College Writing Program

Director: Kathleen Skubikowski (Associate Professor of English); Assistant Professor: Hector Vila; Lecturer and Tutor-in-Writing: Mary Ellen Bertolini (Assistant Director), Catharine Wright, Department Coordinator: JoAnn Brewer

Because the ability to express oneself clearly and thoughtfully in writing is integral to a liberal arts education, Middlebury is committed to a program of writing instruction across the curriculum. All academic departments at the College participate in the College Writing Program, offering writing intensive first-year seminars and college writing (CW) courses.

During their first and second years, all Middlebury students are required to take at least two courses designated as CW. The usual sequence for these courses is a first-year seminar in the first semester and then a second college writing course, selected from a wide range of offerings, in the second, third, or fourth semester. College writing courses are designated (CW) in the catalog.

Some students may desire work on refining basic writing skills at the beginning of their college careers. They may elect to take a writing program course, WRPR 0100 or WRPR 0101 The Writing Workshop (see description below) concurrently with the first-year seminar or in their second semester. These courses do not satisfy the college writing requirement, but do provide an opportunity for extensive individual work on the student's writing skills.

All writers benefit from feedback on work in progress. At the Writing Center in the library's Center for Teaching, Learning, and Research, students can schedule individual tutorial sessions with experienced tutors trained to assist them at any phase of a writing assignment.

Transfer students should consult with the director of the College Writing Program to determine which of the college writing requirements (if any) they have satisfied through course work at another institution. In general, matriculated students have to complete the courses for the College Writing Program at Middlebury.

WRITING PROGRAM COURSES

WRPR 0100 The Writing Workshop I (Fall)
This course is for students who would like extra work on critical thinking and analytical writing. All sections of this course will address a variety of writing strategies and technologies, from free writing to online writing.  Each section will focus on a particular theme to be determined by the instructor. This course does not fulfill the college writing requirement. 3 hrs. lect./disc. (L. Gates)

WRPR 0101 The Writing Workshop II (Fall, Spring)
This second level workshop is for students who have completed a first-year seminar.  All sections of this course will address a variety of writing techniques and communications tools.  Each section will focus on a particular theme. This course does not fulfill the college writing requirement. 3 hrs. lect./disc. (Fall: H. Vila, Spring: M. Bertolini)

WRPR 0200 Writing Across the Arts (CW) (Not offered 2008-09)
What is the relationship between writing and the other arts?  Why do we write about the arts and artists?  In this writing-intensive course, we will publish an online weblog-'zine as we travel across the spectrum of writing in response to the other arts, from a focus on the structure and content of effective real-world arts reviewing to explorations of creative writing/arts interactions.  We will examine the role of art within a community through a service-learning collaboration with arts organizations outside the college; attend exhibitions, performances, rehearsals, and lectures; analyze and write arts criticism; discuss with arts professionals the art world beyond Middlebury; explore the impact of technology on the arts through making digital stories and multi-media writing; write fiction, poetry and creative nonfiction as well as a research project.  Class sessions will combine short lectures, discussions, presentations, guest visits from arts professionals, and writing workshops. 3 hrs. lect./disc. ART

WRPR/WAGS 0201 Writing For Social Change (CW) (Spring)
This course explores the many choices we face as speakers and writers when communicating across race, gender, sexuality, religion, culture and class. Drawing on works by Julia Alvarez, bell hooks, Dorothy Allison, W.E.B. Dubois, Jamaica Kincaid, Leslie Marmon Silko and others, the class explores a range of genres and voices and examines patterns of domination and subordination in diverse cultural contexts. Writing assignments include personal narrative, literary analysis, and a research based essay or multi media project. Students will respond to one another’s work in writing workshop, and engage in service learning and informal reflection on service 1-2 hours a week. 3 hrs. lect. /disc. ART LIT (C. Wright)

WRPR 0202 Writing to Heal (CW) (Spring)
This writing-intensive course examines writing as a catalyst for healing after loss or grief. In a workshop focused on student writing, we will analyze the fiction, drama, poetry and creative nonfiction of Arthur Miller, Jane Austen, Frank McCourt, C.S. Lewis, Sharon Olds, William Wordsworth, Christopher Noel, Madeleine Blais, Susan Minot. Reading James W. Pennebaker's Opening Upand Louise DeSalvo's Writing As A Way of Healing will create a theoretical underpinning for our discussions. Assignments for this course will include formal analytical essays, creative work (published online), as well as electronic journals and oral presentations. LIT (M. Bertolini)

WRPR/ AMST 0203 Media, Sports, and Identity (CW) (Fall)
In this course we will examine the relationship between media, sports, and the formulation of one’s identity. We will examine issues pertaining to gender identification, violence, and hero worship. Reading critical essays on the subject, studying media coverage of sporting events, and writing short analytical essays will enable us to determine key elements concerning how sports are contextualized in American culture. Student essays will form the basis of a more in-depth inquiry that each student will then present, using media, at the end of the course. SOC NOR  (H. Vila)

FIRST YEAR SEMINAR COURSES
The course numbers, titles, and instructors of first-year seminars offered during the 2008-2009 academic year are listed below. For more information about the First-year Seminar Program, please visit the Web site at http://go.middlebury.edu/fys.

