The CHSS Yellowstone Project - Summer 2013

KENNESAW, Ga. (Oct 23, 2012) — Greetings, MAST students! A program has just been approved to offer you a MAST Practicum this Summer 2013 semester.

The course is titled "Making Yellowstone Meaningful for Georgians." It is part of a new CHSS Yellowstone Project that will combine a 13-day trip to Yellowstone National Park with the practicum, which will last the full 8-week summer semester.

Two other courses will be offered to Master's in Professional Writing students, who will join us on the trip. Because of support from the College of Humanities and Social Sciences and the Graduate School, this trip cost is kept to an extremely low $1350 , including everything except dinner, which you'll pay for on your own, along with any souvenirs you buy. That's a 13-day trip to one of the nation's premier national parks for around $100 a day; you can't beat it! (Tuition and fees must be paid separately, however. But if you have a GRA, you may use any remaining course waiver hours for program courses.)

The trip cost includes guided tours by professional staff of the Yellowstone Association Institute for activities like wildlife watching and touring the geo-termal features. We will also learn about the issues of the park from scholars, ranchers, activists, and local business owners. Their talks about the management of bison and reintroduced grey wolves, invasive species of trout, bioprospecting, winter use of the park via snowmobiles, and native American mythology and history will provide a rich and comprehensive overview of the concerns facing the park today.

The trip concludes with a trip to the Little Big Horn battlefield where we will learn about the history of this decisive conflict from both a Crow and White perspective. If you are interested, please contact me right away for an application form. Time is of the essence because by Dec. 10th we must know if at least 10 students will participate for the trip to make. There is room for a maximum of 12 students.

I took this trip last summer and loved every minute of it. I saw bison, wolves, bears, elk, pronghorn, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, pica, cutthroat trout, jackrabbits, eagles, badger babies and more! I saw remains of Crow teepees and hunting lodges. I walked across Lamar Valley to a bear den that became a wolf den and was then abandoned. Old Faithful and other geysers, pools, and mud pots were just a couple of the sights. The Yellowstone River Canyon was probably my favorite view. It's a wild big place; I felt small as a part of creation and so lucky to be alive and present. You might too!

Please feel free to contact me by phone or e-mail if you are interested or have any questions. BG Dr. Elizabeth Giddens egiddens@kennesaw.edu Professor of English American Studies Coordinator Social Sciences 2012 Mail drop #2208 Kennesaw State University 1000 Chastain Road Kennesaw, GA 30144 770/423-6766