The university expands the literature curriculum to include a class that will focus on Asian literature.
PATRICIA MARTINEZ
Staff Writer
This spring, Pepperdine students will have the chance to enroll in an elective Great Books course. This fifth installment of the Great Books colloquium will focus on literature from Asia.
The International Studies Division is diverse and representative of many cultures across the globe. The division holds events that normally do not get publicized or go without notice. One example is convocation in German, Spanish, and French, a result of planning by the division.
Many students benefit from the programs and events that come out of the International Studies division, particularly those who want to broaden their horizons. The next great thing to come out of the division, with the efforts and cooperation of the Humanities division, is coming out next semester.
The course will be taught by Dr. Paul Contino, professor of Great Books and associate director of the Center for Faith and Learning, and Dr. Mike Sugimoto, assistant professor of Japanese studies. Contino thought of the idea for an Asian literature course while teaching at Christ College, part of Valparaiso University. His brain child would eventually come into being at Pepperdine.
“To be a liberally educated person,” Contino said, “It is important to know how the vast majority of the world thinks.”
Planning for the class started about two years ago. Contino sought out the help of Sugimoto. The two collaboration incorporated Sugimoto’s expertise in Japanese literature and culture and Contino’s experience teaching the Great Books Colloquiums, resulting in Great Books Colloquium V.
Books for the class include ancient works from a broad range of Asian cultures, such as the Bhagavad Gita, the sacred text of the Hindu tradition. Mencius, the second book in the Confucian canon, and the Chuang-Tzu, one of the most important texts of Taoism, will also be included in the course. Literature important in the Buddhist tradition is also planned for the course. The final list of books is still being compiled by Contino and Sugimoto.
Since the addition of the course, interest has sprung among students taking a Great Books Colloquium and students taking Asian studies courses. The interest in the course seems to stem from a realization of the importance of being globally educated.
“One must go past their parochial confines to become as broadly educated as possible,” Contino said. “Today, it is important to know the traditions of Asia.”
Stephanie Rew, a creative writing major in her junior year, agrees.
“It should be a class, not just a Great Books course,” Rew said after learning about the course.
With the enthusiasm comes the challenge of teaching a course much different than the normal Western courses.
“It is a good idea to introduce key books and concepts outside what students are expressed to,” Sugimoto said. “The challenge I see is understanding the concepts of the texts and the context in which they were written.”
Dr. Donald Marshall, Fletcher Jones Chair of Great Books, expressed excitement about the course and revealed the tremendous effort that went into creating it.
“To be honest, the faculty did not feel prepared to teach such a course, but they attended conferences and read the books together,” Marshall said. “They are really committed to it.”
While 18 is the usual number of students allowed in a Great Books Colloquium, Contino hopes to cap the class at 20. Sugimoto said that he expects a fair amount of demand for the course. Additional sections of the course would be added if the demand was high enough.
The course will count for the non-Western culture requirement. Students interested in the course must have completed at least two Great Books Colloquiums or have the permission of the professors to take the course.
09-21-2006
