Catalog
Rhetoric
Professor Nero; Associate Professor Kelley-Romano (chair); Assistant Professor Cavallero; Visiting Assistant Professor Calhoun; Lecturer Hovden
Rhetoric is a civic and cultural art. Rhetoric's origins are at the invention of democracy in the ancient Greek polis. The Christian church maintained the foundational rhetoric texts during the Middle Ages and scholars rediscovered them during the Renaissance. Since then rhetoric has flourished as a fundamental aspect of modern democracy. At Bates, rhetoric is the study of the symbolic as it is enacted in the process of negotiation in culture, civil society, and history. The major teaches students to understand how citizens use the symbolic in processes of negotiation within democratic states.
Rhetoric is both performance and a field of study. Rhetoric as performance is the ability to fundamentally navigate in the public sphere as an agent. Traditionally successful agency has included skills in oratory, writing, and debating. As the public sphere has expanded, so have the skills needed for successful agency. Skills may now be in purely visual media such as film, television, and virtual worlds.
Argumentation and debate are traditional aspects of the practice and study of rhetoric, and have long been considered essential elements to a functioning public sphere. Bates has a storied history of excellence in debate, and students may study argumentation in courses or participate in competitive debate, or both. Through the Brooks Quimby Debate Council (BQDE), the Bates rhetoric program teaches non-rhetoric students basic elements of rhetorical practice and theory and enriches the public sphere at the college.
The major in rhetoric offers an interdisciplinary approach to the study of human communication. Students complete a series of core courses in rhetorical theory and criticism, history of public address, and film and television studies, complemented by courses on language, media, and communication drawn from the curricula of other departments. All students complete a senior thesis. More information on the rhetoric curriculum is available on the website (bates.edu/rhetoric).
Major Requirements for the Classes of 2015, 2016, and 2017:Students must choose a concentration in either rhetorical theory and criticism or in film and television studies. Each major consists of eleven courses distributed as follows:
Rhetorical Theory and Criticism. Required core courses:
1) RHET 100. What is Rhetoric?
2) One of the following:
THEA 261. Beginning Acting.
THEA 263. Voice and Speech.
RHET s16. Public Discourse (formerly 185).
RHET s17. Introduction to Argumentation (formerly 186).
3) One of the following:
RHET 257. Rhetorical Criticism.
RHET 276. Television Criticism.
4) RHET 252. Rhetorical Theory.
5) One of the following:
RHET 260. Lesbian and Gay Images in Film.
RHET 265. The Rhetoric of Women's Rights.
6) One of the following:
AA/RH 162. White Redemption: Cinema and the Co-optation of African American History.
RHET 226. Minority Images in Hollywood Film.
7) Two of the following:
RHET 391A. The Rhetoric of Alien Abduction.
RHET 391B. Presidential Campaign Rhetoric.
RHET 391C. The Harlem Renaissance.
RHET 391D. Argument Theory.
RHET 391E. The Interracial Buddy Film.
RHET 391 F. Bollywood.
8) RHET 457 and/or 458. Senior Thesis.
9) Students are also required to complete at least one course from two of the following three areas. No single course may be used to complete more than one requirement. Additional courses may be substituted with the permission of the department. No more than one Short Term course may be counted toward the major. One Short Term course in addition to RHET s16 (Public Discourse) may be counted toward the major.
a) Theories of Communication:
ANTH 333. Culture and Interpretation.
CM/RH 160. Classical Rhetoric.
CM/HI 231. Litigation in Classical Athens.
PHIL 195. Introduction to Logic.
PHIL 235. Philosophy of Mind.
PSYC 380. Social Cognition.
b) Representation:
AV/WS 287. Women, Gender, Visual Culture.
AVC 288. Visualizing Race.
AVC 375. Issues of Sexuality and the Study of Visual Culture.
AVC s32. The Photograph as Document.
FYS 313. Whitelands: Cinematic Nightmares.
FYS 434. Remaking movies: Art, History, Politics.
INDS 235. The Politics of Pleasure and Desire: Women's Independent and Third Cinema and Video from the African Diaspora.
INDS s25. Black Terror.
RHET 195. Documentary Production.
RHET s18. Goldberg's Canon: Makin' Whoopi.
RHET s31. Conspiracy Rhetoric.
RHET s32. Motown America.
c) Social and Political Movements:
HIST 261. American Protest in the Twentieth Century.
