Obligatory end-of-term blog

Katie D.

June 5, 2009 - 7:00 PM

Well guys, this is it! Last day of the 2008-2009 school year. I have finals next week, but classes themselves have finished. So I think it's time to go back over the courses I have been enrolled in this term and do a brief course evaluation for my amusement and your enlightenment.

Science and Society

We begin with Enlightenment and enlightenment. This class was amazing because it was taught by two instructors: Greg Bothun from the physics department, and John Nicols from history. The purpose of the course was to follow a chronological history of human society's scientific and philosophical ideas. How do science and society interact? How have these interactions changed? Who are the great scientific innovators, and how have their ideas been used and misused by society?

The idea of "Enlightenment" vs "enlightenment" was my favorite part of the course. The Enlightenment was a period of social theory based on the idea that humans could act rationally to improve society. These ideas were based on an interaction between science and technology which was increasing human productivity to create a healthier and longer-lived society. This period also saw the increase of constitutional law, protection of property, representative government, and increased (if imperfect) equality before the law. These are the ideals of the Enlightenment. But at the same time, some leaders and societal factions were applying these ideas to say that some humans were obviously more civilized than others, and that enlightenment must be forced upon the unenlightened. This "little e" enlightenment was combined with warped versions of Darwin's theories and others to create some of the worst abuses and inequalities in history.

Enough of that. Suffice to say, I truly enjoyed the subject matter and could talk about it for days.

What it came down to, for me, is that I truly enjoyed attending a class where my professors would argue about theory in front of a classroom. It is so easy, as a student, to slip into the idea that the professor has all the answers. If there are answers, it is obvious that they are not complete or incontestable, because our two professors could look at the same time period and draw completely different implications from the various historical events.

Latin American History: the Age of Independence (1750-1850)

Professor Ruben Zahler is one of my favorite professors at the University of Oregon. This was an Honors College Colloquia (Seminar) class. The class was about 25 people, and was generally composed of truly dedicated and enthusiastic students. We had a plethora of interesting readings, including many primary source documents from various Latin American writers during the time period.

My favorite topic during the term was how Latin American countries unified into nations after achieving independence from Spain. Unification was not an easy process. Take Argentina, for example. Buenos Aires was the only truly developed city, and historically it had been the only city allowed to engage in international trade. The differences between the city folks from Buenos Aires and the gauchos (cowboys) from the Patagonian pampas were enormous, and this is obvious in documentation read for the class. How can a nation create itself from so much division?

I also had the chance to write a really exciting research essay on illegal Anglo immigration to Northern Mexico before the Mexican-American War and the Mexican Cession of its northern lands. I read migration accounts from a variety of sources, including Anglo and Mexican settlers, Mexican local officials, and representatives of the central Mexican government.

I have been increasingly interested in Latin American political and cultural history, especially since traveling to Guatemala during the summer of 2007. It was wonderful to study this history in the context of a history class, taught outside the countries themselves. Overall, a wonderful class experience!

Inside-Out
(Please see my other blogs on this topic)

I have already written extensively about this program. But here is a quick recap:
The Inside-Out Program is a national program that brings college classrooms into prison settings for cooperative learning between college students and inmates. Our class is taught at the Oregon State Penitentiary on the topic of literature (Don Quixote and The Idiot) and ethics (the philosopher Emmanuel Levinas). I will be writing my undergraduate thesis on this class, and the implications it has on structures of teaching, intergroup dialogue, and the use of literature as a uniting force.

This class changed my life. Again. It is not really possible to explain here. I'm not sure it is possible at all. But let me just say that the group of 25 college students and inmates are comfortable with each other. We share our ideas and listen when others speak. We are willing to have our minds changed. When I am in that classroom, all usual barriers come crumbling away and I know myself to be the equal of every person in the room.

The class will end with a small graduation ceremony for completion of the class next week, and after that I will never see the inmate classmates again. But they have changed my life profoundly, and I will never forget what I have learned in the past term of class with them.

Thesis Prospectus Class

The thesis prospectus class is a requirement for all students in the Honors College, as a preparatory course for writing their undergraduate theses. The idea is to write a 10-15 page prospectus to prepare for writing the 30-60 page thesis required to graduate. I now have a 15 page plan, and a well-developed set of research questions. I also presented this plan to fifteen peers, with a question-and answer session that added up to an hour of me in the spotlight. It was really, really fun to present my ideas, and also to hear the other students present their theses as well. A thesis is a huge commitment, and has become something I spend a huge amount to time and excitement preparing for.

My final thought on the class is more a reflection on the Honors College itself. I love being in the Honors College because they listen to students. I was often frustrated by the format and content of the course, and have many technical questions that are still unanswered. But I will be speaking with the Associate Dean of the Honors College soon, to offer suggestions for the restructuring of the prospectus class. Welcoming critique is no easy task. But my experience in the HC so far is that my ideas will be both welcomed and (most likely) implemented in future courses.

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So that's that! Classes are done for this entire year, my junior year at the University of Oregon. It has been a fabulous year of classes and activities.

I can't believe how fast the year has gone, and how soon senior year will begin and end!