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2009/10 First Year Seminar
| Instructor | Section # |
| Immelman, Pamela | 100-01A, 11A |
| Kendall, John | 100-02A, 04A |
| Wolak, Roseann | 100-03A, 15A |
| Flynn, Patrick | 100-05A, 24A |
| Schnettler, Lynn | 100-06A, 31A |
| Lynch, Julie | 100-07A, 25A |
| Sanchez-Mora, Elena | 100-08A |
| Wielkiewicz, Richard | 100-09A |
| Costello, Kate |
100-10A |
| Opitz, Michael | 100-12A |
| Brash, Carol | 100-13A |
| Harkins, Jessica | 100-14A, 59A |
| Wolak, Roseann | 100-15A |
| Cunninham, Mickey | 100-16A, 28A |
| Schaaf, Sarah | 100-17A |
| Harkins, Matt | 100-18A |
| Callahan, Matt | 100-19A, 34A |
| LaFountaine, Janna | 100-20A |
| Connell, Martin | 100-21A, 33A |
| Allen, Neal | 100-22A |
| Douma, Susan | 100-23A, 44A |
| Stoltz, Elizabeth | 100-26A, 46A |
| McCarter, Maureen | 100-27A, 51A |
| Larson, Derek | 100-29A |
| Mancuso, Luke | 100-30A |
| Malone, David | 100-32A |
| Drazenovich, Dana | 100-35A, 45A |
| Riley, Susan | 100-36A, 50A |
| Albares, Richard | 100-37A, 57A |
| Larkin, Brian | 100-38A |
| Wedl, Lois | 100-39A |
| Reichert, Matt | 100-40A |
| Campbell, Brian | 100-41A |
| Gazich, Robert | 100-42A |
| Kraemer, Kelly | 100-47A |
| Mayers, Ozzie | 100-48A |
| Johnson, Scott | 100-49A |
| Stonestreet, Erica | 100-52A |
| Anderson, Jeff | 100-53A |
| Erickson-Grussing, Angela | 100-54A |
| Lindgren, Carl | 100-55A, 58A |
| Thomas, Steven | 100-56A |
| Marwitz, Willard | 100-60A |
2009/10 Honors First Year Seminar
| Shouse Tourino, Christina | H100-01A |
| Wengler, Elisabeth | H100-02A |
| Prevost, Gary | H100-03A |
| Kronebusch, Phil | H100-04A |
| Hayes, Nick | H100-05A |
| Ziegler, Lynn | H100-06A |
CORE 100-01A, 11A Immelman, Pamela Personal Development Through Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking: In this course students will develop the interdependent skills of critical thinking, reading, writing, listening, group discussion, and public speaking. Development of oral and written communication will be organized around our particular course focus, Reading, Writing, Listening, Speaking, and Personal Development. Students will begin to establish patterns of lifelong learning to seek and integrate knowledge of self and the world.
CORE 100-02A, 04A Kendall, John In Search of Academic Connections: These sections of First-Year Seminar (FYS) will ask the question "What if...?" To help us to respond academically to that question, we'll be we’ll be reading and discussing and "viewing"—a lot of material. We’ll read academic essays, novels, short stories, textbooks, poetry, scripts, and grammar handbooks (to name some few). Guided discussion during the class periods will follow each of the readings as we work to make obvious and not-so-obvious personal and academic-communitywide connections with the texts we have read or the films we have viewed. With each assignment, there will be a writing exercise—which is where the classroom discussion will begin. By reading “good” texts and writing about “good” texts, we will attempt to create more academic and more thoughtful students; ultimately creating more thoughtful and more academic members of this academic and global community.
CORE 100-03A, 15A Wolak, Roseann The Power of the Individual Versus the Power of the State: The framework of the course will focus on politics, freedom, and the power of the individual to create change. The course will be reviewing specific points in history from a social, cultural, political, and religious context.
CORE 100-05A, 24A Flynn, Patrick Culture and Religion: In order to effectively critique our culture, we must be able to identify what it is and how it affects us. Since it is as familiar to us as the air we breathe, it may be a challenge to describe the culture and illuminate its effects. How do technology, advertising, and economics drive us? Cell phones and the internet certainly connect us in ways that would have seemed impossible a generation ago, but do these technologies change us in imperceptible ways? Does our culture improve our lives and make us better people, or does it diminish us and push us toward the superficial? How does it affect our interior life, and our ability to be reflective? How does culture intersect with faith and religion? Do culture and faith work well together, or are they at odds with one another?Through reading, discussion, and research we will attempt to step back, identify, and objectively critique our culture in order to determine its effects on our lives.
