Writing Courses: Fall 2011
IDND 18: Expository Writing
Centered on student writing, this course teaches the writing process, emphasizing revision. Students write informal exercises and essays. Course required of some incoming students. Should a student fail this course in a given semester, that student must register for a section of IDND 18 the following semester.
Staff/Offered every semester
Courses that fulfill the Verbal Expression (VE) requirement
AS 180: In the Shadow of World War II
This seminar will explore Japanese literature and film from 1945 to the
present as a response to dramatic and total defeat in World War Two. What is the
legacy of WWII for Japanese cultural production? How has the memory of the war
shaped the themes of novels, manga, film and other forms of artistic expression?
How has post-war literature both reflected and transformed issues of national
identity? What do these works reveal about modern, and post-modern, Japanese
constructions of the self? From atomic dessert to economic powerhouse, we will
consider the cultural context of post-war trauma and subjugation, of war guilt
and its denial, of affluence and anomie: the long shadow cast by World War Two.
First Year Intensive. Instructor: Ms. Valentine
ENG 20: Introduction to Literature
Students read and write about basic elements of poetry, fiction, and drama. Small classes and limited reading lists help establish an atmosphere conducive to significant class discussion; emphasis is placed on writing effectively about literature. Strongly recommended for prospective English majors. No student may take more than one section of English 020 for credit.
ENG 115: Speculative Fiction
Speculative fiction (more popularly known as science fiction) entertains the
“what if” and presents alternative conceptions of history, society, and
identity. Committed to exploring the possibilities and limitations of the
alternative and the different, these works interrogate established boundaries of
identities and provide critical perspectives on prevailing beliefs and
ideologies. The course moves chronologically through works that fall loosely
under the speculative fiction subgenres of fantasy/horror, alternative
histories, future dystopias, and political allegories. We will also devote some
attention to formal analysis, specifically the ways in which speculative fiction
narratives experiment with and break from traditional literary conventions to
offer new ways of perceiving, constructing, and deconstructing our social
realities. Authors include Mary Shelley, H. P. Lovecraft, H.G. Wells, Isaac
Asimov, Philip K. Dick, Ursula Le Guin, Octavia E. Butler, William Gibson, Neal
Stephenson, Kim Stanley Robinson, and Ted Chiang. First Year Intensive.
Instructor: Ms. Huang
ENG 118: Webs & Labyrinths: GLB ART/LIT
The globalized world calls for a new language to describe it: new metaphors,
new stories, and new modes of storytelling. We now live in a world of webs,
labyrinths, and networks–metaphors that suggest the breaking down of borders and
increased connectivity across cultures, nations, market, and geographies. This
course will introduce you to writers and artists seeking a language fitting to
an age of constant newness. We will consider different sorts of fictions
associated with the era of global culture: reflexive modes of storytelling that
break down boundaries between artists and audiences; sweeping historical novels
that weave together the real and the ‘magical’; and multimedia narratives that
combine texts and technology. First Year Intensive.
Instructor: Mr. Levin
IDND 21: Queer Horror
From Frankenstein to Freddy Krueger, the horror monster has thrilled and terrified horror fans for decades. What the general audience might not recognize is how the monster embodies society’s anxieties, particularly those involving sexuality and gender. In this class, we will analyze a selection of horror novels and films, paying attention to how the monsters are “coded” as queer, exploring how the monsters are representations of popular culture’s changing views on queerness, and considering how and why the queer monster has evolved over the decades. We will also consider how a queer audience might have responded to these monsters. First Year Intensive. Instructor: Ms. Plante
MGMT 100: Art & Science of Management
This course is designed to encourage students to consider how business is
embedded into the larger society. It will introduce students to basic management
skills and the context in which they are applied. Whether a person is working in
a complex organization, such as a bank, university, high-tech firm, hospital or
manufacturer; participating in a student-run activity; volunteering for a local
nonprofit; or working a summer job—management skills are necessary. For
management majors and minors, the course provides an introduction to the topics
they will study in greater depth in their future course work. For students not
majoring in management, it provides an opportunity to learn basic skills that
will be helpful in their current and future activities in organizations. The
course structure includes readings, lecture, service learning, case analyses,
role plays and experiential exercises. The course involves considerable
interaction between the professor and students, and among students, because the
practice of management is about people working with, listening to, and
respecting people who have different backgrounds, experiences and opinions.
PHIL 102: Introduction to Philosophy
Introductory study of typical problems drawn from philosophy’s main branches.
Topics vary and may include God’s existence, the nature of morality, skepticism,
the nature of the mind, freedom vs. determinism, immortality and political
theory. Readings are taken from both classic and contemporary sources.
Instructor: Mr. Sharma, Mr. Hendricks, Mr. DeMarco
PHIL 111: Socrates & Nietzsche
The course examines the nature and value of moral conduct. It proceeds by
juxtaposing two radically opposed points of view: the defense of the moral life
put forward by Socrates (469-399 bce), especially as he is represented in the
dialogues of Plato, and the criticism of Socratic rationalism adopted by
Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900). Students will read closely and analyze
philosophical works representing each point of view. First Year Intensive.
Instructor: Mr. Sharma
TA 153: Modern Drama
This is a course designed to introduce the student to the major dramatic writers
from the 19th century to the present. In studying the plays, a number of
different points of view and reference will be considered including that of the
playwright, the actor, the director, the historian, the dramaturge. The student
is encouraged to formulate a personal opinion of these plays and dramatists. The
major focus of the course is the text and the student’s understanding and
interpretation of the work. However, a strong emphasis will also be placed on
the performance aspect of these plays. This can take many forms, including
coordination of our efforts with theatre classes on campus, field trips to
theatres nearby, use of video, and even staged readings of the scripts in class.
Instructor: Mr. DiIorio