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Scribner Seminars
Director of the First Year Experience: Beau Breslin
Administrative Coordinator: Chrisana McGill
All Scribner Seminars are interdisciplinary. The seminars invite
students to think about the liberal arts as a whole, to challenge
their preconceived notions about inquiry and knowledge, to examine
issues from multiple perspectives, and to make connections across
disciplines. Faculty instructors participate not only as specialists
in particular fields of knowledge, but as models of people who have
themselves been liberally educated, and are thus able to apply their
thinking to a variety of new as well as familiar experiences.
Seminar topics change from year to year; students should consult the online Catalog
for the latest offerings.
SSP 100. SCRIBNER SEMINAR 4
These interdisciplinary seminars introduce students to perspectives on
a particular subject of inquiry. Each seminar, limited to 15
first-year students, allows participants to work together closely and
also acts as a foundation and context for future college studies.
Faculty instructors develop the seminar theme around their research
and scholarly interests. In addition, faculty instructors serve as
mentors and advisors to the students enrolled in the seminars. During
each seminar, students enhance their abilities to read critically,
communicate ideas both orally and in writing, and relate the seminar
to their educational goals. All first-year students must
take one Scribner Seminar in their first semester. This course must be
taken for a letter grade.
Africa Through Its Changing Cinema
In this seminar, we explore through film and other visual documents the
causes and effects of colonialism on the African people, their society,
and their culture. The colonial experience, in all its political and
psychological aspects, provides a historical, economic, social, and
aesthetic context in which to study and understand African film.
Although our main focus is Sub-Saharan Africa from the Second World War
to the present, we will refer, whenever pertinent, to the North African
filmmaking experience in our discussions. We will examine the practice
of filmmaking in Africa, the forces that shape this practice, and
strategies of reading this creative medium. H. Jaouad, Foreign Languages and Literatures
Afterlives: Cultural Constructions of Life After Death
What happens to the soul—the breath—that goes away when the body
dies? Where does consciousness go? What happens to it? Since no one
knows, everyone has imagined. Neurophysiology tells us about near-death
experiences, and the process by which the brain shuts down, but
what then, and why do we care? Western views of the afterlife have
shifted and multiplied, from dismal undergrounds, transmigrating
souls, nothingness or endless sleep, blissful heavens, horrible
hells, to playful inventions. Students will look at classical and
biblical texts, visual representations in medieval Christianity and
medieval Buddhism—some heavens but mostly hells—and twentieth- and
twenty-first century fiction and film to see what they tell us about
our own beliefs, hopes, fears and values. Do we need concepts of an
afterlife to behave morally? What does the proliferation of make-your-own
afterlives in current popular cultural tell us about ourselves? R. Janes, English
Ancient Genes in the Land of Plenty
We have inherited genes dating to the late Paleolithic period
(>10,000 years ago) that evolved to support high levels of daily
physical activity and a nutrient dense, high-fiber, low-fat food
intake. So, why is the modern-day American lifestyle so dangerous and
preventing us from achieving optimal health? We will study this
evolutionary collision of our ancient genes with the current state of
relative inactivity and poor nutrition, and how this collision
results in the epidemic of obesity. With this knowledge, we will
explore the consequences of being considered one of the most
technologically sophisticated societies in the world, yet the leader
among lifestyle related death and chronic disease. Why does this
paradox exist? Why are the healthiest cultures of the world immune to
these chronic diseases until they adopt our American lifestyle?
