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March 1, 2004
Pop culture, and how we're all a part of it
By JENNIFER RUFO
Lion’s Eye staff writer
JLR397@psu.edu
"It's cool." "It's interesting." "It's
fun."
Believe it or not, these are students
talking about a class. The Class of the
Month: American Studies 105: Popular
Culture. This class was chosen for its
dynamic look at how popular culture
exists in the United States and how it
is portrayed in other countries.
"We find out more about ourselves
when we study another culture," said
professor Patricia Hillen of her class,
taught every spring. She defines pop
culture as "the world in which we live
with signs all around us."
American Studies 105 is divided
into two sections, one that travels to
Barcelona, and one that revolves
around a classroom setting that uses
different media to -enhance learning
popular culture.
One student enrolled in the non-trip
aspect of the course is Damien
Figueroa, a sophomore communica-
tions major. He says he's not sure
what to expect because "there's so
much to it." He also says the class
makes him see pop culture in a differ-
ent way.
"It's interesting how pop culture is
depicted." Figueroa said.
Another student, Andy Fernandez,
a freshman business administration
major, said, "The class goes more in-
depth than what you would see on TV."
Photo by Jennifer Rufo
Instructor Pat Hillen meets with Damien Figueroa prior to her class in popular cul-
ture. One section of the class will travel to Barcelona over Spring Break.
The class goes so in-depth that it
offers a section for students to travel
to Barcelona over this semester's
Spring Break. The American Studies
African textile artistry speaks
a cultural language all its own
By JEFF HUBER
Lion’s Eye staff writer
JDH335@psu.edu
Fine examples of African art are
currently on display in the Vairo
Library.
The cloth in the cases near the cir-
culation desk represent three examples
of African textile artistry, which, at
first glance may seem simple. However
behind the colors and symbols there
lies a deep meaning. The cloth is on
loan from faculty member Dr. Nancy
Wyatt.
"They were already weaving when
the Portuguese came in the 15th centu-
ry," said Wyatt who brought the cloth
back from a six-week trip to Ghana in
which she participated in a Fulbright
Senior Specialist program.
In the rectangular case is a type of
cloth known as adinkra. To decorate
adinkra, a stamp made from a gourd is
used along with a dye that comes from
the sap of a tree.
The images stamped on the cloth
carry symbolic importance; it is a
method of nonverbal communication.
"Fabric has an importance in Ghana
it doesn't have in the U.S.," said Wyatt.
"Each design is related to a cultural
meaning, usually with a proverb. The
person wearing the cloth is sometimes
speaking a proverb," said Wyatt.
Symbols stamped on the adinkra may
also be political statements.
The color of the adinkra also bears
importance. The deep red and black
adinkra in the library is an example of
colors one would wear to a funeral.
The cloth on the top of the round
case is known as kente. It is woven in
long strips and then cut and sewed
together. It's an intricate process that
takes a great deal of skill so that the
lengths match to create a pattern.
Women spin the thread and sell the
cloth in market; men weave the cloth.
The third type of cloth, on the bot-
tom of the round case, is known as wax-
batik.
"The wax batik came to West Africa
through the Dutch from Java,” said
Wyatt. Java is in Indonesia. The exam-
ples of wax batik on display in the
105 traveling class challenges students
to write a five- to seven-page paper
comparing cultures, among other
things.
Note the following from the syl-
labus: “Readings and assignments
prior to the trip will consider the
strong American Spanish community,
understanding aspects of the culture,
including food, language and religion.
Assignments to be completed in
Barcelona will allow students to choose
between a concentration in the arts
and humanities and a concentration in
the social sciences. Assignments to be
completed in Barcelona will require
detailed observations and comparisons
of various aspects of popular culture to
be documented through photography,
interviews and journals.”
The class is small, which makes for
great interaction, especially for new
students who can take it as a first-year
seminar. And, the trip is affordable at
under $1,000.
Of course, if you don't want to trav-
el, there is always the classroom sec-
tion of the course.
"There was a time when the study
of popular culture was not accepted by
academia," Hillen said. This changed,
however, when pop culture was recog-
nized as a way society views itself.
"We're so immersed in pop culture
that we don't realize it, it surrounds us
the way water surrounds a fish." said
Hillen.
The class offers a great way to learn
and theorize about pop culture through
films, articles, and current events.
It's definitely not a class that you
would want to snooze through.
Photo by Jeff Huber
Cloths displayed in Vairo Library are examples of African textile artistry, and are on
loan from Dr. Nancy Wyatt, who accumulated the art during a trip to Ghana.
Vairo Library are machine made.
The wax batik cloth is purchased in
sets of two pieces, each 4 yards long. To
make a woman's dress one piece is
worn as a skirt and the other is cut and
tailored for a top. Symbols on the cloth
are sometimes created as a way to
honor and remember a person who has
died as well.
"Women buy the fabric by the name
and the symbolic significance," Wyatt
said.