The Symposium and the Core Curriculum

The First Year Symposium (Core 100-101) is part of the joint core curriculum and required for all first year students. The purpose of the First Year Symposium is develop key skills in critical thinking, speaking and writing which you will subsequently enhance and refine throughout their subsequent studies and academic lives. All sections of the First Year Symposium share this common purpose. Each section, however, varies in terms of content, assignments, and the approach of the instructor.

Behind the joint core curriculum lays a deeper purpose. The joint core curriculum lays the foundation for what we define as the “liberal arts” or “liberal learning. Your First Year Symposium is designed to provide you with such an enlightening experience and put you on the way to forming your “intellectual worldview.” Throughout the year, we will discuss in class and on an individual basis the goals and requirements of the core curriculum. You will find the general themes and specific requirements of the core curriculum on our web pages at (http://www.csbsju.edu/core).

The Course Content:

The Four Seal: Epidemics and Society from the Black Death to AIDS

Our section of the First Year Symposium views the history of epidemics from the Black Death of medieval times to AIDS in our time. We commonly think of “history” in terms of power, elites, and dramatic events. The French historian Ferdinand Braudel argued that the most pervasive, long-term agents of change in history are “silent.” Epidemics have been and remain one of these “silent” forces shaping our past and present. Our emphasis falls on the social, political and cultural reactions or often over-reactions to the plagues that have threatened society. Our discussion will revolve around case studies based on the Black Death of the 14^th century, STDs from the 16^th through the 19^th centuries, tuberculosis in the 19^th and 20^th centuries, influenza in the 1920s, polio, and the global AIDS epidemic today.

Our objective in studying this issue is not to make us specialists in epidemiolgy or masters of the complex questions of medical history. For us, the history of epidemics is a vehicle to hone our skills in the disciplines and values of the liberal arts. The topic provides us with a means of understanding how we study the past and the roots of past history in today’s world. What is more, the topic lends itself to a variety of inter-disciplinary perspectives expanding from history to cultural studies, public policy, gender, and race. Finally, disease is always with us. Students will be able to apply background from the class to recognize, research and better understand how disease has affected their families, communities and world.

For the class, students will purchase:

Ann Raimes. Keys for Writers.

William H.McNeill. Plagues and Peoples.

Susan Sontag. Illness as Metaphor/AIDS and Its Metaphors.

Abraham Verghese. In My Own Country. A Doctor’s Story.

Tracy Kidder, Mountains Beyond Mountains .

Anne Fadiman. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down.

Additional readings on Library Reserve, class handouts, and online will supplement the required texts.

Students will also purchase one three, ring loose-leaf binder and lined paper for the exclusive use in this class as a writing journal/portfolio.

Requirements

Above all else, our class functions as a community of learning within the larger intellectual community of the College of St. Benedict and Saint John’s University. This requires each student’s commitment responsible and timely fulfillment of course expectations, active participation and interaction in the class, and a collaborative learning experience. Attendance is mandatory unless excused in by the instructor. Unexcused absences will result in a lowering of your grade and a pattern of absences may result in a failing grade. Whether an absence is excused or not, students must assume responsibility for covering the class material.

Writing. This semester’s writing requirement combines two short essays (200/300 words) and two longer essays (1000/1200 words). Every writing assignment will involve submission of a rough draft, revision and re-writing, and evaluation by students and the instructor. The essays will be evaluated for style as well as content. In terms of style, student essays must conform to the proper rules of format provided in Ann Raimes’ Keys for Writers. The essays must demonstrate a clear focus and theme, organization and development, paragraph and sentence structure, and correct grammar, punctuation and diction. In evaluating content, the essays will be expected to convey a grasp of the key issue and its context, a critical perspective, and an interpretative framework. The first and final drafts of all essays must be submitted in a hard copy version of a word processing format. Detailed essay assignment information will be distributed in class. The basic essay topics are:

Short Essays. Provide two essays of 200/300 words on the following two questions:

1. Identify the historical etymology and cultural context of a word, term, phrase or slang expressions that used been used to describe a particular disease or condition of illness

2. Reviewing the work of Ann Fadiman, write a short essay on the inherent bias and cultural conflicts between the dominant western view of disease and perspectives from non-western societies.

