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First Year Courses
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During their first semester, all first-year students take a course designated as a First-Year Course, which will have no more than 16 students. The class is taught in seminar style, by a faculty member who becomes the advisor for each of the students. This means that new students have immediate access to their advisor for academic and other questions and that their advisor will know them.
All first-year classes have a writing component, most include the assistance of a writing preceptor. First-year courses provide focused instruction to write extended, cogent papers; to argue issues confidently and persuasively; and to make connections among academic disciplines.
(R) Some first-year courses are designated as residential courses and students who enroll in the course live in the same residence hall, usually on the same floor. This facilitates discussion and group work outside of the classroom. Students in the class will live near each other and, in most cases, will have a roommate who is also in this class.
MWF = Monday, Wednesday, Friday; TR = Tuesday, Thursday
First-Year Courses for Fall 2012
DEPARTMENT |
PROFESSOR |
COURSE TITLE |
American Studies |
Karin Aguilar-San Juan |
|
Anthropology |
Arjun Guneratne |
|
Art and Art History |
Chris WIllcox |
|
Art and Art History |
Stan Sears |
|
Asian Languages and Cultures |
Xin Yang |
Goddesses and Ghosts: Images of Women in Chinese Culture and Literature |
Biology |
Mary Montgomery |
|
Biology |
Paul Overvoorde |
|
Chemistry |
Keith Kuwata |
|
Classics |
Brian Lush |
|
Mathematics, Statistics, and Computer Science |
Susan Fox |
|
Economics |
Mario Solis-Garcia |
|
Economics |
Sarah West |
|
Educational Studies |
Tina Kruse |
|
English |
Casey Jarrin |
|
Environmental Studies |
Roopali Phadke |
|
French |
Juliette Rogers |
|
Geography |
Holly Barcus |
|
Geology |
Ray Rogers |
|
Geology |
Karl Wirth |
|
German and Russian Studies |
Linda Schulte-Sasse |
|
Hispanic Studies |
Molly Olsen, |
|
History |
Jamie Monson |
|
Math |
Andrew Beveridge |
|
Media and Cultural Studies |
Leola Johnson |
|
Music |
Chuen-Fung Wong |
|
Philosophy |
Martin Gunderson |
|
Philosophy |
Diane Michelfelder |
|
Physics and Astronomy |
John Cannon |
|
Political Science |
Wendy Weber |
|
Political Science |
Adrienne Christiansen |
|
Psychology |
Joan Ostrove |
|
Sociology |
Mahnaz Kousha |
|
Theatre and Dance |
Beth Cleary |
AMST 103-01 (R)
The Problem of Race in U. S. Social Thought and Policy
Karin Aguilar-San Juan, American Studies
In this discussion-based and residential course, we will explore the hypothesis that 21st century racism has morphed from simple and evil formulations of bigotry and exploitation into more nefarious and decentralized systems of cultural camouflage, spatial demarcation, physical surveillance, and ideological control.
Our interdisciplinary and integrative approach will employ multiple methods of inquiry and expression, including: self-reflective essays and maps; a scavenger hunt in the Twin Cities; library research; and deep, critical analysis of arguments about race/ethnicity/assimilation/multiculturalism.
We will hone writing and speaking skills through highly structured assignments paired with open-ended conversations in order to discover the questions that truly matter to us. The semester will culminate with a short (8-10 pages) college-level paper directed toward themes in the 2009 Oscar-award winning film “Precious.”
Class meets MWF, 9:40-10:40 am in Humanities 216.
Living arrangements: Co-ed floor.
ANTH 111-02 (R)
Cultural Anthropology
Arjun Guneratne, Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of human beings in all their variety through space and time, both as biological organisms and as a species with culture—which anthropologists define as the ability to symbolize and attribute meaning to the world and our experience of it. Human beings are distinguished from other animals in that we are the only organism that adapts to the world around us through cultural rather than biological means. This course is an introduction to the concept of culture and the way anthropologists use it to study humanity. Because I believe the best way to learn anthropology is by doing it, students will carry out a substantial fieldwork project during the semester. The culture concept underpins the discipline’s integrated approach, which seeks to understand human behavior in the total social and cultural context that produces it. The essential insight of cultural anthropology is that different human societies conceptualize reality and give meaning to it in different ways, and as a consequence, reproduce themselves as human beings in ways that vary; unlike other animals, we live in worlds of Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Ramadan, Christmas, Justin Bieber and TGIF, none of which occur in nature. Cultural anthropology seeks to document and explain the innumerable ways in which we are human, and by understanding the logic of other cultures, to hold up a critical mirror to our own assumptions, beliefs and ways of acting. Anthropology makes the strange familiar and the familiar strange; in the words of Rudyard Kipling, “You may end by (think of it!) looking on We/ As only a sort of They!”
Class meets MWF, 1:10 pm-2:10 pm in Carnegie 105.
Living arrangements: Single sex floor.
ART 234-01
Painting I
Chris Willcox, Art and Art History
An introduction to the studio practice of painting, using oil paint on a variety of supports ranging from paper, board and canvas. Both traditional and contemporary approaches will be explored through the techniques and mechanics of painting as well as a consideration of content and meaning. Color theory, compositional structure, perspective, figure/ground relationships, spatial concepts, and critical thinking skills will be emphasized. Powerpoint presentations, readings and class discussions of historical and contemporary painting practices and issues will develop a visual vocabulary as well as critical/theoretical knowledge to complement technical skills. Individual and group critiques will be utilized for the exchange of information, in order to gauge success, and to practice and build a visual vocabulary. Gallery/museum visits will supplement studio work.
Class meets TR, 1:20 pm-4:30 pm in Art 128.
ART 367-01 (R)
3-D Design
Stan Sears, Art and Art History
A series of three-dimensional projects using a basic visual language of line, texture, shape, plane, space, volume, and form will be explored. Critiques and structural testing of the projects lead to an understanding of functional and aesthetic relationships. The problem solving approach used in this class contributes to a resolution of spatial problems in a series of projects with references to sculpture, architecture, industrial design and interior design.
