Catalog
First-Year Seminars
Professor Emerita Creighton; Professors Bruce, Dauge-Roth, Dearborn, Maurizio, Murray, Nero, Rand, and Richter; Associate Professors Baughman, Browne, Castro, Eames, Salerno, Sargent, and Taylor; Assistant Professors Robert, Otim, and Diamond-Stanic; Visiting Assistant Professors Longaker, Mandletort, and Schofield; Senior Lecturer Vecsey; Lecturers Anthony, Bessire, Coulombe, Fullerton, Harr, Konoeda, Miller, Moodie, Odle, Rubin, Saha, Salter, Sengupta, Sewall, Smith, Wade, and Wright
All first-year students are strongly encouraged to enroll in a first-year seminar. Each first-year seminar offers an opportunity for entering students to develop skills in writing, reasoning, and research that will be of critical importance throughout their academic career. Enrollment is limited to fifteen students to ensure the active participation of all class members and to permit students and instructor to concentrate on developing the skills necessary for successful college writing. Seminars typically focus on a current problem or a topic of particular interest to the instructor. First-year seminars are not open to upperclass students. They carry full course credit.
First-year students should consult the Schedule of Courses https://dexter.bates.edu:4500/bprod/bwckschd.p_get_crse_unsec) for information on which of the following first-year seminars are offered in 2017-18.
FYS 127. Experimental Music.
Whether in classical, jazz, popular, or category-defying music styles, experimentalists challenge inherited definitions and social conventions of music by favoring expanded sound sources, unconventional formal structures, and radical performance practices. This seminar examines the roots, history, and musical documents of American experimental music from Benjamin Franklin to Frank Zappa. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] H. Miura.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
FYS 135. Women in Art.
Beginning in the 1970s in response to the feminist movement, the investigation of women's roles in the production of visual culture has expanded the traditional parameters of art history. Now a leading method of analysis, this approach provides exciting insights into fields ranging from Egyptian sculpture to contemporary photography. This seminar discusses women as subjects, makers, and patrons. Topics include Egyptian royal imagery, women as Renaissance subjects and painters, Venus in Renaissance marriage paintings, women as Impressionist painters and subject matter, artists and models in the twentieth century, and women in the New York art world since World War II. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] R. Corrie.ConcentrationsInterdisciplinary Programs
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
This course counts toward the following Interdisciplinary Program(s)
FYS 150. Hamlet.
This course undertakes an intensive study of Shakespeare's play, with particular emphasis on the various ways it has been interpreted through performance. Students read the play closely, view several filmed versions, and investigate historical productions in order to arrive at a sense of Hamlet's changing identity and enduring importance. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] M. Andrucki.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
FYS 152. Religion and Civil Rights.
Traditionally, the civil rights movement has been viewed as a political and social reform movement initiated to secure the citizenship rights of African Americans. This seminar supplements this view by exploring how religion shaped the vision and experience of civil rights activists. Topics include such dimensions of the movement as the centrality of the black church, the prominence of religious leaders, the use of theological language, the ritualization of protest, and the prevalence of sacred music. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] M. Bruce.ConcentrationsInterdisciplinary Programs
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
This course counts toward the following Interdisciplinary Program(s)
FYS 177. Sex and Sexualities.
This course studies the representation of sex and sexualities, both "queer" and "straight," in a variety of cultural products ranging from advertising and novels to music videos and movies. Topics may include connections between sex and gender queerness suggested by the increasingly common acronym LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer); the advantages and inadequacies of using such labels; definitions and debates concerning pornography, sex education, public sex, and stigmatized sexual practices such as BDSM; the interrelations between constructions of sexuality and those of race, ethnicity, gender, nationality, and class; and the necessities and complexities of ensuring consent. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] E. Rand.ConcentrationsInterdisciplinary Programs
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
This course counts toward the following Interdisciplinary Program(s)
FYS 190. The Changing Climate of Planet Earth.
The climate of Earth is constantly changing over vast spatial and temporal scales, from short-term and local to long-term and global. The geological records for the mid-latitudes of North America, for instance, illustrate periods alternately dominated by tropical reefs, lush coal forests, glaciers, and expansive arid deserts. This seminar investigates the evidence, possible causes, and impacts of climate change through studies of climate records ranging from glacial stratigraphy, tree rings, written historical accounts, and recent instrumental data. A special focus is directed toward understanding the possible effects of a human-induced global warming and its potential environmental, societal, and political impacts. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] [S] M. Retelle.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
FYS 191. Love and Friendship in the Classical World.
The ancient meanings of friendship and the ways in which friendship was distinguished from love are the subject of this course. Students read and analyze ancient theorists on friendship and love, such as Plato and Cicero, and also texts illustrating the ways in which Greek and Roman people formed and tested relationships within and across gender lines. The topics under discussion include: friendship as a political institution; notions of personal loyalty, obligation, and treachery; the perceived antithesis between friendship and erotic love; the policing of sexuality; friendship, love, and enmity in the definition of the self. All discussions use the contemporary Western world as a reference point for comparison and contrast. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] D. O'Higgins.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
FYS 203. Family Stories.
What is a family? What are the stories that are told about family and how do they betray experiences that are at once culturally specific and often universal in their telling? How are we comforted and sustained by constructs of family; how are we limited, for example, by heteronormative and class-based assumptions that constrain the expression of household and kinship? In this course, students explore family stories in various genres (film, memoir, novel, television) to deepen their understanding of how this formative human experience is played out in a broad diversity of cultures. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] K. Read.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
FYS 236. Epidemics: Past, Present, and Future.
The course covers principles of epidemiology, mechanisms of disease transmission, and the effects of diseases on society throughout history. The emergence of new diseases, drug resistance, and biological terrorism are discussed. Social effects of bubonic plague, typhoid, tuberculosis, smallpox, yellow fever, Ebola, Marburg, AIDS, hantaviruses, and Legionnaires' Disease are studied. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] [S] P. Schlax.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
FYS 249. Global Economy and Nation-State.
What is the global economy? What are nation-states? And what is the relationship between the global economy and the nation-state? This course first examines the historical formation of nation-states and then reflects on their performance and integrity since the end of the cold war, with the rise of neoliberalism, globalization, and regional trade blocs such as the European Union and the North American Free Trade Agreement. Special attention is given to issues of sovereignty and democracy, the role of international financial institutions, and the way nation-states are likely to evolve in the coming decades. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] F. Duina.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
FYS 262. Stealth Infections.
