First-Year Seminars

*FULL*20th-Century German Culture through Film*FULL*
CRN 3064
Mondays & Wednesdays, 2-3:50pm
Professor Gabi Kathoefer
20th-century German Culture Through Film is an introduction to German cinema and presents the cultural elements that shape German history. This course familiarizes students with the history of German cinema from 1919 until 2007 with special attention to its socio-cultural context and to pertinent theories of photography and of cinematic narration. We will analyze a wide range of films [e.g. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920), Murderers Among Us (1946), Wings of Desire (1987), Run Lola Run (1998), The Lives of Others (2006)], learn how German identity and culture have changed over the past century, explore various topics (including “The Golden Twenties,” national socialistic propaganda, post-WWII German nation states, reunification, minorities in Germany, education and youth, the arts, gender, and politics), and place these topics within the context of German and European history.

*FULL*Activism and Documentary Filmmaking*FULL*
CRN 4209
Mondays & Wednesdays, 4-5:50pm
Professor Sheila Schroeder
The depiction of activists and their causes has long been a central focus of documentary filmmakers. Likewise, documentarians have often been seen as activists themselves, choosing subjects that reflect their own affinity for a variety of cultural issues.

A variety of “texts” and technologies will form the basis of understanding in this course. Through reading, critically analyzing films, interacting with guest filmmakers, examining film artifacts and basic training in the technologies of filmmaking (specifically cameras and editing systems), students will be exposed to the breadth and depth of documentary filmmaking. Likewise, the students will tour local facilities and gain exposure to the Denver media production community.

Throughout the quarter students will formulate a treatment for a documentary film. Students will first learn how to research their topics using a wide array of texts and then form that information into a compelling creative treatment of their subject. The treatment also includes a target audience analysis, a budget and a distribution and outreach plan. Various parts of this will be turned in throughout the quarter and then rewritten for the final assignment.

The African Imagination
CRN 3069
Mondays & Wednesdays, 12-1:50pm
Professor Maik Nwosu
This course is a virtual journey around Africa through the imagination of some of its artists. We will explore African creativity from three perspectives – oral literature, written literature, and cinema. We will begin with African oral literature (from songs to epics -- such as Sundiata: An Epic of Old Mali). We will then study African written literature and its relation both to the oral literature and the contemporary history of the continent. We will conclude by examining African cinema (from feature films to the Nigerian home video industry known as “Nollywood”) and its relation to African oral and written literatures. Our exploration of the African imagination will therefore be interdisciplinary.

*FULL*The American Imagination*FULL*
CRN 3021
Tuesdays & Thursdays, 8-9:50am
Professor Clark Davis
The American Imagination will focus on two enduring questions in American cultural history: 1) to what extent do Americans see themselves primarily as individuals or as members of a single country or society? and 2) to what extent do Americans prefer the future to the past? Individualism and Progress–these two issues are at the core of many of the culture’s perennial political and culture debates. We will look intensively at the roots of these questions as they are presented and analyzed in great American literature. Authors will include Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Herman Melville, Emily Dickinson, Ernest Hemingway, T.S. Eliot, Langston Hughes, Flannery O’Connor, and many others. This course is an ideal introduction to the advanced study of American literature and to the intellectual and cultural history of the United States.

*FULL*The American Nightmare: Social Anxiety in the Contemporary Horror Film*FULL*
CRN 3081
Tuesdays & Thursdays, 2-2:50pm and Wednesdays, 2-3:50pm
Professor Rod Buxton
From the dawn of cinema’s relatively short history, the horror film genre has been a narrative staple as well as an indispensable source of economic profit for both the Hollywood film studios and independent filmmakers. To a large degree, the genre has survived so long as an economic entity because, in some manner, it has tapped and continues to tap into the psychological and social anxieties that resonate with the concerns of contemporary audiences. The majority of horror films from the 1930s through the late 1960s reinforced the normalcy of the patriarchal white family structure in a middle-class environment, with horrific threats presented as outside social forces impinging on that normality. In contrast, horror films from 1970 on have in one way or another challenged the viability and credibility of normalcy as beneficial, to either the individual or society. This course will exam the textual crises of gender identity, sexuality, the family, class and ethnicity that pulse through the bloody heart of many contemporary horror films. Through five analytical papers, students will engage the contentious and often times contradictory ideological messages that these films offer with respect to contemporary society.

Course Advisory: The films to be viewed for this class are graphic in nature and labeled with R rating by the Motion Picture Production Code of America. If strong language, graphic violence and strong sexual content offend, the student should not enroll in this course.

*FULL*American Youth and Religion*FULL*
CRN 4210
Mondays & Wednesdays, 12-1:50pm
Professor Christine Soriea Sheikh
In The Elementary Forms of Religious Life, Emile Durkheim comments that, “Religion is destined to transform rather than disappear.” This prophetic statement rings true when examining religious life in the United States, where “traditional” religion has a distinctly modernist bent, and alternative religions are regularly founded. The dynamic religious subcultures of American youth elucidate two fundamental concepts in the sociology of religion: religious pluralism and religious transformation. We begin by examining the American religious landscape, and then we continue by narrowing our focus to religious trends and practices among young people. We will examine the impact of religion on key dimensions of youth experience, such as religious socialization, parenting and disciplinary styles, adolescent sexuality, and education. Last, we will explore the resonance of religious youth subcultures and discourses with changes in the broader society, focusing on popular culture and politics.

*FULL*American Youth Violence*FULL*
CRN 3056
Mondays & Wednesdays, 2-3:50pm
Professor Paul Colomy
This seminar examines youth violence in the contemporary United States, focusing on three inter-related issues. First, we will study the patterns (and public perceptions) of youth violence, paying special attention to how much serious juvenile violence exists in the United States and where (in social space) this violence is concentrated. Second, we will investigate the causes of youth crime, considering how such factors as gangs, guns, (concentrated) poverty, drug markets, subcultures of violence, developmental/life course processes, and the breakdown of informal and formal social controls contribute to youth violence. Third, we will examine the American justice system’s responses to youth violence, particularly its increased reliance on waiving serious juvenile offenders to adult (criminal) courts and sentencing the juveniles convicted there to adult (or adult-like) prisons. Prevention programs aimed at reducing the amount of serious youth violence as well as treatment programs available to young offenders held in reform schools and prisons will also be discussed.

Since this is a seminar, a premium will be placed on class discussion (rather than lecture). In addition to learning what leading scholars have written about American youth violence, students will also have an opportunity to conduct their own social scientific research on this topic.

*FULL*America’s Culture Wars and Political Polarization*FULL*
CRN 3035
Tuesdays & Thursdays, 2-3:50pm
Professor Spencer Wellhofer
The purpose of this course is to examine a contemporary social/political issue through the lens of qualitative and quantitative critical reasoning. The chosen issue is America’s cultural wars and political polarization. The course then proceeds to subject the issue to social scientific analysis. Part one of the course examines some polemical readings about the cultural wars and political polarization. Part two of the course reviews how social scientists have applied social science theory to the thesis: theoretical interpretations, concept formation, operationalization, and empirical testing. Part three of the course has students engage in social scientific research using online real data developed in conjunction with the IDEA project. The data are extensive and readily available for student analysis.

*FULL*Anthropology and Archaeology of Denver*FULL*
CRN 4215
Mondays & Wednesdays, 4-5:50pm
Professor Lawrence Conyers
Five anthropological topics will be studied, all of which have interesting relationships with the Denver area. We will study the first Ice Age inhabitants of North America, and go to the Denver Museum of Nature and Science to study their artifacts, and the skeletons of now extinct animals they hunted. We will also look at the first farmers in the area by studying their materials from the DU Museum, and visiting a cave where these people lived about 3,000 years ago. Other field trips will include an analysis of an historic cemetery and some of the oldest buildings in Denver.

*FULL*The Art of Death*FULL*
CRN 4202
Mondays & Wednesdays, 12-1:50pm
Professor Annabeth Headrick
Death is the ultimate common experience of all humans, but there is both variety and similarity in how humans express their grief and commemorate the dead. The Art of Death is a course that will explore death in all its diversity, covering cultures around the world and from many time periods. For instance, through weekly readings we will explore the tombs of ancient Egyptian and Mayan rulers and see what these cultures believed happened after death. We will also look to more modern cultures and investigate how death consumes the lives of the widows in a rural village in modern Greece or how nineteenth-century Americans were prone to picnicking in cemeteries.

We will use the discipline of anthropology to look at the ritual practices surrounding death, seeing how gender and status affect burial rituals. Furthermore, we will integrate our anthropological approach with art history to discuss the monuments that humans erect to celebrate the dead. Through research papers and an oral presentation, participants will be invited to explore everything from pyramids to tombstones, temporary gravesites of the Plains Indians to Baroque paintings memorializing the deaths of saints.

*FULL*Bad Girls, Riot Grrrls and Misbehaving Women CRN 4338*FULL*
Tuesdays & Thursdays, 2-3:50pm
Professor Sarah Gjertson
Who are Bad Girls and Riot Grrrls? What is the nature of their misbehaving? Not the usual suspects like Britney Spears, this course will address the relative bad behavior of contemporary women artists, musicians and other performers by tracing the lineage of feminist art, DIY (do-it-yourself) approaches, and the strategies women have used to address the intersections of personal, social, political, and cultural identity.

With art, music, and popular culture as a lens, the course will introduce women who broke the rules or challenged the standards of their time, and follow this impulse from the 1980s to the present. Using differing modes of creative production, the women presented in class represent an embracing of misbehavior as a means of self-definition and empowerment. As Corin Tucker from Riot Girl band Sleater-Kinney is quoted to have said,” We’re not here to f*ck the band, we ARE the band.”

