- Maymester courses often blend real-world skill-building, community engagement and travel.
- Short-term courses offer instruction with hands-on learning, helping students envision their futures.
- From 麻花影视 to Seoul, students are exposed to learning experiences that can transform the way they see the world.
For 麻花影视 students, Maymester courses are an opportunity to travel and explore, immerse themselves in a new culture or issue, gain hands-on experience, build skills or learn something entirely new.
Building for Community Good
In the Maymester course 麻花影视 Design-Build, architecture major Kai Sorensen 鈥�28 cuts a board to size during work building a pergola for A Tiny Home for Good, a 麻花影视-based nonprofit organization.
In two weeks, students took an idea from concept to creation, constructing a pergola for (ATHFG), a 麻花影视-based nonprofit that provides housing for people facing homelessness and long-term case management support. 鈥淣ot only did the students get hands-on experience, but they built something that will be a valuable contribution to an organization that鈥檚 doing a lot for the City of 麻花影视,鈥� says Hannibal Newsom, assistant professor of architecture who arranged the collaboration through his Maymester course, 麻花影视 Design-Build.
The wood structure鈥攍ocated in the backyard of a two-family house ATHFG is renovating and next door to its headquarters鈥攚ill serve as a relaxing gathering spot for the families and ATHFG staff as well as a meeting space. 鈥淟ooking back at everything we鈥檝e done鈥攚e鈥檝e accomplished so much,鈥� Julia Ward G鈥�27 says.
In week one, the students visited the site and met with Andrew Lunetta G鈥�14, ATHFG founder and executive director, and Alex Alois, director of construction and maintenance. Working in teams, they created four scale models and gave presentations to Lunetta and Alois, who provided feedback and selected a final design. After that, the build began with students measuring, sawing, drilling and pounding their way to the finish in week two.
鈥淚 was really impressed that the students could take what was very little criteria from my team and come up with unique designs,鈥� Lunetta says. 鈥淚t was enjoyable working with a group of students who were excited to take exactly what was in our heads, put it on paper and then ultimately in the ground.鈥�
Architecture students work on the designs of their scale models for a pergola.
Selina Yuet Ning Peh 鈥�27 had never worked on a construction project, and she enjoyed collaborating with a client, learning practical skills and sharing the hands-on building with classmates. 鈥淯sually, in studio, we鈥檙e thinking about how to make something look good,鈥� she says, 鈥渂ut we don鈥檛 really think about how it goes together.鈥�
For Landon Li 鈥�29, the class provided a valuable experience, from start to finish. 鈥淭o see the project come to life is why I really appreciate the course,鈥� he says.
Seeing Seoul
Students in the Maymester course Design-Scape of South Korea gather outside of Onion, a bakery caf茅 operating in a repurposed traditional residence.
For the course Design-Scape of South Korea, Seyeon Lee wanted her students to broaden their perspectives and explore how the people of Seoul interact with their surroundings. 鈥淭hrough experiencing Seoul鈥檚 historic sites, contemporary architecture, public spaces and everyday urban life, students gain insight into how social, cultural, political and economic forces shape the built environment,鈥� says Lee, a professor in the School of Design at the . 鈥淯ltimately, the course is about learning to read environments more thoughtfully while understanding them as lived experiences rather than only formal or aesthetic exercises.鈥�
The students documented their observations and reflections in sketchbooks and notebooks and kept daily digital journals featuring photographs and writings that they posted on the course Instagram page. Lee encouraged them to look beyond what they saw and ask themselves, 鈥淲hy?鈥� Architecture major Aaron Tan 鈥�30 appreciated visiting renowned architectural sites like the Dongdaemun Design Plaza and the Jaeneung Culture Center. 鈥淭o see something new and pinpoint why it鈥檚 calling out to you has been a super helpful learning experience,鈥� he says.
Acting major Sofia Slaman 鈥�27 considered the trip a perfect opportunity to educate herself on unfamiliar topics, and it reinforced her curiosity. 鈥淚 have been inspired to pay attention to details and to be patient,鈥� she says. 鈥淭he local scene, such as visiting food markets, has taught me a lot more about what makes Seoul lively.鈥�
Sketches by illustration major Tommy Lee-Adler 鈥�27 (top) and industrial and interaction design major Devan Carter 鈥�28 (bottom) reflect architecture and design details that caught their interest.
