Peter G. PotamianosCollege of DuPage425 Fawell BoulevardGlen Ellyn, Illinois 60137630-942-2800Course Descriptions
|
San Francisco Renaissance
We'll travel to San Francisco where culture and social activism merged to form an unprecedented American Renaissance. On our arrival, we'll check into the quaint and historic San Remo Hotel near Fisherman's Wharf. Our first destination, North Beach, is where Kerouac, Rexroth, Corso, Ginsberg and others read and discussed their works. Next, we'll go to Haight Asbury and to Berkeley, sites of the "Summer of Love" and of the social protests of the 60s. Students in English 1102 Composition are required to meet with the instructor weekly for eight 10-15 minute sessions in the CIL. Students may register for Humanities 1800 and/or for Composition 1102.
Route 66: Travel the Mother Road
Travel by van and bike portions of the Illinois branch of Route 66 from Chicago to Litchfield. Biking will be optional. We'll start our trip at COD in a college van and drive along historic Route 66 though the quaint and historic towns--Joliet, Dwight, Bloomington, Springfield, Litchfield and Mt. Olive. Like those who first traveled this route, we'll visit popular sites including the famed Dixie Truck Stop and Route 66 Hall of Fame, Lincoln's home and tomb and the memorial to Mother Jones in Mt. Olive. For more information, visit "My Favorite Links"on my home page.
Chicago Experience Humanities 288
Chicago Experience II is a continuation of Chicago Experience. This course explores 20th century Chicago through its writers, films and architecture. The focus will be on the commercial and ethnic development of the city's neighborhoods. The course consists of 3 field trips and two class sessions on campus.
This course is a continuation of Chicago Experience I, II and Chicago Neighborhoods and will introduce you to the city's diverse religious and cultural expressions. During the quarter, you will visit three different religious institutions with time to explore the local neighborhood. In addition, you will get a chance to view and discuss new and interesting Chicago films and the opportunity to do assigned exploring on your own. For more information, visit "My Favorite Links" on my home page.
Chicago Neighborhoods
Take a winter tour of three special Chicago neighborhoods. Stop for lunch and browse through local neighborhood shops, houses of worship and historic sites of the city. We've scheduled three Saturday field trips and two class sessions on campus. For more information, call Peter Potamianos, instructor, at 630-942-2800 extension 51344. For more information, visit "My Favorite Links" on my home page.
Desolation Peak: A Kerouac "Beat" Experience
In 1956, Jack Kerouac was a fire outlook atop Desolation Peak. He later recorded this experience in his two novels: Dharma Bums and Desolation Angels. The fire lookout he used still stands on this 6,102' summit. We'll fly to Seattle and then drive, by van, to Ross Lake where we'll board the ferry to the trailhead. From there we'll hike up this steep mountain to our campsite to relax with yoga, meditation, a hot cup of espresso, and to read and discuss Beat poetry and Jack's novels. The fee includes air and ground transportation, lodging and entry fees and permits. For more information, visit "My Favorite Links" on my home page.
We'll spend 3 days hiking the well-known trails of the Canyon. For the daring few, there will also be an opportunity for a small group to backpack and camp, one night, in the inner canyon.
On campus scheduled sessions include an orientation and three informal sessions from 7 to 9 p.m., to discuss hiking and backpacking techniques and literary works and films about the canyon and its impact on visitors through the ages. American nature writers to be studied include Edward Abbey, Gary Snyder and Colin Fletcher.
The fee includes round-trip airfare, double-occupancy for four nights at Maswik Lodge on the South Rim, entry fees, and local transportation. Personal hiking gear, meals, other personal expenses and tuition for five credits in Humanities 1800, Grand Canyon, and one credit in Physical Education 151S, Backpacking, are extra. Itinerary and costs are subject to change. For more information, visit "My Favorite Links" on my home page.
Exploring the Simple Life
Three credits of Humanities 1800 and/or Composition 1102 combine the benefits of both independent work and traditional classroom meetings and a field trip. Explore the advantages and disadvantages of simple living in present day America. Resources include readings, films and a first-hand experience with intentional community life in Illinois and Wisconsin. Composition 1102 students will choose a topic for their required research paper on some aspect of living simply. For more information, visit "My Favorite Links" on my home page.
Hike Yosemite's Trails: A John Muir Experience
There's no place in the world like Yosemite National Park. Giant granite rock faces, numerous record-sized waterfalls, giant ancient Sequoias and miles and miles of breath-taking scenery. Hike and/or backpack the scenic trails of Yosemite Valle and view the natural sites that inspired the naturalist John Muir, the poet Gary Snyder and the photographer Ansel Adams. The fee includes air and ground transportation, lodging and/or group camping and backpacking equipment. For more information, visit "My Favorite Links" on my home page.
Humanities and the Arts 1101
In this five credit hour course, you will explore the history and development of Western Civilization from the cave art in Lascaux, France, to the rise of civilization in Mesopotamia, and to the dawn of the Modern Age in Europe and America. Learn how to critically evaluate a work of art, and experience several artistic venues, first hand, through class activities and field trips.
Chicago Beat Scene
Explore the lives and works of a unique generation of American writers. Visit their Chicago neighborhoods and walk their streets and alleys. Read and discuss American writers who in their youth openly questioned the values and mores of their society and the direction in which American life was headed. They challenged their contemporaries, as they challenge us today by their works and their lifestyles. Unlike most contemporary postmodern writers, the beats practiced their values and beliefs.
Glacier National Park: A Hiker's Paradise
Hike the trails of Glacier National Park and Canada's Waterton National Park. Absorb the beauty and grandeur of this pristine environment before global warming takes its toll. In this course we'll spend several days in Glacier and then enter Canada and Waterton Park for two days of hiking. This course will also include discussions, and a visit to the interpretive site in Great Falls Montana, on the famed Lewis and Clark Corps of Discovery that opened the Western frontier to the United States with its Louisiana Purchase of 1803. For more information, visit "My Favorite Links" on my home page.
