Hello everyone! My name is Arfa Ul-Haque and I am a biochemistry major on a pre-health track. I hope to graduate in May 2021. I am part of the in-person section of the English 1102 course and am also taking Physics 2 on campus. This course is the first English class that I am taking at Tech. My favorite literature class that I have taken so far is AP Literature. I had a really great teacher who helped me improve my writing and taught me how to analyze of a variety of genres of literature. I especially liked our examination of poetry and the in-depth analysis of the books we read, like The Invisible Man and The Handmaid’s Tale.
The parts of communication that I enjoy are visual and written. As a commuter, I spend a lot of time reading so I love the written aspect of communication and exploring how various authors write differently based on the genre they are writing and the tone they are trying to convey. I also like the visual aspect because I learn best through visual demonstrations. The communication aspect that I struggle most with is oral communication, as I get anxious when speaking in front of large groups of people. I hope to improve my written and oral communication to become more efficient at writing and more confident in public speaking.
I first heard Hamilton a few months after it initially was released in 2015, so I’m pretty familiar with the musical. Once I was introduced to it, I was immediately captured by the lyrical genius that is Lin-Manuel Miranda.
I love how he incorporated so many different elements of hip hop into the musical and the overall historical accuracy he maintained while writing the script. After listening to Hamilton, I became familiar with other musicals made by Lin-Manuel Miranda, including In the Heights and the mini-musical 21 Chump Street. Since then, I’ve become a fan of many other musicals including Dear Evan Hansen, Into the Woods, and Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812.
Overall, I’m excited for this course and to learn more about Hamilton!
By: Arfa Ul-Haque