Share Your Story Archives - BYU College of Fine Arts and Communications Fri, 29 Oct 2021 18:55:02 +0000 en hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.2 The College of Fine Arts & Communications Announces #ExperienceCFAC Creative Works Contest Winners https://cfac-archived.byu.edu/experiential-learning/2021-winners/ Thu, 21 Oct 2021 19:13:28 +0000 https://cfac-archived.byu.edu/?p=56576 The post The College of Fine Arts & Communications Announces #ExperienceCFAC Creative Works Contest Winners appeared first on BYU College of Fine Arts and Communications.

]]> Graduating Artist Finds Strength in Artistic Expression of the Invisible https://cfac-archived.byu.edu/department-of-art/graduating-artist-finds-strength-in-artistic-expression-of-the-invisible/ Wed, 02 Jun 2021 15:48:25 +0000 https://cfac-archived.byu.edu/?p=54761 The post Graduating Artist Finds Strength in Artistic Expression of the Invisible appeared first on BYU College of Fine Arts and Communications.

]]> The College of Fine Arts & Communications Announces #ExperienceCFAC Creative Works Contest Winners https://cfac-archived.byu.edu/experiential-learning/the-college-of-fine-arts-communications-announces-experiencecfac-creative-works-contest-winners/ Wed, 28 Oct 2020 21:51:41 +0000 https://cfac-archived.byu.edu/?p=53175 The post The College of Fine Arts & Communications Announces #ExperienceCFAC Creative Works Contest Winners appeared first on BYU College of Fine Arts and Communications.

]]> Share Your Story: #CFACGrad Anelise Leishman https://cfac-archived.byu.edu/students/share-your-story-cfacgrad-anelise-leishman/ Fri, 19 Jun 2020 21:59:56 +0000 https://cfac-archived.byu.edu/?p=52095 Graduating dance student Anelise Leishman reflects on her time at BYU Ballet has been a central force in my life from the beginning, and one of the greatest blessings of my BYU experience was being able to continue dancing in college. While working towards my English degree and pursuing my passion for writing, I earned a minor in ballet and performed with Theatre Ballet for four years alongside a wonderful group of people who would become my closest friends. One of my most fulfilling experiences was performing in George Balanchine’s “Walpurgisnacht Ballet.” The Balanchine Trust has high standards when choosing who performs their works, and it has always been a dream of mine to dance Balanchine’s choreography onstage. In “Walpurgisnacht,” all the women let their hair down — literally — for the final movement of the ballet. I’ll never forget the exuberance and joy I felt onstage, free for once from the restraints of hairspray and bobby pins, dancing with my best friends. I got to cross something off my bucket list that weekend.  However, for any serious dancer who has devoted their life to the art form, dancing in college rather than embarking on a professional career comes with a certain stigma in the ballet world. The implication is that you’re not “good enough” to make it onto a professional company and get paid to dance without a degree. That view is, of course, extremely short-sighted, and one that I’ve found to be fundamentally untrue: after all, I’ve been fortunate enough to perform works from famed choreographers like Balanchine and to share the stage with some of the most talented dancers I know.  Even so, that stigma is enough to give anyone an inferiority complex. Every now and then, those thoughts creep in — I’m not good enough, and What’s the point? And lately, as my time in the studio has come to an end, the most depressing thought of them all — Did any of that hard work even matter? Merce Cunningham, one of the forefathers of American modern dance, once said, “You have to love dancing to stick to it. It gives you nothing back, no manuscripts to store away, no paintings to show on walls and maybe hang in museums, no poems to be printed and sold, nothing but that fleeting moment when you feel alive.” That rings true for me, now more than ever. It can be difficult to appreciate the value of all those years of training when the only souvenirs you’re left with are the memories of past performances, of the adrenaline you felt in those few minutes onstage. My last performance with Theatre Ballet was this February, dancing “Swan Lake” at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City. When the show was over, I had taken off my costume and was packing up when one of my friends came backstage to tell me that someone in the audience had asked to see me. I was confused because no one I knew was in attendance that night. It turns out a four-year-old girl had seen me in the program and wanted to meet me because we have the same first name. I got to chat with her and take a picture. She even showed me some of her dance moves, and her mom told me how excited she was to start dance lessons. After COVID-19 hit and classes everywhere were postponed indefinitely, Annelise’s mom got in touch with me for advice on how to feed her daughter’s insatiable love of dance and continue her ballet education from home. It almost felt like I was passing the torch, from one Anelise to another. Ballet is meant to look easy, but it’s not without struggle; it takes its toll. I came to BYU still recovering from my first ankle surgery, my second surgery kept me off the stage for a year, and last summer I discovered I had been dancing on a torn ligament for the entire season. But to know that I made a little girl’s day just by being onstage made my last performance a very special one.  As my time at BYU — and my dance career — draws to an unexpected close, I’ve come to realize that more than anything else, dance is an exercise in sharing joy. Everything we do as dancers is for the audience. We may cross off some bucket list items along the way, but at the end of the day, it’s all for them. That’s what makes the hard work matter. The publication of student articles allows the College of Fine Arts and Communications to highlight the experiential learning opportunities and behind-the-scenes experiences of students and faculty and tell stories with a unique voice and point of view. Submit your story at cfac.byu.edu.

