MORNING CLASSES
Principles of Physical Geology (LD)
Can Denizman Valdosta State University
This course is a partial introduction to the science of geology. Geologists generally group geology into two broad sub-disciplines: physical geology and historical geology. This class will cover physical geology. Topics in physical geology include earth materials, mountain building, features of the continents and ocean floors, geologic structures, geologic hazards, and geologic time. Special emphasis will be given to the theory of plate tectonics, and how this theory helps us understand our planet. Ultimately, the goal of this course is to help each student better understand our planet, and how humans interact with our planet.
The laboratory part of this course is designed to complement the lecture portion of physical geology.
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Irish Philosophy (UD)
William Eaton, Georgia Southern University
Ireland has a rich legacy of philosophy that is often underappreciated. This course covers the history of Irish philosophy from its origins in the work of the Irish Augustine, a monk from the seventh century, to contemporary philosophers working in Ireland today, such as Dr. Lilian O'Brien at University College Cork. Philosophers covered in the course include John Scottus Eriugena, Robert Boyle, John Toland, George Berkeley, Jonathan Swift, Francis Hutcheson and Edmund Burke. Although a variety of issues in ethics, epistemology, metaphysics and political philosophy will be explored, special emphasis will be placed on the debate over primary and secondary qualities which directly led to the development of moden empiricism.
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Drawing and the Irish Landscape (LD)
Valerie Aranda Georgia College & State University
Drawing and the Irish Landscape, satisfies a lower and upper division drawing course. Students will learn the basics of drawing and refine and build upon their current drawing skills through direct observation and media experimentation using pencil, charcoal, pastel and various art materials. Focusing on the oldest city of Ireland, Waterford is a city situated at the head of the Waterford Harbor with a history dating back to 914 AD. Students will work on location and develop their technical and compositional artistic skills and learn different methods for sketching and drawing. Drawing from the richness and history of the Landscape of Ireland, lessons will also include portraiture, architecture, light and color. Experimental approaches to drawing will be encouraged and the course will culminate in a group exhibit of the student’s artwork.
Irish Fiction After the Famine (UD)
Howard Keeley, Georgia Southern University
Beginning with the Potato Famine or Great Hunger of the 1840s, this course explores Irish writing across several genres—novels, short stories, poetry, memoirs, and travelogues. It highlights how gifted, engaged authors like James Joyce and Anne Enright have responded to key historical events, such as the 1916 Dublin Rising, the 1921 Partition of Ireland, and the Northern Ireland Troubles, which began in 1968 and persisted for three decades. A key area of study is the Irish Cultural Revival, which yielded the famous Abbey Theater. Field trips for the course emphasize writers from Waterford and its surrounding counties. We visit places associated with the novelists Charles Kickham and Molly Keane, the short story writer William Trevor, and the travel writer Dervla Murphy, among others. Engagement with these fascinating minds adds great depth and meaning to your experience in and of Ireland.
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AFTERNOON CLASSES
Environmental Geology (UD)
Can Denizman Valdosta State University
The topics discussed in this course can be grouped under five headings: (1) the Foundations of Environmental Geology, (2) Hazardous Earth Processes, (3) Human Interaction with the Environment, (4) Minerals, Energy, and Environment, (5) Global Change, Land Use, and Decision Making. The course is intended to provide a sound insight into the processes that are responsible for the working of the Earth as a system. The successful student must also be able to describe the various natural and anthropogenic geohazards and understand the mechanisms and processes that drive these events.
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Introduction to Philosophy (LD)
William Eaton, Georgia Southern University
What is the meaning of life? What is the ultimate nature of reality? Can we know anything with absolute certainty? Does the soul exist as a separate entity from the body? Does God really exist? Should one be good if he or she can get away with being bad? These and similar questions form the foundation of philosophy which can be defined as the love of wisdom, or if you prefer, the quest for truth. This three-credit hour, core curriculum course is an introduction to the study and significance of philosophy. It surveys the ideas of many of the great philosophers of the western world, focusing on issues about religion, ethics, reality, and ways of knowing.
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Painting in the Open Air (UD)
Valerie Aranda, Georgia College & State University
This course is an introduction to painting covering the basic technique of watercolor and acrylic painting on location in the open air. Students will explore the creative process and learn from artists of Plein Air painting traditions, while learning about the historical, geographic, cultural, and physical landscape of Waterford, Ireland. Fieldtrips will include trips to pre-historic sites, such as the Knockboy Ogham Stones, or historic sites like the Ardmore Round Tower and Cathedral, the Cappoquin House and the Waterford Harbor. Students will learn the steps to create a painting reflecting the Irish landscape. Additionally, slide/lecture presentations, critique and discussion, sketchbook projects, a written component and a group exhbition at the end of the course are scheduled for the course.
Art Appreciation, (LD)
Mike McFalls, Columbus State University
In this class we will explore the visual arts through out Ireland. Our field trips will include visits to the excellent museums, and galleries in Dublin, as well as visits to the many Neolithic and Gothic sites scattered throughout the southeast. Join us as we experience art and architecture from the past, as well as the exceptional works of contemporary Irish artist. Let art and architecture come alive for you in Ireland.
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Introduction to Irish Culture (Mandatory 1-credit LD) (Wed. 4:30-6)
Professor Howard Keeley, Georgia Southern University
In its geography, history, culture, and politics, Ireland is a diverse, complex land, shaped by waves of immigrants—from medieval Vikings to modern-day Eastern Europeans, Nigerians Brazilians, and others. It boasts Europe’s oldest vernacular epic (the Táin), not to mention four 20th-century Nobel Prize-winners in literature. Sometimes motivated by famine, millions of Irish have left the Emerald Isle. The Irish and Scots-Irish diasporas (popularly known as the Fifth Province) have made huge contributions to the US, Canada, Australia, Argentina and other nations. In the current century, Ireland has been described as earth’s "most global economy." Its young, well-educated workforce is a world-leader in such fields as information technology and pharmaceuticals. Bringing several guest lecturers into the classroom, this course helps students build their knowledge and appreciation of Ireland.
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