First Year Students

Inconspicuous Consumption: The Beginnings and Ends of “Stuff”

Simpson Colloquium SC 101 L - Inconspicuous Consumption: The Beginnings and Ends of “Stuff”
M W F  9:10 - 10:10AM

Sit in your bedroom for a minute and do a quick inventory of your belongings: How many pairs of shoes do you have? Do you own a cell phone, mp3 player, computer, or television? What about posters, office supplies, games, knick-knacks, and personal hygiene products? Americans have a lot of “stuff," which requires a large percentage of the world’s resources to produce. But what are these resources? How is this “stuff” created, and what happens to it when we’re done with it? In this class we will investigate the origins of consumer items such as clothes, household goods, and electronics. We will also track the typical American’s acquisition, use, and disposal of these goods. Throughout the course we will study our use of resources and try to understand the equation of growth with prosperity and happiness, a paradigm that has led us to our current levels of consumption.

Meet Your Professor                   
CoryAnne Harrigan, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of English CoryAnne Harrigan

I’ve been teaching in the English department at Simpson since 2001, and my specialty is early modern British literature—works by writers like Chaucer and Shakespeare. Not everyone naturally gravitates toward poetry written by dead white men, but I think we learn about ourselves and our times when we look closely at works that seem so remote from our own experience. The distance gives us perspective. I  teach both writing and literature with an eye toward helping students become better writers and critical thinkers.

One of the most important goals of all my courses is to instill students with the confidence to express their reflections and opinions on any subject in a clear and convincing way.

When I’m not at work, I enjoy walking (I completed my first half-marathon last October), driving through the Iowa countryside, and cooking. My go-to cookbook for the last few years has been Crescent Dragonwagon’s Passionate Vegetarian.

Meet your Destination LeaderAlison Graves
Alison Graves

Hello! My name is Alison Graves. I was raised in the Coal Valley, Illinois, with two younger brothers and a pet turtle. I will be a sophomore in the fall and I absolutely love it here at Simpson! I plan to graduate in May 2015 with a French Major and Minor in Secondary Education with an endorsement in History. I will be one of your Destination Leaders for “Inconspicuous Consumption: the Beginnings and Ends of ‘Stuff’.”

I attended a small Catholic high school where I played tennis, was involved in National Honor Society, Sigma Alpha Delta and Theater and was very involved in my parish youth groups. In between classes, homework and my work study job I love to read, listen to music, watch movies, go on walks and spend lots of time with my friends.

I am an outgoing person and I love meeting new people. I strive to make everyone comfortable here on campus. I am on Facebook, Twitter, and of course, email. Don’t hesitate to add me, follow me, or shoot me an email (Students and parents alike!) I would love to get to know each of you. I look forward to meeting you in June!

Max Nguyen Meet Your Destination Leader
Max Nguyen

Hi my name is Max Nguyen and I am going to be a junior this fall at Simpson.  In case you were curious, my last name is actually pronounced WIN or WHEN like the question.  My dad is Vietnamese and that's just how they roll I guess.  Your guess is as good as mine as to how they came to that pronunciation.  Luckily you can just call me Max.  I am going to be the Destination Leader along with Alison Graves for Professor Harrigan's class titled Inconspicuous Consumption. 

I hail from good 'ol Eastern Iowa (aka God's Country).  More specifically Vinton-Shellsburg.  In high school I participated in band, basketball, NHS, volunteer programs, and also cross country/track.  As a drummer I especially miss marching band in college because that was always a blast playing at competitions.  

Here at Simpson I am currently a Math/Econ double major.  I'm involved in cross county and track & field, work study for sports information, college choir, and the annual math modeling competition.  I've also participated in the math research program held during the summer here at Simpson.  Our small research group got to present in Kentucky at an undergraduate conference right next to Rupp Arena.  It was a really great experience and I learned a lot.

If there is one word that describes me it's definitely sports.  I'm a huge sports nut and I especially love sports statistics.  My favorite channel is appropriately ESPN and I absolutely have to watch Sportscenter daily right before bed.  I'm a big fan of the Los Angeles Lakers, IOWA Hawkeyes, Kansas City Royals, St. Louis Rams, Nashville Predators, and golfers Zach Johnson and Anthony Kim!  I can't forget to mention LINsanity!  Other than that I'm a huge fan of dry humor (The Office = favorite show) and listen to country and rap on the same playlist. Favorite movies include Inception, Wedding Crashers, Ninja Assassin, Ides of March, Fast Five, and Ratatouille.

I look forward to meeting you and being your Destination Leader! Simpson College is a great college and has a lot to offer you these next few years of your life!   

Meet Your Writing FellowRachel Rice
Rachel Rice

I’m Rachel Rice and I’ll be your writing fellow this fall. My job is to help you with papers and assignments in the SC class, but I also work with the DL’s to make sure everyone’s transition to college life isn’t too crazy.

Originally, I’m from the Marshalltown area. I attended East Marshall High School where I participated in Speech, Theater, Cross Country, Track, Student Council, NHS, and GSA. My parents moved recently, so now I call northwestern Iowa home.

At Simpson I’m a sophomore with majors in Math and Physics. I’m also a member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma Sorority here at Simpson and the Theatre Company. If I ever have down time, I usually spend it just hanging out with friends or reading.

If you have any questions, I’m here to answer them, so don’t hesitate to ask!

 

Last Updated: 5/11/12