Course Description
At long last, the year 2001 has arrived, and while a super-computer
named “Hal” has not assumed control of NASA, we have all nonetheless been
subjected to an endless parade of nostalgia-trips, top-100-of-the-century
lists, and wild speculation about the future. In this section of
Honors Writing I, we will take a break from all of this turn-of-the-century
hoopla, and instead seriously ponder the question how, really, do
we as individuals and as a society define our relationship with time.
To aid us in this quest, we will examine what some influential writers
have had to say on this subject. Additionally, we will analyze popular
renditions of both the past and the future in film, television, and other
media. Some of the overall questions that will inform class discussion
and writing assignments include:
| • How does one’s personal past–including childhood, adolescence,
and family history–form who one is in the present? When is the past
a burden? When is it something to preserve and commemorate?
What makes one representation of the past more authentic than another?
How has new attention to cultural diversity reshaped the portrayal of the
past in academia and in the culture at large?
• What will happen to civilization in the future? What is ‘progress’? Will advances in technology create greater opportunities for individuals or erode personal liberties and freedom? How have new technologies already affected the way we communicate with each other, especially through writing? How will traditional forms and values adapt in a rapidly changing world? |
Course Objectives
What does all of this have to do with writing? Honors composition
challenges students to respond perceptively and creatively to the writing
process, thus preparing you for the rigorous writing assignments that lie
ahead of you in your college careers. As you will soon discover,
the course theme lends itself to a number of different writing topics and
genres, including those typically stressed in Composition I: analysis
of texts, description, and narrative. Officially stated, by the end
of the semester, students who pass the course are expected to have achieved
the following objectives:
Kirszner, Laurie G. and Stephen R. Mandell. The Holt Handbook, 6th ed. New York: Harcourt, 2002.
Lightman, Alan. Einstein’s Dreams. New York: Warner Books, 1993.
***I have also placed a number of articles on the library’s E-Reserve
which means you can download and print them from any computer equipped
with Adobe Acrobat.