Class meets TR, 8:00 am-11:10 am in Art 135.
Living arrangement: Single-sex floor.
ASIA 194-01/CHIN 194-01/WGSS194-02
Goddesses and Ghosts: Images of Women in Chinese Culture and Literature
Xin Yang, Asian Languages and Cultures
Much like the vampire and mythical goddess in American and European novels, female ghosts and goddesses are also sources of fascination in Chinese culture. This course uses the trope of goddess and ghosts to unravel the gender politics in Chinese culture. We examine how ancient and modern literary texts revise and appropriate images of goddess and ghost to reflect changing attitudes towards gender, identity, body, and the female Other.
Some specific topics include: how the literary representation of goddesses and ghosts intersects with Confucian ideology and its social structure; how the term goddess had been appropriated by male modern reformists for their utopian desire for modernity; how the contemporary obsession with ghost fiction/film is related to Taoist concepts and everyday anxiety; and how women writers intervene within the constraints of the political and social contexts and are therefore imaged as the paranoid in paternal framework.
We will take an interdisciplinary, multimedia approach to gender relations in modern fiction, film, memoir, and other cultural genres. Students will learn the continuation and variation of Chinese tradition in contemporary contexts as well as its intersection with modern ideologies, and develop critical views from gendered perspective.
Class meets MWF, 10:50 am-11:50 am in Humanities 112.
BIOL 194-02 (R)
Biotech and Society
Mary Montgomery, Biology
This course will serve as an introduction to the development and application of biotechnologies, and the impact these technologies have on society. Discussions will include stem cell research, in vitro fertilization and related reproductive technologies, genetic testing in the clinical setting, personal (“recreational”) genomics, DNA fingerprinting and forensic applications, genetically modified organisms, and gene therapy. This course will introduce students to some basic concepts and techniques used in the fields of genetics, and molecular, developmental and cell biology. This course is aimed toward students not planning to major in biology but who are interested in learning about the science that underlies these techniques and in discussing the sociocultural and ethical aspects of these issues. This course counts toward a minor in biology, but not toward a biology major. First year students planning to major in Biology should take Biol 260, 270, or 285 instead of this class. Note: there is a first year section of Biol 260 (Genetics) being offered.
Class meets MWF, 1:10 pm-2:10 pm in Olin-Rice 301.
Living arrangements: Co-ed floor.
BIOL 260-02
Genetics
Paul Overvoorde, Biology
This course will introduce students to the central theories, vocabulary, and methodologies of genetics. Students who enroll will explore topics that range from classical Mendelian inheritance patterns to the contemporary idea of a gene and the regulation of its expression. Using specific case studies, we will examine issues such as eugenics, genetic testing, breeding for agricultural purposes, and the impact of the genomic revolution on biology. Class time will involve a mix of lecture, discussion, and collaborative group problem solving formats. Learning in the course will be monitored through writing assignments, problem sets, quizzes, and exams. This course is intended for students planning to major in biology. It is a section of one of the four introductory biology courses required to complete a biology major. Special attention will be devoted to improving expository and science writing skills.
Class meets MWF, 1:10 pm-2:10 pm Olin-Rice 101 with a writing lab component to be held Thursdays, 9:40am-11:10am in Olin-Rice 205.
CHEM 111-02 and Lab 1 (R)
General Chemistry I -- Structure and Equilibrium
Keith Kuwata, Chemistry
This course provides a rigorous treatment of the concepts foundational for all subsequent study in chemistry. This course, along with General Chemistry II (CHEM 112), which is typically taken in the spring semester of the first year, together satisfy the prerequisites for Organic (CHEM 211) and Analytical (CHEM 222) Chemistry.
The first two-thirds of the class is devoted to understanding the properties of individual atoms, and how atoms bond together to form the three-dimensional structures of molecules. Our detailed examination of atoms and molecules will draw upon insights from the most important scientific theory of the 20th century—quantum mechanics. In particular, quantum mechanics will help us explain electronic structure, that is, the ways electrons distribute themselves in atoms and molecules. We will also explore how the structure of individual atoms and molecules can help explain the bulk properties of macromolecules and materials.
The last third of the class focuses on the concept of equilibrium. Equilibrium can be defined as the ultimate outcome of a physical process or chemical reaction. We will learn how to describe physical and chemical equilibria mathematically. We will also interpret our mathematical results in terms of the structure and bonding concepts learned in the first part of the course. We will pay particular interest to the chemistry of acids and bases, which are immensely important for any future study of organic, biochemical, or environmental systems.
Our class will meet for lectures MWF from 9:40 to 10:40 a.m. These class meetings will also involve discussion, in-class exercises, and demonstrations. We will also meet for lab every Monday night from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. Laboratory work, both with chemicals and with computer simulations, will illustrate concepts from lecture, teach key techniques, and provide experience with scientific reasoning and teamwork.
Problem solving is essential for learning chemistry, and a good part of your work outside of class will involve weekly assignments of textbook problems and analysis of laboratory data. Writing is another important part of this course. Writing assignments will include three formal reports on laboratory work and a research paper due at the end of the semester. This paper will give you the opportunity to apply what you will have learned about chemical structure to some real-world scientific phenomenon.
Approximately 50% of your grade will be based on in-class examinations. The other 50% of your grade will be based on lab work, writing assignments, and homework problems out of your textbook.
Students planning to enroll in this course should have taken one year of chemistry in high school, and should already be familiar with topics like nomenclature, oxidation states, stoichiometry (including balancing chemical equations and calculating solution concentrations), and simple chemical reactions in solution.
Class meets MWF, 9:40-10:40 a.m. in Olin Rice 301. Lab meets M, 7:00-10:00 p.m.
Living arrangements: Co-ed floor.
CLAS 194-01
The Ancient Greek Polis: Real and Ideal
Brian Lush, Classics
A millennium and a half before the emergence of the nation-state, the ancient Greeks developed a model of governance from which our word “politics” and (in many ways) our conception of political participation grew: the polis, or city-state. The form became so fundamental to Greek conceptions of identity and human nature that Aristotle would claim that every human being is a politikon zōon, a political animal, an animal of the polis.
