AST 102 Introduction to Japanese II (JPN)

Instructor: Nathan Patton
Prerequisite: AST/JPN 101 w/ C or higher or Permission of Instructor
Offered: Typically every Spring Term
Continued emphasis on Japanese oral/aural communication skills and an introduction to the Japanese written language.
1 Course

AST 104 Introduction to Japanese IV (JPN)

Instructor: Nathan Patton
Prerequisite: AST/JPN 103 w/ C or higher or Permission of Instructor
Offered: Typically every Spring Term
Completion of the two-term intermediate level of Japanese language instruction; continued practice of reading, writing, listening, and speaking, fully integrated with culture.
1 Course

AST 123 History of Japan (HIS)

Instructor: Robert Foster
Offered: Typically every Spring Term
Japan has developed from an isolated chain of islands at the edge of East Asia into a modern economic giant. Through close reading of documents, focused analytical writing, open discussion and lecture, we will examine the complexity of the culture that gave rise to Zen Buddhism, the samurai, and Japan’s current position as one of the world’s most powerful economies. Fulfills International (Non-Western) Perspective requirement.
1 Course

AST 186 Ancient Asia (HIS)

Instructor: Robert Foster
Offered: Typically as student interest and faculty availability allow
The course will introduce the early history of Asia, focusing primarily on India, China, and Japan. Course material will connect material culture and texts with historical narratives of each location to understand the variety of influences upon cultures as they develop. Through primary documents, the course will introduce students to South and East Asia’s great religious traditions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Daoism, and Shintō—the cornerstones of Asia’s various systems of cultural values. Through the study of material culture, it will also introduce literary and artistic traditions from the regions. These cultures have a long history of interaction along the Silk Road and the maritime routes of the East China Sea. By examining the depth and breadth of these interactions, we will also consider the viability of talking about “Asian culture,” as a distinct category of study. Fulfills International (Non-Western) Perspective requirement.
1 Course

AST 204 Yoga (HHP)

Instructors: Stephanie Woodie / Sarah Downs
Prerequisite: HLT/PEH 100 or Permission of Instructor
Offered: Typically every Spring Term
A study of the asanas (poses) included in the practice of Hatha Yoga. The focus will be on connecting breath with movement, developing ease and comfort in poses and developing skills in using yoga as a tool for increased self-awareness. The content will include basic history of yoga and asanas. Students will be required to purchase a yoga mat that they will keep throughout the term.
1 Course

AST 205 Tai Chi (HHP)

Instructor: Martha Beagle
Prerequisite: HLT/PEH 100 or permission of instructor
Because of its movement and mind/body focus, the benefits of Tai Chi on dynamic balance, relaxation, and sustained mental attention have been recognized by those who engage in all kinds of activities. Students of Tai Chi will learn the Yang (short form) style of Tai Chi as well as the mind-body connection in accordance with the principles and techniques of Tai Chi to help enrich one’s life. Tai Chi is scientifically designed to help all students maintain a healthy body through stretching, breathing and meditation.
1/4 Course

AST 286 Introduction to Asian Cinema (THR)

Instructor: Gordon T. Gray
Prerequisite: GSTR 110 or waiver
Offered: Typically as student interest and faculty availability allow
Asian cinematic traditions have produced some of the most famous and accomplished directors (such as Japan’s Kurosawa and Ozu or India’s Satyajit Ray), some of the largest audiences (Bollywood films have immense global audiences), as well as unique artistic visions and styles (the Chinese ‘Fifth Generation’ of filmmakers). Beyond these issues, viewing cinema also tells us much about the cultures in which those cinematic products were produced. Therefore, the films viewed also tell us much about Japan, India, China and the cultural, aesthetic, and dramaturgical traditions of those countries. To that end, students will critically view a series of Asian feature films and then provide analysis of these films via three term time 5-8 page reviews that include topics, themes, and subject matter relevant to the particular films and of relevance to their major. The work culminates in a final essay. Fulfills Arts and International (Non-Western) Perspective requirements.
1 Course

AST 286 Energy, Security, and Society in East Asia (PSC/SENS)

Instructor: Lauren McKee
Prerequisite: GSTR 110 or waiver
Offered: Typically as student interest and faculty availability allow
This course surveys the multiple and overlapping aspects of energy, environmental and national security in Northeast Asia, particularly in China, Japan, Russia and the Korean peninsula. The main emphasis is on how increased competition for environmental and energy resources threaten international security and how these threats should be mitigated. The goal of this course is to introduce basic energy concepts so we can explore the consequences of energy consumption on society and the environment. Fulfills International (Non-Western) and Social Science Perspective requirements.
1 Course

AST 308 Themes in Asian Traditions: “Magic and Mandalas” (REL)

Instructor: Jeffrey L. Richey
Prerequisite: One prior AST course or permission of instructor.
Offered: Typically alternate years (next offered Spring 2017)
Whenever this topical seminar course is offered, it entails a close study of selected texts, practices, or experiences of one or more Asian religious traditions. In this case, the focus is on the use of magic (the application of ritual means to accomplish empirical ends) and mandalas (sacred diagrams that simultaneously map the self and the cosmos and illustrate the connection between the two) in Buddhist, Daoist, and Shintō traditions from India, Tibet, China, and Japan. The goals of this course are to develop an anthropological, historical, and psychological appreciation of these esoteric traditions and to acquire a deeper knowledge of Indian, Tibetan, Chinese, and Japanese religious cultures through close examination and interpretation of primary sources and artifacts, seminar discussion, and substantial individual research. Fulfills International (Non-Western) and Religion Perspective requirements.
1 Course