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Preterm Common Seminar Examines Early History

New Students Descend on Alma for Start of Another School Year

Another potential record-breaking class will descend on Alma College Aug. 23 for Preterm. Many of the more than 450 new students will study an award-winning book that takes a new look at the early history of the Americas.

In 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus, author Charles C. Mann combines new findings from a variety of areas, including science, literature and archeology, painting a picture of America that will rival what most incoming students learned in their history textbooks.

The reason for choosing this text was two-fold, says Marc Setterlund, psychology professor and associate provost.

 

Move-in day for students means hauling lots of boxes.

“With all of the different areas it pulls together, the book encompasses the liberal arts,” he says. “I hope students take away the usefulness of having a variety of perspectives to understand an issue. Also, when Mann was here last year for the speaker series, he connected well with the students.”

Mann will speak to individual classes during the day Thursday, Aug. 28, and address the entire class at 7:30 p.m. that evening in the Remick Heritage Center. He is a correspondent for The Atlantic Monthly, Wired and Science and also has written for a variety of publications, including The New York Times, Vanity Fair and Fortune.

 

Charles C. Mann

1491 is the winner of the Keck award for best book of the year from the United States National Academy of Sciences. Mann also has co-authored four other books and is working on a sequel to 1491.

In addition to the common Preterm sessions, students can chose from a variety of individual sessions across disciplines, including “History of Money,” “Fragrances: From Perfumer to Customer,” and “Time and Life Management.”

New students move in on Saturday, Aug. 23, with the Welcoming Convocation taking place at 2:30 p.m. on the Remick Heritage Center lawn. Preterm takes place Aug. 23 through 31, with regular classes for all students beginning Sept. 2.

 

 

Even President Tracy helps families on move-in day.

 

A lonely puppy takes a nap while waiting to be unpacked. 

 
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Alma College students report levels of educational experiences and faculty interaction that exceed the national norms by significant amounts, according to the findings of the 2007 National Survey of Student Engagement. In the 2006 study, Alma students reported a level of interaction with faculty that ranked among the top five percent in the nation.

 

Student Profile

Terra Teague

Terra Teague
Graduation: 2008
Major: Business Administration
From: Monroe
Interests: Business Simulations, Athletics

Terra’s Spring Term experience in China is a tremendous help understanding the relationship the U.S. has with one of its largest trading partners. The business administration major from Monroe has seen first hand the economic effects on southeast Michigan of low-cost imports and Chinese monetary policies.