First-Year Seminar Lecture Series Begins Sept. 15
Posted: September 10, 2008Vinnie Ferraro, Ruth Lawson Professor of Politics, will launch the First-Year Seminar Lecture Series with a talk titled "The Melian Dialogue: How Does One Determine What Justice Is?"
The First-Year Seminar Lecture Series, now in its second year, draws on the expertise of Mount Holyoke's faculty to address subjects that illustrate the community's passions and interests, from Confucius and C.G. Jung to Harry Potter and Virginia Woolf. The series will touch on a range of topics in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences.
"To my mind," said professor of economics and director of the First-Year Seminar Program James Hartley, "the goal of the First-Year Seminar Program should be to introduce students to the breadth of learning in college not only through courses which are more than narrowly defined introductions to a subject, but through external lectures designed to demonstrate the coherence of the liberal arts. To that end, we are very fortunate that some of the most accomplished members of our faculty have agreed to speak in the lecture series."
Hartley has lined up ten faculty members to speak at the Monday afternoon series in Hooker Auditorium. Each lecture will take place from 4 to 5 pm.
Schedule
September 15
Vinnie Ferraro, Ruth Lawson Professor of Politics, "The Melian Dialogue: How Does One Determine What Justice Is?"
September 22
Jonathan Lipman, Felicia Gressitt Bock Professor of Asian Studies and Professor of History, "Confucius: A Man of His Time or a Sage for the Ages?"
September 29
Jane Crosthwaite, professor of religion, "Shaker Chairs and Sacred Bones: A Meditation on the Reliquaries of Belief"
October 6
Penny Gill, dean of the College and Mary Lyon Professor of Humanities, "What's Stashed in Your Shadow? An Introduction to C.G. Jung"
October 20
Sam Mitchell, associate professor of philsophy, "A Short History of Ideas about Infinity"
October 27
Steve Dunn, professor of geology, "Newton and Einstein See the Light: Interesting Parallels between Two Scientific Icons"
November 3
Constantine Pleshakov, visiting assistant professor of Russian and Eurasian studies, "Harry Potter and the Hallows of Critical Social Thinking"
November 10
Robin Blaetz, associate professor of film studies, "Thinking About Entertainment"
November 17
Sohail Hashmi, Assoicate Professor of International Relations on the Alumnae Foundation, "Islam, Muslims, and the Middle East: An Introduction"
November 24
Bill Quillian, Professor of English on the Emma B. Kennedy Foundation, "Virginia Woolf"
Related Links:
The First-Year Seminar Program