Long Essays. There are two lengthier essays of 1000/1200 words, provide a critique of the following basic texts in the course:

1. Write an essay on how the film Philadelphia illustrates themes from Susan Sontag’s Illness and Its Metaphors/AIDS and Its Metaphors. Sontag writes on how our culture misrepresented the image of disease and AIDS to serve political purposes. In what respects, does the protagonist of Philadelphia struggles against these biases?

2. Above all else, Abraham Verghese’s In My Own Country attempts to de-stigmatize the HIV/AIDS virus and humanize the HIV-Positive/AIDS community. How does Verghese achieve this goal in the book? Select what you would consider his most compelling examples of an HIV/AIDS case and also an example of the community reaction to the epidemic. After reading the book, are you inspired to re-think the impact and presence of HIV/AIDS in your community?

In their writing, students will be expected to understand and abide by the rules and ethics governing plagiarism. Each student should have and consult a copy of CSB/SJU Plagiarism Explained available through the Office of Academic Affairs.

Speaking. In general, students will be required to engage in active participation and oral presentations throughout the class. Students will be evaluated on four specific requirements which will combines group and individual presentations.

· In cycle A2, students will be graded on their individual assigned and random presentations.. One presentation will be formally scheduled in advance; the other presentation will be an unscheduled presentation on the topic of a day chosen at random

· In the course of cycle B2 and cycle C2, students will continue individual and random individual presentations and also be graded in their contribution to a group presentation. In B2, there will be randomly selected group presentations that draw upon the work of Susan Sontag, the film Philadelphia, and the work of Brenda Wilson.

· In cycle D2, there will be three panel/discussion groups that will lead each class in a discussion and Q&A on William H. McNeill’s Plagues and Peoples and Tracy Kidder’s Mountains Beyond Mountains. Each panel will be evaluated and graded as a group and an individual activity based on the organization and presentation of the material and their ability to facilitate discussion of the topic.

As the case of the writing assignments, Specific details on the speaking and discussion assignments will be provided in class.

You receive three formal grades for speaking and discussion assignments based on four evaluations: your individual presentations in cycle B2 and C2 will be evaluated by your classmates which I will use to advise me as I grade your discussion work; you will be formally graded on your two, individual presentations; you will receive a grade for your participation in the first group discussion in cycle A2; and a grade for your participation in panel/discussion groups in the D2 cycle.

Writing Journal/Portfolio. In the three ring binders Writing Journal, keep all your written work for this class, the syllabus, assignment sheets, and your written work. The Writing Journal must be brought to every class. Throughout the class, I will collect and review the journal. The journal will provide your diary and record of the course. Every entry should contain the date, topic or assignment. Provide entries for your personal reflections on the class and its connections to other aspects of your first year experience. Your notes in preparation for and during class should be kept in the journal. Include also your materials for speaking discussion assignments, pre-write, draft and final versions of your essays, and written evaluations.

At the end of the semester, your Writing Journal/Portfolio should contain:

1. Short, in class essays assigned at random on the class topic of the day.

2. The two short and two long essays in their draft and final versions.

3. Class materials, syllabus, handouts, etc.

4. Your personal, intellectual diary on your experiences in the class.

Evaluation and Grading Policy

Evaluation will take place on a formal and informal basis. Each student will receive from the instructor written evaluations of particular assignments and their general progress, one to one assessments in conference, and evaluations offered during class periods. Students will also receive written and oral evaluations from their classmates.

There will be nine formally graded assignments. Letter grades of A, AB, B, BC, CD, D or F will be given for the final versions of essay and speaking assignments. Overall, your final grade for the first semester will be determined based on:

Essays (40%)

· Short Essays (each @ 5%)

· Long Essays (each @ 15%)

Speaking/Discussion (40%)

· Random Group Discussions (@5%)

· Assigned Individual Presentations (@10%)

· Random Individual Presentations (@5%)

· Panel Presentation (@20%)

Writing Journal @20%.

