For many students, the words ‘summer school’ clash like socks with sandals. However, IU Southeast is offering some classes this summer term sure to change a student’s outlook on summer school.
Take Tae Baek, assistant professor of advertising, and his Media in the Global Context course (CMCL-C 202). This specialized class opens an eye to how advertisements are perceived in different economies and cultures.
“With marketers scouring the globe for new target markets, communication professionals must consider a wide range of differing cultures and values when designing campaigns,” Baek said.
Baek gave an example of the banned advertisement of Lebron James for Nike. The campaign depicts James as battling a master of kung-fu and his trusty dragons. It was pulled from the air after being deemed disrespectful to the culture of the Chinese.
Baek said this course will be teaching students how to think outside of the box.
“The future demands that communications professionals think strategically in a global environment,” Baek said.
Another course on the roster is Harold Zimmerman’s Representations of King Arthur class (ENG-L 210), being offered for the first time this summer. Zimmerman said that the class goes beyond your typical old-text history course; students, he said, will be evaluating the history of King Arthur “through the lens of contemporary popular culture.”
“The focus of the course is on how more recent popular culture has assimilated this (Arthurian mythos) material,” Zimmerman said. “We’ll read some literature, poetry and ‘supposed’ non-fiction – such as the ‘history’ on which ‘The Da Vinci Code’ was based.”
Zimmerman said he has a lot of colorful ideas for applying the course load, such as evaluating a comic book series that depicts King Arthur and his knights ending up in 3000 A.D.’s planet Earth to put a halt to an alien invasion.
“Mostly, we’ll watch a number of films that transform the source material for their own particular purpose – everything from comedy, horror, animation, art house, musicals and science fiction,” Zimmerman said.
Zimmerman pointed out that not only will movies and comics be a part of the learning process, but discussion will play a strong role as well.
“This should be a very entertaining and enlightening course,” Zimmerman said. “Students will more deeply understand how and why tales such as these continue to delight and speak to new generations.”
Jody Grizz will be instructing a summer course on first aid, First Aid and Emergency Care (HPER-H 160).
“[This] course addresses cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), rescue breathing, choking, wounds, bleeding, burns, sudden illnesses, musculoskeletal injuries, and defibrillation/ the use of Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs).” Grizz said.
Students taking this course will also have the opportunity to earn their CPR certifications while also earning college credit.
“If you purchase the book new through the bookstore, you will receive a course completion card through National Safety Council. You will (also) receive a Professional Rescue CPR Card good for two years and a Basic First Aid Card good for three years,” Grizz said.
Grizz said she hopes that the course will allow students to be better prepared in crisis situations to help family, friends and/or coworkers.
