The usual Introduction to Photography class Purdue University Calumet offers every year has had a change of scenery this summer as the students traveled to Paris and will be there through middle of June.
Thomas Roach, the department head for the communication and creative arts department and an associate professor who has his doctorate in communication studies, is teaching the class. Though Roach has taught the class before, the location adds different elements to the learning experience.
Grace Wilk, a sophomore at Purdue University Calumet studying public relations, said she hopes the skills she learns in Paris will help her with future classes. Wilk said she is happy Roach is teaching the class because his expertise will help complement the skill set that the students hope to develop.
“When I took Intro to PR with Tom Roach, he talked about how important it is to be able to take photographs to accompany your written work,” Wilk said.
Wilk said the class will have a different atmosphere with lectures being in different locations and cafes in Paris. She said that having the class in Paris will be a good comparison to the young city of Chicago because the location has more opportunities to explore history.
The Art Appreciation course will also visit several museums and have guided tours exposing the students the historical art the City of Lights has to offer.
