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Fall 2009 University SeminarsTWO UNIQUE UNIVERSITY SEMINAR OPPORTUNITIES FOR: Residential Students The following University Seminar themes are opportunities reserved for residential students only. Students reside in a designated living/learning community together. Living-Learning Communities extend the learning beyond the classroom and into the everyday lives of students. Students live with other students who share common interests and together, they share a common experience. National research has shown that students who participate in living/learning communities experience a smoother transition to college than those who do not participate. If interested, please include these in your rankings. Boy Brain, Girl Brain Kristen Bruzzini, Leah Schwartz Boys and girls often look different, prefer different toys, talk and learn at different paces, and choose to play in same-sex groups. These differences prevail across cultures whether or not caregivers try to create a gender-neutral environment. Developments in brain science in the last few decades give us a look (literally, through MRIs) at how male and female brains work, and they have found that men and women don't notice the same things, don't communicate in the same way, and have different attitudes about sex and choices of hobbies. And no wonder: we don't have the same brains. In this course, we will explore the effects of brain anatomy on the people we live and work with-and on ourselves. Family Matters: Yes, It Does Jennifer McCluskey If there is one thing we all have in common, it is family-not necessarily in the traditional sense of the word, but as a support system or set of close relationships. We will explore family as it is understood through our personal experiences, television, film, fiction, sociology, and psychology. How do marriage, new children, divorce, and death change the roles in a family? How did the Civil Rights movement influence the changing roles in the traditional family? How has the presidency impacted the first families? At the same time, students will explore their changing roles within their own families and articulate the various gifts that each person brings to the family dynamic. TWO UNIQUE UNIVERSITY SEMINAR OPPORTUNITIES FOR: Honors Students The following University Seminar themes are opportunities reserved for Honors eligible students only. Students must have a minimum ACT score of 27 and high school GPA of 27 or higher to qualify. One of the many values of the Bascom Honors Program is the importance it places on the development of the whole person. It is an approach to education that is rigorous, inquisitive, and open-ended. It hopes to create a sense of community among honors students who have learned how to exchange ideas in a civil and thoughtful fashion, cultivate a sense of inquiry in students that can be applied to other texts, academic endeavors, and in their lives beyond college. If eligible, please include these in your rankings. Secret Worlds: Fantasy Novels and their Fans Jesse Kavadlo Everywhere you look, the story is the same-a child or teen, different from his or her peers, discovers a hidden world that he or she must enter and, later, rescue. Whether it's Narnia, Oz, the Harry Potter series, or Twilight, we can't seem to get enough. But why? This class will read and analyze selected novels from these series, as well as His Dark Materials, Coraline, and Summerland, in order to ask and answer questions about the books, popular culture, and ourselves. What are the bases for these stories' massive appeal? What makes them work, both as novels and, in many cases, movies? What does their success say about their readers, who range from children to adults? And how do you analyze, understand, and feel about what we're reading and discussing? The World in Films Linda Pitelka This honors seminar will introduce students to the wide diversity of cultures in the world through the study of films. Together, we will view and discuss films from several cultures in the context of readings (both fictional and non-fictional) and research. Films to be studied may come from such countries as Mexico, Brazil, Japan, China, India, Afghanistan, Russia, Vietnam, Turkey, Spain, Egypt, and Nigeria. By the end of the course, students will be better viewers and writers. Seminar members will get to attend some of the films being shown in the St. Louis International Film Festival as well as other international films being shown in St. Louis theatres-and participate in a class meal at an international restaurant. UNIVERSITY SEMINAR SECTIONS OPEN TO ALL FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS Choosing Civility: The Ripple Effect Kathy Quinn It seems easy enough to say "Be nice to each other," "Respect each other," "Play nice," or "Treat others as you want to be treated." We learn these sayings as children-but can they also carry us through life? This class will examine civility: how we should behave, and how we actually do behave. We will examine civil behavior on a college campus by exploring our own community, observe civil behavior in St. Louis, and participate in our own civil act by taking part in a community service project. We will delve into civil behavior as