get past that, I'm very productive. And for me, nothing beats the feeling one feels when they're finished with a big project.

My level of stress Tuesday afternoon was high for a number of reasons. In general, Tuesdays are long days for me in terms of class, but there was some added stress due to dress rehearsals for the show performed in this past weekend. I definitely felt my self go into shut down mode, which occurs when I have a lot of things going on. I feel so burdened with things that need to get done that I sort of stop and watch TV instead. My state of being has been in stress mode all semester, and this is the time when it really starts to peak. I feel like I’ve really been doing to much this semester in terms of theatre, and my paper writing commitments have really been procrastinated. Stress and procrastination go hand in hand for me, and I’m really hitting the wall where I have to use the pressure of that stress to get it into gear and get my work done. This is the time of year that will make or break your grades because the bulk of what your graded on occurs in this last stretch. For me, I won’t be able to think about anything else until its over.
During the hour before the presentation I spent some time just sitting in the lounge at Nolte and journaling about my thoughts on stress and space. One of the things I wrote down about the lounge:
“A comfortable place to do work—and doing work is key right now because every space I’m in gets evaluated on the bases of whether it will hinder or help my ability to get work done.”
After jotting down some notes, I decided to go outside and walk to Northrop Mall. I particularly like the mall space on warm days because it is simply nice to see so many people outside lying in the grass or playing Frisbee. I sat down at one of the tables in front of Northrop Auditorium and continued to write about stress. I often feel guilty about enjoying the outdoors like that because I feel like I should be doing something else. And there are always other things I should be doing.
This nagging thought is always in my mind, so while I enjoyed the instillation, I still felt that the brief pause it provided for me from the outside world was all too fleeting. I certainly felt relaxed in the space, and I allowed my vision to blur as I picked up an especially circular stone and held it in my hand. I only wish I new how to carry that feeling into the world and still harness the motivation to get my work done. As of now, I use the high levels of stress as a motivating tool to get through the end of semester crunch time, and I don’t think that that is the best way to get things done in life.

Part 2:

If I were a student representative for an arts committee on campus, my evaluation of the Present Moment Project would be that the space created by the instillation is something that every student should take a moment to experience. It is, at the very least, a nice respite from everything else going on in the world. It is a space where a person can just sit and breath for a few moments with a blank mind. The rocks in the space ground the senses with the sound as one walks on them, the simple gray color with the soft blue lighting beneath them, and the wonderful feeling on picking them up and hold them in the palm of ones hand. I would say that the Present Moment Project is experiential art. Unlike some art, there is no statement being made or a hidden meaning of any kind. Instead it is art that purely engages the senses for the relief of the beholder. Art of this kind is meant to evoke something within the spectator, which I think is the point of any creation. What is unique about this piece though, is that it was created for the spectator and with their best interests in mind. I like art that aims at a greater good, and the aim of this one to reduce stress is very noble.
If I were to propose a project that addresses stress in student life, I think I would focus on creating a program or event that goes beyond providing momentary relief by teaching students, if it’s possible, to devise ways of reducing stress in the same moment as getting their work done. I think deadlines are a source of major anxiety for all of us on campus, students and teachers alike, and it would be wonderful to find a creative way to empower individuals so that they may reduce stress even during times when it may be quite high. I have no idea what form that might take, possibly a workshop of some kind where participants create an pocket size kit or object that helps them focus and relax without being a distraction.

My stress level on Tuesday was low. I think that the weather played a big part in that -- when it's nice outside I tend to be in a better mood and dwell less on stressors.

I'm rarely stressed. I know, I know, you all must be thinking that I'm some sort of a freak or something, but I honestly don't feel stressed very often. Some of my friends get weirded out by it -- some of them have said to me in the past they wish I would complain about an upcoming test or paper once in awhile. If they're stressed they like to talk about it. I don't. I attribute my lack of stress to both my good time-managing skills and my relaxed personality.

For the hour before the presentation I made several stops. First, I went to that arc thing (very scientific name) on Lily Plaza and listened to my voice sound weird. I know that it has something to do with physics but I can't remember what it's called. Side note: there's a much bigger arc like that between Ferguson and Anderson halls on the West Bank, although that one is much more humorous because people standing down there always feel compelled to shout and scream at the top of their lungs, causing a good laugh for passers-by. Then I went to Starbucks (have to get rid of that FlexDine!) Tasty drinks relax me. And then I sat in the sun with Miranda on Northrop Plaza and we talked about stress and other things. Sometimes if you're stressed it's good to talk it out. I'm not advocating complainging, just talking.

I liked the installation in Nolte, but it didn't do much to calm me. When I need to destress I want to be alone. In my room. Door shut. No one else. So this project space was a little too open for me; I didn't like the idea that it was so open and other people could watch you. The stones on the ground were soothing--nature tends to sooth me. And I also liked the blue light in the floor; it added kind of a "magical" quality to the space. But overall, I probably wouldn't go there to unwind.