Advising

As your academic advisor during the first year, I will take time in class and arrange for individual meetings with each of you to review and plan your studies. We have built into the class schedule opportunities to discuss general issues of your first year, academic planning

g, and registration for the J-Term and Spring Semester. Above all else, please feel free at anytime to discuss with me and seek out my help on experiences in college life this first year, academic opportunities as well as problems, and other issues of concern to you.

Course Schedule

Our class schedule falls into four course cycles of nine class periods. Each cycle will comprise equivalent goals in terms of content, writing, speaking, and the joint core curriculum. While we will maintain the broader outline of our proposed schedule, we will also retain flexibility to assess and revise our schedule in response to changing student needs and opportunities. Our schedule and goals for the four cycles will keep to the following outline:

Cycle A

Content. In the first cycle, our course content explores the difficulty our society has faced in depicting and discussing diseases and epidemics. We focus on multi-cultural perspective on health and wellness. In this context, we draw upon Anne Fadiman’s The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down for a perspective from a non-western culture and media images of Africa. On September 22, we will have an opportunity to meet with the author during our regular class period for an informal discussion of her work and that evening to attend her public talk on The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down.

Writing. There are two writing assignments – a short introductory essay on the words and rhetoric for disease and a second short essay on Anne Fadiman..

Speaking. In class, there will be either an assigned or random student short presentation on the assigned topic for the day.

The schedule and key dates are:

Cycle A2

8/29 Welcome Luncheon

8/31 Getting Started

· Introduction

· Interview Exercise

· Academic Advising Issues: Course/Registration Issues, Joint Core Curriculum, Academic Planning Guide, Time Management Sheet

9/4 Thinking About Language

· Assignment 1 How We Talk About Disease

· Diagnostic Writing Sample

9/6 Evaluation of Student Writing Skills

· Rough Draft of First Short Essay Due

9/8 Library Orientation

9/12 From Cultural Theory to Multi-Cultural Perspectives: Assignment 2 Anne Fadiman’s The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down

· Advising Issues: Major Workshops, Advising and Registration for Spring

· Discussion, Fadiman, “Preface” and Ch. 1-2

· Final Draft of First Short Essay Due

9/14 The Hmong in Minnesota

· Screening Documentary “From Refugees to Americans: The Hmong Experience in America” by Zoua Vang

9/16 The View From Other Cultures (I)

· Read Fadiman, “Preface,” Ch. 3-9

· Advising Issues: Major Workshops, Advising and Registration for Spring

9/20 The View From Other Cultures (II)

· Read Fadiman, Ch. 10-15

9/22 The View From Other Cultures (III)

· Read Fadiman, Ch. 16-19

Cycle B2

Content. In cycle B2, we examine the cultural representation of disease with special reference to HIV/AIDS. In this context, we examine three sources--how the film industry portrayed AIDS in Philadelphia, the cultural theories of Susan Sontag, and Brenda Wilson’s reporting for NPR on HIV/AIDS in South Africa.

Writing. We will complete our essay in progress on Anne Fadiman and compose a second short essay on the cultural representation of HIV/AIDS

Speaking. There will be two assignments in oral communication. The first will be collaborative, small group presentations. The second will by an individual presentation to the class on a particular aspect or topic in Susan Sontag’s Illness As Metaphor/AIDS and Its Metaphors.

The schedule and key dates for cycle B2 are:

9/26 The Representation of HIV/AIDS

· Assignment 3 AIDS in Popular Culture: Thinking About Philadelphia

· Class Discussion of Selections from Susan Sontag’s “Illness As Metaphor.”

