Illustrated by Maggie O’Connor.
In this compilation, professors plead the cases for their niche classes of the semester — from Tolkien to detective novels to a partnership with Hillsdale Homestead.
“Hard-Boiled Detective Novels”
1-credit, T, 11-11:50 a.m.
Paule Rahe, Professor of History
“What genre is unique and peculiar to modern commercial liberal society? The answer is the detective novel, which was invented in the 19th century. And what makes the detective novel peculiar? Well, its focus is on the thing identified by Thomas Hobbes, restated by John Locke, and implicit in the Declaration of Independence, that the center of life is avoiding death, especially violent death. So what is the detective novel about? It’s about violent death and about a heroic figure who tries to head off violent death…So the idea is to look at a genre that is typical of the kind of society in which we live, and to think about the character of that society.”
“Designing Your Life”
2-credit, T, Th, 11-11:50 a.m.
Kristin Kiledal, Professor of Rhetoric and Public Address
“I want students to be knowledgeable enough to apply the design strategy to their lives confidently, recognizing that risk is required, change, pitfalls and even failures will occur — and that when they occur, they may be places of growth, or even revolution.”
“Women’s Health & Nutrition”
2-credit, M, W, 2-2:50 p.m.
Nicole Walbright, Associate Athletic Director
“This class is one of my favorites to teach. It is such a fun opportunity to work with young women and help them discover the foundational material that is so impactful to our health. I really appreciate how the class is a common denominator for them all, as our health is not specific to one major, one culture, or one type of person in general. Everyone should learn the basic principles of our own wellness.”
“Tolkien & the Lord of the Rings”
2-credit, M, 12-2 p.m.
Bradley Birzer, Professor of History
“I’ve been a huge Tolkien fan since about 1980, and I’ve spent much of my professional life and writing in Tolkien scholarship. So, I’m really, really happy the English department is kindly and graciously allowing me to teach this. I’m hoping the students will learn Tolkien understood that the good life can never be achieved without immense sacrifice. I like Tolkien because of his prose, his imagination, and his gravitas. For me, he’s the greatest myth maker of the modern world — equivalent to Homer, Virgil, and Dante.”
“Food & Faith in U.S. History”
1-credit, W, 3-3:50 p.m.
James Strasberg, Associate Professor of History, and Cody Strecker, Associate Professor of Theology
“We’ll think together about what it means for human beings and ecosystems to flourish, and we’ll reflect on how what we eat can be a means of loving God, neighbor, and creation. One of the exciting aspects of the class is its hands-on partnership with the new student-run Hillsdale Homestead out at Glei’s Orchard. Students will get the chance to tend the soil together and practice regenerative agriculture. We’ll cap off the semester with a celebratory farm-to-table meal that the students themselves will have grown and harvested.”