Fall 2008

FYSE 1004 Segregation in America: Baseball's Negro Leagues (Fall)
Like many aspects of American life, organized baseball was segregated, black and white, from the end of the 19th century to the mid-20th century. In this seminar we will examine the absorbing chronicle of baseball's "Negro leagues." We will learn about the great players and teams, and consider how this sporting phenomenon reflects American values and history. We will address important questions about sports and their cultural significance. What do sports tell us about ourselves and our past? Can we understand our cultural heritage by looking through the lens of sports, black baseball in this case? We will also consider how art is created from these historical roots. 3 hrs. sem. CMP NOR (K. Lindholm)

FYSE 1008 The World of George Orwell: His Writings, Life, and Turbulent Times (Fall)
In memorable essays, reportage, fables, and novels, the English writer, journalist, and social critic George Orwell (1903-1950) tenaciously “spoke truth to power.” The main focus of this seminar is the analysis and discussion of Orwell’s literary style, strategies of persuasive writing as situated within history, and Orwell’s contradictory life. Readings include fifteen of Orwell’s best essays, his anti-colonialist first novel Burmese Days, political fable Animal Farm, and his dystopian classic, 1984. We will also read extensive excerpts from Orwell’s reportage such as The Road to Wigan Pier and Homage to Catalonia plus a biography of the author. 3 hrs. sem./screening LIT EUR (J. Berninghausen)

FYSE 1020 Crime & Punishment in American History (Fall)
How has American society defined crime and determined appropriate punishment through the course of our nation's history? In this seminar we will examine how social and political forces have shaped our understanding of crime, the code of law, and extralegal violence. We will also explore how meanings of crime and punishment have changed across time and been influenced by race, class, gender, and region. Historical cases we study will range from the colonial period to the late 20th century and may include such topics as the Salem witch trials, lynching, prostitution, espionage, and the death penalty. 3 hrs. sem. HIS NOR (A. Morsman)

FYSE 1021 Love and Death in Western Europe, 1300-1900 (Fall)
History is not just names and dates; it also encompasses how ordinary people lived and felt. Emotions have a history because they have changed over time. This seminar deals with aspects of the history of desire and fear in Western Europe from the Middle Ages to the industrial era. Topics will include sex, marriage, child-rearing, disease, suicide, and the belief in immortality. In addition to works of historical analysis, we will read literary and theoretical sources, including Dante, Goethe, and Freud. Our aim is to understand how common emotions have been altered by social and cultural circumstances. 3 hrs. sem. HIS SOC EUR (P. Monod)

FYSE 1023 The Art and Language of the Civil War (Fall)
This seminar will begin with a review of the major historical events of the Civil War. We will then study the conflict through the paintings of Winslow Homer and Frederic Church, the poetry and prose of Walt Whitman, the photographs of Matthew Brady, and the political writings of Abraham Lincoln. Particular emphasis will be placed upon the thoughts and attitudes of the common soldier as reflected in his diaries and journals. 3 hrs. sem. ART HIS NOR (C. Wilson)

FYSE 1048 Ecology and Conservation in Vermont (Fall)
The Vermont landscape reflects its history: glaciations, human land-use practices, and natural disturbances have all left their mark. We will explore the ecological history of Vermont, examining how natural and cultural influences have shaped the landscape that we see today. Further, we will explore how these influences interact to both create and solve a number of current conservation issues, including the management of national forests, and protection of endangered species. We will supplement our own explorations with extensive readings from published descriptions of Vermont both past and present. 3 hrs. sem/disc. SCI (S. Trombulak)

FYSE 1062 Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? Economy and Culture in the Great Depression (Spring)
The Great Depression of the 1930s changed economics forever. It also brought forth a period of distinctly American, socially-engaged literature and visual art. New relationships were forged between the U.S. government and working people, the arts, and the market. In this seminar we will study economics to understand the collapse of the American economy; we will study painting, photography, poetry, and drama to understand the rapid social change taking place. We will also discuss written and film oral histories and will create our own oral history by interviewing Middlebury residents who remember the 1930s. Together, students will design and produce a CD based on these interviews. 3 hrs. sem. HIS SOC NOR (C. Craven)

FYSE 1066 Voices Along the Way (Fall)
This seminar designed for international students is an introduction to contemporary American culture via literature and film. Our exploration of the American landscape and mindscape will begin with three topics: a sense of place, family relationships, and the American educational scene. We will conclude with a fourth topic, 'creating an identity," within which we will explore our own potential contributions to a global community. We will respond to each of these topics by writing essays, creating web pages and digital stories, and designing multi-media presentations. We will read stories and essays by John Updike, Amy Tan, Gloria Naylor, Theodore Sizer, James Baldwin, Raymond Carver, William Faulkner, and Jamaica Kincaid; we will consider films including Dances with Wolves, The Godfather, Stand and Deliver, and Dead Poets’ Society; and we will research and compare our own and each other’s cultures as a basis for determining what we consider to be “American.” 3 hrs. sem. SOC NOR CMP (K. Skubikowski)

FYSE 1081 "The Ancient Quarrel": Greek Philosophy, Tragedy, and Comedy (Fall)
Already in Plato's day there was a “quarrel” between philosophy and poetry, a rivalry for the ethical education of citizens. How do the tragedies of Aeschylus and Sophocles communicate moral dilemmas? Does Aristophanes in The Clouds suggest a serious critique within his comic parody of Socrates? Why does Plato banish the poets from his ideal city in The Republic, but develop his own philosophical poetry? Why does Aristotle in the Poetics emphasize the catharsis of the tragic emotions? Finally, we will consider Nietzsche's interpretation in The Birth of Tragedy: how does Socratic rationalism deal the fatal blow to tragedy, and why does Plato then transform Socrates into a tragic figure? 3 hrs. sem. PHL LIT EUR (M. Woodruff)