Class time will be devoted to slide presentations, discussion of readings, video screenings, field trips, visiting speakers, and research projects. Most importantly, the class will foster an ongoing dialogue about how women artists and performers have used and subverted mainstream modes of cultural production to communicate their ideas – in ways that may be considered “unladylike.”

*FULL*Beyond Collapse: What Does Our Environmental Past Teach Us About a Sustainable Future?*FULL*
CRN 3086
Mondays & Wednesdays, 4-5:50pm
Professor Rebecca Powell
This seminar will engage students in a critical analysis of how societies—past and present—have physically transformed the Earth and what implications such transformations have for the well-being of future human populations. Students will develop a cross-disciplinary perspective by investigating human-environment interactions on three scales: (a) case studies based on isolated, ancient societies; (b) a global assessment of the current world population and its impact on the planet; and (c) an analysis of how we as individuals transform ecosystems without even leaving campus. We will also explore how strategies proposed by two local institutions directly impact us as citizens and members of a campus community: the City of Denver’s “greenprint” to reduce its environmental footprint, and the University of Denver’s unfolding plans to become a carbon-neutral campus.

*FULL*Bioethics in Science and Medicine: Politics and the Nobel Prize*FULL*
CRN 3053
Mondays & Wednesdays, 2-3:50pm
Professor Lawrence Berliner
How does science work; how does it relate to society? We will examine the discoveries of some Nobel Prize laureates and explore what motivates them. We will discuss influential discoveries in the broader area of biochemistry and the medicine with an emphasis on bioethical issues and the political aspects of funding science and science education. As a community engagement/service-learning component, we will lobby our local and federal representatives on scientific research and science/math education initiatives that we perceive as important. This will involve one afternoon during the quarter.

In readings and discussion, we address how does the public perceive science; does it relate to education, income, political or religious preference? What motivates discovery – what are the obstacles, political, perceived or otherwise? The class uses a cooperative learning model where groups are responsible for readings in bioethics and one that reflects on politics and ethics in the sciences.

The Biology of Science Fiction
CRN 3087
Mondays & Wednesdays, 4-5:50pm
Professor John Kinnamon
The science of biology has long provided grist for literature and the cinema, dealing with issues such as genetic engineering, aliens, gender, racial prejudice, religion, the physics of time travel, and artificial intelligence. For many of us, our introduction to literature came through science fiction (sci-fi) writings by authors such as H.G. Wells, Jules Verne, Robert A. Heinlein, Ray Bradbury, Isaac Asimov, Philip K. Dick and others. Mainstream authors have also ventured into the realm of sci-fi, including: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Kurt Vonnegut, Aldous Huxley, George Orwell, and Margaret Atwood to name a few.

In this course the student will analyze and critically appraise sci-fi books and movies from a variety of genres, including miniaturization and nanotechnology, alien life forms, artificial intelligence, time travel, genetic engineering and invasions. Students will: 1) read/view and discuss books and movies, 2) write critical reviews, 3) design their own alien, 4) present a PowerPoint presentation about their creations, and 5) write a short story about their alien creation, then present the short story as the capstone experience at the end of the term. The short stories will then be published on a portfolio Web site for the entire university community to read.

*FULL*Business, Technology and Society*FULL*
CRN 4380
Tuesdays & Thursdays, 8-9:50am
Professor Sylvester Houston
Technological advances in the 21st century tend to have both intended and untended consequences. Students in this seminar will identify and critique some of those outcomes and their impacts on business, government, and society. Special attention will be given to implications that some advances in technology have for such societal values as individualism, privacy, and security. Students will also have an opportunity to expand their knowledge by visits to selected facilities in the Denver community where they will get a closer view of some developing technologies that will affect business and society.

*FULL*Campaigns and the 2008 Elections*FULL*
CRN 3060
Mondays & Wednesdays, 10-11:50am
Professor Seth Masket
This course will introduce students to political campaigns, with a focus on the current U.S. presidential election. A wide range of materials on campaigns will be used, from academic texts on campaign effects and voting behavior to personal accounts by campaign managers and candidates. Students will learn how to analyze polls and apply that analysis to create effective advertising strategies for candidates. Ethical dilemmas in modern campaigns will also be evaluated. Written assignments will require scrutinizing the readings, following congressional campaigns, and producing professional-quality campaign material. The goals of this course are to teach students to be effective and discriminating consumers of political information, as well as to provide students with some of the knowledge and skills needed to pursue a career in politics.

*FULL*Censorship, Free Speech, and Literature*FULL*
CRN 3024
Tuesdays & Thursdays, 10-11:50am
Professor W. Scott Howard
Students enrolled in this course will become active participants in local and national events that contribute to Banned Books Week. The course will combine on- and off-campus field trips (to local libraries and booksellers) with reading, writing, discussion, and research activities designed to investigate dynamic relationships among censorship, free speech, and literary discourse (in England and the U.S.) from the seventeenth century to the present. Students will work individually, in groups, and collectively as citizens as they engage with research projects that will connect the classroom to the world-at-large. Banned Books Week (September 27 - October 4) will serve as our gateway into current events and social discourses touching upon a series of inter-related issues and topics, such as: constructions of and challenges to The First Amendment from Milton to modernity; case studies (local and global) of book banning from, for example, Photo Novellas (Denver, 2006) to The Talmud (Paris, 1144); The USA Patriot Act and civil liberties post- 9/11; and The Freedom to Read Protection Act.

*FULL*Children in America Today: Smarter, Busier, Better?*FULL*
CRN 3062
Mondays & Wednesdays, 2-3:50pm
Professor Janette B. Benson
Are American children being raised to be smarter, busier, and better at the risk of becoming anxious, overly dependent upon parents, and missing a carefree childhood? This seminar examines claims that parents and society are “miseducating” children by pushing them to learn at too early an age. We will explore the following questions: a) what are the consequences for children who lead an overscheduled life?; b) how has developmental psychology research contributed to the “superkids” movement?; c) does the marketing of children’s educational materials contribute to miseducation?; and d) is learning through play more beneficial for longer-term outcomes than early formal instruction? We will examine these themes from infancy to the college years. Class meetings will include brief lectures, student-led group discussion, in-class debates, and presentations. Along with weekly reading assignments, students will write short papers, complete a collaborative project to examine children’s cultural conventions (e.g., toys, electronic media, books, clothes), and create a reflective, multimedia final presentation that integrates class themes. Students will become part of a rigorous intellectual seminar in which critical thinking, clear writing, research and oral presentation skills will be enhanced as we explore contemporary and controversial issues about childhood.

*FULL*Citizens and Strangers: Traditions of Friendship and Hospitality*FULL*
CRN 4684
Mondays & Wednesdays, 8-9:50am
Professor Evgeni Pavlov
In the age of globalization and resultant economic crises the problem of forced migration and the issue of immigration are rising to the top of our everyday agendas – immigrants and foreigners are no longer an issue only in the large cities or border towns but touch every citizen of this country which has always had to deal with the difficult subject of the relationship between the indigenous peoples and the immigrants from the Old World. What are the intellectual resources available to us to think about the relationship between “citizens” and “strangers”? How can philosophy and cultural studies help us understand the importance of establishing a relationship with others both privately (friendship) and publicly (hospitality). Even though it seems as if the problems of immigration and integration are very recent, in fact, the question of hospitality is as old as Homer’s Odyssey. In this seminar, we will read stories of friendship and hospitality spanning from ancient Greek epics to contemporary literature on nationalism, cosmopolitanism and multiculturalism.

*FULL*Climate Change: Interfacing Science, Public Policy and Environmental Ethics*FULL*
CRN 3244
Mondays & Wednesdays, 4-5:50pm
Professor Michael Monahan
Climate change is the dominating environmental issue of the new Millennium. It will be a powerful force in shaping the lives of all students and the careers of many. No intellectual discipline will remain untouched by the science and societal implications of human climate disruption. First-year students, the class of 2012, will be exposed like no previous freshman class to the impacts of this issue on their thinking and their fields of study. This course is intended to lay the ground work for understanding the science of climate change and to explore some of the principal forms of interdisciplinary thinking that will be required to address this global ecological issue in the coming decades. One prominent evolutionary biologist has identified the quality of Hope as a singular defining characteristic of our species, Homo sapiens. Merging the best available knowledge with creative and critical thought is surely the best promise for a hopeful future for ourselves and the global environment. This course is intended to create that synergy of information and thoughtful enterprise. Along the way, we have a chance to explore the process of science as a way of knowing, to acquire habits of critical thinking that recognize and accommodate uncertainty of knowledge, to explore the ethical bases for our decision making, and to practice the art of consensus building among diverse communities of peoples and intellectual disciplines in the cause of wise environmental stewardship.

*FULL*Connections: Mathematics in Art, Literature and Music*FULL*
CRN 4199
Tuesdays & Thursdays, 2-3:50pm
Professor Natasha Dobrinen
Connections: Mathematics in Art, Literature and Music is designed to challenge students to think outside prevailing paradigms and make connections between seemingly disparate fields of study. Many forms of mathematics lie hidden in the arts, while much of mathematics is artistic. Drawing on examples in art, literature, and music, students will learn how mathematics contributes to form, aesthetics and meaning. This course will set the tone for a truly liberal arts education, where boundaries are crossed and a broad understanding of the universe is sought.

The course will focus on perspectives in art, fractals, European music, literature, poetry, and philosophy. The main mathematical concepts of focus in this course are projective geometry (used in visual art), logarithms (inherent in musical scales), logic and notions of infinity (in literature and philosophy), sine and cosine curves (in harmonics and vibrating strings), and symmetry and basic group theory (in written classical music). Most classes will consist of a combination of lectures on the mathematics involved in the particular unit, discussions of how the mathematics is used, investigating examples, and group work. Mathematical skills as well as writing, expression, and presentation skills will be honed and evaluated.

