First Year Seminar Courses Fall 2017 - Alma College
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First Year Seminar Courses
Fall 2017
What is a First Year Seminar?
Your first year seminar (FYS) course is designed
to help you transition to life as a college
student. The course will introduce you to
academics as well as college life in general and Clustered First Year Seminars
will help you learn about the many resources
and opportunities available to you at Alma. FYS 101.01: Stuffed and Starved (5 cr.)
Dr. Ed Lorenz
How do I choose an FYS that is right for me? Stuffed and Starved will look at the Public
FYS courses are part of general education Affairs background of how we have developed
requirements, so take this chance to pick a food and farming policies in the world that
course that sounds interesting to you, even if it simultaneously leave about one billion people
is not related to your major. All FYS courses are near starvation and more than a billion
designed to challenge you to think critically and overweight and many others in immigration
creatively, to help you work collaboratively with limbo as they move across the world to produce
your peers, and to introduce you to the Alma our food. This seminar is linked to a
College community. While each course explores communication and nutrition course that will
a focused topic, all FYS courses include activities total 13 credits and fulfill both a natural science
that will help you succeed at Alma. and a humanities general education
requirement. In the three linked classes, we
will grow, prepare, and consume food, visit
Two Seminar Types to Choose From: farms, and meet animals providing our food. At
Option 1: Clustered First Year Seminars the end of fall term, we will share with the
(See seminars 101.01 – 101.07) campus and community what we have learned
A clustered FYS allows a student to enroll in and what we propose to reform problems in our
more than one course clustered along an food system. For more details, see the
academic theme, or in a course co-taught by following video:
more than one instructor and linked https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbocvHJQf
strategically to other courses the student will ts
complete as part of their fall schedule.
Students placed in a clustered FYS may be
required to enroll in specific paired courses. FYS 101.02, .03, .04: Pants on Fire! (5 cr.)
Dr. Britt Cartrite, Dr. Brandi Stupica, Dr. Sarah
Option 2: Traditional First Year Seminars Taylor
(See seminars 101.08 – 101.26) We live in a world suffused with lies. The "Pants
A traditional FYS is a stand-alone course that on Fire!" first-semester schedule will guide you
meets throughout the fall term. through the process of detecting and defusing
these pants-on-fire level lies; along with taking
Students interested in a clustered seminar must "Mythbuster" courses in Economics, Political
complete the FYS Form in their Alma portal by Science, and Psychology, this First Year Seminar
no later than Friday, May 5th for full will provide the foundations and culminating
consideration. experience for the entire semester. Over these
four courses, you will learn how to remain
p. 1 5-1-17
vigilant for misrepresentations polluting your Traditional First Year Seminars
information feed, help you determine for
yourself why something is misrepresentation, FYS 101.08: Free Your Mind: The Past, Present,
and most importantly, give you the tools and and Future of the Liberal Arts (5 cr.)
ethical foundation to call out "fake news" and Dr. Kristin Olbertson
"alternative facts" as the falsehoods they are. Participating in public debate. Defending
We fully expect that the skills you learn in this oneself in court. Serving in the military. These
semester-long experience will be the handiest were the activities of a free person in ancient
and most widely applicable skills that you Greece, and a liberal arts education was how
acquire in your adult life. For more details, see one learned to perform them. In the 2,000
the following video: years since, the definition and purposes of a
https://youtu.be/eVqT6JDRCd0 liberal education have changed significantly.
Some critics today even question whether it’s
worthwhile. What is the value and purpose of a
FYS 101.05, .06, .07: liberal arts education today, to students and to
Great Minds Think Alike (5 cr.) society? What is the future of the liberal arts?
Dr. Dana Aspinall, Dr. Karen Ball, Dr. Danny We’ll investigate these questions and more –
Wasserman scientifically and creatively – in this
What should I do with my life? How can we interdisciplinary course.
make our society more just? Can I prove what I
think? This first-year seminar will tackle these
classic questions by discussing great thinkers FYS 101.09: Technology in the Vocal and
such as Aristotle, Shakespeare, and Einstein. Photographic Arts (5 cr.)
