Alumni College 2013
To the Heights: 125 Years of Outstanding Teaching and Learning
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Karl Fields, Professor of Politics and Government Seeking Fuqiang: China’s defeat at the hands of Japanese imperialists nearly 125 years ago culminated half a century of humiliation at the expense of foreign powers. In an effort to resist foreign conquest and restore Chinese sovereignty, would-be Chinese modernizers have spent the next long century in a quest for fuqiang: wealth and power for the Chinese nation. Significantly, Puget Sound, its administrators, alumni, students and faculty have played their own small part in this tumultuous odyssey. This short course will trace the sweeping path of China’s modernization from humiliation to global prominence with an eye toward understanding the competing strategies for obtaining security and prosperity in an increasingly interconnected world. |
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Friday, June 7, 2013 3:40 - 5 p.m. From Frederick Douglass to Barack Obama: On June 19, 1888, Frederick Douglass spoke to the Republican National Convention as the first African American to receive a vote in the nominating process for the United States presidency. A man who had escaped slavery and led in the fight for emancipation, Douglass urged his audience to recognize, and join, the ongoing struggle for racial justice facing his country. 125 years later, in his Second Inaugural Address, President Barack Obama reminded the nation of this earlier history and again urged the country to recognize the contemporary disparities that continue to divide the nation into “haves” and “have-nots.” Focusing on these two speeches and their broader social, cultural and political contexts, as well as primary sources drawn from the University of Puget Sound archives, this class will explore the history of the struggle for racial justice--nationally, locally, and here on the Puget Sound campus--and will ask students to investigate both the dramatic transformations, and the persistent continuities, evident in this history. Advance Readings: |
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Jim Evans, Professor of Physics, Science, Technology, and Society Cosmos and Connection: The Universe of the Ancient Greeks and Romans In our age, knowledge of the natural world is fragmented into dozens of sciences and hundreds of subspecialties, so no one science commands a special place. But in the ancient world, there really was a central science. Astronomy occupied a commanding position, because of its links to philosophy, literature, and traditional religion, as well as its ability to provide subject matter and inspiration for the arts. In this session of the Alumni College, we will look at the ancient universe and explore its connections with philosophy, art and literature. |
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Saturday, June 8, 2013 Alumni Leaders Panel Paul Strickland ‘98 Ryan Payton ‘03 Anne Haley ‘68 More panel members: TBA |
