Water Theme Adopted for Global Teaching, Activities at SMC 

In Santa Monica College professor Amber Katherine's Modern Philosophy class this semester, students will study water -- whether it is a commodity or a human right - from the perspective of John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau.

Professor Craig Hammond, in his architectural history course, will discuss the role of water in architecture and city planning and will cover historical structures specifically designed for the preservation and transportation of water for civilizations.

And in Gordon Dossett's English class, the classic film "Chinatown" - with its social and political elements relating to water as well as its metaphorical purification-and-innocence v. pollution-and-corruption implications - will serve as an important learning tool for critical thinking and composition writing.

The embedding of water as a topic in these disparate courses is part of SMC's adoption of a water theme for its ambitious global citizenship initiative for the 2009-10 academic year. Water will also take center stage as a theme for lectures, music performances, dance concerts, photo exhibits and more (see list below).

"Water is so fundamental and universal and so complex," says Dean of Academic Affairs Georgia Lorenz, who is co-chair of SMC's Global Council. "You can study water as an element, H2O, or as a religious symbol. Water is a common theme across the arts. It is part of urban planning. You can think about access to water as a human rights issue and an environmental issue. You can learn about the pollution of the oceans and the privatization of water. There are a myriad of economic issues related to water. There are nutritional implications related to water, from staying properly hydrated to the devastating impact of unclean water on the mortality rates of children around the world."

But Lorenz also says the issue can reach beyond the classroom. Student clubs can adopt the theme in their activities this year. Students and employees can use the water bottle refill station located in the Student Cafeteria. And students will have an opportunity to volunteer with organizations such as Wells Bring Hope, which works to bring clean water to the women of Niger.

The Global Council's adoption of a water theme comes in the third year of SMC's global citizenship initiative, a pioneering crusade that seeks to foster in students an understanding of international, intercultural and ecological issues, as well as an understanding of economic factors and human rights and environmental issues, Lorenz said. And the initiative seeks to embed global citizenship so deeply into the college culture that it becomes part of its fabric, she said.

"What distinguishes global citizenship at Santa Monica College from studying international relations is the word 'citizenship,'" she said. "That single word does more than imply that we want our students to feel motivated to take action for the greater good; to engage in volunteer work on Study Abroad rather than simply view another country from a bus window; to work with local agencies doing international good; to recognize their own potential for impacting others and to realize that potential."

In the 2 /12 years since the global citizenship initiative was launched, the college has taken major steps toward realizing its goal.

The college has added a global citizenship requirement (one class) for students to receive an Associate of Arts degree. It has beefed up its Study Abroad program and, through the Associated Students, provided scholarships for low-income students to participate in these overseas study trips. It launched a Global Connections and other internationally-themed lecture series. And it has sent SMC faculty and other employees to several countries to study international, cultural and global environmental issues.

"Ultimately, I envision global citizenship becoming something that SMC is known for," Lorenz said. "When you say to someone at a cocktail party, 'I work at SMC,' the response will be, 'Oh! Number one in transfers and the home of global citizenship. You know, you graduate great students who are ready for the world because of all they have learned through your focus on global issues. I hired a few of your graduates from my business. They hit the ground running! I sent one to Korea last week with the vice president of sales to open new markets for us.'"

Events scheduled this semester with a water theme - most of which are free - include:

* Tuesday, Sept. 15 @ 11:15 a.m. in Science Lecture Hall 140: "The Secret Life of a Snowflake: A Close Look at the Physics of Crystal Growth," by Dr. Kenneth G. Libbrecht, chair of the Caltech Physics Department.

* Thursday, Oct. 1 @ 11:15 a.m. in Humanities & Social Science Building Room 152: "Water Consciousness for Global Citizenship," by SMC philosophy professor Amber Katherine.

* Friday, Oct. 11 @ 4 p.m. in the SMC Performing Arts Center's Broad Stage, Handel's "Water Music," a concert by the SMC Music Department.

* Tuesday, Nov. 3@ 11:15 a.m. in Science Lecture Hall 140: "After the Rivers Run Dry: Lessons from Phased Ecological Restoration Experiments - from California Salt Marshes to Anatolian Steppes and Points in Between," by Dr. Sean Anderson, assistant professor of environmental science and resource management at California State University, Channel Islands. He will talk about the results of efforts to restore damaged ecological systems.

* Wednesday, Nov. 4 (time and location to be determined): A screening of "Chinatown," followed by an SMC faculty panel discussion.

* Tuesday, Dec. 1@ 11:15 a.m. in Science Lecture Hall 140: "Climate Warming, Perfect Droughts, and Southern California Water Resources," by Dr. Glen MacDonald, UCLA professor of geography and of ecology and evolutionary biology, who is also an award-winning researcher and teacher. He will discuss some of the effects that climate change will have on Southern California.

* Saturday & Sunday, Dec. 5 & 6 at 7:30 p.m. in the SMC Performing Arts Center's Broad Stage, a World Dance concert featuring a water theme, performed by the SMC Dance Department.

In addition, the Photography Department plans a photo show and contest late in the semester that will feature water. The Photo Gallery is located on the second floor of Drescher Hall.

For more information, call (310) 434-4303 or go to www.smcglobal.org.