Fall 2008 Honors Colloquia
In order to graduate on time, remember to keep your Honors Distribution choices on file in the Honors Office. See honors distribution to download the forms.
HUMANITIES COLLOQUIUM
Explore topics such as:
A.America in the Middle East, 1776-Today
B. Patronage in Renaissance Florence
C. Movies in Time
D. Contemporary Short Story and the Gothic Tradition
E. Boots and Petticoats: Women Explorers of the 19th and 20th Centuries
F. Travel as Education
G. The Balkans: 1875 to the Present
H. The Holocaust
I. Great Books anthology: The Seven Deadly Sins Sampler.
I. Fixing Our Schools: A personal, literary, and social journey into the future.
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America in the Middle East, 1776-Today
[70170] 1870:250-001
T TH 11:00-11:50, Honors Complex 183
Dr. Harvey Rosenthal
Today, the United States is extensively and profoundly involved in the Middle East. The war in Iraq, the terrorist threat, and the quest for dependable sources of fuel permeate the media and direct the national agenda. A source of religious inspiration for millions of Americans, the Middle East has also become a source of American fears. Through the three themes of power, faith and fantasy, we will try to explain America’s role in this region. By explaining these themes and reconstructing the history of America’s relationship with the Middle East we can facilitate a deeper understanding of this part of America’s past. Today, this understanding is a must for Americans.
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Patronage in Renaissance Florence
[70171] 1870:250-002
M W 1:10-2:00, Honors Complex 082
[75838] 1870:250-006
M W 2:15-3:05p.m., Honors Complex 082
[75468] 1870:250-007
M W 12:05-12:55p.m., Honors Complex 082
Cheryl Anne Morris
This colloquium will focus on Florence in the 14th to the beginning of the 16th century. Rather than a survey of Florentine Renaissance history, the course will examine a selection of artists and their works, the economy, and the roles of the patriciate and the church in patronage of the arts. Cultural changes in these years and the attitudes and values that shaped them resulted in changes in social and political institutions. We will study the significant role of these institutions and individuals as patrons and creators in the most important treasures of Florentine Renaissance art.
This is a course for nonspecialists, one that takes a look at the connection between the art of Florence and the varied political and cultural aspects that surrounded the creation of them.
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MOVIES IN TIME
[70172] 1870:250-003
W 12:05-1:45p.m. Sarah Akers HC 083
This course will examine several motion pictures, ranging from the silent film era to the present day, all of which are based on actual historical events or subjects. We will compare the content of the films with the established facts, and discuss how a work of art (such as a film) can either enhance or diminish our knowledge of history.
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Contemporary Short Story and the Gothic Tradition
[70173] 1870:250-004
WF 12:05- 12:55 p.m., Honors Complex 092
James Kagafas
This Humanities Honors Colloquium explores the relevance of 18th Century Gothic in 20th Century literature with an emphasis on the short story. Particular attention is paid to the American Southern Gothic of Faulkner, Oates, McCullers, Capote and others. Students will explore other avenues of the Gothic tradition, including Gothic art, architecture, music, and contemporary film. Requirements include reading assignments and analyses of short stories, and a student project to be presented to the class at the end of the semester.
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Boots and Petticoats: Women Explorers of the 19th and 20th Centuries
[74127] 1870:250-005
T TH 2:15-3:05p.m., Honors Complex 183
Dr. Harvey Rosenthal
Before feminists, there were "independent women." In this course we will read of those unusual ladies who defied the stereotypical role of women and set their own agendas. Through these pioneers we can provoke and challenge our own images of the past and present: of gender roles, sexism, social and physical gender differences and the cultural defining processes. Plus, we can, following these brave gals, have some marvelous adventures.
