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History of Western Civilisation - Wednesday 5th Period: Discussion 1: Introduction and Sumeria

All right, then. I bet you all thought that I wasn't going to make you do the stand-up-and-introduce-yourselves bit. Sorry.

Since this section of the class is all about discussion and sharing ideas, I think we first should share our names. I'm not going to ask why you're taking this class, since I imagine most of you are taking it because History 101 is something of a basic requirement. Instead, tell me what period of history has some meaning for you. A different time than your own, please, if you are historically displaced or from somewhere other than Earth. If you know nothing about another period in history... make something up. Please.

Then we're going to spend the hour talking.

Optional reading I totally gave you all yesterday:
Sumerian Language Page -- http://www.sumerian.org/
Wikipedia Entry on Sumer -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sumeria
The Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature -- http://www-etcsl.orient.ox.ac.uk/

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Your name, and what period of history has some meaning for you. If you don't know any history... lie to me.

What is "Western Civilisation"?

As Ms. Fraiser brought up yesterday, iconic images are part of our cultural heritage. What images bring to mind ancient civilisations for you? A plow? A wagon wheel? Mud brick buildings? ~~A squiggly line indicating water with a sheaf of wheat indicating grain, put together indicating beer?~~ Give me some images.

General Sumerian discussion. If you were an overacheiver and did extra reading, wow us with your brillance here.

Anything you want to bring up. This is a good place to ask questions of the teacher.

About non-class topics? Naughty, naughty.

Anything you need to see Dr. Pierson or Janet about? This early in the semester? Ask here.

Aaaaaand, for everything else.

Ivanova signs in. She doesn't seem to have woken up significantly over lunch.

"Ah, my name is Susan Ivanova." Ivanova hesitates, not really sure what to say next. "I suppose I have a fondness for the golden age of Imperial Russia, around the beginning of the eighteenth century to the beginning of the twentieth. My father spoke very highly of that time as one of progress and expansion for our people. I never agreed with him on the second, but I have to admit that it still holds some romance for me."

Janet signed in, fresh from a particularly torturous jog around campus. She looks slightly tired, but ready for class.

Lyta glances up at Janet and Ivanova as she signs in, noting that Susan isn't quite awake. Strangely, she feels fine -- even if she did get up at the crack of dawn.

Janet slipped Lyta a note. Enjoying your first week of classes?

Janet waved at Lyta. She'd barely had the chance to meet her at the opening mixer ~~and RL had been busy since then~~. Maybe she'd set a bad example as the TA and slip her a note during class.

Isabel signs in. She's looking less distracted then she was yesterday.

Reading the note, Lyta nods. She tries to reply in her best handwriting -- which isn't saying much, given the fact that she's still working on getting used to the whole pen-and-ink thing again. The classes are great...mostly. It's life outside of classes that is really going to take some adjustment!

She pauses, frowning, then hastily adds: BTW, is Professor Camulus always on so much of an ego trip?

Awww, no bigass lecture of doom. Pity.

"I'm Isabel Evans." She paused, trying to gather her thoughts ~~and not have it seem that most of this is coming from all the romance novels she's read.~~ "I'm intrigued by Elizabethan England. I'm always amazed that one woman could rule so long, and so well, at that time in history."

Harry signs in

Those are for Tuesdays. Do you really think I could pull that off twice a week?

Archie signs in, looking slightly perturbed.

"I am Harry Potter. My favourite period of history is the completely fictional period described in the gothic novels of, amongst others, Walpole and Shelley, with lots of dark haunted castles and ghosts and fainting ladies. Reminds me somewhat of Hogwarts, where i come from". He smiles and sits down.

Well, I don't know if you have Mad Skillz regarding Sumeria. You just might.

"The spinario (http://www.utexas.edu/courses/citylife/imagesr/spinario.jpg). Because people of ancient civilisations plucked their feet all the time? They had no shoes, you see...They stepped in things."

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History of Western Civilisation - Wednesday 5th Period: Discussion 1: Introduction and Sumeria

ATTENDANCE: Sign In

INTRODUCTIONS

DISCUSSION

DISCUSSION 2

DISCUSSION 3

DISCUSSION 4

TALKING AMONST YOURSELVES

AFTER CLASS

OOC

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