A magazine made by students, for students
ART: More Than a Grade, it’s a Means of Expression
Inside GV: How Can Colors Affect How We Feel?
Live or Feel Alive: Life Flashes Before Your Eyes
Green Over White: A New Way of Seeing Art
What is Music?
2Art: More Than a Grade, it’s a Means of Expression
By: Eugenia Molano Roa5 Live or feel alive: Life Flashes Before Your Eyes
By: María Paula Vargas9Green Over White: A New Way of Seeing Art
By: Sara MartínezWhat is Music?
By: Sebastian María12
15Inside GV: How Can Colors Affect How We Feel?
By: Tomás Chacón18 Meet The Creators
What is art? It’s crazy how a single word can have so much meaning for so many people. By definition, art is the expression of human imagination and the application of our creative skills into creating something, be it a painting, a sculpture, a photograph, anything really. But why is it that when it comes to teaching and learning art, in a school context at least, art is reduced to so little? From the perspective of a student at Gimnasio Vermont, art sometimes loses its meaning, and students from the school may get to the point where they see the art as just another subject, just another class they need to pass This article was written with the purpose of being an attempt in showing the different nuances of the arts to the GV community and how much we can get out of it if we encourage it.
Often we think art is being good at drawing; that it’s being naturally talented, when in reality it is so much more than that. Lina Amezquita, one of the school’s art teachers, loved by both kids in preschool as well as high school students who had the chance to have class with her when little, says that kids sometimes grow up with the idea that art has to be pretty, and that gets stuck in our head even as we get older. There’s so much truth in that
A great deal of people seek perfection and preciseness when doing art, and when this is not achieved, motivation is lost. I’m able to say this as I’ve been subject to this desire for flawlessness myself, and it can definitely make you feel downhearted when you’re unable to accomplish this. What Lina seeks to achieve as a teacher is to get students out of that tiny box and help them understand that art can be an amazing tool to communicate ideas and thoughts that we have, and not something you have to excel at, all this through positive feedback.
So what is holding back students from going all out with art? What’s stopping them from expressing themselves through it? As I talked to a couple of students, I realized sometimes the school’s art program can feel a little restraining, and creativity doesn’t always get along with it. Tomás Chacón, a tenth grader passionate about art and whose love for it has led him to develop outstanding ability, believes that while it’s great that the school provides us with a space to do art, the assignments given in the class do limit our imagination at times in which we wish to create for ourselves A similar thing was said by María Paula Forero, as she believes that the classes are too conventional and don’t allow the students to internalize art and really use it as the tool it is
With bits from students and teachers, it’s possible to see the complexity of art, even if understanding it entirely is too challenging There’s one thing that we can gather from all this, and it’s that doing art can’t be defined simply by doing as we’re told and seeking exactitude in our work. Art is built from passion and encouragement, from curiosity and eagerness to convey an idea.
Looking at the way art is taught at school, the art program has definitely consolidated the bases for a great creative process for students at the school, and by shining light on the student’s approach to this, art classes can become so much more than what they already are
Since I was a little girl, social media and the internet have always caught my attention. My daily plan when I got home from school was to open my computer and go to YouTube to watch videos of influencers that I liked I would spend hours sitting and watching them, so much so that I would end up doing my homework late at night, and of course my parents would scold me for wasting so much time.
I was so interested in social networks, especially YouTube at the time, that I decided to create a channel. The truth is that it was a very nice time that taught me a lot. Before uploading content, I would discuss my idea of what my video would be about with my parents, to see if it was a good option or not For as long as I can remember, every time I asked them, they reminded me of the high impact that social networks have on a person I was told: “you are what you consume” What I mean by this is that the more you consume things that contribute to your learning, quality of life and interests, the more you will "harvest" your development as a person
That is why time is so valuable and we are the ones who decide how to invest it, whether in productive things that contribute to our well-being, health and happiness, or others that do not have such a positive impact on our lives Social networks are a very good tool and entertainment platform, but they are also the ones who deprive us of enjoying the real world
Social networks are like another world, a world that take us away from the real one, from interacting with real people and not through a screen Moreover, thanks to this world of technology, many of us have wasted considerable quantities of our time, and have deprived ourselves of so many opportunities by not knowing how to find a balance in the use of technology, especially social networks
I am aware of the many opportunities I have been given, but because I have been so involved in social media I have lost my way. For example, years ago I wanted an electric guitar and about 1 month ago, my parents gave it to me with much love and dedication. The sad thing about this and what makes me disappointed and makes me think, is that there have been very few times that I have picked up that guitar… and why? Because I haven't taken the time to do something that I wanted so much, and it's not that I don't have time to do it, it's that I have wasted a lot of my time, for example liking pictures of people that I have never met before on Instagram.