*FULL*Contemporary Fantastic Tales*FULL*
CRN 3033
Tuesdays & Thursdays, 10-11:50am
Professor Christy Rowe
“The Fantastic” is an umbrella term under which fit many literary and artistic genres, such as myth and legend, fairy tales, magic realism, surrealism, horror/gothic, the grotesque, and fantasy and science fiction. These genres and texts, however, share an interest in alternative worlds, places to image our desires, dreams, and nightmares (and thus learn ways of coping with the world we live in). Fantastic literature comprises some of humanity’s oldest storytelling—Gilgamesh, Beowulf, The Tale of Genji, The Thousand and One Nights—but can fairy tales and mythic quests flourish in our (post)modern world? If the success of the Lord of the Rings films and J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series are any examples, the answer is a resounding yes! The focus of this course will thus be twofold: understanding the themes, motifs, and structures of fantastic texts; and examining examples of the contemporary fantastic that showcase how this ancient genre has plenty of life here in the 21st century. Our exploration of class texts (including fiction, poetry, graphic novels, art, and film) will be done via in-class and small group discussion, research, written analysis, and oral presentations.

*FULL*Controversy in American Culture*FULL*
CRN 4216
Tuesdays & Thursdays, 8-9:50am
Professor Stacy Coyle
This course will examine controversial texts, films and advertising that reflect deep divisions and dramatic shifts in American values and policies at various points over the last half century; texts will concern everything from hormone-injected beef to adderall-popping teens; from six-year-olds living in trash dumps on the “Tortilla Curtain” to sixteen-year-old cross dressers. In addition to the assigned texts, class discussion and writings will encourage students to make connections to the most recent controversies riddling the news. Students will actively participate not only in discussion of the works themselves, but in the analysis of the economic, political, legal and social contexts that underpinned the controversies and in a number of cases, the changes instigated by these controversies.

*FULL*The Cowboy Way: The Myth of the Cowboy in American Culture*FULL*
CRN 3058
Mondays & Wednesdays, 10-11:50am
Professor Allison Horsley
The American cowboy represents rugged individualism, traditional values, and a never-fail moral compass. He is a myth so deeply ingrained in the American psyche that he has become an American ambassador to the world through popular culture. How did this figure—who began as a villain—grow to symbolize the best of America? Does he still? And does he have to be a he? This course will examine the humble historical beginnings of the cowboy in North America and how, over time, he became a cultural icon through popular fiction, radio, film, music, and television. Through critical readings, extensive class discussions, papers, presentations, and a final written project that reflects individual interest, students will hone their ability to analyze popular culture through an academic lens and gain a new perspective on how icons shift over time to reflect the desires, dreams, and fears of the societies in which they’re born. We will study the nature of myth itself and ask why, after all these years, we still need to believe in someone who will save the day before riding off into the sunset.

*FULL*Democracy in the United States: Principles, Traditions, and Current Issues*FULL*
CRN: 4685
Mondays & Wednesdays, 12-1:50pm
Caroline Conzelman
This seminar will draw from anthropological, sociological, political science, and economics theories on politics, community, trade, and participation in order to analyze how we experience democracy in the United States. Because this topic is interdisciplinary and both theoretical and applied, it will provide an excellent opportunity for new university students to develop higher order cognitive skills and to prepare for any major. We will read key historical texts in order to gain an appreciation of our diverse patterns of nation formation and the foundation of a democratic society, as well as a variety of sources on social movements and popular participation. We will also look at a series of current issues related to national and local democratic practices to apply the theories we have learned and to evaluate the condition of our nation’s democracy today. Throughout, we will read from provocative ethnographies to bring into sharp focus different facets of life in the United States, and to understand why an anthropological approach is valuable in the study of democracy.

A special and unique focus of this course during the Fall 2008 quarter will be the U.S. presidential campaigns and November election. We will follow the process throughout the period and will emphasize the attendant issues discussed in the media, advertisements, presidential debates, and campaign materials. This immediate application of the principles and traditions of democracy in the U.S. will be especially meaningful to freshman students because many will be anticipating exercising their right to vote for the first time. Students will turn in eight one-page essays to practice integrating abstract theoretical principles with real life events and to analyze the meanings of democracy. These papers, written at home and turned in on Wednesdays, will also allow the instructor to provide personal attention to each student every week. During the final week of class, students will stage a series of debates to argue how they perceive the meanings and impacts of democracy in the U.S. For the final exam, each student will write a 6-8 page essay on the argument they developed for the debate. Throughout the course, in-class discussion, current media investigation, participant observation in the political process, individual critical thinking, and collaborative presentations will be emphasized.

Disorder, Uncertainty and Life
CRN 4218
Tuesdays & Thursdays, 4-5:50pm
Professor Kingshuk Ghosh
The world around us is greatly influenced by the whims of Mother Nature. Law of randomness in diverse fields would be the main focus of the class. The course would begin with simple examples as coin tossing, dice problems, playing cards and learning quantitative ways of thinking about probability. It will then move to more applied problems of broad interest where stochasticity is important: example problems will include “drunken walker,” formation of forest fires, traffic flow, stock market. Finally, students will consider problems from physics and biology where fluctuations become relevant. Students will first be introduced to related physical concepts like order, energy and entropy in a qualitative way; then examine the role of large molecules (especially proteins and DNA in life) and the role they play in diseases and cure. This course does not require any prerequisites other than knowledge of high school-level mathematics.

*FULL* Does God Exist?*FULL*
CRN 3051
Mondays & Wednesdays, 2-3:50pm
Professor Daniel Armentrout
The existence of God can be a very controversial topic. As a class we will use this controversy to stimulate discussion and explore the basis of beliefs. Students will discuss how recent scientific evidence relates to this topic while also examining the philosophical and social implications of this question. The application of scientific knowledge will be used to help engage a student in critical thinking in which they will analyze evidence-based arguments and evaluate different perspectives of this complex question. The philosophical and social implications of the student’s answer will be explored to understand how they permeate into all aspects of life. Through video and student debates, we will explore compelling sides of the different physical and social aspects of questions of origin. Students will be asked to explore how their personal experiences, cultural background and how they were raised have influenced what they believe. The course will culminate with a position paper written by the student that is supported logically and passionately defended.

*FULL*Ecological Horizons: Recent and Future Challenges CRN 3089*FULL*
Mondays & Wednesdays, 4-5:50pm
Professor Hugh McIsaac
In Ecological Horizons: Recent and Future Challenges, we will consider the major environmental challenges that will change the way we live and influence our standards of living in the coming decades. In recent centuries, the human population has experienced unprecedented growth, in large part driven by accelerating-advances in technology. As technology has advanced, so has the standard of living in many societies. These two events have had a profound impact on natural systems and the natural resources (e.g., water and energy) upon which we depend. Human activities have generated significant losses of biodiversity and changes in global climate. These are among the most serious challenges that confront us, and most scientists predict that these events will profoundly influence our health, economy and societal structure within our lifetimes and those of our children. In this class, students’ exploration, discussion and analysis of these issues will help them prepare to meet the challenges of their future.

*FULL* Fake IDs: Assumed Identities in America*FULL*
CRN 4213
Mondays & Wednesdays, 10-11:50am
Professor Sidra Smith Wahaltere
This course takes as its subject passing – loosely defined as the act of hiding one’s “true” self or faking an identity – as performed in the 20th century by both black and white Americans in a variety of forms, including fiction, non-fiction, film and television shows. This course focuses on the performativity of identity and the social construction of race. In our treatment of passing, we will consider how race, class, religion, sexual orientation, and gender function in conjunction with one another and how they operate as separate social identifiers. While some of our texts treat these topics in a humorous way, others demonstrate the violent and even deadly consequences that can result from assuming a fake identity. This course challenges notions of biological differences between the races and between men and women, questions the notion of “authentic” identity, and considers the ways in which social class is made visible through the acquisition of material things and the adornment of the body. We will read texts such as The Great Gatsby and Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man, screen films including Single White Female and The Talented Mr. Ripley, and watch episodes of Fox’s television show Black. White.

*FULL*The Fit of Our Genes*FULL*
CRN 3073
Tuesdays & Thursdays, 2-3:50pm
Professor Tom Quinn
In April of 2003, the DNA sequence of the human genome was released. This was the result of over a decade of intense effort by a consortium of scientists and as such represented the first “megaproject” ever undertaken in the field of biology. Yet, what lies at the heart of how we and other organisms are affected by our genomes is not the individually sequenced base pairs of DNA, but rather the genes that they encode. This course is intended to illustrate the considerable variety of genes that are found in our genomes, and how their activities can affect such features as our behavior, longevity, susceptibility to disease, and so on. Students will have the opportunity to improve both their understanding of related topics, and their presentation skills.

*FULL*Forensic Science and Real-Life Crime Scene Investigation*FULL*
CRN 4200
Tuesdays & Thursdays, 2-3:50pm
Professor Jim Fogleman
Modern advances in forensics, especially in DNA analysis, now provide for an exceptionally high degree of analytical capability. These capabilities have been featured on a number of hugely popular and top-rated “CSI” shows on television in which cutting-edge forensic tools are used to examine evidence in order to solve criminal cases (they are “howdunnit” rather than “whodunnit” type cop shows). But how close are the TV shows to real-life crime scene investigations, which are an integral part of most criminal investigations?

This course introduces the science, theory, and practice behind forensic techniques that are typically used in crime scene analysis and will help distinguish what is fact and what is entertainment. The techniques that will be presented will be accompanied by the scientific basis of the technology/instrumentation that is used. Thus, the course builds on a foundation of the science that serves as the basis of the technology which is used in forensic analysis. No background in science is presumed or necessary. Lectures, guest speakers, case studies, class discussion, individual and group exercises will all contribute to an active learning environment. Forensic science is a multidisciplinary and exciting area of study. Every crime involves a story and it is the job of the forensic scientist to unravel that story.

