hmm
*weirded out*
Dreams suck, sometimes.
But!!! I chose my top five First-Year Tutorials for this fall, and
MANY ROADS TO TRUTH: ACRIMONY, AUTHORITY, AND ASSUMPTIONS
Clark Lindgren - Biology
Truth. What is it? How do we get it? Many different answers have been offered throughout human history and have been a source of persistent controversy. The controversy shows no sign of lessening and, especially in the United States, the divisions between people with divergent viewpoints appear to be growing stronger. Witness the current “debate” playing out on school boards and in the media between evolution and intelligent design. This tutorial will examine the pursuit of truth in science, religion and politics, paying particular attention to the unique mix found in the United States during the early years of the 21st century. After scrutinizing several methods for discerning truth, each member of the tutorial will develop a personal strategy for seeking truth. For the “final exam” each student will describe, defend and apply their strategy to answer the ultimate question of human origins: “What is a human?” This tutorial will link periodically with two other tutorials, the first taught by Professor Bob Grey (Religion and Politics around the World) and the second taught by Professor Kathleen Skerrett (Religion and Politics in the United States). Some of the authors of our readings will be presenting their ideas at a symposium on religion and politics that will be hosted by Grinnell College in early November.
OLD ENGLISH REDISCOVERED
Paula Smith - English
Most readers know something about Beowulf, but what else was written in that time? The rich offerings of Old English poetry-weird charms, bawdy riddles, scenes of gruesome battle, laments of men and women in exile, and cryptic words of wisdom-have captivated prose writers and poets including Ezra Pound, Jorge Luis Borges, John Gardner, Denise Levertov, Kevin Crossley-Holland and Jill Paton-Walsh. These modern and contemporary writers look to the Anglo-Saxon poets for vivid language in which to describe violence, alienation, fear, wonder, redemption, courage, physical needs, and the endurance of loss. In this tutorial we will study modern works of literature such as Grendel, “The Green Children,” “The Seafarer,” and “Poem Written in a Copy of Beowulf” side by side with accessible translations of the original works that inspired them: the earliest poems and prose in English, written over a thousand years ago.
MISBEHAVIOR OF MEMORY
Nancy Rempel-Clower - Psychology
Our memories are our record of who we are and our connections with the world around us. Memory is amazing, but far from perfect. Why do we forget where we parked the car? Why do we remember a seemingly insignificant childhood event? Can we rely on our memories to be accurate? This tutorial will explore various ways in which memory can “misbehave” and the implications of this “misbehavior” in our daily lives. In addition to our exploration of normal memory and its errors, we will consider how the study of true memory disorders can inform our understanding of memory processes. Selected readings will focus primarily on approaches to understanding memory from the fields of psychology and neuroscience.
COMEDY
Erik Simpson - English
In this Tutorial, we will focus primarily on the process of crafting analytical papers about literature and film. We will spend a number of class sessions in a workshop format, which will allow the class to participate in a collaborative editorial process, and the rest of our time in discussion. Assigned texts will range from the traditional materials of English classes (a Shakespeare play, a Jane Austen novel) to fairy tales, films (The Princess Bride, Manhattan, Pulp Fiction), and a range of interdisciplinary texts about joking, laughter, and comedy. Throughout the semester, our focus will remain on developing the skills of written and oral expression, textual analysis, revision, and research. Graded assignments will include in-class work, oral presentations, short writing assignments, and a final portfolio of essays.
GLOBALIZATION
Mark Montgomery - Economics
Check the labels on the clothes you are now wearing-it is likely that every item was manufactured in some other country. Globalization is happening now, it is happening everywhere, and it unlikely to stop happening anytime soon. The question is: Should we be pleased or frightened? Many apparently think the latter because global economic integration encounters hostility from a surprisingly diverse array of opponents: farmers, environmentalists, organized labor, social activists, and (of course) college students. Moreover, the debate over globalization is extraordinarily intense, sometimes involving riot squads and tear gas, as in Seattle in 1999. What is all of this passion about? We will examine the globalization controversy drawing on sources from scholarly literature, the popular press, government documents, commercial advertising, and propaganda on both sides of the issue. We will relentlessly pursue this controversy, even if we have to go to the movies!
I would be happy with any of those, honestly.
And now I must go to a mandatory in-service training at work, where I will probably be bored and where I probably also won't work today because of the weather.