Little by little, I have decreased the time I spend on social networks, because I have become aware that I am hurting my dreams, goals, and purposes I am hurting myself and I am hindering and moving away from what I have always wanted to do We have to open our eyes today and now We have to do what we always have dreamed of, we have to detach ourselves from what has imprisoned us until now We have to realise that our phones aren't attached to us like a third kidney (as my mother always calls my phone since I always carry it everywhere).
Just as I know many people who haven't been able to detach themselves from social media networks, I know several others who have, and have freed themselves from the chains of technology, as in the case of my physical education teacher His name is Oscar, and he, like me, understands that for many people, free time has to do with spending time with social networks, but that it is not an activity in which you shouldn't spend most of your time. He is passionate about sports, and has managed to find a balance with the excessive use of screens, and explains that to the extent that you make sport part of your life, you understand that sport will occupy an essential
place, not only because it helps you with your physique, learning skills and abilities, but it will also have an impact on your stress levels, cognitive processes, and a number of other things. When you achieve that awareness, you understand that sport should be super well positioned within your daily routine The habit of sport awakens many positive factors for your health, so it is always good to give yourself the opportunity to exercise, give yourself the opportunity to learn something new and take a few minutes away from social media
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Although sports are not his biggest hobby, he told me about his youth and how it was important to have hobbies that you are passionate about, in order to leave aside the intensive use of technology and kind of losing his time in social media. When he was 18 years old, he learned to play the guitar, which helped him to clear his mind, since this practice is something that requires a lot of attention, time, energy and is something that allows you to disconnect from things; it's just you, the music and the passion.
His mom was a nutritionist and she always used to tell him that he had to go out to play in the park before spending time playing in his room He couldn't go in and play video games until he was drenched in sweat. Cody, when he came home from school, would always look forward to turning on his PlayStation and play video games, but he would always run into the " no sweat, no video games " rule. At the time Cody didn't enjoy it, in fact he didn't like it at all, but now that he looks back on those times with laughter, he has realized that his mom was doing it for his own good.
I feel that what his mother used to do is quite beneficial because sooner or later, we all notoriously make the wrong decision and go
the easy way out rather than them. Like Cody, we both agree that cell phones are always the easy option and while sometimes it's nice to have an easy option, so we don't have to worry so much, sometimes we should do what is healthy for us, rather than what is easy. Things like going for a walk, a run, or just breathing in the fresh air, rather than sitting on our cell phone to seeing how many likes our Instagram post got
It is time to rethink how we invest and waste our time It is time to do everything we have always longed for, time to disconnect from what is changing us unnecessarily Let's live in a world where we don't have to worry about who saw and who liked what I posted Let's generate memories that make us happy Let's find that much needed balance between connecting and disconnecting from the internet
We do not depend on a cell phone to be happy, to socialize, or to have fun. We need to learn to live with freedom, we need to learn detachment. Remember, as my mom says, our cell phone is not a third kidney or essential to our life The cell phone is not part of us or our body!
Have you ever wondered if IB art is really worth all the work?
An honest review made by a student of the ib art program
By: Sara Martínez BallesterosThree years ago, if I entered a gallery or a museum, and saw a green dot in a white canvas, I probably wouldn't have even bothered to look at it or tried to understand it. I would have just kept walking. Likewise, I might even go so far as to think it is kind of dumb for something like that to be displayed in places like a museum or a gallery But now, this has changed, and this is all thanks to the IB art program that the school offers Now we, IB art students, have a new perspective of the world We see art with completely different eyes and have developed the ability to understand what is the thing the artist wants to express. Still, this is something not all the students can do But I believe this can be changed
I talked to some other students that are also enrolled in this art program We believe art is a reflection of the world, and by just knowing or understanding the reasons an artist does their artwork, we see how they capture all their thoughts, and leave them in their work. Now I believe art lets us understand the world differently For example, now we are able to know what is the context in which a piece of art is made and its influence on it. Or why did the artist decide to represent his vision of the world the way he did. One of the main goals of this program is to help us become much more critical thinkers, and this would not only be useful in things related to art, but in many other aspects of our life. We have also been taught how to use art as a tool of expression Thanks to this, we can capture all the complexity of our mind to create something beautiful
I talked to some other students that are also enrolled in this art program. We believe art is a reflection of the world, and by just knowing or understanding the reasons an artist does their artwork, we see how they capture all their thoughts, and leave them in their work Now
I believe art lets us understand the world differently. For example, now we are able to know what the context is in which a piece of art is made and how this context influences it Or why did the artist decide to represent his vision of the world the way he did One of the main goals of this program is to help us become much more critical thinkers, and this would not only be useful in things related to art, but in many other aspects of our life We have also been taught how to use art as a tool of expression. Thanks to this, we can capture all the complexity of our mind to create something beautiful.