**NEWLY ADDED**Freud’s Vienna**NEWLY ADDED**
CRN 4704
Mondays & Wednesdays, 10-11:50am
Professor Julie Lieber
Turn of the century Vienna was a place of remarkable cultural creativity and intellectual innovation. Great advances in the fields of psychology, music, literature, philosophy, and the visual arts ushered in a new era of Viennese cultural dominance in what had formerly been a relatively intellectually and culturally stagnant society. It was in turn of the century Vienna that radical artistic and musical movements were created, new ideas about gender and sexuality were explored, and extreme anti-Semitic politics took root. The First Year Seminar, “Freud’s Vienna,” aims to introduce students to the study of European history by exploring a particular place and moment in time – turn of the century Vienna. The course will be focused around a central historical question, with which students will engage throughout the course: Why did Vienna come to be the center of these avant-garde movements? Why was turn of the century Vienna, as opposed to other European cities, the place in which these ideas and radical conceptions took root? Students will be challenged to uncover the rich history and culture of turn of the century Vienna through the various lenses of visual arts, literature, music, philosophy, and psychology. Participants in the seminar will therefore be introduced to a variety of approaches to reconstructing and understanding the past. Through weekly response papers and a final research paper, this course will provide the tools for students to develop their abilities to analyze primary sources, engage with secondary sources, and write thoughtful, critical, and original papers.

*FULL*From Bench to Bedside: An Introduction to Pharmacology*FULL*
CRN 3084
Mondays & Wednesdays, 2-3:50pm
Professor Christina Coughlan
The goal for this course is to give students some general, broad-based principles of pharmacology. This course helps students understand how drugs work, how they are designed and how we decide what a patient should be prescribed to reverse their disease and help their symptoms. A stepwise approach using “the medical model” will be used when thinking about drug design. Using this model we think about (a) how the body normally performs a particular function (b) what goes wrong with this function in the disease state (c) what current therapies do adjust this disease state back to the normal physiological state (d) the side effects of these therapies and (e) how these therapies are being improved or how could they be improved to make them address the symptoms of the disease more specifically and cause less side effects. The overall aim is that by the end of this quarter that the students feel like pharmacologists, and that they enjoy the learning environment at DU.

*FULL*From Teen Moms to Soccer Moms: Facts and Fictions of American Motherhood*FULL*
CRN 4206
Mondays & Wednesdays, 2-3:50pm
Professor Jennifer A. Reich
Mothers remain central to countless social debates. Whether mothers work for wages or micromanage their families’ days, over-schedule their children’s lives, push them too hard or fail to fully develop their potential, expose them to inappropriate adult worlds or shelter them, mothers are scrutinized. Perceived failures in mothering are also blamed for many social ills—including violence, drug use, teen pregnancy, failing schools, or crime. This course invites students to think critically about these discourses of motherhood and unpack the social expectations and cultural representations of mothers. We will examine our own assumptions about mothers and explore the structural forces that affect family life and contribute to gender inequality. Through this systematic exploration, students will gain skills to critically analyze their social worlds and broader cultural assumptions of individuals, groups, and themselves.

*FULL*Gender, Feminism, Power, and Pop Culture: Decoding Buffy the Vampire Slayer*FULL*
CRN 3091
Tuesdays & Thursdays, 2-3:50pm
Professor Jodie A. Kreider
What if instead of running from the monster, tripping, falling and dying in a horror movie, the blonde girl turned around, fought back, and won? What if she is the creature that scares the monsters? The series Buffy the Vampire Slayer evolved from this single question. Buffy Studies is an international academic phenomenon. This course introduces students to this interdisciplinary field of study that approaches popular entertainment with intellectual and scholarly rigor.

Students will approach the subject and various texts, both audio-visual and printed, including Buffy, novels such as Frankenstein and Dracula, and scholarly articles critically, thoughtfully, and creatively, using course materials and research to analyze, discuss, and write about the role and impact of pop culture in society, both now and in the past. Themes include Romanticism, witchcraft, vampires as brooding Gothic heroes, gender, feminism, character construction, language, individual responsibility, and others. Students will learn the skills of academic life, including writing, discussion, presentation and critical analysis. Students will view an average of two episodes every weekend and are responsible for frequent response papers and creation of a lesson plan. No previous knowledge of the show is required. Join us for some textual and cultural Slayage!

*FULL*Geography of Music*FULL*
CRN 4217
Tuesdays & Thursdays, 2-3:50pm
Professor J. Michael Daniels
This class introduces eight musical genres and investigates their geographical context: African, western classical, Indian classical, jazz, bluegrass, reggae, rock and roll, and hip hop. Each of these genres has well-defined geographies: they originated in specific places at specific times in response to cultural, historical, social and political conditions. They diffuse through space and acquire new characteristics as they change and evolve. Performance of music also helps produce places, which are fundamentally geographic phenomena.

The course uses music to discuss three geographical concepts: 1) spatial diffusion; 2) human-environment interactions; and 3) place. We will read popular books and academic articles to understand how music relates to these concepts. We will listen to music in class and will discuss how its style, harmony and structure relate to the places from which it originates. We will attend live music performances outside of class and will use these experiences to examine how music is involved in the making of place. The course will also introduce fundamental principles of scholarship, including critical reading, active listening, archival and field research and expository writing.

*FULL*The Geography of Revolutions and Revolutionaries in Latin America*FULL*
CRN 3082
Mondays & Wednesdays, 10-11:50am
Professor Matthew Taylor
Latin America brings to mind images of Emiliano Zapata, the modern Zapatista rebellion in Mexico, Che, the Cuban Revolution, Guatemalan indigenous women carrying babies and weapons simultaneously. On the opposing side from the revolutionaries, we easily imagine military dictators behind dark sunglasses in full military regalia. In bringing these images of revolution and repression to our minds we often fail to realize that many of Latin America’s revolutions resulted from a conflict over access to a resource most Latin Americans hold close to their hearts – land. It is important for us to study revolutionaries because, from the Dominican Republic down to Patagonia, directly or indirectly, guerrillas have shaped, and in many cases transformed, the social, physical, and political landscapes in most Latin American countries over the last few hundred years. We will examine the causes, nature, and consequences of revolutionary movements in Latin America during the 20th and 21st century. We will read accounts of revolution written by guerrilla leaders, teachers, United States government agents, and academics from the North and South in an attempt to understand revolution and the fight for land from multiple perspectives.

Geometry of the Universe
CRN 4204
Mondays & Wednesdays, 4-5:50pm
Professor Frédéric Latrémolière
Mathematics is the foundation of science and technology, as it underlies all of our understanding of the world around us. It finds its origin in a blend of innate human curiosity about the world, necessity of survival and progress, and philosophical considerations. As Galileo eloquently wrote, “The book of nature is written in the language of Mathematics,” and thus any form of proper education ought to provide literacy in mathematics as a necessary means to understand our world, both physical and cultural. We propose to appeal to this innate curiosity about the natural world as a motivation and a background upon which to construct a First-Year Seminar in mathematics, thus exploring the role of geometry in the understanding of our universe.

We propose to follow a coarse historical guideline in the class. This would cover three main phases: the ancient times, the Galilean-Newtonian revolution and contemporary challenges. Each phase will include presentation of mathematical ideas as used in the physical sciences and involve students in some elementary manipulations of these ideas to experience some of the challenges posed by science. We hope this class will open new horizons in students’ education and remind them of the beauty of human reason and of the universe it helps to explain.

*FULL*Governing Disaster*FULL*
CRN 4211
Mondays & Wednesdays, 8-9:50am
Professor Susan M. Sterett
Wildfires, floods, and bombs: disasters evoke responses from governments, and when they don’t, governments run into trouble. The governor of the state of California has recently established an office of volunteer services, recognizing that volunteers, especially neighbors, are first responders in case of emergency. In doing so, the governor has built from one way of seeing governing in emergency: one that focuses on building capacity in communities to prevent and respond effectively to emergencies. The other is to focus on emergencies as something that require authoritarian management of citizens after disaster, rather than drawing on citizen strengths. In this course we will use those two ways of thinking about governing to think through disaster. We will draw from specific examples, including the explosion and release of toxic chemicals in Bhopal, India, and the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

*FULL*Governing Globalization: Politics of World Economy*FULL*
CRN 3070
Tuesdays & Thursdays, 4-5:50pm
Professor Jing Sun
This course will examine one of the most lively debated issue areas in contemporary international political economy: namely, globalization and its political and social impacts. In the past two decades, especially since the end of the Cold War, “globalization” has become one of the most widely used terms in intellectual discourses and acquired numerous meanings and implications. The public sphere has been saturated with “pro” or “anti-globalization” discussions and actions. High public attention provides a most constructive foundation for a course on globalization. This seminar aims at achieving a number of goals: First, to help students understand basic concepts and main themes of international political economy. Second, to help students appreciate the trans-national scale of globalization without losing sight of the controversies and sensitivities associated with this massive movement. Third, through studying and debating this contentious issue, students will learn how to think critically, how to situate one’s political passion about complex issues on a balanced understanding, and how to express one’s thoughts effectively and respond to others’ arguments constructively. All of these skills are important ones for students to master in order to make the most out of college-level courses.

*FULL*Great Discoveries in the Life Sciences*FULL*
CRN 3088
Mondays & Wednesdays, 2-3:50pm
Professor Daniel Linseman
In this course we focus on topics that have reshaped the way scientists view the life sciences. We read a set of papers that focus on the following topics: the discovery of DNA, the nature of the human genome (how do we store so much information), viruses (types and outbreaks), neurotransmitters and disease (e.g., Parkinson’s), cloning procedures (how might it be done, should it be done), and stem cells (characteristics, uses, and ethical considerations). We have a set of short writing exercises to complement these articles and here the goal is to improve one’s technique for writing an “argument” (i.e., defending a position).

