Section Choices: Fresh Focus Fall 2008

FOC 101-01 Now That I’m Here, What Do I Do? OU and the Atlanta Business Community (Benton)
The class is designed to introduce the student to the business opportunities in the Atlanta area and to help the student adjust to the Oglethorpe community. Ideal for accounting majors or students thinking of majoring in accounting.

FOC 101-02 The Future of Humankind: Culture, Technology, and Exploration (Collins)
This course will explore the future of humankind, based in futurist studies, not science fiction. Based in readings and discussion from generalists’ texts dealing with AI, space exploration, robotics, virtual reality, nanoscience, and genetics, this course examines the coming revolutions that will ultimately transform humankind.

FOC 101-03 The Stone Mountain Story (Cramer)
Literally the most outstanding feature of the Atlanta area, Stone Mountain is more than a great place to hike, run or cycle. Although it is all of that, it has a fascinating history and natural history too. It is also a top state park to visit with many enjoyable festivals and events. We will delve into all of these with even some field trips thrown in.

FOC 101-04 Siege of Atlanta (Hetherington)
The outcome of the American Civil War was not yet decided during the spring of 1864. Grant was bogged down up in Virginia and the Northern Press had labeled him "The Butcher." With the election of 1864 just a few months away, Lincoln's re-election was also not certain. The capture of Atlanta, Georgia was going to determine the outcome of both events - the war, and the election. The siege of Atlanta becomes one of the most important events in American history.

FOC 101-05    21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership and yOU! (King)
Utilizing proven principles from the book 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership (ex. "The Law of Empowerment,” “The Law of Connection,” and “The Law of Navigation"), students will gain valuable insight on how to become effective leaders both on campus and in the community at large.

FOC 101-06 Election 2008: Get Involved (J. Knippenberg)
Students will explore the electoral process by meeting candidates and working on campaigns.

FOC 101-07 First-Year Seminar: From Sweetwater to Cabbagetown: Technology, Economics, and Culture in the Rise of Atlanta (Kower)
By tracing the diffusion of technology related to production, this course will place the path of Atlanta's historic economic development in a broader context. In addition, the course will view how economic growth impacted the demographics, culture, and commerce of the city in 20th century. Field trips will include visits to an antebellum cotton mill and the site of the former Fulton Bag and Cotton Company. This course is part of the Learning Community. Enrollment in COR-101-12 and ECO-121 are required to take this course.

FOC 101-08 First-Year Seminar: The Poet in Asia (Steen)
"The Poet in Asia" provides an introduction to poets and poetry in four Asian countries. We will read poems by Li Po and Tu Fu, two of China's best known poets of premodern times: Basho, Japan's best haiku poet; Nur, a fictional poet from India; and Kim Chi Ha the Korean dissident poet of the 1970's. We shall see what we can learn about poetry in these various cultures, and about the cultures that have produced such extraordinary works and writers.This course is part of the Learning Community. Enrollment in COR-101-16 is required to take this course.

FOC 101-09 Getting the Most out of Oglethorpe (Transfer Students Only/Littlefield)
This section, designed for transfer students, seeks to acquaint them with the opportunities and services available to them as students at Oglethorpe. Among these are (1) learning how to take advantage of the many curricular, co-curricular, and extra-curricular opportunities at OU; (2) learning about the various offices on campus; (3) networking with alumni for career/ graduate school exploration; and (4) exploring the skills transfer students will learn in and outside Oglethorpe's classrooms that will become the foundation for choices after graduation.

FOC 101-11 Flatland and Mathematical Imagination (Nardo)
The short novel Flatland has both mathematical and literary meanings. It introduces readers to tools for understanding different dimensions and satirizes the society of Victorian England. Our section will begin by exploring both ways of viewing this novel and then branch out to imagining and visualizing the fourth dimension.

FOC 101-12 Leadership Through Service: Numerous Ways to Make a Difference (Nash)
In this seminar we will explore numerous ways to make a difference by meeting with Atlanta’s nonprofit, corporate, education and civic leaders who have dedicated their lives to helping others. We will also visit two of Atlanta’s historic landmarks which illustrate examples of leadership through service.

FOC 101-13 The Human Voice in Speech and Song (Ray)
An introduction to the basic anatomy of the human larynx and its use in the craft of speech and the art of song. Elements will include posture, breath pressure, phonation, diction and tone which will be applied in simple vocal solos.  The class will include both observation of professional and amateur performers and personal application.

FOC 101-14 First-Year Seminar: Finding the Science in Science Fiction (Rulison)
Science fiction is unquestionably very entertaining. It is thought provoking, allows one to engage in a little fantasy, and if it is good science fiction, it even contains some real science – or at least some speculation that’s founded on real science. We will divide our time between an examination of the science in science fiction, using examples from prose, film, radio, and hypertexts, and consideration of various skills essential to beginning a successful academic career. This course is part of the Learning Community. Enrollment in COR-101-5 and CHM-101-01 are required to take this course.

FOC 101-15 Disease in Our Times (Schmeichel)
We are constantly bombarded by news reports regarding the latest disease outbreaks and medical breakthroughs, but how do we navigate through this information making sensible choices for ourselves and those around us?  In this section, we will explore these questions and others to frame a discussion of disease in our times, focusing on both infectious diseases (e.g., HIV-AIDS) and non-infectious diseases (e.g., cancer) that are of significant concern for populations across the world.

FOC 101-16 First-Year Seminar: Thank You, Ladies and Gentlemen, For Not Already Having All The Answers (Sparks)
Trust me, you don’t know everything. And trust me when I tell you that a lot of what you think you know you actually don’t. And trust me, too, when I tell you that the same goes for me and for everyone around you. So why listen at all? Because some people are shouting louder than others? No. Because some people you, I hope, by the end of this semester have begun to learn what it means, what it really means, to think about things and, having learned that, decided to run the risk, the real risk, of thinking within constraint. This course is part of the Learning Community. Enrollment in COR-101-01 is required to take this course.

FOC 101-17 Self Awareness: Strategies for Success (Transfer Students Only/Henry-Miller)
What distinguishes the successful student from the struggling student? What role does personal responsibility, motivation, interdependence, self-awareness, learning style, emotional intelligence, and personal values play in your success in college and beyond? This section will seek to answer these questions and more in a relaxed, meaningful, and impactful way. Personal testimonials will be used to offer new insights into the college experience of making healthy and safe lifestyle decisions concerning alcohol abuse, tobacco use, illegal drug use, unhealthy sexual practices and other high-risk behaviors.