However, the program brings with it many challenges and responsibilities. One of the most difficult things that can happen to an artist is to fall into a blockage, in which case is up to us And it's up to us to get out of it. Still, I believe that our teachers, María José Chica and Ana María de Francisco, have given us the support and the tools to get out of it. I truly believe that IB art has helped us in many ways, and not only talking about the artistic field, but to grow as a person too.
It would be truly amazing if the school started implementing many of these things we have been taught in IB art, that help us to develop this new perspective towards art, in the normal art curriculum program
Even if it is done on a small scale and less intensively, it is truly important that GV students develop this different way of seeing art. Not only focusing on the creation of the work, but also paying attention to the process of it or all the things that are behind the final project, like we do in IB art Talking to one of my art teachers, she mentioned to me that, 2 years ago, the school started changing the art program into a new one that has similar parameters to the IB one. Even though the change has been fairly new, she believes this has been a positive one I consider Gimnasio Vermont to have a pretty good curricular art program, because in the end we decided to enroll in the IB art program, thanks to the fact we have been seeing art since we entered the school. It was one of my first encounters with art, and it almost felt as if it was love at first sight But still, I believe it can always be better
why it is special. I think everyone should be able to give an opportunity to the green dot on the white canvas.
It's never too late to start looking at art with other eyes Now I understand that in this field the beauty of the final result is not what really matters, but it is the whole process of the creation of my work and the message I convey to the world with it. And finally, the magic of art is that it is not liked by everyone, and that's
A fairly difficult topic to answer, isn't it? Well, if we look back, we can see that our ancestors utilized vocal or musical sounds to communicate emotions like fear or joy. These sounds came from the songs of birds or the sounds that their equipment made. However, we were able to hear from three different folks about their opinions about music here in Gimnasio Vermont.
Juan Camilo Caparroso, who is the subject of our first interview, goes by the name Scavy. A rising star from Gimnasio Vermont, Juan Camilo has been able to write songs and even post them online, like "Torturadora" and "Por ahí." We were able to talk about the following throughout this occasion:
Juan Camilo, could you please tell me what motivated you to pursue a career in music?
“My parents both have artistic backgrounds, so music has obviously always played a significant role in my life I have always hoped to carry on their legacy ”
Okay, that's great. So what does music mean to you now after your musical journey?
”Well, music helps me get through difficult times in school and in my personal life I also have a strong sense of identification with the music that I hear on a daily basis For me, music means a lot right now. It means feelings. It means everything.”
That's fantastic, do you think the music program at GV is strong overall?
“Yes, I believe the teachers are qualified, and since the subject isn't one that requires excellent performance, I believe that what they are teaching with the limited time they have is ideal.”
Thank you for your time Juan Camilo, that will be it.
WHAT IS MUSIC?
In this interview, a young student who aspires to be a musician discusses what music means to him, how important his family is to his goals, and how the Gimnasio Vermont has helped to rediscover his passion for music, However, in Gimnasio Vermont, we also had the opportunity to speak with German Alfonso, a recognized percussion instructor at our school As one of the program ' s founders, it is crucial to understand his opinions on music
German, could you tell me what was the moment that made you have an interest in music?
“I believe that watching a KISS concert on tape gave me the inspiration to pick up the drums for the first time ”
What does music currently mean to you?
“My job is to teach, and when I play and work on my musical projects, it's another way to feed my life. Music is my life; I depend on it to live and to do my job, as well as to feed my spirit ”
Perfect, let's move on to a more specific Gimnasio Vermont situation. Do you think the school's music program is good?
“We are very fortunate to have the infrastructure that we do, starting with the conservatory, which has rooms and teachers who specialize in each instrument, where students can develop the technique and skills required to interpret an instrument. There aren't many schools in the country, not just in Bogota, that have programs like this one.”
German has stated in this interview that music is his life. He utilizes this love to share with others the emotions he experienced upon first hearing the KISS concert. He also discusses how excellent the music program is as a result of the current resources available to it. But lastly, it was important to consider the viewpoint of a student who, despite enjoying music, has no connection to their job or passion for it Due to this, we got in touch with Eugenia Molano, an IB art student at our school.
Eugenia, I'm gonna make you some few questions about how music is important in your life, and how is this connected to Gimnasio Vermont:
Have you been inspired to get into music or is music a topic you are not interested in?