CORE 100-06A, 31A Schnettler, Lynn Emerging Adults: Students will use contemporary literature as the basis to improve reading, writing, critical thinking, discussion and presentation skills. During the first semester, students will read novels to focus on the emotional issues of young adults in today’s society and address the adjustments students make going from high school to college life. The second semester will be a combination of researching two current issues of interests. One issue will be researched and presented with a group and the other as an individual project. During this semester, we will continue to read and discuss essays and other books.
CORE 100-07A, 25A Lynch, Julie Communicating Intentionally: a Study of Rhetoric:: The theme of this course is an awareness of ethics, symbols, and values that determine how we are in quality relationships and larger social contexts. We will explore internal value formation and critically listen to various genres of contemporary literature and music to determine awareness of similar or dissonant messages of value. A blend of speaking, listening, writing, and role-playing will set the tone for students to engage in various means of intentional communication. The understanding of content, organization, and dynamic professional speaking/writing skills set the pace for students to participate in the complex study of those who’ve affected the masses. A required class project includes the creation of a social movement or campaign to serve a higher ethical good.
CORE 100-08A Sanchez-Mora, Elena Life and Death Matters: Should individuals, state or federal institutions have the authority to decide when and how a person’s life begins/ends? Our course will examine this moral dilemma through specific cases, which have recently received significant media attention. For example, the 2005 state court decision to terminate life support for Terri Schiavo, a Florida woman in a persistent vegetative state, after a long legal fight between her parents and her husband; and the current debate over the abolition/preservation of the death penalty in Maryland, Kansas, Montana, Colorado and New Mexico. These matters, which will be the basis for oral presentations, discussions and essay writing, will be presented through a variety of texts; among them, newspaper articles, films, television shows, and fictional narrative, as well as religious, ethical, medical, and legal sources. An intercultural perspective of some of these issues will also be included.
CORE 100-09A Wielkiewicz, Richard The Environment, Technology, and Sustainability: This course is designed to develop your critical thinking, writing, discussion, and speaking skills using readings in environmental issues and sustainability as the background. Emergence of the human species out of the Pleistocene era, when we survived as hunters and gatherers, into the agricultural and industrial eras was accompanied by radical changes in the impact of humans on the earth. Instead of being a component of a stable ecology, humans developed the ability to radically alter the environment with our science and technology. One goal of the class is to identify environmental issues that will be challenging the human species during the coming decades. If we adjust our behavior to be in harmony with our natural environment we may have a bright future in which energy and resources are available for everybody. On the other hand, we may find that the future is not as bright as we use up our planet’s limited natural resources, cause increased global warming, destroy the earth’s protective ozone layer, or poison ourselves with pollution. In this course, we will critically examine our current behavior toward the environment with the goal of identifying socially responsible and sustainable directions for the future.
CORE 100-12A Opitz, Michael Poetry and Pop Music: Poetry is an oral art. Traditionally, poetry has been spoken or chanted aloud and integrated with music, dance and ritual. Today, popular culture offers some interesting avenues for exploring the musical and ritualistic use of language in ways that can be considered poetic. The ancient voice that emerged from ritual poetry is a rhythmic and visionary voice. The visions of poets have become important aspects in a culture’s understanding of itself. This course will investigate manifestations of the visionary tradition in poetry and pop music. The course argues that the visionary tradition is still an important part of our culture’s poetry and that poetry is still an important part of our culture’s vision.
CORE 100-13A Brash, Carol What's the Use of Art? Does my tea cup mean anything? Does it do anything other than hold my tea? Do the answers change if the cup is placed on a white platform in a museum case? Must it be pretty? Who decides? Would the answers be different in 16th century China? 19th Century England? 11th century Japan? In this course, you will be encouraged to ask and consider similar questions and to read, think, speak, and write critically about how art is used and experienced. Each unit will introduce visual and material culture from both past and present and from both western and nonwestern cultures. You will also be asked to bring in and/or discuss objects that are meaningful to you. Themes that we may address include: sacred art, art and memory, controversial art, art as propaganda, art and science, and art and identity. In addition to examining objects in and out of class, we will read texts written by artists, art historians, historians, critics, journalists, students and other users of art. The class will also have assignments addressing on-campus field trips and other related on-campus arts opportunities.
