Preparing you for a diverse and dynamic world.
Myth, folktale, and literature throughout the western world have always held monsters, whether it be Polyphemus the Cyclops or Smaug the dragon. Where do they come from? What do these monsters have in common? Do different times and places have different monsters? Does the definition of monster change over time? And, of course, monsters don¿t exist without their counterpart: monster-slayers. Who are these heroes? How are they similar? Different? Do they and their methods for dealing with monsters change from place to place and through time? Handling Monsters: A Handbook will explore and try to answer these questions.
TuTh 12:30 PM-1:50 PM
Humans are social creatures who need high-quality relationships to survive and thrive. However, the way we connect with others is rapidly changing with the rise of social media. Based on research from relationship science, communication and psychology, the goal of this course is to provide students with the scientific knowledge behind how everyday social interactions and relationships influence our lives, and how we can connect with others in ways that benefit us mentally and physically.
MWF 10:00AM-10:50AM
WATCHING TELEVISION explores the history and aesthetics of television genres from the beginning of commercial television broadcasting in the post World War II United States to the present day. The class will focus on genres such as drama, soap opera, comedy, news, documentary, reality television, children's television, animation, prime time, and day time, paying due attention to the beginnings of these genres, their maturation and development, and the reasons for their eventual decline or remarkable persistence. Along the way, we will discuss who watches television and why, how television shapes our view of the world and of each other, how television provides a window on a society's values, and how and why those values change over time.
TuTh 9:30 AM-10:50AM
The America we will explore was the first America to appear on a map, a place we now call colonial Latin America. Indigenous, African, and European women and men understood themselves differently there. Our geographic focus will be on the three most dynamic areas of colonial settlement—central Mexico, highland Peru, and coastal Brazil. We will consider how peoples of vastly different origins interacted, fought, formed families, and forged multiracial yet patriarchal and economically stratified societies. To what extent do our contemporary notions of race and gender help us understand this history? To what extent do they lead us astray? How can this other place and time help us better understand ours? In pursuing these questions students will become familiar with the types of broad, far-reaching questions college courses examine. They will hone their skills in critical thinking, ethical reasoning, research, writing, and engaged discussion while learning about historical methods.
TuTh 2:00PM-3:20PM
OPEN EARS, OPEN MINDS is a listening and discussion-based class that explores the way indie rock and indie pop music intersect with classical new music (music composed within the last 50 years). Classes will feature new classical works juxtaposed with a pieces of popular music with the intention of drawing parallels between the two seemingly disparate worlds. Through weekly listening and writing assignments, students will learn to open their minds and ears to a variety of sound worlds. By cultivating critical listeners who are willing to explore challenging sounds and dismiss genre barriers, the hope is that students will apply this openness of thinking to their academic journey and beyond.
No musical background is required.
MWF 11:00 AM-11:50 AM
PHY 199 PRL discusses issues in physics and science at large that affect our everyday lives. We will explore the scientific foundations of topics like weather and climate and the physics behind devices and machines in our everyday lives, like smart phones and WiFi, or electric and gasoline-powered cars. The course will emphasize topics related to current events, such as the physics of personal protective equipment (e.g., face masks) and ventilators, or the biophysics of viruses. You will gain basic knowledge of science that will enable you to be a smarter consumer and a more informed participant in society. You will practice discussing science and its effects on society by producing YouTube videos and audio podcasts. In short, you will learn how to make decisions based on science and how our decisions affect the world around us.
MWF 1:00 PM-1:50 PM
In recent decades, the Middle Ages and the Renaissance have emerged as the place where we can look for answers to the questions that still haunt our society. This course will show how the pre-modern world addressed some crucial issues which are still debated in present days: the role of women; war and religion; magic and science; the meaning of individual identity and the birth of the self; the place of unbelief; and the challenges posed by a world that had become suddenly global and more diverse than Europeans had ever thought. Readings from primary and secondary sources will be provided by the instructor. The course is taught in English.
TuTh 2:00PM-3:20PM
We all want to be happy, some would argue it is a particularly American trait to prioritize happiness over all else. But what are the limitations and dangers of this relentless pursuit of happiness? We will read work by both positive scholars and those critical of positive science in a semester-long exploration of positivity, pessimism, happiness and unhappiness. We will discuss the ways in which a culture of positivity may blame individuals for their own illness or economic troubles and how relentless optimism may even result in a lack of preparedness for natural disasters and a refusal to see looming crises. In the end, students will evaluate the arguments read throughout the semester along with their own portfolio of happiness artifacts and their position papers on the power of positivity to decide if there is in fact a dark side to happiness.
TuTh 11:00AM-12:20PM