You can also check out the objective faculty profiles and course listings on the Emerson site.

There are two classrooms, one ontop of another. Although, Karen Lindsey argues that there are two others: one in "the barn" (where acting classes are often held), and one outside if the weather allows.

Something worth noting is that in every class there is a 10 - 15 minute break about halfway through.

Courses I Took:

Renaissance and Reformation with Edwin van Meerkerk

      I adore Edwin. He is extremely smart and truly shines when he teaches. He often has excellent Power Point presentations to support his lectures, which are very exciting (sometimes they have sound effects!). The class is mostly reading renaissance and reformation writing, with lectures and discussions. He assigns 2 papers and 2 exams. He is a fair grader and approachable if you have questions. Plus, he has an excellant website called "Edweb" (giggle), which automatically makes him cool.

Introduction to Creative with Denya Cascio (also taught Travel Writing)

      I liked Denya a lot. She's very straightforward/blunt (something that didnt agree with many students), and I felt this ultimately worked to my advantage. She encouraged students to critique their own writing pieces and that of students when workshoping, and I found that very helpful. Because I took my writing assignments seriously, my process really improved. I now have a solid collection of poetry and short stories, which is extremely rewarding. The class focused on poetry and short fiction, and we read many examples of each. There were 5 poetry and 4 short fiction assignments.

Media Criticism and Theory with Karen Lindsey (also teaches Travel Writing and European Literature)

      Karen is a good buddy of mine. We met when she traveled over here with me and Katie a week before the other students arrived. She's characterized by her hippy style/attitude, and often by her feminist perspectives. One of her students wrote a very entertaining piece describing her, which you can view in travel writing. Her class had a somewhat loose structure, in which we discussed theories of the media and watched a few movies/video clips to support the topics. The reading was very manageable. She assigned a chapter every other week, and those were approximately 20 pages (at most). Grades are based on the mid-term and final, but you have the option of writing a paper. Karen has been teaching at the Castle since the beginning and is a good source of information. She also lives nearby, over the Under the Linden (see Town of Well), which makes her readily available. She also does free Tarot card readings once a week.

Intercultural Communication with Han Homan

      I enjoyed the class, but though I liked Han as a person, I didn't think she was a very strong teacher. Ironically, the majority of the class often felt slightly offended by the way she commincated/expressed her ideas/opinons. However, she was friendly and approachable outside of class. The class met once a week for almost 4 hours, which was more bearable than I imagined. Han split the class into student presentations, a discussion about the reading or our recent travels, and an approximately hour long film. She graded fairly, but the exams were tough. She assigned one paper, and a lot of reading (at least 40 pages a week). We spent the majority of the class debating (arguing?) over related topics...which I found interesting/entertaining.

Professors I've Met:

Emile Schra - World Drama: One of many professors I drove to and from the train station (emerson employment), and one of my favorites. We always had interesting conversations, he was very kind, and he had a very positive attitude.

Michaëla Gauduchon - French: Another professor I drove, and I think she is so sweet. Of course I love her because she French (I love the French) and we had a few conversations in French. I got the impression that she truly cares about her students and what she is teaching them.

Gerrit Steunebrink- European Philosophy: One of two professors for the class (they each take a half). He has a good reputation among the staff, and the students seem to like him. I was a little overwhelmed by his presence at first, as he is quite opinionated and blunt, but he's a nice man. Students have told me that hes extremely excited about philosophy, and that it shows in his teaching. Apparently he says "yeah!" a lot when he's doing roll call and is excited about class discussions.

Peter Verstraten - Novel into Film: Yet another one of the friendly professors I drove. I've always received good vibes from Peter, he's extremely friendly and talkative. He seems excited about teaching here, and very knowledgeable about the art of novel writing and filmmaking. 

Geoffrey King - History of Music: A nice man, but quiet in the car. He seemed very passionate about music, and that's an important quality for a professor. I had a class above his and he always played loud music, which I found exciting. He's British and has a nice accent.

Comments about the Professors from Other Students:

Sophie Bonhote - Ensemble Acting and Performance: "Amazing memory for detail." "Her process is all word based, and I really enjoy that." Some students commented that her goals for the class seem unclear, and that she has a difficult time communicating them. "She doesnt make the jump easy for people to make," which becomes "stifling to the creative process." "I think she's frustrating." The general feeling about her was mediocre.

Emile Schra- biggest complaint is that he doesnt give As, but I've heard that this is common with many Dutch professors. "Very intelligent", "I love Emile", "I think he is the nicest person...I just think he should give As."

Pieter Roelofs - Art History II: Perhaps the most adored professor, by female students that is. "I want to marry him and have all his babies." "He makes everything fun." I had two classes with him (while Edwin was getting married) and I found him both adorable and entertaining. He really worked to get his students into the material, and, like Edwin, he used Power Point.