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Quarter:
Dept:

Arts And Sciences

Course Number

Course Title

Credit Hours

Syllabus

137.01

Chance Or Necessity: The Science Of Life's Origins On Earth

2

Course Description

The origin of life is a topic of intense fascination, great complexity and passionate controversy. The goal of this course is to examine the physico-chemical mechanisms through which life may have begun. This field is a highly active and rapidly progressing area of research, with new findings being announced frequently, and there is no definitive consensus, so far, as to how life originated. The goal of this course is to review the current state of knowledge and major hypotheses, and to provide an orientation toward future work.

Call Number	Type	Time	Days	Building	Room	Instructor	Bio	Syllabus
02542-2	S	0230-0430	W	GR	5068	Andrej Rotter		[Pdf]

137.02

Literary Travels Across Africa

2

Course Description

This course introduces students to writing from Africa, represented by region, gender, and genre. Through the critical analysis of short stories, poems, excerpts from novels and films, students will gain an understanding of the linguistic and cultural diversity of Africa, and the various historical and cultural contexts that inspire the works studied. The course will also teach literary research skills to prepare students for the culminating project.

Call Number	Type	Time	Days	Building	Room	Instructor	Bio	Syllabus
02543-8	S	0130-0318	R	SU	0244	Miriam Conteh-Morgan		[Pdf]

137.03

Women In Islam: The Secrets Of The Veil

2

Course Description

Women in Islam have been receiving a great deal of attention in the media and scholarship. Publications about the changing role of Moslem women in society are multiplying. This seminar will examine Moslem women’s lives in Islamic societies. Topics will include Western images of Muslim women; Muslim women’s religious practices; recent controversies over veiling, marriage and family, divorce, women’s rights, Islamic clothing and veils, culture, education, professional opportunity, government, polygamy, and how they differ in various Islamic societies and in the west. The format will include lecture and discussion.

Call Number	Type	Time	Days	Building	Room	Instructor	Bio	Syllabus
02544-3	S	0100-0248	T	JE	0136	Magda El-Sherbini		[Pdf]

137.04

Innovation And Entrepreneurship: Rocket Fuel For Creative Minds

1

Course Description

Innovation and entrepreneurship combine to form an explosive mixture with the power to propel new technologies into the marketplace. But why do companies with seemingly invincible market dominance fail? Why are innovations typically the brainchild of a single inventor or a small group of individuals? Why do innovators need zeal, salesmanship, charisma, and business savvy to be successful in driving their inventions to the marketplace? This seminar embarks on a quarter-long journey to explore, question, and understand how technologies, innovators, entrepreneurs, and companies succeed and fail in the global marketplace.

Call Number	Type	Time	Days	Building	Room	Instructor	Bio	Syllabus
02545-9	S	0230-0318	R	HI	0214	Philip Schlosser

137.05

Your Brain On Fiction

2

Course Description

We will explore certain concepts developed in cognitive science in the study of Latino/a literature (short story and comic book) and film. In reading several short, accessible articles that advance our understanding of how the mind-brain works (perception, memory, language, emotions, beliefs, desires, imagining, reasoning), we will explore how such insights might enrich our understanding of how certain universals in fiction (the theme of romance, for example) trigger cognitive and emotive responses cross culturally as well as how such universals (the romance, for example) are shaped differently by the particular cultural locations and historical moments in which such fictional texts are produced and received.

Call Number	Type	Time	Days	Building	Room	Instructor	Bio	Syllabus
02546-4	S	1200-1248	M W	HC	0246	Frederick Aldama

137.06

Why Should I Care?: Rewards And Challenges Of Community Service

2

Course Description

Paulo Freire, a Brazilian educator who promoted liberation through education, offered the notion of “doing with” as opposed to “doing for” when working with people who experience oppression. Through the exploration of cross-cultural collaborations, we will explore what it means to “do with” in community service as education. We will consider the potential rewards and challenges of doing community service as an educational practice, such as self-satisfaction, cultural enrichment, personal empowerment, cultural borders, reciprocity, patronization, oppression, and spirituality. We will consider our responsibility to our multiple communities by exploring these potential rewards and challenges to community service that intersects with community activism.

