Week 1: Two Cultures
Hello, my name is Kate Lane and I am a third year student-athlete majoring in psychology. The concept of the division of science and art is something that is new to me but definitely seems relevant at UCLA and in society as a whole. When walking from the north side to the south side of campus, the division of art and science is obvious. On the north end of campus, there is creative and unique architecture as well as a sculpture garden that provides over 70 sculptures. As I continued to walk to the south end of campus where the science departments are located, there is a drastic change in aesthetic. The campus changes into more hospital-like buildings and uniform architecture. UCLA’s campus demonstrates a good example of Snow’s concept of “two cultures.”
UCLA Sculpture Gardens
UCLA Health Sciences Building
As an athlete, the “two cultures” Snow discusses are prevalent in my life. On the volleyball court, I experience an overlap in the two phenomenons as my sport is both a performance and also a testament of physical ability. With practice and connection, my team is able to perform at a high level and create something beautiful with flow and ease similar to an artist creating a sculpture. While on the other hand, my teammates and I are also able to perform our best because of our education on our physiology that allow us to rehab, take care of our bodies, and create workouts that will engage muscle groups for growth and development. Snow's concepts on the two cultures has caused me to reflect on where I see these cultures in my own life and understand that they too can work hand in hand with each other even if society separates them often.
Work Cited:
Franklin D. Murphy sculpture garden. TCLF. (n.d.). Retrieved April 6, 2023, from https://www.tclf.org/landscapes/franklin-d-murphy-sculpture-garden
UCLA Health Sciences Building | Clark Construction. (n.d.). Retrieved April 6, 2023, from https://www.clarkconstruction.com/our-work/projects/ucla-health-sciences-building
Anatomy. Volleyball Case Study. (n.d.). Retrieved April 6, 2023, from https://thisishowyouplayvolleyball.weebly.com/anatomy.html
Murphy sculpture garden and coral tree walk. UCLA School of TFT. (2019, October 31). Retrieved April 6, 2023, from https://www.tft.ucla.edu/facilities/murphy-sculpture-garden-coral-tree-walk/
Snow, Charles Percy. The Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution: The Rede Lecture, 1959. University Press, 1959
Hi Kate! I really enjoyed your blog post this week! I really liked how you were able to paint a picture in a way of what it feels like to walk through campus and experience the separation of the two cultures at UCLA. I felt like I was actually walking through campus when reading your post which was awesome! I also thought it was very interesting to learn about how you feel volleyball is a combination fo the two cultures, art and science. I look forward to learning more about your opinions throughout the quarter! One question I have for you is how if it all do you feel student athletes in general fit into the two cultures? Have you ever felt that being an athlete constrains the public's views of how you can excel in other areas?
ReplyDeleteHi Kate! how funny, my name is also Kate and I am majoring in psychology while playing a sport here! I really enjoyed the comparison of the south and north campus and the way the architecture shifts. I have never thought about how volleyball is both a product of art and science and through combination, a well-oiled machine is created. Aside from the physical aspect, do you think it requires more science or art based? overall great work, and I am excited to continue to read your posts!
ReplyDeleteHi Kate! I loved reading your post. I totally agree with you that there is a evident divide between the north and south side of campus due to the differing style and esthetic. Did you know that the north campus sculpture garden is rated one of the best places to kiss in LA? South campus does have anything like this garden and students that spend all there time on that end miss out of the soothing and piece-fullness of such garden. I don’t know about you but when I am surrounded by art and sitting on a grassy field, I am more creative and am able to relax if I am stressed out. I also enjoyed how you talked about how your sport relates to the concept of “two cultures”. As a runner on the track team at UCLA, I can completely understand where you are coming from. When doing relays, my team and I work together to create a handoff that is both smooth, kind of like creating a smooth transition from one part of a painting to another, and efficient by calculating when we start to run in relation to the runner behind us.
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