Stories We Tell Course Pairing
Encountering the Past: The Weimar Republic (HS 100)
HS 100 explores why the study of the past is essential to understanding the present. Students will learn to think like historians and will come to understand how to apply historical skills to their writing, reading, and critical thinking. To do so, this section of HS 100 will focus on a single historical period: the Weimar Republic (1919-1933). Emerging after Germany’s defeat in the First World War, the Weimar Republic saw vast social, political, and economic changes before being dismantled and replaced by the Nazi dictatorship in 1933. Was Germany’s first experiment with democracy doomed to fail? Did it bring about radical change of its own or simply unleash currents already underway? What were the legacies of total war for this society? How “modern” were the gender politics, ideas about sexuality, and cultural movements of the Weimar Republic? Exploring the Weimar Republic allows us to trace the changes and tensions of the 20th century that emerged out of the First World War and that still shape the world we live in today.
Faculty Biography
Dr. Willeke Sandler is a Maryland native and received her Ph.D. from Duke University. Her research focuses on Nazi Germany and German colonialism in Africa, and she is also interested in studying propaganda, images in history, and how people define who or what is part of their nation. She recently published a book called Empire in the Heimat: Colonialism and Public Culture in the Third Reich. At Loyola, she teaches courses on European history and public history.
The World as it Was, Is and Could Be: Chemistry and Society (CH 110)
How is chemistry useful to explain the world we live in? How has chemistry's discovery and development over time shaped human society? And what might we expect for the future? This core course for non-science majors uses stories from the history of chemistry -- past, present and the potential future -- to show how science influences the world around us. Students will gain insights into the workings of science and how to better discern the truth/uncertainty in current issues influenced by science and technology.
Faculty Biography
Dr. Brian Barr is an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. He holds a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Cornell University. In addition to the Messina program, he teaches undergraduate courses in biochemistry for Loyola science majors. Dr. Barr's research interests involve the development of renewable biofuels/bioenergy from cellulose and algae. Dr. Barr has been an advisor of first year students for many years and enjoys learning about the history of science.
Mentor Biography
Andrea Hoffman is the Assistant Director for Student-Athlete Support Services, responsible for advising, mentoring, and supporting student-athletes at Loyola. Originally from Missouri, she received her B.S. in Finance at the University of Missouri, and her M.Ed. in Sport Administration at Xavier University, and has worked in universities in Missouri, Michigan, and Washington, DC. In her spare time she finds herself reading, hiking, and traveling (she's been to over 45 states in the U.S.)!
Virtual Advisor
HS 100 satisfies a core requirement for all students. CH 110 satisfies a core natural science requirement for humanities, business and social science majors. This course pairing is not recommended for students who are interested in majors in science, technology, mathematics or engineering.
