My Nordic Studies Minor
While taking classes at CU Boulder, I knew I needed to take a language course and some general education courses. For the language course, I wanted to take something I wanted to learn, as a result, I took Swedish. During my two years of Swedish classes, I came to appreciate the Swedish culture and history. As a result, I decided to take other "Scandinavian" classes for my general education courses. After looking at the requirements for a Nordic Studies Minor, I discovered that I have already taken most of the classes I needed. As such, I decided to get a Nordic Studies minor.
I have taken the course descriptions from CU Boulder's Course Catalogue
Provides practical, communicative language skills for use in a variety of situations. Examines basic language structure and grammatical forms. Introduces students to Swedish history and contemporary culture and society.
Provides a comprehensive introduction to modern Nordic culture and society. Surveys the history of Nordic countries and examines their culture using art, architecture, literature, and film. Studies social issues, environmental concerns, and political patterns. In profiling aspects of culture and society unique to Nordic countries, students arrive at a conception of a collective Nordic identity.
For a mid-semester project, each student make a "web inspired" project talking about something from Nordic Culture. The projects did not have to be an actual webpage but could have just been a word document. I elected to do my project as an actual Wikia page based on Chrismas in Sweden.
Christmas In Sweden WikiaExamines the Nordic region's influence on social realism, expressionism, and postwar literature, including such themes as women in society, nature and industrialization, and identity and angst. May include works by Ibsen, Strindberg, Dinesen, and Nobel Prize winners Lagerlof, Hamsun, Undset, and Lagerkvist.
Advanced introduction to medieval Icelandic saga with readings in the family, outlaw, skald, and legendary sagas as well as the main scholarly approaches to this unique literature. Topics include honor, blood feud, fate, sexuality/gender, oral composition, and legend.
Most of this class was reading Icelandic sagas, howevere there was one creative project we did for the class. Each student wrote their own saga, inspired by real events or not, in the style of a tradithional Icelandic saga. My fictional saga is linked below.
Saga of the Twig and WolfSurveys the mythology and heathen cult practices of the Old Norse world. Students learn to read mythological texts and study the major gods (Odin, Thor, Frey and Freyja, among others), along with other mythological beings. Examines and evaluates evidence for beliefs and cult practices in texts, art, archeological finds and other sources.
For the final paper for this class, students were to take their knowledge of Old Norse Mythology and see how it has influenced something from the modern day. It includes any topic from Marvel's Thor to The Lord of the Rings. My paper looked at how a Japanese manga artist was influenced by Old Norse Mythology.
Old Norse Mythology Influencing Attack on TitanExamines the social, cultural, technological, and artistic backgrounds of the Viking experience, charting the history of the period both within the Nordic region and Europe as well as North America. Additionally, looks at some of the lasting influences of the Vikings on Western civilization.
Some of My Experiences in Writing
Through selected reading and writing assignments, students consider ethical and social ramifications of science policy and practice. Focuses on critical thinking, analytical writing, and oral presentation. Taught as a writing workshop, the course addresses communication with professional and non-technical audiences.
In this class students worked on a paper that they were interested in, as such each paper focused on a different topic. My paper focused on Artificial Intelligence and why it is nothing to fear. My paper is a refutation against a known advocate Nick Bostrom.
Our Machine Overlords Are (Not) On Their WayThrough sustained inquiry into a selected topic or issue, students will practice advanced forms of academic writing. Emphasizes analysis, criticism and argument. Taught as a writing workshop, places a premium on substantive, thoughtful revision.
This class was a special topic class focusing on Comics and Graphic Novels as to why they are legitmiate forms of liturature. Part of this was writing academic essays about comic books.
Deadpool our Favorite Antihero
Sound in The Flashpoint Paradox
Harley Quinn and Redemptive Violence
Women in Comic Books and Women in The Comic Book Fandom
Acompaning Comic To Go With "Women in Comic Books and Women in The Comic Book Fandom"
Comparative urban study of Florence and Venice from 13th through 16th centuries. Principal subjects are the distinctive economies of the cities, political developments, Renaissance humanism, patronage of the arts, and foreign policy.
This class covered many topics of Italy during the Renaissance, however, each student also wrote an essay focusing about a topic of their choice during the Renaissance. These topics ranged for historical figures such as Cwsar Borgia to the guilds. My paper focuses on color in Renaissance paintings.
Color in Renaissance Paintings and Their Effects on EmotionsExamine the geographies of South Asia through four interrelated themes: Territory, Trade, Transportation, and Tributaries. Learn about territory including physical features, political conflicts and changing borders. Explore trade, transportation routes, and tributaries to understand economic, social/cultural and political geographies. Investigate culture and society through analyses of gender roles/relations.
This class focused on the history of South East Asia. However, students also wrote papers covering current events in South East Asia relating to topics we covered in class.
Feel Free to Contact Me