Transitions: A Student/Faculty-Guided Reading and Writing Seminar
Spring Semester 2013
“Transitions” extends the paths students began with "Journeys" and "Explorations,” courses in their first semester. This senior- and junior-level course anticipates the transition from college to graduate and professional schools, careers, and other positions of intellectually rigorous leadership.
As a culminating educational experience, “Transitions” is also an enjoyable and stimulating exercise of skills acquired at Hendrix College. Four faculty members and up to 16 students with majors in any field read, study, discuss, and write about eight works of contemporary literature, music, and/or drama.
Faculty select four works, and four teams of students each select another work to teach the entire class--including faculty--with the guidance of a faculty mentor. A faculty mentor will work with each team to present the work to the class. The class meets in the Murphy house Seminar Room during the spring semester from 12:10 to 1 p.m., Mondays, Wednesday, and Fridays.
Following are lists of works taught by faculty including information about why they're teaching these works and about their other interests. A course syllabus may be downloaded here.
Dr. Carol West, “Transitions” Coordinator and Professor of English
The Best Day the Worst Day: Life with Jane Kenyon by Donald Hall
Dr. West's academic interests: African literature
and film, 19th-century British novels, crime literature and film,
post-colonial literature and theory, medieval British literature.
Dr. West's other interests: travel, pets,
film, book-collecting, reading memoirs.
Dr. Kim Maslin, Associate Professor of Politics and International Relations
Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
Dr. Maslin's academic interests:
Dr. Maslin's other interests:
Dr. Alex Vernon, Associate Professor of English
The Illumination by Kevin Brockmeier
Dr. Vernon’s academic interests: 20th century American literature, American studies, war literature, American literature and the environment, Hemingway, Vietnam, Tarzan studies, writing.
Dr. Vernon’s other interests: family, friends, dogs, film, eating (and cooking as required), travel, reading, writing, and exercise.
Dr. Mark Sutherland, Professor of Biology
Living in the Shadow of Death: Tuberculosis and the Social Experience of Illness in American History by Sheila M. Rothman
Dr. Sutherland's academic interests: I am an Immunologist by specialty, a Microbiologist by training and a Cell Biologist by necessity. I’ve been a member of the Biology Department for 21 years. I have also taught Journeys and have broad interests in history, classics, music and theater.
Dr. Sutherland's other interests: My passions are numerous. I sing with two choirs, play basketball on a regular basis, read widely (especially history, science fiction/fantasy, biography), hike, and shoot nature photographs.