sydney flannery

[sflannery-utcoad2015]

The semester is over. Here is a video showing all the fun I had and friends I made my first year a UTK!

[sflannery-utcoad2015]

Adventure is out there!

Foreign land. A place filled with busy streets and towering buildings. Never had I been to a city like this. Never had I taken a train to travel within a city. It was remarkable. The way the towers cut through the sun light, glaring at you as you passed by. There seemed to be no end to the heights the buildings reached. When you ventured to the top of one you felt as if you were standing on top of the world. Glancing down the world shrinks beneath you. People scurry by as they rush to reach their destination. Just like ants they roam inside this giant metal city.

Surrounded by friends I wandered through the streets in awe of everything around me.This was nothing like what I was used to. The streets where full of cars and trollies attached to wires sat idle on the side of the road waiting for a passenger. Crowds of people stood at the edge of the crosswalk waiting for the light to turn red. Performers played their instruments on the corners of the roads causing me to hum along as I walked. Restaurants and bars lined the streets to bring community to the area. Hotels and office buildings towered over the streets giving the space a professional feel. So this is what a city is like.

[sflannery-utcoad2015]

Vols aint ready

A crisp chill flew through the breeze. A variety of music filled the air. The voices of the artists were almost completely overpowered by the crowd shouting back. Lights flashed blue, white, and yellow. The only warmth was coming from the mass of bodies that overtook the green space. Everyone was jumping and dancing to the beat that was pulsing through the air. The bass crashed on top of you like a wave. It flowed through your veins and took control of your body.

Unfamiliar faces to your right and left but they’re not strangers. Hundreds of members of your family gathered to have one more good time before splitting up. One final hoorah. Dancing together was the perfect way to end the year. We started together in a stadium, screaming and cheering for our team, and now we end at a concert, screaming and laughing with friends. What an amazing year it has been.

[sflannery-utcoad2015]

No Friends

What happened to art? What was once something to stare at in awe has turned into something pretty that people place on a wall to cover up the blank space. It is now something to add color to the bare walls surrounding it. While I might be a bit young, I still love to admire the art around me. I however I find myself drawn to a more modern art style. Graffiti. While some people do it just to be destructive, those who do it as an art style are truly amazing. The way they portray problems in the world through spray paint and stencils. Each piece they paint has a deeper meaning. It’s not an art that you can simply look at and say it’s pretty. You must observe it, as the reason behind it may not be obvious. What they portray, it may be very controversial but it’s something that the world needs to see. It may also seem pointless at first glance but after looking at it a few more times you realize the story behind it. One of my favorites is the picture below by iHeart. I’m not sure what it’s called but I have chosen to name it No Friends. In this picture a little boy is absolutely distraught that he doesn't have any likes. This is what the world has come too. The youth of this generation believes that without popularity on social media they are nothing. They post selfie after selfie and change who they are just to get “likes” and “friends” on social media. These children need to accept themselves and forget about the “likes” from people around them. They slowly tear themselves apart over social friends that they may have never even met in person before. Without “friends” these children feel insecure about who they are and neglect the real friends they have around them until they are truly alone. This picture seems so simple but it contains such a bigger story than what you may assume by just glancing at it.

[sflannery-utcoad2015]

So you think you can dance

As the first woman stood, the atmosphere changed. The lights seemed to dim, making the scenery more sensual. Slow strums came from the band as they picked up their guitars. As the pace of the music increased the woman began to sway. Her hips gracefully moved side to side causing her white skirt to crumple. It was a beautiful image. Other women clapped with the music as the beat intensified. The dancing woman began to sway faster as her arms reached out. The band began to stop their feet. Some began to sing. The woman, the beautiful dancing woman, continued to pour out her soul as she swayed and spun across the stage.

[sflannery-utcoad2015]

Water Birth

The smell of salt floats in on the breeze. Standing alone, a naked woman. An ivory goddess just born of the sea. Venus, the goddess of beauty, rides a magnificent shell towards the shore. She tries to conceal herself, using only her hands to provide protection of her body, as she nears the bank. The wind and breeze assist her in gently pushing her to the shore. A woman waits for her at the edge of the water. She has a cloth prepared for the goddess. Once Venus reaches the shore the woman drapes the cloth over her, shielding her nakedness. Clothing a new goddess.

