Are you sick of the everyday, typical electives you are used to taking in college? Well, there is an elective that might be able to change things up for you! Ceramics 1 (ART1750C) at Gulf Coast State College breaks the mold of what is considered “normal” for electives and gives students the ability to get hands-on and be creative.
Professor Pavel Amromin teaches Ceramics among multiple other art courses here at GCSC. He says, “People who like the physical, kinetic learning, I think it’s (Ceramics 1) beneficial to students like that.” So, the hands-on learners can have a great time in this course.
For one, ceramics is super fun!
How Can a Ceramics Elective Help You?
While the course focuses on the hands-on learning aspect of creating ceramic pieces, there is a lot of critical thinking involved. Professor Amromin says, “This (course) is a good way to develop problem-solving skills.” This is because of the steps involved with ceramics such as how to develop an idea, execute that idea, and challenges that come up along the way use critical thinking. It also opens the door for creative freedom. You can express your ideas differently through ceramics. While it must be noted that it requires a time commitment to execute ideas, it is worth it in the end. Shelby Bercegeay, a Digital Media student, took Ceramics 1 as an elective. She loved taking the class but says, “I’m not gonna lie, it’s not easy. Especially if you’re a first-timer.”
The biggest project that students take on is creating a head bust of another classmate. Bercegeay reminisced that her favorite activity was making the head bust assignment. The head busts were quite intricate. Building the form was using pipes to simulate the neck, shoulders, and spine.
Travel to Greece
One perk of taking Ceramics 1 is having an opportunity to travel to Greece! In pre-Covid times and hopefully post-Covid, students travel to Athens and Skopelos in Greece for the Ceramics Study Abroad Program. This month-long program is open to all students in Ceramics 1 regardless of their degree plan. So, even as a Business major, you can take part in the program!
Having an immersive experience connected to what you are studying can give you a better understanding and appreciation for the art. Bercegeay went on the Greece trip and says, “It feels good to go back to the basics and just kind of feels almost instinctual.”
I strongly think everyone should try out ceramics because you might love it. It might change your life.
Course Options
Currently, the course is available in the Fall and Spring semesters. Since this is an applied learning class, class time is longer than the typical class. In-class time tends to be around six hours a week and split between two days – usually Mondays & Wednesdays from 3:30 PM to 6:15 PM. This gives students time to work on their projects and as Professor Amromin says, “The majority of the class by far is building whatever project we are working on.” Though, Bercegeay says that even with the class time she would spend roughly 15 hours each week making her creations. In a way though, crafting can be very meditative for some people.
If you enjoy taking Ceramics 1, you can also go on to take Ceramics 2 and a Figurative Sculpture course.
Choosing elective classes as a student can be quite a chore. To see a complete listing guide to all Gulf Coast State College classes, go to https://www.gulfcoast.edu/catalog/current/courses/index.html.
The GCSC’s cheap and low-cost textbook listing here: https://www.gulfcoast.edu/academics/library/aim.html.
Interested in Digital Media? Get involved! https://www.commodorewaves.com/2020/09/28/digital-media-at-gcsc/.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sophie Theiss
Student Author - Spring 2021
Sophie is a Digital Media B.A.S. student at Gulf Coast State College. She is the Student Government Internal Affairs Liaison and 21-22 President-Elect. Sophie is an active supporter of getting students involved with campus and student life.