The course emphasizes the intersections Dr. Barbara Burdick and Ms. Sandy Lopez-
between history, literature, and the natural Isnardi
sciences. Students enroll in one of the three This course explores how scientific and
sections; all sections discuss the same reading. technological discoveries have impacted
For more details, see the following video: photography, film, Classical, and Contemporary
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lhjg14qW Commercial singing. Students will have hands-
Uac on experiences in the traditional photo
darkroom and with digital photography, use
software for voice science experiments, and
enjoy skilled guest lecturers. The course will be
energized by small group projects and
discussions based on readings and faculty
presentations. This course is open to students
of all majors; no arts experience required.
(Quill)
FYS 101.10: Time Travel in Science & Literature
Dr. Steuard Jensen (5 cr.)
Is time travel possible? How might it work?
How could it change our lives? In this course,
we will study the physics of time and read a
bunch of short fiction. We’ll learn basic
concepts and problem solving using Einstein’s
theories of space-time (without too much
math). Alongside the science, we’ll explore the
philosophy and human significance of time
travel in the context of a wide variety of
p. 2 5-1-17
imaginary worlds. Our ultimate goal will be to that affect us every day. This class focuses on
understand the essential differences and deep fantastic films and what they can tell us about
connections between scientific and artistic ourselves and how we see the world. In the
imagination. process of doing this we will review the skills
necessary to be successful in the transition from
high school to Alma College. This class is
FYS 101.11: Sherlock Holmes (5 cr.) appropriate for all majors as we emphasize how
Dr. Chih-Ping Chen film crosses multiple boundaries and reflects
Do you like the BBC’s “Sherlock” series? Do you both the technical progression of our society
want to be a Sherlock Holmes? Do you want to and the cultural shifts that constantly take
know why Sherlock Holmes rose into popularity place. Our studies will cover films ranging from
that has lasted for more than a century so far? the original King Kong through recent releases
This interdisciplinary course looks at both the and we’ll use the study of them to work with
narrative and film versions of Sherlock Holmes important college skills such as test-taking, time
stories and explores the stories’ connections to management, registration and other important
forensic science (what we now call “CSI”) and skills to help students survive and thrive at
detective heroism. You gain skills and Alma.
knowledge through critical analysis and
research. The goal of this class is to help you,
through playing detectives, to grow your
intellectual strengths and to learn strategies in
succeeding academically on a liberal arts college
level. (Quill)
FYS 101.12: The Divided Germany: From Cold
War to Peaceful Revolution (5 cr.)
Mr. Marcus Richter
Have you enjoyed a James Bond movie set in
cold war Europe? Have you enjoyed a video
game that features the cold war era? Do you
want to hear more about that time? 1989
Marks the end of the communist regime in FYS 101.14: The Limits of Human Performance:
Germany. Students will learn about everyday A Multidisciplinary Perspective (5 cr.)
life in East Germany. What was life like in a Dr. John Davis
communist country? How would your life have Humans have the capability to perform under
been in totalitarian state? We will watch very stressful conditions. This FYS will focus on
several movies and documentaries, and read a how humans adapt to physically stressful
thriller, biography, and eye witness account challenges including ultra-endurance exercise,
that will help us understand the joys and disease, and severe environmental stress.
hardships of peoples’ lives in East Germany. While this FYS will primarily focus on
physiological adaptation, other perspectives will
be discussed as well.
FYS 101.13: Watching the Fantastic Film (5 cr.)
Mr. Steven Vest
Giant reptiles, towering robots, dystopian
futures – from the very beginnings of cinema
fantastic futures and incredible creatures have
been a staple of the screen. But these films are
much more than entertainment. They reflect
our society and the fears, hopes and aspirations
p. 3 5-1-17FYS 101.15: The Legacy of Classic Rock (5 cr.) FYS 101.17: The Next Generation (5 cr.)
