‘Seeds of Hope’ by Jane Goodall

March 18, 2013 at 2:30 pm

In this article for the Boston Globe, Adam Langer discusses Jane Goodall’s new work. He describes it as:

Part reminiscence, part natural history, and part plea on behalf of the natural world, “Seeds of Hope” begins with Goodall’s childhood in Bournemouth, England, where she recalls spending hours in her favorite tree doing her homework, reading “Tarzan,” “The Wind in the Willows,” and “The Secret Garden,” and eating cake. Goodall takes the reader on a guided tour through key episodes of her life while relating stories about favorite plants and naturalist pioneers and speaking out for some of her favorite environmental causes.

For the full article, visit http://b.globe.com/XVifce

By mdimov | Posted in Great Ideas, Great Personalities, Great Questions | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (0)

What did YOU read on spring break?

March 18, 2013 at 9:42 am


Prof. Hamill took this photo on the beach in St. John, Virgin Islands, during her vacation there last week.

By CAS Core Curriculum | Posted in Great Photograph | Tagged , , , | Comments (0)

Igor Stravinsky’s ‘The Rite of Spring’

March 1, 2013 at 10:00 am

Relating to CC202's current study of Modernism, the Core presents Igor Stravinsky's "The Rite of Spring".

Upon its release, it was controversial and supposedly caused a 'riot' in the Parisian premiere audience... This debated topic is discussed in an article by Tom Service of The Guardian titled The Rite of Spring- the Work of a Madman.Here is a sample:

"Mild protests against the music," wrote Stravinsky, "could be heard from the beginning." The composer was remembering the night of 29 May 1913 at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in Paris. The event was the premiere of a new ballet called The Rite of Spring – and, if you believe all the stories about what happened that celebrated evening, not least the one about the riot that ensued, it's as if the 20th century only really got going when the audience in that gilded art-nouveau auditorium started kicking off.

For the full article, visit http://bit.ly/YgMRjo

By mdimov | Posted in Academics, Art, Community, Curriculum, Great Ideas | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments (1)

Mo Yan’s Delicate Balancing Act

February 28, 2013 at 3:50 pm

Sabina Knight writes, in this review, of author Mo Yan's receipt of a Nobel Prize and the controversy that arisen due this event. Here is a sample:

Mo Yan won the Nobel Prize for his writing, not for political engagement. This essay thus offers a perspective on his politics based not on a few symbolic acts but on a close reading of his literary works. “For a writer,” Mo said in accepting his prize, “the best way to speak is by writing. You will find everything I need to say in my works.” These works offer keen insights into truth telling, the role of the writer, history’s horrors, destiny and human will. They also reflect Mo’s uses of tradition and modernism, his portrayals of sensuality, aggression and violence, and his views on individual conscience. Thanks to the herculean efforts of master translator Howard Goldblatt (whose translations I quote below), English-language readers can appreciate Mo’s powerful fiction.

For the full article, visit http://bit.ly/Z3z6Vw

By mdimov | Posted in Announcements, Community, General Announcements, Great Questions | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Core Texts on Leadership

February 28, 2013 at 1:37 pm

Here are samples from the Odyssey, the Aeneid, and Don Quixote on the topic of leadership:

My child, what strange remarks you let escape you. Could I forget that kingly man, Odysseus? There is no mortal half so wise; no mortal gave so much to the lords of open sky. ~ The Odyssey, Book I, lines 86-89

But the dedicated man, Aeneas, thoughtful through the restless night, made up his mind, as kindly daylight came, to go out and explore the strange new places, to learn what coast the wind had brought him to. ~ The Aeneid, Book I, lines 411-415

"It's up to brave hearts, sir, to be patient when things are going badly, as well as being happy when they're going well ... For I've heard that what they call fortune is a flighty woman who drinks too much, and, what's more, she's blind, so she can't see what she's doing, and she doesn't know who she's knocking over or who she's raising up. ~ Don Quixote

By mdimov | Posted in Academics, Curriculum, Great Ideas, Great Personalities, Great Questions, Quotes | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments (0)

“Penelope Waiting” by Sassan Tabatabai

February 28, 2013 at 1:20 pm

Penelope, 1980 | oil on canvas, 40 x 48 in. David Legare

Core Professor Tabatabai, in his poem Penelope Waiting, writes:

They say: 'After twenty years,
why does she still wait
for him? He must have
succumbed to Poseidon's wrath.
his bleached bones,
on an unknown beach,
have become the pelican's fare.'

