Hearts in the highlands:
Scotland in jeopardy

Scotland is in jeopardy. Not the country, but the trip. If only 2 more people would sign up...

I'd heard about the trip and course, Political Song as Public Voice- CA 410, throughout the semester from the jolly professor, Dr. Frank Klapak.

However, initially I did not think I could swing the tuition and traveling funds ($2,050), but surprisingly, with some (rather simple) maneuverings in the Financial Aid Office, I secured them for the May Term extravaganza.

You see, the financial aid is attached to the Spring semester, so I do not have to pay for the trip out of pocket. It joins the rest of my loans on their wonderful trip to the subsidized pile I pay after graduation.

Though paying for this trip is a sometimes depressing thought, I realized that taking trips after I have a career will be more difficult. This is the time to invest in traveling. I'm young, I'm single without children, and I'm living with my parents (no plants that will not be watered while I'm gone).

The course sounds fantastic, and it's definitely not for music majors only. Political Song as Public Voice CA 410 (from the catalog):

"is designed to introduce the student to Political Song (folk, campaign, protest, union, war, nationalistic, patriotic, contemporary, etc.) as a viable and chronological reflection of the cultural and social circumstance during social/political conflict. Students will participate in online learning, conduct investigation on individual thesis topics at the Center, and explore the social, cultural, and political institutions at Glasgow and Edinburgh."

The best part is that it works for any major. It is tailored to you.

"Each student, regardless of her/his major, will work within the design of the course and the focus of Political Song as Public Voice. But each student will adapt this design to incoporate the principles, tenets, and foundations of their major when examining how Public Voice is represented within their discipline."

So what does all that mean for a journalism, English lit, or creative writing major? You can assess the voices in the songs according to the various forms of literary criticism, practice looking behind the scenes into the lives of the composers and writers, and permit yourself, above all, to actually stand in and see the places that inspire so much literary beauty.

The trip is scheduled for May 16-24, 2006. The class begins on May 12 and does not conclude until the 31st.

The course evaluation includes

"attending workshops, lectures, presentations, discussions, activities, experiential learning events; and online presentations. Final assessment will include a personal journal, and a scholarly paper that reflects the accomplishment of each student's learning objectives determined during the first online meeting.

The class is three credits, so if you're needing them, this would be a wonderful opportunity. Not to mention the great time, wonderful real-life experience, a chance to go to another school--Glasgow Caledonian University, and an amazing recommendation of travel abroad on your transcript.

So, if you are even tinkering with the idea of Scotland, don't hesitate to e-mail me. (This was, after all, a grand advertisement to get two more people to come on the trip, :-)) I'm sure I could answer some questions for you, and get you in contact with Dr. Klapak for more information.

I hope this works out. I'm so excited to get my passport!

Picturesque , sublime, SCOTLAND!!!