Dr. Ray Riley Mr. Denny Griffin
Exploration of iconic songs of the sixties, This course will explore concepts of leadership
seventies and eighties including classic hits by and ways to implement leadership principles
Jimi Hendrix, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, into your life. Course discussions will explore
The Eagles and many more. The course what makes a good leader, leadership concepts,
examines some of the musical elements that and information on how to get involved on
make some songs timeless and endure changes campus and become the “Next Generation.”
in style and culture. Students will gain a deeper Books discussed will include The Next
appreciation and understanding of arrangement Generation, Who Moved My Cheese, The Energy
and songwriting forms as well as study some of Bus, The 10-Minute Manager, and Good to
the technological advances in music recording Great. Leaders from the campus and
and production during this period. community will guest lecture and students will
participate in a day of community service at the
community café. Each student will conduct a
research project and prepare a final
presentation.
FYS 101.18: From Dreams to Memes:
Intersections of Social Justice & Rhetoric (5 cr.)
Dr. P. Maya Dora-Laskey
Words change the world – consider, for
instance, how Dr. King’s “I have a dream”
speech or your latest social media meme
inspires (or aspires to) social change. In this
course, we will analyze how rhetoric (language,
images, etc.) has the power to evoke and
interrogate social injustice. By exploring a
range of genres – from speeches to poems,
short stories, novels, manifestoes, and social
FYS 101.16: Dance in the Humanities (5 cr.) media slogans and memes – we will develop our
Mr. Ben Munisteri understanding of how the presentation of social
Dance is an American pop-culture staple, a form justice issues involving race, ethnicity, class,
of competition, and something people do at gender, age, health, appearance, and other
weddings. But when is it an art form? When variables improved. This course focuses on
does it reflect and express cultural and social critical thinking, community building, and the
trends? How does it relate to arts and development of verbal and written
literature? This class involves viewing dance, communication skills: our reading will enable us
writing about dance, and a little actual dancing. to map oppressive social and economic
We will cover the techniques, major works, formations; our writing and discussions will
people, and history of dance as a Western art position us to participate in active citizenship
form. Students will be required to attend one and change.
live dance performance during the semester.
Finally, we will focus on identifying
interdisciplinary ways to connect our study of
dance with what we’re learning in other
subjects. A long-form essay will be due at the
conclusion of the course.
p. 4 5-1-17FYS 101.19: Exploring World Music (5 cr.) FYS 101.21: Art and the Environment (5 cr.)
Dr. Murray Gross Mr. Ben Lambert
This course explores traditional music from This course will investigate contemporary artists
around the world, creating a framework for the who are making work with an environmental
comparative study of cultures found in Africa, conscience. We will discuss strategies that
China, Bali, India, and many other countries. As artists are using and will get a chance to make
you listen to and learn about this fascinating some art of our own. Part of this will include an
music and the people who make it, we will outing in which we collect trash that will be
discuss the role of music as ritual, aesthetic used to make works of art.
experience and as a method of communication.
Non-Western influences on popular music and
current cultural issues relating to world music FYS 101.22: Astrology to Zombies:
will also be examined. No formal music Pseudoscience in Today’s Society (5 cr.)
background is required. Dr. Natashia Swalve
Why do some people believe that they’ve been
abducted by aliens? What makes one
FYS 101.20: Modern Mythologies: Superheroes conspiracy theory more convincing than
and Morality (5 cr.) another? This course analyzes dubious claims
Dr. Matt Cicci and extraordinary phenomena using the
This course will explore the multimedia principles and methods of science to determine
phenomenon of superheroes with an eye which claims are possible and which are
towards understanding what our fascination implausible. We will explore and test
with, and creation of, these enduring phenomena from a variety of fields, including
archetypes means. The course will explore ESP, magnetic therapy, UFOs, astrology,
comic books, movies, television, video games, paranormal occurrences, and superstitions. In
art, and more so that we may read these four- doing so, we will expand our ability to critically
color characters as texts that both reflect and examine the world around us and reflect on
inform our current culture. Ultimately, we will how we analyze the information we receive.
