Eastern Washington University and Seattle University come to BCC with department and admissions information
By Emma Sargeant
Eastern Washington University
Eastern Washington University (EWU) is located in Cheney, Wash. and offers a variety of arts-related courses to help students develop their talent in the metropolis of the inland Northwest.
The university, which has 9,831 students enrolled, accepts transfer students with a minimum GPA of 2.0-2.49. Unlike the more academic degrees available at the school, the art department accepts students on a more conceptual and technical basis.
The art program requires students to enroll in the Senior Exhibition Program, which is a course that can spread over two quarters where students receive reviews and critiques to learn the outsider’s perspective of a student’s artwork. This course requires students to seek out the critiques and advice of their professors, which gives the student more confidence in their work, and a structure for developing their pieces of art.
The art department is an opportunity for students to experiment with their ideas of expression with a safety net and the control of educational development. They will graduate with the knowledge of what they will face in the commercial world, and confidence so their art remains individualistic.
The theater department is an environment for students to explore all aspects of the stage, ranging from dramatic talent to technical confidence. EWU is equipped with a theater to give students a hands-on approach to running a show. Productions performed by EWU are consistently varied to encourage students to experiment with contemporary and classical plays.
Graduating students move into a vast field of professions as they leave EWU with the all of the skills needed to run a theatrical production. Many students become professional actors, dancers, technicians in scenery, lighting, sound design, as well as working in public relations, sales and management.
EWU’s music program emphasizes the study of music’s origins by requiring students to enroll into four music history classes. Students are admitted into the program by audition. For success, it is necessary for a student to have the ability to sight read, work with an accompanist, and improvise a piece which best represents the potential student’s style.
The program has weekly showcases of student ensembles that are carefully selected through another audition process. Music students become accustomed to the routine of trials and criticism to prepare for the competitive music business.
EWU will present information on its programs at Bellevue Community College Nov. 13 in the cafeteria. For more information, visit: http://www.ewu.edu.
Seattle University
U.S News and World Reports magazine, in “Best Colleges 2008,” ranked Seattle University (SU) as the sixth best school in the West. The private school is located on First Hill in Seattle, and has been celebrated for its academic success with a strong law program.
The Jesuit university is known for its gradual development of its fine arts department, as it is a newer program at the school.
Because SU is located at the center of Seattle’s art scene, students in the fine arts department have the opportunity of a practical approach to their concentrated major. Art students are invited to explore the walls of the Seattle Art Museum and the Seattle Asian Art Museum with internships to get a realistic grip of what a possible career would be like after graduation. Theater students are only a walk away from the ACT and Paramount Theater.
Students who are concentrating in the field of fine arts undergo a structured program to learn the fundamentals of color and technique to create a controlled piece of art. The structured program is unusual because most art schools take on a liberal approach to allow artists to explore. This is a challenging way to promote the skill of self-motivation, which is vital for the career of artists.
Students are required to study art history to understand the development and influence of visual art. SU provides students with gallery space on 12th Avenue called the Lee Center and invites the public to view the progressive art.
Compared to the visual art program, SU’s theater program struggles to attain the same strength. The theater program caters to the individual needs of the student depending on if they are focusing on acting, designing, directing or playwriting. The program does promise a low class size to give students more time and space with faculty, and aims to prepare students for a professional career in the theater.
Seattle University will be at BCC Nov. 10 with representatives to provide more information on their programs. They will have catalogues and advice on how to apply to their institution. For more information, visit: http://www.seattleu.edu.