Humanities online

Have you always wanted to relive the thrill of a humanities conference but feel more than just a little daunted by the thought of a long reading list and the prospect of writing hum papers? Then join us for Reed's first-ever humanities class designed just for alumni.

Humanities Online will include selected readings from the senior symposium, Humanities 411: Arcadia, by Tom Stoppard; Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies, by Jared Diamond; The Sources of Normativity, by Christine Korsgaard, et al; and Image and Logic: A Material Culture of Microphysics, by Peter Galison.

Conferences will be led by two well-known Reed faculty members: Robert Knapp, professor of English and humanities, and Robert Reynolds, professor of physics.

Reed's online web conference discussions will connect you with Reed alumni from around the world.

Humanities Online will begin in September, with new readings assigned approximately every two weeks. The web conference for each book will be limited to one week. There will be a conference fee to cover the cost of books and faculty time. You will need access to a computer with a connection to the World Wide Web.

For more information email the alumni office at alumni@reed.edu.



Alumni association president's report

I once had an acquaintance tell me my problem was that I thought all the time; I never turned off my mind to "just be." Frankly, I didn't see this as a problem, but rather part of my definition of self. I suspect I share this condition with most Reedies-it's part of what characterizes us as a group. When I spend my days in the company of "non-thinkers," I develop a nagging sense that there is something missing. Does this happen to you? Well, one cure is connecting with other Reedies, and that is where the alumni office and the alumni association can help. You might come to reunions, attend chapter events, or connect remotely via the online discussions at the Reed section of the Utne Caf‚ (http://www.utne.com/cafe). You'll find the type of discourse in these places that may be missing from your life. The Reed alumni web site is at http://www.reed.edu/alumni/.

It has been a busy and productive year for the alumni association, and for that we all owe a heartfelt thanks to our outgoing president, Michele Funk '94. Despite moving across the country and beginning graduate school, she has somehow found enormous quantities of time and energy to devote to Reed. Thanks to her, the association has a new long-range plan. A good portion of the task during my term will be putting that plan into practice. We will continue to work at keeping alumni informed of the successes and opportunities facing the college, and at in-creasing the number of alumni engaged with the college and the association.

It should be an exciting and rewarding year, and I look forward to talking to and working with many of you.

- Sheldon Hochheiser '73 hochheiser@worldnet.att.net



Next Page
Next Page