DECM 118: Philosophy and Literature
Explores interesting overlaps between literature and philosophy. Examines philosophical accounts of literature, and literary texts that invoke philosophical problems or theories. How are the aims of literature and philosophy similar? How can literature shape one's moral sense? Can literature provide insight to abstract philosophical debates? Should philosophy matter to authors?
Units: 3
DECM 120: The Shakespeare Intensive
As we closely examine the First Folio texts, we will build a common vocabulary of performance practice, historical context, and literary exploration. Our showcase performance will feature scenes, songs and sonnets, dramaturgical posters, and at least one example of performance in the mode of the "Original Shakespeare Project." You don't need to be an actor to thrive in this course, just curious and a bit brave.
Units: 3
DECM 122: Food Politics and Culture
This course examines political and cultural forces that shape what we eat as well as implications for public health and the environment. Course material includes academic writing, food writing, and popular commentary, and students will undertake cooking projects based on course themes. Addit
Units: 3
DECM 124: 300 Galleries in 3 Days: Art Basel—Miami Beach
This mode of exhibition is the new center of power in the art world and this course will examine the phenomenon through readings, discussions, research, and experiential learning by visiting ART BASEL—MIAMI with over 300 galleries from across the globe showing works of contemporary art of the highest quality. This class includes a trip to Miami on December 4-6. An additional fee will be charged to cover the cost of the trip.
Units: 3
DECM 127: Scientific Visualization
Constructing figures, diagrams, and infographics for use in publications, websites, and presentations relies heavily on the use of digital technologies. This course will focus on approaches and techniques used to distill scientific information into effective visual representations using a variety of computer software packages, including Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator®.
Units: 3
DECM 128: Urban Cultures - Buenos Aires
An introduction to Buenos Aires urban culture, this travel course will provide students with an experiential learning opportunity through a series of itineraries related to the city’s historical, political, literary, artistic, and musical scenes. The course will emphasize cultural exchange, engagement with the space, and personal transformation. Knowledge of Spanish helpful but not required.
Travel cost: $3500. To secure your seat a $500 deposit by is due August 1, 2024. E-mail professor to request approval to register.
PREREQUISITES: Instructor's approval
Units: 3
Prerequisite: Instructor's approval
DECM 129: The History of Video Games: 1977-1996
This course will explore the history of video games, with an emphasis on games and gaming systems from 1977 to 1996. Games will be explored as technology, entertainment and a product of culture. Students will play games on the original consoles and write about developments in visual design, evolution of sound and music, representations of gender and race and other topics.
Units: 3
DECM 131: Children's Stories in Communities: Going Beyond "And they lived happily ever after"
This service-learning course will consider how fairy tales, myths and folktales reflect and inflect cultural and community practices. Drawing on pedagogical and literary approaches, the course will examine how ideas of childhood, gender, race, ethnicity and class are constructed and sustained through children's stories. Participants will work with non-profit organizations in the Fox Valley community doing creative projects with children's stories. Additional fees will apply: estimated $50 for performance attendance.
Units: 3
DECM 132: Serious Gaming and Learning
This course will explore learning, motivation and self-regulation involved in serious digital game play. Participants will explore current educational games being developed to capitalize on the popularity of gaming by playing and analyzing the game structure and components. Special attention will be paid to skill and content knowledge development through game play and the transfer of this knowledge outside of games.
Units: 3
DECM 133: Shakespeare in Performance
Students will study the text and production history of a specific Shakespeare play in detail, then apply that knowledge to a major production of the play, usually in Chicago, Milwaukee or Madison. The major assignment will be an analysis of that production. In 2016, the course will study Georges Bigot's Macbeth at Theater Y in Chicago. Additional fees will apply: tickets for the performance ($30-$60), specific performance-oriented edition of play ($20-$50), and travel.
Units: 3
DECM 134: Witchcraft in Art
Engage the art of Europe's fascination with witchcraft and the supernatural from 1100 to 1800 using materials from the university's rare book and art collections. We will examine depictions of magicians, sorcerers, and witches, along with their rituals and politico-religious prosecution. Methods include historical contextualization, chronological comparison, slow looking, and analysis of the iconography and semiotics of witchcraft. Students will complete short, detail-oriented projects.
