As I mentioned two posts ago, I absolutely love shopping period. Students add and drop classes like mad, finding their absolute favorite teachers and subjects to fit into their schedules. I think I probably take longer than most to determine my roster of courses; I've been at it for about two weeks. But finally, after much switching, I've settled on a really engaging set of classes:
(Art History) Architecture After Modernism: This course focuses on urban architecture in the period after 1920. I took AP Art History in high school, which covered some architecture, but it looked mostly at the history of painting and sculpture. I've always wanted to go back and spend some more time learning about the development of modern cities—especially since I'm from Manhattan. The professor is a professional architect from New York, which adds a level of practicality to the lectures and discussions.
(History/Urban Studies) The American Century, 1890-1945: Speaking of cities, this History course is cross-listed with Urban Studies, a multidisciplinary program at Vassar that looks at the rise and design of cities. In the first few weeks of classes, we've been looking at immigration patterns into New York and Chicago at the turn of the century. Professor Miriam Cohen teaches this class; she seems amazing at guiding discussions and balancing students' different points of view.
(History) Cold War America: Professor Bob Brigham is something of a legend in the History Department. He's one of those teachers everyone talks about and wants to take a course with. He specializes in post-WWII America, and is an expert on Vietnam. His recent book Is Iraq another Vietnam? was acclaimed by the media. And he's frequently on TV and radio, talking about the similarities between the conflict of the 1950s and current American presence in the Middle East. So far, this class is wonderful. High school curricula pretty much ignore events after 1945. All three of my AP history courses (American, World, and European) barely mentioned the Cold War except in passing during a single week in June. Whenever I leave this course at Vassar, I feel like I've learned so much that I really should have known before.
(Political Science) Democratic Theory: Looking at political theory from the 'margins' of modern political thought, this class introduces some interesting authors and follows their views of democracy. This week, we're reading the poet Walt Whitman. We will also look at authors like James Baldwin, who tried to balance democracy with racial injustice. So far, the class looks really interesting.
(Political Science/Science, Technology and Society) Intellectual Property Law: For those bound for law school, Vassar offers a number of excellent preparatory courses. Constitutional Law (Political Science), Law and Economics (Economics), Environmental Law (Environmental Studies), and Sociology and Law in Society (Sociology), to name a few, all introduce students to the basic ideas and debates that will follow them throughout their legal education. Intellectual Property Law (Political Science) is another such example. The class covers the law of patents, copyrights and trademarks. Our professor, Michael Bennett, is incredible -- he has experience in physics, biotechnology, and science, technology and society. He even has a law degree from Harvard. On top of his teaching, he consults on issues of intellectual property law, which means that he is fully aware of the ongoing debates and issues in the field.
No comments:
Post a Comment