In celebrating the tenth anniversary of CIE, professors Stephen Salkever and Paul Franco delivered a presentation last Sunday, September 13, in the Lenfest Theater. The discussion, titled “Thinking About Contemporary Liberal Education: Philosophical Grounds, Curricular Implications,” was presented as a debate- first to speak was Salkever, a Bryn Mawr professor, who distributed an outline of his arguments to audience members. “My assignment is to say something thought provoking regarding liberal education and to do so within 30 minutes,” said Salkever, who went on to describe liberal education as “a practice to which we all return.”
Soon joining him on stage was Franco, a Professor of Government at Bowdoin College, who agreed with much of what Salkever asserted, yet sought to “refute several points for the sake of discussion.”
More than anything, the two seemed to disagree on the role which piety plays or, rather, ought to play within a liberal education setup. The dispute prompted questions amongst audience members- most coming from students, whom both speakers were impressed by, says CIE coordinator Paul Stern.
According to Stern, the speakers were also impressed by “the turnout” – approximately 150 students and faculty members attended – as well as by “the willingness of faculty members from every department to be engaged in teaching CIE.”
But teaching is not the only way in which professors may involve themselves in the program- there is also a CIE advisory board and, as of this year, four CIE coordinators. In years prior, the course had only one coordinator- a position last held by Professor Robert Dawley. However, it was decided that parceling the position would allow coordinators to “expand the separate programs within CIE,” said Cathy Young, the coordinator responsible for organizing evening events.
According to Young, several new common hour events have been added to the curriculum- two of which have already occurred. Perhaps the more extravagant took place first; on the Friday preceding the start of classes, all CIE students partook in a bonfire event, which, according to Young, “took months to plan.” Clusters of faculty members were spread throughout the campus, all reciting “mythical, ancient stories,” said Young. Students, accompanied by their CIE instructor, walked from station to station by way of light. The night concluded with a bonfire and African drumming.
Each event is meant to “tie into the syllabus and hopefully deepen and expand [the students’] classroom experiences,” said Young. For example, this past Monday, students watched The Matrix, and were asked to recognize similarities between ideologies present in both the film and “Plato’s Cave.”
According to Stern, a main goal within the CIE program has always been “to interweave academic and social life.” And although this is perhaps accomplished through the evening events, coordinators chose to take it one step further this year: introducing Project Delphi.
Project Delphi, a social experiment of sorts, involves two sections of CIE- one taught by Stern and another taught by Dawley. (Dawley’s section will be assumed by Professor Kelly Sorensen during the second semester.)
In seeking to “enrich the conversation that goes on outside of the classroom,” says Stern, students in each of the sections have been placed to live together on the second floor of Stauffer. There they engage, often voluntarily, in discussions centered on various works and topics covered in CIE. Currently the group is planning a hall dance, a picnic to Washington DC, and several other activities.
According to Stern, much of the project is run by junior Patrick Hayakawa, the group’s Resident Advisor. And although the CIE facilitators have met and had dinner with the Delphi students, it is Hayakawa who primarily interacts with the group.
“He’s been great,” said Killian, in regards to Hayakawa, “he pushes us to be proactive and work through things ourselves.”
This perhaps is one of the main initiatives of CIE, standing for the Common Intellectual Experience. Since its start, the program has sought to “generate intellectual curiosity amongst students,” said Young.
“I think of Paul as our mentor,” said Young. The two were both sure to acknowledge fellow coordinators, Professors Rebecca Kohn and Sheryl Goodman, for their strong contributions to the program.
The group, along with the advisory board, has facilitated an additional anniversary celebration, to be held in October. Dr. John Churchill, Director of the Phi Beta Kappa society, will lead a similar discussion to that delivered by Salkever and Franco.
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