Core Courses Spring 2024

Civic Conversation and Education for Democracy

This class focuses on the practice of productive public conversation about complex topics, a necessity not only for university education but for a flourishing democracy.  We will build skills for three distinct kinds of conversation – dialogue, deliberation, and debate – through engaging with three significant social issues. The class will include biweekly mentored, small-group meetings.

Ignatian Leadership: Contemplatives in Action

Students expect many things from their University Experience: A major to study, job preparedness, research opportunities, community engagement, new friendships, sporting events, recreation/wellness, and opportunities to lead and serve. All colleges and universities promise these things. But, at Marquette University, a Jesuit institution, you are invited into formation. As an Honors First-Year Experience Course, this class is designed to introduce you the Jesuit Model of Contemplatives in Action where you find deep meaning and purpose in relationship with others.

**Enrollment for this class will be done by permission number, and Core Honors spots are limited. If you have a particular interest in enrolling in this section, please email Dr. Zurcher with a brief statement of interest.**

Finding Our Homeplace

We use the terms “unity” and “belonging” with the hope of celebrating or striving for a sense of uncomplicated and all-encompassing community. We hear this in presidential addresses (President Biden’s Inauguration theme—“America United”), voter campaigns (“Unity Over Division”), and on college campuses (“We Are Marquette”). To realistically and responsibly arrive at these optimistic visions of inclusion, rigorous discussion and deliberation are key. This course aims to dig into this work by exploring how we define and use concepts like “belonging” and “unity,” which generally promise equity and justice for all, and we’ll productively reckon with the challenges these ideals pose. How do we arrive at “we” with any satisfaction? How can unity accommodate difference and diversity? Can injustice and trauma be healed or exacerbated in the face of calls for harmony? We will wrestle with these questions by examining authors and artists, predominantly from the 19^th-century U.S., who encounter the difficulties of finding “home” in the U.S, but we’ll trace 21^st-century responses to this older literature that make the issues and questions of the past relevant to our present moment. 

We’ll engage with literature of protest and advocacy that aims to construct a more just and equitable nation. In kind, we’ll witness authors who face difficulty imagining a more pluralistic and diverse democracy. The experiences, strategies, and, in some cases, warnings offered by these authors give us historical context and tools for reflecting on palpable political and cultural division in the U.S. today.  

Finding Our Homeplace

We use the terms “unity” and “belonging” with the hope of celebrating or striving for a sense of uncomplicated and all-encompassing community. We hear this in presidential addresses (President Biden’s Inauguration theme—“America United”), voter campaigns (“Unity Over Division”), and on college campuses (“We Are Marquette”). To realistically and responsibly arrive at these optimistic visions of inclusion, rigorous discussion and deliberation are key. This course aims to dig into this work by exploring how we define and use concepts like “belonging” and “unity,” which generally promise equity and justice for all, and we’ll productively reckon with the challenges these ideals pose. How do we arrive at “we” with any satisfaction? How can unity accommodate difference and diversity? Can injustice and trauma be healed or exacerbated in the face of calls for harmony? We will wrestle with these questions by examining authors and artists, predominantly from the 19^th-century U.S., who encounter the difficulties of finding “home” in the U.S, but we’ll trace 21^st-century responses to this older literature that make the issues and questions of the past relevant to our present moment. 

We’ll engage with literature of protest and advocacy that aims to construct a more just and equitable nation. In kind, we’ll witness authors who face difficulty imagining a more pluralistic and diverse democracy. The experiences, strategies, and, in some cases, warnings offered by these authors give us historical context and tools for reflecting on palpable political and cultural division in the U.S. today.  

Reading and Contemplation as Resistance

Resistance to what? To the central value our society places on efficiency, convenience, and productivity. These contemporary ideals can be goods, but they can also have deleterious effects on individuals, communities, and non-human species—especially when “progress” has come to mean greater share-holder value and more machines. If we do not want to “go along to get along” in a world like this, we need to deliberately cultivate human practices of resistance to find stable foundations in ourselves, others, and the non-human world as realities free of commodification and media messaging. (This, by the way, does not entail demonizing our society.)

In this class we will engage in the ancient practices of lectio (reading) and contemplatio (contemplation) to carve out a critical sense of our own social world as well as a greater sense of self-direction and clarity of vision. We will read works by Lorine Niedecker, Homer, Vyasa, Jenny Odell, Josef Pieper, and David Lynch as jumping-off points for the term’s work.

Reading and Contemplation as Resistance

Resistance to what? To the central value our society places on efficiency, convenience, and productivity. These contemporary ideals can be goods, but they can also have deleterious effects on individuals, communities, and non-human species—especially when “progress” has come to mean greater share-holder value and more machines. If we do not want to “go along to get along” in a world like this, we need to deliberately cultivate human practices of resistance to find stable foundations in ourselves, others, and the non-human world as realities free of commodification and media messaging. (This, by the way, does not entail demonizing our society.)