Units: 3
DECM 135: Archival Discovery
An in-depth exploration of archives and archival research. The course will address the theory and practice of locating, contextualizing, interpreting, and using archival primary sources. Students will work directly with collections in the University Archives and produce a digital project based on their research.
Units: 3
DECM 136: Contemporary Apocalypse Narratives
Pandemics, environmental disasters, zombie invasions: stories about catastrophes are more popular than ever. We will consider several examples of the genre in literature and film and ask: What cultural and political anxieties do these works explore? How do representations of apocalypse draw on science and religion? Can these stories spur change, or do they falsely reassure us? Students will also complete short creative projects.
Units: 3
DECM 137: Writing Your Life
An intensive writing seminar for those seeking to write memoir, creative non-fiction, or other self-reflective prose. We will be writing, reading, and editing shorter daily pieces while developing a major theme or idea.
Units: 3
DECM 138: Loving Literature: Fiction, Fan Fiction, and Fans of Fiction
This course explores the hows and whys of literary affection: what do we mean when we say we "love" a book or writer? Why are authors like Jane Austen still beloved centuries after their deaths? We'll focus on a couple of historical examples of literary love, and students also will investigate their own affections as part of a final project on a writer or book of their choice.
Units: 3
DECM 139: Color, Lighting, and Illusion
This course explores the human perception of color and light with practical projects using flat paper, painting, simple sculptures, lighting, and our daily environment. In the studio we will make three colors look like four, four colors look like three, and flat objects look plastic. New skills and understanding will culminate in creating visual art pieces. The final class will be a showing and discussion of the work with the public.
Units: 3
DECM 140: Happiness: Meditation and Science
What is happiness and how is it achieved? This course will examine some core ideas of Buddhist philosophy of mind and investigate the ways in which they are being studied and employed by psychologists, neuroscientists, and cognitive scientists. In addition to course readings, students will be instructed in basic meditation practices and expected to keep a meditation practice for the duration of the course.
Units: 3
DECM 141: Make it Stick: Using the Learning Sciences to Improve Memory
In this seminar, students will study findings from the learning sciences and apply them in exercises designed to enhance learning and memory. Students will use the results of these exercises to explore the success of various learning strategies and discuss how they might be applied in their other Lawrence courses.
Units: 3
DECM 142: Presidential Power in Trump's America
The course focuses on U.S. public policy, specifically presidential control (or lack thereof) of administrative agencies such as the EPA, FDA, and others that some consider to be the "deep state." Readings and class discussion will provide an overview of the basic workings of relevant U.S. political institutions, followed by focus on policy making (and unmaking) within the Trump Administration. Content quizzes and a regulation project based on policy formation in a student's area of interest.
Units: 3
DECM 143: War on Cars
This interdisciplinary course brings together the study of transportation policy, sustainable urban planning, and climate change. Using case studies and connecting with experts from Appleton and around the world (New York, Madrid, Hong Kong, Medellin, Paris, and more). Students will engage in hands-on analysis of how sustainable transportation decisions aren't just individual choices about whether to buy an electric car or ride a bike.
Units: 3
DECM 144: The Science of Super Heroes
A seminar course that examines the good, the bad, and the indifferent approaches to science in popular super hero films (particularly the Marvel and DC Universes). No science background or prerequisites required.
Units: 3
DECM 145: Visual Utopias in Latin American Art
The seminar examines the art of Latin America from the 20th century to the present, emphasizing utopian ideas embodied in its images. The seminar will also discuss texts related to the art works, such as biographies, manifestos, and scholarly articles. Assessment will be based on class participation and a final written project. A visit to the Wriston Art Galleries will be included.
Units: 3
DECM 146: The Art and Science of Metals
Metals are an amazing material! Come learn about metals through the lenses of art and science. In this course, we will study metals with hands-on activities from artistic (casting, forming, finishing) and scientific (structurally, crystallinity, phases) viewpoints. A metal-working project using both basic and advanced forming and analysis methods will be the basis for drawing connections between the beauty and structure of metals.
Units: 3
DECM 147: Dubai and the 2020 World Expo
Through its architecture and projects Dubai has announced itself as a global city. This coming year Dubai will host the 2020 World Expo (delayed a year), taking its place as the latest world city to host this event. We will spend D-Term exploring both the Expo and the city of Dubai itself. This course will touch on themes relevant to each of the four GLST tracks (Cities, Nations & Identity, Arts & Exchange, Human Security). Additional fees for this course: program fee of $2200 plus airfare.
