Janice Kinghorn, Economics
Colette Palamar, Environmental Studies
Eli Nettles, Mathematics
Eric Miller, Cooperative Education
We are immersed in place. Our earliest childhood memories are memories of physical environments. Who we are, the way we think about ourselves, and the issues that affect our lives are all fundamentally tied to place. Place is not only a physical space – we participate in “virtual communities” and are impacted by the ubiquitous “invisible hand” of the market. As the so-called “global community” expands its reach, understanding one’s local environment and how it both depends upon and supports the global environment becomes ever more essential. With attention to the virtual and visceral aspects of communities and globalization, we will investigate what it means to have a “sense of place” with our contemporary world. In this Core program, students will explore the notion of sense of place by investigating such issues as trade and monetary exchange, environmental destruction and ethics, art making and aesthetic appreciation, and the world of work. Using mathematical and economic modeling, philosophical thinking, and abstract acrylic painting, this Core program will help students develop the analytical and expressive skills essential to engaging in the variety of economic, social, and environmental problems that face us today and posses the potential to threaten our futures.
Students successfully completing Sense of Place will receive 3 credits in “Core”, 4 credits in Social Science, 4 credits in Science, and 4 credits in Humanities.
James Johnson, Music
Chris Smith, Psychology
Chuck Taylor, Physics
That’s Cool! It’s a word we use all the time, with many different meanings. Cool can mean a temperature, an emotional state, a particular psychological and behavioral stance towards the world, the quality of various colors, various styles of music, an exclamation of approval, an expression of amazement, a judgment of suitability to be included in a specialized social group, and more. The COOL Core Community will explore the many meanings and associations of the word, including the topics of absolute temperature, the theory of relativity, electronics and digital computers, electricity and magnetism, the physics of sound and recording, jazz from the 1940’s and 50’s, various genres of popular music from a variety of historical periods, avant guard music, new computerized methods of composition, the Beat generation, various African and European cultural equivalents to American Cool, issues of socialization, alienation, targeted advertising, group dynamics, racial socialization, peer pressure, and ways of dealing with stress and discrimination. Be cool, learn about cool, understand cool!
Students successfully completing Cool will receive 3 credits in “Core”, 4 credits in Arts, 4 credits in Social Science, and 4 credits in Science
Tom Ayrsman, Botany and Environmental Science
Peter Townsend, Environmental Science
Pat Mische, Peace Studies
There is a vital relationship between ecology and peace; people who treat the Earth with respect can learn to live peacefully on the Earth. In GAIA: Ecology and Peace we will study: the significance of the universe story and the ecological systems paradigm for re-conceptualizing security, sovereignty, and peace in an interdependent world; philosophical, ethical and religious approaches to ecology and peace; understanding the natural and human history, ecology, geology, and environment of local and global bioregions; government - environmental laws and regulations: local, regional (state or province) and national; international standards, treaties, and legal structures for global environmental protection; environmental degradation as a cause of conflict and war, including case studies from different world regions and cultures; the effects of war and militarism on the environment; efforts to “green” militaries; policy proposals, strategies, and practical initiatives for strengthening environmental security and peace at local, national, and global levels.
Students successfully completing GAIA: Earth, Peace, and Ecology will receive 3 credits in Core, 4 credits in Environmental Science, 4 credits in Peace Studies, 4 Credits in Philosophy
Hassan Rahmanian, Management
Louise Smith, Associate Professor of Theater
Jill Becker, Dance
What do you think dance improvisation, designing organization, and making theater have in common? Do you agree with the statement that ‘we thrive on chaos, but we survive on order? What do you make of the title of Paul McCartney’s new album, “Creation and Chaos”? What does creation have to do with order & chaos? How does your creative act or thought help shape a new order out of chaos? Which structures and forms support us, empower us, oppress us, liberate us and allow us to be our most authentic selves? Which ones support justice for all? In an effort to become a more humane society, how can we become more aware of the assumptions and unspoken agreements that we live by? How do the metaphors we live by shape our thinking and behavior? How can we create both scripted and spontaneous performance in new settings that encourages a progressive shift in our society’s ways of thinking, talking and acting?
If you find this line of questions intriguing and want to study them more closely, this course might be a right choice for you. The three disciplines of movement studies, theater, and organizational studies bring together their methodologies, pedagogies, and substantive fields of knowledge and skills to tackle these queries. Since these queries involve philosophy and science—two fields of knowledge responsible for ordering ideas and things—the course will incorporate them in a modular format.
The course intends to engage you in a mode of inquiry that involves system thinking, dialectical thinking, and imaginative thinking; a quality of mind that goes beyond traditions of rationalism and relativism and builds on “relationalism.” Through the exploration of dance, theater and organization, participants will imagine, design and create projects which integrate these modes of thought and action.
Students successfully completing Order and Chaos will receive 3 credits in “Core”, 4 credits in Social Science, 4 credits in Humanities, and 4 credits in Arts
Please note that these core program learning community (LC) descriptions are subject to modification.
Antioch College
795 Livermore St. •
Yellow Springs, OH 45387 •
937-769-1000
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page last updated: March 27, 2007