My apologies again for my absence. I have revised the schedule (again), this time using the catch-up day for the next test. I’ll do my best to get through the material efficiently this week, so that we have some time to talk about the test beforehand.
The good news, I suppose, is that you’ve got an extra weekend to work on the Document Homework.
I will have the tests to give back Wednesday, and I will post comments about the grades and suggestions for improving next time.
A quick look at the disruption in English cuisine that came from WWI and WWII
“Matchless in tonal magnitude, tuneful fluency and concentrated teamwork.” – The Washington Post
Cuarteto Latinoamericano, formed in 1982, is known worldwide as the leading proponent of Latin American music for string quartet. This award-winning ensemble from
Mexico consists of the three Bitrán brothers, violinists Saúl and Arón and cellist Alvaro, along with violist Javier Montiel. The Cuarteto has recorded most of the Latin American
repertoire for string quartet, and the sixth volume of their Villa-Lobos 17 quartets cycle, recorded for Dorian, was nominated for a Grammy award in 2002 in the field of Best Chamber Music Recording as well as for a Latin Grammy.The Cuarteto has performed as soloists with many orchestras, including the Los Angeles Philharmonic under Esa-Pekka Salonen, the Seattle Symphony, the Orquesta Filarmónica de la Ciudad de México, the Dallas Symphony and the Símón Bolívar Orchestra of Venezuela. Under the auspices of the Sistema Nacional de Orquestas Juveniles of Venezuela, the Cuarteto has created the Latin American Academy for String Quartets, based in Caracas, which serves as a training ground for five select young string quartets from the Sistema.
February 10, 2012
All performances will be at 7:30 p.m. in McCray Recital Hall on the PSU campus.
Tickets are available at no charge to full-time PSU students with valid student ID.
The PSU Wind Ensemble will be performing a band concert this Thursday, February 16 at 7:30pm at Memorial Auditorium. The concert is free and open to the public. We hope you will join us for an evening of fine band music
Sorry about cancelling class: Just not healthy enough to handle it.
I’ve shifted the readings and assignments back a day for the next few weeks: I’m using the catch-up/review day for Test 3 as my sick day. This means that Test 2, the document homework, the book assignments for Eating History, are all pushed back one class. You can see the full details on the course schedule page
Fascinating review of Jonathan Israel’s new scholarship on the European Enlightenment, in particular the influence of philosopher Baruch Spinoza by Robert Leventhal.
In particular, note the definition of the “Radical Enlightenment”:
1) philosophical reason as the criterion of what is true;
2) rejection of supernatural agency (divine providence);
3) equality of all mankind (racial and sexual equality);
4) secular universalism in ethics anchored in equality and stressing equity, justice, and charity;
5) comprehensive toleration and freedom of thought;
6) personal liberty of lifestyle between consenting adults, safeguarding the dignity and freedom of the unmarried and homosexuals;
7) freedom of expression, political criticism, and the press in the public sphere; and
8.) democratic republicanism.
While Leventhal praises Israel’s defense of Spinoza’s influence, he also says that
One can reasonably advocate all of the values and moral precepts Israel attributes to the Radical Enlightenment on pragmatic grounds and not be a metaphysical monist. In other words, we do not need to believe in Spinoza’s metaphysics to believe in democracy, freedom of expression, social justice, equality, fairness, and tolerance. We can, but do not need to, align historical truth with progressive values. We can, but are not required to, adopt a naturalist vision of science and philosophy to be thoughtful and moral citizens.
While I’m grading Test #1, you can begin working on the reading for the next few chapters. I’ve updated the study guide with terms through the next test. As you can see from the terms (and the schedule), these chapters aren’t quite as balanced as the first set.
I have posted the instructions and questions for the homework assignments on the readings, starting with the three documents on rights from 1689, 1776 and 1789 due February 22nd. You can also find it through the links on the course page and in the course page sidebar.
You can find some exemplars of good work from previous semesters here and here. You can also see a comparison of good answers with the textbook sidebar definitions, if you’re thinking of memorizing those short definitions (hint: it’s not a good idea!)
I grade the individual questions on a 4-point scale: 4=A, 3=B, etc. I then total those up and, taking the highest grade in the class as 100%, convert them back to a 4-point scale letter grade with pluses and minuses. I record that grade (on a hundred point scale, so F is still worth more than zero) as your grade on the test.
What’s a “History Carnival”? Well, blog carnivals are regular roundups of interesting blog writing: the History Carnival is a seven-year old monthly collection of links and commentary highlighting some of the great work historians are doing. I’m the host for this month: you can check it out here.