PREREQUISITES: Instructor Approval
Units: 3
Prerequisite: Instructor Approval
DECM 148: Introduction to Tropes and Stereotypes in Theatre Film and Media: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Tropes and character types have come down through the advent of western theatre and media to the present
day. These characters have represented, and often embarrassed, those they portray from the earliest
theatrical performances through international blockbuster films worldwide. Exploring their use and evolution of
the good, the bad, and the ugly of various stereotypes will enlighten their perpetuation or suppression in future
media.
Units: 3
DECM 149: What to Listen for in Rock
An introduction for students of any musical experience level to the analysis of rock and roll. In this seminar, students will learn to recognize the basics of harmony, timbre, instrumentation, and rhythm/meter that give a song its unique sonic profile. Through regular readings, listening assignments, and work on a final presentation, students will learn to approach individual songs with appropriate stylistic and cultural sensitivity.
Units: 3
DECM 150: World Energy Markets
Amidst the dual threats of war in western Europe and the prospects of catastrophic climate change, energy systems are at the fore of world attention. This course surveys world energy systems and markets, particularly the U.S. electricity system. The focus will be on a quantitative characterization of world energy sources and uses, along with theoretical and qualitative treatments of the economics and politics of world energy integration. Pending availability, classes will feature guests from business, government, and the academy.
Units: 3
DECM 151: Theatre of the Mind
Exploring both audio plays and tabletop role-playing games in this workshop course, students will learn how both forms function through immersion. They are called Theatre of the Mind because the audiences' imagination is an active participant in creating the work. No previous experience in audio drama or role-playing games necessary. Curiosity required.
Units: 3
DECM 152: Early Literacy in Our Community
In this course participants will practice reading, writing, and speaking strategies that support early childhood literacy foundations by working with beginning readers (ages 2-6) at community locations in the Fox Valley. Participants will talk to local educators and learn about early literacy theory. Short reflective essays, travel, and discussion required.
PREREQUISITES: Students must be able to pass a local background check.
Units: 3
Prerequisite: Students must be able to pass a local background check.
DECM 153: Exploring Radio Drama, old and (very) new
In our workshop, we will listen to and review scripts from the Golden Age of radio drama (1940s-1960s) and continuing into the vibrant era of BBC productions (1970s-1980s). We will then sample from popular podcast-based dramas. Our experience culminates in writing and producing a short, original radio play created by each student; using each other as actors and collaborators.
Units: 3
DECM 155: Dramatic Worldbuilding
In this workshop course, we will explore how worlds and settings are created for audiences in a variety of media, including theatre, games, art, movies, and novels. Dramatic Worlds are exciting homes for some of our favorite stories. To succeed, they need to be both evocative and understandable. Students will study worlds they love and create their own. No experience necessary; curiosity is required.
Units: 3
DECM 219: Start-Up Theatre
Open to students from theatre, economics, and other students interested in entrepreneurship in the performing arts. May be repeated when the topic is different. Additional fees may be charged to cover materials.
PREREQUISITES: Sophomore standing
Units: 3
Prerequisite: Sophomore standing
DECM 221: Greece Then, Greece Now
In this course we will visit prehistoric Mycenae, Classical sanctuaries at Epidauros, Olympia and Delphi, Byzantine monasteries at Meteora, and the major archaeological sites and museums of Athens. Students will learn how to read an archaeological site, do first-hand visual analysis of works of art, contextualize ancient literature and history, and at the same time begin to understand the complexities of modern Greece, including its economy fueled by tourism but also beset by EU-imposed austerity.
Additional fees apply to this course: approximately $1,400-$1,800 plus airfare. Registration deadline is June 3. Participants will need to make a 35% non-refundable deposit in early June.
PREREQUISITES: Sophomore standing
Units: 3
Prerequisite: Sophomore standing
DECM 222: Technical Drawing
Technical Drawing will build skills in using both traditional hand drafting and CAD. These skills can be applied to architectural drawings, theatrical drafting and prototyping. Projects will include scale drawings, gound plans and isometric views, and can be tailored to the interests and needs of the student. Topics will cover proper tools, techniques and design fundamentals. Additonal fees for materials will apply for those students who choose the option to use the Makerspace 3D printers. Will vary by student.
