Student Blog: Student Blog: Starting in a Year of Transition

Transition is an open door to new opportunities. Though it is my third year at Ball State University, I'm still learning about new things on campus. As the Ball State Department of Theatre and Dance prepares to transition into both a new performing arts center and a new class building, expected to be finished by next fall, our theatre community has to find temporary spaces to hold classes and performances. We used to be centrally located, but now the "theatre building" is in the back corner of the school, a longer walk than normal, which takes extra planning time. I am also at the beginning of my transition to become a theatre educator, starting my student teaching process and thinking about what my future will look like after college. This year, I am taking 18 credit hours of (mostly) theatre and education classes, with my last two general education classes thrown in as well. For theatre classes, I am taking Theatre History 2 or Modern Theatre History, looking at plays from 1800 on and how history has affected the nature of these plays and vice versa; I am also taking Directing 2, which explores the creative connection between the director and the text, as well as the audience and the actor; additionally, I am taking Art and Community, which focuses on the presence of theatre and dance in different forms of community. We also have a core class for the College of Fine Arts I am currently taking called Transition to Profession, and this class prepares you for a career in the arts when you graduate from college. It is the 3rd class in a series of College of Fine Arts core curriculum that is focused on preparing you for your career with various activities and lectures. I am extremely excited for all that this year will bring, but I understand that it will only just keep getting better. Please let me know if you have any questions about Ball State Theatre and Dance, especially the Theatre Education program!