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Course Criteria
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1.00 Credits
Our seminar will examine the rapidly expanding field of science and technology, how it impacts and changes our daily lives, but above all the information we receive about it from public news sources. The popular press is quick to extol the virtues of some "new and exciting" advance in the understanding of our natural world, especially if the innovation deals with components that we do not easily understand but could have an impact on our lives or the lives of loved ones. Yet within a day or two, the hubbub disappears from the news. Why is that Did the initial report overextend the true meaning of the innovation Was the report accurate Will the advance truly "change our lives" What is it about the author's presentation that caught our attention What can we learn from the article and what should we "unlearn" Our primary "text" for this course will be the daily New York Times with particular attention paid to the Tuesday science supplement. Students will be expected to choose science and technology related articles, research the issues presented, write "briefs" on the subject, comment on the completeness of coverage, the accuracy of the material and their understanding of just what the author of the article is attempting to say. Summary presentations in class will be followed by discussion dealing with the points outlined above. In addition to the daily assignments, science writers from a number of area newspapers will speak to our group and give us their perspective on science and technology coverage in our public media. The final quarter of the course will consist of a debate between pairs of students on topics chosen by them. One student will defend a pro or supportive position, the other a con position. Judges will be the remaining students. 1.00 units, Seminar
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1.00 Credits
This seminar explores the intersection of race, ethnicity, gender and class in American politics from the early 20th century through the present day. We will study a broad range of demographic groups and their roles as voters, party activists, candidates, and public officials. By exploring the socio-historical context within which each group acts, we will also consider the non-traditional forms of political participation embraced by some of these groups and the reasons that marginalized groups have resorted to such strategies. The process of political socialization will also be considered, as will the political behavior, attitudes, and public policy opinions of the various groups. We will also examine theories of coalition and conflict among these groups. 1.00 units, Seminar
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1.00 Credits
Did you know that microscopic organisms have had the most influence over the development of human culture of any class of organisms on the planet While most consider these microscopic organisms as a source of human suffering close examination of these organisms reveals that they have played both a positive and negative role on the development of human societies. The first thought most people have had about microbes typically focuses on the negative; microbes have caused great plagues (both ancient and modern) and have destroyed precious cultural works. The positive contributions which are often overlooked include the use of microbes in the production of food products (such as bread, wine and cheese) and in the field of biotechnology (in the production of medications to improve human life). This course will examine many aspects of microbial interactions with humans. The ability of microbes to cause disease will be studied with a particular emphasis on plagues. We will examine the political and social impact that microbes have had on human development by exploring the threat of bioterrorism and geographical distribution of various infectious diseases. This course does not require an extensive background in science but you will be introduced to important biological concepts through his course which allows this seminar to also fulfill the natural science distribution requirement. This seminar will examine the role of microbes on society from a variety of perspectives including social, scientific and political angles. 1.00 units, Seminar
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1.00 Credits
It has been fifty years since the structure of DNA has been revealed to the world by Watson and Crick. At the time, these investigators could little have realized the far-reaching consequences their discoveries would have on everyday life. After DNA structure was revealed, it soon became apparent that DNA could be manipulated, spliced and "recombined" to form new genetic combinations never before seen in nature. These findings have wide implications ranging from economic benefits through crop improvement to the potentially devastating possibilities of bioterrorism. Included in these issues are the social and moral obligations surrounding the cloning of mammals, including humans. In this course we will explore many of the potential and realized concerns surrounding biological methods in use today and the responsibility that must accompany the wielding of genetic power. We will explore articles, books and commentaries on topics ranging from the use of DNA amplification in forensic science to the potential benefits from gene therapy and discussions of human cloning. Students will research topics, present findings and defend viewpoints in discussions of these topics with the larger student group. 1.00 units, Seminar
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1.00 Credits
We have all heard that the world changes constantly and we must adapt to keep up. But we can also create changes and thus shape our own future as well as influence the world. This seminar introduces the activity of entrepreneurship: creating value across the full range of human efforts-not just in business. We will look at how innovations and new knowledge are created, illustrated through examples both from history and with visits from successful entrepreneurs in the Hartford area. The seminar will be organized to illustrate the methods that entrepreneurs employ. Papers, presentations, and assessments will be used as tools to measure improvement and suggest alternatives, much as innovators practice their discipline. 1.00 units, Seminar
