Art and SSSP Student Voices
This year, SSSP is collaborating with the Rose Art Museum to integrate art into our celebrations.
With art pieces as a backdrop, SSSP students were asked to share how a specific art piece resonates with them and their experiences at Brandeis University. Just like art, there are many interpretations and everyone’s journey to becoming the person they want to be is beautiful in their own ways.
Below, you can find three artworks from the Rose Art Museum's collection that were chosen by the students alongside their personal reflections.
Ruth
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"The combination of these pieces reminds of my journey at Brandeis University. Arriving for the first time as a freshman for the SSSP Pre-Orientation, I was a young woman with a limited view of the world. With time, I developed new passions and identities that inspired me to be an improved version of myself, a passionate advocate who strives to implement her understanding of social justice in every setting she is a part of. In many ways, I am Ruth- one person with many passions and identities who stands firm and fights for what she believes in."
"I chose the art piece Ruth by Marisol because I resonate a lot with the artist’s motivation behind the piece. It was meant to show that a person’s identity has multiple different layers, and that their perceptions of themselves are shaped by outside factors as well. It makes me think about my first semester at Brandeis and suffering from imposter syndrome because I knew what my family wanted me to be, but I wasn’t really sure who I was. SSSP helped me to realize all the different opportunities out there and the various ways I could manifest my passions into my studies. With SSSP I found a community of like minded individuals, and a home where I could be myself. My proudest accomplishment is following my dreams of pursuing a business degree, despite the initial lack of support from my family. They later supported me when they realized that it was the area I excelled most in and that I can still find ways to carry out my desire to be of service to others. The theme, I AM Becoming, is meaningful to me because it reminds me that there’s a lot that I still need to accomplish in life, but I’m proud of all the challenges I’ve overcome to get to where I am right now."
"When looking at this piece, I first see the many versions of the same person. This makes me think of the varying identities one person has and how they all contribute to who they are. It enforces the idea that we as individuals are more than what others may want to see us as. There are sides of us that not everyone sees, but they are still there. They are still who we are, and those identities still matter. This feels very related to this year's I Am theme because this piece shows all the different sides to becoming the person you truly are. I am very proud in how far I have come, being a senior about to graduate from college. It was something that was only ever spoken about amongst myself and my family, but now it is actually happening. I am very passionate about being there and helping others. It is important to me that those around me are taken care of and that I am able to do so whenever I have the ability to. This influences the person I am becoming because it makes me want to pursue careers and goals that allow me to always be helping someone else. It has shaped who I am, the decisions I make, and ultimately the person I want to become. SSSP has helped me in many ways become the best version of myself throughout my four years at Brandeis. They helped me connect with my best friends, they guided me when things would get difficult, and provided me a community that I felt comfortable being myself in. In many ways I have been able to contribute to this community, learn from this community, and all of these experiences have shaped who I have become over the years."
"When I saw Ruth the first time, I found the title self-portrait very odd. When I think about portraits, my mind immediately goes to a one-dimensional perspective, like a drawing or painting. The unconventional approach of a sculptured self-portrait is eye-opening and is effective in capturing the complexities of each individual. The circular aspect of the piece is a representation of all the different faces and identities that makes us who we are, Furthermore, it pushes us to explore because as we look at the portrait from a different angle we begin to discover new identities that collectively make up our identity. Ruth is a perfect display of the theme, “I Am Becoming,” because it encourages us to embrace the many identities we carry and encourages us to make new self-discoveries. Our personas are not static, each day we learn something about ourselves and it helps us to grow and shape our futures. Marisol’s creation, Ruth, is a reminder that our stories and identities are dynamic and limited only by what we can imagine for ourselves."
Treasure Chest
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"In my final semester at Brandeis University, I look back and understand that I have made many valuable memories on this campus. Those memories represent my Treasure Chest — the good, the bad, and the most valuable aspects of my time at Brandeis."