CORE 100-14A, 59A Harkins, Jessica The Art of the Essay: This course will be devoted to the study of the essay in its various forms. As we encounter different kinds of essays in our reading, we will also look at the essay's ties to genres such as the short story and novel, poetry, literary journalism and creative non-fiction. Students may expect to read in these multiple genres while developing a sharpened sense of the potential of the essay. Primary focus will be on the development of students’ communication skills both in speech and in writing, and on reading and critical thinking skills as we explore diverse kinds of literature within the course. Students may expect to write autobiographical, analytical, researched, and creative essays over the course of the year, and to learn firsthand how writing is rugged and unusual, open and controlled through our study and practice of the essay as a form of art.
CORE 100-16A, 28A Cunningham, Mickey Framing a Life: In this course we will be using various types of literature, including non-fiction, memoirs, novels, and plays in order to explore issues regarding the human condition. We will try to understand our own lives better by examining the tales of real and fictional characters. Some of the subjects we will cover include the rite of passage into adulthood, love, family, and death. We will try to answer questions like: What is a good life? Do we all need a passion of some sort in order to live a good life? What do we owe others as we pursue our own happiness? We will also have the opportunity to do some storytelling of our own. Some of the authors we will read include: Nicole Krauss, Mitch Albom, Jonathan Haidt, and Barbara Kingsolver.
We will focus on the visionary nature of the poetry of William Blake, Emily Dickinson, W. B. Yeats and Sylvia Plath. We will then delve into pop music relationships to the poetry we have read. For example, we could examine the lyrics and music of Jim Morrison in light of Blake’s work. We could explore relationships among Dickinson, Plath, Ani DiFranco and other women in pop music. We could investigate the rhythmic use of language in reggae and hip hop music.
CORE 100-17A Schaaf, Sarah Music as a Form of Political Expression: Have you ever paid attention to the messages in songs? In this course we will explore political expression through various genres of music from the past and present. By looking at music through an academic lens we can gain insight into social issues and consider views other than our own.
CORE 100-18A Harkins, Matthew The University in Theory and Imagination: How does a university mean? What sort of risks and demands underlie a transformative educational experience? Through speaking, writing, and careful thought, we will consider the conceptual space higher education might occupy within both personal and broader cultural contexts. Authors read will likely include Plato, George Orwell, Virginia Woolf, and Don DeLillo, among others.
CORE 100-19A, 34A Callahan, Matt Modern Stories, Modern Life: In this course, contemporary fiction will be used as a lens through which we will examine the joys and the struggles of modern society. We will read, discuss and write about short stories as the class endeavors to answer the question “can there be any truth in fiction?”
CORE 100-20A LaFountaine, Janna Men’s and Women’s Lives as Reflected through Sport: This course is designed to develop critical thinking, discussion, writing and speaking skills using readings related to sport and society. Issues related to gender will be discussed and researched as well as historical, racial, cultural and economic perspectives. Students will be allowed to explore their own personal values and ethics using the theme of sport and society. Debating and researching controversial issues related to sport and society will occur during the second semester.
CORE 100-21A, 33A Connell, Martin God and Politics: Country and Campuses: The United States was founded in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries with separation of church and state as a fundament of the new nation. Yet God and theology were then and remain now vital ingredients of American politics and society. In this span of American life — with a new president elected at the start of this year — members of this First-Year Seminar will consider the interaction of faith and politics in two arenas:
- At the national level, reading and thinking critically, discussing, and presenting various points of view from news media and partisan debates of current events and issue.
- At the local level, discussing how the Catholic and Benedictine character of the founding monasteries influences campus politics and social environments at Saint Ben’s and Saint John’s.
Questions for students to consider in preparing for the Seminar:
- What and in whom do you believe? How would you articulate these beliefs to your friends? to a grandparent? to those you’ll meet at CSB/SJU? to a monk or faculty resident? to someone you’d like to date?
- How are your beliefs (or absence of them) observable in your everyday life? in conversations? behaviors? daily habits?
- How do your core beliefs inform your politics? your view and critique of society?
- How much will your faith (or doubts) influence your future voting?