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1.00 Credits
This seminar will explore the nature of contemplation, which we will define as anything from thinking deeply about a subject to the disciplined practice of meditation. Readings will be drawn from fiction, poetry, creative non-fiction, and spiritual teachings, and will include authors such as Virginia Woolf, Annie Dillard, Hermann Hesse, Thomas Merton, Milan Kundera, Thich Nhat Hahn, and others. In three formal essays, plenty of informal writing, much class discussion, and contemplative reflection we will consider questions like these: How have various authors rendered the inner experience of contemplation in language How can contemplation be integral to academic work What views of the world, and of human interaction, does contemplation invite How does taking time to look deeply at an idea or experience change the way we see it What is the effect on each of us of the habit of slowing down to contemplate the world, and what is the effect when we don't How can we use contemplation to foster intellectual and personal transformation The course will include some in-class experiences of contemplative practices, such as centering meditation and contemplative reading/writing. 1.00 units, Seminar
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3.00 Credits
One could argue that installation art is not a new visual art genre, but rather a recent manifestation of an old practice that dates back to prehistoric cave paintings at Lascaux. In this old context as well as in a contemporary art installation, there is a connection to real experience and a blurring between art and life. A blurring of boundaries also takes place within different practices of studio arts. In this studio art seminar, students will explore the visual language of art through two and three-dimensional media in the setting of Broad Street Gallery, a Trinity-owned gallery run by the Studio Arts Program. Students will be assigned projects that not only introduce them to traditional design concepts but critical thinking skills and creative problem solving. Classroom critiques will provide feedback and an opportunity to improve visual literacy and to become verbally articulate in visual terminology. A visual and written journal will be assigned as well as short 1-2 page papers. Two field trips will be taken in conjunction with the seminar and a visiting artist will lecture on his/her installation artwork. 1.00 units, Seminar
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1.00 Credits
At its extremes, human behavior exemplifies both godliness and godlessness. Our seminar will explore treatments of Good & Evil and/or God & Devil in great works of literature. Central to the literary works we will read is the question of how human beings reflect, or act out, their own conceptions of holiness (frequently understood as kindness, self-sacrifice, and creativity) and the satanic (destructiveness and the desire to bring harm to others). We will consider the works in pairs or clusters so that we may appreciate subtextual references to previous works, and understand the works as literary conversations between authors of different cultures and eras. Many of our readings will come from Russian literature. Authors will include Dostoevsky, Kafka, and others. 1.00 units, Seminar
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3.00 Credits
The landmark 1954 Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education established that segregation in public schools violated the United States Constitution. Fifteen years later Justice Abe Fortas, writing for the majority of the Supreme Court in the case of Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District, made the following statement: "School officials do not possess absolute authority over their students. Students in school as well as out of school are 'persons' under our Constitution. They are possessed of fundamental rights which the State must respect, just as they themselves must respect their obligations to the State." Since the Brown and Tinker cases, the courts have addressed a wide variety of issues concerning student rights and liberties, including censorship, prayer in public schools, mandatory drug testing, school busing, affirmative action, sexual harassment, and gender equity in sports. Students in this seminar will explore both the reasons why students have brought their conflicts with school officials to court and the ways in which the courts have attempted to resolve those conflicts. As we seek to understand how the courts have come to define the scope of student rights, we will read cases and legal briefs, study the historical context in which the cases developed, and listen to recordings of oral arguments made before the Supreme Court of the United States. 1.00 units, Seminar
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1.00 Credits
Throughout the course of recorded human history, islands have held an exotic fascination for those living in less isolated continental environments. Stories and novels have fueled the interest in islands adding to the seemingly endless set of questions arising from islands throughout the world. Why are Komodo dragons found on only a few islands Why are so many island birds flightless Why do so few island animals fear humans Why have daisies evolved into trees on a island Why does human culture on one island so often end up being similar to other distant islands of the same size Why did Charles Darwin and Alfred Russell Wallace, alone among other early 19th century naturalists and explorers, largely formulate their theories of evolution based upon the study of islands We will read and discuss several works on various aspects of islands, from Darwin and Wallace to more contemporary authors such as Robert MacArthur, Edward O. Wilson, Stephen J. Gould, David Quammen, Oliver Sachs and others to understand the significance of islands to science and culture. Each participant will research and become expert on a selected island or archipelago, then present to the others the geologic and cultural history and important scientific discoveries that have been made there. 1.00 units, Seminar
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