Pulitzer Prize winning author Junot Diaz once said, “A writer is a writer because, even when there is no hope, even when nothing you do shows any signs of promise, you keep writing anyway.” Students in this course explore the ways in which writers use language to inspire, and make meaning in the world. With the help and support of the instructors, students practice reading with the sharp eye of a writer. As readers, they navigate various pieces of short fiction and poetry while questioning, investigating and employing techniques published writers use to make language come alive. As writers, they work toward developing their literary voices while experimenting with different writing methods and strategies. Students take risks and play with language as they create and share their work, collaborate with one another in writer’s workshops and develop finalized versions of their own, original, writing.

Learning Objectives

• Employ literary elements, narrative techniques, and figurative language in both formal and informal writing assignments.
• Participate in multiple writing workshops that offer constructive criticism on your work in a safe, growth-oriented space.
• Draft, revise, and undertake other important elements of the writing process in order to produce a minimum of two polished pieces of writing (short fiction and poetry).

Alfred Marshall described economics as “the study of mankind in the ordinary business of life.” How much are you willing to pay for ice cream on a hot summer day? Why professional athletes earn so much? Is there such a thing as a perfectly competitive market? Why has Google been accused of monopolistic practices?  Is Bitcoin a financial bubble or our future currency? Which are the key success factors for businesses in the modern economic era? What is a “start-up” company and how can it be financed?

The “world of economics and entrepreneurship” aims to answer these questions in a creative and exciting way; by investigating how various economic agents (households, firms and governments) make crucial decisions, students become familiar with the mechanisms that shape our current economic and business reality and therefore our society. During this course, students analyze basic economic and business concepts, such as supply and demand, scarcity of resources, cost of production, market structure, incentives, business strategy, innovation and more, and consider them in the context of today’s global economy.

Case studies and participation in the creation of a small “start-up” through a firm simulation game will provide useful insight into businesses organization, operations and decision-making. Upon completion of the course, students will acquire useful knowledge upon the basic functions of an economy and a business, becoming themselves responsible decision-makers in their everyday lives.