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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (June 11, 2001)
Pathways students make connections ■ Some say the Pathways program brings people together through academics By Erin Middleton for the Emerald The commencement ceremony for the inaugural class of the Pathways program was held May 30 in the Ger linger Alumni Lounge. Pathways was first offered to students in the fall of 1999. It began as an idea from faculty rience for first-year students. There were three Pathways offered:- “Law, Science and Culture,” “Exploring Cul ture through Spanish or French,” and “Human Nature.” ■* Each pathway, described in the Learning Communities 1999-2000 bourse Schedule, is “a carefully de signed one to two-year curriculum composed of integrated courses and activities. Pathways is designed to help students explore thematically re lated academic subjects, while giving students the flexibility to take classes outside the pathway. ’ ’ If enrolled in Pathways, a student receives guaranteed enrollment in the pathway courses as well as guaranteed University enrollment, something only upperclassmen previously re ceived. As one of the first Pathways graduates, I found the program to be hugely successful. I am grateful to the University and to the Office of Undergraduate Stud ies for providing this program for stu dents. As a student in the “Human Na ture” option, I found it enabled me to make connections between classes where I did not think connections could be made. Fall term of 1999, our pathway was enrolled in Philosophy 170, entitled “Love and Sex.” In this class, we talked about the social implications of love and sex and discussed the related * 9 9 9 9 9 Reporter’s NOTEBOOK members and stu dents who wanted to combine Uni versity education with a more the matic and collec tive learning expe works of many great philosophers, in cluding Plato and W.E.B. DuBois. In spring term of 2000, we took Philoso phy 216, entitled “Philosophy and Cultural Diversity,” in which we talked of racial barriers between differ ent cultures. The professor mentioned DuBois, and I remember thinking, “I already know that name; I remember him from fall term.” An important characteristic of the Pathways program, as opposed to oth er learning communities, is that it brings faculty members in contact with students to form lasting relation ships. John Lysaker, assistant profes sor of philosophy, was a leading facul ty member in the “Human Nature” pathway. At the commencement cere mony, Lysaker looked at his students and said, “I will definitely miss you all and encourage you to continue to use me for whatever advising I can give. ” This was a touching time, as Path ways students in Gerlinger Lounge looked around at each other. We were the first to travel down this specially de signed academic path. I have gained friendships with faculty members and students that will benefit me far beyond the two years the program lasted. I wonder if I would have met some of these students, like my friend Bre ana “Bre” Bruce, a psychology major, if we hadn’t been enrolled in the path way. We share a lot of the same views on issues, like human nature and why people do the things they do. Another of my friends, Emily Gross, a sophomore Pathways student, brought her boyfriend to the com mencement ceremony. “I wanted him to meet all the people I have come to know, my friends whom I always talk about... to put a face with a name,” she said. Pathways was more than stu dents in a class, it was a community of like-minded people sharing their ex periences with those close to them. I know a little something about every one of the eighteen members in my pathway, and I’m going to miss them after this year is over, but I know we’ll keep in touch. That’s what Path ways is all about: Making connections between people and ideas. JUNE SALE BICYCLES 1 I PAUL’S h ■i 2480 Alder 152 \N. 5th Oasis Plaza 342-6155 344-4105 344-4150 & Raleigh M-50 or C-40 Reg *319 * your choice *279 Jamis Durango Spt SX Reg *399 * sale -349 GT PALOMAR Reg *289 ♦ sale *249 Also on Sale: car racks 8 trail-a-bikes 009719 Students, we ship your stuff home! 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