Day/Time: Tuesday and Thursday 8:35 - 9:50 AM
Location: VN 235
Instructor: Youngkhill Lee, Ph.D., CTRS
Office Phone Number: 616-526-6030
Office Location: SFC 229
E-mail & Web addresses: yL33@calvin.edu; http://www.calvin.edu/~yl33/
Office Hours: Mon., Wed., and Fri. 1:30 - 3:30 PM;
Additional times may be available if needed.
I. Course Description:
This course is intended to assist in developing an understanding of your core values and beliefs that will help to guide your life as a citizen of the kingdom of God and as a professional. The primary outcome will be to identify and develop a philosophy of play, leisure, work, rest, and worship and the role these constructs play in our society.
II. Texts:
III. Course Objectives:
IV. Format of the class:
This class will be conducted as a seminar with much discussion and sharing of ideas among class members. Each student is responsible for reading the assigned readings BEFORE class and having all discussion questions completed and ready to share responses in class.
V. Tentative Classroom Schedule:
Throughout the semester, I may tailor the course to each individual class and thus some concepts, discussions, and activities may take more or less time than is projected here, in addition the date of the special event will impact the class schedule. Accordingly, we all need to be flexible in order to best meet the needs of the course and the class members. I will keep you posted on changes whenever possible.
| 9/8 | Introduction | Syllabus |
| 9/10 | Review of Key Terms: Leisure, Recreation, etc | R1, R2 |
| 9/15 | Leisure Theories | R3 |
| 9/17 | Freedom and Leisure | R4, R5 |
| 9/22 | Leisure and Ethics; the Reformed Worldview | R6, R7, R8 |
| 9/24 | Running out of time (Movie) | |
| 9/29 | Time | R9, R10 |
| 10/1 | Work and Leisure | R11, R12 |
| 10/6 | Sabbath: From John Calvin and Others | R13, R14 |
| 10/8 | Sabbath: Applications | R15 |
| 10/13 | Leisure and Happiness | R16, R17, R18, R19 |
| 10/15 | Presentations/Discussions: Random Act of Kindness | |
| 10/20 | Leisure and Hospitality | R20, R21 |
| 10/22 | Leisure and Common Culture | R22 |
| 10/27 | No Class (Academic Advising) | |
| 10/29 | Leisure and sins | R23, R24 |
| 11/3 | Affluenza (Video) and Discussion | R25 |
| 11/5 | Materialism and Leisure | R26 |
| 11/10 | Pleasure, Enjoyment | R27, R28 |
| 11/12 | Simplicity | R29, R30 |
| 11/17 | Stewardship: God’s world/environment | R31, R32, R33 |
| 11/19 | Leisure and the new age movement | R34, R34-A |
| 11/24 | Leisure and family | R35 |
| 11/26 | No class – Have a blessed Thanksgiving | |
| 12/1 | Professional Applications | R36, R37, R38 |
| 12/3 | Student Presentations | Review R1 à R38 |
| 12/8 | Student Presentations | Review R1 à R38 |
| 12/10 | Student Presentations; Wrapping-Up REC 310 | Review R1 à R38 |
| 12/18 | Final Exam (6:30 PM) |
|
VI. Grading Scale:
No A+ at Calvin 200 - 188 A 180 - 175 B+ 174 - 168 B 167 - 160 B- 159 - 155 C+ 154 - 148 C 147 - 140 C- 139 - 134 D+ 133 - 127 D 126 - 120 D- VII. Expectations, Writing Rules, and Academic Integrity:
1. Each student is expected to attend class on a regular and consistent basis. Notes and assignments from missed classes are the responsibility of the absent student and should be obtained from classmates. Each student is expected to (1) have read and synthesized assigned readings prior to class meetings, and (2) be actively involved in class discussion and activities.
2. All assignments must be typed (unless otherwise specified) double-spaced, and have consecutively numbered pages. Assignments are to be submitted with a cover page specifying the course abbreviation and number, quarter and year, title of assignment, and student's name. Plastic cover, notebook or other covers should NOT be used (Please save your $). All pages, including cover page, should be stapled together in the upper left hand corner.
Each student is strongly urged to make a copy of his or her written assignment before submitting to the instructor. In case of loss of the paper, the student can protect him/herself.
3. Grading of assignments will focus on what is being presented (content), as well as how the information is presented (process).
By content (what is being presented), I mean the thoroughness, relevancy to the issue, accuracy of the information, and originality of idea(s).
By process (how the content is presented), I mean (a) how you organize your paper (i.e., logical flow of the ideas presented) and writing itself. While the process is important, I will weigh more on the content. Just remember: I am not just using my own subjectivity to grade your paper. I remain to be objective by thoroughly reading your paper according to the content and process.
Therefore, you are encouraged to think aloud before and after drafting your paper. Then, present your ideas neatly and effectively by using appropriate terminology, proofreading your work, and concentrating grammar and spelling.
Assignments are expected to conform to guidelines provided and will be evaluated on your thoroughness, appropriateness, and accuracy of information.