- Does and should one’s personal faith (or atheism) get a fair representation in the campus and national political arenas?
Whatever their level of theism or atheism, students should stay informed about U.S. politics, be attentive to the interaction of politics and religion as you are introduced to new environments as you arrive on the campuses: dormitories, dining halls, classes, clubs, and community-building activities at Saint Ben’s and Saint John’s. Close observation will inform our discussions about the dynamics of belief and life in the course of the year-long seminar.
CORE 100-22A Allen, Neal Debating Democracy: This course explores issues and debates raised by democratic government in historical context. Students will take part in historical role-playing simulations of Ancient Athens, the American Revolution, and post-apartheid South Africa. Students will write papers in their assigned historical roles, and also write traditional expository essays. No prior knowledge of politics or history is required for success in the course.
CORE 100-23A, 44A Douma, Susan Perspectives on the Path We Travel: Our understanding of the world and issues that impact our life is rooted in our individual background and experience. Through fiction and non-fiction readings, discussion and writing, this course will broaden our perspectives as we view our world through a new lens. We will consider social justice and public policy topics as they intersect and define our journey through life.
CORE 100-26A, 46A Stoltz, Elizabeth The Many Faces of Justice: What do we want corrected when we say "this isn't fair"? Do we want revenge? Can our jealousy be satisfied? Should mercy or forgiveness be granted? The course will study questions about justice: how is it understood; how invoked; how achieved. Beginning with the ancient Greeks, the course will follow the path justice has taken through literature both for communities and individuals. Some authors included are Sophocles, Euripides, Chaucer, Shakespeare, Thomas Aquinas, William Blake, T.S.Eliot; regular reading of the NYTimes is required; daily writing tasks.
CORE 100-27A, 51A McCarter, Maureen The Plight of the Planet: The theme of this course is the health of planet Earth's natural environment, including its flora and fauna, as it is impacted by human behavior. Using print, electronic and visual media, we will study some of the environmental issues that will challenge Earth's inhabitants during this century. Some of the questions we will consider are: What factors are contributing to the climate crisis, environmental degradation, and resource depletion? What are some of the threats to the survival of the species, including humans? What efforts can we undertake to mitigate the deleterious effects of human activities on our environment?
CORE 100-29A Larson, Derek Imagining the Future: How do we plan for an uncertain future? What did people in the past imagine the future would look like? What might the world look like in 2050 and beyond? What challenges and opportunities does the human species face in the 21st century? These and other questions will be considered as we explore sources ranging from classic science fiction to 21st century science, films to thought experiments, as a way to think and write about what the future might hold and how we might best prepare for what is to come.
CORE 100-30A Mancuso, Luke Here and Now: Critical Thinking on Social Issues in a Learning Community: This course will introduce students to critical communication skills for survival in college and beyond: thinking/writing/reading/discussing with more than just unreflective opinions about the social issues that inform our social lives today. It will not be enough to state your opinions here: we will examine the assumptions behind our opinions. We will focus on a number of inflammatory social issues: affirmative action, abortion rights, gay marriage, environmental issues, education, the war on terrorism, trial by jury, etc.
CORE 100-32A Malone, David Art and Fiction, History and Reform: Imagining the Past and Building the Future: In this FYS we are going to explore texts and images from the past as well as the present. In doing this we will ask questions about history itself and the creation of new worlds. We will look at utopian and dystopian constructions and ask questions about their development and the power of the imagination. We will also ask questions about the authority of history and history’s relationship to imagination. In addition, we will look at literature and its role in making changes in society. Further, we will look at our world today and ask whether a better world is possible in the context of past utopian communities. We will primarily use literature and film to explore some of these questions.
CORE 100-35A, 45A Drazenovich, Dana The Media that Mold Us: Around-the-clock online news. Ads on your Facebook page. A political message in a popular song. We are constantly bombarded by information, from news headlines on our cell phones to advertising that reaches us virtually everywhere we go, including the bathroom. Mass media control much of our knowledge and play a role in molding our mindsets. Where does all of this information come from, what are its motives, how does it affect us, and why should we care? This course will examine the roles (ideal and real) of various mass media and look at ways to be a more savvy consumer. In the process, we will examine our own ideas, beliefs, knowledge and values and explore how mass media have helped shaped them. We read the book “Columbine” and many news and journal articles, current and historic. “We will watch the movies “All the President’s Men,” “9/11” and “Killing Us Softly 3: Advertising's Image of Women.” We also will read look at many Web sites, listen to some music and discuss all of these issues, in-depth and together.
