SUMMER 2023 CORE-UA 214, Physical Science: How Things Work
Prof. Ponce de Leon (Physics)
Session I: May 22, 2023 - July 5, 2023
Do you know how electricity is generated? How instruments create music? What makes refrigerator magnets stick? For that matter, why is ice skating possible, how do wheels use friction and why can someone quickly remove a tablecloth without moving any dishes? All of the devices that define contemporary living are applications of basic scientific discoveries. The principles underlying these devices are fascinating as well as useful, and help to explain many of the features of the world around us. This course familiarizes you with some basic principles of physics by examining selected devices such as CD and DVD players, microwave ovens, the basic electronic components of computers, lasers and LEDs, magnetic resonance imaging as used in medicine, and even nuclear weapons. In learning the basic physics behind these modern inventions, you will develop a deeper understanding of how the physical world works and gain a new appreciation of everyday phenomena that are ordinarily taken for granted. The course is designed for non-science students with an interest in the natural world.
SUMMER 2023 CORE-UA 316, Life Science: Designer Genes--Reshaping our Biological Future
Prof. Dunne (College Core Curriculum)
Session I: May 22, 2023 - July 5, 2023
We examine the principles and practices of genetic engineering—the ability to design genes. Advances in genetic engineering have impacted everyday life, including the production of human insulin from bacteria and the design of vaccines for Influenza and COVID-19. We begin with the central concepts of molecular biology, DNA and RNA structure, gene expression, and genome organization. Building on this foundation, we examine the tools and techniques of genetic engineering such as gene cloning, gene editing, and bioinformatics. The applications of genetic technologies are explored through a variety of case studies, including genetically modified crops that have increased resistance to pests or disease; use of the gene editing tool, CRISPR, to treat sickle cell disease; and modification of plants to make vaccines. We also examine the ethics of manipulating genes and provide a foundation for making informed decisions about biotechnologies.
SUMMER 2023 CORE-UA 500, Cultures & Contexts: Topics--Arab Cultural Production
Prof. Ziter (Drama)
Session I: May 22, 2023 - July 5, 2023
Arabism, the idea of a cultural and historical affinity between the people residing in the region stretching from Morocco to Iraq, spread in the late 19th century and continues to inform modern politics. From that time, millions of people in the “Arab World” (typically defined as the Maghreb, the Fertile Crescent, and the Arabian Peninsula) have experienced incredible political, social and cultural change. Film, television, theater, poetry, literature, and journalism have reflected these changes, drawing on ideas of regional and linguistic solidarity, beliefs in a shared past, and similar experiences of foreign domination and struggles for liberation. We examine such cultural production as the means by which Arabs have imagined themselves as Arabs in the midst of uprisings, wars, religious movements, and changes in social mores.
SUMMER 2023 CORE-UA 510, Cultures & Contexts: Russia Between East and West
Prof. Kotsonis (History)
Session I: May 22, 2023 - July 5, 2023
Focuses on distinctive historical and geographical dichotomies and issues in Russian culture. Emphasis is on primary documents, including literary works, travel notes, works of art, and political statements from all periods, chosen to establish the particular matrix of competing positions that make up the Russian national and cultural identity.
SUMMER 2023 CORE-UA 555, Cultures & Contexts: Brazil [Syllabus]
Prof. Robbins (Spanish & Portuguese)
Session I: May 22, 2023 - July 5, 2023
Brazilian culture in a global context: For five centuries, Brazil has found itself at the crossroads of international commerce. Numerous indigenous groups, Portuguese, Africans of various ethnicities, Spaniards, French, Dutch, and British have all played central roles in the fashioning of Brazil—the only modern nation whose name derives from the commodity (Brazilwood) it would first export in great quantity. And while commerce provided the initial impetus to bring these groups—often violently—together, their prolonged contact shaped an exceptionally rich cultural history in Brazil. Through popular music, cinema, soccer, visual art, and literature, we revisit some of these encounters, in order to examine how they have shaped Brazilian culture, as well as how this culture has, in turn, engaged with the world around it.
SUMMER 2023 CORE-UA 700, Expressive Culture: See It, Read It: Photography and Writing in Latin
Prof. Dávila (Spanish & Portuguese)
Session I: May 22, 2023 - July 5, 2023
What is a photograph? How do we read photographs? How has photography shaped history and fiction, our ideas of the self and of others? The purpose of this course is to analyze the history of photography in its relation with textual productions in XX and XXI century Latin American writers. We will begin by studying how the technology of photography (which arrived in Latin America almost simultaneously with its creation in Europe) contributed to a particular visual construction of Latin America and was incorporated into literary writings from the Caribbean, Central America, and the Southern Cone. The main objective of the course will be to analyze the use of photography in literary and extra-literary texts, from texts that use photography as its discursive axis (but without containing real photographs) to texts that play on the page with photographic reproductions. Topics include: photography and history, photography and archive, photography and madness, photography and the city, photography and memory, and photography and eroticism. We will consider texts and photographs by Roberto Arlt, Leopoldo Lugones, Jorge Luis Borges, Julio Cortázar, Elena Poniatowska, Mario Bellatin, Juan Villoro, Graciela Iturbide, Sara Facio, Ximena Berecochea, and Paz Errázuriz, among others. This course will count toward any of the majors and minors offered in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese.
SUMMER 2023 CORE-UA 740, Expressive Culture: Performance
Prof. Shimakawa (Performance Studies) [Syllabus]
Session I: May 22, 2023 - July 5, 2023
What “counts” as performance? Does it have to be on a stage? (And what counts as a stage?) Why do performers perform? (And what difference does that performance make?) We consider a wide range of performances—on the stage, page, screen, and street—in order to explore these questions, focusing on performance as a form of cultural expression, as a site of cultural change, and as a building block for “culture” itself.
SUMMER 2023 CORE-UA 740, Expressive Culture: Performance
Prof. Ziter (Drama)
Session I: May 22, 2023 - July 5, 2023
Performance is a means by which societies define themselves and probe their most pressing issues. Performance venues are arenas in which we debate who we are and who we should become. Performance does not simply reflect our reality: it is often an attempt to change that reality. Developing the skills to understand, analyze, and argue about the meanings of performances and their textual remains allows one to more fully participate in the discussions that shape communities and nations. As such, performance research is an important discipline in the humanities, and the study of performance enriches one’s life and helps one become a more engaged citizen.