Students will analyze strategies and perform various physical
activity and nutrition experiences to understand what it means to
attain optimal health. P. Arciero, Exercise Science
Blacks in Film
What are the most memorable images of blacks in film? How have these
images changed over time? Images in film reflect social trends. We
learn a great deal about the African-American experience—which
includes racism, gender relations, intra-group color dynamics, and
passing—by investigating the various representations of blacks in
film. In this seminar, students will examine these questions, while
additionally exploring the controlling images of blacks in film,
including Uncle Tom, Mammy, Coon, Buck, Tragic Mulatto, Jezebel,
Sapphire, Aunt Jemima, and Black Sambo. Through the lens of visual
analysis, students will develop the skills necessary to critically
analyze constructions of black identity. Readings and exercises
involving intersectional analysis will help students unpack the power
and problematic nature of stereotypes. K. Ford, Sociology, and J. Woodfork, American Studies
The Broadway Musical: An American Cultural Lens
Have you ever seen musical theater professionally staged on Broadway,
or participated in a high school show? Was the production merely
entertaining, or did it also encourage you to think about the issues
raised through the show's coordinated efforts of writing, singing,
acting and dancing? Students in this seminar will consider the diverse
artistic ingredients of a musical that must blend in achieving a
collaborative balance. We will study the creative process: how a show
evolves, why adjustments occur, and how artists make decisions; but we
will also look beyond, by exploring recurring sociological
perspectives evident throughout 20th century American musical theater
history. The Broadway Musical provides a looking glass into our
nation's shifting cultural attitudes, challenging societal issues, and
individual and collective struggles and triumphs. The musicals we will
examine include South Pacific (gender, race and prejudice); West Side
Story (urban violence); Hair (confronting established conventions);
and Sweeney Todd (ethical and moral dilemmas). Students' final
projects will focus on a specific musical and the questions it raises. C. Joseph, Music
Designing a Mind
What are the critical components of "mind"? Can words like mind,
conciousness, behavior, and awareness be adequately defined in order
to properly answer this question? In this seminar, we survey the
philosophical, psychological, biological, computational and design
notions of what it would take to implement a mind. Discussions of the
current and future state of our understanding of mind are replete
with such notions as "artificial intelligence," "expert systems," and
other trans- and post-human concepts. Are any of these existing
frameworks adequate to yield a veridical implementation of mind? Will
some other approach be necessary? Or are we ultimately destined to
fail at this task? F. Philips, Psychology
Environmental Problems. Economic Solutions?
Does the solution to the Earth's environmental problems
depend upon the profit motive inherent in the economic
systems that cause these problems in the first place? This
seminar examines how the corporate need for economic profit
and the insatiable consumer desire for new products lead to
environmental ills such as the pollution of air and ground
water, the devastation of ecosystems, and the degradation of
natural resources. Should the government take on the role of
legislating "command and control" environmental regulation
or can these problems be solved through profit-based
conservation? Students in this seminar will critique cases
in which command and control legislation, profit-based
conservation, or a combination of the two have been used to
combat environmental problems. Each student will develop a
seminar project critiquing a specific environmental problem
and positing an appropriate policy solution. M. Das, Economics
Eyes Wide Open: Encountering Environments Through the Visual Arts
Does art have the power to transform our experience of environments?
In this seminar, we will explore the environments of wilderness,
sacred places, cities, border zones, and home. We will examine works
of art as varied as traditional landscapes, performance, and
installation in order to discover how artists reveal the layers of
diverse meaning embedded in our surroundings. Our search will also
draw from among the disciplines of history, environmental studies,
geography and psychology for broad perspectives. Students in this
seminar will reflect upon their own connections to environments
through visual expression (drawing, book-making, collage) and writing. J. Sorensen, Art
Food and Society
Why do we eat what we eat? Is it nature, nurture, or do we just eat
what's available? In this course students will use tools from many
different disciplines to examine this question. Historical,
sociological, economic, scientific, religious and aesthetic
approaches to the subject of culinary choices will inform our
discussions throughout the semester. We will proceed from the
foraging of the ancient world, through early human civilizations,
Greek and Roman times, medieval eastern cultures, the Far East, early
European cultures, African cultures, to the contributions of the
Americas, as we study how we arrived at the food we eat today. Along
the way, we will share meals representative of the cultures and
cuisines we study. U. Bray, Mathematics
The Garden of Forking Paths: Interpreting Latin American Images and Realities
Why do societies that emerge in similar circumstances evolve so
differently? Why is Latin America today so different from the United
States after having started its development in similar conditions
