(Page 19 of 61) - Political Science and Interdisciplinary Courses authored by Erb, Scott.

Modern Times: Art, Music, and Politics Around the Great War:
Modern Times is a team-taught course investigating culture and society in Europe (with
some detours to the US and the rest of the world) at the time of the “Great War”—World
War I (1914-1919). This was a time of chaos and transformation in every aspect of life,
including politics, art, and music. Many historians believe that WWI ushered in a new
era, the so-called “modern world,” defined less by tradition, authority, and orthodox
culture, and more by technology, ideology, and experimentation. And although World
War II has more presence in our nation’s memory, the period of WWI, from the
formation of Iraq to the introduction of atonal music, etched the foundations of who we
have become at the start of the twenty-first century. From the tragedy of disaster to the
heights of human achievement, this was a remarkable time.

The FYS Pilot Program: (FYS = First Year Seminar)
Not only do we have an exciting period to study, our method of exploration is designed in
the innovative style of a first-year seminar. Our course, Modern Times, is part of UMF’s
First-Year Seminar pilot program. First-Year Seminars provide students with an
intellectually exciting course that focuses on depth as opposed to breadth and serves as
transition to academic life. But there’s more good news: unlike the other first-year
seminars at UMF, Modern Times, is being taught for a second time—we first taught it
last year as a pilot for the FYS concept. (Hey we piloted the pilot!) So we now have the
opportunity to make what was a good course even better. And among of the best
improvements is our recruitment of three alumni from last year’s course to serve as
teaching assistants. This should be a very exciting semester.

The Approach of the First Year Seminar:
In this course our goal is not to indoctrinate you into a discipline or teach you a set of
basic facts; we want to help you develop critical thinking skills and confidence in using
them. We will investigate this era as explorers looking for meaning in a time of tumult—
a time of creativity amid destruction, new ideas confronting old ones, and conflict both
between nations and within society. We hope you leave this class fascinated by the
subject matter, critically reflecting on its meaning both for explaining the past and
comprehending the present, and with the understanding that even though some courses at
college may seem boring or mundane, the essence of education and academic life is
invigorating and exciting. Most of all, the example of the three of us learning from each
other and you—through your insights and ideas—is meant to show what being a learning
community is all about. And in its essence, any university is a learning community, with
faculty and students partners in that process.

First-Year Seminar Guru:
On the first day, Sarah, Steve, and Scott will be assigned one-third of the class as a First-
Year Seminar Guru (FYSG). The groups will be loosely based on students’ preference for
art, music, or politics. Unlike your departmental advisor who helps with course selection
and progress in your major, your FYS Guru will deal more generally with the transition
to the academic life and expectations of college. FYS advising groups will take ‘in-