The Gallery Newspaper revived something within me. Following the recent issue's release, I ruminated upon the culture present at DSA. How much have we missed from walking on a tightrope around Covid, with activities being safeguarded - a euphemism, considering that no more than 10 people have been allowed in a club room indoors, significantly less than a classroom- and limitations surrounding everything we do? On that note, there is a blatant contradiction between friends sitting next to each other at lunch with uncovered mouths, versus coordinated seating spaced six feet apart in the classroom, with masks required. A double standard is being unequally applied. The constraints on extracurriculars are accompanied by the tragic loss of our favorite and frequented coffee-shops nearby school, as well as a farewell to significant school events; two integral parts of DSA culture. The newspaper highlighted many of the shortcomings evident from the last two and a half years, along with the discrepancies between the present and the years prior to the outbreak. Nearly half of the school has yet to experience the full extent of what earned DSA its colorful reputation; rather, they've been left with the barred remnants. Reading the Gallery Newspaper instilled a great deal of nostalgia in me. I reminisced, and realized that I had forgotten what the school previously felt like before the world collapsed. I was once again integrated into the DSA culture that I walked into when beginning Freshmen year, in the form of student-hosted talent shows with bits of humor overarching a culmination of talent and a show of hard work, teacher-involved pep rallies that broke through the student-teacher barriers into a fun and accommodating event for everyone - while celebrating the athletic talent belonging to such a well-rounded school- , and the remarkable artworks posted in rotation on the walls and in the atrium's glass museum by your friendly neighborhood art teachers. This school's veins flowed with genius and artistry. At lunch you would hear melodies produced by adroit fingers strolling along piano keys, outside you would witness artistic murals in the making just across the street, before and after school you would find peers having study sessions at Kaffeinate or Parker & Otis, and teachers in line to order their morning coffees while talking to kids they've taught in the past, topped off by first-period announcements highlighting the incredible accolades and achievements produced by our very own. This is what the DSA Gallery Newspaper represents. This is what it means to the students of DSA. It is made special by the fact a collection of our own peers created it and composited their works, fueled by passion and engrossing interest, covering topics regarding the social atmosphere at DSA, how things have changed, and the unprecedented obstacles that our class has faced. They challenged various inequities in the classroom by placing them in a light of exposure. This is what will incite the reformation of Durham School of the Arts into DSA again, by connecting us all through our shared intrigues and social presence. We will not remain downtrodden, merely a sad reflection in a sad puddle of what this school once was and the extraordinary it harbored in a bygone era. The sentimental weight of the newspaper in my hands was everything that I desired when I came to DSA; a school I viewed as an art exhibit pinpointed in the center of downtown Durham; a symbol of artistic fervor and an immersion of culture from a plethora of talents and backgrounds; a melting pot of individuality. The newspaper was made by students, for students, with the editor being a friend of mine. Undoubtedly, it was the first-step towards recovering what was lost; to reviving and reintegrating back into the swing of things from before, prior to the dramatic changes in administration, the surrounding controversy, as well as the global pandemic, the explosions, flooding, power outages, campus intrusions, and the subsequent changes in the atmosphere at DSA. We are no longer breathing in the rich air exuded by the old walls of our historic campus, which have framed countless paintings and jaw-dropping creations throughout their residence; no, these are walls we now hate, albeit ignorant of their greater meaning. Will this stagnancy endure? Will it continue to permeate these walls with mold, or will they once again showcase the inspiration and raw emotion of our talented pupils? We have treated masks -a necessary safety precaution - as hazmat suits. We have been toeing the edge of nothing; bereft of commonality; bereft of school spirit; bereft of the bright culture DSA once displayed like a neon sign in the midnight city. We are letting these masks obstruct us from the all-encompassing air we once breathed in; an air of curated talents, of expression, and an air polluted by the exhaust of indulging in our creative outlets. DSA once housed all of these properties in abundance. This school will become reacclimated only once students are heard and seen again. This involves the lost pieces of our school's identity, such as the Gallery Newspaper, that once brought us together. Similar to the football games that upholster the community of other schools, DSA has its art; and neither of which are simply for entertainment or show. They are at the heart of the school's spirit. Even with the lack of pep rallies and talent shows, we can find ways to display our accomplishments and cherish what our school was built off of. We didn't come to DSA to perform in private and endlessly practice routines that never get presented. Nor did we come to write without publication, or to paint in reticence without positing a stance. We came here to be involved and to imprint ourselves. To disseminate our individual messages through creation, and to challenge particular subject matter meaningful to ourselves. To cast exposure, creatively. Not to remain in obscurity. Durham School of the Arts will revitalize. Art and culture are in the very fibers of its being. Students have already found ways to output their creativity through social media, for example @dsa.trashcans. It is just a matter of how much effort we pour into making the recovery expedient, and how much attention we put towards celebrating each other's work. Join clubs, collaborate, get involved despite the hurdle it currently takes. The Gallery Newspaper is just the first piece of the disassembled puzzle; it provided us with insight into concurrent issues at Durham School of the Arts that we were likely unaware of, and that needed mentioning, leaving strong impressions in its wake. That's good. It's a start. Now lets extrapolate upon what it commenced, and provision these gaping holes -leftover from sweeping and overwhelming change- with our own sutures. Conclusions:
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AuthorMy name is Quinn Peterson! I will be reflecting about my art work in this blog! Archives
May 2022
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