Find Your Topic Week

T 1/31: No class meeting. But by midnight, post to your blog a 100 word abstract on your chosen topic. Your abstract should describe for us as clearly as possible what your topic is, what you aim to accomplish (your thesis), as well as indicate how your project will accomplish this goal. If you have difficulty settling on a topic, or writing your abstract, then your assignment is to come talk to me about your project during my office hours before Thursday.

TH 2/2: Meet at Boone Saloon during class time. I'll spring for a pitcher and some nachos and we'll talk about your abstracts, the topics you've chosen, and where to go from here.

For TH 1/26

Post 2 more possible project topics to your blog. We'll continue to discuss your project ideas in class.

Angela Davis!

Angela Davis is speaking on campus tomorrow night! You are all invited to attend. Bring a friend! In addition to being a fabulous speaker and an iconic figure of the civil rights movement, Angela Davis was also a student of the late Herbert Marcuse who was himself an extraordinarily influential theorist. Please come hear her speak. Consider it a class assignment, although roll will not be taken.

The 26th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemoration: An Evening with
Angela Davis
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Farthing Auditorium
Appalachian State University
6pm Talk followed by 7:30pm Book Signing and Dessert Reception
Free and Open to the Public

 

From Wikipedia:

Angela Davis (born January 26, 1944) is an American political activist, scholar, and author. Davis emerged as a nationally prominent activist in the 1960s, when she was associated with the Communist Party USA, the Civil Rights Movement and the Black Panther Party. Prisoner rights have been among her continuing interests; she is the founder of "Critical Resistance,"an organization working to abolish the prison-industrial complex. She is a retired professor with the History of Consciousness Department at the University of California, Santa Cruz and is the former director of the university's Feminist Studies department.[2] Her research interests are in feminism, African American studies, critical theory, Marxism, popular music and social consciousness, and the philosophy and history of punishment and prisons.[3] 

Her membership in the Communist Party led to Ronald Reagan's request in 1969 to have her barred from teaching at any university in the State of California. She was tried and acquitted of suspected involvement in the Soledad brothers' August 1970 abduction and murder of Judge Harold Haley in Marin County, California. 

She was twice a candidate for Vice President on the Communist Party USA ticket during the 1980s.

For Next Class

By midnight Monday 1/23, post the following as 2 separate posts on your class blog:

1. Tell us about your major concentration in some depth and detail, and describe some of your most relevant coursework, readings, and other significant life experiences (perhaps travel or work) that have most directly helped shape your knowledge of this field. 

2. Briefly describe one possible topic you can imagine doing for your senior project. Be as focused and specific as possible.

Read your classmates' blogs. Leave comments generously.

Also, tweak your blog layout and appearance. Add a link or feed from this blog, and links or feeds from your classmates blogs in the sidebar of your blog. Delete the followers gadget. You may delete the About Me gadget if you wish. Add other links and gadgets as you see fit. Experiment with other templates, layouts and colors if you wish.

Welcome

Welcome to our senior seminar blog. Each of you will be creating your own blogs this semester and your posts will be gathered together through the magic of RSS feeds.

Use your blog as a space to brainstorm, to collect notes and resources, and speculate wildly as well as to post assigned writings and work in progress. Post early and often to your blogs, but weekly posts on your progress are expected.

An online version of your final project will also be posted to your blog.

You need to create your own blog and leave the address of your new blog as a comment below. You can do this here on blogger.com or, if you prefer, you can explore other options such as Tumblr or another site. Just please make sure your blog has an RSS feed available. If you're new to this, though, I recommend using blogger.com. 

Angela Davis!

Please come! Consider it a class assignment, although role will not be taken.

The 26th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemoration: An Evening with
Angela Davis
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Farthing Auditorium
Appalachian State University
6pm Talk followed by 7:30pm Book Signing and Dessert Reception
Free and Open to the Public