In this class we will engage in the ancient practices of lectio (reading) and contemplatio (contemplation) to carve out a critical sense of our own social world as well as a greater sense of self-direction and clarity of vision. We will read works by Lorine Niedecker, Homer, Vyasa, Jenny Odell, Josef Pieper, and David Lynch as jumping-off points for the term’s work.

Cloud Atlas and the Crisis of Connection  
The 21^st century has featured a rapid expansion of novels traversing time, place, and genre in search of some globally unifying structure. One of the works most emblematic of this trend is David Mitchell’s 2004 novel Cloud Atlas, which we will be using as our anchor text throughout the semester. Ranging across six different eras and locations, each written in a unique genre, Cloud Atlas culminates with a message of inescapable connection, which can be read as both a depressing and beautiful ending to a novel warning of future cataclysm. In this course we’ll investigate Cloud Atlas as a representative novel of how contemporary writers are grappling with the pressures, lures, and dangers of global connection, as well as issues including, but not limited to, posthumanism, ecocriticism, the compatibility of art and science, and global political structures. Along with reading Mitchell’s novel and watching the Wachowski’s 2012 film adaptation, we’ll work with selections from other artists in literature, film, music, visual artistry, and more.  

This is not a course that requires that you arrive with any particular knowledge about Cloud Atlas in particular or literary analysis in general. We will focus on what art reflects back at us about the history in which we live and the futures we could make. Our focus will be on analyzing closely and critically, through multiple disciplines and genres, so what matters most is that you develop the knowledge and the ability to analyze works in their historical and cultural contexts as we discuss genre, periodization, and a host of social, political, and economic concerns that motivate artists.  

Cloud Atlas has a lot going on, and as we consider its legacy, importance, and why it has become so emblematic and influential (as it turns 20!) we’ll also investigate our own connections to art, each other, and the world; or, as the novel would put it, the oceans in which we are drops.  

Cloud Atlas and the Crisis of Connection  
The 21^st century has featured a rapid expansion of novels traversing time, place, and genre in search of some globally unifying structure. One of the works most emblematic of this trend is David Mitchell’s 2004 novel Cloud Atlas, which we will be using as our anchor text throughout the semester. Ranging across six different eras and locations, each written in a unique genre, Cloud Atlas culminates with a message of inescapable connection, which can be read as both a depressing and beautiful ending to a novel warning of future cataclysm. In this course we’ll investigate Cloud Atlas as a representative novel of how contemporary writers are grappling with the pressures, lures, and dangers of global connection, as well as issues including, but not limited to, posthumanism, ecocriticism, the compatibility of art and science, and global political structures. Along with reading Mitchell’s novel and watching the Wachowski’s 2012 film adaptation, we’ll work with selections from other artists in literature, film, music, visual artistry, and more.  

This is not a course that requires that you arrive with any particular knowledge about Cloud Atlas in particular or literary analysis in general. We will focus on what art reflects back at us about the history in which we live and the futures we could make. Our focus will be on analyzing closely and critically, through multiple disciplines and genres, so what matters most is that you develop the knowledge and the ability to analyze works in their historical and cultural contexts as we discuss genre, periodization, and a host of social, political, and economic concerns that motivate artists.  

Cloud Atlas has a lot going on, and as we consider its legacy, importance, and why it has become so emblematic and influential (as it turns 20!) we’ll also investigate our own connections to art, each other, and the world; or, as the novel would put it, the oceans in which we are drops.  

Culture, Fear, and How Monsters Get Made
Stories about “things that go bump in the night” are some of the oldest and most pervasive narratives in human history across essentially all cultural traditions. Yet we’re often told these stories are not worth studying in academic settings. So what happens if we do look closer at the monsters in our world? How can scary stories help us better understand the cultures that create and tell those stories

In this course, we’ll dive into studying language and culture through the lenses of fear and monstrosity. We’ll explore everything from ancient stories of dangerous creatures to modern true crime shows to consider how humans have always used monsters to describe the world we live in and the beings we share it with. In addition to these stories themselves, we’ll look at how scholars of horror can help us better analyze the ways expressions of fear are related to an individual’s and a culture’s conceptions (and biases) of race, gender, class, and disability, as well as other identities and social groups.

This is not a “horror” class, so those who are easily scared (like me) are definitely welcome! But we will examine how fearplays a fundamental role in how we see ourselves and others, and how we move through the world.