Specific microorganisms, including some bacteria, viruses, and prions, have recently been associated with specific chronic, long-term diseases. Some of these diseases, termed "stealth infections," include Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, ulcers, cervical cancer, obsessive compulsive disorder, coronary artery disease, diabetes, and Crohn's disease. In this seminar, students explore the links between microorganisms and these particular diseases and consider several questions: What is the scientific evidence linking microorganisms with these stealth infections? Have the organisms co-evolved with their human hosts? How are the organisms transmitted? Can we control them? What might be the public health impact of such stealth infections? Not open to students enrolled in BIO 127. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] [S] K. Palin.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
FYS 266. Fakers, Forgers, Looters, Thieves.
Beyond the public face of museums lies the complex world of collecting: the art market, art law, and their sinister underside, art crime. In the last decade, as victims of the Holocaust have sought to recover collections looted by the Nazis, these issues have become more visible, but in fact they are myriad and confront every curator, dealer, collector, and art historian. This course explores a wide range of topics in their legal and ethical contexts from the work of famous forgers such as Joni and Van Meegeren to the looting of Asia and Africa by colonial powers, the clandestine excavation and illegal trading of antiquities around the world, and the pillaging of museums by Russian, German, and American soldiers during World War II. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] R. Corrie.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
FYS 271. Into the Woods: Rewriting Walden.
On 4 July 1845, Henry David Thoreau declared his independence and moved to a shack in the woods near Walden Pond. Ever since, many individuals have repeated his experiment in one form or another. This course examines a number of these Thoreauvian experiments and their historical context. Why do these individuals take to the woods? What do they find there? What do their experiences say about American culture and society? In seeking answers to these questions, students read a variety of literary, historical, and autobiographical texts. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] G. Lexow.ConcentrationsInterdisciplinary Programs
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
This course counts toward the following Interdisciplinary Program(s)
FYS 274. Physics in the Twentieth Century/Lab.
An introduction to great twentieth-century discoveries in physics, including the wave-particle duality of light and matter, quantum effects, special relativity, nuclear physics, and elementary particles. Laboratory experiments such as the photoelectric effect and electron diffraction are incorporated into the seminar. This seminar can substitute for PHYS 108 and is designed for students who had a strong background in high school physics. Not open to students who have received credit for PHYS 108. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] [L] [Q] [S] N. Lundblad.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
FYS 288. Luck and the Moral Life.
Our lives are deeply subject to luck. Many human needs are subject to fate yet are necessary not only to a good life, but to a morally virtuous life as well. This course explores the relationship between luck and morality, beginning with the metaphysical problem of free will. Then, turning to Aristotle's virtue ethics, students examine the role friendship plays in the moral life and the way it protects us from bad luck. Finally, they look at Kant's attempt to make morality "safe" from luck alongside Euripides' Hecuba, which dramatically highlights the issue of whether virtue can ever be immune from misfortune. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] S. Stark.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
FYS 297. The Idea of Europe.
What is Europe? Is it the cradle of all that is civilized and cultured, or the blood-soaked ground of empires, genocidal despots, and revolutions? The twenty-first century is witnessing the most peaceful attempt ever at creating a unified economic, political, legal, and social entity that is European. But is a European cultural identity necessary for the success of a unified Europe, and can one be created? Or is an imagined European community as illusory as Tito's ill-fated attempt to create a multiethnic, multi-religious, multi-linguistic Yugoslav community? In the seminar, students examine, critique, and propose alternatives to many of the received ideas about what it means to be European. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] R. Cernahoschi.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
FYS 300. Exploring Education through Narratives.
In this seminar, stories, once the primary way knowledge passed from one generation to another, are the basis for examining educational topics and issues. Students read fictional, biographical, autobiographical, and other narratives to learn more about some aspect of education and/or schooling. Topics include teachers and teaching; teacher/student roles; gender identity; students' experiences in school; and how race, class, ethnicity, sexuality, or other differences may cause some to feel like outsiders. Students conduct fieldwork and independent research. Enrollment limited to 15. (Community-Engaged Learning.) [W1] B. Sale.ConcentrationsInterdisciplinary Programs
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
This course counts toward the following Interdisciplinary Program(s)
FYS 308. Searching for the Good Life.
What are the things that bring people happiness? Does marriage, for example, bring more happiness or unhappiness to those who choose it? Does wealth make people happy? If so, how much wealth is enough to ensure happiness? Is a productive career likely to bring happiness? How well do most individuals do at selecting the things that will bring them sustained happiness? Is happiness even the right yardstick to use in measuring the goodness of life? And at the end of life, what constitutes a good death? In this seminar, students grapple with these and related topics in regular discussions, projects, and papers. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] M. Sargent.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
FYS 318. Through the Eyes of Children.
Is the experience of childhood universal or culturally specific? What do children from diverse French-speaking countries have in common? Children are often the least "acculturated" members of any particular society. What can we learn about culture from a child's perspective? These questions are probed by exploring childhood in a number of French-speaking countries and communities. Students examine (in English) a selection of narratives and films from the French-speaking world that feature the points of view of children. The course not only considers the ways in which narrative and film present childhood experiences in specific cultures, but also explores perspectives on issues such as family structure, sexual and gender orientation, child abuse, and colonialism. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] M. Rice-DeFosse.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
FYS 324. The Celtic World: Archaeology and Ethnohistory.
Today, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Cornwall, and Brittany are often considered "Celtic" lands. This label evokes a series of related languages, music, and other artistic traditions with shared histories, but the origins of Celtic cultures are more complex. Over two thousand years ago Celtic peoples were the first iron-using populations to inhabit a broad area from Spain to Romania. They were farmers, herders, mariners, and craftspeople who cooperated, competed, and founded many settlements, raised many fortresses, and developed diverse and lively arts. Roman armies and migrating Germanic tribes fought hard to subdue the Celts, and they succeeded in many places. This seminar discusses the archaeological, documentary, and ethnological evidence of Celtic societies from their early origins to their recent histories. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] G. Bigelow.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
FYS 326. Choices and Constraints.
Are humans free to chart the course of their own lives, or are their fates predestined by their social locations? This seminar explores the tension between personal agency and social forces that structure human lives. The history of the intellectual debate over the roles of agency and structure frame classroom discussion of ways in which personal experiences are shaped by both social structures and systems of inequality based on race/ethnicity, class, gender, and sexual orientation. Acknowledging the role of individuals as agents of social change, students grapple with their responsibilities in perpetuating and transforming social institutions such as family, religion, health care, and the workplace. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] H. Taylor.FYS 327. Katahdin to Acadia: Exploring Maine Geology/Lab.
