2010-2011 BSC Campus Read -- Suggestions?

What shall we read for the 2010-2011 BSC Campus Read? Here are the basic guidelines:

1. The book must be in print and in a paperback edition to ensure that it is available and affordable.
2. The book should be reasonably short -- 200-350 pages.
3. The Campus Read selection should be an engaging read that will generate lively discussion.
4. The book should explore any of the universal themes of literature such as coming of age, abuse of power, triumph over adversity, the importance of the individual, conflicts with self, others, and nature, etc.

The Campus Read Committee will take suggestions through January 2010. Please post your suggestions as a comment on the blog, or contact one of these committee members:

• Theresa Felderman, Chair
• Marlene Anderson
• karen bauer
• Lynette Borjeson-Painter
• Dan Leingang
• Janelle Masters
• Kitty Netzer
• Erin Price
• Dan Rogers
• Jean Rolandelli
• Carla Sivesind
• Tom Stein
• Lynn Warnke

Laura Knudsen Writes Winning Campus Read Essay

Congratulations to Laura Knudsen, who wrote the winning essay for the Campus Read essay contest! Laura will receive a $500 scholarship from the BSC Foundation for the 2010 Spring Semester. Her essay, "A Revolutionary Tale: Coming-of-Age Despite Oppression," will be published in The Mystician in January.

Ten students submitted essays. Judges were Erin Price, Assistant Professor of English; Tom Marple, Assistant Professor of Graphic Design & Communications; Tom Stein, Associate Professor of English; Kris Smotherman, English adjunct instructor; Lori Smith, Reference Librarian; Rita Nodland, Alumni Coordinator; and Robert Canter, Custodian, NECE.

Thanks to all who participated.

Would You March? -- American Lit 261 - Comments?

A question posed by Andrew Johnson for American Lit 261:

Marjane went to the demonstrations against the government of Iran with her parents. People in her family have also been arrested many times. Would you be the one at the marches or in the "safety" of the government, no matter what the rules?

A Death in Tehran - Frontline - On Prairie Public

Frontline

A Death in Tehran

Tuesday, November 17, 2009, 8 p.m. (Central)
Thursday, November 19, 2009, 2 a.m. (Central)
Channel 13 (Prairie Public)

The story of Neda Soltani, the young Iranian woman shot and killed in Tehran during a protest against the results of the 2009 Iranian presidential election, and how her death has become a symbol for those striving to keep the reform movement going.

Check the website for more information and additional broadcast times.

BSC Library Resources on Iran

The BSC Library has added many resources on Iran (a subject search of "Iran" currently brings back 109 results) in a variety of formats (books, e-books, DVDs).

This new book sounds particularly interesting:

Iranian Rappers and Persian Porn by Jamie Maslin
DS259.2 .M38 2009

"Iran looms large in the psyche of modern America. For decades, it has been "the enemy," its government taunting us and attacking our Western, secular lifestyle. That is largely the Iranian government, however, not the Iranian people. Here's the proof. When Jamie Maslin decides to backpack the entire length of the Silk Road, he decides to travel first and plan later. Then, unexpectedly stranded in a country he's only read about in newspapers, he decides to make the best of it-but wonders whether he'll make it out alive. Maslin finds himself suddenly plunged into a subversive, contradictory world of Iranian subculture, where he is embraced by locals who are more than happy to show him the true Iran as they see it-the one where unmarried men and women mingle in Western clothes at secret parties, where alcohol (the possession of which is punishable by hand-amputation) is readily available on the black market, where Christian churches are national heritage sites, and where he discovers the real meaning of friendship, nationality, and hospitality. This is a hilarious, charming, and astonishing account of one Westerner's life-altering rambles across Iran that will leave you wondering what else you don't know about Iran and its people." -- Publisher's description

Check it out!

Government & Freedom - American Lit 261 - Comments?

Questions posed by Amber Schulz for American Lit 261:

The differences of equality and freedom today are hot issues in America. With President Obama pushing America to equal opportunity, such as equal healthcare for all, the ideas of freedom are being blurred. What role should the government play in the decisions that the people have been freely making of their own devices? If we cannot figure out how our government should work, how can we expect the Middle East to conform to our unstable and disorganized system of democracy? What would you do to solve these issues?

Campus Read Essay Contest - Deadline Draws Near

Are you working on your Campus Read essays? The deadline is soon here -- Monday, November 30, 2009.

The student with the winning essay will be awarded a $500 scholarship from the BSC Foundation for the Spring 2010 semester.

Check out the October 12 blog posting for the details.