History course requires indepth research

HISTORIOGRAPHY, page 1

The intense formal writing is to enlighten students on the correct way of writing, even if they were taught differently in previous years. “It makes you second guess anything you have ever learned with grammar and writing,” Megan Mirzoeff, senior history major, said. “You realize you were never taught things that you need to learn.”

According to Girard, he pretends he is not a caring teacher, which is something that most students find rare here at Cabrini. “I take on the role of a crusty, cynical editor who is only interested in the final product,” Girard said. “I tell the students on the first day of class to imagine they are writing for an editor. All I care about is the quality of their work.” organization, and the internship may be paid or volunteer. Also, it is possible to earn up to 12 credits in a co-op within a four-year career at Cabrini. Typically students work 15 to 20 hours per week, which allows them to earn three credits per semester.

“Kids say it’s the course from hell, but surveys show they think it is one of the most important classes they take here at Cabrini,” Fox said.

However, speaking of these surveys was not enough for the history professor. He, one by one, showed a number of surveys that ranked Historiography most important. In many cases, Historiography was chosen for both hardest and most important class. This shows that although the class is particularly difficult and demanding, most students enjoy the class and find it very useful.

The English and communication department allows students to apply three credits received through an internship to their major. Also the English and communication department requires a letter grade for the internship, which “really can help one’s GPA, because simply by showing up for the job and doing the work, a positive grade will be achieved,” Hutchison said. Students in other departments would receive a pass or fail grade for completion of their internship.

Once a specific job is selected and agreed to, students are required to keep it for that semester. Students will not have any other interviews or accept any other jobs as internships for that term. This aspect of the internship teaches students to work through any troubles or disagreements they may have, keeping in mind that the job will only last a few months and will be finished if they so choose at the end of the semester.

Once students are working for the business they have chosen they will develop four learning objectives that will be approved by their employer and by a Cabrini representative. They will also have a “learning contract” that will help them meet those objectives and will state that students must work a certain number of hours per week, in order to earn the available credits.

Co-ops are available in the spring, fall and summer. If stu- dents are interested in working somewhere during the summer for an internship and do not live locally, it’s not a problem. The co-op and career services office is open to working with new organizations so students are encouraged to stop by the office and inform the directors of career services about their situation and those in the career services office will be more than happy to work with the student and the situation.

“The co-op and career services office is very helpful, we visit the students at every job they may have.”

Furthermore, it is also possible to receive college credit for a current job one may have. This situation is called “petitioning,” in which case one would need to be promoted or receive new responsibilities within the job that are worthy of college credit.

“The job must be a quality learning experience,” Hutchison said. If one is interested in earning credit for his or her current job, Hutchison or any representative from the co-op office, along with one’s supervisor at work will evaluate one’s performance and new responsibility. If they decide one’s responsibilities are worthy of credit one will be approved for that credit.

The co-op and career service office is very successful and is beneficial to students. There are 40 to 85 students involved with internships each semester and it is open to everyone. Students are encouraged to take advantage of the great opportunity that provides experience in any field, college credit, and of course some extra cash.

Jaci Fox, a senior history major, articulates her feelings about the course. “It’s required. If I don’t take it or don’t pass, I don’t graduate. It’s the hardest class the department offers,” Fox said. “However, it is not a traditional class. It is fundamentally different.”

Many students seem to have the same beliefs and opinions.

Junior secondary education and history major, Carrie Kauffman, has yet to take this course but plans on enrolling in the near future. Kauffman said, “I am looking forward to taking it just out of sheer curiosity. I have heard that it involves a great deal of reading and writing. I keep hearing that historiography is so challenging, but that it prepares you for classes at the graduate level. That is definitely the kind of class I need to be taking for my future.”

Senior Monica Alivernini, history major, summed it up when she said, “It’s incredibly hard, but it’s definitely worth it in the end.”