Dreams suck, sometimes.
But!!! I chose my top five First-Year Tutorials for this fall, and
MANY ROADS TO TRUTH: ACRIMONY, AUTHORITY, AND ASSUMPTIONS
Clark Lindgren - Biology
Truth. What is it? How do we get it? Many different answers have been offered throughout human history and have been a source of persistent controversy. The controversy shows no sign of lessening and, especially in the United States, the divisions between people with divergent viewpoints appear to be growing stronger. Witness the current “debate” playing out on school boards and in the media between evolution and intelligent design. This tutorial will examine the pursuit of truth in science, religion and politics, paying particular attention to the unique mix found in the United States during the early years of the 21st century. After scrutinizing several methods for discerning truth, each member of the tutorial will develop a personal strategy for seeking truth. For the “final exam” each student will describe, defend and apply their strategy to answer the ultimate question of human origins: “What is a human?” This tutorial will link periodically with two other tutorials, the first taught by Professor Bob Grey (Religion and Politics around the World) and the second taught by Professor Kathleen Skerrett (Religion and Politics in the United States). Some of the authors of our readings will be presenting their ideas at a symposium on religion and politics that will be hosted by Grinnell College in early November.
OLD ENGLISH REDISCOVERED
Paula Smith - English
Most readers know something about Beowulf, but what else was written in that time? The rich offerings of Old English poetry-weird charms, bawdy riddles, scenes of gruesome battle, laments of men and women in exile, and cryptic words of wisdom-have captivated prose writers and poets including Ezra Pound, Jorge Luis Borges, John Gardner, Denise Levertov, Kevin Crossley-Holland and Jill Paton-Walsh. These modern and contemporary writers look to the Anglo-Saxon poets for vivid language in which to describe violence, alienation, fear, wonder, redemption, courage, physical needs, and the endurance of loss. In this tutorial we will study modern works of literature such as Grendel, “The Green Children,” “The Seafarer,” and “Poem Written in a Copy of Beowulf” side by side with accessible translations of the original works that inspired them: the earliest poems and prose in English, written over a thousand years ago.
MISBEHAVIOR OF MEMORY
Nancy Rempel-Clower - Psychology
Our memories are our record of who we are and our connections with the world around us. Memory is amazing, but far from perfect. Why do we forget where we parked the car? Why do we remember a seemingly insignificant childhood event? Can we rely on our memories to be accurate? This tutorial will explore various ways in which memory can “misbehave” and the implications of this “misbehavior” in our daily lives. In addition to our exploration of normal memory and its errors, we will consider how the study of true memory disorders can inform our understanding of memory processes. Selected readings will focus primarily on approaches to understanding memory from the fields of psychology and neuroscience.
COMEDY
Erik Simpson - English
In this Tutorial, we will focus primarily on the process of crafting analytical papers about literature and film. We will spend a number of class sessions in a workshop format, which will allow the class to participate in a collaborative editorial process, and the rest of our time in discussion. Assigned texts will range from the traditional materials of English classes (a Shakespeare play, a Jane Austen novel) to fairy tales, films (The Princess Bride, Manhattan, Pulp Fiction), and a range of interdisciplinary texts about joking, laughter, and comedy. Throughout the semester, our focus will remain on developing the skills of written and oral expression, textual analysis, revision, and research. Graded assignments will include in-class work, oral presentations, short writing assignments, and a final portfolio of essays.
GLOBALIZATION
Mark Montgomery - Economics
Check the labels on the clothes you are now wearing-it is likely that every item was manufactured in some other country. Globalization is happening now, it is happening everywhere, and it unlikely to stop happening anytime soon. The question is: Should we be pleased or frightened? Many apparently think the latter because global economic integration encounters hostility from a surprisingly diverse array of opponents: farmers, environmentalists, organized labor, social activists, and (of course) college students. Moreover, the debate over globalization is extraordinarily intense, sometimes involving riot squads and tear gas, as in Seattle in 1999. What is all of this passion about? We will examine the globalization controversy drawing on sources from scholarly literature, the popular press, government documents, commercial advertising, and propaganda on both sides of the issue. We will relentlessly pursue this controversy, even if we have to go to the movies!
I would be happy with any of those, honestly.
And now I must go to a mandatory in-service training at work, where I will probably be bored and where I probably also won't work today because of the weather.