SECTION 112 Thursday 10-11 242 Dwinelle
aisha mp3SECTION 113 Thursday 11-12 175 Barrows
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As we see it, the purposes of section are twofold: (1) to provide a space for the discussion of ideas, facts, and texts presented in lecture; and (2) to create a venue for the presentation and consideration of material related to the course but not directly presented in lecture. Trying to strike a perfect balance between these two is sometimes tricky, and section may occasionally veer strongly one way or the other, depending on what is deemed best for the week in question.
A word on attendance: 20% of your final course grade will be based on section. I devote considerable time to section, because I think it is important and should be taken seriously; I hope you do as well. To affirm its importance, I will take attendance at our every meeting, and this will constitute a large portion of your section grade. You are free, of course, to miss section whenever you wish—but suffice it to say that your section grade will take a beating each time.
I shall expect that you are keeping up with the weekly readings as outlined in the Reading Schedule distributed in lecture. These readings will often serve as the basis for our discussion; ignore them at your peril. In addition, I may assign supplementary readings or other assignments, or add to the fun with quizzes. There will often be a very short assignment due each section on our readings for that week. Typically, I’ll simply ask you to answer a few questions about the readings; these will help alert you to the important themes in the texts, and serve as a foundation for our class discussion. Because of the extra bureaucratic hassle caused by late submissions, please note that these will not be accepted late (one more reason not to skip section).
Feel free to bring in food and drink, as long as the sound and sight will not distract others too much. Hence I wouldn’t recommend carving a turkey, slurping your Big Mac’s special sauce with a straw, or loudly crackling on crispy corn chips in class, for example. Otherwise, feel free to bring it in. Note: COFFEE IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for its memory-enhancing effect and its mild stimulant rush, which will make Classical Mythology more interesting and make me suddenly appear much more entertaining. The U.C. Berkeley campus has many charms, and one of them is the fact that at least one cafe lies close to every major entrance to campus. Do not let this astounding piece of geographical knowledge leave you unmoved.
Should you have any special needs, please contact me as quickly as possible so we can try to make accommodations.
Onward—the Muses call!