This course introduces students to field geology by exploring many geologic landscapes in Maine. This hands-on, field-oriented course on the 500-million-year-old geologic history of Maine includes one required daylong fieldtrip (Mount Washington or Vinalhaven Island), and one required overnight weekend trip (Acadia National Park or Baxter State Park). Local half-day trips to Streaked Mountain, the Poland Spring, Sunday River, Morse Mountain, Seawall Beach, Pemaquid Point, and Rangeley round out the field excursions. Field trips involve strenuous hiking and/or sea kayaking in a range of weather conditions. Learning to read maps and recording observations in field notes and sketches form a major focus of the course. Not open to students who have received credit for GEO 107. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] [L] [Q] [S] J. Eusden.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
FYS 336. Nanotechnology Project: Manipulating Atoms/Lab.
A hands-on introduction to the interdisciplinary field of nanotechnology—technology based on nanometer-scale structures. Students break into groups and become "specialists" to complete a class-wide collaborative nanotechnology project. Possible projects include designing and building a simplified scanned probe microscope, and fabricating and characterizing nanostructures. Students learn to identify and organize the tasks required of a long-term project. Clear and effective communication is emphasized as students work within and among groups, give brief talks, and write more formal papers. No previous experience is assumed, but the collaborative nature of the seminar requires the full and active participation of all participants. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] [L] [S] M. Côté.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
FYS 337. Intercultural Musical Experience.
How do "first" musical experiences affect individuals and societies? Has a single hearing of any music transformed the way one views oneself and the world? These questions are perhaps most dramatically addressed in the cross-cultural musical encounter. From the age of "discovery" to the present day, the intercultural musical experience has been a focus of aesthetic pleasure, artistic exchange, colonial and racist constructions, identity formation, missionary zeal, and exoticist fantasy. In this seminar, students explore cross-cultural musical encounters from a variety of perspectives and are introduced to the concept of "music as culture." Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] G. Fatone.FYS 342. Revolution and Constitution.
This course considers three moments in history when citizens rejected the political system under which they lived and created new constitutions to govern the exercise of power in their homelands. The cases considered vary from year to year but include ancient Athens, Ming Dynasty China, the French Revolution, colonial New York, and the British partition of India. After introductory sessions, students play the role of historical actors, allied in factions, during the revolutions and constitutional congresses they study, in an attempt to reenact (and react to) the historical moment. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] M. Imber.FYS 345. Classical Myths and Contemporary Art.
Movies, comic books, sculpture, painting, poems, and graffiti are some of the ways that modern societies share stories to discuss important cultural values. Not surprisingly, modern artists often invoke ancient myths, which once served a similar function. In this course, students explore the ways in which myths give members of a society, whether ancient or modern, meaningful tools to describe and explore issues, values, and conflicts. Students study ancient myths about figures such as Medea, Pygmalion, Hermaphroditus, Actaeon, and Persephone. They then collect and consider their modern versions in different media. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] L. Maurizio.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
FYS 346. Desire, Devotion, Suffering.
Love and pleasure were much cultivated in classical and medieval India, side by side with the spiritual practices better known in the West. Royal courts and rustic villages reveled in songs, stories, and dramas about courtship and passion among humans, demons, and gods. Students read a range of lyric and dramatic poetry in English translation from North and South Indian traditions featuring Buddhist, Hindu, and Muslim poets. The works deal with desire and disgust; earthly love carried into religious realms; and the transformation of erotic desperation into spiritual gain. Lectures and prose readings provide cultural background and interpretive strategies; music, slides, and film clips connect literature to the performing arts, including Bollywood movies. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] S. Sengupta.ConcentrationsInterdisciplinary Programs
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
This course counts toward the following Interdisciplinary Program(s)
FYS 352. The Identity of Persons.
It is common enough to hear that being Irish, or being a woman, or being African American, or being a professor, is central to some person's identity. But what is a person? What is a person's identity? And how can something like ethnicity, or gender, or race, or profession be central—or fail to be central—to a person's identity? This seminar encourages consideration of these questions by introducing students to the long philosophical tradition of reflection on the concept of a person, the notion of identity, and the role that self-description plays in constituting persons and their identity. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] M. Okrent.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
FYS 362. Biomedical Ethics.
The rapid changes in the biological sciences and medical technology have thoroughly transformed the practice of medicine. The added complexity and power of medicine has in turn revolutionized the responsibilities and duties that accompany the medical professions. This course explores the values and norms governing medical practice from multiple perspectives, including Asian and Islamic approaches. Topics include the rights and responsibilities of health care providers and patients; the justification for euthanasia; and the problems of access, allocation, and rationing of health care services. Not open to students who have received credit for PHIL 213. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] D. Cummiskey.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
FYS 369. Saving Capitalism from the Capitalists.
The sub-prime mortgage crisis, the Enron scandal: What hath capitalism wrought? Our everyday economic interactions are within the framework of capitalism. Undergraduate study in economics typically takes this social system as given while rarely shining critical light on it. Apologists tout capitalism's attendant political freedom and wealth accumulation; detractors complain about its resulting materialism and injustice in the distribution of wealth. Economists, social philosophers, and theologians have critically examined capitalism. Students in this course read and discuss works by some of these authors and prepare their own papers arising from their study of capitalism. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] G. Perkins.FYS 376. Community Engagement, Social Justice, and Social Change.
Debates about inequalities linked to race, class, gender, sexuality and global locations surround us in politics, news, and social media. In this seminar, students explore these social inequalities with a particular focus on community-engaged efforts to advance social change and the role of colleges and universities in those efforts. Students partner with local organizations oriented toward social justice and social change in Lewiston, addressing issues such as educational equity, public health, immigrant and refugee inclusion, housing justice, and family opportunity. Discussions and assignments introduce students to the history and daily life of the local community, and connect what they learn with their partner organizations to readings about social inequality, social change, and the potential contributions of colleges and their students in promoting the public good. Enrollment limited to 15. (Community-Engaged Learning.) [W1] E. Kane.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
FYS 381. Visualizing Identities.
This course examines definitions of gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, and culture in diverse visual materials. Students think critically about the ways that we articulate and interpret self and other. Each week students analyze examples of visual culture as a means to evaluate constructions, experiences, and interpretations of identities. Themes explored include gender, feminisms, masculinities, race and ethnicity, globalism, and cultural identity. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] A. Bessire.ConcentrationsInterdisciplinary Programs
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
This course counts toward the following Interdisciplinary Program(s)
FYS 383. Imaginative Writing.
In this seminar, students explore imaginative writing both as noun—literature to be examined—and as verb—a skill to practice. By reading and discussing a wide range of poetry and prose from Emily Dickinson to Dave Eggers, students develop analytical and aesthetic awareness. Through research and critical writing on literary subjects of their choice, they practice their scholarly skills. By writing and discussing in workshop their own work as well as critically describing its relationship to the work of professional writers and poets, students enter the conversation in the field, as critics and as writers and poets. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] R. Strong.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
FYS 385. Power and Authority in Latin America through Film.