Call Number	Type	Time	Days	Building	Room	Instructor	Bio	Syllabus
02547-0	S	0330-0448	M W	HA	0211	Karen Hutzel

137.07

From Pandemics To Preparedness: Global Health In The 21st Century

2

Course Description

Serious threats to global health will surround the coming years. Among the better recognized threats are infectious diseases, malnutrition, violence and injuries. In some regions of the world, non-communicable diseases, like depression and heart disease, are rapidly replacing infectious threats to health. By 2020, these behaviorally influenced diseases could match communicable diseases as major causes of death and disability worldwide. This seminar will provide the first year student with an introduction to urgent existing and emerging global health topics. Students will have the opportunity to discuss these topics with experts in public health. Faculty members in environmental health sciences, epidemiology, health behavior/health promotion and health policy will present a variety of global health topics of interest. Case-based discussions between faculty experts and students will occur in a small group format.

Call Number	Type	Time	Days	Building	Room	Instructor	Bio	Syllabus
02548-5	S	0330-0518	W	CZ	0168	Mary Wewers

137.08

Safe Sex? Don’t Bet Your Life On It! Myths And Realities Associated With Sexually Transmitted Infections And Diseases

1

Course Description

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are increasing worldwide at an alarming rate, and the organisms causing them are becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics and anti-viral agents. This course helps you understand STDs, their histories, control, and the myths and realities associated with them in the popular press and science articles. Students will leave this class more aware of their role in protecting themselves against disease, more comfortable in discussing STIs and STDs, and more conscious of everyone's responsibility in both preventing further outbreaks and caring for those already infected.

Call Number	Type	Time	Days	Building	Room	Instructor	Bio	Syllabus
	S	0130-0218	W	GR	1120
02549-1	S	ARR -

137.09

Introduction To Terrorism

2

Course Description

This course is an introductory examination of Terrorism. We will review the history of Terrorism, but mainly the class will focus on the theories and nature of terrorism. In doing, so we will study terrorist organizations and their ideologies; the political, economic, military and psychological impacts of terrorist acts and insurgent tactics; and, the most effective means to combat terrorism and insurgencies. We will spend time learning about terrorist threats that exist and/or have existed in the United States. In the process we will address fundamental issues related to preventing, mitigating, preparing for, responding to, and recovering from terrorists attacks that threaten the security of the United States.

Call Number	Type	Time	Days	Building	Room	Instructor	Bio	Syllabus
22306-1	S	0930-1118	M	AV	0215	Judson Jeffries

137.10

Whose Hi/story Is It? Memory In World Literature

1

Course Description

People from across the globe create memories of the past by writing literature. To what extent are these memories accurate representations of history? Can we read fiction the way we read historical text? This course explored these and other questions connected to the relationship between literature and history. We will read Season of Migration to the North, a novel by the Sudanese author Tayeb Salih. The novel comments on the colonization of the country and on the period right after Sudan became an independent state.

Call Number	Type	Time	Days	Building	Room	Instructor	Bio	Syllabus
02550-8	S	0200-0318	T	HH	0071	Nina Berman

137.11

Am I My Brother's Keeper? Researching The Nanny State And Social Behavior

2

Course Description

Have you been ticketed for not wearing a seatbelt? Do you feel that if you’re old enough to serve our country, you’re old enough to drink? Do you hate wearing a motorcycle helmet because it impairs your vision? And, perhaps most important, are you willing to fight for your right to consume ‘biggie fries”? While it is true that the government has a responsibility for the safety and welfare of its citizens, how much is too much? Where do you stand on the concept of “personal responsibility”? Come share your opinions and experiences with your peers.

