News Releases
News from Lane Community College
September 4, 2008
PROBLEMS IN U.S. POLITICS FILM CLASS OFFERED THIS FALL
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Steve Candee Lane Community College Eugene, Oregon |
Eugene, Ore. - There are no easy answers but students will try to come up with five of them in the Problems in U.S. Politics Through Film class at Lane Community College offered this fall.
Political science instructor Steve Candee first offered the class in 2002, skipped last year to work on other projects, but students and colleagues asked him to present the class again in part due to the intensity of this year’s election. He agreed.
Five issues will be explored-the economy; local, state and national elections; health care; immigration; and the death penalty.
Candee chooses topics that don’t get much attention elsewhere or “are so complex that they defy easy solutions.”
Films are used to introduce the issues because they engage people “at a visceral level,” followed by readings and speaker panels. For example, “Dead Man Walking” will be shown for the discussion on the death penalty. The section on elections will include a panel discussion of city and county policies on October 21 with Kitty Piercy and Jim Torrey, incumbent and challenger for Eugene mayor, and Bobby Green and Rob Handy, incumbent and challenger for county commissioner.
“I’m trying to create more informed citizens that hopefully will translate to more informed voters and better informed policies,” says Candee.
He tries to broaden students’ critical thinking skills in terms of public policy that governs our lives through legislation, executive orders, or court decisions. He is careful to balance reading materials and present differing viewpoints and avoid ideology or propaganda. He has seen students either strengthen their views or completely change their thinking.
Candee has bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Oregon and has taught at Lane for 22 years.
Problems in U.S. Politics Through Film begins September 30. For more information call Candee at 463-5188. To register go online to lanecc.edu beginning September 8.
Lane is an equal opportunity/affirmative action institution.
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Contacts:
* Joan Aschim, PIO, aschimj@lanecc.edu, 463-5591
* Steve Candee, Cooperative Education Coordinator and Political Science Instructor, candees@lanecc.edu, 463-5188, cell 514-9706
