Tuesday's class was one of those classes that while you're sitting there you have absolutely no idea how it is relevant to the course. The beginning of class is a bit of a blur with prof. Jimmy talking about the importance of passion for graphic design and the urge to want to learn more and see more in order to succeed in the field in a city that is constantly growing and changing. We learn from our peers to grow and better ourselves in our art and help each other reach our potential. Then, as if not knowing how else to spend the hour and a half left of class, we split into two groups and played a game I've decided to call "this is a what" (whether that is the actual name of the game or not, I have no idea). He explained the basic rules and told us it was game about listening and concentration, then left the room as we were left to figure out if we were even playing it correctly and what the trick was to actually winning the game. I use the term "winning" loosely since there is not actual proclaimed winner, just people that are pointed out to be the reasons for not being able to complete a round as a team. The game does not test your intelligence or your logic, in fact it disproves everything you know by forcing you to believe that a coffee mug is a "what" and a cell phone is a "how". I've always considered myself a listener and having a pretty decent attention span, and then I played this game and my perception of myself shifted. The room quickly got loud as the class laughed, complained and teased each other for failing to understand that this is a what, "a what?" "a what". We were confused, excited, frustrated, anxious but most importantly we were having fun. I still don't completely understand how this game relates to Concept Development for graphic design or if it was even meant to be related and I have a feeling it might be a while until I figure it out. However, it exercised my listening skills and being able to focus in on an idea. Towards the end of the game, we were helping each other out in order to finish the going around the circle which threw in the "teamwork" concept into the purpose of the game as well.
Things don't always have to make sense in order for them to make sense. I don't know how the game will help as a graphic designer, but I know how it will help as a person. Being an effective speaker is only part of the deal. Someone has to do the listening and in order to achieve success in anything, we must be able to play both roles. Playing this game also helped us bond. I was hesitant about the game in the beginning because I was with the group of people whom I had the least amount of contact with in class. Sure, I knew who they were, but the ones I spoke to regularly were playing across the hall. The best way to bond is by having fun and that day I bonded with a different group. Network is key to almost everything and being that I will be in the graphic design program with pretty much the same people for the next two to three years. Becoming friends or at least getting to know each other is extremely important for my undergraduate career at Cal State L.A. to be successful. It is too soon to know if I have already made lasting friendships but Jimmy always tells us to look around the room just in case our business partners are sitting in that same class.
aloof- from a distance but within view, or without sympathy
direful - inspiring fear
highfalutin - arrogant, self-important, egotistical
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