USD Magazine, Summer 2003

Suggestions For Your Summer Syllabus Bringing a book to the beach or on that long vacation plane ride? Well, toss our that cechno-thriller or trashy romance, and cake some recommen– dations from our faculty, who plan to cackle good reads that are thrilling, inspirational and occasionally - dare we say it?- educational. Bethami Dobkin, Communication Studies What Liberal Media? The 7iuth About Bias and the News Eric Alterman Anne Hendershott, Sociology Gulag: A History, Anne Applebaum "Although ir is nor exactly 'light' reading for summer, ic is the first book to comprehensively address the history of the Soviet prison camp system." Gary Macy, Theology and Religious Studies The Ornament ofthe World: How Mwlims, Jews and Yi Sun, History Blowback: The Costs and Consequences ofAmerican Empire Chalmers Johnson "This book should provide some very insightful and enlightening analyses of American foreign policy– making during the last few decades, especially with regard to East Asia." Robert Phillips, Business Administration

Expanded Horizons USO will reach our to international students and help them thrive at Alcala Park through a new English program that launches this fall. The English Language Academy is a full-rime program to teach inter– national undergraduate and gradu– ate students about the uses of English for academic, technical and professional purposes. In addition to reading skills, research writing and oral fluency, students will be accli– mated to American culture through field trips to cultural events. Classes will be caught by USO professors and other instructors. T he expectation is char the stu– dents, whose language difficulties might prevent chem from being admitted to USO, will be able to apply for admission after scoring better on the Test of English as a Foreign Language. Qualifying stu– dents who successfully complete their academy studies may petition to be admitted into USO courses, and could be admitted to the university. "The academy will fill the gap between the students currently able to be admitted and students who have the motivation and academic record, bur not che TOEFL score," says che academy's academic coordi– nator, Deborah Sundmacher '95 (M.A.) , an English as a Second Language consultant for the USO Writing Center. Academy administrators say the international students will bring added dimension and diversity to the campus. "T he academy will bring us a new cross-cultural experience, and a new academic program for students from all over the world," says Jennifer Preimesberger '85 (M.A. '89, Ed.D. '00), the program's director. "By allowing them to have time with us, it's warming them up to the culture and the university atmosphere."

Freedom Evolves, Daniel Dennett "This book cakes up in derail the question of free will, responsibility and ethics from a Darwinist per– spective. Dennett's remarkable style, a keen interest in che subject matter and a favorable cover blurb from my former professor, Richard Rorty, make me eager to read it." James Anderson, Philosophy The Corrections, Jonathan Franzen "If I ever get to it ... because my wife raves about it."

Christians Created a Culture ofTolerance in Medieval Spain Maria Rosa Menocal "I thought it would be nice to read about a rime when Jews, Christians and Muslims worked together, instead of killing each ocher."

"Alterman cakes on popular pundits and media icons like Ann Coulter and Bernard Goldberg, and since they gee so much press, I'm looking forward to a credible and entertain– ing analysis." Tom Minnich, Business Administration The Crimson Petal and the White Michael Faber "For a book to be a good beach book, it must have a good story that completely engrosses you. The story has been likened to some of the work by Charles Dickens, so that means a fascinating plot peopled with intriguing characters." Tammy Dwyer, Chemistry Cadillac Desert: The American West and Its Disappearing ~ter Marc Reisner "It's a history of the use and misuse of natural resources in the western United Scares, especially California. I chink it's a timely issue." Sister Mary Hotz, English Good Poems, Garrison Keillor "Nothing complex, brilliant or luminous, terms English teachers often use to describe worthy works. Juse good poems, poems that stick with you." Elise Prosser, Business Administration Echoes Upon Echoes: New Korean American Writings, Elaine H. Kim and Laura Hyun Yi Kang "As an Asian-American faculty member here at USO, I enjoy read– ing Asian-American literature, even though I don't teach ethnic studies."

Professor Bethami Dobkin, Communication Studies

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