For three and a half weeks during the Spring semester, Dickinson College students will have the opportunity to travel abroad to the island country of Trinidad and Tobago.

From Thursday, January 29th to Saturday, February 21st 2015, Professors Jerry Philogene and Patricia van Leeuwaarde Moonsammy will lead 10-12 students and alumni through an intensive study of the island’s rich cultures. The Trinidad and Tobago Mosaic will give Dickinson students the opportunity not only to journey overseas, but also to complete immersive research.

Students will also have a chance to integrate studies of festival arts, visual expression and cultural analysis into their research. Each day will involve multiple cultural activities, as students will attend performances, conduct research, or engage in fieldwork research methods. On top of these events, students will also meet with a wide range of artists who help to create the Carnival festival celebration.

This spring’s mosaic will not only offer artistic involvement, however: it will also provide an understanding of the social, political and economic histories of the island. Between Trinidad’s range of ethnic and racial diversity, and Tobago’s scenic, pastoral landscape, students will develop a specialized knowledge of the myriad of cultures which are an essential part of Trinidad and Tobago. Students will also be challenged to become more proficient in research methodology and comprehensive analysis.

With these skills, students will return to Dickinson with the intention of expanding upon the knowledge they gained in the Caribbean. Professors Philogene and van Leeuwaarde Moonsammy will each teach two courses for the second semester, which will be required for all participants of the mosaic. Professor Philogene will teach Introduction to Caribbean Visual Culture and Workshop in Cultural Analysis and Methodology. Professor van Leeuwaarde Moonsammy, on the other hand, will lead Anthropology of Music in the Caribbean and The Caribbean and its African and Indian Diasporas.