Reflections Magazine Issue #81 - Fall 2014

Feature Article Spirit of Academic Innovation Continues at Siena Heights C reativity has always been a calling card in the Siena Heights classroom over the years. In Siena’s earlier days, it was educating Adrian Dominican Sisters over the summer months to keep them teaching in elementary and high schools during the fall, winter and spring. In the 1960s it was the genesis of the Creative Stages youth theater program that blazed new trails and connected education to performing arts like never before. The 1970s had Siena Heights leaving the Adrian campus to teach adult and nontraditional students across Michigan and beyond. Today, that spirit of innovation continues. One course fuses a familiar concept—food—with one a little harder to grasp—chemistry. Another combines the endless possibilities of creative writing with the new and evolving visual arts in a true liberal arts collaboration. What it means for the Siena Heights student is learning in new— and sometimes fun—ways. By Doug Goodnough Left: Alex Weinstein as The Mad Professor. Below: Erin Zerbe—aka zerbeTRON. Comix and the Graphic Novel: Art AND Creative Writing Join Forces What happens when a Mad Scientist and a zerbeTRON get together? One interesting course that combines creative writing with graphic and visual design. This fall, Assistant Professor of English Alexander Weinstein and Assistant Professor of Art Erin Zerbe are joining forces to teach Comix and the Graphic Novel course. “Alexander actually approached me about teaching the course,” said Zerbe, aka “zerbeTRON.” “We’ve talked extensively about the similarities between the creative writing process and the visual arts process, so this seemed like a perfect opportunity to help our students bridge the gap and explore creativity in new and challenging ways.” “While originally the idea was for it to be a literature course, I thought making it a creative writing and art workshop would be really exciting for students,” Weinstein said. “Students would not merely be reading the works of great artists and writers, but learning to make their own comics!” Both share a love of comic books, and decided to co-teach the class, which filled quickly last spring. The course provides critical analysis of comics as a medium, as well as an intensive exploration of the many aspects of writing, drawing, editing and publishing comics and graphic narratives. Students will create their own comic book in a “workshop environment.” Reflections Fall ’14 | 19

Reflections Magazine Issue #81 - Fall 2014 | Page 19