[squidneythatsme]

Translation

Decipher. Not everything is in black and white. Sometimes, things aren’t the way you see it. While the answer may seem to be directly in front of your face, there may be secrets hiding in the tiny details you overlook. Paying attention to the minuscule details can alter somethings entire meaning. The direction of a glance, the type of flower, the color of their clothing; all things that seem unimportant but could hold meanings maybe you aren’t able to understand yet. The direction of a glance can direct your eyes to a spot that you may have ignored before. A specific flower can add great meaning if you know the meaning behind it. Does it represent love? Does it represent happiness? Also, the color of there clothing can give a little insight into the persons life. Typically purple is used to represent the wealthy. If someone is wearing purple it means they are an important person in there community. All of these details however, would go entirely unnoticed if not for the subtle hints left behind.

[sflannery-utcoad2015]

[sflannery-utcoad2015]

Facade

Have you ever loved somebody? Maybe not even loved but you were close in a way that most people don’t realize. It was a deeper connection, you were drawn to each other like magnets. Then without warning they change before you. Not gradually, but in the blink of an eye they are somebody you have never known. You begin to notice little things about them. The way they talk, the way they dress, the way they smile isn't the person you knew before. This could be a simple sign that the other person has grown up and maybe you're not ready for that yet or possibly you never knew them in the first place. They hide their true colors behind a mask of deceit. Now you have to chose to stay or go? To love them even though you're not sure who they are anymore. Sometimes that’s all you can do. Maybe if you convince yourself that you love this new person, you actually could.

[sflannery-utcoad2015]

I'm 5'3 actually...

The site chosen is a small section atop the hill in the campus of the University of Tennessee. Due to the large amount of clustered building the sight seems to be decently dense. While the area seems extremely dense when you are standing next to the group of buildings, the density is decreased when you are standing by Ayres comparing it to the seemingly hiding buildings in the distance. While in the arial shot it appears as if the trees play a major part, visiting the site proved that the trees aren't quite pronounced when it comes to the density of the site. The landscape frames the area nicely but is barely noticeable because of the lack of leaves due to the cold weather. The light was very dim due to the clouds overshadowing the area. It gave the green space in the center an eerie feel to it. From every direction you could hear the shuffling of feet and the engines of cars. Off in the distance, if you could hear past the cars, you could hear the sounds of construction. A sound know familiarly to all students on campus is the screeching of brakes as the university buses stop to pick up students. The students who choose walk tend to use the sidewalks that hug the buildings. Unless students are crossing from one building to another they tend not to use sidewalks that are out in the open. This is mostly referring to the green space. I believe this gives the areas around the green space and areas away from the buildings a slower pace. The closer you get to the building the faster the pace is due to traffic. Due to the high concentration of buildings in one area a lot of traffic is produced. The speed of this area is dependent on the density of traffic. When there are less people the pace is more leisurely but when the area is packed with people the pace picks up. I believe the high density gives people a feeling of urgency forcing them to try to push there way through the thick crowd.

[sflannery-utcoad2015]

Site | Section | Area

This site is a small section of the campus of the University of Tennessee Knoxville. The area shown is densely populated with a wide verity of buildings. Different heights and distance between buildings is used in creating the density of the space. The trees lining the roads and paths bring a little bit of density to the more open spaces in the site. While on the other hand you have a very open green space to help balance out the thick density of the buildings. Most of the space in the sight looks to be public. The large open public green space is for community gathering of the social kind. While the various buildings are gathering spaces for education. The sight seems to have a flow to it due to the roads and close nit buildings. Most of the space seems to flow in a curved v shape. The flow seems to be slowed though because of some of the buildings that do not necessarily fit within the curved v shape. The sidewalks on the right side of the tallest building seem to be a little bit smaller than those on the left side. I believe that there is more traffic on the left side as compared to the right side so there is a need for a bigger sidewalk. In the public green space there also seems to be a bigger side walk. This I believe is to help make the green space feel more open and perhaps allow pedestrians to gather and socialize without worry of being stepped on. The light quality in this area is of fair quality. The results depend on the time of day. Due to the large group of buildings there will constantly be shadows painted on the floor throughout the day. Light quality also depends on where you are standing in the site. The public green space will have more light through out the day due to the fact that it is farther away from the cloister of buildings. The closer you get to the buildings the more shadows you will have and the longer they will last.

[sflannery-utcoad2015]

There's a hero in us all

Alone. Searching for someone to reach out and pull them away from the darkness surrounding them. Scratching and pulling at the air unsure of what they're reaching for. All they know is that they are terrified. Unsure of where they are. Just as they give up on there escape a light appears. They try to run to the light but the darkness pulls them back. Clawing and thrashing they cry out to the light for help. The light responds and begins to battle the darkness. One blast of light after another. Eventually the darkness’ grip is slowly loosened. Once free they quickly scramble toward the light. They wrap themselves around the light. Around there hero.

