AMS 550 in the summer- focus on sport

AMS majors will know that 550 is the capstone course in our program. AMS 550 provides every student with experience in doing research, and incorporates material on a particular theme depending on the instructor of the course. This summer, AMS 550 will be offered with the theme "Sports and American Culture," taught by Will Bishop. Since the fall section of AMS 550 is about full, if you are planning on graduating in 2010-11, you should seriously consider taking 550 in the summer. Click the flyer for details.

Study popular music this summer

More details on our summer offerings: doctoral student Pete Williams will be teaching AMS 100, which he calls the "popular music edition":

This course will introduce you to four major topics common to American Studies—nation, culture, difference, and power—as they relate to American popular music, past and present. Our studies of jazz, rap, country, rock, reggae, banda, punk, and other music will highlight the ways America is, and has always been, a continual negotiation among disparate voices, an interplay of dominant and marginal sounds that produces both harmony and discord. We’ll look at the many ways music plays into struggles over just what America is and just who is an American. You’ll be asked to participate through discussion, readings, short writing assignments, and a group project.

Click the flyer for more!