CORE 100-36A, 50A Riley, Susan College, USA: Proud parents unload box after box from the car, hauling clothes and endless electronic devices to junior's new dorm room. Emotional good-byes accompany promises to call/email/text daily. What happens next?
The goals of the various protagonists in this familiar drama vary widely. Students seek independence and good times, with a nod to learning and career preparation. Parents hope their sons and daughters remain healthy and safe (from drinking, drugs, sex, loneliness, stress, academic failures and more) while developing marketable skills (especially given the heavy debt burden many will carry after college). Professors hope – wistfully, perhaps naively -- to equip these young scholars with more sophisticated tools of communication and analysis, and to ignite an intellectual passion in their hearts and minds, all leading to a spirited exploration of our fascinating, frightening, inspiring world. What is happening today in this charged setting of college life?
In this class, we will explore the cultural, economic, psychological, political, and historical place of college in American life while developing vital skills in writing, speaking, discussion, critical thinking, information literacy, and research. The specific topics we may study include: the liberal arts vision, media images of college, the transition from home and high school to collegiate independence, dorm life, partying and hooking up, the rising costs of college, and other elements of 21st century undergraduate life.
CORE 100-37A,57A Albares, Richard Immigrant Lives/American Selves: Do immigrants and their children achieve success in the United States because they have assimilated and become just like the rest of us? Or do they succeed because in some important ways, they do not become just like the rest us, but instead hold onto patterns of culture and behavior that they have from their countries of origin? These are old questions in American history – at least as old as the debates back in the nineteenth century over whether “hyphenated” identities like “German-American” were a threat to the unity of the United States or a welcome infusion of new ideas and new energies. We will only briefly dip into the history of immigration and assimilation, especially as it touches upon the founding of CSB and SJU by German immigrants of Catholic faith. Our primary focus will be on the discussions and debates that are going on around us at this very moment concerning such questions as these: What should be done about the several million “illegal” or “undocumented” immigrants in the U.S. at this time? Why is it that Asian-American students graduate from college at far higher rates than native-born whites? What difference does it make whether the son of Caribbean immigrants comes to think of himself as “black” rather than Jamaican or Bahamian? In a time of war when the enemy justifies himself in the name of Islam, how can Americans of Muslim faith avoid the prejudice that they too are enemies? Where does prejudice come from? -- While asking questions such as these, we will take special care to cultivate the virtues of the intellect that are common to all sections of FYS, namely, to read a great variety of assigned texts with increasing efficiency, fairness, and insight; to discuss and debate these texts with a deepening critical passion joined to a proper civility; and to write about these texts with honesty, clarity, force, and an ever-more-confident style.
CORE 100-38A Larkin, Brian Latin American Encounters: Poverty, revolution, corruption. These are the images many Americans think of when considering Latin America. This class will examine the recent history of Latin America in order to uncover the causes of the region’s contemporary social, political, cultural, and economic conditions. Students in the class will also evaluate current, popular US perceptions of Latin America. As part of this dual exploration, students will read journalistic and fictional accounts of contemporary Latin America written by North- and Latin-American authors.
CORE 100-39A Wedl, Lois Becoming A Fully Human, Fully Alive Person: First semester: “Voice and Expression.” The process of becoming fully, human fully alive is facilitated through carefully reading and critically thinking about and discussing books, films, and writings meant to help students discover who they are in relationship to others. A key component of the first semester is that of understanding what it means to be an integral part of a Benedictine community through studying, discussing and writing about the Rule of Benedict and the history and lives of those who embrace the Benedictine way of life. The second semester, “Advocacy and Argumentation” builds on the skills taught in the first semester. A major component of the second semester is researching, writing about, and defending some complex issue of the student’s choice through the medium of a research paper and a formal presentation. We also read and discuss books such as Tuesdays with Morrie and By His Own Wits: A Polish Orphan Finds a Future in the United States.