Everyone has or has had a hero. Whether that person was real or a piece of fiction we all looked up to someone. Super heroes are a common hero to all. The way they protected the people with there amazing powers but expected nothing in return. Most even wore masks so no one would know who there real identity was. Performing one selfless act after another. We hoped one would come and save us from our problems. Some like me hoped to one day grow up to be the super hero everyone looks up to. To save to world from all the cruelty. To unite the world. Peace.

[sflannery-utcoad2015]

1 Fish, 2 Fish

Following. My parents guide me as I walk behind them. I see their footprints in the cool sand and I try to match their steps. My foot is so much smaller than theirs is. I jump from one footprint to the other trying to keep up. With two fishing poles in hand my dad leads us down the shore to the dock. The sun glares down on us as we begin to unload our supplies. Fishing poles, bait, sunscreen, towels; I begin to line them up one by one. My mom starts to bait the fishing poles while my dad puts sunscreen on my face.

Swoosh. The bait is soaring through the air. It splashes into the water in the distance. I sit patiently with my parents as we wait for the fish to bite. My feet swing back and forth as the mist from the waves crashing into dock sprays my legs. The smell of the sea and sunscreen fills my nose. Suddenly, my mom jerks the fishing pole. Quickly, she begins to reel in the line. The fish on the end of the line tries to fight back. It thrashes and swims with all its might but it’s no match against my mom. She tugs and reels until the fish is on the dock. It’s a small fish. It’s to big to fit in my hands but looks small compared to my dads. He grabs the fish and takes the hook out of its mouth. Then he tosses it back into the sea. I smile as the fish swims away.

[sflannery-utcoad2015]

Forever and a day

How long ago was it?

An hour? A day? A month? A year? Or more?

Time slips away in the blink of an eye. Like water, you can only hold onto it for a short period of time before it drips through the cracks. It’s nearly impossible to keep up with. Twenty-four hours a day. Seven days a week. Three-hundred sixty-five days a year. Minutes pass by without knowing.

From the instant you're born time begins to tick by. Childhood memories and times you hoped would never happen seem to come and go without warning. Your first pet. All the awards you've won. Prom. Moments you thought would last forever are now mere photographs sitting on a shelf. Time is unpredictable. It begins and ends without warning.

How long is left?

[sflannery-utcoad2015]

Why are you crying my dear?

Emotions. Laughing so hard that you start to cry. Crying so hard that you can no longer speak.

Emotions are our way of expressing ourself when words cannot. Those moments that leave you breathless or stunned with fear. One of the many keys to life is understanding emotions. Knowing how to read emotions is a good skill but being able to bring out others emotions is an amazing gift.

A play. That is all it was. Actors walking around a stage, pronouncing the script they had been reciting for months. In the beginning, there was nothing especially unique about this play. The set was decorated like a normal house; couch, coffee table, television. A woman lazily sat on the couch. Every now and then, she would clip some coupons or read a magazine. It seemed like an average day that anyone would experience, but then the play started. The boldness of the play the shocked me. I was frozen from what took place in front of me. While the play was amazing, the subject was very controversial. I felt anger, sadness, and guilt.

The actors on that stage brought out my emotions. I not only felt the pain of the lead actor but the worry and hatred of her co-actors. I was swimming in my emotions. No, not swimming, drowning and it felt great. To feel so much reminded me of how alive I am.

To feel, we need emotions to get our blood pumping or to make our heart stop to remind us that we are truly alive.

[sflannery-utcoad2015]

Off in the distance

The blazing sun sitting idle in the background.

Salt water soars through the air with the pelicans.

My family and I dive, crash, and tumble through the glistening waves until the sun sinks below the sea.

[sflannery-utcoad2015]

The children of imagination

Imagination

Tall glass buildings lined as far as the eye can see. The sun glistens off of their pristine surfaces making them turn a rose like color. Green fields are seen in every direction speckled with radiant flowers. Inside the translucent city lives friends and families from all across the galaxy. They gather and laugh, sharing good times. Children run and play with their pet dragons as the parents relax nearby. An average day in the kingdom.

Is this truth? Is this fiction? Who’s to tell me what I imagine isn't real? When I look around I know there has to be more than what the eye can see. The average day is nothing compared to what I dream of. My life is so much more exciting in my mind. So, why would I choose to live in the real world when I could live in my imagination?

Everyone tells me to come back to reality or I’ll get left behind. I respond by explaining that our world was made from imagination. Fact and Fiction are both the children of imagination. Electronics, medicine, and recipes were once a mere dream in the back of someones mind. For this reason I refuse to move. I like where I’m at.