First-Year Clusters
CLUSTERS – Fall 2010
Open to Honors College Students
F5: Politics, Ethics and Journalism (total = 8 s.h.)
In a democracy, political actors are free to compete for power, the press is free to disseminate a wide variety of ideas, and citizens are free to form and promote their own moral beliefs. These three freedoms interact in complex ways. So, for instance, a free press is supposed to limit the power of government to act arbitrarily or destructively, and to help people refine their moral beliefs through gaining information and debating those with different perspectives. This cluster examines the interaction of politics, the press, and the good, especially in the context of a democratic society. This cluster includes one semester hour of instruction in library research methods.
PSC 1, sec. F5: American Politics (BH) (4 s.h.)
M/W/F, 9:50-11:05 a.m., Rosanna Perotti
JRNL 1, sec. F5: Ethics and Principles of American News Media (3 s.h.)
T/TH, 12:45-2:10 p.m., Peter Goodman
F8: The Soundtracks of Our Lives (total = 7 s.h.)
In a mere 20 years, graduates from the Class of 2014 will reflect on the “oldies,” such as Beyoncé’s “Put a Ring on It,” and listen with curiosity to their children’s latest recordings of sonic distortion. Even relatively recent music – the funk-inspired grooves of Grandmaster Flash, the playful riffs of Chuck Berry – sounds as if it could only come from a VH1 retrospective, or a car commercial. The story of revolutionary music often begins with outrage and ends with commercialization. Many listeners encounter Wagner’s “Ride of the Valkyries” in films (Apocalypse Now) and cartoons (Elmer Fudd’s famous “Kill the Wabbit!”), but not in the opera house. Similarly, the Beatles’ 1968 release, “Revolution,” eventually finds its way into a commercial for Nike sneakers. Given the ease and frequency with which the revolutionary becomes fodder for mass marketing, it is surprising that musical innovation still seems so disruptive to so many. Witness, for example, recent debates about parental advisory labels on CDs and MP3s. This cluster explores this and related phenomena in Western music, ranging from Beethoven to the births of rock-n-roll and hip-hop. This cluster includes one semester hour of instruction in library research methods.
NOTE: Students need only have an interest in music. No experience with theory, notation, or any musical instrument is required. This cluster is not open to music majors.
MUS 3, sec. F8: Music Appreciation (AA) (3 s.h.)
T/TH, 2:20-3:45 p.m., Kenneth Lampl
WSC 1, sec. F8: Composition (3 s.h.)
M/W/F, 10:10-11:05 a.m., Lauren Kozol
F10: Pre-Health Sciences (total = 11 s.h.)
Most medical, dental and veterinary schools require a solid foundation in science, particularly biology and chemistry. After all, organisms are massive collections of biological molecules executing complex combinations of chemical reactions in a highly controlled and regulated manner. This cluster explores general chemistry, animal form and function, and the interplay between these disciplines in the function of organisms, particularly humans. Throughout the cluster, we consider how various chemical and biological processes are related and influence the human condition.
BIO 12, sec. F10: Animal Form and Function
(NS) (4 s.h.)
M/W/F, 9:05-10 a.m., Peter Daniel
BIO 12 Lab, sec. FAL
M, 2:20-5:20 p.m.; T, 4-4:55 p.m., Peter Daniel
or
BIO 12 Lab, sec. FBL
M, 11:15 a.m.-2:10 p.m.; F, 11:15 a.m.-12:05 p.m.
Peter Daniel
and
CHEM 3A, sec. F10: General and Inorganic Chemistry (NS) (4 s.h.)
M/W/F, 10:10-11:05 a.m.; TH, 8:30-9:25 a.m.,
Vandana Bindra
CHEM 3B Lab, sec. FA
W, 2-4:50 p.m., Ronald Strothkamp
or
CHEM 3B Lab, sec. FB
TH, 2:20-5:10 p.m., Terry Brack
and
WSC 1, sec F10: Composition (3 s.h.)
T/TH, 9:35-11 a.m., Margaret Stein
F11:Engineering (total = 6 s.h.)
This cluster explores the world that humans have designed — the products and processes used in its development. There are three main components of the freshman engineering design course. First, the informed design process connects basic science and mathematics to an eight-step design cycle that enables students to grasp the basics of conceptual engineering design. Second, teamwork: Students collaborate on homework and compete with other teams in designing lab projects. Third, communication skills are explored and developed through problem-solving activities and brainstorming sessions. Class sessions are composed of rich media content, including Flash animations, video clips, graphic images and music. Active learning methods are used in class to enhance student involvement, learning and change. The six lab projects allow teams to design and build their own prototypes within project specifications and time constraints, develop good interpersonal team dynamics, and improve their oral and written communication skills.
ENGG 15, sec. F11: Designing the Human-Made World (NS) (3 s.h.)
M/W, 12:50-1:45 p.m., Mauro Caputi
and either
ENGG 15 Lab, sec. FAL
M, 2:20-4:20 p.m., Mauro Caputi
and
WSC 1, sec. FK: Composition (3 s.h.)
T/TH, 2:20-3:45 p.m., Dan Cole
or
ENGG 15 Lab, sec. FBL
W, 2:20-4:20 p.m., Mauro Caputi
and
WSC 1, sec. F11: Composition (3 s.h.)
T/TH, 11:10 a.m.-12:35 p.m., Dan Cole
or
ENGG 15 Lab, sec. FCL
F, 12:50-2:50 p.m., Mauro Caputi
and
WSC 1, sec. F99: Composition (3 s.h.)
M/W, 2:55-4:20 p.m., Lisa Dresner
F14: Fairy Tale in Literature and Film (total = 10 s.h.)
This cluster searches for the psychological, sociological, and literary meanings embedded in traditional folk and fairy tales and in their modern versions. By comparing classic tales with contemporary versions, we consider the relevance of these tales to our own experience. Assuming that fairy and folk tales stretch and color our imaginations, we study the visual and aural portrayal of worlds both fantastical and fearsome. With a rigorous attention to film style, we focus on the ways that cinema adapts fairy/folk tale archetypes, and creates new stories that situate mythical structures within contemporary settings. We learn the language with which we might express and understand these timeless traditions that continually inform our everyday experience. This cluster includes one semester hour of instruction in library research methods.
RTVF 10, sec. F14: Introduction to Film and TV Studies (AA) (3 s.h.)
M/W, 2:55-4:55 p.m., Ethan DeSeife
ENGL 114, sec. F14: Fairy Tales in English and American Literature (3 s.h.)
T/TH, 2:20-3:45 p.m., Scott Harshbarger
WSC 1: Composition (3 s.h.)
sec. F14: T/TH, 9:35-11 a.m., Barbara Bengels
or
sec. FN: T/TH, 11:10 a.m.-12:35 p.m., Barbara Bengels