College Course 19 is not the typical Dartmouth class.
Not one, not two, but six professors and a slew of guest educators -- including former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop -- teach the course, representing the English, Russian, comparative literature and medical sectors.
Short papers are due most Tuesdays, but they can be written as poetry, plays, or other artistic expressions in addition to the standard essay format. A major research paper of 20 to 25 pages culminates the class.
And the topic? Alcohol, addiction and health.
The only one of its kind in the Dartmouth curriculum, the course has been offered under several different auspices for 11 years. For the first time, however, it has been opened to both undergraduates and to Dartmouth Medical School students as an elective.
CoCo 19 was designed to explore the nature and dynamics of alcohol use, addiction and health within the context of individuals, families and various cultures. In conjunction with the range of speakers, it uses both medical texts and literary works for the class foundation.
As portrayed in the medical and literary reading, the course examines such questions as the promises associated with alcohol and to what degree the promises are realized.
Though it was standing room only on the first day of the term, CoCo 19 settled to approximately 27 students once news of the major research project was announced. Premeds, Drug and Alcohol Peer Advisors (DAPAs) and one medical school student compose the majority of the roster, as well as other students looking for an intriguing class with which to fulfill the interdisciplinary requirement.
"I think it's wonderful," course coordinator Dr. Gail Nelson said of the class. "It gives different perspectives to a subject that needs a variety of perspectives."
Veterans of the course described it as educational and therapeutic.
"I have spent a lot of time reevaluating my own drinking and attempting to make sense of two of my relatives," wrote one past student in an evaluation.
The students this year seem to be finding CoCo 19 equally interesting, but would not describe its subject material as revolutionary in comparison to other Dartmouth classes. However, the transition of professors and evening hours of the course have changed the atmosphere for some.
"I feel like I'm attending a series of sponsored lectures with a paper on the side," said Bonnie Tice '03. "It doesn't feel like an ordinary class."
Other students were not sure of which professor they should contact for office hour questions or how grades would be determined.
The class structure is different for the professors, too.
"I like the challenge of having to cope with a series of very different disciplinary assumptions each time a topic is presented," said English Professor Donald Pease. "It takes me out of my usual mindset. Different disciplines take different perspectives, and you don't realize that."
"It's a great opportunity to take a look at alcohol use through the eyes of literature and science together," agreed Dr. William Grass.
One aspect the course has touched upon is the use of alcohol in northern New England. According to CoCo 19, the higher use of alcohol can be attributed in part to the weaker presence of organized religion in the area.
Despite the more flexible arrangement of the class, the students of CoCo 19 are still expected to do a lot of work for the course.
"It's really amazing to me the quality of work and the depth of the work from the students every year," said Nelson. "It's a joy."