during the era of discovery and colonization? What makes it possible
to refer to "Latin America" at all—are the peculiarities and
common features that make up this region the result of stereotyped
(mis)perceptions, or do they correspond to reality? In this seminar,
we will address these and other questions, analyzing the geographic,
ethnic, gender, political, economic, religious and artistic
characteristics that signify Latin America. Using an
interdisciplinary perspective that draws on anthropology, art
history, economics, literature and music, political science,
sociology and religious studies, we will focus on issues such as: Is
Latin America a "racial democracy"? Why are income and class
inequalities in this region so pronounced? Is "machismo" still the
defining characteristic of gender relations in Latin America and
Catholicism still the main religious component of Latin American
identity? Is politics in the region as unstable and violent as is
often depicted in movies and novels? And how does soccer contribute
to and define Latin American identity? A. Vacs, Government
Hollywood's Portrayal of Science
Can glaciers advance to New York City in just a few weeks? Can a car
drive over molten lava? Is a magnitude 10.5 earthquake possible? Can
we really travel to the center of the earth? Hollywood would lead you
to believe that the answers are yes; however scientists would most
likely respond with "Are you serious?" Sometimes the portrayal of
science in Hollywood is accurate, while other times science is
trumped by poetic and artistic license. In this seminar, we will
watch some of Hollywood's most successful "science-based" movies,
identify the fiction therein, learn the real science behind these
stories, and discuss Hollywood's role in science education, shaping
how the public perceives science, and portraying non-traditional
scientists. For additional perspective, we will watch documentaries
and other visual media that are thought to portray science
accurately. Through these investigations, we will explore the role of
visual media in science communication or miscommunication. K. Nichols, Geosciences
Human Dilemmas
As you begin college, you are confronting the recurring dilemmas that
define and shape our lives: Who am I? What exactly am I? What is my
relationship to others? What is my responsibility to them and to the
world? As biologist E. O. Wilson contends in his 2002 book, The Future of
Life, life is "an insoluble problem, a dynamic process in search of an
indefinable goal. [It is] neither a celebration nor a spectacle but
rather, as a later philosopher put it, a predicament" (xxii). "Human
Dilemmas" will challenge your conventional assumptions surrounding these
predicaments as we focus our attention on interdisciplinary readings,
critical thinking, and academic inquiry. Debates, field trips, and
writing will move us toward an understanding of what it means to be
human in our contemporary world. C. Berheide, Sociology;
J. Casey, English and American Studies;
B. Gershuny, Psychology;
S. Goodwin, English;
S. Layden, Student Affairs;
P. McCarthy, Social Work;
M. Poston, Dean of Faculty;
M. Rifkin, English;
P. Rubio, Foreign Languages and Literatures;
S. Solomon, Psychology
In the News: Science Sound Bites
Science is everywhere in the media today, in the headlines of
newspapers and magazines, on the evening news, and even featured in
our art and entertainment. Now more that ever, we are inundated with
different sources of scientific information, all of which subtly
influence our personal and societal perspectives on issues of the
day. But what is fact and what is media hype? In this seminar,
students will examine four topics that have recently been in the
news: global warming, alternative fuels, viral pandemics, and the
exploration of Mars. We will explore these topics via pop culture
(films), books, newspapers, magazines, and other sources, and examine
how our perspectives on these issues shift or change during the
process. We will discuss the political, societal, environmental, and
ethical issues that arise from each topic and learn to express
thoughtful opinions about them in writing. S. Stitzel, Chemistry
Ireland: Myth, Reality, Conflict, Identity
Ireland did not really enter the 20th century until nearly the end of
it. Yet, when it did so, it was at a dizzying pace. We will explore,
in a broad interdisciplinary manner, patterns of modern and
contemporary Irish life and culture, Ireland's unique "sense of
place," and finally, the issue of Irish identity (including the
conflict between the "two traditions" in Northern Ireland). We set
aside simplified stereotypes of the Irish and explore instead the
diversity and plurality of Irish identity. Ultimately, we seek to
answer such questions as: What does it mean to be Irish in an Ireland
that has radically changed the way it views itself and the world? Can
the Irish remain the most "globalized" economy in the world, without
becoming less Irish? If the country buries its past, what will replace
it? J. Kennelly, Management and Business
Italy, Fascism, and Jews
Mussolini marched on Rome in 1922 with a group of Black Shirts. What
happened before and after this historic moment is the subject of this
seminar. Who challenged the legitimacy of the government? How was
Mussolini's Fascism able to last twenty-two years? Italian Jews were an
integral part of the political process until the Racial Laws in 1938,
but who are Italy's Jews? We explore the history and culture (holidays
and cuisine) of Jews from the first colony in Rome till the end of World
War II. Historic texts, novels, memoirs, films, and political science
treatises uncover different perspectives on the rise and fall of
Fascism, anti-Semitism, and the survival of Italy and the Italian Jewish
community. S.