PL/RE 212. Contemporary Moral Disputes.
PLTC 346. Power and Protest.
REL 247. City upon the Hill.
Film and Television Studies. Required core courses:
1) RHET 100. What is Rhetoric?
2) One of the following:
AA/RH 162. White Redemption: Cinema and the Co-optation of African American History.
RHET 226. Minority Images in Hollywood Film.
3) One of the following:
RHET 185. Public Discourse.
THEA 261. Beginning Acting.
THEA 263. Voice and Speech.
RHET s16. Public Discourse.
RHET s17. Introduction to Argumentation.
RH/TH s40. Digital Video Production.
4) RHET 260. Lesbian and Gay Images in Film.
5) One of the following:
RHET 240. Film Theory.
RHET 276. Television Criticism.
6) Two of the following:
RHET 391A. The Rhetoric of Alien Abduction.
RHET 391B. Presidential Campaign Rhetoric.
RHET 391C. The Harlem Renaissance.
RHET 391D. Argument Theory.
RHET 391E. The Interracial Buddy Film.
RHET 391 F. Bollywood.
7) RHET 457 and/or 458. Senior Thesis.
8) Students are required to complete three film and television studies courses from among the following. Within this category, no more than one Short Term course may be counted toward the major.
ANTH 255. Cinematic Portraits of Africa.
FRE s36. The Evolution of French Cinema.
FYS 334. Film Art.
GER s25. The German Cinema.
INDS 235. The Politics of Pleasure and Desire: Women's Independent and Third Cinema and Video from the African Diaspora.
MUS 340. Music and Cinema.
REL 100. Religion and Film.
SPAN 217. Literature and Screen.
SPAN 354. Revolución en el cine.
THEA 242. Screenwriting.
THEA s33. Central European Theater and Film.
Major Requirements for the Class of 2018 and beyond
Students must choose a concentration in either rhetorical theory and criticism or screen studies. Students may count one Short Term course toward the major, unless they are completing the performance requirement, in which case, students may use two Short Term courses to satisfy the major requirements. Each of the major concentrations consists of eleven courses distributed as follows:Rhetorical Theory and Criticism.
1) Required core courses:
RHET 100. What is Rhetoric?
RHET 101. Introduction to Screen Studies.
RHET 252. Rhetorical Theory.
2) Performance. One of the following:
RHET s16. Public Discourse.
RHET s17. Introduction to Argumentation.
RHET s40. Digital Video Production.
3) Public Sphere. Three of the following courses, at least one must be a 300-level seminar:
RHET 265. The Rhetoric of Women's Rights.
RHET 391A. The Rhetoric of Alien Abduction.
RHET 391B. Presidential Campaign Rhetoric.
RHET391C. The Harlem Renaissance.
4) National Screens. One of the following:
AA/RH 162. White Redemption.
RHET 220. Italian-American Masculinities.
RHET 226. Minority Images in Hollywood Film.
RHET 260. Gay and Lesbian Images in Film.
RHET 391E. The Interracial Buddy Film.
RHET 391F. Bollywood.
RHET391X. Immigration and Media.
RHET s22. Archival Research in Film and Television: The Cinema of John Ford.
5) Two additional rhetoric-related courses, which, with department approval, may include may include courses taken in approved study-abroad programs or courses taken in other departments or programs.
6) RHET 457 or 458. Senior Thesis.
Screen Studies.
1) Required core courses:
RHET 100. What is Rhetoric?
RHET 101. Introduction to Screen Studies.
RHET 240. Film Theory.
2) Performance. One of the following:
RHET s16: Public Discourse.
RHET s17: Introduction to Argumentation.
RHET s40: Digital Video Production.
3) National Screens. Three of the following courses, at least one must be a 300-level seminar:
AA/RH 162. White Redemption.
RHET 220. Italian-American Masculinities.
RHET 226. Minority Images in Hollywood Film.
RHET 260. Gay and Lesbian Images in Film.
RHET 391E. The Interracial Buddy Film.
RHET 391F. Bollywood.
RHET391X. Immigration and Media.
RHET s22. Archival Research in Film and Television: The Cinema of John Ford.
4) Public Sphere. One of the following:
RHET 265. The Rhetoric of Women's Rights.
RHET 391A. The Rhetoric of Alien Abduction.
RHET 391B. Presidential Campaign Rhetoric.
