Wilkinson undergraduates discuss their involvement with the Shiwilu Project

Check out this video of Chapman undergraduate students discussing their involvement with the Shiwilu Project, specifically in the elaboration of a trilingual (Shiwilu-Spanish-English) dictionary.

As part of the SPAN 396 course (Fall 2010), taught by Dr. Pilar Valenzuela, Associate Professor of Department of Languages, students worked on Spanish and English versions and learned about linguistic diversity, differences in worldview and culture, and habitat. They also improved their knowledge of Spanish, which included learning vocabulary from the Spanish dialect spoken in the Peruvian Amazon.

The video was created by Paulina Bryant (Spanish and Film major).

Students learned that, "Fair is Foul and Foul is Fair"

Waltmar Theatre was overrun with murder, revenge, chains, and bloody cries as Chapman University’s Theatre Department hosted Shakespeare’s Macbeth this past weekend. Directed by Thomas Bradac, this production showcased the theatre department’s students’ talents.

This production of Macbeth is set in “Scotland, somewhere in the near future.” The empty theatre set alone gave me chills as I took my seat. A metal framework laced with long chains created dark crevices and multiple levels on the stage. The set itself just looked tortured.
Every inch of that framework was used throughout the play.

The first scene of the play set the mood for the rest of the play for me and fellow theater goers. An audience member said: “I love[d] the opening, and after that,
I was intrigued and wanted more.”

The dark and enticingly tragic atmosphere was accompanied by a captive audience. You could hear the collective audience gasps at points of intrigue during the play.
A definite attempt to modernize the “weird sisters” was not lost to me. The wardrobe and makeup gave the sisters a beautiful and repulsive side, literally. Perhaps inherent in our modern concept of evil, the sisters were adorned with tattered glittery garb and make up that gave half their face a youthful expression and the other half a haggard, time worn appearance. The sisters played by, Malia Wright, Katie Gunderson, and Nicole Javier were exceptional and really became a strong thread throughout the play.

The relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, played by Chris Voss and Kelly Rogers, respectively, was fascinating. I really felt their mutual passionate attraction and repulsion. An audience member remarked that they loved Lady Macbeth: “everything from her acting style to her look was intriguing...Very powerful!”

A fantastic turn out for the opening weekend bodes well for this production of Macbeth. With such incredible talent I look forward to the theatre department’s next production: Picasso at the Lapin Agile March 17-19, 24-26.

For more information about Chapman University’s College of Performing Arts visit www.chapman.edu/copa.
For tickets to future productions call 714-997-6519 or email CoPA@chapman.edu.

Wilkinson College STUDENT NEWS: Art Students in Italy for January Class

Liliana Leopardi and Eric Chimenti took their art students on a travel course to Italy called, Rethinking Renaissance Visual Culture.

They studied in Florence, Sienna, Venice and Rome.

Check out their blog for beautiful photos from all over Italy and read about what they and learned.

Wilkinson's Art Department!

WILKINSON COLLEGE STUDENT NEWS: Students Given Grants for Research

Three History majors have been each granted the maximum of $750 to do research abroad from the Office of Undergraduate Research:

Chelsea Judy ('11), “Coastline in Trust: 19th-Century British Coastal Conservation” (England)

Alissa Caton ('11), “Indian in Color, British in Taste: The Educational Debates in 19th-century India” (England)

Priya Shah ('12), “A Preliminary Study of the Impact of Colonization through the Collective Memories of the Shiwilu and the Shawi” (Peru)

Congratulations!

Students Shined in the Big Band and Jazz Concert

Students Shined in the Big Band and Jazz Concert!
Memorial Hall was swinging to the tunes of Chapman University’s Big Band and Jazz Combo on November 30th. Directed by Albert Alva, this semi-annual production showcased Chapman’s Big Band and Jazz students’ talents.

In collaboration with professional faculty like Albert Alva, who heads up both the Big Band and Jazz Combo classes, Chapman University students prepared all semester for this remarkable evening filled with classical jazz and big band tunes.

The light and fun atmosphere was accompanied by a captive audience of all ages. I even saw a little girl, no more than five years old, swaying to the rhythms of the jazz combo.
A very inclusive Big Band included two bass players and two drummers. I was thrilled to see that this semester, the big band also boasted flautist, Bella Staav. While flute is not completely out of place in a big band setting, I believe it showed the enthusiasm and diversity of the program to feature a dedicated flautist.

From the Jazz Combo’s rendition of Sweet Honey Bee composed by Lee Morgan to the Big Band’s final number, Getaway composed by Earth, Wind, and Fire I thought that the show was a delightful showcase of talented students. One audience member I spoke with said, “I thought it was really good this semester. The best it has been in a long time!” This audience member has been coming to see the Big Band and Jazz Concert for five years now!

With such great talent I look forward to the next semester’s production from Chapman University’s Big Band and Jazz Combo on April 26th. Mark your calendars!
Did you like this performance? Post and let me know!

For more information about Chapman University’s College of Performing Arts visit www.chapman.edu/copa. For tickets to future productions call
714-997-6519 or email CoPA@chapman.edu.

Dodge College Admission Blog

We are excited to announce that we now have a blog on our Dodge College website that talks all about admission into our programs. So, if you are looking to apply to any of our majors you should definitely check the blog out for extra information and inside tips for applying to our school.

Click here to view the blog!

First Cut: Save the Date

Chapman University is inviting official prospective students to our "First Cut" screening. Make sure to sign up for our mailing list so that we can include you on invitations, deadline reminders, and important updates. Otherwise, you won't get necessary information for exciting events such as this one!

-Dodge College of Film and Media Arts