Global Arc

This course explores Greek modernism in literature, art, and architecture in its relation with global modernism. The course is structured around two historical moments: the 1930s and the 1960s. The formidable power of the "generation of the 1930s" and the modernist experiments of the 1960s are seen in their historical context, Greek, European, and global: what preceded these explosions of modernist aesthetics in Greece? How did they relate with global developments of the time? What has been excluded from the narrative of the "generation of the 1930s" or the 1960s, who were the misfits and how did they fertilize Greek culture?

Three historical themes shaped Byzantine Europe: the inheritance of Byzantine political ideology with its complex relations between state and church; the encounter with Western Europe; and the concept of political reform. Dreams of Byzantium, theocracies, and utopias of political modernity crossed a space of shared culture and created a sense of community despite political boundaries until the national idea built up frontiers of territorial identities. The fate of these ideas and their political fertility invites us to reflect on the concept of ideology and its instrumentality in the construction of the State.

An intensive interdisciplinary study of the evolution of a city, such as Athens, Constantinople, Thessaloniki, Alexandria, or Antioch, where Greek civilization flourished through successive periods, from antiquity to the present. A study of the form and the image of the city as seen in its monuments and urban fabric, as well as in the works of artists, writers, and travelers. Prerequisite: instructor's permission. Two 90-minute classes.

An introduction to Twi language and culture of the Akan-Twi-speaking people of West Africa. The course is taught in Twi and focuses on acquiring novice-level skills to perform basic communication functions in the culture of Akan-Twi speakers of West Africa. Students will be introduced to basic grammar, communicative skills and cultural activities that will be reinforced through role plays, conversations, dialogues and songs. By the end of the course, students will have acquired basic grammar competence to perform in everyday situations with an understanding and appreciation of the culture of the Akan people in Ghana, West Africa.

This course is a continuation of Twi 101 and continues to focus on the communicative approach to studying the language. It includes specific socio-cultural settings and events. Speaking, reading, writing and listening continue to form an integral part of the course and students will build on their grammatical skills. By the end of the course, learners are expected to reach proficiency level ranging between Novice High and Intermediate Low.

This course is a continuation of TWI 102. It builds on the basic Twi structures acquired in TWI 101 and TWI 102 through oral and listening activities. Students will continue to build on their vocabulary through readings of short stories. It continues to focus on communicative skills and cultural awareness. By the end of the course, learners are expected to reach proficiency level ranging between Intermediate Low and Intermediate Mid.

This course expands on the language skills acquired from TWI 105 and continues to focus on the communicative approach to studying the language. It includes specific socio-cultural settings and events. Speaking, reading, writing and listening continue to form an integral part of the course and students will build on their grammatical skills. By the end of the course, learners are expected to reach proficiency level ranging between Novice High and Intermediate Low.

Introduction to Theatre Making is a working laboratory, which gives students hands-on experience with theatre's fundamental building blocks - writing, design, acting, directing, and producing. Throughout the semester, students read, watch and discuss five different plays and ensemble theater works. We will analyze how these plays are constructed and investigate their social and political implications. In-class artistic responses provide hands-on exploration as students work in groups to create and rehearse six different performances inspired by our course texts.

An introduction to the craft of acting. Emphasis will be placed on honesty, spontaneity, and establishing a personal connection with the substance of material.

We will explore the foundations of black performance theory, drawing from the fields of performance studies, theater, dance, and black studies. Using methods of ethnography, archival studies, and black theatrical and dance paradigms, we will learn how scholars and artists imagine, complicate, and manifest various forms of blackness across time and space. In particular, we will focus on blackness as both lived experience and as a mode of theoretical inquiry.