Through the Cooperative Center to Study Abroad, students can take classes in London, England, and the program’s classes are transferrable to Mississippi State University. Many classes are being offered, but students are not the only ones with an opportunity to travel to London.
Four MSU teachers will travel for a summer semester in London to teach various classes at King’s College near Hampstead.
George Light, an assistant professor of English at MSU, will teach Shakespeare From Page to Stage. The class will “take advantage of the live Shakespearian theatre in London,” Light said.
Light will also partake in some learning of his own by researching how set design and directors are different according to location.
Wanda Dodson, a professor of human sciences, will teach a unique class called Social and Cultural Aspects of Food. The class is designed to “explore multi-dimensional aspects of food from production to consumption in a multi-cultural environment,” according to the course description. Dobson also said she is excited to see “how cultures come together through food.”
London is multi-cultural, with many kinds of restaurants from many different cultures.
“We will discover the economic, political, social, psychological and religious aspects of food,” Dobson said.
History professor Richard Damms will instruct a class on early 20th century British history. The class will focus on Winston Churchill and his influence on British history.
Phyllis Miller will bring her knowledge of fashion design to London with Transcending Time and Place: Visual Design and Dress as Related to Historic and Folk Influence. The class will travel to many museums in cities across Europe, including trips to Paris, Bath, Rome and Brussels.
“In Europe, there are so many wonderful places to observe line, color, light and texture and how to design garments,” Miller said.
A visit is planned to the Victoria Albert Museum, which includes a collection of historic costumes from the 1500s to the present. The class will also visit Kensington Palace, which shows many of Queen Elizabeth’s and Princess Diana’s gowns, many of which were influenced by designs of other countries.
A trip to Bath will allow students to meet with curators and get a closer look at the costume collection. The students will design and work on surface detail like embroidery and beading.
Miller said she also feels that teaching in London will be an important experience for her.
“I will be visiting museums I’ve never seen, and I will see things I never thought about seeing,” Miller said.
Miller is also working on software programs that show design, and her experience in London will further her work on the software.
The program will last five weeks, with three-hour semiweekly meetings. The classes will meet a third day for field trips. With the setting in London, these classes will prove to not only produce a plethora of classroom knowledge, but also hands-on experience.
More information on the program can be obtained by going to the University Honors Program’s house or visiting their Web site at www.msstate.edu/dept/uhp.