portrayed in the media, movies and on TV. Finally, we will discuss whether or not the civil actions of one person can make a difference in the world. Climate Change: The Perfect Storm of Science, Politics and Propaganda Carol Radford and Jason Telford What is global climate change and why is there so much debate on it? Is it real? Is it a result of human intervention or is it a natural phenomenon? This is your opportunity to get the facts and decide for yourself. This seminar presents aspects of Earth's climate system and how science, politics, and personality have shaped the debate we call "global warming." During the semester, we will consider the greenhouse effect, ocean circulation, and climate change, and discuss how science, industry, and politics are responding. All material will be provided, including printable lecture notes, readings from visiting experts, politicians and Nobel laureates, movies on both sides of the issue, and field trips to the Missouri Botanical Gardens and the EarthWays Home. Coaching: Leadership, Communication, Teamwork Karen Fletcher Coaching raises a surprising number of questions: What makes a good coach? Does winning determine success? What is your coaching philosophy? How does a coach get the team to do its part? To answer them, we will determine how a coach must be a leader, a communicator, and a collaborator, and the ways in which a coach helps to bring out winning qualities in the group. These skills are as vital to business managers as they are to sports coaches, so we will also discuss the ways in which coaching can be an important analogy to many professions. Finally, we will examine the ways in which coaches have been portrayed in literature and in film, while exploring topics in ethics, coaching philosophy, and communications. Feeling Smart with EQ Lillian Curtis Are you ready to handle new challenges that college life will bring? Are you ready to learn new skills that can help? Research shows a definite connection between college success and "emotional intelligence." In this seminar you will become familiar with this concept and the importance of self-awareness, resilience, empathy, and optimism. Using Daniel Goleman's groundbreaking book, we will delve onto this new way of understanding emotions and behavior. One highlight will be taking an EQ (Emotional Intelligence Quotient) inventory, receiving feedback, and using the results to set goals for personal development. Together we will examine literature, films, and events in your everyday life using emotional intelligence as a framework. Creative projects will showcase evidence of emotional intelligence emerging as life unfolds. Generation Digital: Life in a New Media World Ted Gournelos In this course, we will look at the changes your generation has experienced as a result of the digital revolution. How do Facebook, MySpace, and Gmail change the way we make friends, and how can they change the way we learn? How are blogs different from newspapers? We will focus on sharing experiences and thoughts about the new media climate, finding and discussing aspects of the digital world. In addition, we will try to determine whether "Generation Digital" is really that different from any other generation, and the implications of those changes. How are you different from your parents? How will our children be different from us? And is this a bad thing or a good thing? Readings may include Grown Up Digital, Old Media, New Media, Generation Digital, and Communication Revolution. Give Peace a Chance: Social Activism, Non-Violence, and Human Rights Johannes Wich-Schwarz We can change the world, can't we? In this course, an introduction to Peace Studies, we will investigate the various causes of militarism, war and conflict, and then focus on attempts to put an end to the cycles of violence. We will study the philosophical, psychological, and political aspects of war, human rights, and conflict resolution. This course will also introduce you to the international human rights system and organizations such as Amnesty International. Special emphasis will be put on the spiritual dimension of peace seeking, and on the history of the peace movement in the 1960ies. Apart from studying advocates of social justice and non-violence, we will also explore how popular music of the 20th and 21st century has been a voice for peace and social change. If I Could Change the World: The Pursuit of Possibility Robert Bertolino Mahatma Gandhi said, "You must be the change you wish to see in the world." To become catalysts for change, we must examine how our worldviews can open up or close down potential pathways for positive change. In this seminar, students will draw on life experiences and reconsider preexisting beliefs to determine how their personal philosophies affect their choices, from career decisions to relationships to problem solving strategies, and how those choices inform actions. Students will learn to identify their strengths, resiliencies, inspirations, and future visions, which directly emanate from personal philosophy. Know Your Rights, Fool! Stephanie Elfrink What are your rights, and how do they shape your beliefs? This class will explore freedom of speech, the right to privacy, the right to vote, and freedom of expression, as