J-Term Diaries: South Africa

J-term In Richmond and On-campus

DRAM 422 Directing

R-MC drama majors have the option of directing a play during their senior year. Bill is responsible for selecting the play, casting the show, working with set/lighting/costume designers, directing the actors, and essentially taking up all the work that a director would do during the course of any given play.

Name: Bill Allen Major: Drama Class: 2010 Home: Hampton, VA

1/21/2010    You know, it's like chess, but with living people, and there aren't any squares, and you don't necessarily t I guess it's time for another update.  Shameful the way I neglect this blog...  Shameful I say. You know, it's like chess, but with living people, and there aren't any squares, and you don't necessarily t[Read more from this post] 1/17/2010    Been out a spell, two exams in one week'll do that So, I probably could have warned you guys about how bad I am at updating things on a really decent regular basis. Been out a spell, two exams in one week'll do that[Read more from this post] 1/7/2010    So, Firefox, you'll recognize "awesomeness" as a word, but not "insubstantiality"... Ummm, okay... Okay, okay, okay, I lied.  So I went an extra day longer than I originally planned before posting. So, Firefox, you'll recognize "awesomeness" as a word, but not "insubstantiality"... Ummm, okay...[Read more from this post]

EVST 451 Environmental Studies Internship

Shannon will have the opportunity to gain first-hand experience during her internship at the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. She will primarily be working in VDGIF's fish passage unit, which works to make dams and other barriers navigable for fish, many of which are endangered species that need to migrate past dams and into small streams in order to complete their life cycles. During her internship she will collect data that helps evaluate the success of fish-stocking programs, use underwater cameras to watch fish as they move past dams, and visit obstructed rivers, which are being evaluated for potential dam removal or construction of fish passage devices.

Name: Shannon White Major: Biology Class: 2010 Home: Ashland, VA

1/28/2010    Last Day Unfortunately today is the last day of my internship.  I've written about how much I've enjoyed it and how I much I wish it could be longer, so I won't dive into that again. Last Day[Read more from this post] 1/21/2010    Why do four day work weeks always seem longer? I know, I know.  I haven't updated in awhile.  But, my mornings have largely consisted in me going in to school around 7am (don't fret, I do it by choice) only to find at least one of my five fish tanks I use for research in some state of disrepair. Why do four day work weeks always seem longer?[Read more from this post] 1/15/2010    One fish, two fish.... I've been sitting in my lab at Randolph-Macon all day analyzing fish videos.  It's nice because currently half of the lights are out and there's an arctic breeze coming in from outside so focusing all of my attention to the videos has been pretty easy. One fish, two fish....[Read more from this post]

MUSC 240 World Music

The aim of this course is to familiarize students with the objectives and methods of inquiry used in ethnomusicology. Students will seek to answer some fundamental questions about the meaning of music, and the nearly universal need for individuals and groups to create and practice it. Students will examine traditional music in Persia, Mande West Africa, Japan, and modern Brazil, and will investigate laws of physics which govern tone production, as well as methods of pedagogy (transmission), performance practices, instrument construction, and most importantly, how social, cultural, and personal identity are expressed through the activity of music making.

Name: Shannon Carey Major: Computer Science Class: 2012 Home: Montross, VA

1/11/2010    Moving on from West Africa We devoted the first week of class to learning about music from West Africa and the Mali Empire. Music there greatly differs from what it is here because it serves many more roles than just to entertain. Moving on from West Africa[Read more from this post] 1/4/2010    A Trip Around the World...via music Today was my first day in World Music. The class is definitely different from what I thought, but in a good way. A Trip Around the World...via music[Read more from this post]

DRAM 111 Intro to Theatre

This exciting course focuses on the functions, purposes and methods of theater. Its structure, components, workings, and the contributions of the collaborative artists who make it happen will be examined. Students enrolled in the course will also attend plays on- and off-campus.

Name: Norma Beltran Major: Undecided Class: 2013 Home: Montross, VA

1/11/2010    dead guys that wrote plays With the first week down and I have learned many interesting things. I didn't think that I could learn so much from Intro to Theater, but I have. dead guys that wrote plays[Read more from this post]