· First Draft of Assignment 2 Anne Fadiman Due

9/28 Cultural Theory and the Representation of Disease

· Class Discussion of Selections From Susan Sontag’s ”AIDS and Its Metaphors”

9/30 Cultural Theory and the Representation of Disease

· Class Discussions of Susan Sontag’s “AIDS and Its Metaphors”

· Final Draft of Assignment 2 Anne Fadiman Due

10/4 Africa and HIV/AIDS Today

· NPR’s Brenda Wilson on South Africa

· First Draft of Essay on Sontag and Philadelphia Due

10/6 Review

· Graded Discussion Groups: Three randomly selected groups of six will give their perspectives on issues in the representation of disease in twenty minute presentations with a ten to fifteen minute evaluation

10/10 Review

· Essay Draft

10/12 Sontag Essay Due

10/13-14 Fall Holiday

10/18 Review and Critique Essays

10/20 Review

Cycle C2

Content. Our primary content focus in cycle C2 is the HIV/AIDS epidemic. For written background, we will draw from Abraham Verghese’s In My Own Country. We will also look at the work on HIV/AIDS for public television by Fred de Sam Lazaro.

Writing. Our second long essay on Abraham Verghese’s In My Own Country will be drafted, revised and submitted in this cycle.

Speaking. In this cycle, we will continue with individual student presentations both assigned and random on the topic of the day.

10/24 HIV/AIDS (I)

· Read Verghese, Ch. 1

· Background to Abraham Verghese

10/26 HIV/AIDS in Our Time (II)

· Read Verghese, Ch. 2-4

10/28 Excursion: The Cemetery, St. Joseph, Minnesota

11/2 The Rhetoric of STDs and AIDS

· Read Handout N. Hayes, “AIDS Comes Out of the Closet in Russia”

11/4 HIV/AIDS in Our Time (III)

· Read Verghese, Ch. 5-13

11/7 HIV/AIDS in Our Time (IV)

· Read Verghese, Ch. 14-31

11/9 Writing About Verghese

· First Draft of Long Essay on Verghese Due

· In Class Revision of Essay

11/11 The Media and the Global AIDS Epidemic

· The Reports on HIV/AIDS by Fred de Sam Lazaro

11/15 Review

· Final Version of Essay on Verghese’s In My Own Country Due

Cycle D2

Content. In the final cycle of the class, we end with an historian’s perspective from William H. McNeill and contemporary perspective form Tracy Kidder’s profile of Paul Farmer.

Writing. There will not be a formally graded writing assignment. Writing assignments will be informal, in class writing journal exercises.

Speaking. In Cycle D2, each student will participate and receive a grade for the organization and presentation of a panel and Q&A discussion in which the student panel leads the class analysis on a key issue raised in McNeill’s Plagues and Peoples and Kidder’s Mountains Beyond Mountains.

The schedule and key dates for cycle D2 are:

11/17 Theoretical Perspective from Global History

· Discussion of McNeill, “Preface,” Introduction, and Ch. I-II

11/21 The Black Death

· Discussion of McNeill, Ch. III-IV

11/28 The Black Death in Culture and Art

· Viewing Ingmar Bergman’s The Seventh Seal

11/30 The Black Death in Culture and Art

· Ingmar Bergman’s The Seventh Seal

· Connecting Themes in Bergman and McNeill

11/27-29 Thanksgiving Break

12/2 History versus Science

· Discussion of McNeill, Ch. V-VI

12/4 The New Epidemics and Our Response

· The Polio Epidemic and the Vaccine: The Last Miracle?

· Selections from Mountains Beyond Mountains .

12/8 The Environment and Disease

· Rachel Carlson’s The Silent Spring

12/10 The New Epidemics (II)

· Panel/Discussion Group on Mountains Beyond Mountains

12/12 The New Epidemics (III)

· Selections From Mountains Beyond Mountains

· Panel /Discussion Group

12/20 Final Exam Session: 8-10 a.m.

· What We Learned? The Beginnings of an Intellectual Journey

The Last Word. The last word is that this syllabus is not the last word. Your requirements, assignments and expectations will remain as outlined above. However, just as intellectual life is static, our day-to-day class schedule will remain flexible to adapt to changing needs and interests and give us a chance to take advantage of new opportunities.

File/ FYS0506 Fall Syllabus