The most appealing assignment of 130 to me was going to the museums. Usually the point of going to a museum is to admire what is on the inside; however what I was most interested in was what was on the outside especially after reading Diepveen’s Art Museums: Organizers of Culture. This piece changed my whole outlook on museums; I realized that the exterior of the museum is just as important as the interior. The exterior is important because it basically prepares you for what is inside, because before walking in your perception is already conditioned for what you are about to see. Being able to pick up what you would usually pass by without a second thought is my biggest revelation of 130.Now everything is able to be “read”. Not in the sense of reading Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe page by page but instead looking at the National Gallery of Art and noticing how the grand pillars demonstrate power and make you feel insignificant. Along these lines, in contrast to the National Gallery of Art the National Museum of African Art’s smaller size and lack of Greek reference in its architecture give it less prestige. This is a distinction I could not have made before NCLC 130.

However on the flip side, making a quick something on its appearance alone may breed trouble. For instance when learning about multiculturalism it became apparent to me that reading people purely from a superficial standpoint can be problematic.  Multiculturalism is all about the celebration of different cultures and your awareness of them. But, with this awareness it is human nature to take a large group and simplify it and thus stereotypes are born. For example you witness Mexican family eating tacos for dinner; you assume that this must be what they have every night. You disregard the fact that they are having an All-American apple pie for dessert, because this does not agree the stereotype.  People are more complex than buildings and museums; one size does not fit all, so “reading” them can be troublesome. Furthermore “reading” on one side can prepare you for what is to come and be beneficial or it can predetermine how you will interpret something and bring bias. Moreover it is a skill I acquired in NCLC 130 and it’s up to me to put it to good use.