Guidelines

Critical Encounters' Guiding Questions:

• In what do we have faith? Hope? Belief?
• What is objective truth? Does it exist? Can it be captured?
• Where do fact and faith intersect? Is proof necessary for belief?
• What is the relationship between personal faith and the development of fact? How does one's faith shape his/her perspective of fact?
• How do fact and faith influence what it means to be human?
• What shapes ethics and morality?
• How do our beliefs and discoveries transform our relationship to people, places, society, the planet?
• How do we use myths, hypothesis, stories, and symbols to make sense of the world? Do these narratives present complementary or conflicting narratives?
• What is the process of creation? What is the process of discovery? How are they different?
• What is the role of faith in government? Why do we maintain the separation of church and state, in theory and/or in practice?
• What role do the media play in the way we make decisions about belief? Do they relay what is fact?
• Why do we believe as we do? What experiences have shaped our beliefs? How do we respond when our beliefs are challenged?

Once during the semester, I ask that you attend an event or gallery or exhibition associated with Columbia’s Critical Encounters: Fact & Faith. You will have signed up for a week when your report on this event/gallery/exhibition is due. Half of the class will present on Monday, February 22, and the other half will present on Wednesday, March 17. You will post your report on the blog and give a brief presentation during the class session your posting is due.

Your report: 500-word minimum

What you should write about:

The Basics:

• What was it?
• Where was it?
• Who did it feature, who performed, who did it document, etc?

The Personal:

• How did you select this particular event/gallery/exhibition?
• What most surprised you about the event/gallery/exhibition?
• What's most memborable about it?
• How could you relate to the event/gallery/exhibition? How couldn't you relate?

With Class In Mind:

• Read through the list of Critical Encounters' guiding questions included above. Which of these questions do you think the creators or curators of this event/gallery/exhibition had most in mind while developing the event/gallery/exhibition? What helps you come to that conclusion?
• How does the event/gallery/exhibition interact with topics we’ve discussed in class, with what we’ve read in class – both published writing and one another’s writing, with the writing you (and/or your classmates) have completed for our class?

Moving Forward:

• With more time, what would you consider investigating or exploring further?

Post your written response on the blog. Have some fun with the posting. Add photos – either from the event/gallery/exhibition or some you have or find online that relate to the event/gallery/exhibition. Maybe add a video. Add links to information about this particular event/gallery/exhibition or to other website that cover the same or similar material. Make the posting both visually stimulating and easy to navigate.

Your presentation in class should last 5-8 minutes. Describe the event/gallery/exhibition so your classmates can understand what you experienced. (This is why posting photos, videos, or links to websites might be helpful.) Explain your responses to the two questions under “With Class In Mind.” Be prepared to answer your classmates’ questions.