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]]> Share Your Story: Madison Moulder https://cfac-archived.byu.edu/students/share-your-story-madison-moulder/ Mon, 01 Jun 2020 21:31:19 +0000 https://cfac-archived.byu.edu/?p=51979 Communications student Madison Moulder shares how an experiential learning opportunity has enhanced her time at BYU The lights come on and an audible gasp comes from the audience. Time has been frozen in the early 1900s, and a bronze statue by Douglas Tilden Mechanics Monument” is brought to life. Bronze-hued performers balance on a structure with limbs unsupported in the air, completely still. The art I experienced was part of the Pageant of the Masters in Laguna Beach, California which brings famous works of art to the stage in an unforgettable experience. This summer I interned at Front Row Reviewers, a reviewing company that celebrates the good in performing arts. “Pageant of the Masters” was the first performance I had the opportunity of reviewing, and it was an experience that gave me the necessary skills and experience in the public relations field. Writing an article on a tight deadline while following a style guide has helped me prepare for a future in communications. While writing, it was important to balance Front Row Reviewers image as positive and honest with the reputation of the theater and performers. Contacting theaters, researching performances, interacting with fellow interns and updating spreadsheet information all provided me with skills that I couldn’t have learned in a classroom. In my Intro to Public Relations class, two things helped me succeed with Front Row Reviewers. First, we were taught how to write concisely. It can be difficult to fit all the relevant information in an article while still making it interesting and engaging. This skill was practiced in class, and came in handy throughout my internship. Second, this class taught me the importance of targeting your audience. On a reviewing site, the audience is primarily people who are thinking about attending a performance. Knowing this helped me provide them with the information they were looking for. The communications classes provided me with the necessary knowledge to succeed in the field, but was up to me to take that knowledge and apply it to the real world to gain experience. This approach keeps me always on the lookout for new opportunities and ways to expand my skills. Interning at Front Row Reviewers provided me with real world experience while using the knowledge from my classes to build skills that will help me succeed for the rest of my life. Reviewing performances helped me more than academically, as I discovered a new appreciation for the performing arts along the way. The publication of student articles allows the College of Fine Arts and Communications to highlight the experiential learning opportunities and behind-the-scenes experiences of students and faculty and tell stories with a unique voice and point of view. Submit your story at cfac.byu.edu.

