Projects > Exams

Colouring book misfits

You might think that my tattoos are a disgrace, but at least I’m artistically disgraceful

Pile O Bones Tattoo Convention via Facebook

How does it feel attending a convention as old as some freshmen undergrads? We’re rough, we’re tough, and we’re ready to challenge anyone who questions us. Who are we, you might ask? Obviously, we’re anyone who has the audacity to alter our body with permanent ink. Who else would go to such great lengths to alter the way they look to the outside world? You know, besides people who colour their hair or get their ears pierced or shave any part of their body or have had braces. But you know, the effort put in to alter their physical presentation is acceptable, of course.

Those of us with tattoos are the ones that have been in biker gangs since they were 14 years old and are one step away from serving time behind bars. Naturally, the giraffe on my arm screams “warrant out for her arrest” louder than anything else. We have no sense of self-respect or any idea about self-care even though we put hundreds if not thousands of dollars into our artwork, are meticulous in ensuring that it heals properly, and many are very diligent about wearing sunscreen and applying lotion for years afterwards to ensure that their art doesn’t fade as quickly as it otherwise would.

How could I forget? These random lines that permanently scar our bodies don’t mean a single thing to us. We only have them to annoy our parents and to ensure that we are less employable compared to the rest of the world. Isn’t that what all the family pieces I have scream? “Does not care about anything, avoid working with at all costs.” Silly me how could I forget that?

There are entire conventions like the Pile of Bones tattoo convention that took place in March 2022 that aim to promote this lifestyle. It allows us to celebrate the colouring book misfits of the world without fear of ridicule for those who feel the need to fear and shame us. We are believed to be irresponsible with our money and to not value the body that we were born with as we insist on permanently altering its presentation. There are still countless individuals who don’t understand this as being an acceptable form of self-expression and will steer their loved ones away from our detailed linework as quickly as possible.

Deciding that we are the misfits of the world could not be further from the truth. If we didn’t care for our bodies, why would we spend so much time and money designing items to go onto our bodies for the rest of our lives? Honestly, the commitment that we make to our bodies and creations that we put on ourselves are an accurate representation for how seriously we take the process and the outcomes of these products. I forgot; we just endure all the pain from going under the needle to spite others. It has nothing to do with our own desires.

Knowing that this art form is slowly becoming more popular and less frowned upon is a breath of fresh air for many of us. However, there is still the task of making it through the professional world where many people still consider tattoos to be unprofessional or undignified. Again, I would like to know what makes little flowers or a quote in calligraphy unprofessional? Are the colours too pretty and distracting for the office?

I, like many others, pride myself on being considered the equivalent of a walking art gallery. Having various pieces that describe the things that we find important or enjoy for not only our own personal enjoyment but for the enjoyment of others is truly beautiful. You can learn a lot about a person by what they choose to place on their skin – you just need to take a look.

sarah nakonechny

op-ed editor

Final projects over final exams

“We’ve always done it this way” isn’t a good enough reason to continue doing things that way

There may be some people who agree with what I’m going to say already, and some may not. For the people who don’t, I’m going to ask that you keep an open mind to the points I’m about to make, because you might change your mind by the end of this.

Personally, I feel that final projects are better than final exams in a class for several reasons, one of those reasons being that a lot of people struggle with test anxiety. I’m not one of those people, however I can empathize with how difficult that could be. Even when you’re not dealing with something like that which often impacts your concentration, you can still blank on a question or two. But it’s going to be much more difficult not to if you struggle with that. Yes, there are coping strategies and there’s help that student can get from the university itself at the testing centre, and that’s great. However, it’s still an extra stress for students to deal with that arguably isn’t necessary.

I realize that’s a bold statement, but it’s important to consider that final projects are more realistic in terms of the expectations that we will later encounter when in the workplace. If we’re getting a degree, diploma, or certificate in anything, the end goal is employment in that field. Realistically, once you’re employed somewhere, they’re not going to have you taking minutes at a business meeting and expecting you to have them memorized with the ability to recite all the information. They aren’t going to be concerned whether you to know the definition and examples of a concept, but rather if you know how to apply the procedures associated with it. Formal tests are much more about a student’s ability to memorize information and recall it. However, due to the fact they often have multiple finals and are only going to put their energy in the decidedly important information, it’s likely a lot of it may be forgotten shortly after the test ends. In the long run, though the ability to memorize and recall is a good thing, it’s not going to stack up against the ability to take the information and apply it to the skills needed with a job.

Here lies a crucial difference between final exams and final projects. Final projects allow the student access to all the information, as well as a practical example of how the information will be utilized to complete a task. It minimizes the stress of needing to have everything memorized, as well as having a less reasonable deadline of only a couple of hours to showcase everything you may have learned in a course. It also minimizes or removes the test anxiety for students, which often reflects in their grade. Even if a student is doing well all year and has a high average, if they’re a bad test taker they could have a significant drop in their grade. If a final project is done, on the other hand, they may retain or even boost their final grade.

I understand the appeal of final exams in that they’re controlled environments, take less time to grade and complete, etc. However, one could argue that the preparation of the test itself and the studying involved equalizes that second benefit. There may also be some fields where the benefits of skills used in a final exam are just as important as the ones that come from doing final projects, and that’s understandable. Often in those cases, many large projects are used to build those applied skills. This is simply just a conversation that should be had regarding the universal standard testing practices within education. While I don’t mean to question the authenticity or knowledge of those involved, I do believe continuous evaluation and innovation is important. It is a fair request to review and implement other options, such as openbook tests, final projects, and final exams, to get the most skill building and utilization out of a course and our educational institution.

graphics

editors: safal gangwani, rooky jegede graphics@carillonregina.com the carillon | april 1 - june 29, 2022