January 2010 marks the 44th J-Term at Hastings College. Among the first colleges in the nation to implement a one-month study term between the regular semesters, Hastings College adopted the 4-1-4 calendar in 1966 and has been improving on it ever since. J-Term at HC is a time for discovery, innovation and unforgettable learning experiences.

The following is a list of featured 2010 J-Term courses and invited faculty. Please visit www.hastings.edu for more information about J-Term, including a full listing of J-Term classes, updates and upcoming student blogs.

On-Campus Courses
Art and Philosophy of Digital Photography
Dr. Charles W. Guildner (Invited Faculty)
Artist, photographer and HC alumnus Dr. Charles W. Guildner ‘54 leads students through a unique philosophical and artistic approach to digital photography. Students will explore the history of photography, unique features of digital photography and image creation and printing.

Biomechanics/Kinesiology
Dr. John Kuehn
Students study human movements through mechanical analysis of the structural components of the human body including the bones, muscles and joints. The class will focus on the analysis and study of movements common to human performance and sport.

Business as a Calling
Roger Doerr
Future entrepreneurs learn how to understand and utilize morality within business leadership and how that morality can be spread into the community through the products and services that business offers. Students learn the basic functional areas of a business while exploring ethical dilemmas that exist due to varying degrees of morality, good judgment and value-based decision making within a business.

Clash of the Generals II: The Empire Strikes Back
Dr. Mike Ibeji (Invited Faculty)
Acclaimed writer, producer and director Dr. Mike Ibeji works with students to break down the strategies and tactics of 12 of the most famous generals in history. Each student will choose a general to represent and attempt to replicate his tactics on the virtual battlefield of the Total War computer game-engine. The final six ancient generals will then face-off using Rome: Total War.

Comic and Graphic Novel Story Telling and Illustration
Bob Hall (Invited Faculty)
Artist Bob Hall, who has drawn superheroes like Batman, Spiderman and The Hulk for both DC and Marvel Comics, introduces students to the landscape of comic and graphic novel creation. Students will devise their own stories, fictionalized or biographical, then shape and illustrate them. They will hone their drawing skills, but the emphasis will be on story-telling, a craft Hall has perfected as a theatre director and playwright.

My Generation: Super Psychology – Heroes, Villains and Their Fans
Dr. Stephanie Furrer and Benjamin Waller
Students explore the psychology of superheroes, super villains, and their fans in a variety of media, including comics, movies and TV.

Sports Reporting and Writing
Kathryn Stofer and Brian Rosenthal (Invited Faculty)
HC grad and sportswriter for the Lincoln Journal Star Brian Rosenthal ’94 teaches students the skills involved in creating game coverage, sports features and sports columns. Students will experience first-hand area sports coverage and press box facilities and travel to a Tri-City Storm game and UNL Men’s Basketball game. This class will teach students how to use media guides and how to handle media relations with coaches, sports information directors and competing media.

The Physics of Loudspeaker Design
Dr. Steven Bever
Students investigate the design and operation of loudspeakers using mechanical, electromagnetic, and wave propagation principles. Following procedures outlined in the “Loudspeaker Design Cookbook” by Vance Dickason, students will design their own pair of loudspeakers based on their own measurements and original designs. At the conclusion of the course, listening tests will be performed by class participants to determine the best sounding pair of loudspeakers.

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
Dr. James Wiest
In the 1900’s, Americans, much like characters in The Wizard of Oz, sought home, heart, brains and courage, but they had to overcome major obstacles. Students enrolled in this course will walk along the yellow brick road with Dorothy and Toto while they confront major social issues of the twentieth century: farm and labor policy, the environment, politics, women’s rights and war. The class will examine these themes and America’s twentieth-century quest from a modern perspective – 100 years later.

Understanding How the Brain Works
Dr. Lorraine Edwards (Invited Faculty)
Dr. Lorraine Edwards from Central Nebraska Neurology helps students understand how the brain works through the principles of electrophysiology, neurochemistry and neuroanatomy. Students will have the opportunity to experience electroencephalograms, nerve conduction studies and computerized tomography of the brain.

Off-Campus Courses
Celtic Spirituality: Following in the Footsteps of St. Patrick
Dr. Daniel Deffenbaugh and Dr. David McCarthy
Students consider questions surrounding the existence of a distinctive Celtic spirituality. They will investigate the Celtic spiritual world using primary and secondary sources and on-site exploration in Celtic Ireland and Britain, including a week-long stay with the Iona Community.

“BorderLinks, No More Deaths, and Humane Borders” – Tucson, Ariz. and Nogales, Mexico
Dr. Jean Heriot
Students learn through working with persons on both sides of the U.S./Mexican border and reflect on the work and knowledge of each culture. Goals will be to facilitate cross-cultural and global understanding of the issues surrounding the “border” between the United States and Mexico. Students will work with educational non-profit agencies to stock water stations for immigrants in Arizona and work with children in Nogales.

Invited Faculty
Dr. Lorraine Edwards
Lorriane Edwards, M.D., a neurologist from Central Nebraska Neurology, P.C. in Hastings, Neb., is experienced in the treatment of disorders of the nervous system, which include diseases of the brain, spinal cord, nerves, and muscles.

Dr. Charles W. Guildner ‘54
Retired anesthesiologist, photographer and HC alumnus Chuck Guildner, M.D. spends much of his time traveling through and extensively photographing the lives and landscapes of the rural Midwest.

Bob Hall
Bob Hall has spent more than 30 years in the comic book industry. He co-authored a stage adaptation of The Passion of Dracula, which ran in Greenwich Village and London and was filmed for the Showtime network. He founded Nebraska's Flatwater Shakespeare Company.

Dr. Mike Ibeji
Mike Ibeji, Ph.D., has produced and directed television series that have aired in the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States, including “Ultimate Engineering” (History Television), “Ancient Megastructures” (National Geographic Channel), “Warrior Challenge” (PBS) and more. An expert on the Roman army, Ibeji holds a doctoral degree and bachelor’s degree in ancient and medieval history from the University of Birmingham in Birmingham, U.K.

Brian Rosenthal ‘94
HC grad and writer for the Lincoln Journal Star’s Husker Extra Brian Rosenthal recently teamed up with Hastings College Associate Professor of Communication Arts Kathryn Stofer and Nebraska Wesleyan journalism professor James Schaffer to write and publish “Sports Journalism: An Introduction to Reporting and Writing,” a textbook he will be using in his J-Term course this year.

Hastings College, founded in 1882, is a private, four-year liberal arts institution affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA). A total of 64 majors in 32 areas of study and 12 pre-professional programs are offered to more than 1,150 students. Hastings College was named 75th Best Value College in the nation and #1 in Nebraska by Forbes.com and the Center for College Affordability and Productivity. It was named a 2010 “Best in the Midwest” by The Princeton Review and rated a “Best Buy in College Education” by Barron’s.