Units: 3
DECM 223: Adobe Creative Suite
This workshop is an introduction to the Adobe Creative Suite programs including Photoshop, InDesign, and Illustrator. The class is project centered, allowing each student to explore the multi-faceted and contemporary nature of each program. Methods in image construction, graphic design, typography, application, and output will be explored in detail.
Units: 3
DECM 224: Introduction to R
Careful data analysis has become central to decision-making in areas from politics to sports to medicine. This introduction to collecting, cleaning, and manipulating messy, real-world data with R will emphasize reproducible, documented analysis. The course will also introduce graphing and programming concepts that pertain to data analysis. Familiarity with basic statistics is a plus but not required.
Units: 3
DECM 225: A Good Life
What is a good life? How do I live it? This is an opportunity to engage with these questions by exploring how others have tried to answer them. We will read about different ways of living, experiment with some of those practices ourselves, and reflect on them in writing. We will also talk with invited guests about how they try to answer these questions.
Units: 3
DECM 226: Ancient Coin Publication Project
Students will research and publish ancient Greek and Roman coins from the University's collection. The current online version of the catalogue of the collection has been viewed by more than 4.2 million visitors; the goal of the project is to make the rest of the collection available to the public.
Units: 3
DECM 227: Hong Kong: Sustainability, Livability, and Urban Design
This combined discussion-and-travel course examines sustainable, livable urban design through the lens of contemporary Hong Kong. We will spend one week on campus reading and preparing, followed by five days in Hong Kong for on-the-ground study, including meetings with local NGOs, government officials, and business leaders. Travel expenses (including international flights, lodging, and meals) are covered by a grant from the Henry Luce Foundation. Registration deadline: June 1.
Units: 3
DECM 228: Plague, War, and Fire: Disasters and the Making of London
Between 1642 and 1666 London experienced war, plague, and fire. This travel study course examines these catastrophes, and explores how the city's responses shaped the future of not merely London, but other cities across the globe. We will visit numerous museums and historical sites, and consider how London responded to crisis, commemorated it, and confronted it again when German bombs fell during the twentieth century. Estimated additional fees beyond tuition are $2,500.
Units: 3
DECM 229: Bebop Language and Innovation
This course will explore how to improvise using bebop language. Study of solo transcriptions of Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and Clifford Brown, and analysis of a variety of bebop chord progressions. Applicaton of improvisational concepts such as bebop scales, broken chords, approach notes and resolutions, linear and chromatic connections, accents, rhythmic variations, and phrasing. Learning assessed through active participation, performance assignments, and a final project. All instruments welcome.
PREREQUISITES: Ability to play over major, minor blues, and II-V-I chord progressions. Good ear, intermediate technique, and basic knowledge of modes of major harmony.
Units: 3
Prerequisite: Ability to play over major, minor blues, and II-V-I chord progressions. Good ear, intermediate technique, and basic knowledge of modes of major harmony.
DECM 230: The Blues: Analysis and Application
A study of Blues styles and their evolution. Historical study of the Blues as a complete and complex form, examining basic harmonic movement, chord progression reharmonizations, and rhythmic and melodic construction. Analysis of solo transcriptions from Robert Johnson, Miles Davis, and John Coltrane, and application of improvisational concepts growing out of early blues tradition. Learning assessed through active participation, performing assignments, and a final project. For instrumentalists only.
PREREQUISITES: Ability to play over major, minor, dominant 7th, and II-V-I chord progressions. Good ear, intermediate technique, and basic knowledge of modes of major harmony.
Units: 3
Prerequisite: Ability to play over major, minor, dominant 7th, and II-V-I chord progressions. Good ear, intermediate technique, and basic knowledge of modes of major harmony.
DECM 231: Performing from the Inside Out
Musicians in this performance-based workshop explore the mind-body connection through improvisation exercises, activing techniques, strategies from performance psychology, discussion of assigned readings, and in-class performances. Engaged participation will lead to heightened expression, mental focus, musical communication, spontaneity, and self-confidence in solo and group performance. Emphasis will be placed on overcoming barriers to success in performance such as anxiety and muscle tension.
PREREQUISITES: Enrolled students must have one short solo piece, etude, or song prepared to present in the first class meeting and be capable of preparing and performing an additional short work late in the course.
Units: 3
Prerequisite: Enrolled students must have one short solo piece, etude, or song prepared to present in the first class meeting and be capable of preparing and performing an additional short work late in the course.
