College 130, "Coming of Age in America: Narratives of Difference," is a course about what it means to come of age, especially in the United States, when (and if?) most people do so, and how and why we define and celebrate this idea in our society. Students examine experiences and perspectives of men and women, of people of different races, ethnicities, religions, abilities, classes, and sexualities. The class is writing intensive, and frequent writing assignments are combined with small intensive discussions in which every student participates and learning is a shared experience.
Students frequently get to meet and discuss issues with prominent guests at the College; among our featured guests next year is the distinguished civil rights activist Robert Moses. The class is interdisciplinary and includes books and articles from a variety of disciplines and perspectives.
Only first-semester students may participate in this unique experience. A recent graduate wrote of her experience in College 130, "While classes were conducted as an open exchange of ideas between instructors and students, I felt more and more involved with not just the class but also the school."
