2018 Spring EH Courses

HON 224: Crucible Steel: Creative Expression and Human Rights (CE) Sprayberry, TTH 9:30-10:50 A course in artistic responses to human rights events. The focus may be one of any topic of inquiry into issues of human rights and related writing. Harrison Scholars may enroll in the course a second time if the subject matter and creative discipline are different. Prerequisite: Harrison Honors Program. This interdisciplinary seminar in creative writing focuses on the Explorations Curriculum goal of effective communication; as such, this is a creative expression- designated course. It also fulfills a requirement for the minor in Human Rights and Conflict Studies. The design impetus for this seminar was “Birmingham 1963 and Now.” On September 18, 1963, in his eulogy for the four girls killed in the 16th Street Church bombing, Martin Luther King, Jr., said, “. . . life is hard, at times as hard as crucible steel. It has its bleak and difficult moments. Like the ever-flowing waters of the river, life has its moments of drought and its moments of flood.” 2 Many artists acknowledge how hot, high-pressured events sometimes provide a crucible for their art. Such is especially the case with artistic works in response to human rights struggles. In this section of the course, students will learn the basics of creative techniques in poetry, fiction, and nonfiction and we will all produce written responses to our own research on ‘burning issues’ of civil/human rights. In addition to conducting independent research on civil/human rights issues, we will also visit local sites of cultural and historical significance (the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, the 16th Street Baptist Church, and Joe Minter’s African Village in America) and we will also will attend on-campus events—all as our laboratory crucibles. LS 200: Leadership Studies: Theory & Practice (CI) Cowan, TTH 12:30-1:50 This course serves as your introduction to leadership as an academic subject. We approach the topic through case studies and theoretical frameworks as we try to answer questions you’ve probably asked before: Does good leadership require that a leader have certain traits? What is the difference between a leader and a person in a position of authority? To what extent are followers responsible for good leadership? Although this is not intended to be a training program in how to be good leaders, the habits of mind we hope to engender will help you understand your own role within groups that are important to you—whether you hold a “leadership position” or not.