“I consider music to be a significant part of who I am, but perhaps not as intensely as for others who may wish to devote their lives to it ”
Adding to that, do you think has changed your life in any way?
“I believe that music has improved my ability to express myself. I think it's a tool to help you develop an interest in yourself For example, I enjoy creating art, so music occasionally serves as motivation for me to do so and helps my ability to express the thoughts and feelings I have.”
Do you believe that music helps you deal with the challenging and demanding situations that IB students in Gimnasio Vermont must face?
“I firmly believe that it does. Music, in my opinion, can occasionally be soothing and can help you loosen up when you ' re going through a difficult time or when you ' re feeling particularly stressed. For me, listening to music allows me to calm down, deal with my anxiety, and have some me time As a result, music significantly eases the stressful times that we as students experience.”
Then, what is it? Eugenia, Juan Camilo, and Germán express this during the interviews they had with us For some of us, music is our profession, for others, our passion, and for the majority of people, it is just a way to escape the real world. It is a way for us to express ourselves and our emotions. It is our safe place where we can just be ourselves.
The idea of colors affecting people emotionally and psychologically is not only determined by biological factors, it is also the ideologies of past civilizations and cultural aspects of society that affect how people might feel They have helped build up a multi-person consensus of how specific colors might affect our mood and how they are related to certain concepts
Imagine yourself walking into a McDonalds, how do you feel when you are inside? Maybe you feel energetic, perhaps you might even feel the red and the yellow colors start working up your appetite Now, think about how you feel when walking inside a hospital. When you are walking in, you would probably experience a calm and tranquil atmosphere thanks to the color white, baby blue or even the greens that are present in this type of places. Well, this is because the hues that predominate in each area are chosen strategically most of the time, in order to make the community feel a certain way. And our school is not an exception to this practice.
For example, we humans are attracted towards shininess and brightness, that are usually related to expensive and luxury things. During the Middle Ages, bright colors like magenta and gold came from extremely rare minerals, that ended up being excessively expensive, which is why only the monarchy or people with a lavish lifestyle had access to them. The compilation of events and ideas like the one just mentioned has created a global idea about color's psychology.
Gimnasio Vermont can be considered our second home, so it is important for it to be an enjoyable place, even with the general stress that it may produce in most students and teachers. People that have been studying here for almost 12 and 13 years have been able to witness the evolution of the school's infrastructure and were able to experience different changes and innovative ideas that in the end have changed their perception of the school and most importantly, how they feel inside it. The recurrent example given by the students where they talked about the old 3rd grade hallway on the first floor below the library, was used to portray the old idea they had about GV.
They described the place as dark, dull and dreary thanks to the fact that it was built only with concrete and bricks, without any pop of color. Just like that hallway, many places in the school were characterized by a dim and neutral chromatic palette. The thing is, the school has recently implemented more bright colors in its buildings, especially inside the classroom, and it has created a whole new atmosphere in the school.
Both students and teachers express that the most recent colors have had an impact on how they feel in hallways and classrooms specifically. The green, yellow and orange tonalities in each of the classrooms chairs and boards are said to promote concentration and learning Carolina Granados, one of the art teachers at Gimnasio Vermont, expresses how the changes in the school's colors is a positive change since it has made the school a more “human” and “habitable” space in comparison to how it looked before, and this happens due to the fact that bright colors can give life and certain amount of enthusiasm
As much as bright colors can make a space more enjoyable, it is also important to consider the fact that we are still dealing with the educational context As Carolina also tells us, the main goal is not to make the school look like “an amusement park” but it is still key to keep a balance between boldness and brightness. In most places where you find yourself, you are going to evidence how the main color palette each space manages can affect the way you feel
The next time you are in your classroom, think about the colors, and try to relate them to how you feel. In the Gimnasio Vermont context it is important to have a good amount of pops of colors so that the space feels a little more fun, which in the end can help with the attitude of students and teachers inside academic situations.
A magazine made by students, for students.
Sebastián María
María Paula Vargas
Sara Martínez
Tomás Chacón
Preparations for the school's greatest event of the year have started!
Preparations for the school's greatest event of the year have started!
A spectacle full of music, dance and emotion... you won't want to miss it!
A spectacle full of music, dance and emotion... you won't want to miss it!
This year's theme is Star Wars, and we're sure it's gonna be as great as it has ever been!
This year's theme is Star Wars, and we're sure it's gonna be as great as it has ever been!
Don't miss out on this amazing show, it's out of this world!
Don't miss out on this amazing show, it's out of this world!