All college students have dealt with final exams. For one UC Davis class, however, the final can be even more daunting: there is an audience.
That’s the premise of Science and Society 42: Earth, Water, Science, Song, which fuses studies and song. The class is taught by Professor Wendy Silk and seeks to combine environmental issues and live performance. The official description sums it up.
“In this course students will fuse the intellectual power of environmental science with the emotional power of the performing arts.”
Darren Dinh, a first-year biochemistry major, simplified it.
“It’s an environmental class that focuses on water and soil systems,” Dinh said.
As part of the course, the students have to write and perform original environment-based songs, which they perform in a show, titled Earthtones. Ellen Davis, first-year mechanical engineering major, explained the reasoning behind the unique final.
“The professor wanted to have a class where the final was a performance. There was a fusion of science and music. Almost all of the songs are original. We split into groups, and the groups write the songs,” Davis said.
“The show is considered to be part of the class; it’s our final,” stated Margaret Huang, fourth-year biochemistry major.
Davis shared some advice for anyone considering taking the class.
“If you’re looking for class that changes up the format, this is definitely a class for you,” she said.
The performances take place during the final week of the quarter. The first show took place on Tuesday, in the Plant and Environmental Sciences building. The next show will be held on Friday, at 7 p.m. at the Natsoulas Gallery, located at 521 First St.
BRETT BUNGE can be reached at arts@theaggie.org.