This course will examine the political model that became emblematic of Greek civilization during the Classical period. We will begin with a brief look at Minoan and Mycenaean roots, and examine the remarkably rapid birth of the polis out the chiefdoms described in the poetry of Homer. Having discussed the birth of the polis during the late Dark Age and the Archaic period, we will read about and critically examine the Greek polis (and Athens in particular) through two distinct but related lenses. We will discuss the historical polis through exposure to such authors as Herodotus (The Histories), Thucydides (History of the Peloponnesian War) and Aristotle (Constitution of the Athenians). At the same time, we will explore the Greeks’ own depictions of an ideal (and idealized) polis by discussing a broad range of literary and philosophical texts, including Aeschylus’ Persians, Sophocles’ Antigone, Aristophanes’ Birds, Plato’s Republic and Aristotle’s Politics.
As we explore and formulate an understanding of the Greek polis, students will also devote substantial time and energy to strengthening their abilities in analytical writing, scholarly research and dialogical communication – skills that will prove crucial to their further academic endeavors at Macalester.
Class meets MWF, 3:30 pm-4:30 pm in Old Main 009.
COMP 120-01
Computing and Society: The Green Computing Revolution
Susan Fox, Mathematics, Statistics, and Computer Science
As interest in sustainability has grown, the information technology industry has been an important part of both problems and solutions. The IT industry has, in recent years, cast a critical eye on the impact of its technology over its “life cycle: manufacturing and materials, energy usage, through disposal of old technology. At the same time, improvements in computer and telecommunications technologies enable greater energy efficiency, smart electric grids, smart buildings, and more sustainable operations, as well as providing tools for monitoring and modeling environmental systems.
This course is an introduction to the field of computer science, with an emphasis on issues relating computer technology to sustainability. Students will learn to program using the language Python, with applications that relate to course themes. The course will be divided into four thematic sections: “Green IT,” “Smart Grid,” “Vehicles, Computing, and Sustainability,” and “Computing in Environmental Science.” The “Green IT” theme will look at the lifecycle of information technology, from cell phones to servers. It will explore the issues involved in the creation, operation, and disposal of technology, and how the industry is attempting to improve its sustainability. The “Smart Grid” theme will examine the development of new systems for electric grids to improve energy efficiency. These new systems rely on computer and telecom technology to bring information closer to energy users. The “Vehicles” theme will look at the technology underlying hybrid vehicles, Personal Rapid Transit systems, and other transportation issues. “Computing in Environmental Science” will examine how computers are used to monitor or model environmental systems, both natural and manmade.
Work in the course will include programming, reading and discussing articles, and writing related to each theme. The class may take field trips to the Katherine Ordway Natural History Area and local computer re-purposes and recyclers.
This course is suitable for students who are considering a major in computer science, and also for students who are just interested in learning about computer science to support other interests. It serves as an alternative and replacement for Comp 121 or Comp 123. Students who complete this course successfully will be prepared to take Comp 124, the next course in the computer science curriculum. There are no prerequisites for this course.
Class meets MWF, 2:20 pm-3:20 pm in Olin-Rice 256.
ECON 119-01 (R)
Principles of Economics
Mario Solis-Garcia, Economics
This course is an introduction to the concepts, tools, and ideas that shape modern economic theory. We’ll divide the course into two broad sections, each focusing on a main area of economics: micro and macroeconomics.
In microeconomics, we’ll get to understand the process that helps individual consumers and firms make their (economic) decisions and define some notions of efficiency. Some relevant questions that can be answered here are the following: how do consumers choose to allocate their resources between two different goods? What is the role of prices and income in these decisions? How do firms choose their production scale and their inputs to production? Why should we worry about monopolies? Are their choices "efficient"? If they are not, can the government do something? Should it?
In macroeconomics, the focus shifts towards the behavior of consumers and firms as an aggregate. Some questions that can be addressed by macro are potentially harder to tackle: why are standards of living a lot better today than 50 years ago? Why do some countries grow over time, but others don’t? Why is there unemployment? Why is it so high right now? What role does money play into this? What can the government do to "improve" the economy? Should it?
Emphasis will be given to macro topics, especially those related to the 2008 recession and to macroeconomic policy. In addition, the course is aimed at developing the writing skills that are necessary to effectively communicate economic arguments. The final grade will be based on three exams, on several writing assignments, and on homework assignments.
Class meets MWF, 9:40 am-10:40 am in Carnegie 304.
Living arrangements: Co-ed floor.
ECON 119-05 (R)
Principles of Economics
Sarah West, Economics
This course is an introduction to micro- and macroeconomics. It develops tools to analyze contemporary economic policy issues. The course has a special focus on the development of writing skills necessary to effectively communicate economic arguments and reasoning. Policy topics include globalization, the environment, poverty and inequality, taxation, and economic development. Students that take this course satisfy a prerequisite for higher-level economics courses, add a valuable component to interdisciplinary majors, and develop skills necessary to understand the fundamentals of economic policy. Final grades are based on three exams, on a series of papers in a semester-long research project, and on homework assignments.
Class meets TR, 9:40 am-11:10 am in Carnegie 305.
Living arrangements: Co-ed floor.
EDUC 194-01
Motivating Learners
Tina Kruse, Educational Studies
This course explores the critical yet complex area of educational psychology that addresses human motivation: What motivates people to learn, change, and grow? Why do some students give up while others prosper in response to specific circumstances or environments? What can teachers, mentors, and students themselves do to support and sustain active engagement in learning?
We will study the overarching psychological theories of human motivation with specific attention to academic achievement. We will examine developmental and individual differences in motivation, as well as differences by context and group membership. Other topics include attribution theory, student self-beliefs, effects of grades and testing on achievement motivation, effects of reward or praise, and student empowerment in schools and community-based youth development programs to enhance motivation.
