ART 199A Encounters at The Crossroads: Music, Art and Literature of the Mississippi Delta –
May 12-16
By visiting the Mississippi Delta (which cultural critics claim begins in the lobby of the Peabody Hotel in
Memphis and stretches south through the cotton fields along the Mississippi River) students will gain an
understanding and appreciation of the music, visual art, architecture, mythology, literature, and history of
indigenous artists who represent the fullest flowering of culture created in the unique encounters between
Europe and Africa, industry and agriculture, and privilege and poverty. The exploration of such cultural
productions as Delta Blues, rock and roll, and soul music; Outsider or Self-Taught Folk Artists; and the
literature of William Faulkner, Richard Wright, and Tennessee Williams will provide students with the
opportunity to make connections between this uniquely rich subculture and the broader American culture
it has so profoundly shaped. By the end of the module, students will appreciate the indispensable
contributions Delta artists and culture have made and continue to make to the world the students inhabit.
Instructors: M. Glaros & M. Laffey
Enrollment Limit: 10
Location: Mississippi Delta
Cost: $1,500 approx.
Intercultural Credit Available
ART 199B Americans in Paris: The Quest for the Good Life
May 12-25
This module--"Americans in Paris: The Quest for the Good Life"--will examine numerous texts by
American writers, artists, musicians, and intellectuals about Paris. We then ask Centenary students to
compare and contrast their own experience of Paris in this new millenium with these readings from
(primarily) that generation of American artists who came to creative consciousness in Paris during that
fertile period between World War I and World War II (roughly 1920 to 1940). Students will live and
study in Paris for two weeks and in the process get to know one of the major world cities. Students on this
module will be asked to reflect intensely on how the Paris of their experience will compare and contrast to
the Paris of the Dadaists and the Surrealists, the Paris of Hemingway and Fitzgerald and the other
American modernist artists who inhabited Paris Between the Wars.
Instructors: B Allen and J Hendricks
Enrollment Limit: 20
Location: Paris, France
Cost: $2,795
Intercultural Credit Available
BIOL 199 Tropical Biology- dates TBA
The course will be a study of tropical life zones based on the Holdridge Life Zone System. An analysis of
the flora, and fauna of a Tropical Dry Forest will provide the basis for understanding human adaptations
to the Tropical Dry Forest Life Zone and its impact on human culture. The course will examine the
principles of sustainable development in the spirit of "Gaviotas a Village to Reinvent the World". They
will visit two national biological reserves, one in a Dry Tropical Forest, the other a Premontane Moist
Forest. Students will spend a part of the trip visiting cultural points of interest including, Leon, the city of
cathedrals, Granada, a colonial city established by the early Spanish settlers and Casares, a fishing village
on the Pacific Ocean. They will participate in a sustainable development project with Nicaraguans on a
local finca in the spirit of Gaviotis.
Instructor: B. McPherson and S. Chirhart
Enrollment Limit: 10
Location: Jinotepe, Nicaragua
Cost: $1,850 (estimated airfare, lodging, food)
Intercultural and/or Service Learning Credit Available
BUSN 199 History, Culture and Business Environment of China
May 19-31
After being virtually absent from international commerce and competition for six centuries, China has
burst onto global markets, growing her economy faster than any other country since the start of the
industrial revolution. Participants in this module travel to Beijing, Xi’an, Shanghai, Shenxhen, and Hong
Kong to explore China’s history, Culture and current business environment. Key differences between
Chinese and Western social and business cultures will be examined.
Instructors: C Martin and G Nolte
Enrollment Limit: 20
Location: 2 days in Shreveport, Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong
Cost: $3,145
Intercultural Credit Available
EDUC 199A Urban Education Setting
May 12-21
The purpose of this course is to provide students both an academic and social perspective on how today’s
teachers and students respond in urban educational settings. This course will satisfy the requirements as
set forth in the Centenary Plan for Service Learning or Inter-cultural credit. Students will work with a
variety of students, including low-income minority students, for approximately 48 hours during the
module.
Instructor: Julia Thorn
Enrollment Limit: 30
Location: Stoner Hill, Broadmoor Middle School, Byrd High School
Intercultural and/or Service Learning Credit Available
EDUC 199B The Xia Dynasty to the 2008 Olympics
May 12-28
Once in China, students will be meet Chinese in a variety of contexts: exploring the capital along with
Chinese tourists at the Forbidden City (Beijing) and The Great Wall (Simitai); traveling by train on an
overnight sleeper (an experience sometimes described as the most egalitarian interaction permitted a
foreigner with the casual camaraderie afforded tight quarters and extended time); viewing the Terra Cotta
Warriors and Bronze Chariots (Xian) in the center of the nation—once the capital and start of the silk road
and now the most Muslim part of the nation; cruising down the Li River and watching the sunrise on top
of Huangshan (Yellow Mountain) in more rural and mountainous villages; strolling through the canals of
the “Venice of the Orient” (Suzhou) while haggling with local merchants; and experiencing a
cosmopolitan city (Shanghai) and its overrepresented images of west meets east. From beginning to end
of the trip students not only will interact daily with official hosts, Chinese citizens, international tourists,
and fellow course participants, but will be challenged through oral and written assessments to process
these experiences. Throughout the experience, instructors will help students to see connections between
objectives, interactions, activities, texts, and assessments to demonstrate understanding of how learning
objectives are met through educational designs. The final course project will focus on applying the basics
of educational program planning in order to evaluate this year’s multidisciplinary “Chinese Culture 101”
and propose a modified course for next year.
