Colgate Syllabus: Activist Media

A scenic view of Colgate's campus and hillside from a distant with dramatic lighting

“Wherever there is light, one can photograph.” -Alfred Stieglitz
The golden hour, also know as the magic hour, is that time of day when the sun is low to the horizon and has to travel through the atmosphere at a greater thickness, causing the light to be warm and soft as it rakes across the landscape to create long horizontal shadows. It is the reason why many of the classical painters chose to implement this light into their landscapes.
I had spent several weeks in my first month at Colgate looking for a spot at a higher elevation to photograph the campus from a distance also keeping in mind that I wanted to photograph Colgate through seasonal changes from this same spot. From one of our west-facing office windows here in Merrill House, I noticed a farmer’s field across the valley that might offer this view and with some asking around, I was able to find out who owned the field and get their permission to access it. On the day this photo was taken there was heavy cloud coverage with few breaks in the clouds. I knew I might not have a good chance of getting sunlight to break through but I tried anyway. It took about 45 minutes of waiting until there was a break in the clouds and I remember watching as sunlight beamed through an opening just north of Hamilton and watching as the clouds drifted south, so did the beam of light breaking through. It slowly made its way in a south easterly direction first illuminating the stadium at Hamilton Junior/Senior High School and then drifted over the campus to illuminate the buildings on the academic quad. I had to be quick in composing and taking the photo because seconds later, the light was on to the next hill.
Photo by Mark DiOrio, Colgate University
Colgate University is pictured with fall foliage, October 25, 2016 in Hamilton, N.Y.
Camera: Nikon D4S
Lens: Nikkor 300mm 1:2.8
Exposure: 1/2000 sec.
Aperture: f/9
ISO: 500

Editor’s note: Wondering what’s happening in the classroom at Colgate? Here’s a real-time glimpse into academic life on campus — a syllabus from a course underway this semester.

FMST 376 Activist Media
Eli Horwatt, Visiting Assistant Professor in Film and Media Studies
TR 1:20–2:35 p.m., Bryan Hall Classroom

Course description

This course outlines the historical roots of the contemporary activist media environment, examining the role of new media as a rhetorical tool for political transformation. This course will ground students in 20th-century histories and theories of activist media, with a focus on the role of student mobilizations from the civil rights movement in the 1960s to contemporary campus activism. A toolkit of techniques and strategies will also be evaluated and explored as potential sources for creative projects by student practitioners. Special attention will be paid to the contemporary landscape of activist media and its intersections with online activist movements, particularly as they pertain to higher education.

Major assignments

Professor Horwatt began the semester by asking his students “How does art change you, and how does activism transform your behavior?” The hope, according to Professor Horwatt, is that every assignment brings the students closer to being able to answer that question. Students conceptualize interventions that could be performed on campus, such as projections onto buildings to raise awareness for a cause, or “invisible theater” performances in busy areas such as the dining hall or the quad.

Class format

Splinter groups break off at the beginning of each class and create discussion questions based on the readings. When the class reconvenes, each splinter group is responsible for facilitating a dialogue. Professor Horwatt will provide examples and reframe questions, but the students are largely responsible for guiding class discussion.

The professor says

“In conjunction with this class and through a Colgate Arts Council grant, I’ve been able to bring four artist-activists to campus. These speakers that I was able to bring, including one of the original organizers of the Occupy Wall Street movement, are giving workshops and very pragmatically engaging with these students. The students engage themselves with these movements and are able to learn a lot from the experiences of the artists. This opportunity provided by the CAC has really brought a new dynamic to the course.”