Assignment/Activity Title Mentor Sage Project

Year
Freshman
Skill
Writing, Literature, Creative
Portfolio Category Media &
Communication
My Mentor Sage Project was strikingly different from the other projects. The majority of
students interviewed their parents and asked them what the difference was between their social
lives when they were an adolescent and at present. Similar to my classmates I also interviewed
my parent, however I had a different idea about how to portray my fathers physicality. I decided
the most effective way to give my classmates an accurate representation of my father was to
relay one of his childhood stories. So I asked him to tell me a story. I began to jot down the
important aspects of his story. However, I also noted his body posture and the connotation so
when I paraphrased his story later on I could be as accurate as possible. The connotation turned
out to be the most important aspect of my project.
As I got up on stage I reenacted my opening and I immediately realized that I was not
rendering the connotation that I had jotted down earlier. As I slowly introduced the appropriate
language I found myself speaking much like my father and I regained my calm. By the time I
was around halfway through my monologue I was using hand motions and acting as if I was
recalling the memories as if the story had occurred decades ago. Eventually after I completed my
monologue I received feedback from my peers, and being one of the first performances, I was a
little anxious. It turned out I appeared to be very natural on stage and many people said I really
embodied and older man who was remembering a story from his childhood.
After this performance was when later public performance assignments came easier to
me. From that point on, I was able to address the prompt at hand more accurately, comfortably,
and creatively. In part because this assignment received such a high grade I was more
comfortable taking a risk and thinking outside the box. For example, in the upcoming project,
which is to produce and perform a ten minute play some groups are reenacting a movie with
alterations to the plot structure. I believe this approach is more simplistic and decided to produce
a play that shows how NASAs funding is not only for the material and technological resources
to be gained, but to drive American patriotism and hope. To portray this theme over the course of
ten minutes in the form of a play is quite a feat and to do so I will have to be very comfortable on
stage and with my character. With 2-4 weeks of preparation and the thorough completion of my
Mentor Sage project I believe this assignment is well within my capabilities.

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