Instructors: R Prickett and M Webber
Enrollment Limit: 17
Location: Beijing, Smiitai, Xian, Shanghai
Cost: $4,625
Intercultural Credit Available
FLNG 199 Germany's North and East
May 16-June 10
"Germany's North and East": The 2008 module in Germany (Bremen and Dresden) offers students the
opportunity to interact with people from different cultures, study world-famous works of art and stunning
architecture from various centuries. In both cities, students will meet Germans on a daily basis.
Furthermore, special events are planned which include students and other young people living in
Germany. Follow-up discussions will allow for deeper intercultural reflections.
Instructors: M. Gruettner and J. Hamming.
Enrollment Limit: 20
Location: Bremen & Dresden
Costs: $2,450
Intercultural Credit Available
GEOL 199 The Pele Experience: The Geology, Biology, and Cultures of the Hawaiian IslandsExact Dates: TBA
The Pele Experience is a study of the living geology, biology and unique cultures of the Hawaiian Islands.
The course will look at the various peoples of Hawaii, examine how their disparate cultures eventually
merge into a single, identifiable modern Hawaiian culture, and how this culture was molded by the unique
volcanic formation of the islands. The module will also examine the relationships between the geology
and the people in relationship to the flora and fauna of the islands. The module will begin with two days
(twelve class hours) of intensive classroom study at Centenary College. The module will then explore the
Hawaiian Islands for ten days, emphasizing the three components listed above.
Instructors: S. Vetter, E. Leuck, R. Bukoff
Enrollment Limit: 20
Location: Hawaiian Islands
Costs: between $2,500.00/$3,000.00
Intercultural Credit Available
PSC 199A Gay Politics
May 12-30
An examination of gays and lesbians as a political movement in American Politics from a legal
perspective. Topics include history of the movement, sexuality and identity, government regulation of gay
and lesbians, religion and sexuality, public opinion, pressure group activity, and public policies relating to
employment, parenting, AIDS, and domestic partnerships. Objectives include stimulating interest in a
growing subfield or political science, developing student skills, and promoting tolerance.
Instructor: Rodney Grunes
Enrollment Limit: 20
Location: on campus and local community
Cost: none
Intercultural Credit Available
PSC 199B Cultural Identity in Modern and Historic Spain
May 15-30
We will examine competing notions of identity and culture in modern and historic Spain by considering
art, architecture, political history, religion (Christianity, Islam, and Judaism), national and regional
identity, and other facets of culture like dance, bullfighting, and daily life in Spain, as seen by insiders and
outsiders. Before departure, we will read accounts of travels through Spain and we will read and watch
depictions of Spanish life and culture (especially cultural clashes) by Spanish filmmakers and
contemporary women writers. Once in Spain, we will visit internationally renowned museums like the
Prado, tour architectural marvels like the Alhambra, view memorials to the Spanish Civil War like
Picasso’s Guernica and the Valley of the Fallen, attend cultural events like a flamenco show in the Roma
quarter of Granada and an optional bullfight, visit historic synagogues, mosques, and cathedrals, and
make a day trip to Morocco to explore the interconnections between Spain and North Africa. Throughout
the trip, students will participate in conversations with residents and other tourists, consider competing
notions of Spanish identity (European/Spanish/regional; Christian/Islamic/Jewish; minority groups
[Roma, N. African]), and consider the students’ own identities, culture, and history.
Instructors: K VanHoosier-Carey & P Barker
Enrollment Limit: 16
Location: Madrid, Seville, and Granada, Spain
Cost: $3,000
Intercultural Credit Available
REL 199 Religions of Northern India
May 11-June 8
Students will explore the major religious traditions of Northern India, with special attention granted to the
traditions and teachings of Tibetan Buddhism. Objectives: 1. To study Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism,
Jainism and Islam in the socio-cultural context of Northern India 2. To study Tibetan Buddhism under
several high lamas (Rinpoches) 3. To visit the major temples and shrines of these religious traditions,
including the Taj Mahal 4. To establish an email relationship with a Tibetan nun or monk two months
prior to departure and spend significant face-to-face time with their email partner while in Dharamsala,
India* 5. To provide students an optional opportunity to fulfill their Service Learning requirement while
in Dharamsala.
Instructors: D Otto, N Guidry
Enrollment Limit: 20
Location: Northern India
Cost: $3,040 (plus additional meals, misc.
exp.)
Intercultural Credit and Service Learning Credit (optional) Available
SOC 199 Intersections of Environments and Cultures in Ecuador
April 25-June 13
Students will explore the different cultures and ecological environments of Ecuador and examine how
they influence each other. Students will spend time in at least seven distinctively different ecological
environments: high altitude glacier, high altitude grassland, forested mountains, both arid and verdant
mid-altitude environments, lower altitude cloud forests, and mid-altitude rainforest. Students will visit a
range of cultural sites, including: Pre-Columbian archeological ruins; villages of different Indian cultures;
sites of 17th century colonial architecture (both the "old city" itself, and particular buildings); locally
renown museums; and (optionally) a bullfight, a smaller scale practice event, and/or a cockfight. Students
will also experience a range of distinctly different ecological environments in ways that facilitate their
appreciation of those environments, and not simply driving through them. They will have opportunities to
travel through the mountains on! horseback, or mountain bike; through the Amazon in kayak, canoe, or
white raft, or up a glacier with pitons and ice-axe, all with professional guides. Finally, there is also a
component of the module that addresses the most recent and fast developing intersections of culture and
environment: international volunteers working towards sustainable development. Before returning to
Shreveport, students will join other students and volunteers from around the world in working with a nonprofit organization aimed at holistically serving communities in developing countries. By the end of the
module students should have better understandings of the cultures they've come into contact with, of their
own cultures, and how any culture can intersect with the natural environment around it.
Instructors: L Demerath & J Demerath
Enrollment Limit: 12
Location: Ecuador
Cost: $2,100
Intercultural Credit Available