Hi Everybody!
My name is Brigitta Elise Stoner (I am nicknamed Gitta). I am a junior Jewelry and Metalsmithing major with a minor in Retail Management in the Whitman School of Management. I am from a very small town in rural central Pennsylvania, quite a different locale from the urban setting of Syracuse.
I am having a great time at Syracuse and have learned so much here. I can not imagine spending my undergraduate years anywhere else. Syracuse University appealed to me for several reasons. The first is that it has a very rigorous art and design program that covers a wide range of mediums. All of this is encompassed in a university setting with a prestigious academic history. Having very little formal art education in high school, it was important to me to find a place where I could experience many different kinds of art making in order to find the right one for me while also having an extensive variety of academic classes from which to choose. Syracuse University seemed to offer just that and so far has not disappointed!
A second reason why I choose SU was the size. SU is home to many people from all backgrounds and walks of life and it can be assured that there is no shortage of new friends to be made or opportunities to be taken. However, within this large university atmosphere there is such a feeling of community. I am much more than the number printed on my ID card. I am on first name basis with most of my professors. My studio arts classes are usually around 15 students to 1 professor and many times the ratio is even smaller. My smallest class has been comprised of myself and 3 other students taught by 1 professor. Classes of this size provide a huge amount of individualized attention which leads to a tremendous amount of growth as an artist and as an professional individual. I think statistics such as these within a large university is almost unheard of.
The third reason why SU was an attractive option was its location. I was eager to branch out on my own but at the same time was a little frightened of leaving home, family and friends. SU is about a 5 to 5 1/2 hour drive from my home which provides enough distance to be able to find my own place in the world while still being able to go home for a weekend or holiday every now and then. Also, my sister, Kirsten, attends Cornell University which is only about 45 min away from SU, making visits possible.
True to what I have mentioned before, SU offers a variety of subjects to study both academics and studios. With 19 credits, this semester (3 studios, 2 academics and an art history)I feel that I am taking full advantage of what SU has to offer. Here is what my schedule looks like this semester:
Monday:
9:30-10:25am-Italian 101
6:00-9:00pm-Survey of Film History
Tuesday:
9:30-10:50am-Italian 101
1:30-6:00pm-Stones and Stone Setting
8:00-10:00-Survey of Film History
Wednesday:
9:30-10:25am-Italian 101
1:30-6:00pm-Printmaking: Intro To Relief Printing
7:00-9:45-Finance for Non-Management Majors
Thursday:
9:30-10:50am-Italian 101
1:30-6:00pm-Machines Tools and Technology
Friday:
No Classes!!
In addition to classes I am active in a variety of clubs and organizations. I am co-president of the Jewelry and Metalsmithing Club (JAM Club), I am a member of Students In Free Enterprise (SIFE) through Whitman School of Management, for the past two years I have volunteered as a VPA Peer Adviser and beginning this semester I am representing VPA as an Ambassador which is the reason why I am writing this blog!
I hope that this has been helpful and gives a glimpse of my slice of the orange (hehe)!
Until next time,
Gitta