FYSE 1105 The Poet's 'I': Poetry and Autobiography (Fall)
In this seminar we will work to discover the sometimes subtle connections between the "objective" events of a poet's life and the poems that he or she produced. Emily Dickinson and Gerard Manley Hopkins are known as reticent, self-concealing poets; nonetheless their poems tell their life stories. John Berryman is a "confessional" poet; yet questions about the relationship between his poems and his life are similar. Lyn Hejinian is a postmodern poet who complicates all of those questions. We will read a great many poems, as well as letters, diaries, drafts, published biographies, and autobiographical prose by each poet. 3 hrs. sem./disc. LIT (B. Millier)

FYSE 1114 Classic Comedy: Drama, Film, Theory (Fall)
What is comedy? What are its values and view of life? What makes things funny? Why do we laugh and at what? What should or should not be ridiculed? A consideration of classic comedies and ideas about comedy from Aristophanes through Shakespeare and Moliere, to Shaw, with comparisons to classic comedies of American cinema and other forms of comic expression. Having a sense of humor is a prerequisite of this course. 3 hrs. sem. ART LIT (J. Bertolini)

FYSE 1121 Representations of Urban Italy: Rome, Florence, Venice (Fall)
In the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance, the competing city-states of Italy, Rome, and Florence achieved a unique image that lives on in modern and contemporary visual arts, literature, film, media, and culinary practice. After considering each city’s Renaissance identity, we will employ a “case-study” approach, discussing literary, artistic, film, and media representations of these cities from the nineteenth century to the present. Along with requisite expository and research writing, we will add a practical dimension to our study through memoir writing, student-organized culinary practice, and employment of web-based technology and presentational tools. 3 hrs. sem. HIS EUR (P. Zupan)

FYSE 1138 Education and Social Inequality (Fall)
In this seminar we will consider the role of the educational system in producing, reproducing, and transforming social inequality based on class, race and ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and disability. As such, it seeks to answer the following kinds of questions: How is educational success (or failure) shaped by individual characteristics? Can schools provide upward mobility for students from "disadvantaged" backgrounds? Are schools "gendered" institutions? Is bilingual education appropriate? Is "No Child Left Behind" an appropriate reform? This seminar will draw on a broad variety of readings, including biography, history, journalism, and sociological studies. 3 hrs. sem. SOC NOR (M. Nelson)

FYSE 1144 Jane Austen & Film (Fall)
Why did a writer born over 200 years ago become a hot property in Hollywood? The explosion of film adaptations of Austen's novels has sent readers scurrying to Austen's six major works: Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, Emma, Northanger Abbey, and Persuasion. We will study these novels and their film and video adaptations, while examining the differences between the language of film and the language of fiction, and while considering Austen's appeal to twenty-first century men and women. 3 hrs. sem. ART LIT EUR (M.E. Bertolini)

FYSE 1159 Notions of Self in East Asian Religions (Fall)
How are we to understand our selves? What is the self? How and why have we come into existence? How are we to determine our proper task or role in life? What happens at death? We will consider the major responses East Asian religious traditions offer to these questions. We will read classic religious texts, including early Buddhist and Taoist works and the Analects of Confucius. We will also study autobiographical writings and fictional first-person narratives influenced by these traditions in order to understand how religious ideas contribute to the construction and interpretation of personal identity. PHL AAL (E. Morrison)

FYSE 1211 Gödel, Escher, Bach (Fall)
About 100 years ago, mathematics took an introspective turn when its practitioners endeavored to organize human reasoning itself into a formal axiomatic system. The attempt ended in a kind of paradox when logician Kurt Gödel proved that all formalized logical systems would necessarily contain some unprovable truths. Reading Douglas Hofstadter's Gödel, Escher, Bach, we will discover the connections among the seemingly disparate fields of mathematics, visual arts, and music. Our journey will pass through the philosophical worlds of Lewis Carroll, Artificial Intelligence, non-Euclidean geometry, and Zen Buddhism, and crash head-on into questions about the nature of human consciousness and creativity. 3 hrs. sem. DED (D. Scharstein)

FYSE 1215 Empires (Fall)
Why do empires rise and fall? Are "democracy" and "empire" always a contradiction in terms? Can imperialism be a good thing? For whom? Drawing on classical and contemporary sources, we will explore the origins and fates of empires from Ancient Greece to the present. We will start by reflecting on why Eurasia dominated the world prior to the twentieth century, rather than the other way around. We will then explore the similarities and differences in both the principles and practices of particular empires, as well as how those characteristics evolved over time. Special attention will be given to Rome, Britain, Austria-Hungary, the Ottomans, Russia/Soviet Union, and the United States. An overarching aim of this seminar is to view the global power of the 21st century United States in proper perspective. 3 hrs. sem. SOC CMP EUR (A. Stanger)