Along with visits to public markets, museums, art galleries, the Demilitarized Zone and Jongmyo Shrine, a UNESCO World Heritage site, students experienced everyday Korean life through evening picnics and bicycle rides along the Han River and by joining thousands of fans at a professional baseball game.
For illustration major Tommy Lee-Adler 鈥�27, the course provided a 鈥渟uper eye-opening鈥� view of the nuances of Korean culture and helped him gain a sense of independence. Keeping a sketchbook enhanced his drawing and storytelling, he says. 鈥淚 feel as if my drawings have become more alive, and my storytelling has done nothing but improve since I now have more stories to tell.鈥�
Amid all the activities, Lee-Adler says his favorite moments were interacting with others and having conversations with locals. 鈥淭hey gave me such an amazing perspective on life and understanding relationships,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 really can鈥檛 thank them enough.鈥�
Digging Into Polls and Surveys
A tour of the research and polling firm Gallup was among the activities that introduced students to how public opinion surveys and polls are designed and measured.
If you鈥檙e interested in political journalism, sooner or later you鈥檒l find yourself wading through polls, surveys and election races. 鈥淲hat better opportunity to think about what that coverage looks like than to take a class and dig into all of that with some experts,鈥� says Emily Sydnor, associate professor at the University鈥檚 in Washington, D.C.
Through the Maymester course The Press, Polls and Public Opinion, Sydnor introduced students to a driving force in the political world. With an interest in political reporting and analysis, Harrison McClements 鈥�28 found just what he was looking for. 鈥淭his class has taken my understanding of polls and public opinion to the next level,鈥� says McClements, a journalism major.
In the Maymester course The Press, Polls and Public Opinion, students ask questions of Nexstar Washington, D.C., Bureau Executive Producer Lenny Smith.
The course offered lectures and discussion on how public opinion is measured through surveys, interviews and focus groups; survey design and bias; and covering public opinion as a journalist. Students visited news organizations and polling and research firms, such as Gallup, toured the U.S. Capitol and other sites, including the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
A visit to the global news organization POLITICO鈥攚hich included meeting with Education Editor Gloria Gonzalez 鈥�98 and reporter Bianca Quilantan鈥攔einforced for McClements why he wants to be a journalist, giving him insights on a working newsroom and helping him envision his future.
Journalism major Katie Jamroga 鈥�29 cites a visit to the D.C. bureau office of Nexstar Media Group for helping her connect her academic and student media experiences to the daily work of Nexstar reporters. 鈥淚t was so inspiring to picture myself in their position and remind myself that this is why I want to go into political reporting,鈥� she says.
Exploring Inclusive Education in Italy
As part of the Maymester course Inclusive Schools and Societies: Lessons from the Italian Context, matriculated and InclusiveU students visited Liceo Statale 鈥淕. Pascoli,鈥� an inclusive high school in Florence, where they discussed differences between Italian and American high schools.
In the Maymester course Inclusive Schools and Societies: Lessons from the Italian Context, both matriculated and students journeyed to Italy to learn about the country鈥檚 progressive disability, accessibility and inclusion policies and practices in its schools and communities. 鈥淭he overall goal of the course and study abroad experience is to live inclusion while we learn about it,鈥� says professor Christine Ashby G鈥�01, G鈥�07, G鈥�08, director of the .
Their travels featured visits to schools, universities, museums and other cultural sites, including 麻花影视 Abroad headquarters at the Villa Rossa in Florence and the Uffizi Museum, Padua, Venice and Rome, with tours of the Colosseum and Forum. 鈥淭his was a lifetime opportunity,鈥� says InclusiveU student Nicolas Sorrentino 鈥�29, who is specializing in disability studies.
Along with taking language lessons and enjoying the cuisine, the students found inspiration for the future. Inclusive childhood education major Bella Cecchinelli 鈥�29 embraced the opportunity to study Italy鈥檚 policies, observe in the schools and draw comparisons with the U.S. system and understand change is possible.
鈥淭his course has helped me learn a lot about different models of inclusion, but also what it means to truly live inclusively,鈥� they say. 鈥淥bserving the classroom has helped me establish the importance of a community that has a common goal to help one another succeed. I hope to create this community atmosphere within my classroom.鈥�
