Zombies Take Over Winter Session
More than 50 courses will be taught over Winter Session, including an English class on Zombie Culture.
By Kelly Brennan '13 | December 2, 2009
While many college students are at home during winter break, 18 Virginia Wesleyan students will be on campus filling their minds with knowledge of zombies during Winter Session.
Just the way zombies like minds, or perhaps dinners, intelligent and full.
Zombie Culture, taught by Visiting Assistant Professor of English Gavin Pate, will analyze the formulas used in types of literature, showing how stories about zombies have often become metaphors for human existence.
Books such as World War Z, an anthology of short stories called The Living Dead with writers Stephen King and Kelly Link, and Volume I from The Walking Dead comics, will be introduced to students taking the course.
The class will also watch films such as White Zombie, I Walked with a Zombie and the well-known George A. Romero's Of the Dead series.
“Zombies have been transformed from late night drive-in fodder to a full blown industry of Hollywood blockbusters and best-selling novels,” said Pate. “However, zombies have been part of our literary imagination for at least as long as Frankenstein, and films and books about zombies have become potent critiques of everything from race relations to capitalism to gender roles.”Winter Session is an optional, unique three-week term that gives students the chance to earn up to 3 credits.
Professor Pate’s love for things that go bump in the night is easily spotted by walking by his office door where you are greeted with a picture of my neighbor, and yours, Mr. Rogers, with an infamous Freddy Krueger glove poking out of Mr. Rogers’ even more infamous striped sweater.
Though Pate’s course is already full, Virginia Wesleyan students can choose from more than fifty other Winter Session courses ranging from The History of Piracy to Forensic Science. A variety of travel courses are also being offered this winter to destinations including Maui, Hawaii, Walt Disney World, Fla., and Ecuador, South America.
Director of Winter Session and Professor of German, Dr. Susan Wansink, encourages all students to take advantage of Winter Session courses.
“Winter Session courses provide students with an unbelievable experience not offered during regular semesters,” said Wansink. “This is a wonderful opportunity for students to take engaging courses and focus with members of the faculty on a single academic subject.”