Class meets TR, 1:20 pm-2:50 pm in Humanities 216.
ENGL 125-01
Studies in Literature: Art and Violence
Casey Jarrin, English
From the violent anti-heroes of Dorian Gray, A Clockwork Orange, and American Psycho to the “nonfiction” experiments of In Cold Blood and the Vietnam War memoir Dispatches, from modernist stream-of-consciousness in Mrs. Dalloway to aesthetic anarchy in the graphic novel V for Vendetta, from celebrated to censored texts, we’ll explore the relationship between the novel as a literary form and its representation of violence in language, thought, and action. With a focus on the 20th-century, we’ll encounter modern, postmodern, and postcolonial revisions of the novel; we’ll read authors from a range of historical moments and national contexts (Wilde, Woolf, Capote, Burroughs, Burgess, Nabokov, Puig, Rushdie, Allende, McCarthy, Welsh) whose work challenges novelistic convention in iconoclastic and often shocking ways. Attention to formal and stylistic elements will underscore connections between the novel form and its violent content. We’ll ask: What’s the relation between aesthetic creation and (self)destruction? How might narrative perform gruesome acts of violence, insatiable consumption, or cannibalism? How do particular novels embody violent and/or criminal psychopathology? What’s the relationship between hyperviolence, pornography, and censorship? How do race, gender, and sexuality manifest themselves in these texts? How have the gothic, horror, and war genres shaped our cultural understanding of violence in literature, film, and image? Our discussion of novels and short fiction will be complemented by close analysis of selected films, paintings, and photographs.
Likely Texts (8-9 of the following): Novels: Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray; Virginia Woolf, Mrs. Dalloway; Nathanael West, Day of the Locust; Truman Capote, In Cold Blood; William S. Burroughs, Naked Lunch; Vladimir Nabokov, Pale Fire; Anthony Burgess, A Clockwork Orange; Michael Herr, Dispatches; Salman Rushdie, Shame; Isabel Allende, Eva Luna; Manuel Puig, Kiss of the Spider Woman; Cormac McCarthy, Blood Meridian; Alan Moore, V for Vendetta; Bret Easton Ellis, American Psycho; Irvine Welsh, Trainspotting. Short fiction/essays: Flannery O’Connor, Tim O’Brien, Edgar Allan Poe, J.G. Ballard, Zadie Smith. Drama: Martin McDonagh, The Pillowman.
Likely Films: A Clockwork Orange (Dir. Stanley Kubrick, 1971); The Shining (Dir. Stanley Kubrick, 1980); Apocalypse Now (Dir. Francis Ford Coppola, 1979); Caravaggio (Dir. Derek Jarman, 1986) or War Requiem (Dir.Derek Jarman, 1989); The Cook, The Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover (Dir. Peter Greenaway, 1989); No Country For Old Men (Dir. Joel & Ethan Coen, 2007); Trainspotting (Dir. Danny Boyle, 1996); American Psycho (Dir. Mary Harron, 2000); Psycho (Dir. Alfred Hitchcock, 1960)
*Course fulfills 100-level / introductory requirement for the English major.
Class meets MWF, 10:50 am-11:50 am in Old Main 011.
ENVI 252-01/GEOG 252-01/POLI 252-01 (R)
Water and Power
Roopali Phadke, Environmental Studies
“When you put your hand in a flowing stream, you touch the last that has gone before and the first of what is still to come” - Leonardo da Vinci
Water is power; power is water. Since ancient times, water has been one of the most fiercely guarded local and global physical, cultural and spiritual resources. Drawing from the fields of political science, geography, anthropology, history, geology and engineering, this course will take an interdisciplinary approach to studying water and power. We will examine historical and emerging challenges to the equitable and sustainable use of transboundary waters. In addition to political borders, we will be concerned with ecological and social boundary crossings. We will address a range of controversial topics including endangered species, energy production, indigenous rights, and cultural preservation. We will also discuss the potentialities and limitations of environmental impact assessments, public participation and government institutional reform. The first part of the course introduces students to analytical tools for evaluating the design of water projects and policy. The second part of the course will ask students to apply these concepts toward assessing historical and contemporary case studies from the USA. Part Three will shift our attention to the international scene. We will examine inter-state/intra-state water conflicts and transnational social movements.
Class meets TR, 1:20 pm-2:50 pm in Olin-Rice 241.
Living arrangements: Co-ed floor.
FREN 194-01
La Belle Epoque? The Best and Worst of France, 1880-1914
Juliette Rogers, French and Francophone Studies
In this course, we will study the time period in France known as the “Belle Epoque” (1880-1914). This era was one of the richest in modern French cultural history, including the rise of the Impressionist and Cubist movements in art, the development of modern music by Debussy and Satie, and the expansion of French literature by authors Colette, Gide, and Proust. In popular culture, nightclubs such as the Moulin Rouge became major gathering places for artists, and the farce dominated popular theater. We will also briefly review the major technological and scientific advances of the time period, including the discoveries by Marie and Pierre Curie and the invention of cinema, the metro, and the automobile. However, we must also remember that this “beautiful” time included a darker side, and we will study several crucial events, such as the anti-semitism that spurred the Dreyfus Affair, the racist policies that promoted the continuing colonization of Africa during the period, and the political events leading up to World War I in 1914.
Class meets MWF, 10:50 am-11:50 am in Humanities 402.
GEOG 254-01 (R)
Population 7 Billion: Global Population Issues and Trends
Holly Barcus, Geography
In 1798 Thomas Malthus first argued that population growth would exceed food production, which in turn, would lead to widespread starvation. Today we still have not conclusively answered the very controversial question of whether the world is or is not “overpopulated”. Questions of resource availability and distribution, world fertility and mortality rates and increasingly, the redistribution of populations through international migration change the ways in which we consider this question.
