Freshman Studies I: Section U

Fall Term, 1999

11:10am - 12:20pm MWF

Youngchild Hall Room 90

Professor: Matthew R. Stoneking

Reading List:

· As I Lay Dying, by William Faulkner

· Rashomon, a film by Akira Kurosawa, Rashomon and In a Grove, stories by Ryunosuke Akutagawa

· The Republic, by Plato

· Twelfth Night or, What You Will, by William Shakespeare

· Symphony No. 5 in C minor, by Ludwig van Beethoven

· Basic Writings, by Chuang Tzu

Additional Resources:

· The Freshman Studies Book, by Mark Dintenfass

· A Pocket Style Manual, by Diana Hacker

Course description:

Read The Freshman Studies Book, written by Mark Dintenfass of the Lawrence University English Department.

Office hours: 2:00-3:00 PM on Tuesdays and Thursdays, or by appointment

Contacting the Professor:

Office Room Number: Youngchild 87

E-mail: STONEKIM

Office Phone/VoiceMail: x6724

Websites:

http://www.lawrence.edu/fac/stonekim/courses.htm

http://www.lawrence.edu/academics/frst/

Required Elements of the Course and Grading:

Grades will be determined from the following components, weighted as indicated:

Paper #1 (Faulkner, 1-2 pages plus rewrite) 10%

Paper #2 (Rashomon, 1-2 pages) 10%

Paper #3 (Plato, 3-5 pages plus rewrite) 15%

Paper #4 (Shakespeare, 3-5 pages) 15%

Paper #5 (Chuang Tzu, 1-2 pages) 10%

Midterm Exam 7%

Final Exam 13%

Discussion Preparation, Participation

and Lecture Outlines 20%

Papers:

Papers 1,2, and 5 will consist of not more than 2 pages. Papers 3 and 4 should be more than 3 pages, but not more than 5 pages. All papers must be prepared with a word processing program in 12-point font, double-spaced with reasonable but not excessive margins. Due dates for papers are indicated in the schedule below. Late papers will be marked down one full grade. Exceptions can be made in the case of documented illness or other unforeseen emergencies. If you know in advance that you will be absent make arrangements before the due date of the paper. Papers 1 and 3 are to be rewritten. Rewriting a paper requires more than simply correcting spelling and grammar problems. If the organization, argument, and style are not improved the grade on the final version will be lower than the grade on the first draft.

Exams:

Both the midterm exam and the final exam will be closed book, closed note essay exams. About one third of each exam will involve identifying passages from the works covered and giving a short explanation of the significance of the passage. To complete the identification questions you will have to read each work in its entirety. The remaining two thirds of the exams will be essay questions that often require you to make connections between the works.

Discussion Preparation and Participation:

The focus of discussion is critical reading of the text and will require that you read the assigned text before class. Activities will vary with the work under consideration but will always center on uncovering the meaning of the text, film, or work of music. Class discussions are not forums for personal opinions and beliefs except as they relate to the work under discussion. Critical reaction to writings is encouraged but it must be grounded in the arguments presented by the author. Productive discussions will be a result of careful reading of the text on your part. Careful reading will include marking of key passages and adding notes in your text. Before coming to class each day you should prepare notes that identify

1. The main point(s) of each section of the text;

2. Questions raised but not answered by the text;

3. Responses to discussion questions raised on class handouts;

4. The locations of supporting evidence in the text.

These notes should be brought to class each day and used as a basis for discussion. Since class participation contributes significantly to your final grade, you must be prepared to participate in class discussion.

Here are some guidelines for discussion:

1. Be prepared to speak by preparing notes prior to class.

2. Direct your discussion to your fellow classmates and not to the instructor. The instructor’s role is primarily to keep discussion on track.

3. Keep the discussion linked to issues raised in the work.

4. Be willing to yield the floor to another classmate.

5. Respectful disagreement is the basis for constructive discussions; ridicule is not.

When all of you are prepared and are participating you will find that your varied interpretations of the texts will enhance your overall understanding and enjoyment of these difficult works.