From Pre-Columbian times to the present, Latin America's leaders have ruled in diverse ways. Monarchs, caudillos, sultans, totalitarian leaders, the military, a hegemonic party, and even drug lords have governed the region. How is it possible for an individual or small group of leaders to dominate an entire country without democratic consent? What mechanisms of political control do authoritarian leaders employ? How do they gain legitimacy? Students explore these questions through film, readings, writing assignments, and discussion. A final project explores the ways in which a political actor in students' local environment exercises power and authority over them. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] C. Pérez-Armendáriz.ConcentrationsInterdisciplinary Programs
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
This course counts toward the following Interdisciplinary Program(s)
FYS 393. DiY and Mash-up Culture.
How did consumption become creative? How did musicians associated with punk, hip hop, electronica, and dub reggae create new art from the discarded refuse of late twentieth-century life? This course takes up the do-it-yourself ethic as a defining impulse in contemporary musical culture, informing the democratic amateurism of punk, the "found sound" innovations of the experimental avant-garde, and the collage aesthetic of the digital "mash-up." Students explore Lawrence Lessig's Creative Commons, with its challenges to copyright law, and engage with the work of John Cage, Bikini Kill, Brian Eno, the Raincoats, M.I.A., and Girl Talk, among others. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] D. Chapman.Interdisciplinary Programs
This course counts toward the following Interdisciplinary Program(s)
FYS 395. The Sporting Life.
Sporting events such as the Super Bowl, World Cup, Olympic Games, and March Madness suggest the magnitude of importance of sports in many people's lives. The fact that so many people so passionately engage in sports as participants and spectators also indicates its significance. The import of sport can be considered from a myriad of perspectives, from the social and natural sciences to the humanities. In this interdisciplinary course, students consider a variety of sources including academic articles, personal memoir, fiction, film, and observation. Enrollment limited to 15. (Community-Engaged Learning.) [W1] S. Langdon.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
FYS 400. The United States in the Middle East.
Since the late eighteenth century American diplomats, sailors, merchants, and missionaries have been involved in the Middle East and North Africa. This course examines the history of the complex relations between the United States and the Middle East over the last two centuries. How have American perceptions of the Middle East changed over time? How has U.S. involvement influenced state formation, regime consolidation, and people's daily lives in the region? What were the major successes and failures of American foreign policy in the region? Students explore these questions through a variety of sources, including memoirs, documentaries, and U.S. diplomatic documents as well as scholarly books and articles. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] S. Aslan.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
FYS 401. Reading the Wild.
The "wild" indicates something beyond restraint or limit, an expression of innate freedom and self-willed design. Wild places, whether vast wilderness areas or small rural streams, are valued for sometimes conflicting reasons: traditional use for hunting and gathering, conservation for biodiversity, aesthetic appreciation, and even their creating a culturally unifying image of diverse landscapes in a nation. This course both examines depictions of the wild in literary texts and studies conflicts in creating and maintaining wilderness areas, parks, and monuments, with a focus on those in Maine. Students create portfolios of their writing and research on wild places. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] M. Beck.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
FYS 402. Sound and Image.
The course begins with an introduction to the history of technologies that have linked sound and image. Students watch representative films from each decade since 1920 and learns about musical soundtracks, Foley sound effects, dialogue, and song as performed on screen. They explore the history of music videos as they have been and are used in popular culture. The course ends with a brief exploration of experimental sound/video installations, and individual production of creative video and soundtrack. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] W. Matthews.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
FYS 404. On the Road to Spain.
FYS 408. Identity: Self and Community.
Who am I? How is identity formed? Are we interconnected and, if so, in what ways? How does living within a community shape individual identity? In this course, students consider these questions from a variety of perspectives, and explore concepts such as "self," "other," and "interconnectedness" through readings, class discussion, writing, and regular community-engaged learning activities in Lewiston. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] E. Alcorn.FYS 419. Tobacco in History and Culture.
This interdisciplinary seminar examines the role tobacco has played in shaping global political economies, cultures, and health. Students pay particular attention to how gender, race, class, and nationalism influence and have been influenced by tobacco. From the use of slave labor in seventeenth-century Chesapeake Bay colony to wooden Indians flanking the entrance of tobacco shops, to feminist slogans invoked to sell cigarettes, tobacco has functioned as a signifier and shaper of social norms and divides. Topics include labor and tobacco production, ethics of corporate power, the visual culture of tobacco, health and human rights, smoking and stigma, the global epidemiology of tobacco related illness, and tobacco regulation. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] M. Plastas.ConcentrationsInterdisciplinary Programs
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
This course counts toward the following Interdisciplinary Program(s)
FYS 420. Reading Lord of the Rings.
This course students read J. R. R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings with particular attention to its language, style, and context. Students examine how Tolkien, himself a student of medieval languages, used modern English (and Elvish) to construct an enduring world of fantasy. Close reading of the text is emphasized, with supplemental discussion of Tolkien's academic and cultural contexts, including his life at Oxford, his collaborative relationships with the Inklings, and the visual translation of his book in Peter Jackson's film trilogy. Not open to students who have received credit for CM/EN 111. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] S. Federico.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
FYS 422. Strangers in the House.
For many children, the first experience of difference occurs in their families. Children are born deaf to hearing parents, they are born with multiple severe disabilities to able-bodied parents, and they are born with Down syndrome. In Andrew Solomon's book Far from the Tree, he describes families whose children experience these and other differences. In this seminar, students use Solomon's book to examine the research, practice, and politics that surround particular developmental disabilities and the general questions about identity and community that they raise. Along with meeting in seminar, students work in community settings a few hours each week. Enrollment limited to 15. (Community-Engaged Learning.) [W1] G. Nigro.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
FYS 423. Humor and Laughter in Literature and Visual Media.
What is humor? How do we define what is funny? Is humor a universal phenomenon that works across cultures and different generations of readers and film viewers, or is it place- and time-specific? In this seminar students discuss various manifestations, strategies, and functions of humor in selected literary and visual narratives and they consider existing theories of humor and laughter. Open to students with a sense of humor. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] J. Kazecki.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
FYS 427. Ecopsychology: The Human-Nature Relationship.
Ecopsychology is concerned with the psychological dimensions of our relationship to the environment. As a developing and interdisciplinary field of inquiry, ecopsychology provides the opportunity to explore conceptions of self and nature, the perceived schism between humans and nature, and the psychological sources and repercussions of environmental degradation. In the context of these themes, students explore the cultural evolution of the Western mind, the psychology of climate change, and the role of perception, attention, and community in healing the human-nature relationship. Throughout, the fundamental question is: How can humans become more adapted and responsive to current ecological conditions? This course includes one required overnight field trip. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] L. Sewall.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
FYS 429. Thinking and Feeling.