CORE 100-40A Reichert, Matt Rules Were Made to be Broken: Creativity and Disobedience: What would happen if everyone simply did as they were told? Would we be where we are today if no one colored outside the lines or cut a few corners here and there? On the other hand, what if no one took any guidelines or regulations seriously? In this section of First Year Seminar (FYS), we will explore events and movements though out the human experience that set our global community on a new course. We will specifically examine the concept of “disobedience”, its effects on society and our experience of it, and its interaction with and influence upon creativity. The course of our investigation will lead us to explore the worlds of literature and the arts, mathematics and the sciences, history and political science, philosophy and theology.
In addition, we will also seek to develop our critical thinking, reading, writing, listening, discussion, and public speaking skills. Since human beings learn by doing, we will be reading and writing a lot – every day, in fact. We will encounter novels, biography, poetry, mathematical theory, philosophical treatises, and masterpieces of visual art and music. As we wade through this ocean of material together, you will contribute directly to the conversation by leading class discussions, debating positions, conducting your own research and reporting your findings.
CORE 100-41A Campbell, Brian Angles on the Arts: The performing and visual arts will be explored from various perspectives—or angles. Reading and writing assignments and class activities will explore the points of view of the creator, performer, critic, and audience member. We will also take advantage of the rich artistic culture on the CSB/SJU campuses.
CORE 100-42A Gazich, Robert Followership, leadership and Benedictine Values:We'll spend the fall looking at followership to see if it has any role in the leadership equation. Then in the spring we'll look at leadership and Benedictine values to see if there is any connection.
CORE 100-43A Cook, Jeanne Women, Culture, and the Contemporary World: What do you have in common with women from your mother’s and grandmothers’ generation? What sets you apart? What do you have in common with women from other cultures and co-cultures? How does culture help shape women’s identities? A wide variety of women’s issues will be covered in this course. Possible topics include body image, biology, conflict and gender, culture and gender, gendered language, inspiring women, motherhood, notions of beauty, power, sexism, sex roles, and sexuality. Additional topics will be generated by the class. Expect lively conversation, stimulating readings, and lots of food for thought.
CORE 100-47A Kramer, Kelly Studying the Civil Rights Movement: On December 1, 2005, the world celebrated the 50th anniversary of Rosa Parks’ historic refusal to give up her seat on a Montgomery bus. Most Americans know the textbook history of this event—Mrs. Parks sat down, Martin Luther King, Jr. started a movement, and blacks won their civil rights. The reality is more complex, and far more interesting. Our First Year Seminar will study the civil rights movement and the people who made it happen in order to uncover the web of motives, circumstances, tactics, and strategies which, when woven together in movement action, changed the world. We’ll examine the lives of ordinary people who chose to take extraordinary steps that remade their society, other movements, and the world. In keeping with the learning goals of First Year Seminar program at CSB/SJU, our study of this topic is designed around exercises that will help develop students' speaking, writing, reading, critical thinking, and research skills.
CORE 100-48A Mayers, Ozzie Transitions in Life, Literature, and Film:
“The drama is in the transitions.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Welcome to the College of St. Benedict and St. John’s University and to your First-year Symposium course, “Transitions in Life, Literature, and Film.” This symposium focuses on how we as individuals and as members of world communities respond to and live out change. We’ll explore the small and mammoth changes of the past, the present, and the future by recording the types of significant changes each of us experiences daily and over extended periods of time. In addition to using our own records of changes we live through, we’ll explore how others—both within our own culture and in several other cultures—have rendered the experience of transitions in fiction, essays, and films. We’ll use these readings for informal and formal writing assignments, small and large group discussions, and short class presentations. It is essential to you as a student in this course to realize that becoming a competent writer and speaker is not a magical event but a life-long process that has already begun. Therefore, I have organized this course with the belief that your work is always in process, with the potential of changing and strengthening.
CORE 100-49A Johnson, Scott
CORE 100-52A Stonestreet, Erica Work, Value and Meaning in Life: One prominent reason students choose to go to college is to get a better job when they finish. The first question we ask when we’re introduced to someone new is usually, “So, what do you (plan to) do?” Full-time workers spend one-third (or more) of their day at work. Obviously, work has a prominent place in our lives, and in this course we will reflect on what this means for us, both as individuals and as a culture. In hopes of understanding the value of work and guiding our lives toward fulfilling and meaningful work, we’ll ask philosophical questions like: What value can work have beyond just earning a living? How does what we do reflect (and fail to reflect) who we are? What meaning does our work contribute to our lives, and what implications does this have for the way work is organized? What is “work-life balance,” and how can we achieve it? How do different cultures answer these questions differently, and what are the implications of these different answers? We will use a variety of philosophical and literary texts as well as films to aid us in our exploration of value and meaning in work and life.