FYSE 1227 Whither Putin's Russia? (Fall)
The U.S.S.R. was peacefully dissolved on December 25, 1991, against the desires of its citizens, in a behind-the-scenes agreement designed to empower the first President of Russia, Boris Yeltsin, and accelerate the reforms begun under Mikhail Gorbachev. One consequence, however, was the diminution of the presidency’s powers. Enter Vladimir Putin, whose term as president recently ended but who continues to exercise a [the?] major influence as Prime Minister. Following familiarization with the Gorbachev/Yeltsin eras and Putin’s presidency, we will seek to determine “whither Russia” through a series of individual research projects focused on some of the most controversial events of the past few years. 3 hrs. sem. HIS SOC AAL (S. Davydov)

FYSE 1235 Livin' For the City: Representing Urban African America (Fall)
In this seminar we will examine how African American artists have represented urban life in the twentieth century. Our “test case” city will be Chicago; using key readings in history, sociology, and cultural theory as our background, we will consider how different Black Chicago artists’ portrayals of their city both reflect and help shape the actual urban environment they occupy. Texts may include Richard Wright’s Native Son; Gwendolyn Brooks’s poetry; Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun; several collections of photographs of Black Chicago; the music of Curtis Mayfield, Lou Rawls, Common, and Lupe Fiasco; and the film Candyman. 3 hrs. sem. LIT NOR (W. Nash)

FYSE 1236 The Malleable Human (Fall)
Could you be more than you are? In this seminar we will explore possible and potential genetic, mechanical, and chemical modifications to the human form and how they influence our definition of ‘humanness’. The source material for the class will include film, classical literature, contemporary essays, and cutting-edge science writing. Students will create and edit their own non-fiction and fiction writings with the goal of stimulating discourse on human issues surrounding the intersection of technology, biology, and society. 3 hrs. sem. (J. Ward)

FYSE 1237 What is Life? (Fall)
In the small book What is Life?, Erwin Schrödinger poses one of the great questions of our existence and concludes as a scientist that there must be an undiscovered law underlying life. Are we just the product of a blind watchmaker, the forces of physics, or is there something more to life? We will try to address these and other questions about the essence of life as we look at the early history of molecular biology by repeating classical experiments and by reading four books: Erwin Schrödinger's What is Life?, Freeman Dyson’s Origins of Life, James Watson's The Double Helix, and Matt Ridley’s Genome. 3 hrs. sem./ lab. SCI (S. Sontum)

FYSE 1238 The Trojan War (Fall)
The myths of the Trojan war exerted a defining influence on Greek and Roman culture, and have played a central role in the Western tradition ever since. In this seminar we will examine how ancient writers used the Trojan war to explore important themes such as the nature of heroism, the workings of the gods, and the relationship between the individual and society. Throughout we will also consider how modern ideals about heroic action compare with those of ancient times. Readings will include selections from Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, and Vergil's Aeneid. 3 hrs. sem. LIT EUR (R. Ganiban)

FYSE 1239 Can We Really Do This? Finding Global Warming Solutions (Fall)
Global warming has the potential to affect —dramatically and in most cases negatively— our planet and the well-being of millions for generations to come. In this seminar we will first assess the potential impacts of global warming over the next century and beyond. We will then analyze a broad range of potential solutions, assessing their technological, economic, political, and social feasibility. We will place an emphasis on the developing world, which faces the twin challenges of alleviating poverty and reducing per-capita consumption of carbon-intensive energy. Each student will prepare a detailed policy brief on a particular large-scale solution. 3 hrs. sem. SOC (J. Isham)

FYSE 1240 Children’s Literature and Society (Fall)
The moral of the story might be spelled out at the end of an Aesop’s Fable, but the messages behind many children’s stories are less obvious. In this seminar we will examine a wide range of mainly Western children’s literature from the late-18th century to the present for its social meanings. What are children being encouraged to do, think, feel, or believe about gender, race, politics, class, sexuality, religion, and other socially problematic categories? Readings will include picture books and early readers as well as middle grade and teen novels. 3 hrs. sem. LIT SOC (A. Losano)

FYSE 1241 Getting Perspective: Point of View in Fiction (Fall)
This seminar offers an examination of perspective in English (and some French) fiction from 1813 to 2003. We will consider this topic in both its thematic and its formal manifestations, both as it is dramatized in certain works (like Pride and Prejudice) and as it is formalized in multiple or eccentric narrative points of view (as in The Moonstone, The Turn of the Screw, Jealousy, and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time). Recognizing and writing about narrative idiosyncrasies will be a central interest of the course. 3 hrs. sem. LIT (E. Napier)

FYSE 1242 Cinema and Memory (Fall)
Depicting the experience of memory is a challenge filmmakers have returned to repeatedly throughout cinema’s history. In this seminar we will screen films from around the world to explore the ways in which individual and cultural memory have found expression in cinema. We will screen narrative features, documentaries, and experimental films as we compare the various aesthetic strategies filmmakers from different periods and cultures have used to portray the complex relationships between past and present, real and imagined. Films screened will include After Life; The Bad and the Beautiful; The Long Day Closes; Hiroshima, mon amour; La Jetée; Shoah. 3 hrs. sem. ART CMP (C. Keathley)

