in the future is that we ’ re continuing to tear down the divisions ." For example , all of the great performing arts genres of the Western tradition--ballet , opera , oratoria , film , symphony--intersect with literature , with language , with storytelling . They all have dramatic intent and those intersections create rich platforms for expression .”
Natural connections abound : a creative writing professor who is also a successful songwriter , a philosophy professor who also performs Shakespeare on stage . The Aquarian literary magazine , celebrating its 50th anniversary , features visual art and photography alongside its storied tradition of creative writing .
Dean Snyder and his colleagues plan to further foster these collaborative opportunities in formal and informal ways . “ Through our strategic planning process , we are envisioning that starting next year , the centerpiece of our life together will be what right now we ’ re calling the Stein College Colloquium : an hour a
a week that is set aside for all 300 majors and all the faculty to come together to engage in each other ' s work .” One week the group might hear from a philosophy major about their senior thesis ; the next week it could be a performance of some kind ; then a film showing and Q & A ; then a guest artist from another university or artistic community . Dean Snyder hopes it will be “ an incubator for the rich collaborations that will come from making space for the students and the faculty to learn from each other .”
The vision for the Stein College also includes more exposure to international opportunities , both as a continuation of the JU tradition in experiential learning , and as a chance to more deeply understand non-Western and indigenous traditions of arts , culture and thinking . In practice , that may mean every Stein College graduate has studied abroad or away , giving them a jump-start on the globalized thought process demanded by our society . page 30