The Observer, February 16, 2007
Volume XXXIX, Issue 17
Scholars program offers
Although the College Scholars Program (CSP) is not necessarily well- known to all Case students, its impact is far-reaching.
College Scholars is a two-year program that is comparable to an honors program at other schools.
During the first year of the program, students pick topics they want to study for the semester and then teach the class themselves.
Last semester's focus for the first-year students was intergenerational learning. The students worked with an intergenerational charter school in Cleveland, attending school board meetings and developing projects they thought would help the school if they were implemented.
"Some of us plan to actually implement the projects in the school sometime in the near future," said sophomore Misia Yuhasz. The topics for this semester are the Kama Sutra, The History of the Mafia, and Storytelling Through Song.
In the second year of the program, students complete their final projects that involve both research and service learning.
Junior Tim Beutler's final project is on plagues and epidemics. He is researching four epidemics: the Athenian Plague, the Black Death, smallpox in the Americas, and the Spanish Influenza. For his service learning component, he is producing Red Noses, a comedy by Peter Barnes about the Black Death in fourteenth-century France.
"Currently I have 15 cast members in the show, but am eager to find more. Anyone interested in helping me with my project is more than welcome to contact me," said Beutler.
The College Scholars Program also has a guest speaker program open to the whole campus every semester.
Last week, College Scholars co-sponsored Leslie Feinberg, a transgender activist. On March 6, they are co-sponsoring a talk by Eric Foner who will be speaking on "The Meaning of American Freedom." Later in the semester, College Scholars is also sponsoring a talk by physics professor, Lawrence Krauss.
"I always look forward to CSP speaker events because members are given the opportunity to sit down with the speaker either before or after the talk and share a casual meal with the guest," said Beutler. "Although the food is good, I look forward to these events because CSP has brought some amazing individuals to campus."
Previous speakers brought to campus by College Scholars include Kurt Vonnegut, Susan Sontag, Lech Walesa, Edward Albee, and Paul Farmer.
According to Linda Ehrlich, co-director of the program, College Scholars "is a learning community, where the community extends outside of the classroom."
Teja Pasupneti, a junior in her first year of the program, agrees, "It's so great to find people who share your passions and views."
The application deadline to be part of the program next year has been extended to Feb. 21. For more information, see the College Scholars website at www.case.edu/artsci/scholars.