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]]> Share Your Story: Sophia Acedo https://cfac-archived.byu.edu/students/share-your-story-sophia-acedo/ Thu, 14 May 2020 18:54:16 +0000 https://cfac-archived.byu.edu/?p=51888 TMA student Sophia Acedo shares how an experiential learning opportunity has enhanced her time at BYU As an ambitious 11-year-old, I dreamt of working at Disneyland. As a theatre arts study major, I knew I wanted to work on the entertainment side of the magic. So, when my opportunity to be part of the Disney family came true, I was ecstatic and prepared to apply my knowledge of theatre to my dream. However, the role I received through the Disney College Program this summer was as a custodial busser in Frontierland. Taking out the trash, restocking ketchup and other tasks humbled me and taught me that theatre could be applied in various environments. Bussing in Frontierland meant I got to work at The Golden Horseshoe—home of some of the best shows in Disneyland’s history. Though I longed to be on the stage, I danced and sang with the audience to get them involved. I made friends with our actors, learned the history of the land and volunteered to go in on my days off to help with the show. The best part of it all was the guests.  What I was able to apply most from my time at BYU was service. We are taught to serve our fellow men—those who love us and those who don’t. Disneyland may be the happiest place on earth, but it doesn’t mean everyone that walks through its gates are happy. Serving and providing happiness to my guests was my daily goal. For the girl who entered the Horseshoe crying, I hope the sundae helped. For the little boy who tripped chasing a duck in our seating area, I hope that the “Honorary Citizen” button, deeming you Disneyland’s best duck chaser, made you feel more courageous. For the sweet, 76-year old man experiencing the magic kingdom for the first time, I hope our conservation about our spectacular night-time show made you excited to see it. Though some days were hard, especially when the heat of the sun made me hesitant to leave the shady patches, the smiles and napkin-scrawled “thank you” notes were worth every moment. I look forward to the day I get to make magic again.  The publication of student articles allows the College of Fine Arts and Communications to highlight the experiential learning opportunities and behind-the-scenes experiences of students and faculty and tell stories with a unique voice and point of view. Submit your story at cfac.byu.edu.

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]]> Share Your Story: #CFACgrad Tessa Ostivig https://cfac-archived.byu.edu/students/share-your-story-tessa-ostivig/ Thu, 14 May 2020 17:39:40 +0000 https://cfac-archived.byu.edu/?p=51875 Tessa Ostivig, who graduated in April 2020, reflects on her time at BYU “Why are you here?” Jessica Zurcher, my Comms 101 professor, took the last twenty minutes of our first day of class to let us answer this question. I was a sophomore, recently returned from my mission and at a loss of what to do, what to major in and what I wanted in life. As I returned from my mission, I had found myself fascinated more and more by language — the ways we as humans communicate and portray our ideas to each other — so I enrolled in a communications class. And then it hit me. I remembered that my patriarchal blessing talked about being a communicator. “You will be able to communicate clearly those things that are important to you.” That line had never occurred to me as a career path, and this class began to open my mind as to what that could entail. As I walked through the day, I realized that it wasn’t just talking to people that brought me the most joy in life, but it was sharing ideas and making other people see the possibilities that I saw that was so important to me. I loved learning and making connections to become the best communicator I could be. I love working with people and have truly enjoyed being with the great people, mentors, and communicators of the public relations program. I’m excited to apply the skills and lessons I learned here at BYU. I’m glad that I found the “why” to why I was here. The publication of student articles allows the College of Fine Arts and Communications to highlight the experiential learning opportunities and behind-the-scenes experiences of students and faculty and tell stories with a unique voice and point of view. Submit your story at cfac.byu.edu.