RHET391C. The Harlem Renaissance.
5) Two additional rhetoric-related courses, which, with department approval, may include may include courses taken in approved study-abroad programs or courses taken in other departments or programs.
6) RHET 457 or 458. Senior Thesis.
Pass/Fail Grading Option
Students are allowed to take one 100 or 200 level course pass/fail within the major. No 300 level courses may be taken pass/fail.Minor in Rhetoric
The minor consists of six courses. A coherent program for each student's minor is designed in accord with the following guidelines and in consultation with a member of the rhetoric faculty who is chosen or appointed as the student's departmental advisor for the minor.The courses courses required for the minor in rhetoric include:
1) RHET 100. What is Rhetoric?
RHET 101. Introduction to Screen Studies.
2) One of the following:
RHET 240. Film Theory.
RHET 252. Rhetorical Theoery.
RHET 255. Rhetorical Criticism.
RHET 276. Television Criticism.
3) One of the following:
AA/RH 162. White Redemption: Cinema and the Co-optation of African American History.
RHET 220. Constructions of Italian-American Men and Masculinities.
RHET 226. Minority Images in Hollywood Film.
4) One of the following:
RHET 260. Lesbian and Gay Images in Film.
RHET 265. The Rhetoric of Women's Rights.
5) One of the following:
RHET s16. Public Discourse.
RHET s17. Introduction to Argumentation.
RH/TH s40. Digital Video Production.
6) One topics seminar (391), including:
RHET 391A. The Rhetoric of Alien Abduction.
RHET 391B. Presidential Campaign Rhetoric.
RHET 391C. The Harlem Renaissance.
RHET 391D. Argument Theory.
RHET 391E. The Interracial Buddy Film.
RHET 391F. Bollywood.
Pass/Fail Grading Option
One 100- or 200-level course may be taken pass/fail in fulfilling the minor requirements. CoursesRHET 100. What is Rhetoric?.
Although the oldest discipline, rhetoric may be the least understood. Aristotle defined rhetoric as "the faculty of observing in any given case the available means of persuasion." In this course, students conduct a historical survey of rhetorical theory from classical times to the present. Rhetorical artifacts examined include political speeches, television programs, print advertisements, editorials, music, film, and Internet sites. Required of all rhetoric majors and minors. Not open to students who have received credit for RHET 155. Enrollment limited to 30. [W1] Normally offered every year. S. Kelley-Romano.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
RHET 120. Introduction to Screen Studies.
This course is designed to introduce students to the production techniques, historical context, cultural function, and critical analysis of various film and television texts. Both film and television play an important role in defining, challenging, and reinforcing cultural norms and practices. By looking critically at a number of texts and artifacts, the course encourages students to develop a better understanding of the role film and television play in defining cultures and "reality." Enrollment limited to 40. Normally offered every year. J. Cavallero.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
AA/RH 159. Cinema in Black and White: African American Presence and Absence in American Film.
The influence of African Americans in U.S. cinema has been profound, though most often hidden in the shadows of discrimination. This course will re- consider the history of U.S. film by placing African Americans at the center, even when they were pushed to the margins. Films include major Hollywood releases (Hallelujah, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner) as well as works by independent producers and directors (Oscar Micheaux, Spike Lee). New course beginning Winter 2015. Enrollment limited to 40. One-time offering. C. Calhoun.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
AA/RH 162. White Redemption: Cinema and the Co-optation of African American History.
Since its origins in the early twentieth century, film has debated how to represent black suffering. This course examines one aspect of that debate: the persistent themes of white goodness, innocence, and blamelessness in films that are allegedly about black history and culture. Historical and cultural topics examined in film include the enslavement of Africans, Reconstruction, and the civil rights movement. [W2] Normally offered every year. C. Nero.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
RHET 220. Constructions of Italian-American Men and Masculinities.
From Rudolf Valentino to The Godfather to Jersey Shore, American media makers and audiences seem obsessed with the Italian American man. In challenging cultural conventions and brazenly refusing to conform to accepted social norms, the Italian American male in popular culture is simultaneously admired and feared. Representations of the Italian American male indulge fantasies of total freedom whole providing a cautionary tale that endorses social conformity. This course examines representations of Italian American man to determine the cultural place of ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and class, with attention paid to the rhetorical usage of these overlapping identities. Enrollment limited to 30. Normally offered every other year. J. Cavallero.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
RHET 226. Minority Images in Hollywood Film.
