Splash Biography

We are all familiar with the image of the farmer as a hard-working pioneer, building his future on the homestead day-by-day. But what is the actual state of farming and farmers in America today? And how does it affect YOU and the food you eat?

8:00 - 4:00. Five days a week. 35 weeks a year. You may be a student who loves going to school or who hates it (unlikely, if you are here on a Saturday). But why is it a good idea for us to go to school? How has education changed over time? And, finally, what is it supposed to contribute to our lives?

Most Americans have heard something (usually something negative) about Iran, or the Islamic Republic of Iran. We may also find Iran’s government, which is based on a minority type of Islam, slightly bizarre. In fact, we may find a lot of things about Iran bizarre: a grand leader who looks like an angry turbaned Santa Claus, a president who has spiritual experiences while speaking in the UN, and worshippers who beat themselves to show their faith. During this class, we will explore what the brand of Islam called Shi’a Islam is and how it contributes to Iran’s national identity-and maybe how it explains some of the oddities about a country we hear about often but may not examine as frequently.

Created after the second of two devastating world wars to prevent another, the United Nations and its agencies make up the only global body of deliberation, legislation, and action. Yet, how much knowledge about the United Nations does the average person have? What are its strengths and where are its failings? What are the background stories of the global dilemmas it seeks to remedy? Is criticism well-deserved? Through an overview of the structure and powers of the United Nations and its various agencies, as well as the major issues which are addressed by this unique organization, this course aims to improve and expand upon the student’s knowledge of the functions and role of the United Nations through a dual lecture and discussion format.

The Greeks, as the famous saying goes, made gods of their men and men out of their gods. Who were those gods, and were they always nasty? How come Athena, goddess of wisdom, made war over an apple? Why did the half-divine hero Heracles clean out horse poop and chase birds? And why, oh why, did Zeus never learn to be faithful to his wife(and sister)? Beyond the tales, what may be equally interesting for students is how another culture, which adopted the Greek tales and made them part of its own mythology, had myths of its own with a completely different focus. This class will consider the relationship between mythology and society’s attitudes-after, of course, delving into dangerous quests, silly and long wars, and jealous-wife hissy fits.

All of us eat, and with frequency if we are fortunate. Yet, do we ever really pause and think about what we are eating and what had to happen for it to find its way into our grasps? This class will be centered on an overview of agricultural history and the development of our eating habits (no, our cereals did not always come pre-sugared in cardboard boxes decorated with cheery cartoon animals), with some surprising facts (around one-third of fresh fruit and vegetables is thrown away because it is considered ugly) and figures (America, a major global agricultural exporter, has a farming population of only about 1.9 percent) along the way.