by Jenae Cohn | Jun 30, 2018 | National Endowment for the Humanities Institute
Saturdays have become my “day off” at the institute, and I’m grateful for the distance from heavy brain work on these days. I’ve been lucky enough to get to explore SLC during my weekend time, but today felt particularly special as I had the...
by Jenae Cohn | Jun 29, 2018 | National Endowment for the Humanities Institute, Uncategorized
As a student, I often dreaded group projects. The idea of giving up my own individual control over something that I turned into my instructor made me uncomfortable because I didn’t necessarily have faith that everyone would do the project the way that I would...
by Jenae Cohn | Jun 29, 2018 | National Endowment for the Humanities Institute
At one point in our conversation during our seminar today, we were invited to share a digital work that we had composed ourselves. The room fell silent. Eventually, participants voiced amazing projects they had worked on, from videos to websites and interactive,...
by Jenae Cohn | Jun 28, 2018 | National Endowment for the Humanities Institute
Mid-way through week 2 of this institute, I finally feel comfortable in my routines, moving through each day in a kind of steady rhythm of breakfast, discussion/lecture time, workshop time, exercise, dinner, writing, reading, sleep. It’s a simple routine, one...
by Jenae Cohn | Jun 26, 2018 | National Endowment for the Humanities Institute, Uncategorized
Over lunch today, I got into a conversation with several of my colleagues here at the institute about teaching and improvisation. One person brought up the popular improv game, “yes, and…” where the actors involved never say “no” to any...
by Jenae Cohn | Jun 25, 2018 | National Endowment for the Humanities Institute
I remember making papier mache for the first time in elementary school and marveling at how ingredients like delicate paper could be turned into something as sturdy as a mask. The mask I created – a purple and yellow parrot’s face – took a...
by Jenae Cohn | Jun 25, 2018 | Uncategorized
My brain is my most precious organ. Whenever I bike to work during my daily commute at home, I affix my helmet tightly around my head (my coworkers often make fun of me for the bike helmet lines that remain on my forehead for at least a half hour after I’ve...
by Jenae Cohn | Jun 24, 2018 | National Endowment for the Humanities Institute
“This was a well-curated day!” exclaimed one of my NEH institute colleagues as we waited for our train in downtown Salt Lake City. Indeed, we enjoyed a rather full and playful break day from the institute, starting with a tour of Temple Square and the...
by Jenae Cohn | Jun 23, 2018 | National Endowment for the Humanities Institute
What does it look like to pay attention to someone? As an instructor, there are few obvious signs that a student is paying attention: they sit up straight in their chairs, they make eye contact with me, and they’ll often nod their heads as they listen in...
by Jenae Cohn | Jun 22, 2018 | National Endowment for the Humanities Institute
Today’s experiences at the institute made me think about my apartment. In my living room, one whole wall of my apartment is full of bookshelves. They are obscenely large – purchased from a closing Borders bookstore in 2011 – and they fill the room...
