Art in Theory and in New Orleans
What is art? What is beauty? How should we think about aesthetic experiences? How is artistic imagination connected with social change? These philosophical questions and the wisdom of various authors stretching back to antiquity who have grappled with them will guide us as we attend a wide range of arts events in New Orleans, including gallery openings, theatrical productions, musical performances, botanical gardens, sculpture gardens, and cultural gatherings. These events will be accompanied by discussions that will sometimes include the curators, organizers, and the artists themselves. Our aesthetic experiences will ground our conversations about theory and our conversations about theory will help us to think more carefully about the many dimensions of our aesthetic experiences.
Building Flexibility of Mind: Exploring Art and Architecture in New Orleans
Art and Architecture can be powerful unifiers of human perception and experience. If we can overcome personal prejudices to see the human-made world through the process of abstraction (i.e. deducing what is essential), we are taking the first step to embracing diversity—of ideas, of art, of architecture, of culture, of people, of each other. Our cohort will engage with introductory design concepts as a framework for real world experiences. We will visit local galleries, museums, monuments and architectural works to broaden our frame of reference for the historical and cultural perspectives that inform contemporary art and architecture practices in New Orleans. Discussions with local artists and architects will punctuate these field trips, offering the space to question, contextualize, and unpack each field trip. We will explore the agency of art and architecture to unite our global concerns, ignite social change, restore balance, and provide a framework for healing.
Cases, Lawyers, and Judges That Changed America
Our cohort will focus on courts, and especially lawyers and judges, as superheroes of social change. In our meetings as a group...we will study the processes of courts, and laser-focus on a collection of constitutional cases across American history. Along the way, we’ll learn about how lawyers and judges changed America, and how you can build your career in law and politics. In our private one-on-one meetings… we will discuss your specific career goals, how to make the most of your time at Tulane, where you go after Tulane, and build success – and change the world. Key programming includes Q&A panel events about race, gender, and sexuality-based change in the law over time, with leading scholars and lawyers working in these fields today. Further, we will tour the Louisiana Supreme Court in the French Quarter, meet with law clerks – not much older than you - that help the Supreme Court Justices craft their judicial decisions. There is no part of the human experience the law doesn’t touch, and we’ll explore it together.
Living/Leaving Legacies: Change Agents in Louisiana
Cooking, community, and campus change are central to New Orleans/Louisiana history. Louisiana is home to world-famous food and festivities but is also home to many freedom fighters. As we learn about the contributions of those who were active in shaping Louisiana’s past, present, and future, we will explore how these “three Cs” intertwine. We will answer the questions: "How does where you are influence who you become? How does your location inform what you choose to do for the community?” This cohort invites you to discuss—and have discussions with— activists and consider how you can build upon their legacies while constructing your own. We will discuss how change agents of the past and present inform Louisiana's future. As we converse about intersecting social movements, we will learn more about where we are (geographically, historically, and socially). We will find our “why" for engaging in social justice work, cultivate our voices, and consider how the fields we pursue invite us to speak out against injustices. Topics of discussion will range from food legacies to climate change to Tulane trailblazers. As we learn about the legacies of trailblazers and change agents, we will consider the interventions we want and need to make in our community.
Navigating Success: Managing One’s Value and Relationships in the Academic and Professional Journey
This interdisciplinary theme is designed to prepare students for their careers by equipping them with knowledge and skills necessary to navigate both academic and professional journey dynamics. Key questions to be addressed include: What is the essential difference between being a good player and being a good team player? How does a leadership role emerge in a leaderless group or in a group consisting of peers? Does being a star performer imply more entitlement, greater opportunities, or increased responsibilities – and what are its implications for individual career success and the advancement of the group as a whole? Additionally, this theme also incorporates classic movie scenes to vividly illustrate how the two behavioral tendencies, opportunity-grasping and responsibility-taking, are embodied in the youth leadership development. Planned to take place on the beautiful Tulane Uptown campus as well as in New Orleans’ scenic locations and cafés, this theme will use a storytelling approach to present insightful research findings and offer evidence-based recommendations for students’ goal attainment, career progression, and success.
