Ordinary Heroes, Extraordinary Lives

Course Code

HUMA 344

Academic Year

2016-2017

We find ordinary heroes everywhere in our communities; the shelves of their memories hold countless stories of history, challenge, achievement, love, loss, and life. The experience and wisdom of individual perspectives provide valuable insights in the modern world. We must then ask ourselves, "What would the world be like if these people never existed?"

One thought-provoking proverb tells us that when someone dies, it's like a library burning to the ground. Diverse people in our communities have wide-ranging wisdom to impart, experiences to share, and stories to tell, but unfortunately, we seldom get a chance to hear them. This course challenges students to seek out these storiesÂ…and bring them back to us.

This unique course partners students with dynamic and engaging individuals in our communities. Outside of the traditional classroom setting, these students will use newly acquired interview techniques to uncover these stories of challenge, achievement, love, loss, and life. This will permit students to develop a short biography on their interviewees. Finished biographies will be proudly displayed in the Humber library, as well as made available as a keepsake for the interviewees and their families.