Communications Arts & Sciences

CAS W10 Public and Community Health in Peru. This interim provides students with a chance to explore the public and community health services of the Luke Society Ministry at a clinic in Moyobamba, Peru.  Students interact with health promoters working on water and sanitation schemes and education programs for the health of children in various villages. They also learn about the cleft palate program and the work of speech therapists in rehabilitation.  The Luke Society is led by Peruvian nationals, and students learn how this medical clinic has expanded to encompass all aspects of the community, demonstrating the need for integrating medical, spiritual, and economic needs.  The class is centered at the clinic in Moyobamba, but students will also take field trips out to villages to see some of the ministry programs in action.  Students also learn about Peruvian and Inca culture in the capital city of Lima, where we explore historical neighborhoods and museums on entering and leaving the country.  Evaluation is based on directed reflections in journals and a final short paper. Course dates: January 7-26.  Fee: $3117. P. Goetz. Off campus.

CAS W40 Jane Austen and Film Adaptations.  Since 1995, many adaptations of Jane Austen’s novels have appeared in theaters and on television: these range from the Emma-inspired Clueless to the somber Persuasion to the bold Mansfield Park.  In 2008, PBS’s Masterpiece Theater aired The Complete Jane Austen, which included four new adaptations by the acclaimed screenwriter of the 1995 Pride and Prejudice.  All these films provide a case study in understanding the role of and controversy surrounding film adaptations.  Are adaptations true to the novel and author?  What does it mean to be “true” to the novel and its author?   This class examines some of the most recent and prominent adaptations of Austen’s works, the public response to these films, and the theoretical issues regarding film adaptations of novels.  The goal of this course, then, is to broadly understand the relationship between film and novel by looking at the Jane Austen films as a case study. Evaluation is based on the completion of reading and viewing questions and a final analytical paper. K. Groenendyk. 8:30 to noon.

CAS W40 English Language by Rail. Students explore the dialects of the English Language within a historical context. While in Great Britain, students travel by rail through different regions, collecting samples of English, Welsh, Scottish and Irish dialects and visiting important linguistic sites. By collecting samples from each of these regions, students learn about the history of English as it is spoken in the United Kingdom and Ireland as well as in the United States. Students must present on the features of the dialect samples they collect and write papers that summarize their readings, analyses of data, and interviews in each region. Students are evaluated on papers, presentations, transcriptions and discussions. This course will satisfy one elective for a Speech Pathology and Audiology major. CCE credit is also available with additional readings and journal assignments. Course dates: May 25-June 12. Fee: $3996. J. Vander Woude. Off campus.

CAS W41 Theatre in London. This course is a basic primer in theatre criticism.  London interim students acquire specific information and basic critical
 skills relevant to a wide range of theatre performance and dramaturgical styles, which sharpen students’ critical awareness, and introduce students to a unique cultural experience.  During the three weeks abroad, students develop tools for criticism as they attend nightly performances and daily classroom discussions.  Students keep a daily journal on their theatre and cultural experiences.  London interim students have the opportunity to tour the Royal National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford and to hear guest lectures from actors, directors and theatre critics from the British theatre.  Students are evaluated on the basis of participation in discussions, presentations of oral criticism, demonstrated development of critical tools, and the quality of their daily trip journal.  This course will satisfy an elective for CAS majors. Optional CCE credit is also available if the student does an extra writing project that engages in cross-cultural learning. Course dates:  January 3-23 Fee:  $3380. S. Sandberg. Off campus.

