Auburn students can now take core curriculum classes in Rome

Mathematics and Statistics Professor Andras Bezdek will be teaching MATH 1680, or Calculus with Business Applications I. Bezdek, a Harry C. Knowles Professor, completed his undergraduate and graduate studies in Hungary. His class will tour sites with students from other core courses with an eye toward mathematical applications.

John Hawkins, lecturer in the Department of Geosciences, will be teaching GEOL 1100, or Dynamic Earth. This four credit hour course will survey important minerals and rocks, have discussion on the origin and classification of geologic structures and landforms in the area, and will include various tours outside of the classroom.

"Instead of looking at a hand sample of limestone, we can take a short walk and observe the Trevi Fountain," Hawkins said. "We can also talk about geologic hazards, such as volcanoes, and take a trip to Pompeii and see the devastation first hand. This experience will teach the importance of geology by seeing real world examples rather than reading about it in a lab manual."

School of Communication and Journalism Instructor Terri Knight will educate her COMM 1000 class on Public Speaking about oral communication theory and practice in a public speaking setting with emphasis on content, organization, delivery and adaptation to the audience. This three credit hour course will focus special attention to speaking in multi-cultural environments and how to best adapt to those audiences.

Knight, who has traveled to Central America and teaches an International Public Relations course during the traditional school year, has a special interest in how Americans relate, or sometimes fail to relate, to international individuals.

"America is a melting pot of so many cultures and we are becoming more and more diverse each day," Knight said. "Even if a student never chooses to live and work abroad, they will no doubt come in contact with a vast array of different ethnicities and cultures in their jobs and in their daily lives. The more they understand about other cultures the more they can adapt and interact with them. Whether you choose to be an engineer, a journalist, a teacher or anything else, we need to be sensitive to other cultures and the similarities and differences encountered."

Jill Crystal, professor in the Department of Political Science, has previously traveled to Rome as a tourist, but will be exploring the city in more depth academically with her POLI 1050, or Global Politics and Issues, course. International topics, such as war and peace, transnational movements, terrorism and global energy, will be studied in a variety of learning styles during this three credit hour course.

"It will be taught in a seminar setting in a former palace, rather than a large lecture hall," Crystal said. "While both Rome and the Haley Center have occasional pillars blocking the view, those in Rome tell a story rather than interrupting one. This class will also take you outside the walls of the classroom through excursions in Rome, which may include places such as NATO headquarters, the Vatican or an Italian think tank."