Doing philosophy involves putting your beliefs up to rational scrutiny and examining your reasons for holding them. But our mental lives involve not just thinking and reasoning, but also feelings. These feelings can influence how we think, sometimes without us realizing that they do. In this course students ask what good reasoning is, examine when and how feelings impact our reasoning, and what we ought to think about this influence. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] L. Ashwell.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
FYS 430. U.S. Literature and Culture in the 1940s.
World War II brought out the heroic best in Americans, but it also exposed deep wounds in the social fabric. On the homefront women showed that they could work every kind of job formerly done by men, while African American men went off to fight a war for freedom, even though their own country treated them like second-class citizens. With an emphasis on race, gender, and sexuality, this course studies poets and novelists such as Gwendolyn Brooks, Chester Himes, and Carson McCullers, in addition to mass media artifacts such as movies, radio shows, magazines, and popular music. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] S. Dillon.FYS 431. What's for Dinner?.
This course considers dinner as a lens through which students explore our food system. Topics include the co-evolution of food and the home, local food movements, organic vs. industrial farming practices, food politics, rise of the "foodies," and food and health. An emphasis is placed on food challenges and resources in the Lewiston-Auburn area. Enrollment limited to 15. (Community-Engaged Learning.) [W1] L. Williams.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
FYS 432. Disney Demystified: Race, Gender, and Sexuality in the Magic Kingdom.
Students learn to discern America's contested beliefs and values by unearthing the cultural politics embedded in Disney productions, including the studio's mainstay, feature-length animated motion pictures. Such demystification entails delving beyond apparent surface messages to reveal underlying tensions, recurring contradictions, and even counter-hegemonic themes. With respect to the particular intersections of race, class, gender, sexuality, ability and nation, what distinguishes millennial popular culture from productions of the early twentieth century? What American cultural continuities do we detect? Given the corporation's covert messages on love and sex, individualism and freedom, pleasure and entertainment, violence and conquest, what are the implications of Disney's increasingly global touch? Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] E. Eames.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
FYS 433. Reimagining Europe in Contemporary Film.
Rack focus is a technique in which a filmmaker shifts focus in a single frame from a foreground object to one in the background or vice versa. The shift occurs simultaneously: the blurry object coming into focus as the clear object goes out of focus. Contemporary Europe is undergoing a social, political, economic, and cultural "rack focus" of its own. In this seminar students examine the twenty-first-century rearticulation of foreground and background in European society and culture through the medium of feature-length films. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] D. Browne.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
FYS 434. Remaking Movies: Art, History, and Politics.
In this seminar, students investigate a number of films and their remakes to discern how the historical and political moment of a film's production and release helps to frame its narrative material. In addition to considering these historical and political constraints, students analyze the ways in which various modes of production and industry standards contribute to a film's content. Students examine such films as 12 Angry Men, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Memento (and its Bollywood remake, Ghajini), and The Manchurian Candidate. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] J. Cavallero.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
FYS 436. Seven Deadly Sins.
The tradition of the seven deadly sins or capital vices has left a profound mark on Western culture and continues to inspire diverse cultural expressions. As a framework for understanding the root causes of human suffering, the tradition has broad application and appeal, even to the nonreligious. This course traces the tradition from the fourth century C.E. to the present, including attention to religion, philosophy, literature, art, and popular culture. Students explore the usefulness of the tradition for interpreting diverse individual and social phenomena, incorporating insights from a range of texts and images as well as fieldwork in the local community. Enrollment limited to 15. (Community-Engaged Learning.) [W1] D. Ray.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
FYS 437. What is Performance?.
In this course students think critically about performance in the arts from the point of view of makers, performers, audiences, and society. They attend and discuss live performance throughout the semester and explore historical and current ideas in performance from inside and out. By exploring a wide range of styles and genres, students learn who they are as audiences and as artists. Not open to students who have received credit for DN/TH 104. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] J. Fox.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
FYS 439. Defining Difference: How China and the United States Think about Racial Diversity.
"China's national minorities excel at singing and dancing." Such a broad generalization about ethnic groups could get someone fired in the United States. In China, this type of statement is touted as simple fact. In this seminar students compare U.S. and Chinese experiences with racial diversity and consider the uses the two countries make of ethnic categories. Are Americans being hypocritical in criticizing China on these issues? Does China's relative lack of diversity excuse attitudes that outsiders consider "racist"? Students read historical and contemporary sources and watch a popular Chinese TV show in translation, as they wrestle with and write about these provocative issues. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] N. Faries.FYS 440. Roots of Nonviolence.
How does an ancient text urging a distraught warrior into battle spark a nonviolent resistance movement spanning continents and centuries? This text, the Bhagavad-Gita, inspired Thoreau at Walden Pond and Gandhi as a practical guide for daily living. Thoreau’s essay "Civil Disobedience" influenced Gandhi’s satyagraha movement and both men's lives and writings fueled Martin Luther King Jr.'s nonviolent struggle for civil rights. This seminar explores the legacy of these potent texts and powerful leaders and implications for moral life, democratic politics, and transformative social change. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] S. Smith.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
FYS 441. Volcanic Science.
Volcanic eruptions come in all sizes, from the single lava flow blocking a road in Hawaii to the event that could cause destruction on a global scale. Some volcanoes erupt continuously while others stay dormant for millennia. Beyond disastrous eruptions, volcanoes impact humans in a number of positive ways: volcanic soils are fertile, volcanic heat may be used as a source of energy, and volcanoes produce mineral deposits of economic value. This course explores the science behind volcanoes and volcanic eruptions through popular culture, lab activities, short field trips, and scientific literature. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] G. Robert.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
FYS 442. Shaking It Out: Writing and Critiquing Personal Narratives.
To "essay" means "to attempt; to try." This course offers students rigorous study and practice of the art of the creative nonfiction essay, looking specifically at the ways writers use creative impulses to write better textual critiques, and vice versa. Readings include classics from writers such as White, Angelou, Baldwin, Thompson, Dubus, Didion, and Wallace, and several contemporary American essays by emerging writers like Hilton Als, Leslie Jamison, Rachel Kaadzi Ghansah, and John Jeremiah Sullivan. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] J. Anthony.FYS 443. Heroes or Villains? Columbus and Fidel (Castro).