FYSE 1243 Paris, City of Exile (Fall)
Internationally perceived as a place of freedom and enlightenment, Paris is a destination to which have flocked countless foreign exiles and expatriates. At the same time, however, a rather different notion of Parisian exile can be sensed in the ways some writers have expressed their feelings of profound alienation, disaffection, even fear, in the face of the modern metropolis and the form of civilization it is seen to incarnate. In this seminar we will examine the works of a variety of writers and filmmakers, both French (Baudelaire, Zola, Breton, Perec, Truffaut) and non-French (Hemingway, Huston), whose representations of Paris reflect the theme of exile as it relates to their experience of the modern urban landscape. No knowledge of French required. 3 hrs. sem. LIT EUR (C. Nunley)

FYSE 1244 Geology of National Parks (Fall)
The collision of continents, the passage of glaciers, and time itself have sculpted our country, creating landscapes that have captivated humankind's attention for generations. This course will develop the sequence of events that have led to the formation of many such natural wonders found in our national parks. The course will proceed through lectures focused on basic geology and plate tectonic theory; textbook readings about specific parks; in-class and homework exercises that develop familiarity with important geologic materials and methods; and weekly video "excursions" to the parks. 3 hrs. sem. SCI (P. Manley)

FYSE 1245 Sounds: Tuning in to the Aural Ether (Fall)
In this seminar we seek to understand the world through sound (noise, speech, music, etc.) What kind of sounds do we encounter (and produce) every day? How is the urban space experienced through sound? Where is the origin of sound - on the side of production or of reception? What’s the sound of silence? What kind of power do soundtracks hold? Why are we emotionally attached to the songs we loved as teenagers? We will read and discuss introductory texts by neuroscientists, literary scholars, linguists, anthropologists, musicologists, and others; films (silent films and "talkies"); music. 3 hrs. sem. SOC ART (F. Feiereisen)

FYSE 1246 Race & Difference in Twentieth-Century America (Fall)
In this seminar we will investigate "race" as a social, cultural, and political phenomenon in the United States across the 20th century. By examining a variety of primary source material, including novels, autobiographies, and essays (e.g., Nell Larson’s Passing, 1929; Piri Thomas’s Down These Mean Streets, 1967; Ruth Frankenberg’s White Women, Race Matters, 1993; and Vicki Nam’s Yell-Oh Girls, 2001), and films (e.g., Birth of a Nation, 1915; Imitation of Life, 1959; and Crash, 2004), we will analyze how the concept of race changed over time and how individuals and institutions defined and experienced race. Themes and topics to be covered include race and popular culture, race and identity, and race and social relations. 3 hrs. sem. HIS SOC NOR (W. Hart)

FYSE 1247 Everyday Life in South Africa, 1948-Present (Fall)
In this seminar we will explore some of the social worlds of South Africans amid the country's recent decades of turbulent and dramatic change. We will look at how different groups within the nation's diverse population have understood and experienced the rise of the apartheid system, its demise, and its legacies in their "everyday" lives and interactions. We will draw from various sources - non-fiction, fiction, film, music, and other forms of popular culture - to interpret these social dynamics and their ongoing significance in a post-apartheid society. 3 hrs. sem. HIS SOC AAL (J. Tropp)

FYSE 1249 Food and Choice (Fall)
In this seminar we will examine the choices that we make about food, both as individuals and as a nation. We will consider the importance of food to a culture and take a close look at American food culture. Looking more broadly, we will consider the U.S. response to poverty and hunger, both in the U.S. and abroad. Readings will include selections from The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Pollan and Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Kingsolver. In order to help understand poverty in the U.S., we will work with a local agency on hunger issues. 3 hrs. sem. SOC NOR (E. Proctor)

FYSE 1250 Songwriting Workshop (Fall)
In this seminar we will examine the songwriter’s art through the analysis of great songs and the creation of original student work. We will cover many historical periods and styles, from traditional to experimental, from Hip Hop to Opera, from old to new, popular, folk, classical, and so on. Students must be willing to explore unfamiliar song styles and subject their work to critical evaluation from the instructor and class. Grading will be based on written historical/analytical papers, songwriting projects, and song production projects. Students should possess a basic guitar chord vocabulary, but do not have to be experienced songwriters to participate. 3 hrs. sem. ART (P. Hamlin)

FYSE 1251 Freedom (Fall)
We will begin this seminar by investigating whether there is such a thing as a “free will.” Next, we will examine questions pertaining to the relationship between freedom and moral judgments: for example, are people always less blameworthy when they have less choice to do as they do? Then, we will inquire into the role that freedom plays in personal relationships and in identity formation. We will end this seminar by analyzing freedom in political contexts. Readings will be drawn from contemporary critical analysis of these issues and some fictional works (e.g. Vonnegut and Camus). 3 hrs. sem. PHL (S. Viner)

FYSE 1252 Toward a Conservation Paradigm for the 21st Century (Fall)
As we enter the twenty-first century, finding an appropriate way for humans to live sustainably with nature is a central concern for humanity. In this seminar we will examine: (1) approaches to sustainable human communities, including those dealing with agriculture, forestry, and energy generation; (2) tensions between globalism and localism related to sustainability; and (3) methods to protect and restore sustainable natural communities through the preservation of wild lands. We will focus on examples from Vermont and the northeastern United States. 3 hrs. sem. SOC NOR(C. Klyza)

