HON 440 - Up

Prerequisite, acceptance to the University Honors Program, or consent of instructor. This course explores the concept of up and the fascination and exhilaration of all things unbounded by Earth. We will look at the why and the how of things that extend into and move in air, including images, ideas, and objects that point us upward, whether conceptually, physically, or spiritually. The course will consider the linguistic and metaphorical possibilities of up; the anatomy of birds in relation to flight and community; the history, physics, and future of human-powered flight on Earth and into space; the dynamic structures of clouds and weather; and other human-created objects that extend upward. The course includes a field trip that gets students up-close with flight. While this will be an interdisciplinary course drawing from history, literature, science, and theology, students would look at how these concepts have evolved and have been influenced and visualized creatively in art, design, and writing. The course will introduce various concepts involving the fascination and creative histories of flying and sky-bound narratives as well as laws of science. Students will use lectures as the entry point for a cultural, historical, artistic, and scientific introduction, then proceed to an experimental phase that concludes with a design, art, or creative writing project. UP will also incorporate guest speakers from among our faculty at Chapman University so that they can share ideas from various disciplines and talk about histories and inspirations about what up means in their subject area. This course is an opportunity for true interdisciplinary discussions among faculty and students. In addition, Southern California is the home, in many respects, of space exploration; the space shuttles and Mars rovers were built here, for instance. That local history and industry offers an amazing context for this course and ability to connect our academic efforts with the regional community. UP will foster exactly the kind of analytical thinker that Chapman University advocates through personalized education and an interdisciplinary perspective that asks students to think critically about their education from multiple vantage points. Because UP will provide a rigorous academic context for innovative and hands-on creative projects, the students will find that this course places them in especially good stead as they continue their education and vocational paths. (Offered as needed.) 3 credits