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8- The Michigan Daily - Monday. July 30. 2001
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MOTOR CITY SPIRI
Fall LSA courses add to tricentennial
festivities celebrating Detroit's hi ry
research is concerned with twentieth
"People should be century American art and urban cul-
interested in Detroit ture, I've never really
gotten to know the fasci-
because it is a vibrant city nating city next door
with a rich and complex that figures so promi-
culture..." nently in modern art
and in twentieth-centu-
- David Sheridan ry culture," said Prof.
Professor Rebecca Zurier. a
Zurier's class, titled
"Detroit: A History of
By Maria Sprow Art and Culture in theDwM t
Daily News Editor M ot or City " is
designed to show
The University is joining the Motor how the city has '
City's 300th birthday celebration with been depicted in art
an entire themed semester sponsored by and the affect of art}s
the College of Literature, Science and on the city. Students
Arts. had to apply for the
The Detroit 300 Theme Semester class in order to get
begins this fall. LSA added more than in.
40 classes to the course guide in honor Zurier said she
of the city's anniversary. chose to have stu- ,.
The classes focus on everything from dents apply in the
race and poverty issues to fine art inthe hopes that the
isner city and are listed under the Histo- class would be
ry, English, Sociology, American Cul- more diverse,
ture, and Psychology departments. The allowing them to
Residential College also offers Detroit- learn from each
themed courses. other's experi-
Professors are hoping the classes will ences with the ALEX HOWERT/ Dily
be popular among students, especially city.
since Detroit is so close to Ann Arbor "It will be an unusual mix of stu-
and is home to many University students. dents," she said. "Some of them are
"People should be interested in taking the class because they grew
Detroit because it is a vibrant city with up in Detroit and know the place
a rich and complex culture, because it intimately ... but haven't thought
has a fascinating history, and because it about the place in a very critical
is one important site where key Ameri- way. We'll also have a cohort of stu-
can problems related to race, class and dents who have studied modern art,
urban living are being worked out,' said history, or music, and have studied
Prof. David Sheridan, who is teaching a abroad, but have hardly even visited
senior seminar called "Art, Community Detroit. There should be a lot we can
and Change in Detroit." learn from each other."
Although the classes are made to ini- Although both Sheridan's and
tiate students to the city, some profes- Zurier's classes are currently full,
sors took the teaching opportunity as there are several classes, including :
one to learn. the "umbrella" course titled
"I chose to teach the class because "Detroit: Past, Present and future, '
even though I've lived in Ann Arbor still open for students who want to
since 1992, and even though my learn about the city.
The "Big Flat" eculpture, which depicts the hand of legendary detroit-native boxer Joe Louis, sits at the interse
Jefferson and Woodward avenues in downtown Detrot. Several of the Detroit 300 classes focus on the city's fin