First Year Seminars

First Year Seminar Fall 2012 Descriptions

  Print and complete a copy of the FYS form to bring to New Student Advising Day

What is a First Year Seminar?
The First-Year Seminar (FYS 100) is an alternative means of fulfilling the English Communications (ENG 111) requirement for first-semester students. Below are course descriptions for the Seminars that will be offered in Fall 2012. If any of these look interesting to you, you may want to enroll in FYS 100 instead of ENG 111. It doesn’t matter what your major is, nor does it matter whether you have declared a major—any first-semester student may enroll in either FYS 100 or ENG 111 in order to fulfill the first-year writing requirement. You should discuss this decision and your preferences when you meet with your academic advisor in May.

FYS 100-01, The Search for Paradise. The search for Paradise is a common theme in the world’s mythology and folktales. In The Hero of a Thousand Faces, Joseph Campbell defines this search in terms of the journey from childhood to adulthood, leading to a “more . . . fully human life.” The Edenic quest is also a distinct motif in American culture—a culture shaped by settlers who imagined America as the New Jerusalem and themselves as God’s chosen people. In this seminar we’ll explore the individual pursuit of Paradise as found in American fiction. Do the glittering promises of American culture and society result in the individual’s well-being, or do they ultimately imprison one, preventing him/her from experiencing fulfillment? By reading and reflecting upon the fiction of Willa Cather, Nathaniel Hawthorne, F.Scott Fitzgerald, Toni Morrison, and Edith Wharton, students will begin to formulate answers that may guide them on their own journeys towards a more “fully human life.” Professor Damiano, MWF 8-8:50 a.m.

FYS 100-02, Obsessed. People can be obsessed with websites (like Facebook), celebrities, TV shows, hobbies, foods, pets, a boyfriend or girlfriend, a place—any number of things. In this seminar, we’ll look at the ways in which individual obsessions sometimes intersect with broader social or cultural concerns, and we’ll read excerpts from the writings of famous obsessives, like Frederick Exley (A Fan’s Notes), John Jeremiah Sullivan (Pulphead), and Tom Bissell (Extra Lives). We’ll also examine what obsessions can (or maybe cannot) tell us about other people and about ourselves: who we are, what we want, what we’re afraid of, what we’re drawn to, where we’ve been, where we’re going. Professor Martinez, MWF 8-8:50 a.m.

FYS 100-03, To the Ends of the Earth: Daring, Discovery, and Death in the World’s Extreme Corners. Why are human beings fascinated with the unknown and the dangerous? Why will some people take enormous risks in the world’s most forbidding environments, just to reach the extreme limits of human endurance? This seminar invites students into the story of polar and Himalayan expeditions and the often fatal attraction that exploration as organized risk-taking exerts on some human beings. Readings may include The Last Place on Earth, Into Thin Air, Ghosts of Cape Sabine, and Iceblink. Professor Pry, MWF 8-8:50 a.m.

FYS 100-04, The American Dream. We’ve all heard the expression, but what precisely does it mean? Is it the Mayflower at Plymouth Rock? The Declaration of Independence? Lincoln at Gettysburg? Martin Luther King at the Lincoln Memorial? Is it Donald Trump, or Snookie from Jersey Shore, or American Idol? If it was possible for your grandparents, is it still possible for you? Is it just a dream, or is it reality? In this seminar we’ll read, write, and talk about the various things “the American Dream” has meant and what its meanings tell us about who we are and what we value. Professor Grieve-Carlson, MWF 9-9:50 a.m.

FYS 100-05, The Case for God. The Bible begins: “In the beginning, God. . . .” While the Bible presupposes the existence of God, people have applied their intellects to making rational and reasoned cases to attempt to prove, or to disprove, the existence of God. In this class, we will interact with some of these arguments (e.g., C. S. Lewis’ Mere Christianity). Is there a case for God? Professor Kitchens, MWF 9-9:50 a.m.

FYS 100-06, Obsessed. People can be obsessed with websites (like Facebook), celebrities, TV shows, hobbies, foods, pets, a boyfriend or girlfriend, a place—any number of things. In this seminar, we’ll look at the ways in which individual obsessions sometimes intersect with broader social or cultural concerns, and we’ll read excerpts from the writings of famous obsessives, like Frederick Exley (A Fan’s Notes), John Jeremiah Sullivan (Pulphead), and Tom Bissell (Extra Lives). We’ll also examine what obsessions can (or maybe cannot) tell us about other people and about ourselves: who we are, what we want, what we’re afraid of, what we’re drawn to, where we’ve been, where we’re going. Professor Martinez, MWF 10-10:50 a.m.

