AI 147 | ETHICS: HOW GOOD PEOPLE MAKE TOUGH CHOICES | 2 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Through life's many lessons, we have learned how to make a decision between what is the right thing to do and what is simply wrong. We can differentiate between good and evil, truth and lies, etc. However, most of our dilemmas do not stem from deciding the correct path, when we are faced with right and wrong decisions. What most often puts us into a quandary is deciding between what is right and what is right. In other words when good people are faced with tough choices, on what basis do they make their decisions? In an era of perceived ethical incertitude and moral skepticism, students will examine how decisions are made based on one of many ethical systems. Students will learn about various ethical systems, and ethicists, such as utilitarianism, deontology, Kant, Aristotle, and Gillian, just to name a few. By the end of the course students should be able to apply their knowledge of moral, ethical and social issues, and have a better understanding of how the tough decisions they make could impact others. (2-4 quarter hours)
AI 152 | EXPLORING THE ART MUSEUM | 2 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Museums have been a respected and trusted measurement of artistic accomplishment. In this course, the student will examine the museum's role as collector, conservator and educator. The student will investigate the traditional role of the art museum, its collection, practices and programs as well as its efforts to integrate new media into its collection. The course also investigates repatriation, which is the ownership of ancient and cultural heritage and other issues that affect the museum such as censorship and funding. Finally it will look at how we value art as a commercial commodity. (2-4 quarter hours)
AI 153 | THE ART OF SPEECHMAKING | 2 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
In this class, students will use tools based in the imagination, principles of design, and standard dramatic practice to create a unique, personal experience for an audience. Speech, whether we call it dramatic or declamatory, has the potential to move the masses. In this course, you will develop a personal approach and construct effective presentations that harness the power of their voice and body. (2 credit hours)
AI 155 | ANALYZING LEADERSHIP | 2 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
This course provides a framework from which to identify and analyze 'leadership. Leadership occurs in all aspects of life, including: business, politics, sports, society, religion, family, education, and culture. But what is leadership? The Merriam-Webster on-line dictionary defines leadership as "the act or an instance of leading," which provides us with little insight. On further investigation, however, the dictionary defines "lead" as [guide] on a way especially by going in advance. Where there is a leader, then, someone or something must follow. This course first explores the interrelationship between a leader and his or her followers and looks at the effect they have on each other. "Good" leadership traits (i.e., effective) and "bad" leadership traits (i.e., ineffective) are then studied from the perspectives of the leaders, the followers, and outsiders. Finally, this course takes a look at leadership from an international perspective. (2-4 quarter hours)
AI 157 | ENGLAND: CATHEDRALS, A PILGRIMAGE | 2-4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
The inspiration and faith which combined to produce the magnificent cathedrals in England are worthy subjects of study for students of art, history, architecture and religion. This Spring Break study abroad course brings students to some of the most important cathedrals in the world to provide opportunities for such important study. On this program, participants will gain valuable understandings of religion, art, and culture as they simultaneously engage with present day British culture and attempt to unravel its rich and complex past. SNL Students must register for three to four competencies between the two quarters. For more information, please visit the study abroad website or contact the instructor. (2-6 quarter hours)
AI 160 | IT'S ONLY ROCK AND ROLL: MAKING MUSIC THE OLD FASHIONED WAY | 2 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
For many, music is an integral part of everyday life. It is also deeply ingrained in most cultures. Music is used by individuals, businesses and societies to entertain, soothe, excite, and arouse. Music is basically a series or combination of pleasing sounds but how is music made? How do we know what is pleasing and what is not? The answers to these questions and others demonstrate that music is also a field where science and art meet. In this class, we will explore how sound is physically created and how specific sounds have been turned into music over the centuries. Through experimentation, we will examine the physical and mathematical properties of sound and musical instruments. We will also create simple musical instruments and share the experience of creating musical pieces. No musical experience is needed to take this class. (2-4 quarter hours)
