Reality Video: Taping on an Unnamed Campus Somewhere in the Midwest
Death and Remembrance: Exploring the ways that different cultures deal with death
Carson Daly meets Granny Clampett: Cultural differences about Age
Shades of Blue: Blues, Bluegrass Music, and U.S. history
The Fourth Horseman: Carrier of Beasts and Germs
Ethical Government: An Oxymoron?
Electronics R Us: The Medium is the Message
Ma t’vakeish: Our Search for Meaning
We're Not in Kansas Anymore': Imagining the Midwest
“All the News That’s Fit To Print:” Finding the Real Story
Heading for the Hill: Campaign Strategies for U.S. Congressional Candidates
Jim Adams: Reality Video: Taping on an Unnamed Campus Somewhere in the Midwest
Learn the basics of video production by using a Mini DV camcorder to document the activities of other college classes with the goal of producing a professional quality reality video. Work with an experienced video editor and artist to learn to interview, narrate, and provide background sound for a finished video. Learn non-linear video editing on a Kron or a Casablanca editing tool. No experience required, but students must have curiosity about learning the whole process of creating a video. The final results of this FYC will be showcased on campus.
Brett M. Calland: Death and Remembrance: Exploring the ways that different cultures deal with death
The course will focus on the diverse historical, social and cultural traditions surrounding death around the world. Students will learn about specific traditions for remembrance from many diverse cultures, including some that respond very differently than we do in the U.S. Students will participate in a class service project at a local community cemetery. Students will do research on specific individuals to collect information to design and develop a virtual online memorial.
Debora DeWitt: Sects and Violins: Sacred Music in Church and Ceremony
What is religious about music? Do different religious traditions share similar musical experiences? This course will study the music of a variety of faiths including Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Confucian, Native American spirituality. We will listen and examine the place and function of music in religious ceremonies and in other contexts. There will be a fee of $30 for concert tickets.
Kathryn Carlson Heler: Carson Daly meets Granny Clampett: Cultural differences about Age
As more people live longer and longer and Americans question whether Social Security will be around when they grow old, Generation Y is asking, “Who will take care of me when I grow old?” This course will investigate how old people are cared for across different cultures, history and religion. Why do some cultures honor older people while others find them to be in the way? We will examine significant social, cultural, ethical and economic impacts of the aging population.
Dave Hicks: Shades of Blue: Blues, Bluegrass Music, and U.S. history
The soundtrack for the recent film Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? won several Grammy awards and has sold over 4 million copies. But this music isn’t really new; it is deeply rooted in the American scene. In this course we will explore the genesis and development of two distinctive forms of roots music that are well represented in the film. We will examine where blues and bluegrass music came from; how they changed, nearly died and were resurrected as society changed around them. We will also learn about their importance in today’s culture. If weather and concert schedules permit, class members may be able to attend a bluegrass festival or blues performance during the course of the semester.
Susan Klein: Sparkling Colors: History and Restoration of Stained Glass
Stained glass has been an important part of many communities for centuries In olden days, stained glass windows told stories of Biblical heroes to worshippers who couldn’t read. The windows, generally located in churches and cathedrals, bring art and inspiration to those who view them. This course will teach the history of stained glass as an art form, the chemistry involved in glass-making, and the actual process of producing a work of stained glass. Members of the class will work on an actual restoration of an historic stained glass window. No experience with stained glass required, just willingness to learn a new art form! There will be a $25 glass lab fee.
Lee Krähenbühl: Rome to Rock Stars: How Entertainers Communicate with their Audiences
Did you ever wonder why the film Gladiator was so popular? Or think that ancient entertainment was very high brow compared to entertainment today? Join this FYC as we look at the history of how entertainers have communicated with their audiences in the Western tradition. The class will read, watch, and discuss a variety of films, theatre events, and media celebrities.
Dave Kreps: The Fourth Horseman: Carrier of Beasts and Germs
From the time that school children have complained of getting “cooties” from their friends, bacteria, viruses, parasites, and humans have fighting for thousands of years. Through plagues and epidemics, microorganisms have severely strained global resources as new plagues, such as the AIDS epidemic, sweep the globe. Join this FYC as we examine how microorganisms have influenced historical events and helped mold modern social, economic, and political institutions. You will be amazed at the ways that germs shape history!
Jill Long Thompson: Ethical Government: An Oxymoron?
Students in this FYC will learn about the role that politics play in policy making at the federal government. With an introduction to the study of ethics and its importance, this course will compare the ideal (as presented in the classic documents of U.S. history), with the real-life perspective and experience of one who has actually served in government as a six-year member of the U.S. House of Representatives and Undersecretary, U.S. Department of Agriculture. This is a one-time only FYC topic.
Diane Monaco: Electronics R Us: The Medium is the Message
How have the electronic media (film, television, and computers) changed our views of ourselves and of our culture? What factors have changed our traditional worldview of rational, hierarchical, masculine, individualistic thinking and pushed us toward more skepticism about truth, knowledge, power, and the self? We are now part of the postmodern era of blurry and fragmented boundaries everywhere. How are we adjusting?
John Planer: Ma t’vakeish: Our Search for Meaning
Ma t’vakeish is Hebrew for “What do you seek?” (Genesis 37:15). From acceptance of our personal mortality comes the impulse to live meaningfully. In this FYC you will have opportunities to seriously consider various ways of seeking or creating meaning, as explored through faith, literature, and art. This FYC requires five hours of off-campus service, and a two-day retreat off-campus the first weekend of classes.
Scott K. Strode: Have I got a Story for You!: Stories and Communities
Community Connections will offer you an opportunity to study and experience the efforts of connecting with community through a theatrical form. You will explore the nature of theatre and how it communicates. You will study community performance and storytelling theatre groups in the U. S. and experience some of their material. Finally, you will gather stories from the retirement community and create your own community performance or storytelling theatre event for the local community. Prior theatre experience is not required, but an active imagination and a concern for the human condition are.
Scott Tomlison: Jazz: The First 100 Years
This FYC will focus on the history, styles, and people who
make jazz what it is today. Much of the class will be devoted to listening and
learning how to evaluate what you hear. The course will explore the major
movers and shakers of jazz and their impact on the genre. So, if you love music
and like to be exposed to styles you may know little about, this course is for
you.
Jonathan Watson: We're Not
in Kansas Anymore: Imagining the Midwest
Join this FYC and explore representations of the Midwest in literature, art, and cinema, and consider the historical, social, and ideological currents that shape and influence this part of the country. Through reading, discussions, and field trips, students from the Midwest will gain a deeper sense of their cultural legacy, while students from other parts of the country will be introduced to the “Heartland.”
Worth Weller: “All the News That’s Fit To Print:” Finding the Real Story
Confused by the glut of conflicting messages in today’s society? Alarmed by the proliferation of dittoheads? This course provides a glimpse into the structure of the press (both local and national) and teaches a critical approach to discerning the method behind the media madness. With experience as a newspaper owner and publisher, the instructor will use real-life examples to explore ideas with the class.
Leonard Williams: Heading for the Hill: Campaigns for the U.S. Congress
What does it take to win a seat in Congress? In this FYC we will answer that question. Our focus will be on campaign strategy and tactics, political advertising, the mass media, policy issues, and voting behavior. Real-life examples from the 2002 midterm elections will be used in an interactive web-based approach to explore the nature and meaning of modern election campaigns.