Everyone has been touched by the arts in some way or another, whether it's obvious or not. Everyday, one can listen to the radio and hear the latest pop song, the result of an intense collaboration between dozens of very talented and creative people-though the quality of the final product of this collaboration can be disputed. The statue one passes on the way to class-that is a piece of art. The countless ballet classes-that is art. The design of the cityscape, the dress on the runway, the graffiti on the wall is all art. But art is more than just a final product: It is also the painstaking and eye-opening process-the burst of inspiration, the lengthy collaboration, the final execution and the joy. It is so important to draw from inspirations, the work of others and the support of your peers when trying to indulge the arts, and Brandeis' active and enthusiastic arts community is the perfect atmosphere to start.When I first arrived at the University, I already knew where I would begin my arts career. I had sung in a choir since the seventh grade. I loved singing, I loved harmonies, I loved creating music with my peers. It's difficult to describe the feeling one gets when hearing the wash of 100 voices filling a hall; of course, they all have to be in tune. Every year I'd audition for choirs, and I relished each opportunity to sing.

But my choral and vocal curiosity ended with the pieces my conductors had chosen. Some were West Side Story mash-ups, some were traditional folk songs, and some were Bach's chorales. I loved the way they sounded and enjoyed every minute I sang them, but for some reason, I never gave other pieces a chance. I guess I was uninterested in something that I would probably never perform.

But after receiving the shock of suddenly being a college student and having so many other responsibilities to take care of before music, I became disinterested in almost any music that I couldn't perform. Tchaikovsky became ho-hum, show tunes became annoying and pop songs became simple background noise so that it wouldn't be so lonely in a quiet room. I felt this degradation in my interest in music, something that had fueled my creative energies for so long, and I was upset. In fact, I was disinterested in a lot of things to which I had some emotional attachment: dance, drawing and poetry. However, our University's dedication to presenting and fostering the arts is, thankfully, hard to ignore.

It only took a few moments of having my nose out of a textbook to see the amazing things going on creatively at our University. Student theater groups, choirs, dance performances, poetry slams, concerts, recitals, culture shows, visiting professionals, Rose Art exhibitions, even the library's extensive collection of CDs and DVDs--the list of amazing things seems endless. And behind each show, recital or performance are so many talented and wonderful people, all working together to create something that touches people on another level. I indulged myself a little in the arts: I joined the choir, helped out in the theater, visited the Rose, etc. New experiences await anyone who delves into the arts-sometimes they are difficult, other times frustrating, always exhilarating. And it is in the collaboration, the drawing of inspiration from others or what inspired the others, that stirs the creative animal inside.

What I think sets our University apart from others is the enthusiasm for the arts that is exhibited in the students, the faculty and the deans. I was shocked to learn that my First Year Seminar professor, who is also a biophysics professor, openly talked about the arts in his class. My na've ignorance aside in not realizing that biophysics professors are still only human and don't only conduct experiments in cold labs all day, the omnipresence of the arts struck me the hardest then. Director of the Office of the Arts Scott Edmiston, couldn't be more hands-on in the artistic community, as shown by his dedication to making last semester's Sunday in the Park with George, some of the finest theater seen on campus. And of course, who knows how else the arts have inspired and moved those who move us? It is a scary and wonderful thing.

The arts are so important to the active and creative minds of our University, of any healthy society, so that people can come together and create; it is creation and inspiration that drive a community forward. And as for me, I'm not immune to the spell of the arts. The arts also encourage exploration, and thankfully, that's happening for me. The new semester beckons, with dozens of new performances, collaborations and presentations, and I can't wait to experience every single one of them.