| My Courses Fall 2004 |
 |
|
| Classes started on Wednesday, September 1, 2004. Initially, I enrolled for six classes, but after a week or so narrowed it down to the four I liked best. As a comparison, in Amsterdam the standard is only three classes per semester. I currently take: "The Contemporary City" Professor Thomas Mansheim, Ph.D. Deals with the rise of cities, their demographic patterns, their planning structures, and focuses mostly on urban areas in the United States. "Ethnicity and Race in Urban History" Professor David S. Surrey, Ph.D. This course is involved with the historical background of ethnic and minority groups in today's American cities. Why are they here, why did they come here, what made them leave their home countries, and how were they treated by American society then and now? The course also deals with an extensive background on the lives of Native Americans, before and after the arrival of the first Europeans. "Art in the City" Professor Jon D. Boshart, Ph.D. This course requires us to take a field trip to a museum in New York City every week. The course discusses art varying from Egyptian, to Greek, and from Medieval to Modern. The course also touches upon American art, and attempts to establish the place and importance of all art in US society. Among the museums on our program are: The Brooklyn Museum of Art, Museum of Modern Art, The Guggenheim Museum, The Frick Colletion, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Cloisters, and many more. Click here for pictures of these several museum visits. "Film Noir: The Dark Side of American Film" Professor William G. Luhr, Ph.D. Deals with the French concept of "film noir" imposed on many American films from the 1940s to present. Hollywood really gave the phenomenon its own twist, and really made the genre its own over the decades. Some of the famous American 'noirs' we have discussed until now are: "Double Indemnity," "The Maltese Falcon," "The Big Sleep," "The Postman Always Rings Twice," "The Long Goodbye," and so on. |