Interdisciplinarity
Writing
Coming in to Hutchins, I had no idea how to write properly. I did not understand how writing could be used as an accessible piece of art, a tool for critical thinking, or a controversial display of ideas as it is presented in seminars. Over the course of my time at Sonoma State, I feel that I have developed my writing skills in a number of genres and over a number of topics beyond measure. Below are the classes, cooks, and assignments that I feel helped me most.
I had no idea that writing could be informal, impactful, and published. I really identified with the humor Lawson uses here. It felt amazing to feel like my voice was represented on the page.
This is the first autobiography I ever enjoyed reading so much I couldn't put it down. 10/10!
Top Books
anything with Justine Law
Justine Law is probably the hardest grader I've ever had the fortune of studying under. Receiving feedback from her is terrifying. If she had not been so strict in LIBS 101, I can guarantee I would still not know how to write well. In any class with her I know that I will be supported in entirety, while being drastically challenged to grow.
LIBS 102
201's focus on the search of self, particularly through fiction books, pushed me to explore writing fiction myself. It's something I'd never done before. I am grateful that I was able to explore new styles of writing in such a safe environment.
Ianthe's memoir core
Going in, I was so convinced I was going to hate this class. I'd never written anything purposefully autobiographical before. I hated biographies and autobiographies of all kinds (or so I thought.) And yet, Ianthe built a real community among us, and provided the perfect balance of academic structure and creative freedom. By the time the class was done I'd not only done extra work, but I heavily considered continuing the project indefinitely and becoming published!
Impactful Classes
Highlighted Classwork
Hutchins has taught me to be proud of my work, and that pride has encouraged me to grow immensely as a writer. Justine Law's 101 is the first time I realized I was allowed to argue against an author in an essay. In the midst of our art unit, I began to understand how pieces of my own writing could themselves be artistic- passionate, direct, sassy, a reflection of myself. Below are two copies of that essay. On the left there is my initial draft. You can hear how afraid I am to completely contradict the text. I end up contradicting myself! On the right is the final draft post-roast from Justine's grading pen. I believe my grade improved from a C- to an A. Getting that improved grade for a paper where I put real sweat and tears into trying something new is one of the proudest moments in my Hutchins career.
Science
I really appreciated the Hutchins take on teaching science. While I did learn new facts and "traditional" science while in the program, that was not the focus. Hutchins opened my eyes to the fact that Science itself is interdisciplinary. Everything in our world is connected, and the current social dogma has much deeper and more insidious roots than what we hear about in normal science classes.
Top Books
Although I will admit that this book's writing style isn't my favorite, the connection between life experiences and genetic makeup is intricately interesting.
A refreshingly written history of humans. This was one of the first scientific books that was actually interesting to me.
A new look on the connections between politics and science, this was another book that was surprisingly hard to put down!
Highlighted Classwork
This is a presentation from Justine's 101 class. I really enjoyed this project because it encouraged me to ask a question I was curious about and engage with science on a personal level. This was new for me. Before this, I felt like science was a subject that was always kept at arms length. The language was too complex for people outside of science to understand. Other, "more important," people are responsible for determining what is important and true. Justine also did a wonderful job of making science accessible by providing lots of support for reading scientific articles and thinking about them critically.
Art
The Hutchins program has shown me that learning about art should be more than just creating in itself. Art is a reflection of social ideals and priorities that can tell us a lot about the time it came from. It's a lost form of social science that is imperative not only to understanding the past but making way for the future.
I hated this book. It was thick, confusing, and felt inaccessible. However, It was also the first time I'd been exposed to art theory and I LOVED it! This text taught me to question social constraints I didn't even know were in place.
Top Books
Highlighted Classwork
History
Like Science, the facts of history are easily influenced by the environment, both past and present. By looking at history through a critical lens of social justice, we can see how the past has shaped our future. It is strikingly important that we consider how the social and political ambitions of the past have influenced the other spheres such as art, science, economics, and literature.
An Essay from Janet's 202 showing the connectedness between history, social justice, and economics.
Highlighted Classwork
I have sometimes felt heavily disheartened by the amount of information I simply do not know, especially relating to issues of social justice and racial equality. I appreciated reading this book because even though it was incredibly heavy, it does a phenomenal job highlighting the things hidden from public eye.
In one of the introductory texts into the program, author Lowe does a fantastic job of blatantly laying out historical connections and deceits for the reader. His urgent tone and frequent citations make an argument that is clear as day and frighteningly eye-opening. Although it was a think read, this is one of the texts I will carry with me for the rest of my life.