Lecture Outlines:

There will be five Freshman Studies lectures given to the entire incoming class. You will need to prepare an outline of the major points and the supporting evidence for those points following each lecture. Outlines should be no more than a single page in length and should focus only on the most important issues covered in the lecture. These will be discussed the class day following each lecture and collected at the end of the discussion. Completion of these outlines will constitute one quarter of your class participation grade.

Writing Tutor and Writing Lab:

A tutor is assigned to each Freshman Studies section. Your tutor will introduce himself in class sometime during the first week or early in the second week of the term. You are encouraged to seek help from the tutor in preparing paper assignments or to make use of other writing tutors at the Writing Lab in Brokaw Hall.

Schedule:

As I Lay Dying

Wednesday, 22 September: Faulkner 1 of 5

Friday, 24 September: Faulkner 2 of 5

Monday, 27 September: Faulkner 3 of 5

Lecture by Mr. Fritzell of the English Department

Wednesday, 29 September: Faulkner 4 of 5

Outline of Fritzell lecture due

showing of film, Rashomon 7:30 PM in Stansbury

Thursday 30 September:

showing of film, Rashomon 7:30 PM in Stansbury

Friday, 1 October: Faulkner 5 of 5

Paper #1 due (As I Lay Dying)

Rashomon

Monday, 4 October: Rashomon 1 of 4

showing of film, Rashomon 7:30 PM in Stansbury

Tuesday 5 October:

showing of film, Rashomon 7:30 PM in Stansbury

Wednesday, 6 October: Rashomon 2 of 4

Lecture by Mr. Dintenfass of the English Department

Friday, 8 October: Rashomon 3 of 4

Outline of Dintenfass lecture due

Monday, 11 October: work on paper #1 rewrites

Wednesday, 13 October: Rashomon 4 of 4

Paper #2 due (Rashomon)

The Republic

Friday, 15 October: Republic 1 of 7

Monday, 18 October: Republic 2 of 7

Lecture by Mr. Ryckman of the Philosophy Department

Wednesday, 20 October: Republic 3 of 7

Outline of Ryckman lecture due

Friday, 22 October: Republic 4 of 7

Paper #1 rewrite due (As I Lay Dying)

Monday, 25 October: Republic 5 of 7

Wednesday, 27 October: Republic 6 of 7

Friday, 29 October: Republic 7 of 7

Paper #3 due (The Republic)

Monday, 1 November: MIDTERM EXAM

Twelfth Night or, What You Will

Wednesday, 3 November: 12th Night 1 of 4

Wednesday, 10 November: 12th Night 2 of 4

performance of Twelfth Night time and location TBA

Thursday, 11 November:

performance of Twelfth Night time and location TBA

Friday, 12 November: 12th Night 3 of 4

Section meets with an actor from ACTER.

Saturday, 13 November: Session with actors.

performance of Twelfth Night time and location TBA

Monday, 15 November: 12th Night 4 of 4

Paper #4 due (Twelfth Night)

Wednesday, 17 November: work on paper #3 rewrites

5th Symphony in C minor

Friday, 19 November: 5th Symphony 1 of 2

Lecture by Ms. Reischl of the Conservatory of Music

Saturday. 20 November: Orchestra concert

Monday, 22 November: 5th Symphony 2 of 2

Outline of Reischl lecture due

Chuang Tzu

Wednesday, 24 November: Chuang Tzu 1 of 4

Rewrite of paper #3 due (The Republic)

Monday, 29 November: Chuang Tzu 2 of 4

Lecture by Mr. Vorenkamp of the Religious Studies Department

Wednesday, 1 December: Chuang Tzu 3 of 4

Outline of Vorenkamp lecture due

Friday, 3 December: Chuang Tzu 4 of 4

Paper #5 due (Chuang Tzu)

FINAL EXAM: Tuesday 7 December 8:30 am