theme
For Jan Term 2010, many courses are organized around the theme of "What Next." The theme will provide a focus for many of the extracurricular films, lectures, panel discussions and other events scheduled during Jan Term. The theme is also intended to provide a greater sense of the intellectual community at Saint Mary’s by allowing students to see the ways in which the various academic disciplines and methodologies can work together to create a greater understanding of common problems and interests. Theme-related courses are marked with an asterisk in the table of contents. The opportunities that these courses provide for enriching discussion and activities outside the classroom make them particularly attractive.
“WHAT NEXT?”: THEME FOR JANUARY TERM 2010
Most of us have asked "What next"? January Term 2010 will embrace this question as we forward courses and events where faculty are invited to teach their passions and students are prompted to explore their curiosities. Students, staff and faculty expressed their preferences and offered explanations for their selections of a theme. "What Next?" elicited an array of provocative responses that promise intriguing possibilities!
Perhaps most notable are student concerns. One student remarked: "I am struggling with this question in my life. I am always wondering what will come next, how it will come and how I can go about being prepared for what might come next", while another said: "It is powerful. It encompasses the transition in the world we are seeing with Obama, the recession, etc." Uncertainty seems the hallmark of the day: "No one knows what's next. Let's rewrite the script." "What Next?" elicits a host of reactions: excitement, challenge, urgency, problem solving, hope, action and foreboding. The future portends misfortune for some and incitement to action for others. "What Next? invites us to consider the legacy we are leaving for the next generations: the environment, economy, politics, race, family and technology". Let us focus on anticipating the future while looking for ways to act, engage and get involved!
January Term is a time to go beyond traditional courses by engaging traditional material in new ways and exploring subjects that capture our imaginations. Ask "What Next?" We invite all to address their future in new and challenging ways.
