Madness to Mental Health
Who you callin’ crazy? How do we respond to those whose mental states diverge from the norm, and how do we tell stories about them? Starting with Greek tragedy, working our way through Shakespeare, and ending with student-chosen modern texts, we’ll explore the history of mental illness in Western literature. We’ll examine the language used to talk about mental health, how it has evolved, and how depictions differ across time and culture. Projects will involve options ranging from creative writing to psychology research, giving students opportunities to explore topics of interest to them within mental health narratives.
This class will have a particular focus on the skills of reading, analytical writing, and creative writing.
Art of Navigating Life: The skills you will need
You may feel confident writing a paper, 3-D printing and laser cutting, or making an oral presentation. How about managing finances, changing a flat tire, cooking and baking, writing a resume, or doing self-care? From housekeeping to repairing and from survival skills to money management, this class will help you build a “how-to guide to everyday life.” We will also analyze how some of those important skills have been historically gender- and class-assigned. We will look at cooking, managing finances, basic first aid, negotiation skills, among many others. Students will also participate in brainstorming skills they want to learn and add to this course. This class will be co-taught by different faculty/staff members and will involve collaborating with experts in these areas.