'Zen of Speed' challenges COD students to develop critical thinking skills
For the first time this summer, College of DuPage will offer “The Zen of Speed,” a Field and Experiential Learning experience that features optional hands-on, high-performance driving opportunities.
Philosophy 1125, “Critical Thinking,” and Philosophy 1800, “The Zen of 130 MPH,” will help students develop their critical thinking skills and apply philosophical concepts directly to practical experience while experiencing high-performance driving. The classes begin on Monday, May 23.
John Santiago, Ph.D., associate professor of Philosophy, realized that his car-racing hobby mirrored the principles he was seeking to communicate through his Philosophy 1125 class. He began talking to his students about the idea of combining racing with philosophy, and they were excited about it.
“I've discovered a lot of people want to experience speed or driving fast,” he said. “So I started to map out how I could integrate the course materials with the experiential aspects.”
In addition to classroom work, students may work in teams to learn car control skills, car set-up basics, and essential resources to safely enjoy high-performance driving. Two or three mandatory field trips to local tracks will be made for each class, and students who opt to drive on the track will use their own cars.
“I took some pains to set the class up so the experiential requirements are very minimal,” he said. “This way you don't need to commit to drive and you don't need a car. You can instead work on a team as part of the pit crew, or you can be a passenger or an involved spectator.”
Santiago was first interested in cars as a teenager. But the Chicago resident said he wasn't one to just wax his car on the weekends – he always wanted to know how a car felt on the road.
“When you're handling a car is when it comes alive,” he said. “And I've always been looking for ways to experience that feeling safely.”
For years, Santiago has been involved with clubs and organizations that allow members to participate in track events. He is now a competitive time trial driver and travels to regional and national competitions, where he enjoys being alongside other drivers who push him to be the best that he can be. He is also in the process of obtaining his National Auto Sport Association driving instructor's permit, which he should have by the start of summer.
Santiago hopes students enrolling in these courses push themselves to get the most out of the experience, whether they decide to drive or not. Despite the unusual course format, students earn 3 credit hours for each class, and Philosophy 1125 fulfills a general education requirement.
“All experiences can be used as topics of reflection,” he said. “It's easy to think about all kinds of philosophy during high performance driving: What are my real skills? What am I capable of? What is my real threshold of risk? When you're sitting in an armchair, it's much different to propose these things.”
College of DuPage tuition is $129 per credit hour. Field and Experiential Learning courses also charge a $125 fee. Additional charges for registration and safety equipment will vary depending on a student's interest in driving at the events.
For more information, call (630) 942-2961 or e-mail santiag@cod.edu.