COME ON AND SLAM

Submitted by Hattie Hayes, journalism major, class of 2017

Coming from a small town in Missouri, I arrived in Phoenix thirsty for arts and culture, but more importantly, for a way to be involved in creative ventures.  And I found it, just a few blocks from Taylor Place: Lawn Gnome Publishing.  Nestled in the Roosevelt Row arts district of Downtown Phoenix, Lawn Gnome isn't just a purveyor of books, zines and Bill Murray stickers (all some of my favorite things), but also an outlet for creative expression in any way, shape or form.

Take Thursdays, for example.  Thursday nights are the highlight of my week.  Thursdays are poetry slam nights.  I host the poetry slam, incidentally, and that's an amazing, obscenely fun, insanely lucky opportunity for me, but the reason I like it so much is because I highlight the poets.  The poets, and the words they stitch together and then toss over the audience like a quilt made from pieces of their thoughts and their souls, are what make the poetry slam really incredible.  I see myself as very fortunate not only to watch these men and women perform, but also to encourage my friends to come be their audience, to gloss over lulls during score-tallying to keep up the high enthusiasm these performers deserve, and to be an advocate for artistic expression in general.  It's definitely more than I'd expected, moving here.

My involvement with Lawn Gnome came (almost accidentally) from mid-slam banter with Aaron Hopkins-Johnson, proprietor of Lawn Gnome Publishing and previous slam host.  Aaron had mentioned, during the very first slam I'd attended, that he was looking for a host, and I knew in my head that I wanted to be it.  I have nowhere near the amount of guts necessary to spill my poetic soul out onstage, so hosting seemed like the best non-slamming way to get involved.  And after a little bit of in-between-act banter with Aaron, him joking with the audience and me quipping right back, he said, "Hey, you should host!"

And I said, "Yes!  Please!  I'd planned on it!"

I think this, this real community involvement, is a direct side effect of being a Barrett student.  If I hadn't gone to Lawn Gnome on Barrett's Big Urban Bus Tour, if I hadn't seen posts about the venue and its events on the B-Town D-Town Facebook group and heard people talk about it--heck, if I hadn't had a group of equally-eager Barrett students to walk the few blocks to Lawn Gnome with me, I wonder: would I be sitting here, writing about Lawn Gnome, wondering what poems I'll hear this week, and planning my jokes and bits for this Thursday?

That question was mostly rhetorical, but I can guarantee you that if it weren't for Barrett Downtown and its focus on community involvement, I'd probably be spending my Thursday nights killing time in the 8th floor lounge instead of being an active member in my community.  As a new student in a new school in a new state, it's easy to want to get involved.  As a new student in Barrett, it's easy to see how you can get involved.  Choosing to be involved in my community, and Lawn Gnome specifically, may be the best decision I've made in college.

So far.

Barrett: A Game Changer

by

Taylor Nelson

College, thus far, has been… an experience. Some of it has been tough, but a lot of it has been really great. And I attribute a lot of the greatness that I have experienced to being a part of Barrett, the Honors College.

I was a social butterfly in high school. Volleyball, marching band, choir, NHS, broadcasting and the senior video… you name it, and chances are I was probably involved with it in some way, at some point.

For some reason, coming to college changed that. I was suddenly a lot shyer and much more reserved. I was out of my comfort zone, and that was intimidating.

That’s where Barrett really became a blessing in my life.

You don’t have to be best friends with everybody to always have something to talk about in the elevator, be it Human Event or the really delicious cookies we got on the first day of classes or how, exactly, you pronounce the word “houyhnhnm.”

The sense of community that I have found with B-town D-town has really helped me break out of the shell that I, apparently, formed somewhere between high school graduation and Taylor Place move-in day. Now, through my involvement with Honors Devils and the many community events that Barrett plans, I feel like I belong. I’m still stretching my wings a bit, maybe, but that’s okay, because the Barrett downtown community is a fantastic place to do so.

On top of the personal perks, Barrett offers so many academic opportunities that are so, incredibly beneficial. Trust me, you won’t realize just how nice free printing and early registration are until you make some friends who don’t get those privileges. Also, I have come to the conclusion that if you can write an essay for Human Event, you can write an essay for practically any other class. You will also, undoubtedly, learn how to argue, and very well, at that. (And if you’re stubborn, like me, you’ll find that this newfound ability to support any argument comes in handy.)

It’s probably really cheesy and somewhat cliché to say that Barrett changed my life, but I think it did. If I hadn’t been a part of Barrett this year, I know that I would have had a much different freshman experience. My mother may have pressured me into applying to the honors college, but without a doubt, it was one of the best college decisions I could have made.

Barrett: A Unique Bonding Experience

Coming to college can be intimidating all by itself without the added pressures of moving away from home, balancing classes, and getting good grades. However, the people at the Honors College and the individuals I met through Barrett really helped me adjust to all that college had to offer.

Barrett really gives that ‘homely’ feel to essentially living at school. The friends and connections I have made throughout the past year of attending Barrett at ASU has made me understand why being a part of a smaller community within a larger community is a wonderful experience.

Not only do Barrett students get priority registration, but Barrett provides plenty of fun bonding activities for everyone in the college. People in Barrett get to go to the symphony, sporting events, and much more virtually for free. These activities are always diverse and give you an insight into all sorts of different events and people around you.

However, the honors classes can be a bit challenging. Coming in to college I was afraid that having such difficult honors classes would be really challenging for me. Although they proved themselves to be tough, I feel like a smarter and more well-rounded person because of classes like the Human Event. The honors classes, Human Event in particular, really give you that upper hand against the rest of the individuals in your major that are not in Barrett. This will help you in the future when you try to get competitive job positions.

Human Event papers have also improved my writing, my arguing skills, and my speaking skills. The seminar style class really allows you to shine as a student and share your ideas and connections you make in the readings. The readings themselves are so diverse and interesting that you become more of a brilliant and intelligent individual just by reading them. The papers may be difficult, but they definitely improve your writing. You will never think another assigned paper is hard after writing a Human Event paper. This class truly prepares you for everything.

Overall, being a part of Barrett, the Honors College is a unique experience you can not get anywhere else, especially at the Downtown campus, where everyone is in such a tight-knit community and so friendly with one another. Being a part of Barrett was one of the best college decisions I have made so far.

-Chloe Nordquist