Jazz

Describe how Irvin Mayfield's second and eighth movements of "Strange Fruit" manage to convey the Romeo/Juliette-like storyline and the mourning-style of funereal second lines with musical sound. What do you think of this style of musical expression in general? What emotions do its particular elements manage to evoke?

Evolution vs. Creationism: the political world confronts the scientific one

"The Intelligent design hypothesis has one major flaw: it requires one to believe that a competent, thinking, omnipotent, divine being created the platypus: a venomous, egg-laying, duck billed mammal." Anon.

"As Christians, we know that naturalism is wrong." William A. Dembski, author: "The Design Inference."

As you all may know, there is a huge debate over whether evolution specifically, the theory of natural selection through survival of the fittest as developed by Charles Darwin, does or does not constitute a science to be taught in schools, as a part of an outstanding debate on whether to teach religion. After explaining the sides of the debate, we will form an "opinion spectrum" on this topic and let you choose the best among yourselves to represent each side in an open debate before the class during which you must all participate by asking questions and taking a vote.

Ice Breaker!

Think of a caption and a story to go with this picture.

New Orleans Architecture: surviving masterpieces

This Queen Anne's style Garden District house is a prime example of one of many pristine properties relatively unscathed by Katrina. Note that although "Queen Anne's" is a misnomer to describe the eclectic, picturesque, free classic style popular here and elsewhere (like San Francisco) in the late 19th century. What are some of the features you notice about this house? Have you seen anything like it anywhere else in or around Europe?

TV Sitcoms: the introduction to modern American youth culture

"Always Sunny" (pilot episode)

"Native American" culture in Louisiana: Point Au Chien (Pow Wow) vs. Mardi Gras Indians

What messages do you think the people in this picture are conveying to the audience? Is there a day of the year that you or your family reserves for some similar cultural interaction or expression? Describe. Above: Chocktaw Indians at a multi-tribal Pow-Wow in Point Au Chien (near Houma, Louisiana) on September 16, 2006; also below, along with a Mardi Gras Indian pictured from Google.
As you'll notice by the three flags below (one for the U.S., one for the state, and one for the Indian nations), as well as by the number of former servicemen among the tribes, I found at Point Au Chien that Native Americans today are some of the most patriotic citizens one can encounter. Wearing $3000 costumes year after year and dancing rain or shine, they prove themselves to be excellent craftsmen with fierce loyalties, even among those tribes not yet recognized by the federal government. To paraphrase one Choctaw woman's sentiments, many Indians do not know their real birth name, but for one of them to know his nationality is as good as treason.

The Mardi Gras Indians keep their traditions in celebration of the common oppression to whites which they shared with Native Americans. However, they only show their regalia on Mardi Gras Day, St. Joseph's Day (the day after St. Patrick's), and occasionally, "Super Sunday" (the day of the Superbowl). Unlike true Native Americans, the Mardi Gras Indians wear their regalia and perform their songs and dances in open competition over territory with others--competition so fierce that before the peace movements of the 1960's it used to result in gang violence at other times of the year. Today, the main competition is over whose costume, made in secret by assistants during the course of the year, has the most intricate ornaments and design. Both groups of "Indians" in southern Louisiana speak or sing a version of French known either as Cajun or Creole based with some exceptions on whether the speakers are urban or rural.

Debutantes and Mardi Gras from the Inside

Note: the same debutante and court systems exist for both blacks and whites, but these Mardi Gras assert their members' freedom of association by loosely enforcing "separate but equal"policies to this day. They are equal although there may be age differences that exist between the two by tradition for rites of passage.