AI 167 | DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY | 2 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Students learn in this course to take artistic digital photos. They will analyze photos they have taken prior to the course and discuss if they fulfill criteria to be seen as art. Several theories of artistic expression will be discussed. Rules of composition, light, exposure, colors, etc. will be reflected upon. In a second step the students will develop the competence to alter their digital photos with a program like "Photoshop Elements". They will be able to change the expression of their photos and combine different shots, creating their personal piece of art. As a final product, students will create a portfolio with about 5 photos including detailed descriptions of their work. (2-4 quarter hours)
AI 170 | CREATIVITY AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP | 2 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
IPads. Smart Phones. The automobile. These inventions, once unknown and now taken for granted, required years of imagining, experimentation and innovative thinking. While we value the end product, we are often unaware of the underlying creative/creating process. This class will explore the role of creativity in the development of entrepreneurial skills and the entrepreneurial personality. Creativity in this course will be seen both as a learned skill and as an exploration of our intuition. This course will explore contemporary approaches to the creative process based on the human capacity to imagine, to explore and, ultimately, to create. These are core skills for anyone pursuing a career as an entrepreneur or simply in search of ways to explore innovation. (2 credit hours)
AI 172 | MAKING POEMS: AN INTRODUCTION TO VERSE | 2 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Making poems will be a creative writing offering that teaches metrics and verse forms, poetry the old-fashioned way. Topics will include metric feet, rhyme, lines, and verse forms. For example, students will learn about the iambic foot, write some iambic lines of various lengths, and finally use the iambic line to write a sonnet. Rap poetry with its structured rhythms and elaborate rhyming is another possibility. This "formalist" approach promotes a kind of creativity that is strongly infused with craft and discipline in contrast to the "spoken word" or confessional approaches to making poems. This class involves making audio recordings of your poems; students will be required to purchase a headset/microphone and download and install free software. (2-4 quarter hours)
AI 176 | CREATIVE WRITING | 2 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Designed to help you explore the art of writing stories, either stories that are "made-up" or stories based on lived experience. You will be required to complete six fiction-writing exercises, and either one short story, one autobiographical story, or one story based on an oral history collected by the you. In addition, you write a final essay in which you reflect on your learning and experience in the course. (2-4 quarter hours)
AI 181 | CREATING ORIGINAL DIGITAL ART | 2 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
The course will focus on electronic visual art, and because of the amount of material to be covered, will not include audio or animation art. Student will look at what constitutes "art", then look at how original art could be created using technological tools, such as Microsoft Paint, Pixel-based art, such as Microsoft Graphics in PowerPoint; Digital Photography and PhotoShop; digital short-movies, and Digital Animation using Freeware GIF Animation software. (2-4 quarter hours)
AI 185 | THE BEATLES AND THE CREATIVE PROCESS | 2 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
The Beatles are significant in many ways: they were an unprecedented show business phenomenon; they were leaders of Sixties cultural rebellion; and they stand, for many, as a signal instance of popular entertainment attaining the status of high art. This course will examine the musical craftsmanship of the Beatles, focusing on their work as songwriters and record makers. Recent audio and print releases documenting the group's performing and recording history provide a unique and detailed glimpse of the Beatles' creative process. We will utilize these materials to closely trace the development of the group's work while using other resources to place it in a larger historical and cultural context. The goal is to shed critical light on this recent chapter in cultural history. That discussion will, in turn, highlight questions about creativity in a modern context where commerce vies with art, technology redefines performance and an emerging global village culture transforms concepts of originality and tradition. (2-4 quarter hours)
AI 202 | LONDON ALIVE: IN THEATERS, MARKETS AND MUSEUMS | 2-4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Join SNL in London for a course about performance and representation. Theater, live performance, museum collections and street markets are integral parts of English cultural history; they also represent Britain's international heritage. London theaters celebrate English history, culture and language, and carry the banner of the English artistic imagination into the future. London's museums make it one of the most visited cities in the world for the range of its collected artifacts and images. Outside the theater and museum doors, markets teem with life, creating a magical intersection of past with present and future, of art with life and politics, of cultural stasis with social change. (2-6 quarter hours)
