Mondays & Thursdays 11:20 a.m. – 1:00 p.m

CRN 40324

Lisa Williams
Professor of Literature

In this section of FYS, we will explore the music and rhythms of poetry as we seek to discover how poetry can help us understand our own lives and those around us. Why is poetry important in this present moment? How have poets grappled with the central issues of human relationships, acceptance of self, life, death, and everything in between. We will see the relationship between music and poetry as we write, critique, and even create our own poetry . Classroom discussions will focus on how poets are communicating their experiences and ideas.

Peer Facilitators

Mondays & Thursdays, 4:10 – 5:50 p.m.

CRN 40074

Stephen Rice
Professor of American Studies

Producers of American culture have long been conjuring up dreams of what machines might be able to do in the not-too-distant future. These machine dreams have sometimes traveled toward utopia: technology will soon free us from having to work; machines will be made to think and to feel and will join us as reliable companions. More often, though, these machine dreams have been machine nightmares. What happens when technology reaches beyond our ability to control it? How can we match the power of those who possess the machines we have made?

In this course we examine how technology has been imagined in various cultural forms, from fiction and film to music and the visual arts. We go back to the machine dreams of the nineteenth century and move to the present, considering how we have inherited ways of thinking about technology that need to catch up to the world today.

Peer Facilitators

Mondays & Thursdays, 4:10 – 5:50 p.m.

CRN 40074

Emma Rainforth
Professor of Environmental Science/Geology

What are the consequences of scientific misinformation, misrepresentation, denial, and hoaxes & fraud – collectively “pseudoscience”? Why does pseudoscience persist? Some specific examples we’ll explore include vaccines-cause-autism, HIV-doesn’t-cause-AIDS, and climate-change-isn’t-real.

Peer Facilitators

Mondays & Thursdays, 4:10 – 5:50 p.m.

CRN 40172

Zach Bressler
Adjunct Faculty

This course is designed to introduce an appreciation of film as an art form. We will be discussing the artistic and technical choices filmmakers make in producing a film. We will be viewing some of the most highly acclaimed and respected films in history, giving the student a chance to analyze, critique, and discuss the films among their peers. We will view films from different genres to contrast and compare different styles of filmmaking. Students will be responsible for writing journal-like papers on each film. After viewing every film, we will have an open forum style discussion for opinions to be shared. There will be a project during the semester the students will choose a partner and create an oral presentation discussing a film of their choice.

Download Full Syllabus

Peer Facilitators

Mondays & Thursdays, 4:10 – 5:50 p.m.

CRN 40171

Patrizia Tersigni
Adjunct Faculty

This section seeks to explore how AI and digital art technology can co-exist with authentic creativity. Is AI and digital art technology a risk or is it a resource? How far will advances in AI go? Is there still a place for traditional art techniques or will AI change the face of human creativity forever? Through contemporary and classical art examples students will examine how art has evolved over time and how creativity looks today in a world of AI and digital art technology versus how it was created and perceived in the past. Students will be introduced to the development of creativity and the role it plays in meeting human needs. Throughout this course students will develop an individual vision of what creativity means to them and discover the differences in how creativity is interpreted. The impact that AI technology and digital art have on creativity and the creative industry will be explored. Is AI enhancing the needs of human creativity or hindering it? Students will explore the many tools used to create art today and discuss how artists can maintain authenticity and originality in their work while remaining current with trends and advances in technology. Through open discussion, reading, writing and experiential learning, this course will also provide a framework for investigating connections between bias, copyright, plagiarism, and responsible AI usage as well as the socio-economic implications of technology availability and lack thereof.

Peer Facilitators

Mondays & Thursdays, 4:10 – 5:55 p.m.

CRN 40080

Paul Semendinger
Adjunct Faculty

This first year seminar course is designed for students interested in pursuing careers as educators. The course will explore the many facets of the road to becoming a teacher. We will examine what makes a great teacher, the characteristics of great teachers, and the ways that great teachers help students succeed. Students will explore the unparalleled rewards of becoming a teacher as well as the many challenges that teachers face. This course will utilize specially selected readings to assist in class discussions on education-related issues. Guest lectures by specialists in a wide variety of educational fields will give students insights into the life of a teacher. We will use an array of technologies and other resources to expand our definitions of the 21st century classroom. This course will also demonstrate the need for educators to be capable of researching, writing about, and presenting critical issues in education. In this way we introduce the qualities, dispositions, and practices of highly successful teachers.

Peer Facilitators

Mondays, Wednesdays, & Thursdays, 4:40 – 5:50 p.m.

CRN 40985

Ruma Sen
Professor of Communication

How do we tell stories to craft our identities? How do other people use narratives to influence our views? How does the media influence us in the stories we receive and share? When we interact with narratives as writers, readers, and listeners, do they influence us intellectually, experientially, and/or ethically?

In this course we will use our own stories as well as those of others to consider ways in which we understand and “make meaning” out of our worlds. How do we reconcile our “selves” against that which surrounds us – our environment, our community – the multiple worlds we occupy.  Additionally, we will consider how, in the stories of our lives, whose voices are heard and who remain unheard. We will work together to analyze intersectional narratives that call for social justice, illuminate diverse voices, and challenge readers to interact with nontraditional experiences.

Peer Facilitators