Spring Term Destinations: Europe, China, South America
Study Topics Include Renewable Energy, Contemporary Art, Ecological Systems, Literature, War and Human Rights
Students and faculty are headed to a variety of global locations for the May 2009 Spring Term, from Hawaii to New York City and Europe to China.
Topics include theatre and dance in London, ecological systems in Hawaii, renewable energy in Sweden, Asian American literature in San Francisco, and much more.
Students ride horses in Ecuador.
Spring Term is a chance for students to study one academic topic for an entire month. Students have a choice from travel or on-campus courses and must take two Spring Terms during their time at Alma.
“Spring term is one major opportunity for students to expand their venue of knowledge,” says Liping Bu, professor of history. This spring will be her fifth time taking students to China to study history and culture.
“It’s not often students have the chance to learn history where it took place. When we are traveling, many people tell our students how lucky they are to have this opportunity,” she says.
Following is a roundup of this year’s Spring Term, which begins April 26 and continues through May 21.
Roundup of International Trips
• Carol Fike, Dance, and Joe Jezewski, Theatre, are taking students to London to study dance and theatre through a variety of professional performances.
• Students in Marc Setterlund’s class are traveling throughout Europe to study what led to the Nazis’ rise to power, the University of Leipzig’s psychology technology and Freud’s psychoanalytic theories.
• Mark Seals, Education, and Myles McNally, Computer Science, are taking students to Peru to study Spanish and help in the local schools.
• Center for Responsible Leadership co-directors Murray Borrello and Micheal Vickery are taking students to Sweden to study renewable energy. Students will study different factors that might influence the transition of those ideas to Michigan.
• Students in Ute Stargardt’s class are studying medieval English literature in Great Britain.
• Britt Cartrite, Political Science, is taking students on a tour through Scotland to study its identity through literature and politics.
• Ed Lorenz, Public Affairs, is taking leadership students to the United Nations Headquarters in New York City and to Europe to study war and human rights.
Roundup of Domestic Trips
• Bob Rozier, Art and Design, is taking students to New York City for a week to explore contemporary art by visiting galleries, studios and museums. Students also will have selected readings discussions and a research paper.
• Students in John Rowe’s class are traveling to the Hawaiian island of Kauai to study marine life and island history.
• Joanne Gilbert, Communication, and Laura von Wallmenich, English, are taking students to South Dakota to study the Lakota people. Students in Gilbert’s class will perform “Living a Dream: The Creation of Crazy Horse Memorial” at the memorial as well as on campus. Von Wallmenich’s students will study Lakota culture and participate in service learning at the memorial.
• Peggy Thelen, Education, is taking students for a week in Chicago to study ethnically diverse neighborhoods and schools.
• Students in Chih-Ping Chen’s class are traveling to San Francisco to study Asian Americans in literature.
• Carol Bender, English, is taking a group of students to Key West to read, discuss and analyze works from writers of this area.
On Campus
Classes on campus are covering a variety of topics, including the ethics involved in food distribution, finding one's divine calling, theatre production and the impact of media. Courses also are offered in mathematics, chemistry, economics, computer science, biochemistry, business, education, exercise and health science, physics, philosophy and Spanish.
Posted: Wed, April 15th, 2009 at 11:26AM