Christopher Columbus' momentous voyage in 1492 ushered in the modern world in Europe, the Americas, and Africa. As a historical figure, Columbus has been the object of much myth making, both positive and negative. Likewise, no other politician in Latin American history has been better known or more controversial than Fidel Castro. Columbus and Fidel, as he is known in Cuba, shared a utopian view of their world and the future of humanity. This seminar approaches the two figures by studying their own writings, the opinions of their contemporaries, and the ideological constructions that see them as heroes and also as negative figures in history. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] B. Fra-Molinero.ConcentrationsInterdisciplinary Programs
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
This course counts toward the following Interdisciplinary Program(s)
FYS 444. Landscapes of Maine.
The landscapes of Maine—from mountains and forests to human settlements and the coast—have changed dramatically through time. This course explores those landscapes and their changes over time scales ranging from millennia to just days. Students are introduced to the observational skills of naturalists and the analytical tools and materials used by scholars to understand both landscapes and how they change over time. Several field trips to local sites are required. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] H. Ewing.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
FYS 445. The Nature of Spirituality.
What do people mean when they claim to be "spiritual but not religious"? Why do rivers and sunsets, trees and mountaintops so often come to be associated with spiritual power and connection to a greater reality? This course invites students to explore such questions and phenomena through shared reading of a variety of scriptures, naturalist writers, and mystics; through producing their own formal essays, reviews, and creative reflections; and through experiential learning in a more-than-human world. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] C. Baker.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
FYS 446. The Communication Equation: A Mathematical Media Tour.
Mathematics is everywhere in the news these days, from basic statistics to more sophisticated uses to describe economics, science, and mathematical breakthroughs. Too often we accept numbers and data as the truth, without giving them a second thought. It is therefore important to develop critical reading skills. As creators of information, it also is important to learn to use mathematics and data to support arguments and undertake true scientific reporting. In this course students read breaking news articles and longer features to learn effective uses of mathematics in journalism. They put these best practices to use by writing articles, blogs, and radio pieces. Additional topics may include mathematics in other media such as fiction writing, television, movies, and art. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] A. Salerno.FYS 447. Holocaust on Stage.
This seminar studies the award-winning Polish play Our Class, by Tadeusz Słobodzianek, which is based on the 2001 book Neighbors: The Destruction of the Jewish Community in Jedwabne, Poland by Jan T. Gross. This controversial book explores the July 1941 massacre of Polish Jews by their non-Jewish neighbors in the small town of Jedwabne during the Nazi occupation. The play raises a question of national collective memory in the aftermath of World War II. Students study the historical events on which the play is based, and examine the dramatic structure of the text in the aspects of staging. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] K. Vecsey.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
FYS 449. Well-being and the Good Life.
What does it mean for a life to be a good one? Does it mean just that it is good for the person who lives it? Does it mean that it makes the world a better place? Or is a good life one that is made good for the person who lives it precisely because it is a life that makes the world a better place? From ancient times to the present, philosophers have tried to answer these fundamental questions of ethics. This course engages with these questions and with the arguments that philosophers have offered in trying to answer them. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] P. Schofield.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
FYS 450. Race, Justice, and American Policy in the Twenty-First Century.
Is America "post-racial"? Recent media focus on police shootings, wealth gaps, and ongoing debates about immigration suggest that race and inequality continue to shape life experiences of Americans in the twenty-first century. This seminar examines current policy issues, asking how public and private discourses and institutional practices—historical and modern—shape understandings of race and justice. Students consider how perceptions of race, ethnicity, and "colorblindness" are embedded in patterns of disparity and investigate alternatives that ordinary people—in small groups, work places, and social movements—and some political elites are posing for more judicious policy to foster equality and racial justice. Not open to students who have received credit for PLTC 203. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] L. Hill.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
FYS 452. Football, Fútbol, Soccer: The Local Politics of a Global Game.
Football, fútbol, Fuβball, calcio—soccer in the United States—is a global game, with more nations participating in the World Cup than belong to the United Nations. The sport attracts the wealthiest as club owners and is played by even the poorest with nothing more than a round ball and a flat space. It has been blamed for precipitating ugly violence and credited for ethnic reconciliation. This course explores the politics of soccer, with an emphasis on how multiple identities—nationality, ethnicity, religion, class, gender—are expressed through soccer in the United States and around the world. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] J. Baughman.FYS 453. The Science of Fiction.
Is it possible to dissolve a human body in a bathtub full of hydrofluoric acid? Or to grow enough potatoes on Mars to feed a person? Science is an important aspect of many modern television shows and movies, but it is not always clear whether the science is viable or not. This seminar focuses on the scientific theories and methods underlying science presented in fiction. Ultimately, students determine whether it is important for science to be viable in order for the fiction to be effective. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] [S] J. Koviach-Côté.FYS 454. The Natural History of Maine’s Neighborhoods and Woods.
This course introduces students to the natural history of Maine by exploring the native mammals, fish, plants, and insects, with consideration on how humans have shaped Maine’s natural environments. One overnight trip to the Bates-Morse Mountain Conservation Area and one daylong trip to the Maine Wildlife Park are required. Relying upon natural history literature, poetry, and field guides related to Maine as a foundation, students utilize techniques in field studies to observe and document native wildlife and plants. A critical comparison of popular and scientific literature allows an evaluation of current and future health of Maine's natural habitats. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] B. Huggett.FYS 455. Neuroscience Fiction.
What possibilities come with 100 billion interconnected neurons? What happens if we extend, hybridize, or even discard the wet and messy reality of our brains for synthetic alternatives? In this course, students use science fiction to probe the links between brain and behavior, ponder new psychosocial potentials, and challenge current notions of subjectivity and representation. Students explore concepts such as linguistic relativity, collective consciousness, noogenesis, cybernetic threat, the exocortex, psi powers, and digital immortality through literature and media. They are introduced to discourses of transhumanism, Afrofuturism, feminist utopia, and cyberpunk and its derivatives, and engage in their own speculative writing, design, and construction. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] N. Koven.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
FYS 459. Presidential Campaign Rhetoric.
This course is designed to introduce students to the rhetoric of presidential campaigns. Students explore the wide array of discourse surrounding presidential campaigns. Attention is paid to political speeches, ad campaigns, debates, news reporting (traditional and alternative), and the use of social media in campaigning. Special attention is paid to the evaluation of evidence and sources in the construction of political arguments and presidential image and the way these are complicated by various categories including race, class, gender, religion, and sexuality. Extensive knowledge of politics or prior campaigns is not required. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] S. Kelley-Romano.FYS 460. Environmentalism, Social Justice, and Education.