AI 203 | ART AND TRANSFORMATION | 2-4 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
What's the difference between change and development? Between action and inspiration? Between mobility and transition? Between planned change and transformation? If you can answer all those questions, try this: What's the difference between the creative contributions of painter Leonardo da Vinci and CEO Walter Isaacson? This course explores how art can serve as a guidepost during key phases in the adult experience, especially those involving transition periods like healing, growth, and personal and professional change. Students look at cases of major change agents throughout history who became catalysts for cultural transformation in part because of the impact of important works of art. The students will engage with diverse examples of art that have influenced important thought leaders and change agents of the past and present to become catalysts for major transformations in the human experience. Students will learn how significant products of the creative process; in this case, great works of art can encapsulate, reflect, and even activate the process of personal as well as social change, and how each of us can participate in the alchemical process of reflection, inspiration, and action that can result in transformation of inner and even worlds. Art and Transformation introduces learners to a variety of works of art and the people they influenced, a group that will eventually include the learners themselves. It presents a range of ways to approach the arts and to use them as tools of inspiration, self-reflection, communication, and growth. Divided into four units (Art and Personal Transformation, Art and Cultural Transformation, Art and Leisure, and Art and Work), the class presents multidisciplinary examples of literature (poetry, fiction, essays, memoir), as well as film and other visual arts. Students will consider art both from the perspective of the artist him/herself as well that of major thought leaders and change agents whose contributions to society have been motivated by an engagement with art that acted as a catalyst for system shifts in areas of-personal and cognitive growth, cultural and political change, as well as the transformation of the world of work in the 21st century. Ultimately this course is an investigation of art itself as a change agent that has much to tell us about the past, the present, and ourselves. (2-4 hours)
AI 204 | CREATIVE ENTREPRENEURSHIP | 2 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
IPads. Smart Phones. The automobile. These are inventions, once unknown and now taken for granted, required years of imagining, experimentation and unconventional thinking. While we value the end of the process (the product), we are often uncomfortable with the creative/creating process. The process of imagining, conceptualizing and articulating this "new" requires skills we often label 'creative'. This class will explore the role of creativity in the development of entrepreneurial skills and the entrepreneurial personality. Creativity in this course will be seen both as a learned skill and as an exploration of our intuition. Contemporary ideas about creativity are often tied to images of the past - from mad scientists to mystical muses. But modern science tells us something else about the creative mind. This course will explore contemporary approaches to the creative process based the human capacity to imagine, to explore and ultimately, to create. These are core skills for anyone in pursuing a career as an entrepreneur, or simply in search of ways to explore innovation. In this course, we will examine the ideas of three major thinkers form the world of creativity, disruption and entrepreneurship. We will then explore where these ideas converge on topics including, risk, the random, intuition and innovation. (2-4 quarter hours)
AI 211 | ANALYZING AUSTEN'S PRIDE AND PREJUDICE | 2 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Jane Austen must have known something about universal truths. Her novel, Pride and Prejudice, which begins with the sentence quoted above, was first published in 1813. Still in print today, it has also been made into at least eleven movies, four of which were released since 2000, including a Mormon and a Bollywood version. In this class, we will read the novel in the context of the gender and class norms at the time Austen wrote her book and then consider how Austen's exploration of universal truths is reinterpreted in more contemporary film versions of this novel. In exploring Austen's creation and the many reinterpretations of her work, we will use both analytic and creative writing assignments as well as class discussion to examine how context informs creativity and how creativity informs analysis. You most definitely do not need to be a creative writer to take this class. (2-4 quarter hours)
AI 215 | FILM NOIR | 2 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
In this course we will screen and discuss select noir films and develop skills of viewing and analyzing them closely. Highlighted topics will include the concept of genre in film; the relationship of genre codes to creativity; the dynamics of form and content; the tension between commerce and art; the auteur theory; psychologies of the divided self; representations of masculinity and femininity; and the question of what these films say about American society, post-World War II. (2-4 quarter hours)