Culture, Fear, and How Monsters Get Made
Stories about “things that go bump in the night” are some of the oldest and most pervasive narratives in human history across essentially all cultural traditions. Yet we’re often told these stories are not worth studying in academic settings. So what happens if we do look closer at the monsters in our world? How can scary stories help us better understand the cultures that create and tell those stories

In this course, we’ll dive into studying language and culture through the lenses of fear and monstrosity. We’ll explore everything from ancient stories of dangerous creatures to modern true crime shows to consider how humans have always used monsters to describe the world we live in and the beings we share it with. In addition to these stories themselves, we’ll look at how scholars of horror can help us better analyze the ways expressions of fear are related to an individual’s and a culture’s conceptions (and biases) of race, gender, class, and disability, as well as other identities and social groups.

This is not a “horror” class, so those who are easily scared (like me) are definitely welcome! But we will examine how fearplays a fundamental role in how we see ourselves and others, and how we move through the world.

Writing for Social Change: Interrogating Community Health and Wellness Advocacy through a Social Justice Lens

This class focuses on the challenges and the opportunities influencing the social health and wellness of the diverse communities living in and near to the city of Milwaukee. We will engage with local community organizations, institutions, and groups that advocate for community health and wellness and will analyze issues inhibiting that goal through a social justice lens. Specifically, we will explore how marginalized communities in our local area advocate for their own health issues using writing and other forms of communication to make positive change for their communities. We will also consider how digital forms of writing and communication help or harm local health advocacy projects. This course will include engagement in class discussions, research, reflective writing, and creative solutions to local community health issues. 

Preserving the City as Art and History

This course will introduce students to the history of architecture, parks, monuments, and urban design in America as well as the theory and practice of historic preservation. Through object analysis, historic research, and extensive fieldwork, students will learn how to “read” a building, monument, or cultural landscape as form of public art and as a source of historic evidence, think critically about their built environment, and discover the role which citizens can play in preserving art, history, and community. Using Milwaukee and Chicago as case-studies for these themes, students will come to understand “the power of place” to shape their lives—and their own power to shape civic life.

This class looks at contemporary social issues through the lens of the economic, ideological, and institutional structures that frame them.  We will look at the historical context of these structures and attempt to venture some ideas on how to overcome the tensions and injustices that face us here in Milwaukee.

 TBD

Religious Places, Divided Spaces, and Hope for the FutureDr. Martin Luther King famously observed that America is most segregated on Sunday at 11AM. Was that true of Milwaukee while Dr. King called for the nation to redeem its troubled racial legacy? Is it still true today? If so, how is it that churches mirrored society's basest elements rather than demonstrating its highest ideals? This course introduces students to the history of Milwaukee by examining the city's religious heritage. Neither the city nor its religious landscape can be fully grasped without broadly understanding the contours of urban history, the role of race in America's founding and growth, the place of city churches and synagogues in welcoming immigrants, and the promise of God to "make all things new." Learn about Marquette's hometown and meet servant leaders throughout Milwaukee who are actively putting their faith into practice to bridge the divides that still keep people apart on Sunday mornings.

BIOL 1930 901     Th       1-2:50pm       Anita Manogaran

This course provides students with the foundations of running a scientific experiment.  Students work together to develop a hypothesis based on research ongoing here at Marquette.  Students learn basic laboratory techniques and perform experiments to test their hypotheses.  The course culminates in a final poster presentation.  Designed for students who may have an interest in research but do not know how to get involved.

CHEM 1002H 902 LEC   MWF   10-10:50am    Llanie Nobile   

CHEM 1002H 903 LEC   MWF   1-1:50pm        Llanie Nobile

            941 LAB   W        2-4:50pm   

            942 LAB   W        2-4:50pm 

            961 DIS    Th       9:30-10:20am               

            962 DIS    Th        9:30-10:20am                  

            963 DIS     W       1-1:50pm       

CHEM 1014H 901 LEC    MF       11-12:15 am     Nicholas Reiter

            941 LAB   W        11-1:50 am                   

CHNS 3200 101 LEC      MWF    1-1:50pm          Daniel Meissner

* This is not officially an honors section, but honors student who enroll will receive honors elective credit.

COMM 4750 901 LEC     TTh       2-3:15pm             A.Jay Wagner

COMM 4750 902 LEC     TTh       12:30-1:45pm     A.Jay Wagner

* This is not officially an honors section, but honors student who enroll will receive honors elective credit.

**This course has limited space reserved for honors students. Please contact Erin for a permission number.

ENGL 4523 101 LEC      TTh       12:30-1:45pm     Leah Flack

*This course is an Honors for All course in the Discovery Tier, a course that is open to all students at Marquette and gives Honors elective credit to students completing the Core Honors curriculum.  

