HIST 104 News

I had the opportunity to chat last night with fifteen class members in the Pavek Lounge. Thanks to those who came out. I hope that a little talk about writing assignments and list participation was helpful. So much of the course hinges on participation that just hanging in there and doing your part makes a big difference.

Here's another upcoming event I've noticed that would serve well for the Cultural Currents assignment. 7:00 PM Thursday, 2 February, Beckwith Recital Hall: "What Is Media's Role in a Civil Society?", panel sponsored by NDSU's Northern Plains Ethics Institute.

If you have browsed the pages of the course website, then you know that there are two outside writing assignments--Cultural Currents of the University, and History in Your Community. Each counts 20 points.

A recurring problem we have with assignments like these is that people leave them until the end of semester and then either don't have time to finish or do a sloppy job on them. Also, the grading piles up at the end, too. So I'm taking assertive action to deal with this (Republican-style, with incentives rather than regulations).

Here's the deal: If you complete both of these assignments before spring break--or let's say more precisely, by midnight Friday 10 March--then you get 10 bonus points. These points will be added to your total at end of semester. What a deal, huh?

I see that Mr. Armstrong now has all ten sections of Cumberland Gap up and running. I'm happy to see it, and also happy to see that people are sending their intro messages to the lists and, in some cases, getting started on discussions. Well done. Let me encourage all of you to get in and stay engaged with the list discussions. Remember, this is required participation, not extra credit. Mr. Armstrong is in charge of administration of the lists through the semester. Talk with him if you have issues associated with administration or participation. I look in now and then on the discussions, and of course, I do the final evaluation of participation at the end.

I hope by now you've read the specs (linked at right) for the assignment called Cultural Currents of the University. Now and then I'll post here notices of events that appear to me to be natural ones for filling the Cultural Currents assignment. Just now I'm reading the Brown Bag schedule of the YMCA of NDSU. Here are some items.

Wed 1 Mar, Noon, MU Prairie Rose: "Climate and Challenges of Women in Local and State Politics," a panel featuring female politicos

Fri 3 Mar, Noon, MU Prairie Rose: "North Dakota Sisters of '77," a program on a women's rights conference of 1977

Wed 22 Mar, Noon, MU Century Theatre: "Science as a Basis for Decision Making in the Corporate World," talk by Dr. Catherine Woteki

Wed 29 Mar, Noon, MU Peace Garden: "Is This America or Did I Take a Left Turn?", a program of study abroad participants returned to the US

Wed 26 Apr, Noon, MU University Chamber: "Soul of a Citizen," talk by author Paul Loeb

I've just completed revisions in the course website for spring 2006--other than the revisions in the lecture study guides, which I'm overhauling, becuase I'm making revisions in the lectures on which they are based. Ready to go, I think. As you look around the website, notice if there are links broken or pages that seem messed up in any way. I always make some errors, and so let me know if you find any, OK?

I'm getting materials ready for my spring offering of HIST 104. Right now I'm overhauling the website--should have most of it ready to post by end of day. Watch this space for updates!