To read this poem in its entirety, please visit the Core Office in search of the Spring 2007 issue of the Core Journal.

By mdimov | Posted in Academics, Art, Community, Core Authors, Core Journal, Core Lecturers, Faculty Publications, Great Ideas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Free Film Fridays

February 28, 2013 at 10:50 am

For the month of March, the Museum of Science will be hosting Free Film Fridays. Each Friday, all day long, the Museum will be opening its doors for the public to enjoy free viewings in their IMAX theater. Some of the films that will be shown include documentaries such as; The Last Reef: Cities Beneath the Sea, Journey into Amazing Caves, and Africa: The Serengeti. Tickets will be available at the box office only on the day of the showing and will be on a first come, first serve basis. If you are interested in attending these viewings, more information can be found on mos.org. or by calling the information desk at 617-723-2500.

By CAS Core Curriculum | Posted in Activities, Community, Events | Comments (0)

The Penelopiad: A Great Experience

February 26, 2013 at 12:49 pm

Prof. Esposito, a member of the discussion panel, shares his thoughts after the Penelopiad. Photo taken by CC 102 student, Amanda Crumpton.

The Penelopiad turned out to be as interesting and multi-layered as we had expected, attracting about 35 Core students and many more theater fans!

Following the events of the Odyssey from the female perspective, the play interwove the voice of Penelope and the voices of her twelve maids who are killed in the end at Odysseus' command. It asked questions left unspoken at the first reading of the Odyssey, and certainly made a lasting impression on the audience.

Prof. Steve Esposito was a member of the discussion panel and shared his insights with the rest of us, emphasizing how:

the girls playing the twelve maids had such energy that they were a huge driving force in the engine of this play. Seeing this production made me realize the importance of their voice, and how , due to the shallowness of one's reading, the importance of their murder is often lost when first reading the Odyssey. I will be sure to focus on this more when I next teach the text.

The Core would like to thank Prof. Kyna Hamill for organizing such a fantastic event!

By mdimov | Posted in Academics, Activities, Art, Community, Core in the City, Events, Great Questions | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Don’t Just Do Something, Sit There!

February 26, 2013 at 12:14 pm

The Core Curriculum offers CC102-related intellectual stickers advocating what Buddha would say to Arjuna:


Everyone interested can email core@bu.edu or Tweet to Prof. Eckel @taoofcore, to request their own sticker and the Core will mail it to them!

By mdimov | Posted in Academics, Art, Community, Core Lecturers, Curriculum, Friday Fun, Great Ideas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Justifying Coercive Paternalism

February 26, 2013 at 11:58 am

In his compelling article, Cass Sunstein explores the validity of Mill's ideas on government and the individual. Here is a sample:

In his great essay, Mill insisted that as a general rule, government cannot legitimately coerce people if its only goal is to protect people from themselves. Mill contended that:

The only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others. His own good, either physical or mental, is not a sufficient warrant. He cannot rightfully be compelled to do or forbear because it will be better for him to do so, because it will make him happier, because, in the opinion of others, to do so would be wise, or even right.

A lot of Americans agree. In recent decades, intense controversies have erupted over apparently sensible (and lifesaving) laws requiring people to buckle their seatbelts. When states require motorcyclists to wear helmets, numerous people object. The United States is facing a series of serious disputes about the boundaries of paternalism. The most obvious example is the “individual mandate” in the Affordable Care Act, upheld by the Supreme Court by a 5–4 vote, but still opposed by many critics, who seek to portray it as a form of unacceptable paternalism.2 There are related controversies over anti-smoking initiatives and the “food police,” allegedly responsible for recent efforts to reduce the risks associated with obesity and unhealthy eating, including nutrition guidelines for school lunches.

Mill’s claim has a great deal of intuitive appeal. But is it right?

For the full article, visit http://bit.ly/YxWtV8

By mdimov | Posted in Academics, Community, Great Ideas, Great Questions | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments (0)