*FULL* How Thingamajigs Work: Moving Beyond the Technical Lingo*FULL*
CRN 3044
Mondays & Wednesdays, 12-1:50pm
Professor Balasingam (Verl) Murugaverl
We are constantly bombarded with technical lingo. Unfortunately, these jargons make it difficult to sort out important terms from technical hogwash and contribute to the fear towards technology. The aim of this course is to ease students’ fear of technology and improve their understanding of how modern technology works. Instead of dwelling on the abstract concepts and the underlying theories, students will engage directly into assembling or disassembling familiar intelligent devices like computers to see what makes them work. Students will be challenged with designing and building working models of technical devices from odds and ends, for example fabricating a device like an electric motor, a radio receiver, or a speaker. Team competitions will allow students to show off their innovative skills and craftsmanship. This course is essentially an academic enrichment program that is intended to cultivate problem solving and process skills. This course is appropriate for students of any discipline who are just curious about how things work.

*FULL*Im(possible) Worlds: The Fantastic Short Story in the Américas*FULL*
CRN 4203
Mondays & Wednesdays, 10-11:50am
Professor Alison Krögel
“Fantastic” literature forces readers to consider whether certain events, characters, or images exist in the realm of the lived “real” or the “supernatural.” In Fantastic literary texts, “reasonable” explanations are resisted in an effort to present the unpredictability of memory, fate, political oppression, dreams and nightmares. Authors may also deploy Fantastic literature as a tool for critiquing power when they create socio-political allegories under the guise of a fanciful “ghost story.” In this course, students will study the Fantastic short fiction of North and Latin American authors whose texts were originally written in English, Spanish, Portuguese and Quechua. We will read, analyze and discuss Fantastic short stories that explore the human psyche and all of its accompanying madness, ambiguity and mystery. This seminar begins with a discussion of the rise of the short story genre and the important intersections of the Fantastic, the Gothic and the Magical Real. Students will study the ways in which short story authors from the Américas have influenced and responded to each other’s work throughout the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries. In addition to short stories, class texts will also include selected films, visual art, photography and poetry.

International Queer Identities
CRN 3071
Tuesdays & Thursdays, 4-5:50pm
Professor Luc Beaudoin
In 2007, while speaking at Columbia University, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad exclaimed, “In Iran, we don’t have homosexuals, like in your country.” His comment refuting the existence of Iranian gays and lesbians brings up a number of questions surrounding the varied cultural conceptions of homosexuality around the world. Part of the problem is that when we consider contemporary gay and lesbian identities, we tend to make a certain number of assumptions based on the vocabulary of an American queer culture that traces its roots to the Stonewall Riots of 1969. In other countries and societies, however, questions of gay and lesbian rights are frequently entangled in resurgent nationalism and tradition, contrasted to religious norms, and vilified as the worst the West has to offer. Then our preconceptions fail. To help us try to find some answers, this course will examine the nature of gay desire and identity as represented in literature and film in a select number of countries and societies. Students will be asking critical questions and writing to make sense of the problems we will be discussing in class. Students will leave this course with an understanding of the some of the most compelling nuances of human identity as they are reflected in cultures different from, and similar to, our own.

*FULL*Jane Austen in Her Time and Ours*FULL*
CRN 4212
Mondays & Wednesdays, 4-5:50pm
Professor Ingrid Tague
Few authors inspire the passionate devotion that Jane Austen does in her fans: there are hugely popular Austen book clubs, societies, and Web sites worldwide. Bookstores and movie rental shelves are also filled with contemporary engagements with Austen, from adaptations of her novels to a mystery series in which she stars. Why does an author who has been dead for almost two centuries and who published only six novels attract such a devoted following? And what does any of this have to do with the world in which Austen herself lived? In this course, we will study Austen’s work from a historical, rather than a literary, perspective. We will explore the particular social and cultural context in which Austen wrote, and consider what we can learn from her novels about England in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. In addition, we will look at the “Austen industry” today. Why do her works continue to appeal to us, and why have they proven such fertile fields for adaptation on screen and page? To help us think about these questions, we will watch several film adaptations and read some contemporary fiction that uses her books as source material. Two of Austen’s best-loved works, Pride and Prejudice and Emma, will serve as the central texts for the course.

*FULL*Jesus in Hollywood (and College)*FULL*
CRN 3079
Mondays & Tuesdays, 2-3:50pm
Professor Gregory Allen Robbins
Imagine what it would be like to watch The Greatest Story Ever Told, Monty Python’s Life of Brian, Jesus Christ Superstar, The Last Temptation of Christ, Jesus of Montreal, and The Passion of the Christ in a college classroom. On the one hand, this is a course about Jesus, who was, originally, a religious reformer of late antique Judaism, but whose movement ultimately gave rise to a separate religious tradition. It is a course about New Testament portrayals of Jesus in the Gospels. It is a course about contemporary, historical research on the figure of Jesus. But primarily, it is a course about film and cinematography, about reading film critically as a “text,” and, in this context, the way in which film “translates” or “transforms” Jesus (and Mary Magdalene and Judas) into another medium. It is a course about how Jesus films serve to convey modern cultural assumptions. As a result, it is a perfect introduction to the exciting, academic discipline of Religious Studies.

*FULL*Make Me Laugh! (To Wit, Theory, Practice and Enjoyment of Comedy) *FULL*
CRN 3054
Mondays & Wednesdays, 8-9:50am
Professor Victor Castellani
“A day without laughter,” peerless clown Charlie Chaplin once said, “is a day wasted.”

But why do we laugh, with whom, at what—or at whom? This course will lead students toward answers, as we enjoy wit and humor of varied types, laughing (or sometimes groaning) at examples from the coarse low of Borat to the sublime of Midsummer Night’s Dream. Material ranges from funny sounds, words, and images to complete plays, classic and contemporary, and feature-length films, comic masterworks from Monty Python and Mel Brooks, not without “romantic comedy” (the 1981 gem Arthur).

As the course title suggests, we will especially explore comedy—in movies and also in theater pieces that we read but also, at least twice during the quarter, that we see and hear live on stage. Practical principles of humorists are part of our study, along with sometimes quite unfunny theories of merriment; but the outcome will be students’ own creative work that will (let’s hope!) indeed make the instructor laugh, in shorter compositions and in comical scenes that students will conceive, script, and perform at the end of the term. At the same time students will demonstrate how well they understand mechanisms involved, not to maim or kill humor but to enhance its appreciation.

Mapping through Time: From Babylon to the Digital Age
CRN 4196
Tuesdays & Thursdays, 12-1:50pm
Professor Sharolyn Anderson
The seminar will begin by exploring case studies from ancient societies to the current day in an effort to understand the world through maps. We will study changes in science that were affected by maps. The first case study involves the medical field, which was influenced by John Snow’s Cholera map. The second study reviews the changes in geology after the publication of William Smith’s map of England. These events will be examined through non-fiction books. The books discuss the development of the maps but also the social and political processes of the historic times and the pertinence to current day issues. From historical data, we will move to investigate the current uses of geospatial data. We will examine the acquisition of geospatial data via remote sensing and GPS. Students will be introduced to different GIS software and will learn to use geospatial data. Students will learn the basics of creating maps using their own data from GPS, virtual globes, and internet data. In the final portion of the seminar, students will analyze their individual maps, analyze other maps, and they will compare their initial understanding of maps to the current (after seminar) understanding of maps.

*FULL*Mars: Another Cradle of Life or Dead Planet?*FULL*
CRN 3038
Tuesdays & Thursdays, 12-1:50pm
Professor Amy Bauer
This seminar will focus on the acquisition of an understanding of current Mars science, heavily leaning toward the question of whether or not there has ever been anything living on this now inhospitable planet. We will discuss the history of Mars science, from the canals and humanlike inhabitants proposed by Percival Lowell to the current understanding of a planet where water was once clearly common, but is now nearly devoid of surface water. The Martian meteorite ALH84001 will be discussed, as will results from the Viking (1975), Pathfinder and Global Surveyor (1996) and current missions (Mars Exploration Rovers and Phoenix). We will also consider the interplay between scientific understanding of Mars and popular culture, and ethical questions surrounding the potential to discover life elsewhere. These questions may include whether pursuing other life is a proper use of resources and how our understanding of ourselves might change as a result of knowing that “we are not alone.”

*FULL*The Mathematics of Politics: Polling, Apportionment, Political Power and Paradoxes of Voting*FULL*
CRN 4201
Tuesdays & Thursdays, 4-5:50pm
Professor Jim Hagler
This seminar focuses on quantitative issues related to the U.S. national election, which will be held on Tuesday, November 4, 2008. Topics: 1) polling and the mathematics that underlies it; 2) apportionment of seats in the U.S. House of Representatives; 3) quantitative measures of political power; 4) and somewhat more abstract issues (such as the fairness of various voting procedures) will flow naturally from the concrete investigations in the first three topics.

We’ll use Microsoft Excel extensively in our work, mainly for analysis of real and real-time data (available on the Web). Excel will also be used to simulate sampling from a population and we will see what happens under controlled conditions. Census data (from the Department of Commerce Web site) will be used to confirm the current configuration of the House of Representatives. (Other apportionment methods used throughout U.S. history will also be studied.) Quantitative measures of political power were originally formulated (in the 1960s) to determine voters’ power in weighted voting systems, where different voters have different numbers of votes. These measures are also applicable to the Electoral College.

No explicit mathematical background is necessary, only an interest in the subject matter and a willingness to work hard.