This course explores representations of African Americans, Asian Americans, Latinos, and Native Americans both in mainstream Hollywood films and those by oppositional independent filmmakers. Film viewings, discussions, readings, and written assignments explore the construction of racial otherness through specifically cinematic techniques. The careers and oeuvres of influential minority filmmakers and actors including Sidney Poitier, Oscar Micheaux, Anna May Wong, Dolores del Rio, Ang Lee, and Spike Lee are examined. Not open to students who have received credit for AA/TH 226. Open to first-year students. C. Nero.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
RHET 240. Film Theory.
What is a film? How should films be viewed? What cultural role do the movies play? As might be expected, such open-ended questions have yielded no shortage of answers. This intermediate-level film studies course introduces students to some of the dominant theoretical models that have surfaced throughout the history of film theory (including formal film analysis, realism, Soviet montage theory, documentary theory, and experimental film theory) while also exploring issues of cultural studies, authorship, ideology, representation, digital cinema, reception studies, and global and transnational cinema. In coming to an understanding of these approaches, students develop a deeper comprehension of the cultural place and artistic significance of the movies. Prerequisite(s): one rhetoric course. Enrollment limited to 40. Normally offered every year. J. Cavallero.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
RHET 242. Passing/Trespassing.
This course examines the rhetoric of containing black bodies in cinematic and literary narratives. In passing narratives light-skinned people move across racial lines supposedly fixed by biology, custom, and law. In trespassing narratives black persons enter spaces denoted as white by law or custom. This course calls attention to fear, fantasy, punishment, and resistance as ongoing dimensions of race and white supremacy. Prerequisite(s): one course in rhetoric. New course beginning Fall 2015. Normally offered every other year. C. Nero.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
AA/RH 244. Race and Mid-Century Media.
This course looks at film and television of the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s, in order to better understand the role of media in the postwar civil rights struggle. Students consider the social impact of Hollywood films; the strategies of socially progressive producers, directors, and actors; and the power of television news and television narratives. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 40. One-time offering. C. Calhoun.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
RHET 248. Crime and Television.
Since the earliest days of television, narratives of crime have been a major presence in the medium. Looking as far back as the 1950s with Dragnet and as close as today’s Orange Is the New Black, students consider the ways in which television has defined and documented criminality and criminals, law and order. This course pays particular attention to understandings of cultural transgression as they have been marked by race, gender, and sexuality. Throughout, students ask whether and if, when and how, for whom and at whose expense television has helped to maintain social order. New course beginning Winter 2015. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 40. One-time offering. C. Calhoun.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
RHET 252. Rhetorical Theory.
While rhetoric is commonly perceived to be persuasion, rhetorical theorists have long studied the relationship between symbol systems and broader aspects of human identity. This course focuses on theories that explore the epistemological (how we know) and the ontological (being) aspects of language use. The course begins with general theories related to the topic and then moves to discussions of how language influences our understanding and embodiment of race, gender, sexuality, and citizenship. Prerequisite(s): RHET 100. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 30. Normally offered every year. J. Hovden.RHET 260. Lesbian and Gay Images in Film.
This course investigates the representation of lesbians and gays in film from the Golden Age of Hollywood to the contemporary independent filmmaking movement. Topics may include the effect of the "closet" on Hollywood film, homophobic imagery, international queer films, "camp" as a visual and narrative code for homosexuality, the independent filmmaking movement, and the debates about queer visibility in contemporary mass-market and independent films. Prerequisite(s): AA/RH 162 or RHET 100. Open to first-year students. [W2] C. Nero.ConcentrationsInterdisciplinary Programs
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
This course counts toward the following Interdisciplinary Program(s)
RHET 265. The Rhetoric of Women's Rights.
Throughout American history the roles and rights ascribed to women have differed from those ascribed to men. Because of their differing situations, women have had to use rhetorical means to attain their goals of equality and access to the public sphere. This course is a study of the rhetorical strategies used by women to overcome the exigencies they faced. It also includes the rhetoric of oppositional voices who have challenged the goals of the feminist movements and the rhetoric in the broader social environment that establishes the social norms and values in which the movement must operate. Students learn and apply the tools of rhetorical criticism in order to identify, describe, and evaluate the rhetoric studies. Prerequisite(s): one of the following: RHET 100, 185, 186, or s16. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 30. [W2] S. Kelley-Romano.ConcentrationsInterdisciplinary Programs
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
This course counts toward the following Interdisciplinary Program(s)
RHET 360. Independent Study.
