CREATING PLACE—ROBERT BACHMAN
This course considers both how natural chemical processes shape our surroundings and how place is created by the intentional manipulation of matter to create objects of everyday use as well as of symbolic, cultural, or artistic importance. While developing an understanding of place-making broadly, the course focuses on both nature's creation of place and the role of art and cultural materials in defining place. Field trips and plenary lectures allow students to explore the local and regional context of place formation, engage in the practice of place-making, and synthesize knowledge across disciplines. A capstone project provides opportunities for in-depth exploration of science in action.
"YOUR PLACE OR MINE?" THE TENSION OF PLACE IN NARRATIVE AND STORY-TELLING—RACHEL FREDERICKS
This course examines the many aspects of "place" revealed by the stories told about it. The readings illustrate disparate views of those born and those who choose to move into an environment. Students learn how stories shape and expose the culture of place through images of the land, language, and common legends and analyze the tensions evoked by different cultures living in close proximity. Field trips and plenary lectures allow students to explore the region, engage in the practice of place-making, and synthesize knowledge across disciplines. Journal response and revision lets students integrate their own narratives into the story of this place. Capstone projects provide opportunities for in-depth exploration.
FROM SEWANEE TO SELMA: IDENTITIES, STORIES, AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT—LAUREN GOODPASTER
We all have our stories, and those stories shape who we are, what we believe, and how we engage with others. This course allows students to consider and reflect on their own identities and the lived experiences they bring with them as new members of the Sewanee community while also examining the lived experiences of diverse community members in both Sewanee and in Selma, Alabama. Through local travel as well as a group trip to Selma, Alabama, students will engage in hands-on learning through relationship building, service-learning, and public history collection. The course will culminate with a group project supporting the Roberson Project on Slavery, Race, and Reconciliation.
COMMUNITY NARRATIVES OF THE SOUTH CUMBERLAND PLATEAU— ANDREW MAGIN
This course introduces students to people, places, and events that helped shape the history, culture, and environment of the South Cumberland Plateau. Students explore multiple cultural, historical, and political narratives that tell the story of the region. Particular emphasis is placed on the role of historical and current land-use in shaping local environmental attitudes and perceptions. Field trips and plenary lectures allow students to explore the region, engage in the practice of place-making, and synthesize knowledge across disciplines. Capstone projects provide opportunities for in-depth exploration.
THE INDIGENOUS DOMAIN: NATIVE HISTORIES AND FUTURES --STUART MARSHALL AND AL BARDI
This course places Indigenous topics at the center of the Domain, introducing students to the history of the Native South and building conversations about the ongoing importance of Native America. Course content will feature readings on Indigenous worldviews and lifeways; our local history of Cherokee Removal; policies of erasure and strategies of Native resilience; and Indigenous representation in modern film and media. Coursework will include a collaborative project on the Bell Route of the Trail of Tears. Course discussions will focus on current topics including land acknowledgments, Native representation and inclusion, and allyship through Sewanee’s Indigenous Engagement Initiative.
HERE AND THERE, NOW AND THEN—CHRIS MCDONOUGH
This course considers Sewanee in the twenty-first century in light of ancient texts about place and placelessness, especially Virgil's Aeneid. Field trips and plenary lectures allow students to explore the region, engage in the practice of place-making, and synthesize knowledge across disciplines. Capstone projects provide opportunities for in-depth exploration.
MOUNTAIN MUSIC UP AND DOWN SEWANEE MOUNTAIN –STEPHEN MILLER
The music of Sewanee, the surrounding Plateau, and the Southern Appalachians resounds with the interplay of locals and outsiders. In the songs heard here--from bluegrass to traditional ballads, from shape-note hymns to string bands--musicians incorporate far-flung styles while cultivating local traditions. In the words of a well-known video featuring this music, no matter where the musicians get their start, eventually they come "Down from the Mountain." In this course students listen to, study, and interact with these musicians and their music. Field trips and plenary lectures allow students to explore the region, engage in the practice of place-making, and synthesize knowledge across disciplines. Capstone projects provide opportunities for in-depth exploration.
