A college education offers many benefits, like career readiness, higher wages and more job opportunities.
But a Syracuse University education delivers something more—experiences that build confidence, shape who you are and open your mind to new possibilities.
Here are a few courses that provide engaging content to help students see themselves and the world through a wider lens.
Hendricks Chapel Choir
Creative collaboration is key in ENV 540, where students from all disciplines come together to make music.
For nearly a century, the Hendricks Chapel Choir (ENV 540) has enabled students of all majors to indulge their passion for creative self-expression.
“It was an enriching experience,” recalls organist Abbie Wood ’25, who also served as the soprano section leader of the 40-person mixed choir.
The former music major from the College of Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) recalls many concerts and recording sessions with the group, including tours of England and Scotland in memory of the victims of the Pan Am 103 bombing.
ENV 540 also allowed her to collaborate with director José “Peppie” Calvar and University Organist Anne Laver. “As students, we learned a lot from each other and how to work together as a group,” Wood says.
Art, Activism, Modernity
Joanna Spitzner ’92 is a professional artist who connects everyday experiences to larger social issues. This ethos permeates Art, Activism, Modernity (AIC 321), where she explores publicly engaged, community-based and socially active projects.
“We look at the history, theory and practice of these kinds of artworks,” says Spitzner, a student-turned-professor in VPA’s School of Art. “They teach us to be brave and not follow convention.”
AIC 321 covers a variety of forms—from mural and street art to large-scale installations and performance art to statues and monuments.
Spitzner practices what she preaches, observes one student. “Much like the artworks we study, her work is a tool for dialogue, solidarity and protest.”
Introduction to Film and Media Arts
Michael Hicks G’18 (right), who teaches FMA 153, considers the creative process a “living thing.”
“The creative process is a living thing,” says Michael Hicks G’18, an instructor in VPA’s film and media arts department. “Each step [along the way] is an opportunity for surprise, spontaneity and new meaning.”
He’s one of the instructors of Introduction to Film and Media Arts (FMA 153), which explores the media-making process, from gaining inspiration to honing an idea with state-of-the-art postproduction tools.
“We learn about filming, editing and color grading,” says one student, “alongside working with existing footage or material in a collage or mashup style.”
By engaging in original projects, students find their own voice, Hicks explains. “It’s proof that process is just as important as the final product.”