FYSE 1253 The Brain: In Sickness and In Health (Fall)
Neuroscience is a rapidly advancing area of science. We will explore the biology of the brain to help shed light on the mysteries of how humans and other species think, act, and feel. We will address broad questions such as: How is the brain constructed and how does it normally work? How does study of the brain help us understand topics such as depression, Parkinson's disease, autism, perceptual disorders, and amnesia? Topics will be addressed through lecture, discussion, activities, library research, oral presentations, and writing. We will read background texts and scientific articles; case studies will help illustrate certain disorders. 3 hrs. sem. SCI (M. Collaer)

FYSE 1254 Literature and Liberation (Fall)
When Abraham Lincoln finally met Harriet Beecher Stowe, the author of the best-selling novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin (1852), he is reported to have said: “So, this is the little lady that started the Civil War.” Published only one decade later, but a whole world away, Nikolai Chernyshevsky’s controversial novel What is to be Done? (1863) has been described as the single work that “supplied the emotional dynamic that eventually went to make the Russian Revolution.” In this seminar we will study two novels that exerted an immense impact on society, had a powerful effect on human lives, and, in short, demonstrated the power to make history. LIT SOC CMP 3 hrs. sem. (M. Katz)

FYSE 1255 Collapse of Complex Societies (Fall)
In this seminar we will examine how and why historically complex societies have failed. We will explore the roles of population pressure, environmental degradation, warfare, and other factors in the collapse of such ancient urban societies as the Classic Maya, Chaco, and the Roman Empire. Likewise, we will explore how societies seemingly well-adapted to their geographic environments, such as the Vikings in Greenland, ultimately succumbed to extinction. Reviewing academic and popular explanations for societal collapse worldwide, we will ultimately engage the modern era and investigate the fragility of contemporary societies. HIS SOC (J. Fitzsimmons)

FYSE 1256 Captains, Kings, and Caudillos (Fall)
In this seminar we will consider the literary manifestations of caudillismo in both Spain and Latin America from the times of El Cid to the present. How is the “strong man” portrayed in fiction? How are women represented in this literary category? The historical and political background will be considered in our study of works by Lope de Vega, Sarmiento, Valle Inclán, and Julia Alvarez, among others. 3 hrs. sem. LIT AAL (R. Veguez)

FYSE 1257 Laughing Through Tears: The Comedy of Beckett, Pinter, Albee, and Frayn (Fall)
In this seminar we will explore various comic forms in the plays of Samuel Beckett, Harold Pinter, Edward Albee, and Michael Frayn, including farce, satire, comedy of manners and menace, situation comedy, and parody. Students will be engaged in class discussion, oral presentations, film viewing, and extensive written work. Acting experience is helpful but not a requirement. Many of the principles of comedy will be based on Henri Bergson’s On Laughter. 3 hrs. sem. LIT ART (R. Romagnoli)

FYSE 1258 Performing Culture: Bodies Moving and Meaning (Fall)
In this seminar we will learn to think, research, write, and share our findings about bodies in motion from a cultural studies perspective. We will examine and compare movement behavior in settings as varied as athletic competitions, social occasions, and artistic performances of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. We will be especially concerned with themes of gender, race/ethnicity, identity, and community as they manifest in movement, developing and applying cultural and movement analysis tools to filmed and live events. In-class experiential activities will supplement discussion of readings from introductory cultural studies texts and recent literature that bridges the divide between scholarly and embodied exploration and analysis. 3 hrs. sem./screening/lab. ART SOC CMP (P. Campbell)

Spring 2009

FYSE 1192 Politics and Culture of the French Resistance (Spring)
In this seminar we will explore the French Resistance to the Vichy regime and the German occupation through exemplary works of history, memoirs, fiction, and film. Topics will include forms of activism, daily life in the underground, the moral ambiguities of the period, and the role of the war experience in French collective memory. Recent controversies that have surrounded the history and interpretation of the Resistance and Vichy legacy will also be discussed. Although our focus will be World War II France, we will consider issues of broad ethical significance that transcend this specific time and place. Readings by Camus, Duras, Vercors, and others. 3 hrs. sem. HIS LIT EUR (P. Schwartz)

FYSE 1259 Science and Science Fiction (Spring)
More than just rocket ships, ray guns, and robots, science fiction frees us from the bounds of Earth’s present condition and allows us to explore worlds with alternate possibilities and futures, both positive and negative, for humankind. Often through interactions with and examples of things decidedly non-human we discover more about what it means to be human. We will read both science fact and science fiction (but not fantasy) literature to try to understand more about our humanity, our present world, and what might become of each in the future. Topics will include space travel, energy and the environment, the nature of the universe, and the meaning of life. We will write both fact-based essays as well as fictional stories. 3 hrs. sem. (R. Bunt)

FYSE 1260 Holocaust Landscapes (Spring)
The Holocaust was a profoundly geographical event that caused mass displacement and migration, destroyed or fundamentally changed communities, and created new places to control, exploit, or kill millions of people. In this seminar we will focus on material and mental landscapes – the places and spaces – of the Holocaust, particularly as victims experienced these landscapes, and how such landscapes have been selectively re-imagined as sites of memory. History, geography, autobiography, and visual sources will provide material for class discussion, research, and writing. Students in this course will have a unique opportunity to engage with students at the University of Bristol in England who will also be studying the Holocaust. 3 hrs. sem. HIS SOC EUR (A. Knowles)