It is widely believed that the environmental movement and the social justice movement are closely connected. Many of the same forces that lead to environmental degradation are also the root causes of social injustice. This course encourages students to debate emphatically and write persuasively about these connections as they are revealed locally in the Lewiston-Auburn area (including field research in the local community); nationally in cities like Flint, Michigan, and the fracking fields of eastern Ohio; and globally by considering the eco-militants of the oil-rich Niger River Delta in Africa. Enrollment limited to 15. (Community-Engaged Learning.) [W1] W. Wallace.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
FYS 461. Gut Microbiome: The Next Frontier.
The "gut microbiome" is a burgeoning frontier in medical research. Vastly out-numbering human cells, the diverse world of bacteria, protozoa, fungi, and viruses that inhabits our gut is being identified as a key player in moderating health. This seminar looks at how human behaviors, diets, and medications influence how microbes mediate mood, energy, resistance to infection, and overall health. Can we shape our own gut microbiome in a way that keeps us healthy? Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] [S] L. Brogan.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
FYS 462. The Living Planet.
Earth is home to an amazing variety of living systems intricately connected to each other and to the environment. Over four billion years, organisms and their environments have co-evolved, at times undergoing drastic and abrupt changes. Many geologists term the current geological age as the Anthropocene because of the significant changes affected in large part by human systems, which, too, are rapidly changing. This course explores these major Earth systems, how they influence on another, and what their future holds. Students consider both the science behind changes in Earth's systems and existential questions about the ethics of human participation in and modification of these systems. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] R. Saha.FYS 463. Ancient Greek Philosophy.
A study of the basic philosophical ideas underlying Western thought as these are expressed in the writings of the Pre-Socratics, Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. Greek thought is discussed in its historical and social context, with indications of how important Greek ideas were developed in later centuries. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] M. Okrent.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
FYS 464. Knowledge, Mind, and World: Philosophy in the Age of Enlightenment.
This seminar considers the questions of 1) how we can come to have knowledge of the external world, 2) the nature of our own minds, and 3) the relation between minds and physical nature. These questions were discussed from the start of the scientific revolution and the birth of modern philosophy in the seventeenth century until the time of Kant, at the end of the eighteenth century. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] M. Okrent.FYS 465. Communicating Science to the Public.
The ability to effectively communicate science research to non-experts encourages sound public policy and is an essential skill for those interested in pursuing a career in science, journalism, or government. In this course, students critically evaluate primary literature in the biological sciences and consider various methods for communicating science research to public audiences through project-based learning exercises, including written blog posts, science journalism articles, and public presentations. Students become familiar with the scientific method of inquiry and examine how narratives and storytelling can be more effective for public engagement and comprehension of science than the information deficit model. Not open to students who have received credit for BIO 126. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] A. Mountcastle.FYS 466. Math and the Art of M. C. Escher.
This course examines selected designs of M. C. Escher through the lens of mathematics. A study of Euclidean, spherical, and hyperbolic geometries allows students to analyze Escher’s art by exploring the rich geometric framework on which it is constructed. Additional topics include symmetry, frieze and wallpaper patterns, and tesselations. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] G. Coulombe.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
FYS 467. The Rise of Graphic Narratives: Paneling Morality's Discontents.
Why are graphic narratives popular? Why do they represent both individual imagination and cooperative creative communication? What do these multifaceted texts offer today’s techno-savvy reader? The juxtaposed storytelling units used in graphic narratives (verbal, visual, spatially fragmented time) cultivate a field of action characters whose "humanity" often displays the inconstancies found in notions of morality. The course examines how and why graphic narratives have risen from a popular comics medium to the literature of choice for questioning societies' moral scaffolds. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] C. Aburto Guzmán.FYS 468. Beyond Nelson Mandela: Themes and Personalities in South African History.
Nelson Mandela became South Africa's first black president in 1994 after more than three centuries of white dominance. Today, he is considered the greatest African leader of the twentieth century. This popular perception, born of Mandela's charisma after walking out of jail and becoming president, cut out many actors and events in the history of South Africa. This course introduces students to these obscured actors and events. It begins by exploring the encounter between Europeans and Africans. It then examines the institutionalization of the apartheid state, and concludes by studying the reactions to, and defeat of, the apartheid state. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] P. Otim.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
FYS 469. Reconsidering the American Dream.
The dominant narrative of "the good life" in our society leads us on a path to adulthood many follow without question: higher education, career, a comfortable lifestyle, and the accumulation of wealth. This course examines the ecological, economic, and social implications of this narrative, and considers alternative conceptualizations of success through readings and discussions as well as community engagement with local farmers, makers, and homesteaders. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] E. Alcorn.FYS 470. Life beyond Capitalism.
Ever-growing inequality and accelerating climate change have left many wondering if capitalist forms of economic organization are truly able to serve the well-being of our communities and ecosystems. But how else might we do things? Rather than seeking comprehensive models for future "economic systems," this course draws on tools from economic anthropology and geography to examine myriad, existing noncapitalist livelihood practices in contemporary industrialized societies. With a focus on Maine, and Lewiston-Auburn in particular, students explore the possibility that sustainable and cooperative forms of sustenance might already be emerging "between the cracks" to offer hopeful pathways forward in uncertain times. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] E. Miller.FYS 471. Race, Gender, and Identity in STEM.
How do race, gender, and identity impact someone's decision to pursue a career in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)? This course provides an introduction to stereotype threat, impostor syndrome, identity development, and the growth mindset, with an emphasis on strategies for success in STEM fields. Relevant topics include the history of science and its connections to colonialism, and barriers that have prevented STEM disciplines from achieving equity in terms of the demographic representation among scientists. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] A. Diamond-Stanic.FYS 472. The Dice Are Cast: The Classical World through Analog Games.
How do tabletop games help us understand Homer? Can we gamify Virgil? How can a game evoke the experience of Roman colonialism or ancient slavery? If Zeus’ favored weapon is a +6 Short Spear, what does that say about modern understandings of Olympian gods? At the heart of these questions lies the role of texts in the transmission of cultural information. In this course, students analyze translated texts from the ancient world of Greece and Rome in parallel with modern analog games to examine the reception of knowledge about the past and its reproduction through tabletop play. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] H. Cameron.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
FYS 473. How Do You Know That?.
Knowledge is a political, ethical, philosophical, and pragmatic problem. Skepticism carries an air of intellectual sophistication, but can easily halt conversation and inquiry. This seminar aims to provide a guide to thinking about knowledge with questions such as: What do we mean when we say we "know" something? What is the role of certainty and uncertainty, of evidence and logic, in the creation of knowledge? Several touchstones guide this intellectual journey: knowledge creation as a process of interaction between environment and individual; the power and peril of abstraction; and the ethics and psychology of knowledge and argument. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] B. Moodie.FYS 474. The Literary Insect.
