Art History 210: From the Beginning to Michelangelo
Dr. Carol Eckert
In Art History 210, participants will take a journey from the beginnings of art-making through some of the greatest civilizations' art and architecture. Students will be introduced to the artistic traditions of Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas up to the year 1600. We will see spectacular sights from the vivid animals painted on prehistoric cave walls to the likes of Michelangelo's paintings on the Sistine Ceiling. Along the way will be interspersed learning activities and discussions for students to explore their own creative range in both written and visual form.
English 111: Laughing Matters: Readings and Writings in Literary Humor
Dr. Charles Bradshaw
“It takes a big man to cry, but it takes a bigger man to laugh at that man.” – Jack Handy
“Humor is tragedy plus time.” – Mark Twain
In our age of cultural sensitivity, can we still laugh at anybody or anything? Our class seeks to answer this question by reading, viewing, writing about, and producing humor. We’ll examine theories of humor from Freud, Bergson and literary critics, look at the social and psychological nuances behind successful comedy, and read plenty of Mark Twain, Garrison Keillor, Dave Barry, Flannery O’Connor, and others. We’ll also examine satire, comedy, and the various forms of irony present in film and other media. Upon completion of this course, students should have a sense of humor, err, uhm . . . that is, they should gain an appreciation for the complexity and artistry of humorous writing. Students will be expected to keep up on reading and viewing assignments, write descriptive, analytical, and research-driven papers, and produce some comic writing of their own.
Philosophy 120: The Adventure of Ideas
Dr. Chris Brown
This introductory course in philosophy will address fundamental questions in metaphysics, the discipline that treats—to use Aristotle’s famous phrase—being qua being, and epistemology, the discipline whose practitioners attempt to give an account of the nature of knowledge itself. We will, for example, be entertaining the following sorts of questions: How does knowledge differ from opinion? Is it rational to believe in God without having a proof for God’s existence? Is language itself a form of technology? Does a good explanation of some phenomenon have to be a scientific explanation? How should we characterize the relationship between the human mind and the human brain? Is human being qualitatively or merely quantitatively different from animal being? Why should we answer one way rather than another with respect to any of these questions?
History 202: U.S. History: Reconstruction to Present
Dr. David Coffey
This course is a survey of U.S. history from the end of Reconstruction to the present. It covers the major themes, including Populism, Progressivism, the World Wars, the Depression and New Deal, the Cold War, the Vietnam Era and the Civil Rights Movement, as well as trends of the period, their causes and effects and the personalities involved. This survey will present political, social, cultural, military, economic, religious, intellectual and geographical aspects of this period in U.S. history.
Music 112: Music of the World: Music in Our Time
Dr. Julie Hill
Worlds of Music is an exploration of living music from around the world and the colorful and complex cultures that bring this music to life. The course is designed for students who embrace cultural diversity and seek an increase in global ethnic awareness. Countries include Japan, Iraq, Brazil, Mexico, Trinidad, India, China and Java, as well as other regions across the world. Topics include ideas about music, the social organization of music, the variety of musical sound, performance practices and musical acculturation. This course is taught from an experiential perspective and includes a "hands-on" performance component to each style. The class will present a world music concert for all the Governor's School participants at the conclusion of the course.
Political Science 210: American Government & Politics
Dr. Chris Baxter
UTM’s typical POSC 210 course focuses on the structure of the American political system, with an emphasis on the following topics: the development of the American Constitution; our system of federalism and how the national and state governments divide and compete for power; and the struggles between competing political parties, candidates, and interest groups for their share of power in the political system. For GSH 2015, the theme will be “A Government of Laws, or Men? – The Role of the Individual in American Constitutionalism.” We will examine the usual 210 topics with an added emphasis on the following theme: The U.S. Constitution is said to be based on a series of principles that reaffirm the equality, intellect, and worth of the common man. But are the all-too-human men and women in our American political community up to the task of providing “government of the people [and] by the people?” Are the average men and women who comprise our juries effective truth-seekers, or can they be misled by lawyers’ persuasive rhetoric and witness’ imperfect memories? Can justice truly be blind when judges in some states take millions in campaign contributions from interest groups? Do American voters truly live up to their responsibility to be informed voters, or are their votes determined by sophisticated media campaigns? We will explore the ethical problems that arise when the pursuit of democratic ideals collides with the realities of human nature.
ATTENDANCE: You are required to attend all scheduled classes and events and complete all assignments to the best of your ability. There will be ample free time for you to enjoy the campus and your new friends.
ACADEMIC HONESTY: It is expected that all work completed will be the work of the student, unless properly cited as a reference source. Any form of cheating will not be tolerated.