In this introductory population geography course we will explore global population trends and the various factors that influence the volume and distribution of populations across the globe focusing on both contemporary and historical debates. Our objectives include understanding the current spatial patterns of global human population distribution and how the primary components of population change (fertility, mortality and migration) differentially affect world regions. Contemporary population issues (AIDS, refugees, immigration, fertility choices and migration decisions) will provide the lens through which we begin to develop an understanding of the historical and, possibly, future trends and debates. We will examine these issues from both a macro and micro perspective. For example, we will consider migration flows such as those between Mexico-US, rural-urban migration in China, and transnational migration in Mongolia, seeking to better understand why individuals decide to move from one place to another and how changes in the global economy influence these decisions. Directed exercises, guest lectures and local field trips will help you acquire the skills to measure and evaluate population structure and composition and independent projects will allow you to apply these skills to geographic areas of greatest interest to you, both locally and globally.
Class meets MWF, 12:00 pm-1:00 pm in Carnegie 105.
Living arrangements: Co-ed floor.
GEOL 165-01 (R)
History and Evolution of the Earth
Ray Rogers, Geology
This course provides an overview of major happenings in the history of Earth over the past ~4.6 billion years. We will explore the birth of Earth (and its moon), the making of mountains, the history of climate change, and the many cataclysmic events that punctuate Earth history. Major emphasis is placed on tracking the evolution of life, from the simplest single-celled organisms of ancient Earth to today’s diverse floras and faunas. Another major focus is the linkage among Earth’s major systems - the rocks, atmosphere, oceans, and life did not and do not evolve independently. The class includes a fossil-collecting field trip. Key lab exercises will be incorporated into class time. This course is required for geology majors, and counts toward the major.
Class meets MWF, 10:50 am-11:50 am in Olin-Rice 187.
Living arrangements: Co-ed floor.
GEOL 160-02/ENVI 160-02 and Lab 3 (R)
Dynamic Earth and Global Change
Karl Wirth, Geology
In recent years it has become increasingly important to understand the consequences of human endeavor on the natural environment. Humans are now affecting the environment in an unprecedented way. Major dams affect the distribution of water and sediment; soils are being degraded or lost; groundwater levels are dropping; deserts are expanding; sea level is rising; and our hydrocarbon resources are in increasingly short supply. The Dynamic Earth and Global Change course provides a framework for understanding the natural processes of global change and the evolution of the Earth. The origins of mountains, the eruption of volcanoes, and the drifting of continents will be examined in the context of the unifying theory of plate tectonics. River systems, groundwater availability, earthquakes, desert environments, and coastal processes all have profound effects on the human condition and will also be studied.
The objectives of the course are 1) to help students develop a lifelong interest in learning about the Earth, and 2) to provide an introduction to materials and natural processes of the Earth. The course begins with an overview of the origin of the solar system and other planets. Students then learn to recognize and interpret the significance of important minerals and rocks. This is followed by a detailed examination of the composition, structure, the evolution of the Earth’s interior, and the plate tectonic model. The last portion of the course focuses on surface processes, including the hydrologic cycle, soil formation, stream processes, water resources, coastlines, deserts, and glacial environments.
The course objectives will be accomplished using a variety of formats, including: lecture, readings, laboratory exercises, group projects, field trips, exams, and a final project. In particular, the course will emphasize active and problem-based learning in which students work in groups to solve real-world problems. This approach requires that students are fully engaged and active participants in their learning. Regular attendance in the classroom, laboratory, and field is essential for successful team performance. Emphasis will also be on developing skills of critical thinking, problem posing, data interpretation, map reading, 3D visualization, oral presentation and writing. Field trips will introduce students to important geological concepts and the geology of Minnesota. Students will be assessed on both individual and team performance.
Class meets MWF, 10:50 am-11:50 am in Olin-Rice 179. Lab meets Thursday, 8:00 am - 11:00 am in Olin-Rice 187.
Living arrangements: Co-ed floor.
GERM 255-01 (R)
German Cinema Studies: Art/Horror
Linda Schulte-Sasse, German Studies
One often hears horror movies referred to as trash. Does horror necessarily “deserve” this condemnation (or plug)? Why does an occasional horror film like The Silence of the Lambs win respectability or even a best-picture Oscar? What are the criteria by which we determine whether any film or work of art is good, bad, or perhaps not art at all? The course will examine horror films from various periods and places, some of which were repudiated at their release only to be recuperated later as arthouse classics. But all challenge cultural assumptions about art and horror as mutually exclusive categories, and all employ shock, horror, and gore as compelling means of representing social anxieties and historical traumas. Our objective will be to reflect on questions of aesthetic valuation, and to explore the themes, narrative strategies, and audience effects of horror; we will draw on a variety of theoretical approaches like Freud’s notion of the uncanny or Todorov’s of the fantastic. Likely examples will include pre-World War II Germany (Wiene, Murnau, Lang), depression-era USA (Tod Browning), the invention of body horror (Franju, Powell, Hitchcock), and contemporary “post-modern” horror (Argento, Romero, Cronenberg, Haneke).
Course prerequisite: guts. First, films like Tod Browning’s Freaks (1932) or Franju’s Les Yeux sans Visage (1960) will disabuse you of any notion that Quentin Tarantino invented grossness. Second, you may find that by seriously engaging film studies, introducing theoretical concepts, and doing what some call “over”-reading, the course will “ruin the fun.” My hope is that the opposite will be the case (and that fun and work are no more mutually exclusive than art and horror).
Student obligations: a series of short papers, oral presentations, and one longer research paper. Two exams and an informal log responding to class readings. Hopefully the Twin Cities will offer some cultural events relevant to our theme that we can visit as a class.
Class meets MWF, 10:50 am-11:50 am in Humanities 401. Evening film screenings, usually Tuesdays.
Living arrangements: Co-ed floor.