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Travel as Education
[76607] 1870:250-008
Tuesdays 1:10-2:50 p.m., Honors Complex 083
Ann Hassenpflug
This colloquium will examine three late twentieth century travel narratives which recount the authors’ journeys. These individuals chose travel as a means of learning about the world and about themselves. Unlike foreign correspondents, diplomats, or international corporation executives, these authors were not professionals whose careers required them to travel. These writers chose their own destinations and digressed from their career paths to fulfill their desire to travel. They wanted to travel to enrich their lives. All of them were willing to take risks and make difficult choices to undertake their journeys.
Two of the North American authors were in their twenties at the time of their trips and the third worked with teenage and college age students during her time abroad. The narratives describe diverse approaches to travel as well as a range of locations. Miles from Nowhere by Barbara Savage describes her round-the-world bicycle adventure with her husband. The Hemingway Book Club of Kosovo by Paula Huntley recounts the author’s experiences in the post-war Balkans. Beyond the Sky and the Earth by Jamie Zeppa tells the life-changing story of a young Canadian in Bhutan.
The major focus of the colloquium will be discussion of the three books. Additionally two reaction papers will be required. The colloquium will also address the historical precedents for engaging in travel as a means to enhance an individual’s education and will examine travel narratives as a writing genre.
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The Balkans: 1875 to the Present
[76615] 1870:250-009
Wednesdays 9:45- 11:00 a.m.
R. Eichler HC 083
This course surveys the major political, social, and cultural developments in the Balkan nations from 1875 to the present. Special attention will be given to nationalism, national identity, and ethnic and religious conflict in the region. In addition, the course will examine how state rivalries and internal conflicts manifested themselves in important European developments. Course goals include 1) providing a general understanding of the Balkans and their role in this period of European history; 2) to improve reading, comprehension, and analytical skills; and 3) to improve writing skills.
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The Holocaust
[77002] 1870:250-010
M W 11:00- 11:50 a.m. Dr. Baranowski HC 183
In its quest for “living space” that would allow Germans to expand and prosper, the Third Reich deliberately starved, expelled, or drafted as forced labor millions of subject peoples, especially Slavs. Yet an even worse fate awaited European Jews, the Nazi regime’s attempt to exterminate them totally, or in the euphemism of the Third Reich, make them “disappear from the face of the earth.” The course will focus on the Holocaust in its historical context, as the outcome of a longer history of antisemitism and the briefer but more lethal history of Germany in the twentieth century. In addition to a concise general history of the Holocaust, readings and discussions will cover the perspectives of the German perpetrators, non-Jewish Europeans who either witnessed or participated in mass murder, and Jewish survivors. There will also be at least one film, “The Partisans of Vilna.”
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Seven Deadly Sins Sampler
[77690] 1870:250-011
M
W 8:50- 9:40 a.m.
and
[77691] 1870:250-012
M W 9:55- 10:45 a.m.
Dr. Schlemmer HC 183
Pride. Envy. Anger. Sloth. Greed. Gluttony. Lust. Why has this list of human failings persisted throughout the ages? We struggle against and celebrate them in everyday life. Writers know that they are superb motivations in fiction. They can also be a springboard to Shared Inquiry discussion, a way of leading and participating in group discussion that can influence your own future meetings and interactions. Since the unexamined life is, as Plato and Socrates tell us, not worth living, assessment will be based on a combination of participation, student self-assessment, and several short written papers.
Text: The Seven Deadly Sins Sampler, Great Books Foundation, August 2007. Available at 2nd class meeting. Cost is $23.Return to Top
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Fixing Our Schools: A personal, literary, and social journey into the future.
[77677] 1870:250-013
Mondays 4:30- 6:10 p.m. H. Foster HC 092
The course begins with a view of the personal, social, emotional, and political relationship between the citizens of this country and their schools as viewed through student experiences and a variety of media including film, the Web, and print. This will be followed by encountering ideas and projects that point towards the future of the public and non public school system in America. This section of the course will include active experiences in model programs that point to the future.
Finally, in groups and think tank sessions, students will develop a blueprint for schools of the future, where all students are educated in a meaningful and productive way.