AI 217 | MINDFULNESS MEDITATION | 2 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Mindfulness mediation provides many different ways to broaden our awareness of the world around us, heighten our powers of concentration, deepen our under-standing of our experience, and cultivate creative and transformative ways of being in the world. Many approaches to mindfulness meditation draw on ancient religious and spiritual traditions from around the world. So mindfulness meditation is compatible with and can enhance whatever religious or spiritual commitments you may have. But mindfulness meditation does not require religious or spiritual interpretations. It can be practiced as a very powerful path to becoming a creative, healthy and effective adult. In this course, you will learn what mindfulness meditation is and various ways in which it can be practiced. We will explore in particular how mindfulness meditation can enhance creativity, address the ethical challenges of contemporary life, and foster collaborative learning. Class sessions will involve extensive practice in mindfulness meditation, listening and dialogue. You will be expected to maintain and reflect on a daily mindfulness meditation practice for the duration of the course. (2-4 quarter hours)
AI 225 | GREAT MUSIC IN CHICAGO | 2 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
The course introduces people to three of the most exciting and rewarding institutions in Chicago music: the world-famous Chicago Symphony Orchestra at Symphony Center downtown; the fabulous training orchestra of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, known as the Civic Orchestra, also downtown; and live top-name jazz at the Jazz Showcase. We learn the background of these institutions, the nature of the arts they perform, and the terms used to describe and appreciate those forms. Most importantly, we experience, in person, the great music that they play! (2-4 quarter hours)
AI 254 | RESISTANCE DURING THE HOLOCAUST AND WORLD WAR II | 2 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
This course explores the history of the Holocaust in the context of the Second World War (1939-1945) with a central focus on examples of resistance to discrimination, fascism and oppression. We will explore varied forms of opposition including armed resistance, spiritual resistance, resistance through writing and identity preservation. We will read autobiographies, view documentary and dramatic films, and use museum resources to develop our understanding of resistance. Required activities include a visit to the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center (Skokie, IL). We will also consider the implications of this history for making ethical choices in our world today. (2-4 quarter hours)
AI 255 | SELF EXPLORATION: INSIDE OURSELVES, OUTSIDE WITH OTHERS | 2 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Exploring the self can be a very personal and satisfying experience. It can provide clues as to how you interact with others, accomplish daily tasks and how to become a more happy, productive and respected individual. Students in the course engage in self reflection in a collaborative learning format where they learn about themselves and observe the trends and conclusions of the class. Topics to be explored include family origins, gender perspectives, personality traits and development, self awareness and identity, creativity, and professional and moral perspectives.
AI 256 | WORKPLACE AND PROFESSIONAL ETHICS | 2 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
This hybrid-learning course is open to all DePaul undergraduates. It provides a thorough grounding in the theoretical and applied nature of work-based ethical decision-making. We engage the tenets and assumptions of four major ethical perspectives, using them to examine the meanings and implications of morality in professional life. Using the tools of reason, we investigate obstacles to ethical decision-making in one's and others' professional behavior, and apply our learning in the writing of a personal ethical code. (2-4 quarter hours)
AI 282 | LEISURE FOR WELL-BEING | 2 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
The pursuit of happiness for most people is an important aim in life. A personal feeling of well-being includes "emotional happiness" and the rational satisfaction with one's own life. In this course you will attempt to define the term "well-being" and discover its relationship with other concepts such as mental health and life satisfaction. How does physical exercise influence well-being? How do positive and negative life events influence well-being? Do good social relationships guarantee happiness? Do the expectations one has in life with regard to income influence well-being? Is it important to set goals to achieve a high level of well-being? These and other questions will be addressed in this course. You will try to define some of things a person can do to increase his or her level of well-being. Others' ideas serve as common course content, as presented in the material assigned to this course. You will be asked to participate actively and critically, to work individually and in study groups, using your own experience as a field of analysis and reflection. Active group participation will foster a harmonic, interactive environment, which might increase positive relationships among students and foster a feeling of well-being throughout this course. (2-4 quarter hours)