Smith, Foreign Languages and Literatures
Japanese Animation
What is anime and what are its origins? Why does it appeal to
audiences beyond Japanese cultural boundaries? In this seminar,
students will explore the world of Japanese animation, one of the
most important and popular cultural products in contemporary Japan.
After examining the origins of anime and its relationship to the
traditional picto-centric culture in Japan, students will study some
of the prevailing themes and genres of anime (i.e., apocalypse,
gender and sexuality, and metamorphosis) in their cultural and
historical contexts. Through this exploration, students will learn
about some of the most important Japanese social and historical
conventions that inform anime. M. Inamoto, Foreign Languages and Literatures
Jewish-Christian Relations from Jesus to Mel Gibson
What is anti-Semitism today, and how has it evolved over the
centuries? This seminar introduces interdisciplinary perspectives on
Jewish-Christian relations, from medieval depictions of Jesus'
passion and crucifixion to more contemporary settings such as Nazi
Germany and Mel Gibson's 2006 anti-Semitic rant. In this seminar,
students read texts by historians, theologians, philosophers, and
political scientists as well as view films and analyze Holocaust
memorials, concluding with an examination of the growing anti-Semitism
in parts of the Muslim world. M. Hockenos, History
The Killing State: Capital Punishment in America
Supporters of capital punishment often justify the practice by
appealing not only to ancient custom and historical tradition, but
also to the social benefit that accompanies killing our most dangerous
offenders. Opponents of capital punishment, in contrast, suggest that
the practice is outdated and ineffective. They insist, with similar
passion, that imposing a death sentence is so rare and so unsettling
that its place in the criminal justice system is, at best, tenuous. Of
course, both of these positions beg a number of important questions:
Is capital punishment morally justified or barbaric? Why is it that
America continues its tradition of executing when the rest of the
western world has condemned the custom as evil? The primary purpose of
the seminar is to explore the many contradictions that inform
America's system of capital punishment. As part of the seminar,
students will work on an actual death penalty defense. Students will
be responsible for conducting primary research with the aim of
providing the most effective defense possible for a specific death row
inmate. B. Breslin, Government
Law, Religion, and Society
Do public school students have to pray before an athletic competition
because the coach wants them to? Conversely, can those students start
a public school Bible Study group? Does a Muslim woman have any
recourse if her civil lawsuit is dismissed by a judge because she is
wearing a headscarf that obscures most of her face? Can the Ten
Commandments be posted on the walls of public buildings? Questions
such as these have been faced by the courts, and the culture, since
the founding of our republic. Students in this seminar explore the
place of religion in our society as it has been addressed, shaped,
and interpreted by the courts, the Constitution, and the American
people. Students themselves will address these issues as they
actively engage in discussion and writing, conduct a mock trial,
participate in debates, compose legal briefs and craft trial strategies. C. Kopec, Management and Business
Life in the North Woods
How do we balance the protection and use of rare forest areas, such
as the one located right on Skidmore's campus? The North Woods is
more than 500 acres of "natural capital" owned by the College. It is
a focus of study by historians and natural scientists, a playground
for outdoor enthusiasts, a spiritual inspiration, home to an
astonishing array of non-human life and, to say the least, a very
attractive piece of real estate at the intersection of Skidmore and
Saratoga. In this seminar, we will use a combination of discussions,
hikes, experiments and "fact-finding missions" to explore how life in
the North Woods bears the "signatures" of human history, and how
diverse groups perceive the North Woods and their role in it. In
short, we will pursue solutions to the challenges (and opportunities)
posed by this "natural capital." J. Ness, Biology
Liquid History: The River Thames (London)
Why do the English sometimes call the Thames "Liquid History"? Is
this metaphor apt? Students in this seminar will examine this
