COM 390 - Special Topics - Voices of Democracy: Great Speeches in U.S. History

 This special topics course in Communication Studies introduces students to some of the most famous (and infamous) speeches and debates in U.S. history.   In this election year, we will study some memorable campaign speeches and debates,  but we also will consider how voices outside of the political mainstream-voices of protest and dissent-have sparked historic debates over civil rights, gender and sexuality, free speech and privacy rights, and other important issues.  Beyond learning about great speeches in history, students will reflect on how, in a free society, speech functions as a mechanism for defining our identity, reconciling our political and cultural differences, and affecting political and social change.  There are no prerequisites and the course is open to students from all classes and majors.

Special topics course titles and descriptions may change.  May be repeated for credit.
Satisfies the Literary Studies, Creative Writing, and Rhetoric distribution requirement.
Satisfies a requirement in the Communication Studies major and interdisciplinary minor.