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HNRS 2000: Seminar Descriptions Fall 2021

Humans and Other Animals

HNRS 2000, Section 1013, Course Number: 75239, Mondays 1:30pm-2:20pm

Instructor: Dr. Weinberger

Human relationships with other animals range from best friend to worst enemy. We use some animals as a source of food while treating others as members of the family. Humans consider some other animals as worth of our protection and other animals are caged and used as research subjects. Do animals other than humans have rights? If so, what are they? If not, why not? Is it possible to have consistency in how we treat other animals, or even a consistent rationale for our various relationships with other animals? What distinguishes a pet from livestock? The difference is culturally defined. This course will explore the complex relationship between humans and other animals. We will explore a variety of topics through sociological human-animal studies and analysis of popular cultural artifacts. Along the way, students will gain insight into the methods and concepts that sociologists apply to understand human society.

Schools and Diversity: Have Schools Really Changed Since 1954?

HNRS 2000, Section 1012, Course number: 75238, Mondays 2:30pm-3:20pm

Instructor: Dr. Eric Myers

In 1954, The United States Supreme Court ruled in Brown v. the Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas that public schools had to integrate. Now, 57 years later, the question remains - Are schools more integrated and diverse than in 1954? This seminar will look at the current diversity found in today’s public, private, and charter schools. The students will participate in discussions and conduct research to attempt to answer what changes, if any, have occurred in those 57 years.

Competing Truths and Alternative Realities

HNRS 2000, Section 1001, Course number: 74397, Mondays 4:30pm-6:10pm - First 7 Weeks

Instructor: Dr. Craig Vickio

In today’s society, people often find themselves at odds with each other over what constitutes “truth.” This is frequently the case even with friends and family members. Such disputes about truth can occur in different realms—for instance, people can disagree about what is “true” or “right” politically, culturally, morally, spiritually, and even scientifically. This course will offer students the opportunity to critically consider what constitutes “truth” and how truth is related to our perception of reality. The course will also explore how dire consequences may result when segments of society fervently embrace different, competing truths. Such dire consequences can include the escalation of social inequities and a fracturing of society (i.e., a growing division between “us” and “them” accompanied by the potential for violence between in-group and out-group members). Given such troubling possible outcomes, this course will include examination of how we as individuals and as a society might best respond to conflicts over what is “true.”

Stephen King’s Women

HNRS 2000, Section 1011, Course Number: 75237, Tuesdays 8:30am-9:20am

Instructor: Dr. Heath Diehl

As a male author working within a genre dominated by males and misogyny, Stephen King has distinguished himself as not simply a member of the feminist horror vanguard, but as a pioneering force that, for over a half-century, consistently has pushed to redefine the boundaries of who and what is represented within the horror genre. In this section of HNRS 2000, we will read and discuss four novels by Stephen King that, in terms of their original publication dates, span across nearly four decades of the author’s career; these novels include: Carrie (1974); Christine (1983); Misery (1987); and Joyland (2013). These novels illustrate the myriad subject positions that female characters occupy within the horrific landscapes of King’s imagination—a teen-outcast-cum-serial-murderer, a 1958 Plymouth Fury, a romance-reading recluse, a mother of a terminally ill boy, a murdered amusement park worker, and many more.

Origami

HNRS 2000, Section 1002, Course number: 74398, Wednesdays 2:30pm-4:10pm-First 7 weeks

Instructor: Rob Snyder

The purpose of this course is to provide students with a background in the history, culture, practical skills, and application of the techniques of origami and paper folding. In this course, students will learn to fold a variety of origami models from squares (no experience necessary), and learn all of the practicalities of folding (selecting the right paper, choosing a folding technique, reading diagrams, etc.). Students will also explore (through readings, videos, discussions, and written reflection) the application of the principles of origami to various fields of study, from art and education to science, math, and technology. At the conclusion of this course, students will have the skills to fold a variety of origami models for fun and relaxation, and ideas about the ways in which these newly-acquired origami skills can be applied to other areas of interest, both academic and personal.

Heavy Medal: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Children's Book Awards

Honors 2000, Section 1004, Course number: 74400, Monday and Wednesday 3:30pm-4:20pm First 7 Weeks

Instructor: J Joseph Prince

In this course, students will learn, briefly, about the history of children's literature, and examine the role awards have played in shaping the contemporary children's literature landscape. Students will explore, through lecture, videos, readings, discussion, and writing, the skills of literary analysis and the lenses through which children's literature should be examined. Close attention will be paid to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in the publishing industry, such as the rise of We Need Diverse Books, imprint publishing and titles devoted to elevating marginalized populations, and the #ownvoices movement.