As a result of this course, student -will understand what schools do right and where and how schools fail; -will develop ideas on how to fix schools for their children and neighbors; -will develop critical thinking and problem solving skills.
Possible resources and materials:
Possible Books: A Hope in the Unseen, by Ron Suskindl, America’s Unseen Kids, by Harold Foster and Megan Nosol; Savage Inequalities, by Jonathon Kozol
Possible Films: Breakfast Club; The Great Debaters
Possible Educational Sites:North High School Collaboration; Early College High School; Science and Math Magnet School; International Baccalaureate at Firestone High School
Assignments may include:Reading assignments, possibly two books. Research, group or individual, print and web-based. Memoirs and stories of schooling. Executive Plans, oral and written, based on student projects concerning school improvement.
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SOCIAL SCIENCES COLLOQUIUM
A Social Movements: Civil Rights, Anti-War, Equal Rights for Women
B Religion and Science: History and Issues
C The Role of The Mass Media in Shaping Public Attitudes and Opinions
D Shaping a Generation: The Baby Boomers and U.S. Popular Culture
E Buckeye Presidents
F Ethnic America
G France in the time of Impressionism
H TV, Radio, Internet...oh
my!
Social Science Colloquia Descriptions:
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Social Movements: Civil Rights, Anti-War, Equal Rights for Women
[70187] 1870:360-001
T TH 11:00-11:50 p.m., Honors Complex 082
and
[70189] 1870:360-003
[70190] 1870:360-004
T TH 2:15-3:05 p.m., Honors Complex 082
Dr. Stanley Akers
In this colloquium we will examine the theory of social movements in modern US society and focus on the Civil Rights, Women's, and Anti-War Movements. Our objective is to examine the role of movements in formation of public policy and the interaction between movements and their impact not only on the society of the time, but their role in creating conditions which require further action in the 21st Century.
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Religion and Science: History and Issues
[70188] 1870:360-002
Tu Th 11:00-11:50 a.m., Honors Complex 083
Dr. Paul Stroble
Science and religion: are they friends, passing acquaintances, or enemies? Some people argue that religion and science are necessarily antagonistic, while others argue that they're legitimate but nonoverlapping pursuits of truth, while others argue that they're quite complementary! Can a scientist also be religious? Some have been—Isaac Newton and Gregor Mendel come to mind. Other scientists, like Albert Einstein, have believed in a God but not a personal God, while still other scientists have been outspoken atheists. In this course we’ll examine some of the many aspects of the relationship of science and religion. We’ll take a primarily historical approach, looking at several scientists and theologians, as well as contemporary debates about evolution, medical research, and public education.
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The Role of The Mass Media in Shaping Public Attitudes and Opinions
[70190] 1870:360-004
[70189] 1870:360-003
T TH 1:10-2:00 p.m., Honors Complex 082
Dr. Stanley Akers
This colloquium will focus on the role of the mass media, particularly television and the Internet, in shaping public attitudes and opinions, and by extension public policy. We will examine such events as the Army-McCarthy Hearings, the Kennedy Assassination, the Vietnam War, notable criminal cases and terrorism coverage with a view to understanding how public perception is shaped and acted upon politically.
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Shaping a Generation: The Baby Boomers and U.S. Popular Culture
[76454] 1870:360-005
M W 3:20-4:10 p.m., Honors Complex 082
and [76620] 1870:360-008
M W 2:15-3:05 p.m. Honors Complex 092
Sarah M. Akers
In this colloquium, we will examine the fifteen years of U.S. history following the Second World War. This period was seminal in forming the attitudes and values of the generation known as the Baby Boomers who form the country's current leadership - political, economic, religious and cultural. We will make this examination primarily through the prism of U.S. popular culture.