Students, in consultation with a faculty advisor, individually design and plan a course of study or research not offered in the curriculum. Course work includes a reflective component, evaluation, and completion of an agreed-upon product. Sponsorship by a faculty member in the program/department, a course prospectus, and permission of the chair are required. Students may register for no more than one independent study per semester. Normally offered every semester. Staff.RHET 391. Topics in Rhetorical Criticism.
The topic varies from semester to semester. The seminar relies largely upon individual student research, reports, and discussion. Enrollment limited to 15. Offered with varying frequency.RHET 391A. The Rhetoric of Alien Abduction.
This seminar examines the discourse surrounding UFOs and alien abduction. Texts are drawn from various media and include both fictional and non-fictional accounts of interaction with aliens. The course uses abduction/UFO discourse as a way to interrogate articulations of power, reality, control, rights, and identity as they are expressed both by abduction experiencers and popular culture. Topics include conspiracy, narrative, apocalyptic rhetoric, and myth. Prerequisite(s): RHET 100 and 257 or 276. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 15. Instructor permission is required. S. Kelley-Romano.ConcentrationsInterdisciplinary Programs
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
This course counts toward the following Interdisciplinary Program(s)
RHET 391B. Presidential Campaign Rhetoric.
In this course, students explore the wide array of discourse surrounding presidential campaigns. Attention is paid to political speeches, advertisements, debates, news reporting, and the use of social media in campaigning. Students also participate in an extensive "mock campaign" complete with candidates, conventions, media, debates and scandal. Special attention is paid to the evaluation of evidence and sources in the construction of political argument and image. Prerequisite(s): RHET 100 and 257 or 276. Enrollment limited to 15. Instructor permission is required. S. Kelley-Romano.ConcentrationsInterdisciplinary Programs
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
This course counts toward the following Interdisciplinary Program(s)
AA/RH 391C. The Harlem Renaissance.
This course examines the New Negro Movement and the extraordinary creativity in the arts and in other aspects of intellectual life by African Americans in the 1920s and 1930s. Although this cultural phenomenon was national in scope, most scholars agree that New York City, and Harlem in particular, was its epicenter. Topics include racial, gender, and cultural identities in literature, theater, the performing and visual arts; the formation of black queer culture; and the role in promoting the arts by political organizations such as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and Marcus Garvey's Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA). Prerequisite(s): AAS 100 or AA/RH 162. Enrollment limited to 15. Instructor permission is required. [W2] C. Nero.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
RHET 391D. Argument Theory.
This course allows students to explore in depth the theory of argumentation. It examines theorists from Aristotle to Perelman, and creates opportunities for students to explore and enact theory. Prerequisite(s): RHET 100. Enrollment limited to 15. Instructor permission is required. J. Hovden.RHET 391E. The Interracial Buddy Film.
This course examines the intersections of race and gender in the interracial buddy film, an enduring genre that emerged in the civil rights era and has become one of the most profitable film formulas. Students examine how the films construct masculinity and race in political contexts. Prerequisite(s): RHET 100 or AA/RH 162. Enrollment limited to 15. Instructor permission is required. C. Nero.RHET 391F. Bollywood.
This course develops a historical understanding of Bollywood while demonstrating that the economic realities of a globalized world have ethical implications for cultural production. The course considers the history of Bollywood productions from the 1950s to the 1990s, a time in which the aesthetic style and production practices of these films was established; special attention is paid to the gender, racial, sexual, and class politics of these movies. Next, students consider the industry's global popularity and the lucrative potential of transnational audiences. Finally, they investigate how Hollywood and independent films have attempted to capture a more traditional Bollywood audience. Films under study include Mother India, Zanjeer, Dhoom 2, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, and Slumdog Millionaire. Recommended background: A course in film/television/rhetorical criticism. Enrollment limited to 15. J. Cavallero.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
RHET 391G. Immigration and Media.
