Orientation Week

When school starts the post will be less lengthy and frequent due to time factors, but I will do my best.

Orientations on safety, transportation, loans, the city, and all other functions of the workings of college and New York life consumed many hours of the orientation week. At night there are optional activities intended to familiarize the students with each-other and the campus as well as have fun. Adorned with club music, casino equipment, and eccentrically dressed art school faux gamblers, a bricked courtyard formed by the meeting of several of Pratt's largest and oldest buildings served as an interesting sub-level spot for Casino night. The shadows of the dying day through the trees of the large lawn adjacent to the Engineering Building marked the start of the outdoor movie night. Nights of this orientation week each held one of these type of events, which varied in student attendance based on the agreed communal interest in the activity, and even more so on the student body's knowledge of parties on campus and in the area. The schism of the nights was a battle of large scale dodge ball matches and elaborate Pratt game shows versus the parties on the top floor of Pratt's slightly off campus Willoughby Hall and trendy New York club spots. I suppose complete escape from the predictable activities of college life are nearly impossible at any college. However, having little interest in the more sycophantic school oriented activities, or being at the mercy of seemingly predetermined college ignorance, this past week has provided some interesting experiences. I found myself avoiding the widely publicized events, on the roof of my dorm with a few close friends. We enjoyed the view, happily refusing to let the call of either stereotypical scenario dictate our night. Ruling out the activities of an entire day, I met a friend from back home near Parsons in Manhattan (a rival art school known for its world renowned fashion design), and she showed me around her stomping ground. I felt important as I walked past the lines to get free admittance into the Museum of Modern art. Not being a huge fan of "modern" art, I was very pleasantly surprised to find Matisse's "Dance," Van Gough's "Starry Night," Frida Kahlo's "Self Portrait With Cropped Hair," and Dali's "Persistence of a Memory," in the collection. She took us to an above ground railway converted into an elevated walkway overlooking the harbor before heading home. This day timing delivered us to the harbor to witness the sunset illuminate the orange and silver water and imitate the glow of the glass skyline. It was just one of those moments. Imagine a rectangular prism with a rectangle of the same proportion removed from the center to create an interior courtyard. Do that, and you picture the mini park within my dorm where last night's barbeque went down. After the upperclassmen and graduate students proved unable to start a fire (and I began to question the education system), I alerted my roommate to the rescue, as he darted downstairs to start the fire and provided the live music that would ignite a full blown singalong of our favorite songs. Turns out art school kids have good taste in music. The sense of family within my particular dorm is unreal. Being the least luxurious and most claustrophobic of all the dorms, everyone gets to know each-other. Large movie and music sessions in the common rooms complete the experience. All is well.

I am set on supplies due to the help of many of you, I recognize and appreciate everything that has been done to get me this far. Thank you.

Contact info:

James Cody Walzel
200 Willoughby Ave Unit 58932
Brooklyn, NY 11205-7521

Cell: 214-417-0356

Email: cody.walzel@hotmail.com

New York

Flight was same as all flights, not what your here for. I stepped out into the New York dusk and told the taxi driver to take me to Brooklyn. The New York experience started with the cab driver who couldn't speak English; communicating through nods, grunts, and hand gestures we made it to Brooklyn. As I drove into the heart of this living city the feeling flooded the cab for the first time, my possessions in the trunk, and no intentions of leaving, that this was my new home. Arriving at Pratt my high was immediately counteracted as the driver helped me unload.... ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE SCHOOL! Sounds like a mild inconvenience right? You'd think differently if you lugged over 100 pounds of luggage around the gates of your school on a hot night in the somewhat unfriendly section of Brooklyn only to arrive breathless and several hours late to sign in. After that, it has all been great. They have mandatory and optional seminars on every bit of info you'd ever want to know about the school and all things associated with it. We have gotten several free meals, an outdoor movie on one of our many expansive and aesthetically appetizing lawn areas, and a performance from an international comedian. Within the gates of this school it is a different universe, the atmosphere is unreal. The buildings are scattered throughout, the acres within the gate, ranging in age, style and history, connected by brick walkways. The trees drape scenic shade over the lawns and hills adorned with sculptures of all styles and concepts. The age and history of the buildings vary. There are touches of connivence of new technology and modern resources, but fortunately they do not overpower the charming historic aura of the institute. I will post pictures when I manage to get hold camera to take some with. As the administrators are just arriving, the volunteering upperclassmen have pretty much singlehandedly run the place for the past few days. Through my school I get free entrance to a lot of museums around the city. I also found out that this school was built in 1886 to be ready to turn into a shoe factory overnight were the school to fail. The original machinery has been preserved and still stands within the East Building. Also the book/movie "Art School Confidential" was written based on the author's experiences here as a student. Now I must ask for some help:

Your support is very much appreciated, I will take advantage of these opportunities that I am so fortunate to have.


If you want to write to me or send anything, my mailing address is:

James Cody Walzel
200 Willoughby Ave Unit 58932
Brooklyn, NY 11205-7521

If you want to contact me electronically call/text/email- 214-417-0356 cody.walzel@hotmail.com
Thank you for interest in my adventures, and all your support.

James Cody Walzel