HISP 151-01/LATI 151-01
Caribbean Literature and Culture: Aesthetics of Resistance
Molly Olsen, Hispanic and Latin American Studies
The Caribbean possesses one of the most complex cultural landscapes in the world. In fact, the Caribbean was global centuries before the term globalization came into vogue. But the forced cultural coexistences imposed by conquest, slavery and colonialism have not made globalization an easy process for the region. Moreover, tourism and our contemporary culture of consumption have only served to bolster neocolonial socioeconomic structures. In this course, our objective is to explore the ways in which literature, art and performance offer powerful tools of resistance against oppression. To that end, we will learn how Caribbean writers, intellectuals, artists and musicians use their art to confront the various challenges that islands of the region face, including political domination, racism, poverty and sexism. Students will also be encouraged to recognize the multiple realities that Caribbeans are often obliged to navigate as they migrate between the US and the Caribbean in an effort to economically survive. The course will challenge commonly-held notions of the Caribbean as merely a site for pleasure, full of gentle beaches, fruity tropical drinks and danceable music.
Class meets MWF, 10:50 am-11:50 am in Humanities 212.
HIST 194-01
African Life Histories
Jamie Monson, History
In this course we will learn about African history through the stories that Africans themselves have told about their own lives. We will use oral history; songs of West Africa’s griots; slave narratives; political autobiographies; theatre and film to explore the personal narration of lived experience. To guide our class discussions we will also consult scholarly essays about life history as a genre, to help us understand the methodology behind the production of these important texts. Class activities will include seminar discussions, writing workshops, a field trip and intermittent background lectures. Each student will carry out an individual research project on a topic of their choice.
Class meets TR, 9:40 am-11:10 am in Humanities 102.
MATH 136-02
Discrete Mathematics: How to Be a Player
Andrew Beveridge, Mathematics, Statistics, and Computer Science
When you were very young, tic-tac-toe was fun to play, especially when your parents let you win. But once you were old enough (perhaps 5 years old), the real point of tic-tac-toe revealed itself: it is a game that can be mastered completely. Discovering this fact is, perhaps, the first truly mathematical act of your life.
Discrete math is a branch of mathematics, independent from Calculus. While Calculus addresses continuous phenomena, discrete math studies collections of distinct, separate objects. This field provides the tools to analyze arrangements of objects and the relationships between them. In technical terms, discrete math studies sets, permutations, networks and relations. The methods of discrete mathematics are essential for solving problems in the current Information Age. Whether you want to design a computer algorithm, or understand the structure of a social network, you need discrete mathematics.
This course incorporates the analysis of games and puzzles to introduce you to the world of the mathematician. Mathematicians are not number crunchers; they are problem solvers. Mastering a game strategy is very satisfying, and takes practice and insight. The same can be said about mathematics: discovering a proof of a mathematical theorem is much like finding a winning strategy for a game. In fact, discovering and explaining an optimal strategy is a purely mathematical endeavor. We'll talk about games you have probably encountered (dots and boxes, Set, sudoku), and ones that you probably haven't (nim, hex, hackenbush, cops and robbers). This is a serious course that will develop your ability to make a rigorous mathematical argument, but we will also have fun learning and playing games along the way.
Class meets MWF, 2:20 pm-3:20 pm in Olin-Rice 205.
MCST 194-01 (R)
Political Advertising in the 2012 Presidential Campaign
Leola Johnson, Media and Cultural Studies
In this course, we will study political advertising in the 2012 U.S. presidential campaign, which will be at its height when you arrive here in the fall, thereby providing us with a living laboratory where we can collectively watch the campaign unfold. We will begin by studying important moments in presidential campaign advertising before the fall of 2012, including the “Eisenhower Answers America” ads of 1952 (http://www.livingroomcandidate.org/commercials/1952/bus-driver), the infamous “Daisy Girl” ad of 1964 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExjDzDsgbww) and the “Yes We Can” You Tube mash-up by Will.I.Am in 2008 (http://youtu.be/jjXyqcx-mYY). We will read and debate critiques of the way these representations and others have affected democratic institutions, including their impact on the operation of the “marketplace of ideas” and also on political parties. Finally, we will closely follow the 2012 presidential campaign to record and discuss the particularities of political advertising in this presidential election. And as part of our deliberations on present circumstances and practices, we will make a set of mock ads for each presidential candidate.
Course requirements include monitoring and recording ads; writing short critiques of ads; writing a term paper that examines a set of ads in historical and critical context; and making a set of alternative ads. The requirements are designed to provide opportunities to engage with media history, criticism and production.
Class meets MWF, 9:40 am-10:40 am in ARTCOM 202. Screening times to be
announced.
Living arrangements: Co-ed floor.
MUSI 180-01 (R)
Music, Race and Ethnicity
Chuen-Fung Wong, Music
Issues of race and ethnicity are central to processes of identity formation and social experience. Music often assumes critical roles in articulating senses of racial and ethnic differences. This course examines how race and ethnicity have informed the production and consumption of musical sound around the world. Course readings and audiovisual examples cover such major topics as authenticity, racism, representational politics, ethno-nationalism, diaspora, multiculturalism, and subaltern consciousness. This course is only open to first-year students in fall 2012. There is no prerequisite. No previous knowledge of musical instrument or notation is assumed.
Class meets MWF, 3:30 pm-4:30 pm in Music 228.
Living arrangements: Co-ed floor.
PHIL 125-01 (R)
Ethics: Focus on Friendship
Martin Gunderson, Philosophy
All of us have significant moral commitments, though they are sometimes not explicitly stated. In addition, many of us wrestle with moral puzzles and dilemmas that are difficult to resolve. Some of our most important moral commitments and some of our deepest ethical puzzles concern friendship. What do we owe our friends? Can friendship ever justify violating what would otherwise be morally required? Certainly we are loyal to our friends, but what are the limits of this loyalty? For example, what support do we owe a friend who is acting immorally or illegally? Is an employer or public official ever justified in granting special favors to friends? Who is worthy of our friendship? What circumstances justify breaking off a friendship? In this seminar we will explore traditional ethical theories and consider classic works in moral philosophy by Aristotle, Kant and Mill with an eye to what light they shed on the nature of friendship. We will also consider recent philosophical and literary works on friendship.
Class meets TR, 8:00 am-9:30 am in Old Main 011.
