The First Day of Class.

Today was the first day of classes for Kenz and I (we are actually taking all of the same classes here). Our first class didn't start until 2:30pm, a stark contrast to our usual class schedules at Chapel Hill (usually managed to pack in 3 classes by noon or so).

Our first class: Statistics-Sample Survey Methods. We walked into a rowdy, roaring classroom filled with only Ghanaians from the front row to the top. We were the only "obrunis", or white students. Let's just say, we stood out like...hm how did Kenz put it...well, like a "sore-thumb", or like lightning bolts against the stormy sky. It was something I wish you could have seen, but I don't think that even a picture would have done it justice. And I know one thing for sure, we definitely won't be skipping Statistics, because our professor and the rest of the class will certainly know when we're not there.

Sample Survey Methods actually sounds exciting, as opposed to Statistical Analytical blah blah blah, or whatever other Stat courses entail. Our Professor is, of course, Ghanaian, but is a larger guy and knows how to project his voice (which is a plus amidst a screaming, hollering classroom of 250+ Ghanaians). He reminds me so much of my 8th grade math teacher, Mr. Mac, who I dearly miss. He cracks jokes and uses real world examples, and even resembles Mr. Mac.

The class was suppose to last an hour, but how long can you talk about the "overview" of what you're going to do in a survey class? Anyway, we have two hours of Statistics tomorrow and Kenz and I are already Googling to find the first document we have to read for our homework that's due tomorrow. Yes, the University of Ghana has little resources for textbooks, so most of our stuff will be online, handouts, or something we have to go make photocopies of. Dr. Baidoo, our professor, hinted at the possibility of many "pop" quizzes for the semester, so we definitely don't want to fall behind.

Kenz and I rushed off to our second class, "The Art History of Ghana", which is 3:30pm-5:25pm. We squeezed our way through the main doors of the main classroom building here on campus, "JQB". Again, it was funny because we stood out and were among very few other international students, until we reached the doors of Art History. In Ghana, the time-tables (or scheduled classes) often clash, so that is always remedied on the first day of classes. Long story, but essentially all of the International students' schedules clashed with the Ghanaians, so now our Art History class is composed of all Americans and there are only 13 of us, which makes for a nice class size.

Our Professor is precious, so cute. Kenz, Maggie, Becca, Callie, and I are all taking Art History, and we all admired his wisdom and frail figure. He is 70 years old and stood up many times throughout the class, as we all sat in wooden polished chairs at a long wooden table, illustrating his undying passion for art. He is like a Nelson Mandela or a Ghandi. His caliber and charisma is something I have not seen in a professor in a long, long time. I have never taken an Art History class, so I am very excited.

A few tidbits from Art History (he read aloud in an wise, animated reading voice from his handwritten, 20-page packet, that he prepared for us):
--Overview: "In times past, societies outside Western civilization were described as backward and 'primitive', incapable of originality and cultural and artistic creativity."--Essentially, many artists, including Pablo Picasso were skeptics (now they are former skeptics) of Black African capabilities in regards to art.
--When Picasso was asked if he had ever heard of African art, he said, "L'ast Negre, connais pas"--"African Art, never heard of it."--I found that difficult to believe.
--"Aesthetic is a universal phenomenon"
-"The goal and the motivation of the artist everywhere (Western and non-Western) is the same, namely to fulfill or gratify aesthetic interests.
--Art is based on cultural values.
--"African art aesthetic" refers to what is sensuous, emotional, and what upholds moral values.
--"Art's first function is to be pleasing to the eye. Art is an embellishment to life."-I guess this is obvious? But I have never read that or seen it written on paper.
--Art seeks to comply with standards of beauty valid in society.
--"A work of art is the projection of an inner picture. Art is the language of the emotions."
--This one was extremely interesting to me: "An artist creates a work of art in the EXPECTATION that it will cause in the perceiver, viewer, or consumer, a pleasurable feeling so that it will be called beautiful" or else, the work "expresses ideas which stimulate our perception, thoughts, feelings, or imagination."--Again, I never have seen that admitted or written down in writing, but it's very true.
--Our professor got a kick out of learning and realizing this tidbit (he was excited to say that even a man at 70 years of age can learn something new time and time again)--the opposite of "aesthetic" is "anaesthetic", so if you're work isn't aesthetic, than it's essentially an anaesthetic (which tends to dull the senses and induces sleepiness; aka what they use to put you to sleep).

Sorry for the long list of tidbits, but I could go on and on...I just found the whole class to be so interesting. Off to the hostel to head to bed soon, as classes will begin tomorrow at 9:30 am.

;)