First Day of ART 220

Today Mr. Jimmy Moss introduced me to a brand new course incorporated in the new graphic design option: Concept Development. Since it is being taught for the first time, students were asked to predict what we would do and learn throughout the course. We all shared our thoughts on this with each other during this time. We would then go through a thorough run-through of the course syllabus where we would learn that this course was laid out to be the foundation for critical design thinking as we approach our other upper-division courses.

Some key objectives for us to prepare for as we proceed were to start up an online blog to record our periodic endeavors of Art 220 with at least one post per class. All students were given an apple to take home so that we could depict a different representation of the same apple until the end of the quarter. Obviously tedious, Mr. Moss said he got the idea from a previous teacher of his back in the day. He said that he had to do the same thing every day for a semester - it didn't make me feel any better.

After thoughts...

I wonder why students only receive 3 units of credit for this course when we are required to spend lecture time, lab time, and online time participating in this course. In addition to that, we were told we need to attend AIGA events on top of that even if we're already scheduled to work at our jobs need to get by. Mr. Moss did say that he came up with this course, which is why I found it interesting that it isn't at least 4 units of credit. Many of us students who do attend Cal State-LA receive financial aid. Those of us who do need at least 12 units to receive the full amount of aid offered to us. Additionally, many of us are unable to be on campus for more than 12 units because we work multiple jobs while attending school full-time such as myself.

In my experience registering for this quarter, I found myself stuck at 11 units even though I would already be spending more time on campus than I did last spring when I was registered for 12 units. Beginning this fall, many kinesiology courses were cut while enrollment capacity for the remaining courses were reduced, most of which are 1 unit that students usually can use to fulfill their full-time requirement when needed. I was not able to register for a Kinesiology course this fall. Nevertheless, Mr. Moss did take the time to discuss his pay-cut as far as the newly required furloughs go along with 2 days off of work. However, the syllabus tells us he is not going to miss any days of instruction for Art 220, which would have highly benefited those of us who work full-time and whom are already attending campus more than we need to.

By the way, I am also taking Art 181. This course requires lab time and lecture time while only providing 3 units of credit. My instructor for this course says it was also created by.... Mr. Jimmy Moss.