characterization of the Thames, on whose banks monarchs have been
crowned and beheaded, cities built and burned, and where, in 1215, on
that flat but marshy plain of Runnymede, King John affixed his great
red royal seal to the document that serves as the foundation of
democracy, the Magna Carta. For centuries, the Thames has been not only
the economic and geographic heart of England, but also its spiritual
center; as T.S. Eliot once wrote, the spirit of the Thames is "within
us." This seminar introduces students to the place of the River
Thames in English life, through the study of the part it has played
in English history, art history, literature, and the environment. T. Lewis, English
Made in God's Image? Women and Men in Medieval and Renaissance Europe
Were males and females created equal, according to Genesis and its
later interpreters? This seminar explores ways in which early
Christian, medieval and Renaissance societies (from ca. 100 C.E. to
1550) constructed gender difference and expressed those ideas
publicly through painting and sculpture. The topics we will examine
include what the Christian Church taught about gender and human
nature; what philosophers and scientists believed regarding male and
female bodies; and what social practices and customs can reveal about
marriage and domestic life. While examining gender difference from
these several perspectives, our focus will be on how artists
expressed these various ideas visually, especially in cautionary
representations of Adam and Eve and exemplary scenes of Christ and
Mary. Our explorations will extend from Early Christian catacombs
through Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel ceiling. P. Jolly, Art History
The Mathematics and Politics of Secure Digital Communication
What actually happens when a message you send or receive by computer
or phone is "encrypted"? Is it possible for a third party to
"decrypt" this message? When is it ethical or legal for third party
to try that? How does the current political climate affect how we and
our leaders decide where the line between ethical/legal and unethical/
illegal gets drawn with respect to digital privacy? The course
examines questions like these while focusing on the simple but very
beautiful mathematics behind creating secure digital communications. G. Effinger, Mathematics
Money and Value: What's It Worth?
If you were to draw a $50 bill, could you expect to pay for your $40
lunch in Manhattan and get $10 in change? Probably not, but artist
J.S.G. Boggs has done it many times. What are these "Boggs" bills he
draws really worth? Are they art or money? Take other pieces of
paper: a stock certificate or a lottery ticket. What are they worth?
Or take happiness, that highly valued intangible thing that the
Declaration of Independence says we have an unalienable right to
pursue. What is it worth? How is it related to money? This seminar
explores these questions by drawing on writings by economists and
psychologists, with a particular emphasis on how psychology is
changing the way economists view the world and understand the concepts
of money and value. S. Belden, Management and Business
Movers and Shakers: An Exploration of Cloth and Dance Through Personal Practice
Do you have what it takes to be a mover and shaker? Join us as we
explore the distinct but intersecting expressions of cloth and dance
in our own lives and in the lives of some of the most influential
artists, political activists, religious factions and everyday people
who make a difference. Through films, performances, and readings, we
will study African-American slave quilts, the ecstatic dances of the
Shakers and Sufis, and contemporary dance—Bill T. Jones and Merce
Cunningham and others. We will investigate Gandhi, his spinning
wheel and homespun cotton as well as Chile's arpilleras made for the
Disappeared during Pinochet's regime. In each study, be it
individuals resisting oppression or the group itself using cloth and
dance as the standard bearers, each example traces the paths of
dancers, artists, and community leaders who express and embody
change. Through guided hands-on projects, dance and movement studies,
such as folk dances, yoga and quilting, we will make connections with
our readings, viewings, and writings. D. Fernandez, Dance, and M. Mensing, Art
The Music Between Us: The Culture of Musical Creation and Consumption (London)
Music can bind us together and drive us apart. Music is an element of
our individuality and can help us disappear into a group. How do
individuals define themselves in the context of musical communities?
