BY MAXINE MOORE AND BRANDON WENNER
VN SPECIAL WRITERS
Registration for the winter 2020 term is underway, and many engaging courses are on the schedule.
Here is a sample of some of the offerings:
Interested in criminal justice?
Professor Erick Barnes’ “Organized Crime” class may be for you.
The course will focus on organized crime as a social and economic problem.
Students will learn about the nature and history of organized crime.
Another intriguing course is professor Gail Presbey’s “African Philosophy and Culture.”
Presbey teaches this course with enthusiasm and passion while bringing her experiences to life.
Students will study topics like why the philosophy of Africa has been marginalized in favor of European philosophy.
The course will cover all parts of Africa, starting with ancient Egypt and continuing all the way up to contemporary times.
It will deal with current struggles, and how they are dealt with philosophically.
“This is one of my favorite courses to teach,” Presbey said.
She believes that students will gain a better knowledge of Africa and both its philosophical ideas and its history and cultures.
Communication professors Jason Roche and Tom Stanton will be team teaching “Digital Journalism: Telling True Stories Online with Audio, Video, Photos and Text.”
The class will cover all aspects of mass communication.
While there are individual classes for photography, video production, journalistic writing and audio production, this course gives students the opportunity to dabble in each field and find which one is most impactful for them – as well as telling stories using all of the mediums.
Next up is “Abnormal Psychology,” which explores the causative factors and the treatments for multiple psychological disorders.
“Introduction to Addiction Studies” dives into the physiological and psychological effects of drugs and alcohol.
“Criminal Law and Procedure” is a course that will inform students about citizen rights.
Students will learn concepts like what constitutes first- and second-degree murder and manslaughter.
Professor Victoria Mantzopoulos talked about her excitement for the six-week trial project, in which students are involved in jury selection, evidence gathering and play witnesses, judges and so on.
“Students really get into it, and they start living in the role,” said Mantzopoulos.
“Wealth Management and Financial Planning” gives students everything they need to get their lives started successfully when they leave college.
The course teaches students how to make good financial choices.
Students will also learn about different kinds of insurance.
“Introduction to Corrections” focuses on the history, development and philosophy of corrections in the United States.
Students will learn about the operations of correctional facilities.
“Gender, Sex and Justice” is for anybody passionate about equality.
The class probes feminism and the history of women’s and gender movements.
Professor Roche’s “Electronic Music Production” is those interested in creating music.
The class also will teach students how to create their own sounds.
Students learn how to write song lyrics and record their voices to their arrangements.
“My favorite part of the course is listening to student projects at the end of the semester. It’s really exciting,” said Roche.
The course shows students that music can be made anywhere.
Are movies your thing?
You might consider “Crime in Film,” a criminal justice offering.
“Exploring Leadership” includes discussions, exercises, role plays, structured experiences and interactive projects. This course is taught by Dr. Don DiPaolo and is offered during various days/times during the winter term.
The musically inclined might enjoy joining the university chorus, which is offered as a course, MUS 1000. The chorus is mixed voice and open to interested male and female singers. Repertoire will include classical, contemporary and popular choral music.
Finally, “Cultural Anthropology” examines the nature of human adaptive systems as well as culture and its various aspects including social organization, technology, economics, religions, and language as these are seen among selected cultures throughout the world, according to the course catalogue.
