The Power of Stories
Stories and storytelling are as old as mankind. Stories sustain us, we tell them, we live through them. Stories are an integral part of identity building and shape our understanding of events. Stories inspire our imagination. As children we listen to bedtime stories and fairy tales, as we get older we read or watch them in movie theaters and on the stage. Our favorite stories stay with us forever, and most of us hope that, when we get old, we can look back with contentment and gratitude to the story of our lives.
But stories are much more than just entertainment. Stories can be powerful weapons, which is why a lot of stories are being suppressed, marginalized or censored. Our journey together will revolve around discovering stories from colonial history, art censorship, book banning, disability and imprisonment. You will read texts, look at paintings, and listen to songs. You will uncover sub-texts and learn to critically discern sources from areas as diverse as literature, art, history, and contemporary society. You will learn about the specific contexts of stories in order to arrive at a differentiated perception of their individual, social and political impact.
Irrespective of your chosen subjects and interests, you will hone your presentation and performance skills. The course will afford you a safe space to take risks and bring your ideas and opinions to the table, and to practice speaking and acting spontaneously and confidently in front of a group of peers.
I am looking forward to working with you and to co-constructing our own story during the IFS.
This course is eligible for honors credit through Hutton Honors College.
Catalog Information: COLL-S 103 FRESHMAN SEMINAR IN A&H