Call Number	Type	Time	Days	Building	Room	Instructor	Bio	Syllabus
02551-3	S	0930-1118	R	SU	0244A	Cynthia Preston

137.12

Rhetoric In Ten Easy Steps, Or How And Why To Speak Well In Public

2

Course Description

The art of persuasive speaking, also known as rhetoric, is the oldest discipline in the western world and some might say the most powerful force known to humankind: it can turn laughter into tears, anger into fear, despair into joy, in can dispel doubt, raise hopes, inspire courage, and incite action. In this course, we’ll explore the beginnings of rhetoric and public speaking in Ancient Greece through a range of famous speeches from the time, and then we’ll move into more recent examples of great American speeches and speakers. Students will write response papers to the readings and deliver a series of speeches of their own.

Call Number	Type	Time	Days	Building	Room	Instructor	Bio	Syllabus
02552-9	S	0930-1118	M	CC	0212	James Fredal

137.13

The Image Of Arabs In Western Media

2

Course Description

Cultural stereotypes tend to dominate the way we perceive the Arabs. In this course, students will study how the west perceives the Middle East and explore ways in which civilizations and individuals encounter each other outside the mainstream media. Students will explore how cultural stereotypes are formed, how the current military conflicts shape the popular view of society and how individuals, cultural institutions and non-governmental organizations (NGO's) can work to foster inter-cultural understanding and cooperation.

Call Number	Type	Time	Days	Building	Room	Instructor	Bio	Syllabus
22307-7	S	0100-0248	M	CC	0340	Magda El-Sherbini

137.14

A Look In The Mirror: Body Image And Wellness

2

Course Description

This seminar is an examination of college students’ perceptions and attitudes about the body, and how they influence health choices such as dieting, exercise, body enhancing supplements, etc. We will define the construct of body image, an important component of self concept and examine perceptions about the body in Western culture and media. We will look at body image attitudes among college age men and women and consider the relationship between body image and behaviors affecting health and well-being, including: eating, dieting, and food monitoring; exercise, physical activity, weight training; and body supplements such as steroids and protein supplements.

Call Number	Type	Time	Days	Building	Room	Instructor	Bio	Syllabus
02553-4	S	0130-0318	W	CM	0251	Nancy Rudd

137.15

Red-Stockings, Blue-Stockings And Other Rebellious Women: The History Of Feminism In The Western World

1

Course Description

Feminism is a recent term, coined in the late nineteenth century, but its intellectual history goes back much further. In the Western world, the “Woman Question” has provoked spirited debate at least since the 15th century. This course is designed to investigate some of the thoughts and ideas promoted by feminists and women’s rights advocates over the past 500 years. All our readings will be texts written by women who took part in these debates, allowing us to understand how feminist ideas have changed over time.

Call Number	Type	Time	Days	Building	Room	Instructor	Bio	Syllabus
02554-0	S	0230-0318	T	DU	0168	Birgitte Soland

137.16

Utilizing A Scientific Perspective In Evaluating Current Biology/health Issues

1

Course Description

This seminar is designed to help you become familiar with the scientific view in examining current critical biology/health issues such as stem cell research, genetically modified foods, dietary/weight-loss programs, air pollution/global warming, the potential bird flu pandemic, extending life (when to pull the plug), use and treatment of animals in research, and pain-killer medicines. A sound scientific evaluation of these urgent issues requires an understanding of how science works, its scope and limitations and how relevant fundamental data are generated and analyzed. We will apply scientific criteria to the above-mentioned issues to assist you in evaluating them. We will help you become aware of the great need and opportunity for further exciting research on these topics at all levels of biological organization down to the molecular level.

Call Number	Type	Time	Days	Building	Room	Instructor	Bio	Syllabus
22549-0	S	1130-1218	F	AL	0522	Morris Cline

138.02

The History Of Drugs

2

Course Description

An understanding of the history of drugs and chemicals is essential for the proper utility of these substances by the population at large. In spite of the fact that out knowledge of medicine and pesticide use increased exponentially since the 1950s, students in general are not familiar with the fascinating historical events and scientific stories associated with natural or synthetic substances. Plants with medicinal qualities were used by various cultures for centuries before pure, active, therapeutic constituents were isolated and chemically characterized. The seminar presentation and discussions will include the panoramic view of when, where, who, how and why drugs were developed.

