The first Friday just happened on February 2nd, where the community and GCC bond as a community on the first Friday of each month for a spectacular art walk accompanied by music and community events in Downtown Arizona. to explore the fine arts, engage with the culture and community, and help us understand one another. The monthly art walk captivates anyone who decides to involve themselves in the community and gives people a different perspective by asking themselves tough questions. There was a fantastic live band that played and talked about the issues that we face as a society and how to improve. I asked Val Walter about how they feel they benefit in their studies from such an event, especially the show that took place. “It’s just a good outlet for one to express themselves and get involved with the community, even out of class; it really gives you perspective on how diverse things really are. It gives them better insight into understanding one another and helps solve problems that can be quite daunting due to cultural differences. This time around, they were singing about certain divides we face and made me think about how I should incorporate this into my studies.” First Friday is a place where people can expand their emotional intelligence to help them better understand the world around them. With all the walks of life and seeing everyone’s perspective, it was an amazing event. Another person named Trenton Caudill I interacted with gave me some insight on how they expanded on the skills they learned from just walking around and meeting new individuals. “I used to go to GCC and never knew that this event existed. I have met so many people who are now attending the school. I did not realize how broad the communities that gather here are. It really helped me create new bonds and connections.” He mentioned. Inspiration comes and goes throughout the people who attend First Friday, and it shows how little they know about other cultures but welcome learning about them. It is a building block that seems to give structure and just a better understanding of others and the world around them, which expands to one’s studies, according to the vast majority of others I have interviewed. Be sure to check out First Friday, the first Friday of every month. I promise you won’t regret it.
Author: Dakota
Dakota is working hard towards his digital arts associate degree. While he was not a fan of art and writing when he was younger, he has developed a new passion. With his focus on this degree, he was driven and passionate about creating things and captivating his audiences with his words and his art. He gets most of his inspiration from his peers and family to really drive his point in all of his journalism and art. His goals are to enhance his writing capabilities and captivate his targeted audience. Throughout these projects, he will be using the AP style of writing to really get his foot in the door for journalism. He also has a way to really navigate through all sorts of problems he comes across with efficiency and effectiveness. Whether there is a challenge in his path, he will embrace the hardships in the pursuit of excellence.
Incredibly insightful news article, Dakota! This article immediately caught my attention because of the wonderful picture framing it on the website. When I realized it was taken from downtown phoenix at an event that happens in association with Glendale I was astonished! I didn’t realize that GCC offered something so uniting to the culture of phoenix. An “Art walk” is a wonderful idea. One thing I’ve always felt I’ve been unable to experience within phoenix is any sense of overall community. I visited Oregon a couple of months ago to visit my partner and meet their friends and they welcomed me to their winter market. It was an incredible assortment of different vendors and self taught artists selling their crafts and wares. I found myself yearning for an experience like that.
The fact GCC can offer a walk like this with little indie bands, a walk around the art of phoenix invigorates me with a similar sense of belonging. Connecting to new people has proven to be hard in college so far but maybe it’s because I’ve been looking at the wrong places. Thank you for informing me about this! Maybe I’ll peak into what it can offer sometime in the future.
Your blogpost beautifully captures the essence of First Friday and its profound impact on the community and students at GCC. I was particularly struck by your description of the event as a space for both artistic expression and cultural exchange. The way you articulated the significance of engaging with different perspectives and confronting societal issues through art and music resonated deeply with me. It’s inspiring to hear how individuals like Val Walter and Trenton Caudill have found value in attending First Friday, not just as a leisure activity but as a meaningful educational experience. Val’s insight into the event as a platform for understanding cultural diversity and problem-solving is especially thought-provoking. Additionally, Trenton’s realization of the broader community at GCC through First Friday reflects the event’s capacity to foster connections and inclusivity. Your portrayal of First Friday as a catalyst for expanding emotional intelligence and promoting cross-cultural understanding is truly compelling. It’s evident that this event serves as more than just an art walk; it’s a transformative experience that enriches individuals’ lives and enhances their academic pursuits. Thank you for sharing your reflections on First Friday, and I wholeheartedly agree with your recommendation to attend. I look forward to experiencing the magic of First Friday firsthand and immersing myself in its vibrant community atmosphere.
I didn’t even know GCC would ever hold an event like this, but from what I’m reading, it sounds like a good way to expand your mind and get new perspectives on things. It’s nice that it showcases different forms of art alongside the community meeting and attending this event. I do wonder why they decided to hold this every first Friday of the month instead of just any Friday? Is there a really deep reason as to that? I also wonder since it’s a whole event about a community of different cultures coming together, having deep conversions, and having fun, if there are also different artworks from the different cultures that come to gather at this event?
Coming together and talking about different things we as a society could be doing better not only for us, but for the future generations as well that will come along is such a beneficial conversation to be had and is a good way to get new ideas out there. I think it’s a shame that you don’t really see any news about this at all, since in my opinion, it’s an event that seems worth going to as it helps people to avoid being in an echo chamber, see new art that you probably haven’t seen before, and of course the music. This definitely seems like an event I’d consider going to.