*FULL*Mathematics of the Ancient World*FULL*
CRN 4339
Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays & Thursdays, 9-9:50am
Professor Michael Kinyon
“Learn from the masters, not from their pupils.“ - Niels H. Abel

This seminar will put students in direct contact with the mathematical ideas of the ancient world through careful reading and discussion of original source material. The course will be more than just a collection of amusing apocryphal anecdotes about key figures. (“Pythagoras never ate beans, believing them to be reincarnated souls.”) The approach will not be chronological, but instead will track particular topics through time, such as enumeration and number systems, solving equations, and the original of geometry. We will learn how and why, in the absence of computing machinery, the Egyptians and Babylonians developed sophisticated arithmetic techniques and the rudiments of what we now call algebra. We will learn about the history of rigorous proof. We will also look at parallel developments in India and China, and discuss possible historical influences. We will engage in a close reading of portions of Euclid’s Elements. And with each topic, we will end with a look at later developments to connect the topic to more familiar ideas.

*FULL*The Meaning(s) of Work*FULL*
CRN 3025
Mondays & Wednesdays, 10-11:50am
Professor Daniel Lair
During our working lives, most of us will spend at least half of our waking hours working. With this overwhelming significance of work in our lives as a backdrop, this seminar is designed to provide students with the opportunity to engage in critically-informed reflections regarding their aspirations for their future work, as well as their expectations regarding the work world they will encounter. To do so, the course will engage in a series of theoretical, historical, and popular perspectives on and representations of work and its various meanings, and connect those readings to experiences with different types of work in several community-based learning projects with local nonprofit organizations. Community-based service-learning plays a significant role in this course! In short this seminar aims to not only help students understand the role that work will play in their lives, opening up a critical space for students to make deliberate choices regarding their career aspirations, but also to help students gain a greater understanding of the role that work will play in the lives of others engaged in different types of work across the socio-economic spectrum.

*FULL*Nanotechnology and Society: Savior, Scourge, or “Meh?”*FULL*
CRN 4220
Tuesdays & Thursdays, 2 -3:50pm
Professor Matthew Pufall
Society is wagering that its continued improvement will be due in large part to continued scientific and technological innovations, to better the length and quality of our lives, while relieving the pressures of an increasing population’s demands on dwindling resources and stressed biosphere. In turn, science and technology is wagering that many (perhaps most) such innovations will be found in the discovery of new scientific phenomena at the nanometer scale. This is called “nanotechnology” or nanoscience, and has as its premise that the physics, biology and chemistry of nano-scale things can be very different from what is true at larger (and sometimes smaller) sizes. In this seminar, we will as a group study examples of nanotechnology in many different disciplines, and see how they relate to the cutting edge in those fields. At the same time, we will assess the potential impacts on society, both positive and negative, and attempt to come to a more sophisticated understanding of the costs and benefits of technological advancement. We will introduce methods of critical thinking applicable to a range of fields, from science, to public policy, and investment. All that is required for the class are precalculus-level quantitative skills, and a curious mind.

*FULL*Napoleon’s Buttons: Molecules That Changed the History of the World*FULL*
CRN 3246
Mondays & Wednesdays, 8-9:50am
Professor Ronald Nohr
In June 1812, Napoleon’s army was 600,000 strong, but by December it numbered fewer than 10,000. The tattered remnants of his army entered western Russia on their long retreat from Moscow. Napoleon’s retreat from Moscow had far- reaching consequences on the map and history of Europe. What were the causes of the downfall of this great army? One possible hypothesis was the disintegration of the tin buttons on the soldiers’ uniforms. When the temperature drops to very low numbers, metallic tin starts to change into crumbly nonmetallic gray powder resulting in the inability to hold the uniforms together to provide protection against the sub-freezing temperatures. It has not only been metals that have had an impact on history, but also compounds like morphine, “the pill” and sulfa drugs. The goal of this seminar is to reveal and show how seventeen chemical compound discoveries changed the history of the world. These revolutionary seventeen new compounds had such an impact on societies across the world that monumental change was inevitable. The major focus will be directed at chemistry and history but content will also involve biology, physics, and sociology. Discussions and presentations will center on the historical climate, ethical issues and the scientific process which enabled these discoveries to take place.

*FULL*Off-Grid Living: Philosophies and Practices*FULL*
CRN 3028
Tuesdays & Thursdays, 12-1:50pm
Professor David Ciepley
In contemporary parlance, “the grid” refers to the electrical power grid and, by metaphorical extension, to the broader infrastructure of transportation, communication, food distribution, and fossil-fuel energy. The grid powers our lives and connects us together. It is one of the wonders of human invention and investment, the spine of civilization. And every year, thousands of Americans make a voluntary decision to remove themselves partially or wholly from it. This course is about their lives and about the various religious, philosophical, and political principles that underwrite their “world renunciation.” We first develop a typology of contemporary off-gridders, categorized by ecological niche (urban scavengers, hunter-gatherers, eco-farmers, and eco-engineers). Next, we examine some important systems of meaning that have infused and inflected off-grid living, including ideals of autonomy and authenticity, and concerns about modern technology and the environment. We also explore the creative tension between American ideals of individualism and egalitarian community. Finally, some practical techniques of sustainable living—from gardening to building—will be taught. Students will be expected to read 100 pages per week, participate actively in class discussions, and attend film screenings and field trips. They also must be willing to get a little dirt on themselves!

*FULL*Original Voices in Performance*FULL*
CRN 3020
Mondays & Wednesdays, 10-11:50am
Professor Rick Barbour
In Original Voices in Performance, students will experience the process of creating, crafting and performing original work for the stage. Building upon a foundation of spoken language rooted in personal experience, students will learn to share their stories in ways that engage, affect and provoke an audience. Looking to past and present solo performers as storytelling role models, students will propose develop and perform original performance pieces. Emphasizing the values of interdependence, collaboration, critical assessment and passionate advocacy, the seminar aims to reward risk, shun passivity, celebrate honesty in storytelling, and challenge preconceived notions of the artist/audience relationship.

The theatre’s collaborative process requires teamwork, open debate and collective pursuit of a common goal: sharing the truth of the human condition with others of our species. Students immersed in this process will learn to collaborate, problem-solve and prioritize in visceral and meaningful ways.

We will create a community of “original voices” that showcases individual perspectives while fostering interdependence throughout. Via research and discussion, innate instinct and conscious craft, writing and re-writing, and rehearsal and performance, a group of passionate individuals will forge a community based in respect and defined by mutual risk and reward.

*FULL*Physics of Life*FULL*
CRN 4214
Tuesdays & Thursdays, 4-5:50pm
Professor Davor Balzar
Contemporary life sciences and their possible broad societal impacts are increasingly becoming a focus, not only among scientists, the high-tech corporate world, and funding agencies, but also among the general population and legislators. Biologists, biochemists, and medical professionals take most of the credit for the development of life and related sciences. However, recently, researchers from other disciplines, notably engineers and physicists, are joining forces and making an important impact. One of the basic questions that scientists and philosophers have struggled with since early times is: Are laws of physics sufficient to explain and describe life? This seminar will take a physicist’s approach, as life will be studied and discussed in terms of basic principles and laws of physics. It will focus on biological themes at both the macroscopic and microscopic levels, as the human body will be discussed both from a physiological aspect (i.e., operation of the body organs) and at the molecular level. Some of the imaging techniques will be both demonstrated and studied, in particular MRI, microscopy, and crystallography. Finally, some of the ultimate questions (for instance, consciousness) will be critically studied.

*FULL*The Politics of Sports*FULL*
CRN 3059
Mondays & Wednesdays, 10-11:50am
Professor Tom Knecht
This course examines the intersection of politics and sports. Because sports occupy an important place in most cultures, it is of little surprise that they are also highly politicized. Governments not only regulate athletics, but have used sports both as a tool of political socialization and as a means to advance the national interest in international affairs. Likewise, politicians have turned to sports as a way of furthering their individual careers. But are politics corrupting sports? Alternatively, can politics save our sports from corruption? We will examine these questions by looking at subjects ranging from BALCO to the Beijing Olympic Games. By the end of the quarter, students may find that they see both politics and sports in a new light.

*FULL*Psychological Perspectives on Trauma and Victimization*FULL*
CRN 4706
Tuesdays & Thursdays 12-1:50pm
Aimee Reichmann-Decker
Floods. Hurricanes. Bullying. Kidnapping. Sexual Assault. War. What happens to people when awful things occur?

Trauma and victimization has a profound human cost that impacts individuals in a variety of contexts throughout society and the world. This course will examine the psychological aftermath of trauma and victimization. We will study non-interpersonal traumas (e.g., natural disasters) and interpersonal traumas (e.g., assault) from a psychological perspective based on theory, research, and treatment. We will examine the topics through readings, discussions, mini-lectures, guest speakers, and film.

Religion in Exile: Immigration and the Religious Experience
CRN 4208
Tuesdays & Thursdays, 10-11:50am
Professor Alison Schofield
The migration of communities—by force or by necessity—often results in confusion, hardship, and identity crisis. Religion is often one of the important ways that displaced societies maintain identity and adapt to—or even resist—their new surrounding culture(s). We will study the fascinating interplay between religion and identity “in exile” for three communities. Starting with the themes of exodus and exile in the Bible, we will trace how these stories were (re)interpreted by Jews in “diaspora” in American society. Next, stories about Mexican (im)migrants to the U.S. and their religious experiences will be examined. Finally we will study the experience of “exile” for one group of Christian Palestinians and how religious has shaped their experiences.

What role has religion played in the lives of immigrant populations? How does religious expression contribute to a sense of identity and power? What is the connection between the community and (home)land? Students will be strongly encouraged to participate in the service-learning option, where they can learn through volunteering with migrant communities in Denver.

