Summer Fun with Communiversity 2009

April 27, 2009

Summer school can be fun. . .no, seriously. The 2009 Communiversity course offerings at Ole Miss this summer will be of interest to both the young and the young at heart.

The classes scheduled during May, June, July, and August will range from creative writing and belly dancing, to sign language and basic cooking skills for kids. Eight courses will be offered for children and teenagers and four are scheduled for adults.

Communiversity is year-round a program offered by the UM Division of Outreach and Continuing Education and brings non-credit seminars to members of the University and the Oxford community.

Project Coordinator Leteria McDonald McGee said these classes offer a valuable and educational source of entertainment for the Oxford-university community. “The classes take advantage of our diverse and talented instructors and give the community a chance to learn something new and interesting they can enjoy for years to come,” McGee said. “It’s just nice for people to have something like this to do in a community-oriented environment.”

UM Associate Director of Imaging Services Robert Jordan, an award-winning photographer who teaches photojournalism at Ole Miss, will share his love for photography with children in a beginning digital photography course for kids.

“Digital technology has made photography a form of self-expression accessible to enthusiast of all ages,” Jordan said. “To me, the ultimate goal of any photography instruction is to help the students move from snapping pictures and hoping to get a good shot to preconceiving an image and being able to make that imaginary image into an actual photo.”

Jordan said the fun that comes from teaching a children’s course like this one lies in focusing more on creativity than that technical concepts.

Participants should enroll in classes a week ahead of time.  However some classes offer multiple sessions. Enrollment fees may vary depending on the subject. Click here to check out this summer’s offerings or to register, or register in person at the E. F. Yerby Conference Center on the Grove Loop on the UM campus. 

(Andrew M. Abernathy)