HONORS SEMINARS SPRING 2010
THE GRAPHIC NOVEL: COMICS AS THE SOURCE
Emmons
50 525 103 01
TTH 9:30-10:50AM
Graphic novels are works that are either a collection of comic books bound together in a single volume or a newly published work of substantial size bound as a complete and new work. This, however, is just a physical description of graphic novels. Comics have much more to offer. The once considered low-brow art form is now experiencing its largest acceptance in mainstream culture. Academia and the public have been recognizing the potential of comics to entertain and teach us. From their influence on film, literature, and art, to how they reflect social and political issues of the past, comics demonstrate their importance to American culture and history. This course will study comics as the source and influence on four other disciplines: comics as social history, comics as literature, comics as art, and comics as film. The class will study graphic novels, academic texts on comics, literature, art, and film to create in-depth, comparative studies of comics in these areas. Course satisfies Art requirement.
PUSHING THE ENVELOPE: AVANT-GARDE MOVEMENTS IN THE ARTS
Giannotti
50 525 103 02
M 1:20-4:10PM
This seminar will examine innovative and experimental movements in a wide variety of art forms, from the visual arts to music and film. Starting with the French Impressionists of the 1860s, we will discuss the major avant-garde modernist trends that pushed the boundaries of art throughout the 19 th and 20th centuries on up to the present time. We will explore the social, cultural and political contexts within which avant-garde movements were initiated and will pay special attention to the creative spirit that drives artists to seek new expression, and, at times, to reject the past. A considerable portion of the semester will be devoted to the latest trends in visual art, music, film and cutting edge art forms. Course satisfies Art requirement.
ORATORY IN THE AGE OF OBAMA
Fitzgerald
50 525 109 01
TTH 1:30-2:50PM
The rise to prominence and power of Barack Obama also marks a renewal of interest in oratory, the art of public rhetoric. Employing the persona and speeches of our current President as a touchstone, this course examines the continuing vitality of rhetoric as a force in civic affairs. Though rhetoric developed in the classical era as a practical art of persuasive speech, we will approach rhetoric as a critical lens for understanding the factors that contribute to effective political discourse. You will thus develop the ability to analyze speeches, debates and public arguments of various kinds through a critical vocabulary that will serve you well at Rutgers and beyond. This vocabulary largely draws upon rhetoric’s classical heritage, but we will also turn to more recent formulations of rhetorical principles as a guide. Our ultimate aim is to apprehend the complex terrain of our fractured political landscape, itself a reflection of various appeals, past and present, to unity and division, to identity and difference, by politicians and pundits. You will come away with increased appreciation of relations between speech events and their situations. Our primary text will be /Classical Rhetoric for the Modern Student 4e / by Crowley and Hawhee, supplemented by primary and secondary material available online. Expect a range of exercises and short analytical papers, culminating in a substantive essay (8-10 pp.) examining rhetorical performance in contemporary times. Course satisfies Humanities Elective.
INTRODUCTION TO CREATIVE WRITING
Grodstein
50 525 109 02
MW 1:20-2:40PM
In this course, students will study major works of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction and try their hands at creating their own. In-class and at-home writing exercises will help students explore characterization, description, dialogue, and plot. Students will also be required to submit one complete work in each genre. Course satisfies Humanities Elective.
FRENCH COMEDY
Horowitz
50 525 110 01
TTH 1:30-2:50PM
In this course we will read and discuss several very funny French comic plays, as we focus especially on what makes audiences laugh and why. We will be additionally performing together scenes from these plays, with assistance from faculty and students with directing and acting experience. Video productions, when available, will help us understand how a comedy is structured when it is enacted on stage and/or in film.
Short papers and one in-class exam. Course satisfies Foreign Language in English Translation (4B).
WHAT DO HISTORIANS DO?
Rosoff
50 525 112 01
W 4:30-7:10PM
What do historians do? This course will examine the work of historians -- how they investigate and analyze the past. We will use historical evidence to consider a variety of historical problems drawn primarily from the history of the United States and the United Kingdom . Our sources will include printed materials and web sites. We will explore the use of technology as a means of disseminating historical scholarship and also consider how history is conveyed in textbooks. Participants will have the opportunity to meet with practicing historians to discuss their craft. Course satisfies History requirement. Course satisfies History requirement.
MATHEMATICS IN POPULAR CULTURE
Jacobowitz
50 525 114 01
TTH 1:30-2:50PM
We will look at how mathematics and mathematicians have been portrayed in popular culture, contrasting reality, common perceptions and artistic license. For instance, there are recently published biographies, fictionalized biographies, purely fictional biographies and several classical autobiographies. There are also films, plays, and TV programs. So there would be plenty to read, see and consider. We will also explore some mathematical concepts such as dimension and infinity that have captured the imagination of many. The instructor will explain any needed mathematics, assuming only a high school math background. The required papers will include an option for creative writing. Course satisfies Additional Mathematics (2B) requirement.
LEADERSHIP THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE
Lawrence
50 525 119 01
T 1:30 – 4:10PM
What is leadership? Is it an inborn quality or can it be learned? Is charisma essential for leadership or are other qualities more important in defining it? In this course we will examine the ways that leadership has been conceptualized in theory and exercised in practice. When we analyze the role that leadership plays in our society we will not confine ourselves to the roles played by CEOs and heads of government. We will look at the need for people to exercise leadership as students, citizens and workers, becoming participants in achieving common goals. We will also examine the ethical context of leadership, the moral values and integrity that form a principled basis for action. Students will have the opportunity to identify their own leadership values and practice some of the skills that are important to developing their own potential for leadership. Course satisfies Political Science requirement.
JUSTICE IN AMERICA
Tarr
50 525 119 01
MW 1:20-2:40PM
This course focuses on the question of how well American courts deliver justice. With regard to civil justice, are those who have suffered injuries able to have their complaints heard and their claims recognized? Are Americans prone to excessive litigation, and if so, what is its broader social effect? With regard to criminal justice, do courts do a good job of distinguishing the innocent from the guilty and providing suitable punishment for law-breakers? Finally, insofar as the Supreme Court and other appellate courts play a significant role in governing, what are the effects of their participation, and how has it changed over time? Course satisfies Political Science requirement.
THE PSYCHOLOGY OF HEALTH, HAPPINESS, AND THE MEANING OF LIFE
Markey
50 525 120 02
TH 1:30-4:10PM
This course focuses on understanding psychological processes that influence health, contribute to our happiness, and provide a sense of meaning in our lives. Topics to be discussed include: stress and coping, personality and health, health behaviors including eating and substance use, the context and providers of health care, factors that promote happiness, and ways individuals create meaning in their lives. The changing health care environment and the need to understand the role of individuals’ lifestyles in determining their health and well-being is emphasized. Course satisfies Psychology requirement.
WOMEN AND RELIGION
Charme
50 525 123 01
TTH 11:00-12:20PM
This class looks at the ways that women have been regarded in the myths, symbols and rituals of the major Western Religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam). We will examine how these traditions’ views of the body, nature, sexuality, and God are reflected in the Bible and other religious texts. We will consider ways in which religion can both oppress or empower women. We’ll also look at the nature of Goddess worship that pre-dated the Western religions and has been revived in the modern world. Students will have an opportunity to explore these issues in either Eastern or Western religion in their own projects. Course satisfies Religion requirement.
AMERICAN THEATER: THE RISE AND FALL OF BROADWAY
Elliot
50 525 127 01
MW 1:20-2:40PM
Description coming soon.Course satisfies Theater requirement.
