American Studies: It’s All in the Mix
Today interdisciplinary studies are at the heart of an
academic education, but in 1968 course offerings were quite different. At
Wesleyan, there were no African American or women’s studies programs, and
American studies was not even a department yet. Students who wanted to tailor
their studies to a particular area of interest could, however, propose a major.
Don Fels ’68 and Tony Rotundo ’68 did just that, and graduated with degrees
in American studies. Thirty-five years later, they find they are still strongly
influenced by the interdisciplinary mix of courses they pursued in college.
Presenters: Donald Fels ’68, P
’06, is an artist who creates site-specific art projects
worldwide—including paintings, billboards, and sculptural installations. He
has written a book about his work at a decommissioned steel mill in Naples,
Italy. Anthony Rotundo ’68, a social and cultural historian is the author of American Manhood:
Transitions in Masculinity from the Revolution to the Modern Era. He has also written on topics ranging from
19th-century boyhood to the military’s problem accepting gay soldiers. He
teaches at Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts
|