Part 2

I would say that it's a great start, but like the presenters noted in the presentation, the space doesn't work for everyone. Everyone deals with stress in different ways, so if that particular installation doesn't work for you maybe one of the future ones will.

The project has to do with art because it's essentially an art installation, except the key point here is that the viewer can interact with it, shifting his or her role from viewer to user. I love that you're actually allowed to touch it, to interact with it. It brings the museum out of art and puts it into the real world.

I like the idea of the Present Moment Project, but if I were to propose a program to address stress on campus I would propose one that targets stress at its roots, kind of like the commercials for that certain medicine that claim to "stop heartburn before it starts." What I mean by that is I would want to create a program to deal with stress prevention and not just stress relief. The program might include talks about how to budget time, organize, deal with personal relationships, works with finances, or any one of the other issues that cause people to stress. The Present Moment Project is great if you already are stressed and need to relax, but it doesn't address the causes of stress. I'm not saying that it should--it has its specific purpose and fulfills that purpose well--but my proposed program would be more proactive.

For the hour before the presentation, Michelle and Kelsey and I went over to the little amphitheater nearby and laid on the grass and talked and enjoyed the sunshine. It was very quiet there, and very relaxing. That hour went by quickly.

My experience of the installation in Nolte was fairly brief; I didn’t sit down there, I just walked inside and stood there for a little while. My immediate thought was that I wanted to play with the rocks, which after listening to the presentation it seems was a common response. I felt a little bit wobbly walking over the rocks, but I didn’t want to sit down because I didn’t like the fact that people would be able to see me sitting there if they happened to walk past. I wanted to be able to enclose myself in the space and not have that connection to the rest of the room be so strong.

2) I think the Present Moment project is really great. It’s true that just about everyone on a college campus is stressed out all the time, and just about no one feels they have time to devote to classes on stress reduction. Especially in the winter when people can’t go outside, I think it’s very important to have these sorts of spaces to keep people from going crazy. I would be all for having one of these spaces in every building on campus, and I’m disappointed that I will be leaving the U before the completion of this project because I think it would have had a really positive effect on my experience here.

The Present Moment project has to do with art in that it takes scientific ideas and data on how to reduce stress and responds to that data aesthetically, creating something that can exist either as a sculptural object that sparks ideas from afar or as an interactive space that provides each person with a different experience.

I think if I were to attempt something to address stress on campus I would want to organize an open discussion between students and faculty members about the issue—I think that there are a lot of things that instructors can do to help ease the stress of students and themselves, like offering a choice of deadlines for projects. This way students can schedule major assignments during lulls in work for their other classes, plus it spreads out the grading for instructors. Leading an optional mini yoga/meditation session during breaks in long classes might be helpful too.

However, the semester as a whole has been about a two: only one class pertains to my major, the rest are fun (like this class :D) or easy, and I only have fifteen credits. It's been less stressful than prior semesters to the point where I worry because I'm not stressed (can you tell I'm a type-A honors kid?!).

Before the presentation, I sat with Lisa and Kelsey (I just realized that we don't use names much in this class, so hopefully I remembered correctly) on the grass behind Rapson where there's like an inverted hill with stairs (I realize that's not a great description...) and just talked and enjoyed the sun and the air and the grass. It was really nice to forget about the day and just relax OUTSIDE.

I felt like an intruder in the installation; I wasn't sure if it was okay to walk inside, and I never would have thought to sit down or play with the rocks. I really did appreciate the sounds of the rocks under my feet, though--very soothing. The lights were really great too; I can't pinpoint why I liked them, but I really did. However, I did find myself wanting more privacy. Overall though, it was pretty exciting to step into this altered space; it was like a mini-adventure that showed up randomly on campus.

Part 2:
I would say that the Present Moment Project is an excellent two-fer: it provides a means of expression and research for University faculty as well as a relaxing moment for anyone who partakes in it. On top of that, it allows for dialogue between the two groups where there otherwise not have been any; admittedly, if I were not in this class I would have little interaction with the "artsy side of campus life," but this project may have been a way for me to approach the art world more readily.

I think that that is also how I see this installation as related to art: it is a created thing that allows for communication. This may be an extremely broad, encompassing definition, but it works for me.

Even though I didn't think of it myself, I think that the Present Movement Project would be a good project to address stress on campus. It would be nice to have several different installations with different variations so that you could create a space better suited to people who wanted more privacy, people who wanted sound, people who wanted something to do with their hands, etc. If there were more installations, people would probably talk about it more to compare notes. Maybe if we talked more about stress and de-stressing...we would de-stress more?

Part 1:

Describe:

- how you assessed your stress level on Tuesday afternoon.

- how you compared your state of being - stressed or not - within the
continuum of your experience of stress during this semester to date.

- what you chose to do for the hour prior to the presentation.

- your experienece of the installation in Nolte.

