Running across disciplines
“This class is adverb-crazy,” says a slightly irked Rik Scarce just before re- turning an essay assignment. “Let the verb carry the day. Adverbs don’t add to; they detract from. And another thing: if I write ‘awkwardness’ in the margin, it means the sentence doesn’t make sense. That’s pretty major.”
“Are you taking notes?” he asks a late arrival. “It’s probably a good idea.” “With regard to your papers,” the so- ciology professor continues, “some of you will be pleased, some frustrated. Grades that are not what you’d hoped for are kind of like running injuries— a metaphor.” Turns out this whole freshman Scrib - ner Seminar, “Endurance: Long-Distance Running Across the Disciplines,” is a metaphor.
It’s definitely “not a how-to-
run class,” explains Scarce, who did run an actual marathon, his first, last fall. “It’s about using running in books, arti- cles, and films as a delivery device to teach about skills students need to suc- ceed at Skidmore.”
One foundational skill is integrating multiple information sources. “I was par- ticularly pleased,” he tells the class, “with those of you who wove together Profes- sor Fehling’s science perspective with the movie Spirit of the Marathon and the books Born to Run and Running with the Buffaloes.”
Papers returned, it’s on to the discus-
sion phase, another requisite skill. “In Born to Run,” offers Emily Savarese ’17, “the Tarahumara Indians run to relieve stress, for the joy of it. In Buffaloes, the cross-country team runs to perform, to win, which stresses the body. When your body is stressed, it’s more likely to get in- jured.” Matt Bristol ’17 adds, “If I’ve learned one thing in college, it’s that your attitude is the source of your happiness.” Scarce the sociologist mines for more
4 SCOPE SPRING 2014
meaning. He asks about the motivation of Olympic hopeful Adam Goucher, who was expected to win an NCAA title for his Colorado cross-country team in its adver- sity-filled 1998 season. “Why are you in college?” he asks rhetorically. “Perhaps because, just like Goucher, some day you will have to eat, put a roof over your head, and put clothing on your back. At base is the economic and political system —this ugly reality. It’s not that love, hap- piness, and fulfillment don’t exist. It’s just that they may not be primary.” Before long, the class has touched on
“I’VE SEEN HOW THE LESSONS WE LEARN FROM RUNNING MANIFEST THEMSELVES IN OUR DAILY LIVES.”
everything from Maslow’s hierarchy of needs to the mini- mum wage in Bang - ladesh to white privi- lege to their futures. Underneath it all
loomed a few essential questions: What do I really know? Who am I? Why am I at Skidmore? “This isn’t Sociology 101,” says Scarce in a later classroom session. “The whole purpose is you getting the liberal arts, the importance of speaking, working to- gether, writing well, thinking critically, evaluating evidence...” On this particu- lar morning they discuss the iconic Eng- lish novelette The Loneliness of the Long-
Distance Runner. They plan to watch the movie version (after a democratic sorting out of the snacks assignments) in the evening. Another component is hands- on service learning. “Recognizing run- ning as a communal act, not simply as something done for individuals,” says the syllabus, “is an important part of what you should take away from this course.” In support of a local half- marathon race, Scarce’s students filled a range of volunteer roles and filmed the event; then they collaborated to create documentaries about it.
“I have been impressed with how seri- ously the students take the work of figur- ing out this college ‘race,’” Scarce says. “They’ll be learning that role for a cou- ple of years. It doesn’t come easily, and it cannot be faked. In our class it’s about doing the reading, thinking, and coming to class ready to participate.” For Matt Bristol, “It’s an inspiring class. I’ve started running a lot more than I did in high school. Plus I’ve gained a new perspective on running, one that looks at how the lessons we learn from running manifest themselves in our daily lives.”
A metaphor not just for four years of college, but for life’s journey. —PM
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