Talented, ambitious, creative, fun and positive- these are some adjectives that are very appropriate when describing Romie Sciscio, a first year fine arts student at Rhodes University. There is something uniquely different about her. She gives you a smile that encourages and welcomes you in and after speaking to her briefly, you may mistake her for being a friend that you have known forever. Her friends describe her as “a true gem” which seems a great fit since she sparkles as a person and her talent shines through. She sees herself as “a very tolerant and persevering person who is a good motivator” and is the perfect example of a well rounded University student.
Sitting at the Rat and Parrot (one of Grahamstown’s famous bars), she tells me that she had many expectations of Rhodes when she first arrived here this year “When I first got here I guess I expected instant gratification. I saw myself as a serious artist destined for stardom and success, but soon after I got here I realised that University is like a new language that you need to learn and get used to, and you can’t exactly become a star is a foreign place so it takes time to get where you want to be- and lots of perseverance!”
Like most first year students, Romie was excited about starting a new life for herself this year and loves her independence but also misses home as she is very family orientated. Luckily for her she has become extremely close with fellow art students as they spend countless hours in the art department together whilst working on their “masterpieces” and because of all that time spent together they have formed very close bonds and have become a support away from home. “I know that I can trust them and I really appreciate their opinions when it comes to my art. They support me and I don’t know what I would do without them”.
Growing up, she was always surrounded by art as her mother was always very crafty. Every Christmas she would receive paints and utensils from “Santa” and although at the time she wondered why she didn’t get Barbies like her friends, she is now “very grateful” and sees how her parents encouraged her right from the tender age of five.
She lists the accumulative growth of her artwork as one of her biggest accomplishments and after seeing some of her work it is easy to understand why. “With this year has come the realisation that you forever learn. I came here initially thinking that I would just do my own thing but I have become so inspired by how much more I can actually learn.”
Her advice to new students is for them to take advantage of all the opportunities that present themselves and not to be afraid to ask questions. “First year of Varsity went by so fast so it’s important to make the most of every moment you have to expand your mind, heart and soul.”
FAST FACTS ABOUT ROMIE:
1. FAVOURITE MOVIE: Kiss me Kate; from the 1950’s. I love TCM classics
2. FAVOURITE COLOUR: I’m an artist so I love all colours
3. ROLE MODEL: There are so many great artists to look up to but I want to be myself and bring something unique
4. FAVOURITE VARSITY MOMENT: Meeting new people every day
5. MOST EMBARRASING MOMENT: I was talking about my art lecturer and saying how she scares the crap out of me, and I turned around and found her standing right behind me. Blind one!!!
Friday, October 3, 2008
PROFILE ON A TALENTED ART STUDENT
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7 comments:
Thanks for the great interview! I love the article, you have definately captured me- oddness and all.
thanks again
Romie
Although this may sound corny,this article has touched me at a time when I thought all hope was lost.Coming to varsity, we all believed that first year would be a blast thus the opportunity to learn would never arise.I'm glad to see that there are still people like Romie who consider every experience as a learning experience.I also have a friend who is as passionate about art as Romie is.The only problem is that she has encountered various obstacles in her journey to "fame and fortune",in light of the article,but I do think that with the talent and support that is evident in this article-both Romie and that friend I mentioned can become the Picassos of this century.On a more critical note,I think the article should have been a little more narrative in style as the tutorial required that you write the profile in a story-form. otherwise,well done,Kaz
Zamo
I really enjoyed this profile article. It really reflects what many first years go through, the excitement, homesickness, and meeting new friends. This profile brings about an idea of the kind of person that Romie is. I really liked how it has been written as it does, in some way, tell the story of her journey into arts and I found it very interesting all the way. I believe that it is written in a narrative way with not a large number of quotes which really shows the story instead of telling, but I do think that the length of some quotes could be reduced because it tends to create a loss in focus. I believe that Romie touched on a very important aspect of the fact that friends do help you. She seems to have done really well for herself in terms of varsity and that is very encouraging.
Leanne
Dear Kaz
This profile really captures a quirky art student at Rhodes. She is someone who came here to follow her passion and has done exactly that. Unlike some people who come to university and find that what they thought was their passion is just too much work, Romie has stuck it out and continued with art despite the stress and heavy work load. Romie is portrayed as a type of hero as she has managed to create a support system around her with people who share her passion to compensate for her family being so far away.
This profile could be related to the Russian scholar Propp’s narrative functions. The first function being that the hero leaves home, and is related to Romie leaving for Rhodes. The hero (or Romie) is then tested but eventually prevails and this is similar to how Romie has overcome being away from home and has succeeded at university.
I was intrigued by the way Romie’s parents encouraged her creativity from an early age and her vintage taste in films. The final quote was also very captivating.
Happy Blogging
Candy x
Hi Kaz, firstly I’d like to congratulate you on an awesome profile. You really seemed to have captured Romie Sciscio as an artistic hero, someone that exudes creativity and innovation. I like how you have described Romie as “a true gem” it fits in perfectly with how you have expressed her very creative and welcoming personality. Being a fan of art myself, I understand how hard it is to gain appreciation of an artwork, and still keep confident and level-headed about your talent after teachers have literally ripped your work apart with nasty comments, which at the time, usually seems irrelevant. I can’t imagine how hard it must be to have your work critiqued on such a high level, and still remain confident about it. I admire that of Romie. I think it is great that Romie has realized that stardom takes time and I am so chuffed to see her keeping at it and preserving on. It sounds to me like this girl, with all the inspiration given to her, can truly take off and become the artist she knows she can be.
Romie sounds like a great girl. The wonderful descriptions and words with which you have painted her for your readers shows a true respect for her from your side and causes us as the readers to assume that same respect for her. She appears to be a first year hero who although encountering villains such as homesickness and strange circumstances, has managed to persevere and make Rhodes a true home for herself. Her friends and family seem to have been a major agent in her surviving this year in the graceful style that you describe. I am a drama student who has also been flipped upside down by the “new language” I have encountered and hope that I have made my recovery and re-discovery with the same amount of ease and elegance as Romie has shown. Well done on a lovely profile and good luck to both you and Romie on your future at Rhodes.
With great understanding,
Lucy
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