Posted on Friday, April 17, 2020
How do you teach a hands-on class long distance? Several faculty members have been faced with that dilemma this semester after COVID-19 forced all instruction online.
Luke Hopper, Technical Director for Theatre Arts, had some particular challenges in teaching Stagecraft, where students learn about props, scenery, lighting and sound.
“The tools the students needed were in the shop at Price Theater,” he said. “One of our students was in Brazil and didn’t have access to any tools.”
So Hopper came up with a new plan.
“I asked them to make a prop from a TV show, film or theater production,” he said. “They had to research it, then build it from materials they had around the house. Finally, they each did a two-minute video presentation of their project, including a description of their prop, what materials they used, how they built it, what they learned and the greatest challenges they encountered.”
Despite the struggles, Hopper said his students seemed to be extremely engaged online.
“They knew I was available online and they could ask me whatever questions they had,” he said. “They could build anything they wanted, but they had to figure out how to design and construct it on their own.”
Freshman Joseph Wallace built a Captain America shield to its original specifications.
“I enjoyed having the freedom to do a hands-on project like this,” he said. “I learned a lot about all the tools you use in building different things.”
The props ran the gamut from a bird house to the bows and arrows from “The Hunger Games.” There was even a sword.
Rebekah Powers, a freshman Digital Creative Media and Film major, has loved the “Lord of the Rings” movies since she was 7 years old. When it came time to choose a project for her Stagecraft class, her decision was easy.
“I immediately thought of the sword, Anduril, that belonged to Aragorn,” she said. “I found a good image online, enlarged it to scale and printed it out as a template.”
The sword was constructed of wood, polymer clay and leather. It was not an easy task – she said she struggled in almost every step. In fact, she destroyed two swords working out problems before finally getting it right on the third try. She is especially proud of the Elvish script that runs the length of the sword.
Rebekah is no stranger to online courses, having taken three Georgia Virtual School courses in high school. She said she’s been impressed with the way the college’s faculty has adapted to this new way of instruction.
“All of my professors have handled this change exceedingly well,” she said. “They continuously send emails to check up on student progress and safety. Even though this is a difficult time, I have found that I am still learning all the material, albeit in a different way.”
Dr. Mitch Turner, Professor of Music, has been selected to be the recipient of the Flora Glenn Candler Professorship. The honor was established in September 1971 by Charles Howard Candler Jr. and honors the memory of his mother, a graduate in the class of 1898. It is a two-year appointment and awards recognition in the areas of the professor’s effectiveness as a teacher, his or her contribution to the life and work of the college community, and his or her service to the community at large.
The Virtual Writing Center will open Monday. Students can select from each peer consultant's available times. After reserving that time slot, they will receive an invite and a Google Hangouts link to a one-on-one video conference. Students and peer consultants will coordinate on the delivery of files.
The Tutoring Center is also online with many links and information for online tutoring for the rest of the semester.
The deadline to apply for the Student Government Association has been extended to Tuesday. There are 12 positions available for Senate and eight positions available for Executive Council. For more information, contact Brian Carlisle at bcarlisle@lagrange.edu or Dylan McCullough at dmccollo@student.lagrange.edu.
Women’s Basketball
Jasen Jonus has been named the program’s fourth Head Coach. Jonus was on the LC men’s basketball coaching staff for the past seven years, the last two as Associate Head Coach. He was a part of three USA South Tournament championships and four NCAA Division III national tournament appearances during his time with the men’s program.
Junior Ben Womack was named to the Division III PING South All-Region team as announced by the Golf Coaches Association of America. Womack is the first LC player to be selected to the team since 2017. He won two tournaments during the 2019-20 season.
Ever wondered what commencement looked like when it was held on the Academic Quad? Check out this video from the Suber Archives of the 2004 Commencement Exercises staged in front of the Quillian Building.
Jonus hired as LaGrange College women’s basketball coach – LaGrange Daily News, April 6, 2020
LaGrange selects Jonus as women’s basketball coach – Sand Mountain Reporter, April 8, 2020
Category: Academics, Faculty, Students
Keywords: theater props online
