Seth Kimmel

Different philosophical authors and their viewpoints. Was almost like contemporary civilizations but in Spanish

This course gave me a great foundation from which to continue writing a thesis. However, I wonder if the students who did not plan to write a thesis found it beneficial.

Put a lot of work into your essays and expect to think hard about your writing style and edit edit edit well and edit again. Go to talk to him at office hours. Come to class sincerely prepared. Other than doing the readings and writing good essays (only roughly 2 per semester) not much work.

Reading literature and historical sources in Spanish. Having academic discussions in Spanish. Analyzing primary sources and relating the sources to historical context.

I have to be honest that I've sort of avoided a lot of ICLS classes while I'm here (I did my comparative coursework requirement through CSER), mostly because the intro class was one of the worst classes I've taken at Columbia––it was really marginalizing for anyone who wasn't a white man studying french or german texts by white men in the 19th-20th centuries. This class was really different in that regard. Sure, we read some of the "fathers" of certain methodological/theoretical arguments, etc.. but Seth also opened up a lot of space (including on the syllabus and in class discussions) for real feminist/Black feminist/queer critique of that kind of thinking. I took too many classes this term so I couldn't always do all of the reading, but this class was the first time at Columbia that I have felt like I am actually part of the intellectual project of ICLS.

Seth is a really smart person and a really good professor. He will take the time to read your essays thoroughly and cares (sometimes more than students care) about helping students become better writers and thinkers. He asks challenging and interesting questions in class. One of the best things about having Seth as a Prof is visiting his office hours. He takes time to talk through writing ideas, will "hash out" books with you outside of class, has interesting life advice, and is interesting to talk with. Some people thought his class time could get boring and his grading was too harsh but I disagree. I would take his section again in a heart beat. He deserves gold. Plus he lets you call him Seth which is cool. Also you get to know your class well and he takes y'all out for dinner instead of doing academic extracurriculars like the other sections of LH.

This was probably my least favorite class that I have ever taken. I am a senior and I had to sit through Big Problems…

I learned a significant amount about the writing process; I was pushed to consider for the first time how I want to write, and for whom or to what end.

Semester 1: 3 papers: the first one (5%) teaches you how to write (it really works, I’m an amazing writer, see), the other two are more serious (spend a weekend on them not a night) and worth 15% and 20% (in order). Posts online/class participation: one post per book and 5 comments on other posts per semester, and hopefully speaking more than once per class: 20%. Midterm and Final are each 20%. Semester 2: 2 papers 20% each with peer edits on a draft due a week before the final draft that are 5% each. Midterm and Final are 15% each. 10% for participation: 5 posts online for the semester and lots of talking in class. 10% for the “presentation. Do all the reading!

The amount of work is incredibly manageable which makes it much easier to engage in the discussions in class—I learned way more in this class than in my Hispanic Cultures II class in which I occasionally had 200 page readings for the class. 1 Columbia University: Arts & Sciences Fall 2023 Course: SPANUN3349_003_2023_3-HISPANICCULTURESI(SP) : SPANUN3349_003_2023_3 - HISPANIC CULTURES I (SP) Instructor: Seth Kimmel