Rhetoric and Performance of Chicana/os
CRN 4336
Mondays & Wednesdays, 10-11:50am
Professor Bernadette Marie Calafell
As the Latina/o population continues to grow in the United States, having become the largest “minority” group in the U.S., it becomes increasingly important to understand and respect the cultures of this heterogeneous community. Latina/os are often erroneously subsumed or rendered invisible by dominant constructions of race within the U.S. that rely upon a Black and White dichotomy. Therefore, this course will examine the rhetoric and performance of Chicana/os in the United States. While we will study Chicana/o rhetoric and history as manifested in more traditional texts like speeches and other forms of protest rhetoric, we will also learn about other more performative rhetorical forms produced by historically marginalized communities. Thus, we will analyze primary texts such as photography, artwork, Web sites, performances, and poetry. We will consider how Chicana/os as postcolonial subjects defy dominant notions of race and understand the political, aesthetic, social, and cultural dimensions of the texts we study. Additionally, we will explore Denver as a key site of the Chicana/o movement and then work to locate contemporary understanding of Chicana/o identities.

*FULL*The Rhetoric of Tango*FULL*
CRN 4337
Mondays & Wednesdays 4-5:50pm
Professor Ann Dobyns
This class is a study of the culture, history, artistic expression and communication of tango. We will begin by establishing a methodology by which we will study the tango. Because beautiful and expressive tango depends upon intense communication, we will learn the language of rhetorical analysis to understand the nuances of this communication. We will then study two different narratives of the history of tango from its roots in the melting pot immigrant culture of Buenos Aires in the 1890s to the present. We will examine the changing styles of the lyrics, rhythms, and harmonies of the different major periods and how those are reflected in the dance and the communication between the dancers. Finally, we will explore the etiquette of the milonga (the dance party) in Argentina and in other major centers of dance.

Students will learn the basics of tango dancing and will hear speakers with expertise in the dance itself, in teaching the dance, and in understanding its music. The course will end with performances at our own milonga.

Romanticism and Gothic Madness
CRN 4197
Mondays & Wednesdays, 12-1:50pm
Professor Brian Bates
What are the limits of the rational human mind, and what defines our sense of reality? The mysterious, the unknown, the terrifying—these subjects preoccupied many British and American writers at the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th century. Out of these concerns, a literary tradition emerged that we now call “Gothic.” In this course we will explore the conflicting cultural forces, dizzying architecture, and nightmare paintings that shaped the beginnings of this movement. However, we will concentrate primarily on the novels, poems, and short stories in this period, which still influence many horror films and novels produced today. Monstrous villains, apparitions, zombies, vampires, drug addiction, repressed perversions, and impending insanity haunt the works of Coleridge, De Quincey, Byron, Shelley, Poe, and Hawthorne. Conversely, these seemingly terrifying subjects were also seen as laughable by some of these very same writers, as well as novelists like Jane Austen. Whether frightening or comical, politically liberal or conservative, Gothic literature was wrapped up in anxieties about social upheaval and the rights of the individual. This literature sparked heated debates that continue today about whether fantastical literature negatively affects the moral and physical health of readers.

Science through Theatre
CRN 3083
Tuesdays & Thursdays, 4-5:50pm
Professor Dennis Barrett
In contrast to simplistic textbook descriptions of “the scientific method,” the way scientists really operate is an intensely human enterprise. It incorporates races to discovery, vituperative argumentation, and sometimes skullduggery. In this seminar, students will learn how scientists feel, what motivates them, and what conflicts they face as they do science. Science has powerful allies in the world of theatre, for some of the finest playwrights of our time have dramatized the scientific endeavor: major names like Brecht, Tom Stoppard and Michael Frayn, as well as some excellent lesser-known writers. In the best plays, science is woven into the text, and scientific ideas may develop even as the characters develop.

The thrust of this seminar, then, is to develop an understanding of the ways of science by reading and analyzing plays about it. And to the extent that the good plays engage serious scientific ideas, inevitably some science will be learned along the way.

Members of the course will engage in play readings, and will read, analyze, discuss and write about the plays. The group will attend performances of live theatre, and assume that some plays of scientific interest will be included in the seasons of the many good theatres working in Front Range Colorado.

*FULL* Social Problems through Cinema*FULL*
CRN 3032
Mondays & Wednesdays 10-11:50am
Professor Michael Rosenbaum
Why would someone join an anti-government militia? Has internet pornography become a social problem? Is obesity an epidemic in the United States, and should our government really regulate what we eat? The overarching theme of the course will be to investigate the processes through which social problems become pressing matters in the public eye. We will study several contemporary social problems, investigate alternative explanations of the causes of these problems, critically assess the history and potential future of policies aimed to ameliorate these problems, and explore the role that social science can play in analyzing social problems and producing scientifically-grounded policy recommendations.

The media is a major player in the social construction of social problems, and throughout the course we will analyze the role that cinema and other media play in the formation and subsequent role of public discourse about social problems. In other words, we will consider how the cinematic experience helps shape our collective understanding of social problems.

*FULL*Soundscapes: Exploring Music in Multicultural America*FULL*
CRN 4219
Tuesdays & Thursdays, 4-5:50pm
Professor Sarah Morelli
Nowhere are diverse musical traditions more prominently represented in public performance and maintained in private practice than in North America. Centuries of immigration and an increasingly multi-ethnic population have resulted in multiple musical “soundscapes.” Some of these practices have sustained and transformed traditions no longer extant in their historical homelands; others have given rise to yet newer styles.

Soundscapes introduces a variety of musical traditions present in America today. The seminar will focus on developing the skills necessary to apprehend unfamiliar musical traditions and to write critically about music and its varied socio-cultural meanings. We will examine the manner in which musical traditions are shaped by and give shape to the cultural settings in which they are performed. We will also explore Denver’s varied musical soundscapes by participating in workshops and in-class lecture-demonstrations by local musicians as well as by attending outside musical performances. From a disciplinary standpoint, this course serves as an introduction to ethnomusicology, a discipline that intersects with several other fields including historical musicology, anthropology, sociology, and cultural studies. Overall, this course aims to explore music as a form of human expression and a meaningful aspect of daily life.

*FULL*Storytelling: From Plato to Halo*FULL*
CRN 4207
Mondays & Wednesdays, 10-11:50am
Professor Adam Rovner
What would Plato say about video games? How is a short story put together? Is it meaningful to insist that a book is better than its movie adaptation? Answers to these questions can be found when we study storytelling—narrative. Narrative is a basic human need, but one of our most complex endeavors. Narrative can take an almost boundless number of forms in our modern culture, including: gesture, speech, writing, music, painting, photography, cinema, radio, television, comics, theater, and video games. This seminar examines how the principal elements of narrative are emphasized by different genres and media, and how narrative forms change over time. In particular, this course focuses on how stories may be adapted. This seminar’s goals include: (1) introducing students to narrative theory, (2) familiarizing students with interpretive strategies and critical reading skills, (3) helping students put theory into practice through a series of written exercises. These exercises reveal the relationship between narrative form and narrative content. Through discussion, reading, writing, and focused creative work, students gain an appreciation for how various thinkers have interpreted, analyzed, and utilized the art of narrative from Plato to Halo.

*FULL*Studying Moral Lives*FULL*
CRN 3022
Mondays & Wednesdays, 10-11:50am
Professor Sandra Lee Dixon
The stories of heroically good lives fascinate many people, but we rarely understand moral leaders. Psychologists and philosophers have studied moral lives, however, and we can ask questions of their work, such as “What contributes to a moral life?” “How would we know a moral life if we saw it?” “How could we study moral lives?” We will read two great moral philosophers—Aristotle and Immanuel Kant—for some of their key ideas. We will consider how morality is more than just a series of rules saying “thou shalt not . . .” We will read stories of lives of moral commitment among lesser known moral heroes. We will talk to a pro-life, anti-abortion protestor about her commitments and share some stories of people we admire for their moral direction in life. We will look at how gender, as well as the social and cultural backgrounds of African Americans and Euro-Americans have led to different understandings of what a moral life includes. We will aim to explore people’s lives rather than to deliver our moral judgments on them.

*FULL*Studying the Social Animal*FULL*
CRN 3043
Tuesdays & Thursdays, 12-1:50pm
Professor Daniel McIntosh
In this course, students will learn about how humans are “the social animal,” and how psychologists study human social behavior. The course will introduce students to the content and methods of social psychological research by having students read, discuss, write and talk about, and do research on topics such as conformity, persuasion, the self, aggression, relationships, and perceiving other people. The combination of seminar, lecture, and hands-on workshop approaches aims to have students become informed and critical consumers of psychological research and ethical and professional producers of such knowledge. In addition to being introduced to the content and methods of social psychological research, students will practice skills such as scientific writing and some quantitative reasoning and public speaking. The centerpiece of the course is students collecting and analyzing observational data, writing a research report on the study, and presenting the information to the class.

*FULL*Surfing the Infinite*FULL*
CRN 3040
Mondays & Wednesdays, 2-3:50pm
Professor Debra S. Carney
Did you know there are different sizes of infinity? Did you know you can visualize the fourth dimension? Did you know that a calculator can exhibit chaos? If you are intrigued by questions like these, then Surfing the Infinite may be the First-Year Seminar for you. The course will have three main themes. First, we will discuss some of the greatest and most fascinating ideas in mathematics from ancient times to today. Second, we will seek to improve students’ effective thinking skills. The third goal is to simply have fun.

We will cover topics under the broad headings of numbers, infinity, geometry, and chaos & fractals. Class meetings will be interactive and conducted in a seminar style, with students actively participating in discussion and learning activities. Emphasis will be placed on rigorous weekly written assignments based on the topics we cover. An interest in mathematics is the only requirement.

