G:Class

Allison Smith, an artist interested in history and historical re-enactments, spoke to students at City-As-School studying the Enlightenment and the American, French, Haitian, and Mexican Revolutions. The artist spoke about her public art project,The Muster to illustrate the use of historical events to provide a platform for other artists and the public to address current cultural and social issues. Smith also discussed the relationship between history and the present.

Greg Tate,Village Voicereporter, cultural critic, and musician, opened a discussion with high school juniors about the impact of popular culture on the community. As an introduction to journalism, Tate focused on interview strategies in reporting local and global news and tips on how to develop a unique writing style. He also helped to prepare New Design High School students for a reporting project of their own.

Ayana Jackson and Marco Villalobos introduced the first G:Class unit, Global Communication and the Media, through a visual journey called "African by Legacy, Mexican by Birth," a collaborative exhibition that documents the pair’s exploration of Vera Cruz, a rural community in Mexico. Jackson and Villalobos, a photographer and a journalist, respectively, illustrated their process of helping residents trace their ancestries and tell their stories, paying close attention to the manner in which we interpret language and the meaning of words through a particular cultural lens.