| MLS NEWS & EVENTS | |
| 2nd Annual Graduate Liberal Studies Joint Student and Alumni Symposium Stanford University, June 26-27, 2008 |
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Stimulating the Brain |
"The Owl in the Olive Tree," July 2008 |
News: Introducing Fall 2008 Courses Urban Conservation Biology: Students in LBST 516 will explore – figuratively and literally – the conservation of habitats in urban areas with Travis Longcore. The class will include field work and examinations of issues such as major threats to urban biodiversity and the controversies and successes of certain LA basin urban nature conservation projects. Culture of Comedy: With Jim Kincaid, students in LBST 542 will examine how philosophers, artists, and everyday wise-guys have approached the culture of comedy and used it as a way of understanding life. Are we having fun yet?
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Simply put, “The GLS 2008 Joint Symposium at Stanford University was a wonderful experience,” said current MLS student Illeana Brothers. For Brothers and others from our MLS Program, the presentations by fellow Trojans Karen Holden and Shannon McHugh were highlights. Holden analyzed Raymond Chandler’s use of color as a literary device in his crime fiction, and included in her presentation her illustrations of Chandler scenes and a self-portrait. McHugh posited that those rare films actively professing a pro-female agenda, such as “The Other Boleyn Girl,” actually may undermine feminism in their quest to both entertain and depict liberation. Brothers said, “Listening to a wide range of topics has helped me formulate ideas for my summative project. Watching the various
presenters also gave me a better perspective on what to do and not to do when presenting. I realized how much I have already learned when I listened to a presentation on The Paradox of Prediction in Public Policy and knew that the presenter had read Foucault as I had. I was able to socialize with MLS students from different disciplines of study from all over the nation and Europe, and realized that a Master of Liberal Studies is a truly global degree.” Joining the USC contingency were over 140 alumni, students, and faculty from Dominican University of California, Maastricht University, Marylhurst University, Reed College, San Diego State University, Simon Fraser University, and Stanford University. Fellow MLS student Kinette Cager concurred on the benefits of attending. “The exposure to liberal study students and alumni in various stages of their academic careers was inspiring.” Added Cager, “I expected to be uplifted by the vast diversity of the presentations and I was not disappointed. I would encourage MLS students to attend a future symposium and share in the process.” Tentative plans are for the 2009 symposium to return to Stanford next summer. 
“The LBST 514 course 'Ideas of Nature in American Culture' taught by Jenny Price influenced me greatly and changed how I think about nature. Before I took the course, nature to me was a place apart. I didn’t have the eyes to see nature around me. Now, I see nature literally everywhere, from the environment I am in, to the things I use, to the food I eat. In my paper was 'Tangelos -- Constructed Nature?,' I investigated the history of how the tangelo came to be, a successful hybrid of a tangerine and a pomelo or a grapefruit. After my 'Ideas of Nature' studies, a tangelo is no longer is just a type of fruit that tastes good. Now when I see a tangelo or eat one, I appreciate it as a product that combined nature and human intervention. The class provided me with tools to recognize nature in my daily life and appreciate it more. I also have learned that nature and human beings can and should co-exist in a positive way to benefit both.” Young is featured as a student on the