Living arrangements: Co-ed floor.
PHIL 125-02 (R)
Ethics: Happiness and Philosophical Inquiry
Diane Michelfelder, Philosphy
This course aspires to do three things. The first is to provide you with an opportunity to reflect on what philosophers have had to say about happiness, ethics, and the relationship between the two. The second is to give you a greater understanding of the dimensions of philosophy as an activity—or what it is to “do philosophy”--beginning with the formation of a philosophical question and arriving at the structured presentation of philosophical ideas. The third is to better your skills at close reading, innovative and critical thinking, analytic writing, and the use of library and internet resources to support your scholarly work.
During this course we are going to immerse ourselves in a broad span of philosophical thinking about happiness. Long ago, the Greek philosopher Aristotle defined happiness as the best and ultimate goal of human existence. But was he right? What role does happiness play in the good life? Is there a relationship between happiness and ethical action, between being happy and being good? What are some reasons for thinking there might not be such a relationship? Is it possible to design one’s life so as to maximize one’s chances for being happy? Is happiness even attainable? And what do we mean when we talk about “happiness” anyway? At the center of our exploration of these questions will be three approaches to normative ethical theory that have played a key role in the development of ethics within the Western philosophical tradition: virtue-based ethics (as represented by Aristotle), consequentialism (as represented by Bentham and Mill), and deontological ethics (as represented by Kant). Complementing our exploration will be contemporary work on theories of happiness both by and influenced by philosophers, including work drawn from the emerging interdisciplinary field of happiness studies.
Class meets MWF, 10:50 am-11:50 am in Old Main 003.
Living arrangements: Co-ed floor.
PHYS 194-01
Extrasolar Planets and Astrobiology
John Cannon, Physics and Astronomy
This first year course will discuss the exploding field of astrobiology. Specific discussion will be given to the properties of astrophysical bodies that are conducive to harboring life, using the Earth as a Rosetta Stone. We will discuss the prevalence of highly evolved molecular species in the interstellar medium, the properties of the quickly growing extrasolar planet population, and the observational techniques that are used and envisioned to infer the life-bearing signatures of such environments. This course is ideal for all students interested in one of the most rapidly-growing fields of science today; students with interests in physics and astronomy are particularly well-suited for this course.
Previous or concurrent enrollment in calculus is required. This course will receive equivalent credit to PHYS 113 (Modern Astronomy) and satisfies the Q1 distribution requirement. This is not a residential course
Class meets MWF, 9:40 am-10:40 am in Olin-Rice 404.
POLI 120-01 (R)
Foundations of International Politics
Wendy Weber, Political Science
This first year course is designed to introduce students to the academic study of international relations (also referred to as international, global or world politics). As an introductory course, it has three broad goals. The first is to develop the foundational knowledge and conceptual literacy necessary to engage with the field’s multidimensional concerns. These include power, gender, inequality, justice, political violence, international law, globalization, development, and human rights. The second is to introduce students to the different perspectives or intellectual frameworks for making sense of international relations. The third goal is to develop a range of critical, analytical, research and writing skills for more advanced work within the field. We will pursue these goals through an examination of contemporary International Relations scholarship as well as through different types of writing assignments and in-class simulations and other activities.
Class meets TR, 1:20 pm-2:50 pm in Carnegie 105.
Living arrangements: Co-ed floor.
POLI 194-01 (R)
Getting Elected: Modern Communication Strategies
Adrienne Christiansen, Political Science
Using the 2012 Presidential Election as a case study, this course examines the quadrennial explosion of political speech that is the modern American campaign. How important are different types of political communication in leading Americans to vote for one candidate over another?
Drawing on the history of modern campaigns since the advent of television, we study the array of communication and media strategies that candidates use to gain attention, raise money, and win votes. The course raises questions about the role of oratory, reason, rhetoric, emotion, narrative, and expression of group affiliations in election outcomes. We examine the relative influence of campaign speeches, interviews on fake news programs like The Daily Show, television ads, presidential and vice-presidential debates, YouTube videos, campaign websites, Facebook pages, Twitter feeds and other social media.
This course also provides students with a unique opportunity to develop college-level writing and critical thinking skills through a teaching model that blends a once-a-week full class meeting with a once-a-week (every week of the semester) small group tutorial session. Commonly known for their use at Oxford and Cambridge, the tutorials will prepare students to excel at Macalester in the essential intellectual skills of writing, discussion, and oral argument.
Students in the course will be assigned to a three-person tutorial group with whom they will meet all semester. Every tutorial group meets with the professor for an hour every week. The focus of each tutorial session is a 5-page paper written by one student that takes up a controversial question concerning political communication campaign strategies. During the tutorial that student reads aloud his or her 5-page paper. The other two students critically engage and discuss the ideas in the paper, raise objections, and make arguments of their own. They also bring written feedback to the student author via 2-page response papers. The professor comments on the longer paper and orally coaches the students in writing and reasoning.
The following week, another student in the group of three writes the 5-page paper; the other two students respond with their own 2-page paper; and the cycle of discussion, argument, and critique repeats throughout the semester. For an illustration of the tutorial model at work, please watch the brief video at http://vimeo.com/33326381.
As a result of the cycling tutorial process, each student in the course writes four 5-page papers and ten 2-page response papers. A Macalester senior will serve as a Writing Preceptor for the course and will hold office hours with students who wish to receive feedback on drafts of their 5-page papers. Students have the option to revise each of their 5-page papers before receiving a final grade on them. There will be no examinations in this course.
If you have questions about the Oxford/Cambridge tutorial model, or other questions about how the course functions, feel free to contact Professor Christiansen via email: christiansen@macalester.edu
Class meets TR, 9:40-11:00 in Carnegie 208.
Living arrangements: Co-ed floor.