FYS 100-7, To the Ends of the Earth: Daring, Discovery, and Death in the World’s Extreme Corners. Why are human beings fascinated with the unknown and the dangerous? Why will some people take enormous risks in the world’s most forbidding environments, just to reach the extreme limits of human endurance? This seminar invites students into the story of polar and Himalayan expeditions and the often fatal attraction that exploration as organized risk-taking exerts on some human beings. Readings may include The Last Place on Earth, Into Thin Air, Ghosts of Cape Sabine, and Iceblink. Professor Pry, MWF 10-10:50 a.m.

FYS 100-08, Making History: American Wars from the Ground Up. How is war experienced, represented, and remembered by those who wage it? In this seminar we will focus on American wars and the experience of warfare “from the ground up,” critically engaging with a wide variety of texts produced by and about American servicemen and women—including letters, diaries, combat reports, short stories, novels, memoirs, films, and blogs—that help to illuminate the realities, ironies, paradoxes, and consequences of war. Focusing in particular on the U.S. Civil War, the Philippine-American War, World War I, the Nicaraguan intervention, World War II, Vietnam, and Iraq & Afghanistan, we will use war and texts about war as a way to critically engage with broader concepts such as memory, representation, gender, race, and nationalism. Professor Schroeder, MWF 10-10:50 a.m.

FYS 100-09, The American Dream. We’ve all heard the expression, but what precisely does it mean? Is it the Mayflower at Plymouth Rock? The Declaration of Independence? Lincoln at Gettysburg? Martin Luther King at the Lincoln Memorial? Is it Donald Trump, or Snookie from Jersey Shore, or American Idol? If it was possible for your grandparents, is it still possible for you? Is it just a dream, or is it reality? In this seminar we’ll read, write, and talk about the various things “the American Dream” has meant and what its meanings tell us about who we are and what we value. Professor Grieve-Carlson, MWF 11-11:50 a.m.

FYS 100-10, Addiction. Do you know an active drug addict or alcoholic? It’s almost certain that you do, or that you will. What about other addictions, like gambling, overeating, abuse, or the internet? We have learned a lot about addiction in the last few decades, but we do not seem to be any closer to defeating it and the suffering it brings to its victims and their families. In this seminar we’ll explore what we know about addiction and about attempts at prevention and treatment that are underway in the world, in the U.S., and here in Lebanon County. We will explore the place of addiction in our movies and myths, in our economy, and in our coming of age. Professor Fry, MWF 1-1:50 p.m.

FYS 100-11, Man Up / Act Like a Lady. As TV watchers, magazine readers, movie-goers, web-surfers, and students, we are bombarded by images and representations of what it means to be a man or a woman in contemporary society. In this course, we will examine some of these images and representations. Through our analysis of literature, film, television, print and online media depictions, we will work on better understanding the way discourse creates knowledge of gender and how that knowledge affects us as individuals in the United States. Through discussion and writing we will explore our own perceptions and experiences as well as analyze experiences as represented by others. Professor Romagnolo, MWF 1-1:50 p.m.

FYS 100-12, The Matrix. Was Cypher right? Would you be happier in a virtual reality machine, or is it important to know that the world you inhabit is real? We will use the movie as a point of departure for an examination of philosophical answers to the question of happiness. Taught in conjunction with the College Colloquium on Happiness. Professor Hubler, MWF 2-2:50 p.m.

FYS 100-13, Man Up / Act Like a Lady. As TV watchers, magazine readers, movie-goers, web-surfers, and students, we are bombarded by images and representations of what it means to be a man or a woman in contemporary society. In this course, we will examine some of these images and representations. Through our analysis of literature, film, television, print and online media depictions, we will work on better understanding the way discourse creates knowledge of gender and how that knowledge affects us as individuals in the United States. Through discussion and writing we will explore our own perceptions and experiences as well as analyze experiences as represented by others. Professor Romagnolo, MWF 2-2:50 p.m.

FYS 100-14, A Sense of Place: Personal and Multimedia Narratives. Through exposure to images, stories, and films from around the world, students will be introduced to diverse people, places, and cultures. We’ll consider connections between natural and cultural landscapes, and examine ways in which environments influence one’s sense of self, work, family, community, traditions, and beliefs. We’ll learn how to “read” and interpret films and photographs as well as arguments and literary texts. And we’ll analyze how a sense of place influences and is portrayed in visual and verbal narratives of others as well as our own. Participants will write essays and create multimedia narratives that weave together various types of texts (e.g., audio, video, music, film, photographs, etc.). Through the creation of personal and other narratives, students may begin to better understand who they are, where they are (both literally and figuratively), and how they can shape their perceptions of “place” into stories. Professor Bongiovanni, TTh 8-9:20 a.m.

FYS 100-15, Horror in Film and Literature. Why do people like to be scared? From the Old English classic Beowulf to the recent film 28 Weeks Later art has expressed people’s fascination with monsters and violent mayhem. Though the horror genre has always been popular, it is often also dismissed as lowbrow, even exploitative entertainment that caters to our baser instincts. In this seminar, we will confront that point of view by looking at the ways in which horror entertainment both reflects and challenges the cultures in which it is produced. We will analyze texts such as Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, as well as films like Romero’s Night of the Living Dead. Students will learn about milestones in the development of the horror genre in film and literature, gain an understanding of introductory terminology in film and literary analysis, and discover the main theories about why audiences enjoy horror. Professor Eldred, TTh 8-9:20 a.m.