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Buckeye Presidents
[75702] 1870:360-006
Tu Th 12:05-12:55 p.m. Honors Complex 083
Dr. Paul Stroble
Eight of our 43 presidents have been Ohioans. Most of them--all but one, in fact--served during the sixty years following the Civil War. Can you name all eight? After you take this colloquium, not only will you be able to name all eight, but you'll have a new appreciation of the role of these important Ohioans in our nation's history. You'll learn that the president with the shortest term was an Ohioan, the largest president was an Ohioan, two of our four assassinated presidents were Ohioans, and you'll learn that the period following the Civil War was a crucial one in the development of the nation.
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Ethnic America
[77432] 1870:360-007
Tu Th 1:10-2:00 p.m. Honors Complex 183
Dr. Harvey Rosenthal
The American experiment is not a story of a nation but of a polyglot of nations that forges a composite nation and state. For 400 years peoples from Europe, Africa, Asia, and Latin America have come to this land – voluntarily and involuntarily. They settled, built, and interacted with each other and the new environment, but all in their own way for the American “Melting Pot” never resulted in complete homogeneity. We will look closely at several of these immigrant groups and explore the process of assimilation in its unique American version. From the perspective of history, economics, sociology, and psychology we will examine the many factors that made the “American”. We will also join the debate on the question of immigration and its role in the America of the 21st century. The future shape of this Republic is in the making. Be an informed part of the process.
Note: Texts: Thomas Sowell, Ethnic America Immigration;
Opposing Viewpoints
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France in the time of Impressionism
[77159] 1870:360-009
M W 11:00-11:50 a.m. Morris HC 082
After the French and Industrial revolutions, French society had changed. No longer were people tied to the classes or guilds that once defined their lives. What now arose was the Bohemia that was part of the middle class consciousness. This new personal freedom was at times supported by society and at other times feared for the instability it created. The contributions of key historical figures from Baudelaire to Zola had a political, as well as social impact on bourgeois life in Paris. It is against this background that Realism and Impressionism took root.
In this colloquium we will study the men and women whose new vision of the world breathed life into the Paris of the later nineteenth century.
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TV, Radio, Internet...oh
my!
[77696] 1870:360-010
Thursdays 8:00-9:40 a.m. HC 082
and
[77697] 1870:360-011
Thursdays 10:00-11:40 a.m. HC 082
Carrie A. Tomko
Communication is key in this fast-paced society with TV, radio, and the
internet bringing instantaneous news, information, and entertainment.
The mass media brings global topics from across the world close to
home. What are the current events covered in the news? What content
is shared? Beyond content, what underlying messages are generated in
mass media messages?
This colloquium will engage students by examining current event
coverage in conjunction with communication theories in order to
critically analyze what we are seeing and hearing in the media. In
addition to a variety of media events, this course will focus
specifically on election year coverage, particularly issues of
diversity, gender, and other controversy, and how these dynamics play
out in the media. An emphasis will be placed on classroom dicussion,
welcoming personal opinions on TV, radio, and internet coverage of
current events. Watch it! Discuss it! Be a student of the world
around us!
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NATURAL SCIENCES COLLOQUIUM
[70178] 1870:470-001
T Th 12:05-12:55 Honors Complex 092
Dr. Richard Mostardi, Biomedical Engineering
This Natural Sciences Colloquium has a different main speaker each Tuesday. The speakers are drawn both from campus faculty as well as off-campus scientists. The Thursday sessions are discussion-oriented and are held in smaller sessions, either at 12:05, 1:10, or 2:15, as indicated by this and the following two sections.
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[70179] 1870:470-002
T 12:05-12:55 & Th 1:10 - 2:00 p.m. Honors Complex 092
Dr. Richard Mostardi, Biomedical Engineering
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[70180] 1870:470-003
T 12:05-12:55 & Th 2:15 - 3:05 p.m. Honors Complex 092
Dr. Richard Mostardi, Biomedical Engineering
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[75380] 1870:470-004
Mondays
12:05--1:45 p.m. Honors Complex 092
Dr. Patricia Galon, Nursing