seek to question if superheroes, like the mythic
beings of ancient lore they sometimes
resemble, offer us meaningful, useful, and FYS 101.23: Habits: Acquired, Accidental or
applicable lessons of morality. Class will include Intrinsic? (5 cr.)
in-depth discussion, the creation of our own Dr. Karen Klumpp
superhero tales (via multiple media), and Have you ever thought about how you make
analysis of some of the many superhero texts everyday decisions? Are they made
that inundate popular culture. intentionally or do you just do what you’ve
always done? Our brains are constantly using
habits to simplify complex decision-making,
allowing us to manage work problems, decide
what to have for lunch or drive in three lanes of
traffic while listening to a news program. But
what if they get in our way, keeping us from
achieving desired goals? This class will explore
how habits develop, how we sustain them and
how we can change them. Using intentional
review of our habits and goals, we’ll explore
how to recognize why we’re doing what we’re
doing…and how we can adjust our habits to
accomplish our goals.
p. 5 5-1-17FYS 101.24: “I, Too, Sing American”: Literary understand how media shape popular
Perspectives on Being American (5 cr.) perceptions of science by studying and
Dr. Laura vonWallmenich understanding basic concepts of science and
What does it mean to be “American”? What then applying these concepts to different
can we learn about how Americanness is media. The class will focus in physics, however,
defined by looking at writers who feel both other fields of science will also be discussed.
included in and excluded by the label Requires a scientific calculator (no need of a
“American.” We will explore poetry, fiction, graphic calculator).
and novellas from a diverse range of writers
who have grappled with the question of how
they can, in the words of poet Langston Hughes, FYS 101.27: Plants, People, and the War on
“sing America.” Our readings will include work Drugs (5 cr.)
from a range of cultural moments when Dr. Brian Doyle
questions of belonging and identity seemed The plant kingdom is the source of a diverse
particularly urgent – as they do now. From array of psychotropic, or mind-altering,
African American poetry to the stories of chemicals that humans have exploited for
second generation immigrants, each of the medicinal, ritual, and recreational purposes for
works we read invites us, as readers, to come to thousands of years. This course will explore the
a richer understanding of the ways we define relationships that various peoples have had
ourselves, as well as the complex ways nation, with psychotropic plants throughout history
ethnicity, race, religion, and sexuality can and around the world. We will consider how
intersect in our sense of where and how we these relationships have influenced government
belong. drug policy, and the cost/benefit of the ongoing
"war on drugs" will be analyzed and discussed
in the context of the current sociopolitical
FYS 101.25: Screenwriting and the Hero’s climate – i.e., the Black Lives Matter movement,
Journey (5 cr.) the opioid epidemic, "fake news" and
Mr. Dustin Bissell "alternative facts", science-based policy, drug-
The trials and triumphs of heroic figures have related violence and crime, etc.
energized the great narratives of humankind
since the origin of civilization, but have you ever FYS 101.28: What’s in your Toothpaste?
stopped to consider your own potential for Dr. Scott Hill (5 cr.)
heroism? In this course, we will explore the This course explores how chemistry impacts
narrative pattern of the hero’s journey in everyday life. What are some of the aspects of
ancient mythology and modern cinema and chemistry that underlie our everyday
learn the conventions of script format and style experiences? Chemistry plays a role in the
as we embark on our own original screenwriting foods we eat, the detergents we use, the air we
projects. Through critical analysis, creative breathe and the gum we chew. An
writing, and group discussion, you will gain a understanding of chemistry allows us to
new understanding of what makes your favorite develop new therapeutic agents and novel
movies so appealing, and you will learn how polymers. One of the questions we will explore
mythic elements might apply to your own life as is: Can a right-handed molecule do the same
you begin your journey at Alma College. job as a left-handed molecule?
FYS 101.26: Quantum of Solace: Science and
Technology in Popular Media (5 cr.)
Dr. Victor Argueta
The goal of this class is to discuss how science
and technology is used in popular media (e.g.
TV, films and comic books). We will try to
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