Reproductive Justice in Louisiana
What is it like to be a person capable of pregnancy in Louisiana? What information, tools, and resources are available to you to prevent a pregnancy? What care can you receive if you want to become a parent? How has this changed over time? This cohort will examine the complex forces governing reproductive life in Louisiana, including religion, economics, racial and gender politics, and more. Students will learn about the history of the state, the current policy and healthcare landscape, and hear from faculty and community leaders working on sexual health and education, contraception and abortion, maternal health equity, and early childhood and family issues. Fieldtrips may include touring healthcare facilities, visiting the state legislature, and attending local events. Students may also have the opportunity to complete a shared service project related to maternal health equity during a disaster.
Science, Technology, and Society
New technology has played a massive role in proliferating ideas of social justice, environmental justice, racial justice, political justice, and others. Examples include the Black Lives Matter movement, the Me Too Movement, the Arab Spring, and movements towards gender and sexual identity equality. In this cohort, NTC College Scholars, we will use various lenses to view the recent technical advancements in big data, science, medicine, technology, and engineering, including those that cohort members may be currently working on as undergraduate students. Based on the interests of cohort scholars, we will examine the global, societal, economic, and environmental implications of big data, generative AI, large scale engineering projects, medicine and big pharma, and more. In our discussions, students will learn to use precise language to describe these social phenomena by studying examples in the New Orleans area and interacting with local practitioners of these disciplines.
Social Harm and Repair: Restitution, Reparation, & Reconciliation
In each generation, new voices of people oppressed by legal and social structures which denied them citizenship and/or human rights call for societal change and some form of repair. This cohort of the College Scholars will explore how groups define social harm, which often has both legal, social or cultural ramifications, and ask how societies engage with ideas of repair. What does restitution, reparation or reconciliation look like for communities trying to navigate societal change? Through a series of case studies, students will investigate how social or political resistance creates change and leads to calls by communities to mend the harm done to individuals and groups of people in the past. Using a range of cases, we will think about this issue globally and locally, how it shapes culture and the law. Each of these cases explores larger questions of social repair, asking students to grapple with how oppressive systems of power work and how societies seek to collectively move forward (even when some citizens do not see social harm) and mitigate past wrongs.
The Always Changing Brain
Our cohort will explore the bounds of the human brain and its seemingly infinite capacity to learn and adapt to change. We will use the all-encompassing concept of neuroplasticity to explore ways that life experience (literally) shapes who we are. Neuroplasticity is the idea that cells (neurons) in our brains are constantly making and breaking connections with each other; every time we learn something new, try new foods, listen to different music, travel to new places, and take hard courses, our brains adapt and change on a (microscopic) structural level. How does this happen? Why does it happen? What are the benefits? How can an understanding of neuroplasticity help us understand the human capacity to persevere and become more resilient? These questions are especially relevant in our rapidly changing society and are questions that our cohort will explore as we progress through the year.
Wellbeing: From Individuals to Communities
In recent years, both individuals and institutions have shown an increased recognition of the importance of mental health and wellbeing. Research from multiple areas of psychology has shown that there are many interventions that can promote individual level wellness and wellbeing (for recent meta-analysis, see Carr et al, 2022). However, one factor that may often be overlooked is the role of the broader community and group-level wellbeing. The goal of this cohort is to think about wellbeing in one’s own life, then think about small social groups like friends and the Tulane community, and end with a broadening to consider those in our greater society and the goal of wellbeing for all. We will start with individual-based models of wellbeing, exploring research that addresses the role of different factors on individuals’ happiness and mental health. Then, we will consider the role of mental health in our Tulane community and the greater New Orleans community. We will work together to develop plans for community engagement, service, and/or advocacy in ways that promote mental health and wellbeing at a broader level. We will also address questions like: how can society, institutions, and governments support the wellbeing of all their members? We will have activities that include readings, film viewings, and speakers. We will also have field trips and activities to help promote stress reduction and wellbeing.