CAS W42 The Government Inspector. The Government Inspector, by Nikolai Gogol, is a witty, imaginative and wildly satirical play which exposes societal corruption with biting hilarity. When the locals in a small Russian town learn that an undercover government inspector is planning a surprise visit, a case of mistaken identity sends the village spiraling into a world of panic, desperation and greed.  Based on significant training methods and ensemble techniques used at The Juilliard School in New York, where the director has trained extensively, students will explore the traditions of clowning, physical theatre and theatre of the grotesque in rehearsing and staging this play. The course explores use of live performance as political satire and social commentary. Students will make up the production crews, stage managers and cast members. The cast will be chosen by audition in early October. Students will keep a journal and will be graded on their contribution to the overall process from first rehearsal to closing night. Performances will be part of the Calvin Theatre Company’s 75th Anniversary reunion, with alumni participating in the rehearsal process and performance.  Class will meet eight hours daily, with some evenings and Saturdays required, including Interim Break. The Government Inspector will be performed in February. This course may fulfill an elective in the Theater major.  K. Kirsten, D. Leugs. 8:30 to 5:00.

CAS W60 Handling Disaster.  Students will investigate a variety of strategies for crisis management planning, emergency communication, image restoration, and organizational learning.  Case studies include Hurricane Katrina, the Virginia Tech massacre, the Enron scandal, the Tylenol product tampering incident, and the fire at Malden Mills--along with a few other cases from labor and politics.  Students will learn to evaluate, respond to, and learn from crisis situations.  The course is particularly well-suited to students interested in management, politics, and public relations. Evaluation is based on exams, presentations, and class participation. Prerequisites: CAS 101 or permission of the instructor.  P. Spence.  2:00  to 5:00.

CAS W80 Filming for Social Change in Lima, Peru.  Students in this course will spend one week of training (January 7 to13) in the US and two weeks serving and learning about video as a vehicle of social change in Lima, Peru (January 15 to 26). This theoretical and practical understanding will be covered through the following activities. Students will lead a video workshop in a drop-in center for street children in downtown Lima teaching the skills required to produce video works such as wedding videos, family event videos, etc. this as part of the implementation of a modest video production house in the Center. Parallel to this, students will receive lectures and visit institutions that work in the area of socially oriented film and
video production and distribution. This internship will be organized in coordination with The Sunflower Center, a ministry of The Scripture Union of Peru, dedicated to the rescue and socialization of street children, The Department of Communications of the Universidad de Lima and the Grupo Chaski.  Evaluation is based on basic video production skills, journals, and participation. This course will satisfy one elective for Media Production majors.  Prerequisites:  CAS 190. Course dates: January 7-26.  Fee: $3392.  D. Garcia.  Off campus.

CAS W82 Advanced Film Directing Workshop. Production students (12 max.) concentrate on intensive scene work through a variety of classroom exercises and video productions.  With a strong emphasis on acting for film/video, blocking, camera movement, and creative communication, students direct, operate camera, and edit in a collaborative setting that reflects the realities of the film industry.  Students explore how camera angle, image size, and actor positioning can impact the effectiveness of a scene.  Students also experiment with storyboarding as well as focus on the differences between acting for stage and acting for camera.  Acting students (4 max.) serve as talent for all in-class exercises and final projects. In addition, all students view a wide range of current short films from the festival circuit.  Evaluation is based on class discussions, classroom participation, teamwork, and a final project. This course may fulfill an elective requirement in the CAS major. Prerequisites: CAS 190* (*the exception being students [4 max.] who wish to work exclusively as actors for the interim. For them, no prerequisite is required). R. Swartzwelder. 2:00 to 5:00

CAS 101 Oral Rhetoric.  Students examine the principles of oral and visual rhetoric, with an emphasis on guided practice in the development of effective speeches. The course leads students to understand the role of rhetoric in society, to think critically about rhetorical situations and practices, and to gain proficiency in the art of rhetoric. Students must complete the following: three graded presentations, three short presentations, a written critique paper, and an exam. M. Steelman-Okenka. 2:00 to 5:00.

IDIS W27 Film Noir and American Culture. J. Bratt, B. Romanowski.

IDIS W34 Cinema & Difference. T. Hoeksema, C. Smit.

IDIS W40 Drama and Worship. R. Buursma.

IDIS W43 Leadership in Africa. R. Crow, M. Fackler.

IDIS W47 The Philosophy of Film. C. Plantinga.