FYSE 1261 Bollywood and Beyond: Topics and Themes in Indian Cinema (Spring)
Bollywood, the term given to the Indian film industry juggernaut in Bombay, India, has gained an avid following of millions of viewers world-wide. In this seminar we will provide a critical consideration of the history and development of the popular Indian film industry. We will focus on such topics as the construction of an Indian national identity, notions of gender, idealized beauty, caste, class, religion, social norms, globalism, modernity, nationalism, and fundamentalism. Films are subtitled and no knowledge of another language is expected. Lectures, discussion, and readings will accompany evening screenings. 3 hrs. sem./screening ART AAL (C. Packert)

FYSE 1262 Energy, Environment, and Climate (Spring)
Large-scale energy use distinguishes humans from our fellow animals. Energy brings high living standards and lets Earth support a large human population. However, energy use has significant deleterious effects on the environment. These include pollution and various consequences resulting from extraction and transportation of energy resources. But today these effects are overshadowed by a truly global impact of energy consumption, namely climate change. In this seminar we will examine energy’s environmental impacts, explore energy alternatives, and then focus on the energy-climate link. We will read, explore web sources, write, write, write, and do some quantitative analysis as well. 3 hrs. sem. SCI (R. Wolfson)

FYSE 1264 Being Muslim Today: Modern Islam (Spring)
In this seminar we will consider the intellectual movements of the Islamic world during the last two centuries. The course readings will reflect how Muslim thinkers in Egypt, the Indian subcontinent, the Ottoman Empire, and Iran responded to political and cultural challenge and change. We will examine what it means for a religious tradition to consciously attempt to redefine itself, and will address the contribution of Muslim scholars living in the West. Finally, we will examine the emergence of the jihadist movement, and will situate organizations such as al-Qaeda within trends already present in the 19th and 20th centuries. 3 hrs. sem. PHL AAL (J. Stearns)

FYSE 1265 Learning About Learning (Spring)
What is learning? How do people learn? In this seminar we will survey learning theory from both historical sources and contemporary research. We will write about our educational experiences and reflect on ways that we believe we learn “best.” How do we know? Activities and assignments will include self-inventories, reflective and critical essays, online discussions and the construction of lessons that might empower K-8 students to envision themselves as self-directed learners. We will examine writings from theorists such as Piaget, Vygotsky, and Skinner as well as the ideas of Marzano, Gardner, Duckworth and the National Research Council. 3 hrs. sem. SOC (G. Humphrey)

FYSE 1266 Literary Narratives (Spring)
Centered on a series of works composed of multiple and sometimes radically divergent narratives, this course will explore ways in which authors working in a variety of traditions succeed in creating unified literary experiences that exceed their individual parts. We will pay particular attention to matters of sequencing, pacing, juxtaposition, and repetition, as well as shifts in narrative pattern, perspective, and tone. Among the authors whose works we will consider are Poe, Flaubert, Dostoevsky, Joyce, Sherwood Anderson, Hemingway, Faulkner, and Nathanael West. Especially recommended for students contemplating a major in literary studies. LIT (S. Donadio)

FYSE 1267 Contemporary Studio Art (Spring)
In this seminar we will focus on the practice of contemporary studio art through the media of sculpture and video. Students will create sculpture using nontraditional materials and will relate their work to its environment. Video projects will emphasize non-narrative structures and alternatives to mass media. Writing assignments will develop and deepen the students’ artwork, and critique the work of prominent artists. 3 hrs. sem. ART NOR (J. Huddleston)

THE SECOND WRITING INTENSIVE COURSE: COLLEGE WRITING COURSES
After successfully completing a first-year seminar but before the end of the sophomore year, every student must elect at least one course designated as a college writing course (CW). A college writing course taken concurrently with a first-year seminar does not satisfy this requirement. The college writing courses are designed to continue developing and improving the skills of written communication addressed in the first-year seminars and to introduce students to the methods of inquiry and the specialized discourse and forms of their major fields. They are taught in sections of limited enrollment and require extensive writing and revising, which are often carried through the process of revision. The college writing courses include discussion of both particular and general features of writing and may include individual conferences on writing.
     Satisfactory completion of one college writing course is a graduation requirement. Students, who have completed one College writing course may elect a second, different course in the program, space permitting.

College Writing Courses for 2008-2009
The courses listed below are among those that will satisfy the writing requirement in 2008-09. For full descriptions, see the entries under individual departments of instruction. Students taking a lecture course for CW credit should make sure to sign up for the B section of the course. For the particular sections of courses that are designated as writing intensive, consult the schedule of courses. Additional college writing courses are normally offered during the winter term. For a listing of these courses, consult the winter term catalog.
     For more information about the College Writing Program, please visit the Web site at: /~writing/.