CORE 100-53A Anderson, Jeff That's Not Fair! Struggling with Inequality in the Modern World: How many times have you felt, uttered, or heard those three words - That's Not Fair! - Plaintively asserted by others? Inequality is all around us. In this class we will use a mixture of social science texts, novels, short stories, and other forms of artistic expression to confront the various faces of inequality. In addition to exploring the big three of race, class, and gender, we will delve into cases of inequality in areas like physical beauty, health, crime, military service, and just plain old dumb luck. From affirmative action, to compulsory military service, to the lives of the rich and famous, to families living through desperate times, we will wrestle with issues calling forth our personal experiences, analytical skills, critical eyes, as well as our passion and compassion. During this year of reading, writing, and discussing we will develop skills in careful listening, advocacy, and critical analysis, with the goal of improving the ways in which individuals and societies confront inequality.
Possible novels/literature to be used:
- The Bluest Eye, Toni Morrison
- Nickel and Dimed, Barbara Ehrenreich
- To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee
- Animal Farm, George Orwell
- The Things They Carried, Tim O'Brien
- The Death of Ivan Ilych, Leo Tolstoy
CORE 100-54A Erickson-Grussing, Angela Living Responsibly in the 21st Century: What does it mean to live responsibly? How do we get the most out of all our society has to offer while still respecting ourselves and those around us? Are there individuals that live more responsibly than others - and what role does society play in living responsibly? To answer these questions and more, first we'll discuss the theories and definitions of responsibility. Then, using that knowledge, we'll attempt to better understand our responsibilities as individuals and members of social groups by examining the concept of responsibility in the contexts of our own lives as well as those of public policy and government, modern technology, our natural environment, and others.
CORE 100-55A, 58A Lindgren, Carl Themes of Monstrosity, Both Myth, Literature and Film: More specifically, we'll ask what it means to be a "monster" and how this relates to the "big questions" about human nature, ethics, and identity. Texts may include Frankenstein, Beloved, Heart of Darkness, and Dr. Jekyl/Mr. Hyde. Movies may include Mystic River, several versions of Frankenstein, The Island of Dr. Moreau, Apocalype Now, and No Country for Old Men.
CORE 100-56A Thomas, Steven Thinking Globally, Acting Locally: For the first semester, we will explore current national, international, and global issues by subscribing to two magazines – The Economist and Harper’s Magazine – and by reading the novel The Glass Palace by Amitav Ghosh. We will also supplement our reading as we do research for our individual projects. For the second semester, we will learn about civil society as we develop scholarly and professional writing skills in the context of local civic and professional associations. To keep our class up to date on intellectual developments during this second semester, we will subscribe to The New York Review of Books.
CORE 100-60A Marwitz, Willard
HONR 100-01A Shouse Tourino, Christina Cultures in Crisis: This course will explore artistic texts that attempt to narrate the unspeakable. Our goal is two-fold. First, we will view these stories as art and learn what they communicate to us about the struggles of cultures different from our own. Second, we will view these stories as objects of daily use and probe their structure and function. Who is the target audience? Is the work widely read and financially successful? Does it address a particular political, social, or economic problem? What is at stake in the way the story is told, sold, and read? In this way we will work bifocally, taking in what these texts “witness” to us, as well seeking to understand the complications of that artistic testimony. Expect a vigorous workload: this course is a good choice for students who love to read and who are curious about social history. Among others, texts may include: Night, Elie Wiesel; Maus I and II, Art Spiegleman; Native Son, Richard Wright; Shaft, Gordon Parks; Classified X, Melvin Van Peebles; Bamboozled, Spike Lee; Death and the Maiden, Ariel Dorfman; and Machuca, Andres Wood.
HONR 100-02A Wengler, Elisabeth Debating Democracy, Past and Present: What is the best kind of government? Most often, the response will be democracy. Simple enough, that is, until one begins to examine the issues and debates raised by the creation of new democracies. What are the rights and responsibilities of democratic citizenship? How do social and cultural practices influence the definition and scope of democratic ideals such as freedom and equality? Can democratic freedoms be reconciled with the desire for stability and security? These are more than theoretical matters—people have wrestled and continue to wrestle with these questions knowing that the answers will have tremendous impact on their lives. In this first year seminar, we will immerse ourselves in debates over the merits and challenges of democracy in different cultures at moments of crisis. In the first semester, we will do this through intense role-playing games: the first is set in fifth-century Athens and the second is set in eighteenth-century France. Throughout the year, we will consider more recent debates about the meaning of democracy and the scope of citizenship and civil rights; possible topics include India, Israel and Palestine, and/or Iraq.