As someone who’s attended First Friday, I must say, you’ve done an amazing job describing what it’s all about. Uniting the community together as one. Your blog also creates a captivating impression, inviting people to experience First Friday for themselves, which they definitely should! As we grow older, it becomes increasingly difficult to establish genuine connections and develop friendships. Finding safe spaces where people engage in meaningful discussions on tough topics while still maintaining positive interactions within the community is even more challenging.
It’s fantastic that individuals like Val and Trenton leave these events feeling inspired and fulfilled. With a lot of activities offered at First Friday, these events provide an environment where we can support others in their time of need, whether they require a friend for the night, relief from personal stress, or simply seek to have fun. You can find that here. I wish there were more events like First Friday, but I’m glad to know there is always an event happening every month.Thank you for sharing this information with us. I strongly believe that everyone should be aware of this event. It’s truly worth attending! (There’s also yummy food).
The amazing blogpost picture you used captures the physical, mental and spiritual essence of First Friday with some of its activities being shown in the picture and its extremely helpful impact on our community and students at GCC. I didn’t even know GCC had ever held an event like this, and it’s the first Friday in every month that’s pretty cool. The thing I don’t like about it and that it is that it’s downtown phoenix, but I understand since it’s probably the only place in phoenix where it’s cheap and big enough to hold it there and it must be taken and set up in a certain amount of time. Although I wish it was held every Friday, but I get why it can’t happen and understand the reason why as I previously stated in my previous sentence. Students and staff coming together and talking about all the ways we could help one another could help any future generations including our children or grandchildren that will or may be coming to GCC in the summer or spring. For those of you who haven’t gone to this amazing event myself included, I hope you go and see. See you there everybody on next month’s first Friday.
Hi Dakota! First of all, the picture you took that coincides with your article is super vibrant and really encapsulates how you describe First Friday to be. It really just draws me in and I think it is a great picture. Beside from that, I personally believe your story does a wonderful job at connecting a large scale event to the Glendale Community College community. You really took a different approach to writing an article that resonates with your audience, which I think is a great way to engage with your readers. First Friday always seems to be such an immersive event (I have never been but have heard of it), and you did a great job at explaining all of it’s beautiful complexities. It was interesting to read about the cultural aspect-how the event serves as a great way to be introduced to new communities and learn more about them. Something that I also found intriguing was how GCC students were able to find meaning in these cultural differences and apply it to their education. What a great opportunity it probably was to hear a different perspective from the band who talked about such societal topics and the issues that surround it. Great job on this article; it was definitely a very informative and engaging read!
Hello Dakota,
You did a good job encapsulating the “First Friday” event that took place in Downton Phoenix on February 2nd, 2024. From what I was able to read, it seemed like the event brought a lot of positive energy to the table, and being able to interact with like minded people while enjoying the live music is something that would have been a nice event to attend to. It also seems like a great opportunity to make connections with new friends, as it is sometimes difficult to do that within a community college environment.
The incorporations of the interviews provide great context to the event, and gives the reader a better grasp on what kind of vibes that the event presented. Getting both perspectives from both Val Walter and Trenton Caudill on what it meant to attend such an event and what experiences they both took away from the event. It’s crazy how someone from Glendale Community College is able to attended this event and take away the experiences they did. Being able to encapsulate what these experiences were like by talking to individuals who have attended or who have attended in the past before provide great context to the article and can give. abetter picture to the reader.
Hi Dakota,
I really enjoyed your coverage of first Friday. This is my first time hearing about it and it sounds like a delight, I appreciate that you highlighted an event where people can have conversations to come together. It’s easy to think about how we’re different, but can be difficult to come together taking interest in one another. Learning something new or about another culture can really just be as easy as listening to someone’s experiences. Possibly at an event like this! Also the interviews were a great touch to let us see what other people think.
Attending First Friday sounds like an incredible experience where the community comes together to celebrate art, music, and culture. Reading about the live band discussing societal issues and the opportunity to engage with diverse perspectives is truly inspiring. Val Walter’s perspective on the event as a way to express oneself and gain insight into cultural differences resonates deeply. It’s fascinating to hear how attending such events can enhance one’s studies by providing a broader understanding of the world.
Similarly, Trenton Caudill’s experience highlights the importance of community gatherings like First Friday in creating connections and expanding one’s social circle. The event seems to be a melting pot of cultures and backgrounds.
Overall, First Friday appears to be a valuable platform for personal growth and understanding. It’s cool to hear that attendees leave with a greater sense of empathy and curiosity about the world around them. I’ll definitely consider checking out First Friday to experience this enriching community event firsthand.
Hey Dakota, this article was very nice to read, and I enjoyed learning about the story of how an event is able to help students grow and flourish. It is always beneficial to do things other than school to help yourself build connections that may not always be built in college. Not only that, but I recognized that First Friday also helped students express their creativity. I know lots of people take First Friday as an opportunity to display art and play music. Engaging in all of the art that is set up at the event can expose one to many different styles and experiences that the art comes from. Going to a First Friday event would allow for many instances of running into and meeting new people. This gives an opportunity to get introduced to many new cultures and experiences. This can be done through experiencing art or simply talking to people who seem different from you. With these introductions and conversations, a better understanding of others is developed, and you get to see more parts of life that you may not have been able to see before. Going to First Friday sounds like an inspiring experience, and I hope that many, if not all, students have time to go and have fun.v