SPRING SEMESTER 2011
AH/CL 360 Selected Topics in Ancient Art: A Tale of Two Ancient Cities - Rome and Constantinople (also offered as an Honors class)
This is a seminar on the capital cities of Rome and Constantinople between the Age of Julius Caesar and Augustus and the reign of Justinian. Students are introduced to the study of ancient cityscapes and the detailed analysis of urban features in the light of political, economic and social change. An important concept is the development and transformation of these cities as the concept of “Rome”, itself, evolved. Questions include: Why and how did the city adopt more Hellenistic traits the later Republic and the Age of Augustus? What were the characteristics of the city of Rome in the Middle Imperial period, when the Empire was a greater melting-pot of ethnic and cultural groups? What was the nature of Byzantium in its pre-Roman and early Roman phases? How and why did Constantine transform the city of Rome? Why did Constantine build a “New Rome”? Why did Constantinople overshadow the city of Rome? There is a strong element of research in this course.
CMS 399 Special Topics: Transnational Cinema
This course is intended to introduce students to the development of transnational European filmmaking through the latter half of the 20
th century and to provide a comprehensive survey of its key themes and formal procedures. Emphasis will be placed on exploring the impact of the experience of migration on language, perception, memory and cultural identity, and the way this has been treated cinematically from both a thematic and formal perspective. Focusing on the work of directors as diverse as Luis Bunuel, Chantal Akerman, Krzysztof Kieslowski, Andrej Tarkovsky, Isaac Julien, Mathieu Kassovitz and Michael Haneke, the course will investigate the place of transnational filmmaking in the history of modern (especially Western) cinema. Particular attention will also be devoted to the historical and cultural contexts that have shaped the development of transnational cinemas – migratory movements, postcolonialism, international and independent film production – as well as the increasing number of critical debates that surround it.
COM 399A Special Topics in Communications: Global Media
This course is an introduction to the current debate around the relationship between globalization and the media. By linking theoretical conceptions with hands-on empirical research and analysis, students will develop a richer and multi-layered perspective around the increasingly relevant yet contested notion of globalization, and specifically on the role that the media have in advancing, challenging and representing social, political and cultural change across multiple regions of the world.
EN 215 Introduction to Literary and Cultural Theories
Designed as an introduction to the theoretical approaches to literature, the course will stimulate students to think and write critically through the study of the principal topics of literary theory. The course will adopt both a historical approach, covering each theory in the chronological order of its appearance on the scene, and a critical approach - putting the theories to the test by applying them to a literary text. The course will also help students to move on to an advanced study of literature by introducing them to the research methods and tools for the identification, retrieval, and documentation of secondary sources.
EN 346 Study of the Works of a Single Modern Writer: Carson McCullers (also offered as an Honors class)
This course aims to develop student critical abilities and research skills through the concentrated study of one author. The course also aims to familiarize the students with the work, life, and critical responses to the author Carson McCullers.
JRN 399 Special Topics: Feature Writing
A good FEATURE story contains all the elements of great drama: intriguing characters, memorable accomplishments, villains and heroes, painful dilemmas, certain moral, political or even legal lapses, and personal triumphs. All these elements are showcased within the scope of a story bolstered by hard-wrangled facts, crystalline accuracy and elegant writing.
Longer than the usual investigative piece, but not as long as a book, the feature story weaves a colorful tale on a canvas of plain words. The writer must answer a series of questions: Who are the people I am writing about? What have they done or said that might interest the reader? How have they shaped or affected the society in which they live? What have they done to merit our interest? What may we expect from them in the future? Are they admirable? Sneaky? Victorious? Powerful? Vicious?
The good feature article will also be subtly informing the reader of other aspects of the drama: namely, what the writer has done to acquire the information presented. Interviews, research, thoughtful analysis, fact-checking: all these are required to present the characters on a landscape that is vividly and explicitly detailed. Implicitly, the writer is telling the reader, “You can trust me. I did my homework. I know what I am talking about. I researched and talked either to the people I am writing about or to those who know them well. None of this is invention. It is all gloriously true, and it is the very truth of the story that makes it fascinating and unforgettable.”
NS 220 Special Topics in Natural Science: Food and Agriculture
This is a survey course of agriculture, emphasizing the important food plants of the 21st century. The aim is to learn key processes which lead to the wide array of foods, which are available in developed countries. We start from the events of domestication, pass through the Green Revolution, and end with major plant crop commodities (such as bananas and coffee) being cultivated by “agribusiness” or also by “sustainable” farming methods. We also look at major issues related to agriculture today: for example, the development of biofuels which may use food stocks, and diseases and pests which threaten important monocultures. We look at the major achievements in agriculture of the 20th century, and try to anticipate the important uses and vulnerabilities of plant crops in the 21st century.
NS 230 Energy and the Environment
Individuals, families, business companies and governments are called on an everyday basis to confront energy issues: from how to save on heating and electricity or transportation, or how to achieve energy independence such that there is adequate energy for prosperity and progress while at the same time respecting the environment. This course provides a first but comprehensive exposure to the many facets of the energy problem so that students are better able to have informed opinions regarding the ongoing energy debate. After a brief historical introduction, the present-day scenario of energy supply from both largely mature technologies (fossil and nuclear fuels, hydro-power) and renewable sources (solar, wind, geothermal, wave and tidal, biomass) is presented. Elements of physics and chemistry will be provided in order to achieve a better understanding of energy sources and energy production systems, and to carry out a more quantitative study of the supply, efficiency, cost and environmental impact of each energy option.