"At first glance, the treasure chest is often widely regarded as a secure object that can hold a lot of valuable memories, souvenirs, documents, amongst other important goods. If it wasn't something you would look at or utilize on a daily basis because of its importance, you would put that in the treasure chest. As an individual member of the SSSP community at Brandeis, I and every single other SSSP student are each an important integral part of the collective that makes us special. As a sophomore, I have already experienced and cherished so many moments with my peers, since the first day of pre orientation all the way up to the weeks planning for my first ever I AM event with the SLB. Connecting with this analogy, the accomplishment that I am most proud of is landing a premedical enrichment program for underrepresented students this summer. Those applications are usually very competitive year round and with the help from my SSSP tutors, advisors, and SLB I was able to become successful and achieve this big goal of mine. I am passionate about supporting others when they need help which is why becoming a doctor is a career path I might want to pursue. It contributes to my process of ‘becoming’ because every year I get closer and closer to my goal. It's reassuring that a part of the process, I'm refining my relationships as well as my personal qualities."
"A treasure chest is difficult to locate and unlock and its value is never understood until it is opened up. This is why this specific art piece resonated with me and the I AM Becoming theme. The value of this treasure chest can be determined from its outwards appearance. As a black first generation student on a PWI my value is often assumed by my appearance. In my journey to becoming I have overcame adversity, imposter syndrome, and racial stereotypes. But along the way I have also gain skills and experiences which make up the treasure pieces of my treasure chest. As I write this testimonial I type these words which unlock some of my treasures similar to this art piece. In reflection of this year’s theme as a graduating senior I have grown extremely since my freshmen year and am still becoming a more authentic version of myself as I prepare for post-graduation."
Storm at Sea
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"The storm represents my journey. The piano keys represent the obstacles on the road. The fertility goddess represents the final destination, and the boat represents where I am. As I reflect on this nonlinear journey, I notice the beauty behind each wave and part of the storm. Each turn I take and each mistake I make teaches me something new about myself and the world around me. I carry this knowledge around with pride, hoping to apply what I learned previously to the next turn.
As I am navigating through the storm in front of me, I am most proud of being able to turn around and help those behind me. I would not be where I am today if I did everything alone. Giving back and making someone else’s path smoother is not something I think about twice - it is my natural instinct.
SSSP, in particular, has provided me with the confidence to tackle every piano key and with a group of boats, or rather, a community with students like me. When the wind blows, we steer our boats closer, supporting each other while embracing our passions. After Brandeis, I hope to pursue my passions in advocating for health literacy and promoting health equity, but the storm does not end there."
"I chose Storm at Sea because my story of being a first generation student and first generation American is far from traditional. This art piece reminds me that those non-linear success stories are just as important and worth sharing. The destroyed pieces of wood make me think of hardships but in a way of optimism. As seen, they are not scattered but instead create a path which, to me, represents where I am going in life. Seeing these in such an organized matter, serves as a reminder that the difficulties we face are not to be seen as a whole but part of a bigger picture. One that leads us to success and something greater than we know in the present. Amongst these pieces are also different objects such as statues and ships, which demonstrates that within these adversities, we always have new elements, no matter how small, that reflect our hard work and enhance our strength to continue pushing forward. They are less common but instrumental to our journey. As I reflect on my time at Brandeis, my personal Storm at Sea would not have been the story I am proud to share today without my SSSP community. A community that has brought me embrace these realizations and hope to continue to inspire others through my unique journey. In the words of J.K Rowling “Failure is so important. We speak about success all the time. It is the ability to resist failure or use failure that often leads to greater success."
"The piece "Storm at Sea" reminds me of everything I've done to get to where I am today and everything I'll have to do to get to where I want to be. The broken piano keys that resemble an ocean represent the hardships and obstacles that have happened. Despite these hardships, the boat (which represents me) has managed to stay upright and continue on its journey despite how difficult it may be. Every obstacle I experience becomes a piano key on the ocean that I can look back and reflect on. Through this piece, I am reminded to always push forward because along the journey, there will be beautiful experiences that I have and amazing people that I meet on their own journey."