In the post-9/11 United States, few political issues have been as hotly contested as immigration. During the same time, many independent, Hollywood, and international film and television products have attempted to capitalize on this interest by representing immigrants and immigrant experiences. These media texts sit at the intersection of politics, economics, and art; each film or program becomes a site around which the diverse political leanings of a mass audience, the economic imperatives of cinematic and televisual production, and the artistic motives of media makers compete with and influence one another. Prerequisite(s): one course in rhetoric. Enrollment limited to 15. Instructor permission is required. [W2] Normally offered every other year. J. Cavallero.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
RHET 391H. Narratives of the American West.
The West has a central place within American mythology and identity. In this course, students examine narratives of westward expansion and western experience, past and present. Weekly screenings of western films are complemented by scholarly accounts, historical texts, first-person chronicles, and fictional stories. Looking at the American West through an interdisciplinary lens, students analyze the myths alongside the historical narratives they sought to counter, including the decimation of Native Americans, the exploitation of migrant and immigrant labor, and the environmental impact of westward expansion. Recommended background: one course in rhetorical theory. Prerequisite(s): RHET 100 or 155 and one other course in rhetoric. Enrollment limited to 15. Instructor permission is required. C. Calhoun.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
RHET 457. Senior Thesis.
A substantial academic or artistic project. Students register for RHET 457 in the fall semester. Majors writing an honors thesis register for both RHET 457 and 458. [W3] Normally offered every year. Staff.RHET 458. Senior Thesis.
A substantial academic or artistic project. Students register for RHET 458 in the winter semester. Majors writing an honors thesis register for both RHET 457 and 458. [W3] Normally offered every year. Staff.RHET s10. Listening to Culture.
This course explores the role of sound in U.S. culture, focusing particularly on radio as a medium, a technological and commercial venture, a listening device, a news outlet, and a cultural object. Students gain an understanding of the broad history of radio, its owners, producers, and listeners. They apply their knowledge in a final project, for which they are asked to produce a radio segment or sound experiment suitable for broadcasting. Through the acts of listening and creating, students better understand how sound creates culture. New course beginning Short Term 2015. Enrollment limited to 20. One-time offering. C. Calhoun.RHET s16. Public Discourse.
This course is designed to develop an awareness of and skill in the techniques needed by a speaker in varying situations, from the large gathering to the small group. Students analyze and compose public speeches on various political issues. Not open to students who have received credit for RHET 185. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 24. J. Hovden.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
RHET s17. Introduction to Argumentation.
An examination of the theory and practice of argumentation. This course explores argument theory from antiquity to the present and gives students the opportunity to develop skills in structured academic debates. Not open to students who have received credit for RHET 186. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 20. J. Hovden.RHET s22. The Cinema of John Ford.
This course introduces students to archival research practices and a range of careers in film and television. The course considers such film and media careers as writing biographies, directing libraries and museums, directing film festivals, preserving motion pictures, and writing film history and criticism. Enrollment limited to 12. Instructor permission is required. Normally offered every other year. J. Cavallero.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
RHET s31. Conspiracy Rhetoric.
"Just because you're paranoid does not mean they're not out to get you." This course examines the rhetoric that has surrounded conspiracy theories in American culture. Specifically, students focus on the argumentative form as well as the social functions of conspiracy discourse. Particular attention is paid to those conspiracies that surround UFO and alien abductions discourse. Prerequisite(s): at least one rhetoric course. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 15. Instructor permission is required. S. Kelley-Romano.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
RHET s32. Motown America.
This course examines the discourse from and about Motown Records. Launched in 1959, Motown played a critical role in the racial integration of popular entertainment. Students examine how Motown constructed race, gender, sexual, and class identities in its music and in its stars to appeal to African American audiences and to cross over into the mostly white American mainstream. They also examine cinematic and theatrical entertainments about Motown. Prerequisites(s): one of the following: AA/RH 162, RHET 100, or AAS 100 or ACS 100. Enrollment limited to 30. C. Nero.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
RH/TH s40. Digital Video Production.
A hands-on, immersion course at Maine Media Workshops in Rockport, Maine, in the art of storytelling through digital video production, including both narrative fiction and documentary genres. Students learn cinematic language, storytelling, storyboarding, drafting a shooting script, location scouting, casting talent, rehearsing, blocking, and directing actors and crew. They also consider the roles of filmmakers, from producers and directors to camera and sound specialists and editors. Students are introduced to Final Cut Pro and the postproduction process. During the course students are expected to research, write, shoot, and edit a number of finished works. There is an extra fee for this course. Enrollment limited to 8. Normally offered every year. Staff.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations