top of page
Leilani McAdams
Arts Scholar
Semester 1
Reflections: Image
When I received my admission to the University of Maryland in the first couple of months of 2020, I was excited to have also been invited to join the scholars program, but I had no idea I would have to do it during a global pandemic. I knew being a college freshman would be a challenge in itself, but now I had to figure out to succeed in an online learning environment. Luckily, being in the Arts Scholars program helped me do this. I have always been one to appreciate the arts, but I never realized the power it has, until I was over worked with assignments and studying and I could feel the stress of everyone around me. I was a little nervous about choosing Arts as my scholars program because I knew there would be many other talented artists and I was worried that I would not be able to keep up.
Every lesson, assignment, and even many of the pentathlons I participated in showed me that Arts is not necessarily about what the artist can make, but more so what the artist can do. Can the artist connect with people? Can they make a difference? Can they get their message across? Can they make one person's day better? Thinking about these questions have helped me become a better artist, but more importantly I hope it helps me become a better person and the electrical engineer I hope to become.
Another class I took this semester, Introduction to Electrical and Computer Engineering (ENEE101), also explored many of the same questions. Artists and engineers both create in hopes to enhance and better the society we live in today. One of the modules we did for ENEE101, we talked about ethics. The two main points I took from that lesson is to always look at the big picture and that there is more than one way to get something done. I believe these are important concepts for both arts and engineering.
This semester, I stayed home because of the pandemic and the fact that all of my classes happened to be online. I believe this was the right choice for me because I was able to focus on my studies and also continue going to my rink, so I could skate and coach. Next semester I will still be at home, but it is looking like I will have to commute for dance class. I feel safe going on to UMD's campus from what I have heard from other students and I always take the necessary precautions when I go out on my own. I am excited to commute to campus and hopefully meet some of my peers face to face (six feet away with masks on).
The most impactful thing I learned from Arts Scholars this year was to take time and use art as a meditative tool. Several of our activities, one being the Zentangle workshop, allowed me to sit back and relax which I realized helped me to think more calmly about everything else I needed to accomplish for the semester.
Reflections: Image
Semester 2
Reflections: Image
My first year of college was definitely not how I envisioned it would be. Most of my classes were online for both semesters which was not the best experience for me, but being in the Arts Scholars program made it easier. So far, one of my favorite parts about being an Arts Scholar is being part of a community and meeting so many incredible artists. Harold, Heather, and Gabi, the Arts staff, made it easier to make connections online. After having my first year citation review with Heather, I felt much better about the semester as a whole and the work I was doing in arts. She and the other staff members also took the time to get to know me and my interests. I remember Gabi reaching out to me about a possible field trip because she remembered I am a figure skater. I have also reached out to Heather with questions I have and she always responds quickly. Having opportunities to talk with them even online has made me enthusiastic about what being an Arts Scholars will be like next year when we are in person. I have also made connections with other students. The Arts community is very supportive of each other and most of us are always interested in the arts projects other students are working on. I have connected with other students for my interest in wanting to learn more about film editing, as well as my love of music. Several students have also taken an interest in my figure skating and we plan to skate together when we are on campus next semester. Talking to people through a screen can feel awkward, but feeling like I have a support system from my teachers and peers made learning online much easier. Plus, it is nice looking forward to finally getting to meet these people in person.
This semester I chose to participate in the “YOU in Music” workshop. Music has always been a big part of my life. I started studying classical guitar when I was seven years old and I formed an all girl band in middle and high school. Even though I have always enjoyed music, I never truly realized how I could use it for my own benefit and what impact it may have on other people. In the workshop we explored how society and pop culture affect music and how music affects society and pop culture. We also talked about how music can be used to destress and understand our emotions. This helped me throughout the semester when I was overworked with assignments and tired from looking at a screen all day. I appreciate this new tool I can use in my daily life. At the end of the workshop, all of the students prepared artwork for ArtsFest which was so amazing to see all of our different pieces cultivate in one place. The different mediums and lessons learned behind each piece were inspiring to go through. It definitely made me excited for next year’s ArtsFest when I will have to complete my Sophomore Capstone project. Hopefully my work has a positive impact on others like many of the art done this year had on me.
Incoming Arts Scholars should definitely take the opportunity to step out of their comfort zones with this program. I had so many unique experiences over this semester even while being entirely online! For example, I participated in a Vogue Dancing Field Trip with Marquis Clanton. I enjoy dancing and movement, but I had never thought about taking a class like this before. Not only did I learn a lot about voguing and ball culture, the class was fun and I also made a new connection. Marquis ended up following a lot of us on Instagram afterwards, and gave me support on several of my figure skating posts. I hope to take inspiration from this class to use in my skating, so it is great to have this new formed connection. Overall, the Arts Scholars program has challenged me to open my mind, try new things, meet new people, and find new inspiration for the things I am passionate about.
Reflections: Image
Semester 3
Reflections: Image
I have completed my first in person semester at the University of Maryland! I was definitely a little nervous at the start of the semester since I had not been in a real classroom in over a year, but I was quickly reminded by the Arts program of why I respond so much better to learning in person. The Arts Scholars community gave me the chance to connect with my peers even if I was a commuter student. Talking about our proposed capstone projects throughout the year gave me insight into their diverse cultures and interests which expanded my thinking for my own capstone project. I feel that commuting to and from school definitely did make it harder to connect with my peers, and I felt more tired by the time I had to go to my 6:00pm CPSA class, but I made the most of it especially with becoming a peer mentor and being able to connect with my mentees as well.
Throughout the semester we thought about and practiced three main themes. The first being "How can art reshape or recontextualize an understanding of our (individual and societal) learned history, biases, and beliefs?" This question came up a lot when doing research for my capstone project. After doing research on the history of figure skating, I learned that its definition has changed over time and that it has a different meaning contextually that it did thousands of years ago. This overall shift of what it means to be a figure skater has caused tension in the figure skating world and lost its meaning behind what it means to be both a skater and an artist. The second theme was "What are the theoretical models and practical strategies for initiating the creative process?" When we worked with the "Drumlady", I got to learn how to use the djembe as well as understand how dancers and drummers watch and listen to each other to create something special and unique. This process of going back and forth and feeding off of each other's artistic energy was a really interesting way of initiating a creative process. The final theme was "How can we effectively incorporate feedback to revise and refine our ideas with greater depth and clarity?" We got to practice several times when giving our peers feedback on their capstone project. It was really fun to watch a few people's capstone videos at the end of the semester. After writing what we learned from their project, we got to ask questions to give them an idea of what they might be missing or may want to add. We also got to provide feedback to help them portray their projects with more clarity if needed.
I recently discovered artist Derrick Adams in the news. The link is to the article is https://www.artnews.com/art-news/artists/derrick-adams-artist-studio-visit-1234613050/ . He uses “formalism—from line, color, composition—to depict the richness and complexity of Black culture.” He looks to empower people with his art, but sometimes feels confined as a black artist because he feels that as art done by a black artist it has too much of a narrative attached to it and not as much of a mystery. My engagement with Arts Scholars helped me better understand this article by being able to look at art from different perspectives. The artist and the audience may have different perspectives, but both are valid and important.
This semester I also took ENEE200 which is an Engineering Ethics class. I found that it connected to Arts Scholars because we did a lot of practice of being mindful, so we could understand others. Practicing/Experiencing the arts can also help people practice mindfulness, so it was interesting to see my interests in engineering and arts crossover.
This semester I contributed to the Arts program by becoming a peer mentor. I was able to connect with 8 brilliant freshman Arts Scholars to help them navigate their first semester. It was great and inspiring to listen to their goals and interests and I hope I helped them in some way to make their time at UMD easier.
Being an Arts Scholar continues to push and challenge my own beliefs. I have gotten the chance to converse more with my peers who have diverse backgrounds and realized that stereotypes can often cloud ones judgement. To truly understand someone, it's important to learn their whole story and not one that is made up in the sway of society. I feel that in what I have learned in Arts and some of my other classes, getting to know new people and hear their stories is an art of its own.
Reflections: Image
Program Synthesis
Reflections: Image
As an Arts Scholar, I have gained valuable knowledge of how I can continue to use and experience art to make an impact in the world around me. A big part of this semester for me was completing my Service Learning Capstone project, “Figure Skating as Art: A Movement Exploration”. By leading a free workshop at Tucker Road Ice Rink for figure skaters in the area, I pushed myself outside of my comfort zone to make my own curriculum for my workshop and communicate these ideas to the skaters, so they could use these tools to choreograph their own programs. I also had to communicate with the rink management to set up times for the workshop which was actually one of the more challenging parts of my capstone.
My perception of art has been influenced in a number of ways during my time as an Arts Scholar. This semester a big theme I saw was how stories can be told through art and what impact this has on its audience. For the first pentathlon I attended this semester, I went to the Kennedy Center to experience their Chinese Lantern display. Through this I gained knowledge and more so an appreciation for Chinese and Chinese American culture. I also saw this in a number of my peers' capstone projects at Arts Fest. I learned about Ethiopian culture from Eskinder’s capstone and it was a refreshing reminder to take pride in my own culture and one way I could do this was to immerse myself in its art.
Learning about audience and impact over the last two years helped me immensely while forming ideas for my capstone project. Last semester, for one of my supporting courses I took ARCH270 in which I learned how to ask insightful questions about what the user actually wants and needs from the product I am designing. I used this concept to create a survey for figure skaters to fill out. From the survey I learned that many skaters of a minority race feel outcasted in the sport which can cause doubts when performing. This inspired me to create a service learning capstone for the skaters in my area where they could explore their stories, what makes them special, and realize that they do have much to offer the sport.
I have been a figure skater for over 14 years, but being in the Arts Scholars program made me realize that I could take my skating and coaching to the next level by doing more research on what makes it both a sport and an art. I used my second semester of freshman year to take a modern dance class where I not only learned about technique that would help with strength, stability, and flexibility on the ice, but I also learned about improvisation and how I could apply it to my creative process when choreographing programs for myself or my students.
The one thing I have really enjoyed about Arts Scholars is how diverse people’s backgrounds and interests are. It has been so interesting to see how people who are not necessarily majoring in the Arts, are still so involved and talented in their mediums. Giving and receiving feedback on my writings and ideas for CPSA200 and CPSA201 from my peers has helped me become more open to others’ opinions and I appreciate the insight of others who are able to see things from a different perspective than I can.
My experience in Scholars has shown me that what I want to do in the future is most likely going to change. I learned from my process of doing my Capstone project that what I initially envision my plans to be will change based on a number of factors such as a change of interest, feasibility, outside factors such as a global pandemic. As much as I would like to be a successful electrical engineer (which is still my goal), I have realized that I have a passion for coaching figure skating and helping others. I would like to put more effort into my passion for my own skating and coaching. I also have no idea what exactly I would like to do as an electrical engineer, but I see possibilities for combining my interests of engineering with art and sport. I know for sure that whatever I do, I have to find a meaningful way for myself to give back to the community.
Reflections: Image
bottom of page