well as some of the important leaders who made sacrifices to define the personal rights we are afforded today. If you are someone who has an opinion or are interested in hearing another person's perspective, then this course is for you. Through class discussion, debates, and written ideas, we will examine many contemporary issues relevant to all of us. Possible readings and films include Anthem, The Giver, The Road, V for Vendetta, Crash, Hotel Rwanda, and Schindler's List. Life is a Sitcom: Reconsidering Our Favorite TV Shows Brian Gardner Have you ever been watching your favorite sitcom and thought, "Wow, that is MY LIFE"? This course will examine how some popular sitcoms may reveal important lessons applicable to everyday life. Through readings and analyses of shows such as "The Office," "Seinfeld" and "The Simpsons," we will explore topics such as careers, religion, family, and relationships. Students will be able to examine both television and their own lives with a greater sense of purpose. Making Sense of the Puzzle: Are you as Smart as a Trout? Paul Mack and Todd Wallace Beginning with the analogy of the trout-a wily survivor-this course will guide you through the puzzle of your first year of college, by targeting common obstacles to success and through dialogue and reflection among peers, finding possible survive-and-thrive tactics. Using part of Joseph Campbell's approach in The Hero with a Thousand Faces, we will divide the course into thirds: 1. Departure (from home, from high school, from familiarity, from stability); 2. Initiation (entry into the new, adult world of college, with its risky freedoms, choices and temptations, without a home safety net); 3. Return (to a self-defined world, open to new challenges but with skills to meet them). That's What Dreams Are Made Of Carrie Ellis-Kalton What is a dream? Why do I dream? What do my dreams mean? And how do dreams shape and drive our world? In this seminar, we will embark on a multidimensional journey into the depths of the human mind and the core of the human spirit. This experience will engage you in the study of the biological, psychological, and societal components of dreams, as well as their powerful role in our lives. Through a diverse array of readings, including those that explain the biology of dreams, the writings of Freud, and Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech, and through the examination of dreams in popular music and movies, you will learn more about the meaning behind dreams, and how we can create dreams that empower. Who Are You? Finding Your Passion Cynthia Briggs You have been told that it's all about you. But who the heck are you? This course takes you on an exploration of your internal life through the arts - music, films, art, literature, humor and self-examination. How will we do this? We will listen to music, hear from artists, see films, read literature, and talk with each other. Through these methods, we also hope you will learn about connections, within yourself, with others in your communities, and the larger world. This course will lead you to curiosity, creativity, and connections. Where in the World is Waldo? 30 Places to See Before You Turn 30 James E. Harf The world is calling you to see its wonders, so plan your 30 "must-see'' places to visit before your 30th birthday. Spend the decade of your 20's experiencing natural and man-made marvels found in every corner of the planet-thriving global cities like London, Edinburgh, Paris, Rome, Venice, Madrid, Mumbai, Cairo, Rio de Janeiro, Beijing, Tokyo, and Mexico City; modern human-constructed wonders like the Three Gorges Dam in China and the Aswan Dam in Egypt; awesome structures built in earlier times like the Great Pyramids of Egypt, the Great Wall of China, the Roman Coliseum; and much more. This course will help prepare you for your future journey by taking you on a virtual tour of the professor's suggestions for "finding global Waldo" before you turn 30, through film and video, historical and travel essays, pictures, and the Internet. Everyone's Favorite Topics: Religion and Politics Zach Lewis When faith and reason collide, how can both survive the clash? In this class we will look at how religion and politics have influenced our lives in America from the turn of the century until today, from immigrants and orthodoxies to atheists versus steadfast believers. Along the way, students will question and expand what they think about both religion and politics, drawing important conclusions about themselves and the world around them. A Clean Slate: Identifying Who You Are in This New World Tammy Gocial From the family to the peer group, to education and Facebook, adolescents are inundated with messages about who to be and how to be, and they must sort through and experiment with all of these ideas to find the ones that seem to define themselves best - at least for the moment! One of the key developmental tasks of adolescence is identity formation. "Who am I?" and "Who do I want to become?" are key questions that are asked as part of this process. Using personal experiences, novels, films, and electronic media, this course will explore many of the influences on identity development. |
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