What kinds of communities are there? How can we describe musical
communities? What is the relationship between musical change and social
change in the context of these communities? What is the role of music in
the relationship between the self and society? This seminar will reason
through a number of descriptions of how humans employ music to define
themselves. G. Thompson, Music
Myth Conceptions: The Making and Taking of Legends
What is a myth? Or, rather, who makes myth, and why? Students in this
course will explore the process and purpose of mythography, or the
composition of myth. Starting with examples of poetry, painting, and
sculpture from ancient Greece and Rome, students will establish some
ground rules for working from and creating innovations within an
established tradition. Students will then put their theories to the
test by examining mythography in modern-day contexts, such as novels,
film franchises, television series, comics, and fan fiction. Of
particular interest is how modern-day mythographers use copyrighted
characters: what happens when their stories strain against the
confines of corporate standards, or take on lives larger than the
intentions of their original creators? Ultimately, students will
understand myth not only as a certain type of story, but also as a
social discourse, through which mythographers reveal themselves and
their values to the world. D. Curley, Classics
The Non-Euclidian Revolution
Can human beings know anything with absolute certainty? How about
Euclidean geometry? The theorems of geometry are proven using clear,
rigorous logical reasoning, starting from a small number of obvious
axioms. If Euclidean geometry were in doubt, then the very possibility
of certain knowledge of anything might well be in doubt as well.
Indeed, the discovery (in the early 1800s) that Euclidean geometry
might not be a perfect description of physical space led to deep
reappraisal of the relationships among mathematics, natural science,
and physical reality, and changed the way we view the world—no less
profoundly than did the Darwinian revolution in biology or the
Copernican revolution in astronomy. We will study the Non-Euclidian
Revolution from mathematical, philosophical, and historical
perspectives, and thereby explore the nature of, and the human search
for, truth. M. Huibregtse, Mathematics
Nothing Doing: The Space of Modern Thought
What does nothing have to do with anything? When merchants from Muslim
lands introduced nothing (zero) into Christian Europe in the 13th
century, they brought with them an Eastern concept that would
revolutionize Western thought. In this seminar we will consider the
history of nothing—be that nothing zero, the void, space, absence or
privation—to see how and why this dangerous idea would become the
foundation of modern thought. Two great literary works—Shakespeare's
As You Like It and Cervantes's Don Quixote—will serve as a springboard
for our analysis of how Early Modern writers, artists, philosophers
and mathematicians used the concept of nothing to re-imagine their
world. We will end the semester with a consideration of how the very
nothing that structures modern thought becomes the "nothingness" that
serves as Postmodernism's principle critique of modernity. G. Burton, Foreign Languages and Literatures
The Nuclear Legacy
What is the fallout from the Nuclear Age? Nuclear energy, fission and
fusion weapons (and the vehicles to deliver them), radionuclides for
research and medical use, waste and environmental degradation,
proliferation of nuclear materials, and nuclear terrorism all come
quickly to mind. Students in this seminar will consider how
achievements in nuclear science and breakthroughs in technology have
combined with actions of governmental and non-state entities to leave
use this incredibly multifaceted legacy. Students will also evaluate
and debate the efficacy of historical and proposed efforts to manage
this legacy for the benefit of humankind rather than for its
destruction. W. Standish, Physics
Popular Kabbalah and Contemporary Culture
Why does kabbalah, a medieval system of Jewish mysticism, suddenly
seem to be everywhere in popular culture? How do these popular forms
of kabbalah compare with its traditional practice? Does Madonna do
"real' kabbalah? Is the Kabbalah Center a cult? Is Superman a Golem?
At the end of the 19th century, artists began to use kabbalistic texts
and images imaginatively, as they created literature, film, comic
books, and art. Today, emerging Jewish and non-Jewish groups and even
conventional congregations use kabbalistic texts and images as the
basis for New Age religious practices, using portions of traditional
texts to generate new understandings of the self and of the cosmos. In
this seminar, we will study a small selection of traditional Jewish
mystical sources in historical and cultural context, and then trace
their use in 20th and 21st century culture. Students will learn to
evaluate popular artistic use of kabbalah in the creation of new
public symbols, and will also critically examine the cultural
production of new religion as old forms interact with contemporary
cultural forces. M. Segol, Religion
Self and Desire
What do we mean by the desiring self, the topic of this seminar?