4. Papers are to be turned in at the beginning of the class in which they are due. Late papers will not be received greater than a "B-" grade. Assignments will not be accepted after two days past the due date (NO EXCEPTION).
5. Exams will be administrated at the beginning of scheduled class time. Students arriving late to class will not be given additional time to complete the exam. Generally, "make-up" exams will not be given in this course.
Failure to attend class on the date of an exam without prior arrangement with the instructor will result in a zero for the exam. Verification (e.g., from Health Center or doctor) must be provided to support requests for excused absences.
Final exam will be held on the designated date by Calvin College. Please schedule your going-home accordingly.
6. All class members are to remember the importance of maintaining a high standard of moral and ethical practice in all your work. Primarily this means you are responsible for your own work. If you have a question related to academic integrity (i.e., plagiarism) please check the following website: www.calvin.edu/academic/engl/plagiar.htm. Keep in mind your integrity is a very fragile gift and needs to be carefully protected.
VIII. Assignments:
1. The Gratitude Letter Assignment (10 points) Due: 10/1
It is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God (2 Corinthians 4: 15)
"Almost all English translations miss a beautiful opportunity to preserve in English a play on words that occurs in Paul's Greek. Paul says, "It is all for your sake, so that as charis extends to more and more people it may increase eucharistian to the glory of God." The Greek word for thanks is built on the word for grace: charis becomes eucharistian. This could have been preserved in English by the use of “grace” and “gratitude” which show the same original root. So I would translate: "It is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase gratitude to the glory of God." The reason this is important is because when we try to define thanks or gratitude, what we find is that it has a very close relationship to grace. Unless we see this relationship, we really don't know what gratitude is." (John Pieper)
The following are guidelines for writing a detailed gratitude letter:
1. Each student should think of a person in his or her life who has been kind to him or her but whom the student has never thanked. Instead of kindness, the student could also identify a person who made a significant impact on his or her development or life but whom the student has never thanked.
2. When this person has been identified, whether it be on the basis of kindness or development, the student is required to write a detailed gratitude letter to the person explaining in concrete terms why the student is grateful.
3. After completing the gratitude letter, the student makes an appointment and then visits this person and reads the testimony aloud.
4. The students are required to write lessons learned from this assignment.
5. Submit your letter and a reflective note (1 page single space) on the lessons learned.
2. The Random Act of Kindness Project (10 points) Due: 10/15
This assignment requires you to do one ‘Random Act of Kindness” in your free time for which you get nothing in return. Look for an opportunity to help another person in some way. As part of your leisure, you will intentionally search for an opportunity to help another out of kindness on your part, and DO NOT accept a reward, or tip of any kind, even if the person tries to give you some kind of reward. In fact, please refuse it and tell them it is a Homework Assignment for which you cannot accept a tip or reward.
Then write a summary of what you did and how it made you feel. What did you learn from this assignment? Was the person appreciative; did they say thank you? Did you feel a positive flow of positive energy? Do you think we should look for such good deeds on a regular basis? Would you teach your child to do this? Would you recommend this to others? Did you discuss this assignment with anyone else? Do you plan to do this more often? Did it give you such a good feeling that you would want to do this on purpose more often, etc?
All Summaries and write-ups will be very individual and different; it is about YOU and YOUR ‘Random Act of Kindness.’
3. Sampling A Good Leisure (20 points) Due: 11/3
In Genesis 1, we read the following statement repeatedly in Creation story: “… And God saw that it was good.” In this project, each student will explore various leisure experiences that are deemed good in God’s sight. You may explore leisure experience samples via surfing web sites, observing other people’s leisure pursuits, and reading magazines, newspapers or other popular magazines. All leisure experiences should come from real people, not from hypothetical ones. Therefore, you should cite exact source of each sample you chose. Among various findings of the relevant samples, you will choose two (2) best samples that are deemed good in God’s sight. Based on your choices, you will write them by responding to the following items below:
While there is no page limit on this assignment, you might want to provide details of the experience.
4. Leisure Philosophy Essay (45 points). Due: 12/03
The purpose of this paper is to articulate your philosophy of leisure. Perhaps you can imagine that as a Christian student in leisure/recreation sciences, you have been asked to write an article for a Christian (or secular) publication. You might wish to integrate readings used in this class or other sources not discussed in the class. Some questions that might initiate your thinking processes on this assignment are:
This paper should be at 5 typed pages (double space). It is to be persuasive and informative essay that shows your synthesis of the readings and discussions in class. Include a title page that has a notation as to the audience to whom you are writing. Develop a solid sentence and paragraph structure, with attention to an introductory and concluding paragraphs.
Presentation of “Leisure Philosophy Essay” (5 pts) Due:12/1 – 12/10
Your presentation will occur at the last week of the semester. Each student is expected to present your leisure philosophy essay for 10 minutes.
5. Leading a devotion (10 pts.) Due: TBA
Each student will be asked to coordinate a devotion which entails the following:
6. Final Comprehensive Exam (50 pts) Dec. 18 at 6:30 PM
This final will be a cumulative exam; all questions will require short essay responses.