FYS 100-16, Horror in Film and Literature. Why do people like to be scared? From the Old English classic Beowulf to the recent film 28 Weeks Later art has expressed people’s fascination with monsters and violent mayhem. Though the horror genre has always been popular, it is often also dismissed as lowbrow, even exploitative entertainment that caters to our baser instincts. In this seminar, we will confront that point of view by looking at the ways in which horror entertainment both reflects and challenges the cultures in which it is produced. We will analyze texts such as Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, as well as films like Romero’s Night of the Living Dead. Students will learn about milestones in the development of the horror genre in film and literature, gain an understanding of introductory terminology in film and literary analysis, and discover the main theories about why audiences enjoy horror. Professor Eldred, TTh 9:30-10:50 a.m.

FYS 100-17, Going Viral: Social Media and Digital Technologies. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, online gaming, blogging, and other digital platforms entertain us, teach us, and allow us to reach out to others. Very often these platforms are the center of debates over privacy and social change. In this class, we will learn about new media’s impact on literacy, education, community interaction, journalism, democracy, and creativity. We’ll start with a brief overview of Internet history and read a wide selection of materials that both demonstrate how we use this technology and how we talk about it in an academic setting. Professor Pettice, TTh 9:30-10:50 a.m.

FYS 100-18, Sex and the City: Exploring Different Perspectives on Sexuality. Explore modern-day issues of sexuality ranging from balancing careers, to body image, to different eras of feminism and self-esteem, to dating and relationships through the wildly popular HBO series Sex and the City. We’ll be watching different episodes, reading a variety of essays and articles, and discussing our personal views while relating them to the program and readings. Professor Walker, TTh 9:30-10:50 a.m.

FYS 100-19, Life in the Universe. How did our universe and our planet form? Where did life come from? Are we alone? These questions have been pondered by philosophers, but only within the last century has science begun to address these questions seriously. The emerging field of astrobiology, which encompasses astronomy, biology, physics, and chemistry, seeks to understand the origin of life in the universe and our ultimate fate. In this seminar, we’ll explore what science is doing to answer these questions, and we’ll discuss how scientific discoveries are impacting our view of our place in the universe. Professor Marsh, TTh 12:30-1:50 p.m.

FYS 100-20, Happiness. This seminar will examine the very human condition of happiness. We will discuss what makes us happy and compare it to what we think makes us happy. Using the college colloquium series on Happiness in conjunction with Daniel Gilbert’s Stumbling on Happiness as our guides, we will assess whether these misjudgments are necessary for human survival from both an evolutionary and social perspective. Finally, we will discuss whether knowledge of the mistakes we make in our search for happiness should or will change our behavior. Professor Niculescu, TTh 12:30-1:50 p.m.

FYS 100-21, Going Viral: Social Media and Digital Technologies. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, online gaming, blogging, and other digital platforms entertain us, teach us, and allow us to reach out to others. Very often these platforms are the center of debates over privacy and social change. In this class, we will learn about new media’s impact on literacy, education, community interaction, journalism, democracy, and creativity. We’ll start with a brief overview of Internet history and read a wide selection of materials that both demonstrate how we use this technology and how we talk about it in an academic setting. Professor Pettice, TTh 12:30-1:50 p.m.

FYS 100-22, Brave New Worlds: Dystopian Fiction and Film. What if you were the architect of the perfect society? What would the rules be? In this seminar we’ll explore what happens when people try to make the world a better place. The idea of Utopia derives from the human desire for happiness. But what happens when our notion of heaven on earth makes life a living hell for others? We’ll explore the ways in which novelists, short story writers, and filmmakers have conceived of the dystopia, the anti-utopia, and try to better understand how these imaginary, dystopian visions of the future, offer a critique of our contemporary society. Novels like Brave New World and The Handmaid’s Tale, short fiction from Harlan Ellison to Kurt Vonnegut, and films like A Clockwork Orange, Brazil, and Ideocracy offer ways to reimagine our own brave new world. Professor Sayers, TTh 2-3:20 p.m.

FYS 100-23, Got Major? Exploring Majors and Careers. Do you sometimes feel as if you are the only student undecided about your college major? Would you like to have an answer to the nagging question “So, what’s your major?” This seminar will introduce you to many of the academic majors available at LVC through applied learning and other career-oriented experiences. You will be encouraged to explore majors in discussions with faculty and exposed to career paths through self-assessment tools, readings, and informational interviews. There will be ample opportunity to evaluate your interests and explore possibilities that match by making connections with career professionals. Professor Setley, TTh 2-3:20 p.m.