Denison Seminars extend classroom learning into environments throughout the world. In the spring of 2017, students can partake in the following seminars:
“Violence and the Imagination” Jeff Kurtz
Violence seems to be everywhere in our culture. Why might this pervasiveness of violence matter? What does such violence mean? We'll study the intersections of violence and race, gender and war to better understand ways people have imagined meaningful alternatives to violence. The class will take trips to the National Freedom Center in Cincinnati and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton,Ohio, plus a multi-night trip to Gettysburg National Military Cemetery and Washington, D.C. We'll meet veterans who served in Vietnam, Iraq & Afghanistan. These stories will be cataloged at the Licking Co. Library.
“Hoops: Discipline(s) and Culture(s)” Bob Ghiloni and Kirk Combe
This course will focus on issues of class, race and gender as these social phenomena manifest themselves in various ways through the organization and playing of the game of basketball. The course involves classroom and lab work-learning and playing the game of basketball. Two required trips to area high schools and one required trip to an Ohio State University men's basketball game.
“Creating Musical Theatre” Peter Pauze and Ching-chu Hu
This course will explore the relationship between music and theatre in the creation of short form musical theatre works. The course will involve the investigation and discussion of significant concepts and theories regarding musical composition, playwriting and lyric writing. Students will travel to New York City to attend Broadway plays of musical theatre with a hotel near Times Square.
“Soccer: The Global Game” Rob Russo and Veve Lele
Soccer exists on neighborhood streets, recreational fields and in large stadiums. It is often referred to as a “universal language,” where people who are different can collaborate in a common purpose: the game. This course will examine soccer as culture and as a portal for exploring the political, gender and racial issues that shape the global game. During a trip to Costa Rica over spring break, students will train, play matches, attend formal seminars on social dynamics of soccer, as well engage in a service project.
“Creative Transformations: Art and Literature in the Hispanic World” Dosinda Alvite and Micaela Vivero
This course will examine different manifestations of creativity and its interpretations and possible effects in the Hispanic world. Students will be creating literary and artistic pieces. Students will travel to La Habana, Cuba during spring break to be exposed to art and literature produced in Cuba.
“Sustainability and the Apocalypse” Diana Mafe and Olivia Aguilar
This course examines the intersection of fiction and reality in approaches to survival through the lens of the apocalypse. Using apocalyptic fiction and lessons on sustainability, critical thinking will be encouraged on the possibility of future dystopias with fewer resources. In May, students will take a 3-day trip to live in and learn from a sustainable eco-village community.
“Yoga: Mind and Body in a Global Context” Barbara Fultner and John Cort
This course examines the multifaceted phenomenon of yoga and allows us to investigate a number of philosophical questions, including what the nature of practice is; how a tradition is constituted; how we should understand consciousness, the mind-body relationship, and embodiment; and how to conceptualize cultures. Includes a yoga lab.
