Government and Politics   

Growing up in the American West is an adventure steeped in mythology, the gilded lore of cowboys and Indians, the rugged individualist, tall in the saddle, taming the wilderness, prying a living from the land. That's the legacy. The West was always just west of wherever we were at the time. Kentucky was way west when Daniel Boone carved the Wilderness Road out of the Cumberland Gap. In that sense, we all are a product of the Mythologies of the Modern West. This is a study of conflict between that romantic notion and the practical outcomes of "settling" the region, of trying to come to terms with the iconic images that inspire us and the disquieting realizations that come our way. This class looks at both the legendary and the practical worlds of the Modern West, the real people and their fictional counterparts, the cowboys and Indians ordinary and extraordinary both met along the way, living with the Blackfeet people, and buying movie star Gary Cooper's home. It's the story of a city boy finding his way in the contemporary West that is presented via lecture and multi-media with discussion.

Smedley Butler (USMC) was one of the most decorated warfighters of his time, participating in nearly every U.S. conflict from 1898 to WWI. He played a key role in expanding American influence, from annexing the Philippines to leading military actions in Cuba, Nicaragua, Haiti, and China. After retiring, Butler became a vocal critic of war and corporate interests, famously stating, "I was a racketeer for capitalism." In 1933, he was even implicated in a plot to overthrow Franklin Roosevelt's administration. This lecture-based course explores Butler's complex legacy through the works of historians Jonathan M. Katz and Jules Archer.

If you think today is filled with divisiveness between red and blue then you should have lived in America the latter part of the 19th Century. The end of the Civil War with 700,000 American dead began this era of angst. The post-war era coupled with the acrimony between a growing divide between the haves and have-nots led to labor unrest and a complete revisioning of democracy in this country. The parallels are amazing! Taught by Terry McAteer

If you think today is filled with divisiveness between red and blue then you should have lived in America the latter part of the 19th Century. The end of the Civil War with 700,000 American dead began this era of angst. The post-war era coupled with the acrimony between a growing divide between the haves and have-nots led to labor unrest and a complete revisioning of democracy in this country. The parallels are amazing! Taught by Terry McAteer