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]]> Share Your Story: #CFACGrad Hannah Larsen https://cfac-archived.byu.edu/students/share-your-story-cfacgrad-hannah-larsen/ Tue, 05 May 2020 20:39:22 +0000 https://cfac-archived.byu.edu/?p=51807 Graduating Communications student Hannah Larsen reflects on her time at BYU The first couple weeks into my freshman year, I was intimidated by how great everyone seemed. How was I going to fit in when those around me seemed to excel at everything they did? After watching one of my first BYU devotionals, I felt God tell me that instead of being intimidated by the people around me, I should seek to learn from and love them. My whole perspective changed. I made a goal to meet three new people a day. As I started befriending those around me, I realized how incredible everyone was. I felt the love Heavenly Father has for His children. I felt my love for others grow. I gained a stronger testimony for our worth as children of God. Many times people were surprised when I started talking to them. I realized as college students we have a tendency to focus on ourselves and forget about the people around us. I felt like we could all do a little better at reaching out to the people we see everyday, myself included. One day, I sat next to someone new at the library. He came home from his mission in Guatemala and had a hard time adjusting because of the lack of friendliness on campus. Coming from a country where everyone talks to everyone, he struggled with people not acknowledging each other’s existence. We emailed President Worthen our concerns and asked if there was anything we could do to spread the message. To our surprise, he emailed us back the next day, thanking us for our efforts and ensuring he would keep our message in mind. A couple months later, he gave a talk at the January 2017 devotional titled, “It Is Not Good that Man Should Be Alone.” His message was all about our relationships and how important it is to befriend those around us on campus, at home, at church, etc. I was thrilled! Flash forward to October 2018. I’d been home from my mission for a year. I was a junior and started thinking how I could fulfill my life dream of creating something similar to the social media phenomenon @humansofny. People and writing have always been my passions. I wanted to showcase an accurate view of who the people at BYU were. I wanted to help people understand what happens when we take time to learn from others. I believe love is the answer to the world’s problems. Often, when we learn more about others, we love them.  In May 2019, I started running @humansofbyu. I’ve interviewed 80+ students so far, most who I hadn’t met before the interview. The experience has changed my life. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to meet so many wonderful people at BYU and run the account. Their stories are helping people come closer to Christ. I couldn’t ask for anything more than that! In December, I was invited to do a BYU takeover on the official BYU Instagram page to talk about @humansofbyu. The day I took over was the best day of my BYU career. I had over 20,000 people watching as I shared my testimony of God’s love for us and how He uses us to reach out to others. As I was testifying, my mind flashed back to my friend at the library who served in Guatemala. I remembered how concerned we were about the lack of friendliness and my desire to share how my goal was giving me joy. At that moment, I realized God had answered my prayers. Here I was, getting to do exactly what I wanted to do as a sophomore, sharing my experience about loving others with thousands of people in the BYU community. I know God is there. He hears our spoken and unspoken prayers. I know if we ask Him for help, He will lead us exactly where we need to be. He will give us the people and resources we need to achieve our potential, follow our dreams and obtain joy. I am so grateful for Him giving me BYU.  The publication of student articles allows the College of Fine Arts and Communications to highlight the experiential learning opportunities and behind-the-scenes experiences of students and faculty and tell stories with a unique voice and point of view. Submit your story at cfac.byu.edu.

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]]> Share Your Story: #CFACGrad Mckenzie Rucker https://cfac-archived.byu.edu/students/share-your-story-cfacgrad-mckenzie-rucker/ Thu, 23 Apr 2020 21:00:44 +0000 https://cfac-archived.byu.edu/?p=51654 Graduating student Mckenzie Rucker reflects on her time at BYU Going into 2020, I knew it was going to be a wild ride. 2020 has been the year of change for me. I’m graduating. I’m moving. I’m starting my career. I’m starting over. But the biggest change of all has been identifying who I am in this bigger picture we call life. This year has been the wildest of rides. There were times I thought my life was over as I knew it. There were things that happened that I pray no other human ever has to go through the way I did. I struggled. I blamed myself. I even hated myself. But like all the horrible things in our lives, it passed. I prayed often. I forgave further. I served extra. I loved more. Working through traumatic events in life doesn’t come easy or fast. In fact, it may take a lifetime to completely heal. But through it all we have friends, family, and most importantly our Savior. The Master Healer walks by our side every day. He carries us when we feel defeated. And He cheers for us when we achieve victory. My victory today is that I love who I am. This year I have become a graduate in the BYU class of 2020! BYU has given me so much more than a bachelor’s degree. The lessons I have learned, the people I have met, the places I have travelled, and the memories I have made will stay with me long into the eternities. I entered to learn and am ecstatic to go forth and serve! The publication of student articles allows the College of Fine Arts and Communications to highlight the experiential learning opportunities and behind-the-scenes experiences of students and faculty and tell stories with a unique voice and point of view. Submit your story at cfac.byu.edu.

