This winter, Dartmouth is being transformed into a novelist's paradise, with such unorthodox subjects as crime-solvers, virgins and illegal drugs integrated into several classes' curricula.
Four courses offered exclusively during Winter term are particularly noteworthy.
"Sleuths and Clues," this term's "Introduction to French Literature" section (French 10), has been an exceptionally popular offering. Taught by eminent French and Italian Professor John Rassias, the class explores the French detective as a literary figure. Class members will also rewrite the endings of a few French novels to increase their understanding of the genre.
The course of study is intended to foster a deeper understanding of the French language, but its instructor also has more diffuse goals.
"A study of the detective novel is for everyone -- it teaches people how to read a book, it sharpens the mind and critical sense of the reader [and] it lends insight into places forbidden to most people," Rassias told The Dartmouth.
As of yesterday the course was full, with a class size 48 percent greater than its listed maximum enrollment of 25, but a number of students are still attempting to join because of the class' unique description and Rassias' reputation.
"I've heard only good things about Professor Rassias and the idea of taking a course on mystery novels sounded cool," Michael J. Ellis '06 said.
"Virgins and Virginity," Women's and Gender Studies 46, is another exciting class offered only in the winter. As this term's section of the "Gender and Culture" class, the course aims to examine the notion of virginity both in ancient Greek and Roman society and in more contemporary culture. Much of the effort in the course, Classics Professor Phyllis B. Katz said, will center on the examination of "the ultimate destiny of every Greek girl: to get married and have children." The course satisfies both the Literature distributive requirement and the European category of the World Culture requirement.
The final goal of the class, Katz said, "is a better understanding of gender issues and how a culture values the gendered members of its society."
History Professor Gene Garthwaite is teaching a history seminar for which there has traditionally been much enthusiasm. Titled "The Arab-Israeli Conflict," History 96.3 is open to juniors and seniors with the permission of Garthwaite, a specialist in Middle Eastern history who has a military background.
The seminar, Garthwaite said, "is an attempt to put the Arab-Israeli conflict into a historical context, going back to the 19th century and tracing it up until the present."
A substantial number of non-history majors have enrolled in Garthwaite's seminar to obtain a more objective perspective on the friction between Israel and Arab nations. "A lot of what people read is biased in one direction or the other. There's a lot of issues where I think I know the Israeli position or the Palestinian position and I'm hoping this class will give me a rounder base," David R. Peranteau '04 said.
The topic of one of this term's psychology seminars is "Drugs and Behavior." Led by Psychology and Brain Sciences Professor Robert N. Leaton, enrollment is quite limited.
The seminar, mostly taken by seniors who are psychology majors, requires the permission of the department, which had to be obtained during a signup period last May. Like many popular classes, "Drugs and Behavior" is full and has a long waiting list of junior majors.
The course will investigate cigarettes, alcohol and illegal narcotics and attempt to analyze both the means by which drugs affect the brain and complex drug-policy issues.
"There's a lot of information and misinformation about drugs. If anybody on the campus should talk about them it should be this department," Leaton said.
