Study-Tour: The tour is required for the courses below. Tour participants must register for a course. Courses will meet Wednesdays (3:00-5:45) the first half of the semester. Political Science and English students will meet separately for part of the period and then join together. On tour we will be one learning community. In addition to the academic content, our class sessions will help prepare us for cultural differences and group travel abroad. Courses are for 3 credits. Registration is by permission only.
Our learning before the trip will help students get the most out of the guided tours and independent explorations. We will gain a basic familiarity with ancient Roman politics and its impact on western political thought and constitutions. The volcanic eruption of 79 A.D. preserved in Pompeii invaluable evidence about the political, economic and social and life of a Roman city. We will also learn about Sicily, where over 3,000 years waves of conquerors from Europe, Asia and North Africa built the complex culture evident today. Dr. Kunkel’s classes will meet together but with slightly different requirements. No prior coursework in political science is required. Students will be required to read, discuss and write short papers or worksheets and tour journals. There will be no examinations.
Dr. Bunkers’ classes will explore Greek and Roman mythology, Italian literary and cinematic classics, and selected fiction, drama, and poetry set in Rome, Naples, Pompeii, and Sicily (e.g., stories by Henry James, Edith Wharton, and D. H. Lawrence). We will even dip into the basics of Latin, the language of Rome during its golden age. Students of literature, art, history, music, theater, philosophy, education, creative writing--all will be welcomed. Short response papers and exploration of www sites will be part of the course of study. There will be no examinations; graduate students will complete individual research and/or creative projects.
Course syllabi and other information on courses will be posted as the time for the classes draws nearer. For an idea of what to expect you may check out syllabi from the previous Italy Study Tours.
