Cumberland Gap Listserv

Cumberland Gap

Listserv for Dr. Isern's Section of History 104

"Cumberland Gap" is the name of the listserv, or electronic discussion list, for Dr. Isern's section of HIST 104. Its name derives from a famous passage written by the American historian Frederick Jackson Turner, who invited Americans to "stand at Cumberland Gap"--the pass connecting coastal Virginia to Kentucky and the western frontier--"and watch the procession of civilization." We, too, in this course, will go to Cumberland Gap and see History.

(In case you're wondering about the painting that appears on this page, it is the classic, "Daniel Boone Escorting Settlers through the Cumberland Gap," by George Caleb Bingham. It always appears to me that it is really Daniel Boone's dog who is guiding the settlers through, but I may be biased.)

Participation in the list is key to your participation in the course--a required part, not something extra. This is for two reasons: because the list provides another avenue for communication and thereby learning of content in the course, and because the NDSU general education program calls on students to learn to communicate effectively in a variety of formats.

What Is This Thing?

If you haven't been part of a listserv before, let me explain what happens. You, as a student in this course, are subscribed to the list. We get your address from you and sign you up. As subscribers you, I, and all the other students can send messages to the list, and all of us will receive the messages through our e-mail accounts. It's like a big bulletin board, where announcements can be posted, only it's better than that; on this bulletin board you can interact, talk back and forth.

The graduate assistant and I are what is known as the "owners" of the list, that is, we add or delete subscribers and take care of problems as they come up.

What Are We Going to Do With It?

There are certain things that will be transacted on the list and are required elements of your participation in the course. To make sure that you keep up with these things, be sure to check your e-mail frequently.

Everyone will subscribe, and thus receive the messages posted.
You will engage in online discussions of the Tocqueville text, Democracy in America, with fellow students in your discussion section.
Now and then we will pose a question, problem, or assignment to the list, and you will be expected to respond. For instance, before an exam, we commonly call for suggestions as to essay questions.

There are other things that will happen on the list if you wish them to.

You can discuss lecture material, web assignements, or any other work of the course, helping one another out.
You organize for mutual benefit. For instance, if you want to organize a study group for exams, you can post an announcement to the list.

Discussion Sections

This is a big class, generating a lot of e-mail, and so Cumberland Gap, the listserv, is divided into a number of discrete discussion sections, each comprising twenty or more students. When you send a message to the list, it will go only to the students in your discussion section, to the graduate assistant, and to me. You will receive the messages posted to the list by the students in your discussion section, by the graduate assistant, or by me.

Sections of Cumberland Gap

Section Name E-mail Address for the List

STOCKBRIDGE stockbridge-gap@listserv.nodak.edu

WORST worst-gap@listserv.nodak.edu

LADD ladd-gap@listserv.nodak.edu

COULTER coulter-gap@listserv.nodak.edu

SHEPPERD shepperd-gap@listserv.nodak.edu

EVERSULL eversull-gap@listserv.nodak.edu

LONGWELL longwell-gap@listserv.nodak.edu

HULTZ hultz-gap@listserv.nodak.edu

ALBRECHT albrecht-gap@listserv.nodak.edu

LOFTSGARD loftsgard-gap@listserv.nodak.edu

You will be assigned to a discussion section. You'll get an e-mail message telling you where you are assigned. The sections are named after the presidents who have served at NDSU (formerly North Dakota Agricultural College).

Each section has a different e-mail address. For instance, the current president of NDSU is Joseph Chapman, and so a discussion section named after him would bear the address, chapman-gap@listserv.nodak.edu, and would be referred to as the Chapman Section of Cumberland Gap.

The table at right lists the discussion sections. Use the address for your own section, found in the right-hand column, when you want to send to the list. (It's a good idea to enter this address in your nicknames or address file.) Remember, you can only send to and receive from your own section.

Breaking the class into discussion sections allows you talk back and forth with a level of comfort and frequency that is difficult with a larger group. In lecture you are part of a mass; in Cumberland Gap things are more human in scale.

Rules to Remember When Traversing Cumberland Gap

Let me ask you, as you participate in the list, to observe two firm requirements: literacy and civility.

Remember that what you write to the list is part of your participation in the course, not some note you're sticking on the refrigerator. So be literate. Clean up the grammar and punctuation and write clearly.
Remember also to treat others with respect. Disagreements are cool; disparagements are not.

There also are more general considerations of e-mail ediquette and simple good sense to consider. I may note these as situations come up, but here are some initial points.

Remember that anything you send to a listserv address--including a reply to a message that came from the list--goes to the whole list. If you forget that, you can get yourself into a delicate situation.
Please don't send attachments. It's never a good idea to send attachments to a list.
Don't send junk mail to the list.
Use the "Reply" button sparingly. Use it only if you wish to quote back from a message you have received, and when you do, delete all material extraneous to your reply.

Now What?

So, you've received a message telling you you have been assigned to a discussion section. Now what?

Your initial listserv assignment is to send your introductory message to the list. You can tell us whatever you want (within the bounds of good taste) about yourself--your major, where you come from, what you like or dislike about NDSU so far. A couple of sentences will do--just enough to show that you're a person and you are connected to the list.