HONR 100-03A Prevost, Gary The Quest for Social Justice: This section of Honor’s Symposium uses selections from literature, drama, film, scholarly essays and works in political philosophy to introduce you to the perennial issues of political life ‑ equality, rights, freedom, legitimacy, obligations, justice, racism and sexism. We will approach these issues through a series of questions: What is the purpose of politics? What does politics assume about human nature? What are the proper ends of government? Can governments be morally justified? What is justice? Do citizens have obligations? Do States? Can political processes be fair? What are rights? Do states have them? What is the nature of political equality? Are political equality and freedom compatible? Is majority rule a valid method for settling political disputes? It is in wrestling with these kinds of questions that students will initiate the long process of developing a sense of politics.
At the beginning of the second semester we will explore two more perennial issues of politics and society ‑ homophobia and war. After that we will explore the social movements in U.S. history that have fought against racism, sexism, war, and homophobia.
HONR 100-04A Kronebusch, Phil Political and Literary Perspectives on Trials and Law: Law is not just a system of rules for lawyers. Law, in part, makes us who we are and controls what we do. We, in turn, as a society (if not as individuals) can make law. Trials are forums in which more than determinations of whether or not someone, in a technical sense, violated the law. Trials are also forums in which a government may seek to discredit or eliminate a political opponent or where a socially marginalized group may hope to make its arguments publicly. Trials are not just about guilt or innocence. Someone's life may be at stake in a trial, but at the same time, the trial may be about something else. What that "something else" is will be one of the questions that we will continually ask ourselves during the course. Was the trial that we are examining in part about defining the limits of the activity of the political opposition, about atoning for past crimes of a previous government, or about rallying people to the defense of a cause? In the fall semester, we will read Plato, Sophocles, Thomas More, Charlotte Perkins Gilman and Orwell. In the spring semester, we will read Arthur Miller, Shakespeare, Jonathan Swift and Simon Wiesenthal.
HONR 100-05A Hayes, Nick The Fourth Seal: Epidemics and Society from the Black Death to Aids: This section of the First Year Symposium views the history of epidemics from the Black Death of medieval times to AIDS in our time. Our emphasis falls on the social, political and cultural reactions or often over-reactions to the plagues that have threatened society. Our discussion will revolve around case studies based on the Black Death of the 14th century, STDs from the 16th through 19th centuries, tuberculosis in the 19th and 20th centuries, influenza in the 1920s, polio, and the global AIDS epidemic today. Our objective in studying this issue is not to make us specialists in epidemiology or masters of the complex questions of medical history. For us, the history of epidemics is a vehicle to hone our skills in the disciplines and values of the liberal arts. The topic provides us with a means of understanding how we study the past and the roots of past history in today's world. What is more, the topic lends itself to a variety of inter-disciplinary perspectives expanding from history to cultural studies, public policy, gender, and race. Finally, disease is always with us. Students will be able to apply background from the class to recognize research and better understand how disease has affected their families, communities and world.
HONR 100-06A Ziegler, Lynn/Crumley, Jim Women & Math and Science: This course is an Honors Symposium designed for the MaPCoReS program for women in Mathematics, Computer Science, Physics, and Pre-engineering. This program is a four-year program of problem-solving and research for students in Mathematics, Physics, Computer Science, and Pre-engineering. The course will have an almost entirely scientific bent. We will do readings, papers, discussions, and presentations all centering about the general topic of the nature of science.
Unlike most such Honors FYS this course will be entirely filled by the women admitted to the MaPCoReS program. There will be three instructors – Kris Nairn from Mathematics, Jim Crumley from Physics, and Lynn Ziegler from Computer Science.
The core topic will be the nature of scientific knowledge but we will approach this central theme from multiple viewpoints - readings from mathematics and science books, science fiction, and the philosophy of science. A secondary theme will be problems in science that are unresolved and how the scientific community approaches such topics.