DECM 232: Entrepreneurship in London: From the Mayflower to Brexit
An introduction to entrepreneurship in London. Students will have the opportunity to visit a number of entrepreneurial ventures, both financial and social. Starting with the 'merchant adventurers' who helped to finance the launch of the Mayflower in 1620 and continuing to contemporary financial and social entrepreneurs active in London today, the course will show the political and economic dimensions of entrepreneurial ventures over time.
PREREQUISITES: Instructor approval.
Units: 3
Prerequisite: Instructor approval.
DECM 233: Suicide Risk Assessment and Prevention
This discussion-based seminar will include critical evaluation of the literature exploring risk and prevention factors for suicide as well as evidence-based approaches to addressing suicide risk in clinical psychology (e.g., Dialectical Behavior Therapy). There will be an applied element to the course, including engaging in role-plays of suicide risk assessment and prevention planning.
PREREQUISITES: PSYC 100
Units: 3
Prerequisite: PSYC 100
DECM 234: Medieval Toledo and the 13th-cen. Cantigas de Santa Maria
The Cantigas de Santa Maria, a 13th-cen. songbook with hundreds of songs and miniatures, was created in Toledo, Spain. This class will travel to Toledo, Spain. As we analyze relationships depicted in the manuscript among Christians, Muslims and Jews, we will visit surviving churches, mosques, synagogues, and museums to deepen our understanding of the complexities of life and culture in medieval Spain.
PREREQUISITES: Instructor approval - likely with short meetings in advance
Units: 3
Prerequisite: Instructor approval - likely with short meetings in advance
DECM 235: Hip Hop Revolution, 1973-
Commemorating the 50th anniversary of hip hop's creation in the Bronx in 1973, students in this seminar analyze the history of hip hop through readings, film, and close listening exercises. This course begins in Appleton and concludes with a sojourn in New York City, where students will immerse themselves in the sites and sounds that have influenced world music and culture over the past half-century.
Units: 3
DECM 236: The Newberry Library, Chicago
Visualizing Modernism in Chicago: By 1893, Chicago was a modern city with a population of over 1.5 million, yet it was not considered a cultural center. This seminar examines how artists and writers in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries visualized their own brand of modernism. Combining artistic, historical, and literary perspectives, students will study how this modernism was represented on the page and on the canvas. By exploring advancements in composition, color, design, sound, lyric, and language, we will consider the role the Midwest played in shaping modernist art, architecture, and literature. Classes will take place in Chicago’s Newberry Library. Using their collection, students will have the opportunity to study the papers of significant writers, thinkers, artists of the period helping them to visualize and construct modernism themselves. The course will follow a chronological and thematic scheme to introduce topics around modernism in the context of Chicago. Daily excursions will be organized so students can experience the spaces and objects under consideration. This course will take place at the Newberry Library in Chicago.
PREREQUISITES: Instructor approval; previous course in the humanities TRAVEL COSTS: $1700, a $250 deposit is due by October 1, 2024.
PREREQUISITES: Instructor approval; previous course in the humanities
Units: 3
Prerequisite: Instructor approval; previous course in the humanities
DECM 237: Defiant City: A Natural and Social History of New Orleans
This course is an interdisciplinary and immersive exploration of New Orleans. It examines core themes in New Orleans' social history, including the city's French foundings, Spanish constructions of racial identity, antebellum enslavement, 20th century migration and immigration trends, and the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. It also examines core themes in New Orleans' natural history, including the unique ecosystems surrounding the city and the environmental challenges of climate change, wetland loss, and flooding. Students will spend ten days fully immersed in the city of New Orleans visiting sites of environmental and historical importance. Students will leave having achieved a greater understanding of New Orleans unique challenges, what has made it America's most unique and defiant city. The course will be conducted on site in and around New Orleans. $300 deposit required by October 1, 2024.
PREREQUISITES: Sophomore standing
Units: 3
Prerequisite: Sophomore standing
DECM 238: AI Winter
In the 1960s and again in the 1990s, AI research reached a fever pitch, and then abruptly collapsed in a so-called "AI winter". In this course, we will discuss the AI climate that let to winters of the past, examine the "AI Spring" of the present, and ask ourselves: is another winter around the corner? Discussion-based seminar. No prior experience in computer science required.
Units: 3
