HIST 104 News

If you're looking for a Cultural Currents event, and you have any interest in theatre, or for that matter in prairie town life, here's an item for you. I'm going to have the happy honor of singing at the rededication of the Little Country Theatre placque in Askanase Hall. The ceremony begins at 4:00 Tuesday afternoon 10 February. I thank Don Larew for the invitation. I'll be singing a song called "Prairie Town," which seems to me to resonate with the spirit of Alfred Arvold, founder of the LCT. The LCT, founded by Arvold, is a great symbol of the democractic spirit of NDSU.

I haven't been paying close attention, but Mr. Smith tells me that things are going pretty well with the Cumberland Gap lists. If you haven't yet weighed in--intoroduced yourself to your section, gotten involved with the discussion of Tocqueville--then get going, pronto! If you're in there, way to go. I'm going to ask Tash to share with me, so that I can share with all of you, some outstanding contributions to list discussion.

Hey, it's a good idea to do this assignment early in the semester, because then you have more choice of events. Here are several coming up shortly. All are sponsored by the YMCA of NDSU.

Wed 4 Feb noon in MU Peace Garden: panel on "Why We Still Need Affirmative Action." Easy to relate to TQ's concept of tyranny of the majority.

Wed 11 Feb noon in MU Prairie Rose: "Romance for Dummies," by Lindsey Breker and Angela Ostrom of the NDSU Family Therapy Center. Perhaps relate this to TQ's chapter on young women in a democracy.

Wed 18 Feb noon in MU Peace Garden: panel, "Recipes for Success from African American Women." Again, relate to TQ's ideas on majority and minority.

Go for it.

I got the e-mail roster and just now finished setting up the ten sections of Cumberland Gap. Current enrollment is 195, so there are 19 or 20 of you in each section. Check your e-mail, and you should have a message from me welcoming you and telling you what section you are in. If you don't, let me know right away.

I hope by now you've looked over the requirements for the "Cultural Currents of the University" assignment. With this message let me make the point that a great variety of events can serve. For instance, any lecture or program in science could be related to Tocqueville's chapter on "Why the Americans Are More Addicted to Practical than to Theoretical Science." I notice that the Animal and Range Science Department has scheduled a seminar entitled, "Role of Diagnostic Labs in Disease Control: A Case Study of West Nile Virus in Horses in North Dakota - 2002." Practical science for sure! It's in Van Es Hall at 3:00 Friday the 16th.

If you check out the "Cultural Currents" assignment linked at right, and you want to get going on it, I've noticed a couple of campus arts events that would do nicely. At 4 PM Thursday 15 January there will be a reception in the Memorial Union Gallery for an exhibit called "Experimental Iconoraphy" by David Swenson, of our Art Department. Then at 4 PM Wednesday 21 January there will be an exhibit reception in the Old Main President's Gallery. The artist is Greg Vettel, a sculptor who handles machine parts; the exhibit is called "Motochemicals." You know, welded art. Either event could easily be related to Tocqueville's chapter on "In What Spirit the Americans Cultivate the Arts."

The man standing behind the computer console every class session is Tash Smith, graduate assistant for the course. Tash is responsible for questions regarding the administration of the course, and can be reached at 1-5904 or email at tash.smith@ndsu.nodak.edu

Welcome to HIST 104! Today I completed many revisions of the website, which is now presentable enough for you to look around. There will be additional revisions to lecture study pages as well as other revisions to the website, so keep checking back. Also, keep an eye on this space, the news blog, as this is where announcements about the course will be posted.