American Studies
AMST/RELI/HIST 0170 Religion in America (CW 8) (Fall)
AMST/WRPR 0203 Media, Sports, and Identity (CW) (Fall)
AMST 0205 Tobacco in American Culture (CW) (Spring)
AMST/WAGS 0231 Space Place and Gender (CW) (Spring)

Biology
BIOL 0304 Aquatic Ecology (CW 12) (Fall)
BIOL 0323 Plant Community Ecology (CW 14) (Spring)
BIOL 0370 Animal Physiology (CW 10) (Fall)
BIOL 0395 Advanced Evolution (CW 8) (Spring)

Chemistry and Biochemistry
CHEM 0311 Instrumental Analysis (CW) (Fall)
CHEM 0313 Biochemistry Laboratory (CW) (Spring)

Chinese
CHNS 0219 The Chinese Literary Tradition (in translation) (CW 10) (Spring)
CHNS/FMMC 0250 Chinese Cinema (CW 10) (Fall)

Classics
CLAS 0152 Greek Tragedy (CW 10) (Spring)
CLAS 0190 Greek and Roman Comedy (CW 10) (Spring)

Economics
ECON 0200 Health Economics and Policy (CW 16) (Fall)
ECON/HIST 0220 American Economic History Since 1865 (Fall)
ECON 0335 European Economic Integration: Lessons and Perspectives (CW 16) (Fall)

English and American Literatures
ENAM 0103 Reading Literature (CW 15) (Fall, Spring)
ENAM/FMMC 0106 Screenwriting Workshop I (CW 15) (Fall)
ENAM/THEA 0218 Playwriting I (CW 16) (Fall)
ENAM/THEA 0318 Playwriting II Advanced (CW 15) (Spring)

Environmental Studies
ENVS/HIST 0222 Introduction to Environmental History (CW) (Spring)
ENVS 0350 Portrait of a Vermont Town (CW) (Fall)

Film and Media Culture
FMMC/ENAM 0106 Screenwriting Workshop I (CW 15) (Fall)
FMMC/CHNS 0250 Chinese Cinema (CW 10) (Fall)

French
FREN 0221 From Romanticism to Modernism (CW) (Fall, Spring)
FREN 0255 Improving Writing in French (CW) (Spring)

German
GRMN 0304 Advanced Writing Workshop (CW 12) (Fall)

Geography
GEOG 0218 Cultural Geography (CW) (Spring)
GEOG 0219 Historical Geography of North America (CW) (Fall)

Geology
GEOL 0281 Structural Geology (CW 20) (Fall)

History
HIST 0203 (CW 10) (Fall)HIST 0232 (CW 5) (Spring)
HIST/ENVS 0222 Introduction to Environmental History (CW) (Spring)
HIST/WAGS 0393 A History of Gender in Early America (CW)(Spring)


History of Art & Architecture
HARC 0300 Colloquium in Art History: Medieval Reliquaries in Context (CW) (Spring)
HARC 0319 Portraiture (CW) (Spring)

Literature Program
LITP 0101 Introduction to world Literature (CW 15) (Spring)

Music
MUSC 0131 Everything a cappella! Unaccompanied Vocal Music, Medieval to Modern (CW 8) (Spring)

Philosophy
PHIL 0205 Human Nature and Ethics (CW 16) (Spring)
PHIL/WAGS 0234 Philosophy and Feminism (CW 16) (Fall)

Physics
PHYS 0321 Experimental Techniques in Physics (CW) (Fall)

Political Science
PSCI 0103 Introduction to Comparative Politics (CW 15) (Fall)
PSCI 0260 The Political Economy of Drug Trafficking (CW 15) (Spring)

Psychology
PSYC 0202 (CW) (Fall, Spring)

Religion
RELI 0160 The Jewish Tradition (CW 8) (Fall)
RELI/AMST/HIST 0170 Religion in America (CW 8) (Fall)
RELI/SOAN 0208 Sociology of American Religion (CW 5) (Fall)
SOAN/RELI 0353 Islam in Practice: Anthropology of Muslim Cultures (CW 5) (Spring)

Russian
RUSS 0122 The Russian Mind (in English) (CW 5) (Fall)

Sociology/Anthropology
SOAN/RELI 0208 Sociology of American Religion (CW 5) (Fall)
SOAN 0211 Human Ecology (CW 5) (Spring)
SOAN 0215 Sociology of Education (CW 5) (Spring)
SOAN 0235 The City and Its People (CW 5) (Spring)
SOAN 0288 Deviance and Social Control (CW 5) (Fall)
SOAN/WAGS 0314 Sociology of Heterosexuality (CW 5) (Spring)
SOAN 0326 Latin American Culture and Society (CW 5) (Fall)SOAN/HIST 0327 The Aztec Empire and the Spanish Conquest (CW 5) (Spring)
SOAN/RELI 0353 Islam in Practice: Anthropology of Muslim Cultures (CW 5) (Spring)
SOAN 0355 Race and Ethnicity (CW 5) (Spring)

Spanish and Portuguese
SPAN 0305 Ideas and Cultures of Spanish America (CW 15) (Fall)
SPAN 0315 Hispanic Film (CW) (Spring)

Theatre and Dance
THEA/ENAM 0218 Playwriting I: Beginning (CW 14) (Fall)
THEA/ENAM 0318 Playwriting II: Advanced (CW 14) (Spring)

Women's and Gender Studies
WAGS/CLAS 0152 Greek Tragedy (CW 10) (Spring)
WAGS/WRPR 0201 Writing for Social Change (CW) (Spring)
WAGS/AMST 0231 Space, Place, and Gender (CW) (Spring)
WAGS/PHIL 0234 Philosophy and Feminism (CW) (Fall)
WAGS/SOAN 0314 Sociology of Heterosexuality (CW 5) (Spring)
WAGS/HIST 0393 A History of Gender in Early America (CW)(Spring)


Writing Program
WRPR/WAGS 0201 Writing For Social Change (CW) (Spring)
WRPR 0202 Writing to Heal (CW) (Spring)
WRPR/AMST 0203 Media, Sports, and Identity (CW) (Spring)