Students in this seminar will examine the nature and different forms
of desire and its role in the constitution of the human subject, as
well as the destabilizing force desire exerts on the self. The figure
of Don Juan—often presented in literature, opera and film—introduces
the question of the relation of the self to the self, of the self to
the other, of desire to (self-)mastery, of pleasure to pain, and of
imagination to reality. Students will use philosophical, literary
and psychological readings as well as films to bring critical
concepts to bear on the phenomena of the desiring self. R. Lilly, Philosophy
Sextants, Nutmeg, Maps and Muskets: Medieval Technology in the Age of Exploration
European sailors in the fifteenth century believed that a sea
creature's siren song caused shipwrecks; that cannibals ate
unfortunate men who washed up on their beaches, and whales swallowed
ships whole. So, why did these superstitious mariners leave their
homes for unknown shores? How did they know where they were going,
and what technology did they use to exploit and shape the new
continents once they stumbled upon them? Students in this seminar
will investigate the technology that late medieval Europeans had
available to them when they set off to explore a world they did not
fully understand. We will begin by examining the intellectual origins
of these technologies, including war machines, maps and navigational
innovations, and scientific and agricultural inventions, to
understand how they transformed Europe. We will then investigate how
they were adapted to the wider world. Our discussions will center on
the intellectual and religious debates surrounding Europeans'
expectations and experiences. Toward the end of the course we will
consider what medieval technology meant for the world's environment
and people. E. Bastress-Dukehart, History
Shakespeare was Jewish?
Perhaps not, though a case can be made. Shakespeare and Judaism do,
however, intersect in a number of ways. The study of Shakespeare's The
Merchant of Venice will play a central role in this seminar. Students
will encounter a number of film versions and stage adaptations of the
play while grappling with the question of whether Shakespeare's work
was anti-Semitic. Students will explore concepts of justice and mercy,
racial stereotypes, usury, the history of anti-Semitism, Shakespeare's
knowledge of the Old Testament and the Talmud, and his influence on
Yiddish theater. L. Opitz, Theater
Thinking for Yourself
What do we mean when we say that we value one thing more than another?
Are there works of art—movies, paintings, works of pornography—that
are contemptible and ought to be avoided? How powerful is the
influence upon us of clichés, political formulas, ideas that sound
"advanced" or "correct"? What is the relationship between authority
and liberty? Is it possible to be religious and to be genuinely
committed to reason? In this seminar, we will confront the idea of
modernity and reflect upon the difficulty of thinking for oneself by
asking these questions and others. Readings will be drawn from such
authors as Matthew Arnold, John Stuart Mill, Virginia Woolf, Jean
Paul Sartre, James Baldwin, Susan Sontag, Edward Said, and other
contemporary writers and thinkers. R. Boyers, English
An Unsettled Place: 400 Years of Remaking the Hudson River Landscape
How does an ecological locale—a "landscape"—become geographically,
socially, and temporally special? How does a people manage to keep
it that way or change it? Many regions in the United States supply
answers to these questions of space, time and place, but one of the
oldest and most complex sets of responses emerges from the landscape
that is home to Skidmore College. In 2009 the Hudson River will have
existed for 400 years in the Euro-American consciousness, which makes
this a unique moment to explore the region's landscape as a history
of place-making. In this seminar, we will examine how and why both
the conceptual understandings and the physical realities of the
Hudson Region have changed the way the have over the past four
centuries. The landscape's ecology is its lifeblood, and we will
continually return to it. Yet human societies and their ecologies
co-evolve, so we must look elsewhere to tell a complete ecological
story. As such, we will explore the Hudson landscape as it has
evolved through art, literature, warfare, technology, and shifts in
culture and laws. (Includes three required Saturday field trips.) R. Scarce, Sociology
Waging War, Making Peace
Wars have taken 140 million lives in the past thousand years. Is war
inevitable? This timeless question is the central focus of this
seminar. We begin by exploring the political, economic, and other
major causes of war and its effects on individuals, cultures,
environments, and nation-states. It continues by examining how and why
nation-states make peace through such means as diplomacy, treaty,
reconciliation, and regional integration. The key concept of this
seminar is international learning—the process by which the public and
political leaders in the world's nation-states learn to avoid the
mistakes of wars past. Students analyze case studies of war and peace
through a wide variety of creative media such as art, biography, film,
novel, photography, and poetry. R. Ginsberg, Government
Who Governs Saratoga Springs?