PSYC 194-01
Minding the Body
Joan Ostrove, Psychology
This course is an interdisciplinary examination of the body primarily from the perspectives of psychology, disability studies, and feminist studies. We will rely on analysis of theoretical and empirical research, personal narrative, and film, as well as visits from a variety of guest speakers, to explore such questions as: What is a “normal” body? A “beautiful” body? How does the media inform how we feel about our bodies? How are bodies – especially women’s bodies – objectified, exploited, commodified, and regulated? How and why do we discriminate against people with non-normative bodies? How do people represent the experience of having a disabled body? How can we think critically about the various ways in which people change, regulate, and enhance their bodies (e.g., via body building, cosmetic surgery, diet, etc.)? How do sexism, racism, classism, and other forms of oppression influence how different bodies are viewed, treated, educated, etc.? This will be a writing-intensive course in which students will write (and re-write) personal essays, analytical and reflective essays, and a research paper.
Class meets MWF, 1:10 pm-2:10 pm in Olin-Rice 300.
SOCI 110-01 (R)
Introduction to Sociology
Mahnaz Kousha, Sociology
Sociology offers a new window on the world we inhabit. It provides a fresh outlook on what seems to be familiar while shedding light on the unfamiliar world. A sociological perspective examines the social context and explores the ways in which people’s life chances are shaped by societal forces. Sociology addresses a wide range of issues and questions our common sense understanding of the social phenomenon. It challenges our ordinary perception or personal experiences and proposes a deeper appreciation and analysis of the world.
As a discipline, sociology deals with a variety of topics. Any social phenomenon can be studied from a sociological perspective: socialization, culture, race, ethnicity, gender, and class stratification, deviance and crime, economic and global inequality, families and intimate relationships, education, religion, and globalization. Sociology explores minute aspects of social life (microsociology) as well as global social processes and structures (macrosociology).
This course is designed to introduce you to the study of society and what Mills calls the “sociological imagination:” a way of viewing the events, relationships and social phenomena that shape our individual lives and much of our collective experience. Throughout the course we will examine some of the central concepts, theories, and problems that have preoccupied both classical and contemporary sociologists, and gain a sense of how the sociological imagination can illuminate the social forces that have a concrete impact on our everyday lives. This course encourages you to develop your own “sociological imagination,” and to apply that perspective to an understanding of your experience and the larger society.
Required Books:
Witt, Jon (2007). The Big Picture: A Sociology Primer. McGraw Hill.
Shipler K. David (2004). The Working Poor: Invisible in America. Knopf.
Schor B. Juliet (2004). Born to Buy. Scribner.
Supplementary Books: (Students will choose one or two of these books for analysis and review).
Klinenberg, Eric (2002). Heat Wave. A Social Autopsy of Disaster in Chicago. University of Chicago Press.
Kozol, Jonathan (2000). Ordinary Resurrections. Perennial.
Pollan, Michael (2007). Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals. Penguin Books.
Sandweiss, A. Martha (2009). Passing Strange. Penguin Books.
Class meets TR, 9:40 am-11:10 am in Carnegie 204.
Living arrangements: Co-ed floor.
THDA 105-01
Theater and Dance
Beth Cleary, Theatre and Dance
The Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul are second only to New York City in the number of “live performance” tickets sold annually: this is a creative community with active artistic institutions! In this class, we examine the many forms, signifying systems and strategies of performance-making in these Twin Cities. We will attend theatre and dance performances in urban venues as various as professional theatres, small puppet-show venues, dance concert halls, among others; we will read playscripts, scholarly articles and research documents, as appropriate, in preparation for attending shows, and we will practice the vocabularies of analysis and critique, and the art of reflection and review, after the performances.
The course meets once a week, Wednesday nights, in a seminar format. This scheduling allows for some class meetings to occur in transit to and from performance, with the “curriculum” of the evening being the performance itself. Alternations between these off-campus excursions and on-campus seminars allow us to prepare for the interpretative encounters of live performance, and to learn and practice technical terms and vocabularies of re-collection crucial to discussing and analyzing performance. We will consider the histories and innovations in the forms we see, developing a capacity for what Brecht called “complex seeing” as we actively watch, hear and make critical new meanings in the performance event.
We will see 4-6 professional productions in the Cities including: Waiting for Godot at the Jungle Theatre and The Brothers Size, a new work by Tarell Alvin McCraney produced by Pillsbury House Theatre at the Guthrie. Other venues may include Frank Theatre, Walker Art Center, and Ordway Center for the Performing Arts (seasons and directors still being announced). In the Theatre and Dance Department, the 2012-13 season theme is *Youth Cultures,* and we will attend the First-Year devised show in mid-October, the November production of Romeo & Juliet, and the dance concert. Even with this impartial list, there is a variety of spectating practices compelled by genre and the historical/aesthetic circumstances that have produced these works. How do producing organizations and directors/choreographers talk about their work? What does it means to produce work in relation to a mission and a theme? How do themes find articulation at a college? At professional organizations?
Required Course Texts will include:
Beckett, Samuel. Waiting for Godot.
Leach, Robert. Theatre Studies: The Basics.
McCraney, Tarell Alvin. The Brother/Sister Plays.
Required texts will be available in the bookstore, and when possible, they are also on reserve in the Library.
Course Requirements:
This class requires Wednesday evening classroom and performance. Due to theaters’ season scheduling, several non-Wednesday evening performances may be required. Attendance at THDA post-show discussions (usually occurring after matinee mainstage performances) is also required.
Students will be required to develop expertise in critical writing about performance. Additionally, students will undertake a research project and write a series of drafts as they master the synthesis of research, analysis and writing.
We may engage in embodied research in class: enacting moments of text we are reading and studying. While acting prowess is not required in these moments, participation is expected! Note: this course is intended for students who are not planning to major in Theatre. See the departmental recommendations for majors in the department section of the registration guide.
Class meets W, 7:00 pm-10:00 pm Theater 205.
*Students who request the Gender Neutral Bathroom Community will share a gender neutral bathroom with the 13 other residents on that floor. The bathroom will have two showers, one bathtub, and three toilets. This option will only be offered if there is enough student interest to fill the community. If you have questions please contact Residential Life at reslife@macalester.edu.