Call Number	Type	Time	Days	Building	Room	Instructor	Bio	Syllabus
02558-1	S	1030-1218	R	PK	0202	Popat Patil

138.03

Language In The News

1

Course Description

This course introduces students to the objective and critical study of language as a human phenomenon, through an assessment and evaluation of claims made about language in items found in the popular media. The subject matter will be news articles and other items of various types (e.g. comics, letters to the editor, advice columns, etc.) that students find in the media. This will be used as the basis for free-flowing discussion as to the validity of claims in the items in question, how one would test them, and especially what kinds of knowledge one needs to have about language in order to make sense of the items under consideration.

Call Number	Type	Time	Days	Building	Room	Instructor	Bio	Syllabus
02559-7	S	1230-0148	W	CC	0340	Brian Joseph

138.04

Lost But Found: Shipwrecks, Plane Crashes, And "Deserted" Islands

2

Course Description

Where would human civilization be without tropical islands? They inspire dreams of possession, particularly when imagined by outsides as deserted. In such narratives, verbal and imagistic, islands are objects of fancy and of imagined limitless reward for paltry efforts. When adventurers are stranded on them, islands abbreviate the most carefully planned ambitions and provoke the goriest imagination of horrible tendencies, cannibalism being the worst. Islands serve as screens on which all sorts of desires are projected. But if the projections are mere images, there would be no problem at all; all we need to do is go around them to touch the reality behind the image. Unfortunately, projected images nurture realities in crazy ways such that we cannot simply cast one as real and the other ephemeral. In this course, we will analyze the real world functions of islands.

Call Number	Type	Time	Days	Building	Room	Instructor	Bio	Syllabus
02560-4	S	0900-1048	R	CC	0318	Adeleke Adeeko

138.05

Shrinking Cities + Super Sizing Populations

2

Course Description

In 2006 the U.S. population eclipsed 300 million people and is projected to grow to 400 million in the next 40 years. Despite that growth, major U.S. cities are losing population to rapidly expanding suburban municipalities. This course explores the history, impact, and possible future of the urban and suburban landscape in the face of such powerful trends. We will focus on an array of issues which impact the physical and cultural reality of the cities and non-cities in which most of the U.S. population now live.

Call Number	Type	Time	Days	Building	Room	Instructor	Bio	Syllabus
02561-0	S	1030-1218	M	KN	0158	Jason Kentner

138.06

“Of Time And Change”: Critical Turning Points In Osu History

1

Course Description

Turning points are pivotal events or decisions that have lasting consequences. Individuals have them as choices of college, choices of major, choices of spouse. Institutions like The Ohio State University have turning points also and identifying them leads to a better understanding and appreciation of the history of OSU. In this course, we will explore the history of OSU by defining a few turning points in the more than 130 years of its history. Historic films of the University, photographs, and other documents in the University Archives will be important resources for the class.

Call Number	Type	Time	Days	Building	Room	Instructor	Bio	Syllabus
22174-9	S	0330-0418	M	PE	0105	Raimund Goerler

138.07

The Historical Jesus

1

Course Description

As a discipline, Comparative Studies focuses in part on the “stories” we tell ourselves -- stories about everything from who God is, to what a man or woman is, to what it means to be happy or French -- and how these stories influence, and are influenced by our lives as lived. One of the most influential stories told during the past two millennia (just think of Western history) is the story of Jesus [the] Christ. Whether Jesus was God is a matter of faith (as Jesus himself noted); it is not something that can seemingly be proved or disproved. In this class we will not focus on matters of faith. We will instead focus on the “historical Jesus” -- the Jesus who emerges from the gospels when they are read along with contemporary sources from the perspective of historical anthropology.

Call Number	Type	Time	Days	Building	Room	Instructor	Bio	Syllabus
02562-5	S	0400-0448	R	HH	0451	Daniel Reff

138.08

The Screenplay: Blueprint For Movie Magic

2

Course Description

Where do those big-screen, summer blockbusters and thoughtful, character-driven art house dramas come from? The quest for record ticket sales, critical acclaim, or a place in cinema history begins with a screenplay. In this seminar students will explore the feature-length movie screenplay as a form all its own. We will read three feature-length screenplays (including one yet-to-be-produced comedy!) and discuss the different types of screenplays and the functions they serve at different stages of the Hollywood production process. We will briefly examine several dramatic theories that screenwriters have used to practice their craft. This seminar is a not a course in screenwriting, but it will certainly be useful for anyone interested in understanding how screenplays work.

