New Film and Media Studies Minor Helps Students Study the Digital World
September 15, 2010
In a world where YouTube, Twitter, Wikipedia, and websites dominate how people communicate, knowledge of new media in all its complexities is indispensible. This year, Georgetown College is instituting a new program with the goal of providing students with the skills needed to understand, study, and ultimately influence media in the digital age.
“While the College has supported Film and Media Studies at Georgetown for many years, several professors in various departments and deans of the college have been working to organize the next step for this program. Thanks to their hard work we are pleased to introduce the new interdisciplinary Film and Media Studies minor,” announced College Dean Chester Gillis.
Faculty and students are excited for the new development in this interdisciplinary course of study. Associate Professor of Performing Arts Robynn Stilwell teaches foundational classes for the Film and Media Studies program, and has been integral in its development. She notes that film and media goes far beyond the development of entertainment.
“The relationship with performing arts and literature is perhaps more obvious, but law, politics, diplomacy, community service—these all demand media literacy today, an awareness of how it is created, how it affects people,” explained Stilwell. “Our program is somewhat unusual in that it's not just about film and media theorization, or even theory and practice, but we're also incorporating the Georgetown ethos of social justice.”
Beginning in the fall of 2010, sophomore and junior students in Georgetown College may apply to the program. The minor will combine three emphases: media history and theory; experiential learning in media creation; and media and social justice. Students may choose to combine the study of media with their other fields of interest or with their major.
Preliminary announcements of the new minor spurred great anticipation among staff, faculty, and especially students. “I am excited that there will be a minor in Film and Media Studies,” said Alex Platis (C’12). Platis has taken several courses on film and media at Georgetown, and plans to apply to the new minor. “Georgetown is a great place to study film and media. Most students, myself included, came to Georgetown to study other subjects but along the way found themselves drawn to…film studies. As a result, the different academic backgrounds [of the students in Film and Media Studies courses] will translate into a richer and more diverse conversation about film in the classroom.”
The minor boasts a host of excellent faculty, ranging from departments as diverse as English and East Asian Languages and Cultures. One of the newest faculty members to join the distinguished group is Caetlin Benson-Allott, who was most recently an Assistant Professor of Film and Digital Media at the University of California at Santa Cruz. A contributing editor to Film Quarterly, Benson-Allott will take an active role in developing the new minor.
“Washington, DC has an amazing history as an exhibition space for film: repertory theaters, embassies, museums, and the Library of Congress,” she explained. “At Georgetown, students have a unique opportunity to see how film becomes part of national memory and international exchange, not to mention all the incredible filmmaking tools and training we offer through the Gelardin Center.”
Long-term faculty and staff are thrilled about the next step for the program. Associate Dean Bernie Cook, who has taught at the College for 13 years, has been one of the leaders in shaping Film and Media studies on the Hilltop. Cook’s own interest in this field began in 1990 when, as a senior English major at Georgetown, he approached Professor John Glavin of the English Department about establishing an independent study course focused on film criticism. Now, more than ever, “our students need opportunities to learn about histories and theories of media and about how media shapes our access to and understanding of the world,” said Cook. “Our new minor will enable Georgetown College students to integrate the study and the creation of media and make connections to their other academic commitments…thereby enriching their education.”
The launch of the new Minor would not be possible without the strong support of Georgetown alumni, especially the alumni leadership of the Georgetown Entertainment & Media Alliance. Said Cook, "three elements needed to come together to enable GU to establish Film and Media Studies: faculty expertise; student interest; and alumni accomplishment and support. We are lucky to enjoy the strong support of our alumni, especially those affiliated with GEMA."
-Gabrielle Matthews
For more about the Film and Media Studies Minor, including a copy of the application, please visit: http://filmandmediastudies.georgetown.edu/
Photos from top: Technology reinvents the way we see media; film students at work; Professor Benson-Allot joins the Georgetown faculty; Associate Dean Bernie Cook with his students. Photos by Kuna Hamad.
