Honors 301: The Honors Colloquium
Spring
Semester 2011
G. Dameron
(Department of History)
Durick
Library 306/x2318
Office
Hours:
Monday, 9-11; Wednesday, 2:30-3:30, and by
appointment
Franz Schubert (1797-1828)
(featured in Spring Semester 2011 Humanities
Program Concert)
(Source: http://www.kunstderfuge.com/schubert.htm)
Goals of
Course:
The goals of the 2-credit Honors Colloquium are several:
1) to challenge students to take full advantage of the cultural and academic
resources of the College and wider Burlington community, 2) to broaden student
appreciation and understanding of the fine arts and of a liberal arts education,
3) to foster critical thinking and communication skills in writing, research,
and speaking, and 4) to fulfill a major requirement of the Honors Program.
An additional (fifth) goal of this particular 2011
Colloquium is to explore two related topics: a) Romanticism in the arts, and b)
the involvement and engagement of intellectuals and artists in progressive
social and political change.
The Honors Colloquium is a unique aspect of the Honors
Program at Saint Michael’s College and, for that matter, unique in any honors
program anywhere. To a large extent students themselves shape and create the
direction of the Colloquium.
Course
Format:
This 2-credit course will consist of the following: weekly
colloquium (seminar) meetings on Monday afternoons (2:30-4:10), during which
there will be discussions and student presentations. Students will attend ten
(10) cultural or artistic events outside of normal class time and write about
them. Four (4) of those events are required. Students will also read, discuss,
and write about one assigned book. There will be three (3) student
presentations of 15-20 minutes each on class days designated for presentations.
They will be followed by short discussion. There will be no lectures or
examinations. The course will use the
eCollege course management system, and the Web site will include an online
syllabus, Web sites, lists of readings, lists of events, and any other material
deemed relevant to the course by the instructor. Students should consult the
site frequently for updated information.
Requirements:
- Class attendance and participation in weekly
discussions and presentations (20% of final grade).
- Reading, written responses, and discussion of one
required book (20% of final grade): George Orwell, Homage to
Catalonia. Students will bring to the colloquium their pre-colloquium
written responses to one of three questions I will post at eCollege in
advance of our meeting. I will collect the short 2-3 page focus papers at
the end of class.
- Response Papers associated with ten events (20% of
final grade): one response paper (about 500 words or roughly two pages,
double-spaced) for each of the ten (10) events attended. Students will
upload into the eCollege drop box their responses as they complete them.
Appropriate artistic, political, and cultural events are in the following
categories: music, drama, opera, dance, film, art exhibitions, political
lectures or events, literary readings (poetry, fiction, non-fiction),
academic lectures in any discipline. The four (4) specific events listed
below are required; each student will choose six (6) remaining events.
Professor Clary has kindly collected a list of spring (2011) events from
which you can choose, which I have posted in “Doc Sharing” at eCollege. I
have also listed the principal artistic, political, and cultural Web sites
in northern Vermont to help the student choose her or his events.
- The four (4) required events:
- Martin Luther King, Jr. Convocation (January
24, 3:30 pm, Chapel): Sonia Sanchez, “Marching Toward Justice:
Confronting Challenges to Civil Rights in the 21st
Century”
- The film, Lawrence of Arabia (David
Lean, 1962) on April 4. This will be a longer evening than usual.
The film will begin at 6 pm. Students should expect to stay until
10 pm. Location tba.
- The 2011 Humanities Program Concert (February
1, 7:30 pm, Paul Orgel, music director): “Chamber Music from the
Romantic Era (music by Schumann, Chopin, Grieg, and Schubert)”
- William Shakespeare, “Romeo and Juliet” (the
Saint Michael’s College spring semester play), April 6-9
- Students will upload their response papers for me
through the drop box at eCollege. I will be able to respond in writing
and then upload it for students to see. (I recommend writing up the
response immediately after the event rather than allow the response
papers to pile up.)
- One in-class oral presentation of a topic chosen by
the student (10%): 15-20 minutes. The topic can 1) focus on any one or
more of the ten artistic or academic events, or 2) relate the student’s
primary field of study to any of the themes developed in the colloquium, or
3) present a synthesis of the student’s experiences with regards to the ten
events attended.
- Final Paper (30%): a formal paper that
requires some research (with bibliography and notes), 8-10 pages in length
(excluding notes and bibliography), on the topic chosen by the student. The
subject of the paper can be a synthesis of themes or a theme associated with
one or more of the ten events, or a topic associated with the student’s
major or principal area of interest, or a creative project connected with
issues or themes covered in the colloquium (such as “Romanicism” or “the
intellectual engagement of intellectuals or artists in movements for
progressive social change”).
Required
Book:
George Orwell, Homage to Catalonia (Mariner Books, 1980), 15th
printing
ISBN-10:
0156421178 ISBN-13: 978-0156421171.
Class
and Event Schedule:
January 17: Introduction and orientation to course
- An in-class reading of Percy Shelley, “Sonnet:
England in 1819”
- A viewing of an hour-long segment of the documentary
on the last days of Martin Luther King, Jr., “The Witness (from the Balcony
of Room 306)”
January 24:
- Paul Orgel, “Introduction to the 2011 Humanities
Program Concert”
- Martin Luther King, Jr. Convocation (January 24, 3:30
pm, Chapel): Sonia Sanchez, “Marching Toward Justice: Confronting
Challenges to Civil Rights in the 21st Century” Note: this
event will probably last until 4:30 pm.
January 31: no class because of concert the next day on
February 1 (McCarthy Arts Center, 7:30 pm, free)
- Students will however submit to me through the
eCollege dropbox the title of the topic for their presentation
February 1 (7:30 pm, McCarthy Arts): The Spring Semester
2011 Humanities Program Concert
- “Chamber Music from the Romantic Era” (Paul Orgel,
music director)--music by Schumann, Chopin, Grieg, and Schubert (piano,
cello, violin, flute)
February 7: Discussion (Orwell, Introduction and chapters
1-9)
- On this day the colloquium decides on the order and
the topics of the presentations
February 14: Discussion (Orwell, chapters 10-14)
February 21: no class (February break)
February 28: Presentations and discussions
March 7: Presentations and discussions
March 14: no class (Spring Recess)
March 21: Presentations and discussions
March 28: Presentations and discussions
April 4: “Lawrence of Arabia” (David Lean, Director; 1962)
- Students will submit to me through the eCollege
dropbox the title of their final paper
April 6-9: William Shakespeare, “Romeo and Juliet” (the
Saint Michael’s College spring semester play)—students attends performance at
own convenience
April 11: Discussion about “Lawrence”; presentations and
discussions
April 18: Presentations and discussion; brief descriptions
about final essay topics
April 19: Special colloquium meeting (optional make-up
class for lost snow day, March 7)
- Screening of film, “Bright Star” (2009; Jane Campion,
Director; starring Abbie Cornish, Ben Wishaw)—portrays the last year of John
Keats’ life and his relationship with Fanny Brawne. This can count as an
“event.” 6 pm-8 pm. Location tba at eCollege.
April 25: no class (Easter Break)
May 2 Conclusion to Colloquium
- Brief description by each student of final essay topic
(continued)
- Final paper due (hard copy) at end of
colloquium meeting
- Final discussion
Web sites that list events from which
students can choose their six events (note: there is some overlap here with
Professor Clary’s list, posted at our eCollege site)
The City of Burlington
The Flynn Center for the Performing Arts
The Lane Series (University of Vermont)
The Fine Arts, Art, Music, and Theater Departments (Saint Michael’s College)
The Fleming Art Museum (The University of Vermont)
The Middlebury Art Museum
The Saint Michael’s College Events Calendar
Seven Days (weekly local newspaper)
Vermont Council on the Humanities
Major Political Parties:
Democrats,
Progressives,
Republicans
M.O.V.E. (and other student activities, Saint Michael’s College)