Call Number	Type	Time	Days	Building	Room	Instructor	Bio	Syllabus
	S	0130-0318	M	PE	0105
02563-1	S	ARR -

138.09

Brazil: Continental Country

1

Course Description

This course will explore the geographic, demographic, economic, and socio-cultural aspects that distinguish Brazil as a developing region of Latin America and the world. Students will obtain experience engaging in objective, critical discussion on the country and will learn the factors that have made Brazil one of the leading developmental regions of the world along with Russia, India, and China (the BRIC countries).

Call Number	Type	Time	Days	Building	Room	Instructor	Bio	Syllabus
02564-6	S	0330-0418	R	AK	5826

138.10

The Making Of Art: A Seminar For Young Artists In All Disciplines

2

Course Description

A multidisciplinary seminar for students in any discipline in which we will consider how (and why!) art is made, what it means to be an artist, an artist’s education, and theoretical and practical concerns about the life of an artist. Faculty artists from all disciplines will visit (or we will visit them in their studios) to share their work, both finished and in progress, talk about it, and answer questions; the work of the seminar’s student artists will be shared and discussed as well. Collaborative projects across the arts will be encouraged, but not required.

Call Number	Type	Time	Days	Building	Room	Instructor	Bio	Syllabus
02565-1	S	0230-0418	F	DE	0368	Michelle Herman

138.13

Argentine Tango

2

Course Description

Argentine Tango is mistakenly viewed as a dance, although it is in fact a language for two people to communicate with each other, so that they can move together, without stepping over each other: four legs and one heart. We shall attempt to learn some of this very precise language, in ten weekly sessions. Rather than just memorize steps, we shall attempt to understand the implications of the contact, movement, communication, information transfer between the lead and follower.

Call Number	Type	Time	Days	Building	Room	Instructor	Bio	Syllabus
02568-8	S	0530-0748	W	PO	0213	Yuval Flicker

138.14

A Cultural History Of The British Country House

2

Course Description

Which young man lost his family home in a gambling spree? Which house is haunted by the ghost of a lovelorn lady? Which man caused such a scandal that he was banished from England and spent the rest of his life sending art and antiques to a house he could never see again? The answers to these questions are part of the history of the country house in Great Britain. Throughout the course of the seminar, we will study the cultural history of the country house (family histories and scandals, art and architecture, for example) by concentrating on specific houses each week. The Web sites for these houses will also be provided so that you can browse before class. You are always welcome to bring up any houses that you find in your browsing and class discussion will be the focal point of the class.

Call Number	Type	Time	Days	Building	Room	Instructor	Bio	Syllabus
02569-3	S	0330-0518	M	BO	0311	Melanie McGurr

138.15

I Couldn’t Help Myself (Could I?): the Biology Of Human Nature

1

Course Description

Humans, like all other organisms, have evolved over millions of years. Evolution has affected not only our morphology (e.g., jaw shape, brain size) but also, most biologists believe, every aspect of our being, from our sensory capabilities and ways of processing information, to our attitudes, predispositions, emotions, and behavior. In this seminar we will explore how our biology impacts some of the fundamental questions of human nature, including whether “human nature” exists. I use the term “biology” in a broad sense, including ordinary biology (e.g., evolutionary biology, ecology, systematics, neurobiology, developmental biology, and genetics) as well as aspects of psychology, anthropology, sociology, and even economics. We will ask such questions as • What is science and what is its proper scope? • What do we mean by human nature? • Can we apply biology, especially evolutionary biology, to human behavior? • What is the source of our sense of self and consciousness? • Where do our moral attitud

Call Number	Type	Time	Days	Building	Room	Instructor	Bio	Syllabus
02570-1	S	0230-0348	M	HH	0251	William Masters