Part 2:

If you were a student representative participating in an arts committee on
campus, how would you evaluate the Present Moment Project?

What, from your perspective, does the Present Moment Project have to do
with Art?

If you were asked to propose a project, program or event to address stress
on campus, what would you propose?

You may address these questions in any manner that suits you.

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.

So you can imagine that an hour of free contemplation time was a bit miraculous. So I began by sitting outside of the Bell Museum of Natural History in that adorable little pseudo-wild nature space. It was nice for while, I even made a little pinecone person, but it wasn't long before riotous frat boys across the street ruined the semi-quietness of it all. I figured there was no way I would be able to absorb myself in contemplation, so I decided to call a friend who I haven't seen in over a year and haven't had the time to call for a while. And I have to say, it was the best hour I have had in a long time.

The return to Nolte was nice as well, and the present moment project space was definitely like no other space I have experienced. For me, the rocks were the most soothing aspect of it, because I was one of those kids who used horde rocks in my pockets. Don't worry, I didn't steal any! I liked how they were all very smooth, and they reminded me of those worry stones that you're supposed to hold to release stress. So I guess it worked for me. I sat there for a little bit just staring at the wrinkles in the paper and feeling the uneven ground beneath my feet.

Part 2:
If I were asked to evaluate the Present Moment Project, I think I would just tell people that they should go if they want to see and experience somehting different, with the disclaimer that it was not an adventure like skydiving, but perhaps, in the spiritual sense it can be. I'm not sure what it means to evaluate this installation: how do you critique something that is both art and a usable public amenity. I think it is art in many different ways: It pushes the boundaries of how we use public space. It challenges us to give ourselves, if even just for a minute, a breath of fresh air and a clean screen to be able to think of the things we actually want to think about, if anything. It provides a space in which our spirituality can intermingle with our public life. It opens the door for more and different projects with a similar aim. If I were to propose a project, program or event to address stress on campus, I think I would try to organize a campuswide yoga event covering all the greenspace in the Mall.

Dave has worked at the studio for 31 years, so he has seen the gradual and drastic changes in technology over the years. When he started, they used an easle with a map set on it. Technology was nowhere near what it is today. After his first few years at the studio they started using a big plexi glass map that they would draw on with markers while giving the forcast. A few years after that, KSTP Channel 5 was one of the first studio's in the country to use a computer graphics generator as a part of their weather forecasts. This eventually led to using multi-colored maps with graphics and satellite photos to show cloud cover.

As far as the idea of stress in connection with my trip to the studio. Basically, the studio is full of stress constantly! Dave didn't have a moment to himself. He was either on the computer checking the weather, getting ready to do the "teaser" before the newscast aired, doing the weather forecast on KS95 or being interviewed on 107.1 Talk Radio. He's obviously used to what he does everyday no matter how busy it may be, but it still gets stressful from time to time.

One final point before I wrap this long entry up. Not surprisingly meteorologists get complaints about the weather, expecially if they predicted the wrong forecast. Reporters also get complaints about stories they write. The broadcast journalism business really teaches people how to deal with criticism and deal with stress. It's an intense business and my trip to the studio confirmed that, but it's amazing what these people do on a daily basis.

Thanks for reading!!!

Stress in Nolte---
I find myself being fairly productive in this space... I'm sitting over by the present moment unstallation... Next to the unconvincing fake plant... I'm not inside the space, but being by it helps me to focus... Maybe it is bexaisei know that there is a place near by where I can relax... I feel that the rest of the space in nolte is open for students to relax while being productive.. I find the fake plant a little distracting...

Venturing outside---
being outside is giving me slot more distractions--- it reminds me of how every summer I try to bring a book the beach but never read it.... Last summer it was the awakening .... I thought it was an appropriate beach book... Being outside does make me worry a lot less about the things that I need to do... I think that nature reminds me that things are more complex than the deadlines
that are creeping up... Papers will get written and read and life will go on...

I just realized that I wrote all of this in the entry body... Since I'm in my phone it will have to stay there since i cant copy and
paste

When I watch the piece in specific, the center of the work is made of bricks that have cube shape. The brick was a perfect normal brick shape, and didn't have dates on it. The center was made of "prototype" bricks. However, when it goes to outside of the piece, the buildings were made of distinctive brick shapes. To me, the changes looked like an "evolution" of the bricks. Thus, I felt time passage from the work. Around the piece, there are a lot of bricks that have different shapes, and it looks very interesting.
Because the piece was made of one kind of material, it unifies whole works. However, because the shape of the bricks are all different, it also made me to feel variety at the same time. The work shows two different things (unity and variety) at the same time.

The coexistence of Unity and variety is not expressed in only material itself. It is expressed in the structure of the piece, too. As I said, it looks like a city that perfectly designed. However, at the same time, at the out side of the piece, there are several buildings and bricks that are not just in order. The structure of the work looks like planed or designed in center, but not in outside of the work.