Transnational Justice and the Boundaries of Rights
CRN 3046
Mondays & Wednesdays 2-3:50pm
Professor Lisa Conant
The devastation of two world wars and Nazi atrocities inspired Europeans to pursue regional integration and human rights in the 1950s. Today’s European Union (EU) and European Convention on Human Rights (the Convention) are the outcomes of this commitment. The respective “supranational” courts, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) and European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), have the largest flows of international litigation. EU law and the Convention regularly infringe on sovereignty, contributing to the transnational regulation of the economy and environment, social-welfare policy, immigration, family law, and even reproductive technologies. While such legal systems were once unusual in world politics, the number of international tribunals dramatically increased in the 1990s. This course will explore the following questions: what explains the rise of institutions of transnational justice? What makes transnational justice effective? What justifies the pursuit of transnational rights?

Course objectives are to develop:
• Understanding of the relationship between transnational law and politics
• Knowledge of developments promoting transnational justice • Skills in analytical reasoning, argumentation, and research
• Clarity of written and oral expression
• Ability to cooperate with peers in learning

*FULL*Understanding Lincoln*FULL*
CRN 3026
Mondays & Wednesdays, 10-11:50am
Professor Susan Schulten
Abraham Lincoln was one of the nation’s most influential, intelligent, and reflective presidents. Not surprisingly, he was also one of the most complex. This seminar will cover many different aspects of his private and public life, and students will read a range of interpretations about Lincoln with the goal of honing their own analytical skills.

We will begin by studying Lincoln the person, for much has been made in recent years of his early and inner life. After establishing his biography and the nineteenth-century historical context, we will read Lincoln’s most important writings and speeches, both as a lawyer and a public figure, in order to ask the following types of questions. Did Lincoln develop a coherent political philosophy? How did he reconcile his faith in the Constitution with the more radical propositions of the Declaration of Independence? To what extent did his views on slavery evolve, and how did he think about race? How do we assess his historical importance?

We will also consider Lincoln’s complicated place in the nation’s civic and popular culture. How, for instance, have succeeding generations treated Lincoln? Have these views shifted widely? By the end of the course students will grasp not just the intellectual, legal, and political problems that Lincoln confronted, but also his colossal place in American civic life and cultural memory.

*FULL*Understanding Moral Panics*FULL*
CRN 4205
Tuesdays & Thursdays, 12-1:50pm
Professor Jeffrey Lin
Have you ever felt that politicians or the media were overstating the risk of a particular social problem—such as terrorism, school violence or sexual predation? When social problems stimulate official responses that are vastly out of proportion to the threats that these problems actually pose to public welfare, social scientists often characterize them as moral panics. In this class, we will explore this phenomenon, focusing on the following key questions. Why do moral panics emerge? What are common characteristics of moral panics? What are the common characteristics of social groups that are stigmatized during these panics? What is the relationship between the reality of social problems and the public and political attention that they attract? Who has an interest in promoting moral panics and how is this done? Why do some social problems become moral panics while others do not? Through the study of moral panics, students will learn how to approach social problems with a scientific eye and better understand the reasons that some problems are overblown while others remain under the radar. In addition to studying moral panics specifically, the class will serve as an introduction to the ways in which social scientists think about issues generally.

*FULL*Universe as our Living Environment*FULL*
CRN 4340
Tuesdays & Thursdays, 10-11:50am
Professor Jennifer Hoffman
This seminar will introduce you to our current understanding of the structure and history of the Universe. We will cover some of the ground of an introductory astronomy course, including basic naked-eye observations, identification and classification of celestial objects, and the nature and motions of the solar system, stars, and galaxies. However, we will also take a broader view and discuss how humans came to understand these things from our limited, earthbound perspective. This will allow us to explore the history of astronomy and the role of science in society in general.

*FULL*Utopia, Dystopia, and the End of the World*FULL*
CRN 3077
Tuesdays & Thursdays, 12-1:50pm
Professor Paul Sutton
“Utopia” is often defined as an imaginary ideal civilization. In Utopia, Sir Thomas More writes of an island enjoying a perfect economic, social, legal, and political system. Sounds great. Yet to call someone a “utopian” today is generally regarded as a pejorative comment. The very ideas of “Utopia” and “Utopians” are maligned in literature, film, and political discourse. From Darwin to Malthus to Adam Smith to contemporary films like The Matrix and Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth– the nature of the human condition remains contested, and human progress is in no way guaranteed. This course explores ideas of “Utopia,” “Dystopia,” and “The End of the World” in literature and film. Questions to be answered by the students will be: “What is the best of all possible worlds?” and, “What, if anything, will I do to create them?” We will explore these questions by reading literature on ideas of utopia and watching and discussing several movies that mock ideas of utopia from various angles: (overpopulation, bio-disaster, nuclear disaster, ecological collapse, totalitarian political nightmare, etc.).

*FULL*Who are You? Music & Identity in Modern Life*FULL*
CRN 3027
Tuesdays & Thursdays, 2-3:50pm
Professor Jarl Ahlkvist
In this seminar, we will explore the ways that people use music as a cultural resource for developing a sense of collective and individual identity. Our seminar will kick off during Discoveries Orientation Week when we attend a music performance together. During the seminar, we will continue to experience a variety of music in a range of contexts in order to help bring theories and research on music and identity to life for us. The theories and research we will draw on come primarily from fields like psychology, sociology, anthropology, musicology, and geography and will help us to better understand how music helps people maintain, change, and experiment with their sense of self. The role of music in so-called postmodern societies where identity is increasingly fragmented and flexible will be of particular interest to us. Possible topics for the seminar include the role of music in youth subcultures, the use of music to alter consciousness, mood, and emotion; music in political movements, music fans, collective experiences of live music, gendered music listening, the religious/spiritual functions of music, the commodification of music and identity, and music in everyday life.

*FULL* Wild Colorado*FULL*
CRN 4198
Mondays & Wednesdays, 8-9:50am
Professor Lisa Dale
Wild Colorado will help welcome students to the University of Denver by locating them in the Rocky Mountains among the most beautiful and treasured wild places in the world. Wilderness is a colloquial term that suggests pristine landscapes; more importantly for the purposes of the course, “Wilderness” refers to a specific federal designation for tracts of public land that triggers a host of guaranteed protections. During Discoveries Week, the class will take an all-day field trip to visit and hike in a designated Wilderness area. The trip will kick-off our intensive study of the issues that are specific to the designation, maintenance and ongoing protection of remote landscapes. This First-Year Seminar is founded on a community-based learning model, and students will be matched with a local non-profit conservation group to experience the challenges of protecting Wilderness first-hand. Among the groups with whom we may partner are: The Wilderness Society, Colorado Environmental Coalition, Southern Rockies Ecosystem Alliance, Colorado Native Ecosystems, and Colorado Mountain Club.

*FULL*Words, Music and Social Change*FULL*
CRN 3052
Mondays & Wednesdays, 2-3:50pm
Professor Antonia Banducci
This course explores the power of music to impact and reflect social change as exemplified in the musicals West Side Story and Rent, the song “We Shall Overcome,” the Beatles’ music in the U.S.S.R and South African freedom music and dance during the apartheid era. As we study each topic, we will consider what the music’s influence entails—the messages transmitted, received and acted upon by individuals, groups and/or societies. We will examine the musical and/or extra-musical elements that give particular musical works the power to influence: the sources (oral traditions and/or composed), the texts, the performers, the audience and/or the participants, the mediums through which the music is communicated and the social/political/cultural contexts within which the music functions. To facilitate class discussions and clear, thoughtful written work, students will acquire a basic musical vocabulary that will allow them to discuss the connection between the music and the words.

*FULL*You Are What You Eat: A Course in Food Science*FULL*
CRN 4400
Mondays & Wednesdays, 4-5:50pm
Professor Michelle Knowles
The goal of this First-Year Seminar course is to investigate what we eat, how we experience food, and the science that we base nutritional decisions on. The first aim of this course is to explore what we eat. In the past 50 years, food has changed substantially and “food science” was invented. We will discuss what we eat and do an experiment or two to see what is really in our food. The second aspect of the course will cover food and our body. How we experience food varies greatly from one person to another. Our sensory responses, feelings of hunger and satiety, and metabolism are complex and unique. As our society grows more obese, these mechanisms are thought to change. The third aspect of this course will address how to tell if science behind a new nutritional claim is credible. Most days upon turning on the TV or reading a newspaper, we gather a new piece of information relating to our diet and health. Many results contradict what we just learned last week. Evaluating food claims is a very difficult task, even for experts, therefore debate and discussion will be a main focus of class time.

*FULL*Youth Cultures: Inequality, Resistance, and Empowerment*FULL*
CRN 3047
Tuesdays & Thursdays, 10-11:50am
Professor Hava Gordon
Do we live in a youth-worshipping society, or are youth convenient scapegoats for larger social problems? Although commonly understood to be a natural and universal phase in the life course, many scholars argue that “youth” is a social construction: one that varies widely across history and across culture. The purpose of this community-based seminar is to examine how young people in the United States are both “constructed” as a distinct social group by institutions such as media, schooling, and work, and how youth in turn construct their own social worlds and spark social change. In addition to exploring sociological analyses of youth and media, youth and schooling, and youth and low-wage work, students will read compelling ethnographies about suburban rockers, urban hip-hop youth, high school girl cliques, and teenage activists in order to examine the complex interplay of youth subordination and youth resistance in a rapidly changing U.S. society. Throughout the seminar, students will pay particular attention to the ways in which youth social issues are constructed along lines of race, class, and gender.

Please note: this course involves a service-learning component (along with regular reading and writing assignments), so students will also learn about youth issues through hands-on volunteer work with a local youth organization.

Remember to register by July 14, 2008!!

With questions, please call Orientation (303.871.3860),
Academic Advising (303.871.2455), or the Registrar’s Office (303.871.2284)