**This course requires a permission number to enroll, please contact Erin.

Modernism: Make It New

"Make it new" has long been known as the slogan of Modernism, a brash, innovative literary and artistic movement that emerged in the wake of the devastation of World War I, which left artists working across Europe to conclude that traditional forms of literature and art no longer sufficed to capture the realities of twentieth-century experience. 

The leading artists we associate with modernism—in literature, T.S. Eliot, Virginia Woolf, James Joyce, Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound, etc. and Stravinsky, Picasso, Matisse, Eisenstein, etc in music, visual arts, and cinema—still loom as artistic giants who produced monumental art. The Waste Land and Ulysses are often characterized as literary Mount Everests for the most daring and accomplished readers who earn bragging rights for life after mastering them.

This class will be a collaborative journey to make this well-worn story about modernism new. We will learn why seeing reading as a form of acquiring mastery over difficulty is wildly out of sync with the creativity of modernist writers confronting an era of overwhelming uncertainty. 

ENGL 4765 101 LEC    MWF      12-12:50pm           Amy Blair

*This course is an Honors for All course in the Discovery Tier (Expanding our Horizons), a course that is open to all students at Marquette and gives Honors elective credit to students completing the Core Honors curriculum.  

**This course requires a permission number to enroll, please contact Erin.

Material Cultures, The Midwest
“Flyover Country.” “The Heartland.” “Chicagoland.” There are lots of synonyms for the region of the U. S. also known as the “Midwest,” each of which implies a definition of and attitude towards “midwestern” people and places.  In this course we won’t necessarily define this place for ourselves, but we will look at how it has been represented in literature and material culture from the 18^th through the 21^stcenturies.

HEAL 1025H 901 LEC    Th      11am - 1:40pm     Marija Bjegovich-Weidman

HEAL 4901H 901 LEC    Th    11am - 12:15pm     Amy Newman

HIST 4298 901 LEC   MWF      9-9:50am             Alan Ball

*This course is an Honors for All course in the Discovery Tier, a course that is open to all students at Marquette and gives Honors elective credit to students completing the Core Honors curriculum.  

MATH 1700H 901 LEC    TTh     9:30-10:45am     Benjamin Freedman

         PSYC 1700H 901 Lab    W   9-9:50am         Debra Oswald

         PSYC 1700H 902 Lab    W   10-10:50am     Debra Oswald

The PSYC 1700H lab is required to earn Honors credit for the course. It is not intended only for PSYC majors.

 MUSI 1120H 901    W,Su        5-7pm               Andrew Mountin

PHIL 1001H 901 LEC   MWF      10-10:50am         Michael Olsen

PHIL 1001H 902 LEC   MWF      12-12:50pm         Michael Mullooly

PHIL 1001H 903 LEC   TTh         8-9:15am            Clark Wolf

PHIL 1001H 904 LEC   TTh        9:30-10:45am      Clark Wolf

PHIL 1001H 905 LEC   TTh        12:30-1:45pm      Grant Silva

PHIL 1001H 906 LEC   TTh        12:30-1:45pm      Clark Wolf

PHIL 1001H 907 LEC   TTh         2-3:15pm            Javiera Perez Gomez

PHYS 1004H 901 LEC   MWF   9-9:50am & M 6-8pm        Jax Sanders

PHYS 1004H 902 LEC   MWF   12-12:50am & M 6-8pm    Andrew Kunz

PHYS 1004H 903 LEC   MWF   1-1:50pm & M 6-8pm        Dave Haas

PHYS 1004H 904 LEC   MWF    2-2:50pm & M 6-8pm       Dave Haas

PHYS 1004H 941 LAB    W        6-7:50pm                         Melissa Vigil

PHYS 1004H 961 DIS     W       5-5:50pm                          Melissa Vigil               

PHYS 1014H 901 LEC     MWF   1-2:50pm        Karen Andeen

POSC 2201H 901 LEC    TTh    2-3:15pm         Amanda Heideman

POSC 2801H 901 LEC    TTh    11am - 12:15pm       Darrell Dobbs

THEO 3230H 901 LEC     TTh    11am - 12:15pm        Joe Simmons & Jennifer Wotochek

* This course is an Honors for All course in the Discovery Tier (Cognition, Memory, and Intelligence), a course that is open to all students at Marquette and gives Honors elective credit to students completing the Core Honors curriculum.  

Theology in the Writings of CS Lewis

• What does it mean for us to “know” something?
• How is the problem of the human mind or self-awareness related to the question of God?
• What does human imagination reveal about ourselves and our place in the world?
• What role does language play, particularly when we meet Lewis’s many talking animals and other non-human creatures?
• Is human knowledge different from the kind of “knowing” we see in the digital world?

The course will address these questions through intensive reading in Lewis’s works, including his children’s fiction, science fiction, and non-fiction essays on theological anthropology and theory of mind.