How well does democracy work in Saratoga Springs? How do we know? The
foundation of democracy in the United States is its institutions of
local government. The men and women chosen by their fellow citizens to
govern them determine not only what their governments do, but the
quality of the democratic process. The day-to-day operation of
government and hotly contested 2007 election in Saratoga Springs
provide a real-life laboratory for studying the practice of democracy
in 21st century America. In the first half of the seminar, we will
study competing theoretical perspectives on the distribution of power
in America and how democracy operates. In the second half, you will
learn the logic and process of conducting empirical research in social
science. Students will observe city council meetings, county board of
supervisor meetings, school board meetings, planning and zoning board
meetings, and campaign events; they will conduct interviews with local
political elites and conduct a survey of citizens' vote choice in the
2007 Saratoga Springs city election. R. Turner, Government
Writing America: The Contemporary Essay
What can a writer tell us about America that a scholar cannot?
Students of history often turn to novels such as The Great Gatsby or
Sister Carrie for a more nuanced description of the American
experience than is available in many textbooks. But this country has
also been defined and redefined by its literary nonfiction writers—men
and women who produce not political documents or opinion journalism
but beautifully crafted essays that, as Joseph Wood Krutch once
claimed, "get closer to some all-important realities than any number
of studies could." In this seminar we will examine the realities of
art, education, race, class and gender in America by studying what
James Baldwin, E.B. White, Joan Didion, and Zora Neale Hurston (among
many others) have had to say about them. We will also use the work of
the most celebrated essayists of the past century to inform and
inspire our own writing on America. L. Hall, English
Prior Seminars
American Dreams B. Black, English
American Memories D. Nathan, American Studies
Animals in History T. Nechtman, History
Buzz: The Visual and Material Culture of Caffeine M. Hellman, Art and Art History
Care of the Heart D. Smith, Exercise Science
Class, Race, and Labor History J. Brueggemann, Sociology, Anthropology and Social Work
Democracy Inaction M. Arnush, Classics
Earth System Evolution: The First Four Billion Years R. Lindemann, Geosciences
Extraordinary Bodies S. Mintz, English
Food, Groups and Mates: Evolutionary and Cultural Perspectives on Choice M. Raveret Richter, Biology
From Homer to Hip-Hop: Musical Aesthetics, Technology, and Copyright B. Givan, Music
Gender Benders: The Plays of Federico Garcia Lorca and the Films of Pedro Almodovar M. Mudrovic, Foreign Languages and Literatures
Gendering God and "God-Talk" M. Stange, Women's Studies
Hard Times in the Big Easy: Finding Resilience in the Aftermath of the Storm M. Correa, Management and Business
How Do Women Look? Woman as Object/Subject in Contemporary American Visual Culture K. Hauser, Art and Art History
Human Colonization of Space M. Crone Odekon, Physics
Images of Education in Popular Culture L. de la Luna, Education
Images of Work in Literature, the Arts, and Popular Culture C. D'Abate, Management and Business
Italian Cinema G. Faustini, Foreign Languages and Literatures
Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Capitalism: Free Market Societies in Practice and Imagination P. Prasad, Management and Business
Living in a Green World: Plants and Humans in the 21st Century D. Domozych, Biology
Living our Choices: Queenship and Change: Wisdom for Today from Early China M. Pearson, History
Location, Location, Location: Mapping and GIS R. Jones, Economics
Media and British National Identity J. Devine, English
The Molecular Frontier S. Frey, Chemistry
Mother Russia's Daughters: Gender and Power in Russia's Past and Present K. Graney, Government
My So-Called Life: The Transition to Adulthood N. Chiteji, Economics
The Painters' Canon: Landscape, Still Life, Figure D. Miller, Art and Art History
Projecting History: Redefining National Identity in Post-Wall German Cinema M. O'Brien, Foreign Languages and Literatures
Psyching Out the Stock Market P. von Kaenel, Mathematics and Computer Science
Psychological Theories of Social Justice V. Murphy-Berman, Psychology
Reading British Identity in London's Museums S. Bender, Sociology, Anthropology and Social Work
Serious Games: The Mathematics of Conflict, Voting and Political Power D. Vella, Mathematics
Sport, Self and Society P. Boshoff, English, and J. Segrave, Exercise Science
Truth and Value in Cinema W. Lewis, Philosophy and Religion
War and Peace and Eugene Onegin in Literature and the Performing Arts I. Brown, Dance
Warfare Today S. Hoffman, Government
Water: Society, Science and the Arts J. Halstead, Chemistry