AI 285 | WORK, PLAY, REST: NAVIGATING COMPLEXITIES OF ADULT LIFE | 2 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
Adult life has become complex. With expectations from family, school, work, home, social pressures, technology and social media, it sometimes feels impossible to keep up. When the news bombards us or becomes frightening, and the world around us feels uncertain, how do we make sense of things and find our way forward? In this course, we will begin from the place that human beings are full of creativity, ingenuity, resourcefulness, generosity and hope. Our very lives and the world around us will be our subject matter - our need to work, our bodies' need for rest, and our enjoyment of leisure and recreation. Where does stress, expectation and anxiety come from, how are these held in the body, and what can we do about it? And, how has story, movement, music and sound, humor, popular entertainment and fun helped humans get through the day, navigate relationships, and find more ease? By engaging in simple creative practices in and out of class and considering what might be useful for individual and collective well being, the goal is for students to create a toolbox of approaches for navigating life's complexities to carry forward beyond the class. (2-4 quarter hours)
AI 286 | NEW ORLEANS IN SONG, STORY & STRUGGLE | 2 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
The tapestry of New Orleans culture is tremendously rich and varied. This course will concentrate on two strands in that tapestry - music from New Orleans and fiction about it. Students will learn about music forms which originated in the city or its environs and which have gone on to dazzle the world, including jazz, r&b, zydeco and funk. We will situate these art forms in social, historical and political context and examine the complex processes of invention and adaptation which have shaped them; in that regard, we will particularly highlight the development of early jazz in this unique metropolis which, though residing at the tip of North America, has been called "the capitol of the Caribbean." We will make use of Thomas Brothers' pioneering study Louis Armstrong's New Orleans as well as musical performances by the likes of Professor Longhair, the Neville Brothers, Wynton Marsalis and Dr. John. We will also learn about the carnivalesque culture of New Orleans, a pursuit that will take us into what might be called the secret history of Mardi Gras. In addition, we will read two striking literary works by artists who have a background in and fascination with the crescent city: Kate Chopin's groundbreaking novella The Awakening and Tennessee Williams' spine-tingling one-act play Suddenly, Last Summer. Moreover, we will consider the role played by New Orleans in American history and imagination as well as the role played by images and fantasies of New Orleans in struggles for social justice at the local and national level. (2-4 quarter hours)
AI 322 | PROBLEMS AND ISSUES IN CONTEMPORARY ETHICS | 2 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
An introduction to moral philosophy with emphasis on the conflict between "moral relativism" (or "subjective" ethics) on the one hand and "moral realism" (or "objective" ethics) on the other. During the course you will be introduced to classic theories and leading figures in the history of ethics, from Plato and Aristotle to Kant and Nietzsche. Course content will focus on issues (e.g., poverty, drug use, capital punishment, sexual behavior, euthanasia, biomedical research, animal rights, political violence) at the center of contemporary ethical debate in the United States and throughout the world. (2-4 quarter hours)
AI 342 | LEARNING ART HISTORY THROUGH THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO | 2 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
The Art Institute of Chicago is one of the nation's premiere art museums, with a collection that offers wide opportunities for the study of art. This course will examine great paintings in the museum from the Middle Ages up to contemporary works. Students will deepen their knowledge of art history and how to study a painting, develop an overall knowledge of major periods and trends, as well as gain insights into the lives of the artists. Students will also gain a knowledge of the museum itself as a starting off point for further studies. Class will meet at the Art Institute, Michigan and Adams, at the front information desk. (2-4 quarter hours)
AI 396 | INTRODUCTION TO ART THERAPY | 2 quarter hours
(Undergraduate)
This experiential class in will introduce students to concepts of art therapy and other expressive arts. It will address the therapeutic use of art making by people who experience illness, trauma, or challenges in living, as well as by people who seek personal development and general well being. By participating in expressive arts activities and reflecting on the products and processes, students will learn how art therapy can help people increase awareness of self and others, cope with symptoms, stress, and traumatic experiences; enhance cognitive abilities; and enjoy the life-affirming pleasures of making art. (2-4 quarter hours)