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]]> Share Your Story: #CFACGrad Isabella Vaughn https://cfac-archived.byu.edu/students/share-your-story-cfacgrad-isabella-vaughn/ Thu, 23 Apr 2020 17:44:33 +0000 https://cfac-archived.byu.edu/?p=51638 Isabella Vaughn, who graduated in December 2019, reflects on her time at BYU I stood by the TV monitor next to the anchor desk in the newsroom. With dread, I watched my last news package of the semester play out on the screen in front of me. I couldn’t hear it, but I knew what was coming. The image changed to a man talking into a mic I had carefully placed on his jacket. As he began speaking, I heard loud groans and shouts coming from the control room. The mic malfunctioned and all you could hear was static. My face turned bright red. I had failed. I could barely look into the camera as I wrapped up my package live from the studio. I would lose several points on my assignment and end the semester on a disappointing note.  This experience happened several years ago when I was a beginning reporter for our live, student-run newscast KBYU 11 News, later called Newsline. But, it is a good representation of the feeling I often felt there, a feeling I had felt all of my life: fear of failure.  Ever since I was a little girl, I knew I wanted to be a part of the media. I loved writing and telling stories, and I couldn’t bear not to be at the center of everything going on. I wanted to write history as it happened. When I came to college, I immediately pursued the news media program and was accepted. But when I came into the lab, I realized how little I knew about creating a newscast. I had never used a high-tech camera or advanced video-making software before. I wanted so badly to succeed that my fear of failing left me paralyzed every time I came to class. And my fear of failure became a self-fulfilling prophecy.  I didn’t overcome this fear by not failing. I failed all the time. Sometimes my video would be shaky because the tripod was missing a piece. Sometimes the mic would go out during an interview, and I would realize I forgot to check it beforehand. I forgot my SD card multiple times. Interviews would fall through at the last minute. I’d edit the audio levels wrong or put together the whole package backwards or write too much. No, I didn’t overcome the fear of failure by not failing. Instead, I conquered it by treating each failure as a challenge, by refusing to compare myself to others and by basking in the joy of my accomplishments no matter how small.  Since then I’ve chosen to do many things I was afraid of. I chose to go on a multimedia journalism study abroad to Spain where I came up with stories on the fly, navigated my way around an unknown city and interviewed people who spoke a different language. I came out of it with five videos that I was so proud of. I also chose to do an internship in Washington D.C. I remember I was so afraid that it was the right choice that I didn’t turn in my application or gather my letters of recommendation until the very last day they were due. It turned out to be the best experience of my life. I interned on Capitol Hill where I was completely out of my element. I wasn’t a political science student and knew very little about the inner workings of government. But, because of my experience at BYU, I knew how to dive in, work hard and simply try. It opened my eyes to new career possibilities, and I was offered a job because of it. When we challenge ourselves to do the things we are most afraid of, we can grow in ways we never imagined.  In the eyes of others, my accomplishments have been small. Compared to others, my successes are insignificant. But to me, they are proof of my divine potential to grow and become a glorious being. I don’t believe perfection comes in this life. But as we try and try and try again, we can be worthy of the help that comes from the One who is perfect, Jesus Christ. He magnifies our efforts. He takes our best tries and turns them into our greatest successes. Many times at BYU, I found myself in tears and on my knees begging for miracles or for help to accomplish the things I didn’t know how to do. Sometimes I failed anyway. But, eventually successes would come, as they always do if you don’t give up and put your trust in the God of miracles.   I’m not one of those people who came to BYU with incredible gifts or talents waiting to be discovered by a brilliant professor. But, I came with a hunger to learn, a passion to pursue a dream, and a hope that one day I could grow into my potential and give something back to the world. I now work for The Lisa Show at BYU Radio where I am a producer. I still fail all the time. Thank goodness. How would I ever learn?  The publication of student articles allows the College of Fine Arts and Communications to highlight the experiential learning opportunities and behind-the-scenes experiences of students and faculty and tell stories with a unique voice and point of view. Submit your story at cfac.byu.edu.

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