All generations of humankind have been keen to describe the habits and habitats of our small, formidable, creeping cousins. What makes bugs so interesting? Why does literature need them? Does our fascination with beetles, bees, and butterflies go beyond the fear and admiration that come from the tremendous differences between our bodies and theirs? This seminar looks at literature in many genres—fables, poems, novels, memoirs, and natural histories—to find out what humans have learned from the literary insect, and to ask further questions about bug life. Participants also venture outside to explore insect habitats nearby. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] M. Wright.FYS 476. Coastal Hazards/Lab.
Humans have always lived along the world’s coastlines, yet constantly changing coastal landscapes and climate change, combined with increases in coastal populations, present a unique and challenging set of pressures for people and ecosystems at the boundary between land and sea. In this hands-on course, students explore the science of coastal hazards (e.g., erosion, sea level rise, storm events, tsunamis, and harmful algal blooms) by studying beaches, salt marshes, barrier islands, and coastal waters in a variety of settings. The laboratory/field component includes a weekend trip to Acadia National Park, and two late-return laboratories during the week to the Bates Morse Mountain Conservation Area and Saco Bay. The basic principles learned by studying Maine coastal systems facilitate exploration of coastal hazards in other parts of the world. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] [L] [S] B. Johnson.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
FYS 477. The Story of Earth.
What was Earth like 4.5 billion years ago? Sixty-five million years ago? One hundred thousand years ago? What irreversible changes have occurred in its history? What processes govern how the Earth evolves? How have we pieced together its history? This course surveys the geologic history of Earth and includes hands-on practice of the methods geologists use to learn about our planet. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] [L] [S] G. Robert.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
FYS 478. The History of the Brain: Ideas and Delusions about Brain Function from Antiquity to the Digital Age.
What sort of device is the brain? What principles does it follow, and what do these imply about our ultimate freedom, responsibility, limitations, and place in the natural order? In this course, students explore how we have grappled with these questions over history, and how these questions continue to animate modern art and culture. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] J. Castro.FYS 479. Ethics and Environmental Issues.
A study of issues in environmental ethics, including questions about whether nonhuman organisms have value, what sort of moral concern is owed to the natural world, whether and why it's a bad thing when species go extinct, and whether it's acceptable to subject the environment to capitalist market norms. The course explores debates currently taking place among environmental thinkers regarding our moral obligations to other persons, to other animals, to ecosystems, to species, and to the Earth itself. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] P. Schofield.FYS 480. Communism.
"The proletarians have nothing to lose but their chains. They have a world to win." With this rousing call to revolution in 1848, Karl Marx inspired an international movement that would destroy capitalism and replace it with a more just society. Where revolutions did succeed, however, the reality of communist rule differed significantly from Marx's vision. This course examines the trajectory of communist theory and practice from Marx's Manifesto, through the revolutions in Russia and China and the brutal dictatorships that followed them, through the collapse of the communist utopian vision in the late twentieth century. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] J. Richter.FYS 481. Truth.
Two neutron stars colliding 130 million years ago confirmed Einstein’s gravity theory. Does confirmation mean Einstein’s theory is true? How is truth defined within the many truth and reconciliation commissions around the world? What promise of truth lies within historical archives? Within documentaries? Within fiction? How can we speak truthfully about unspeakable acts? This seminar joins thinkers modern and ancient drawn from many disciplines to explore what is meant by "truth," how people form ideas about what is true, why people care greatly about truth, and how social forces influence what people think is true. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] M. Murray, A. Dauge-Roth.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations
FYS 482. Reading Cats and Dogs.
People have always written about their pets. Taking the most common species of nonhuman companions as its focus, this seminar moves through five centuries of English literature, meeting cats and dogs along the way: Sir Gawain's precious hounds in Malory's Morte d'Arthur, the old feline who captures Keats' imagination (if not his heart), the dog called Crab who graces Shakespeare's stage, the mysterious Cheshire Cat planted in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, and many others. With their strong genetic ties to tigers and wolves, cats and dogs inevitably remind of us what is untamed in our own behavior. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] M. Wright.FYS 483. The Death of Democracy?.
Do we bear witness to the death of democracy as we know it? This seminar explores the processes that lead democracies to die, utilizing comparative case studies to assess our current political situation. Students practice the skills and methodologies of social science to test hypotheses, differentiate between conditions and causes, evaluate evidence, and present findings. Students prepare written assignments for both scholarly audiences and public audiences. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] J. Longaker.FYS 484. Making Sense: The Social Significance of Sensory Perception.
How do our senses help us to order and organize our world? How are our senses themselves ordered and organized? In what ways might our senses be intertwined with the world in which we live? This course considers these questions in a range of different contexts, and it challenges students to think about the senses as socially and culturally constructed pathways between bodies and worlds. In doing so, this course directs attention to the politics of the senses: how worlds of perception and experience are opened for us, closed to us, and shaped by forces beyond our immediate control. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] J. Rubin.FYS 485. Contemporary Comedy.
This course explores the contemporary comedy landscape by looking at humor writing (short stories, novel, and internet venues), television, stand-up comedy, podcasts, and other comedy artifacts while considering issues of audience and the various tools of humor. Topics include comedy forms, comic personae, and the subject matters of humor, including but not limited to issues of race, class, gender, and sexuality. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] T. Salter.FYS 486. Wildlife Diseases: The Nature of Parasitism.
How and why do wild animals get sick? What threats do infectious diseases pose for wildlife? Are those pathogens dangerous to humans? This course introduces students to the dynamics of wildlife diseases, with roots in ecology, evolution, public health, and the changing relationships between humans and nature. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] D. Dearborn.FYS 487. Politics and Performance on Stage and Screen.
This seminar examines the way contemporary playwrights and performers have interpreted the American political landscape on stage and screen. Students analyze scripts from various playwrights and their staged productions, and take a critical look at two different motion pictures that use politics as their main theme. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] C. Odle.FYS 488. From "Could We?" to "Should We?": The Making of the Atomic Bomb.
The atomic bomb represents the immeasurable tragedy of World War II, the incredible success of goal-driven government investment, and the fraught uncertainty of scientific discovery. How did we come to know the inner workings of the atom? What makes a nuclear weapon so devastating? How can a project involving thousands of people be kept secret from the public? What combination of political leadership and scientific acumen is necessary to make potentially disastrous decisions? This seminar traces the enthusiasm for early twentieth-century experiments and the stunning realizations of their implications. Students engage with magnitudes of energy, historical narratives, and moral ambiguity. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] L. Mandletort.FYS 489. Writing Ourselves, Writing With Others: Identity, Community, and Discourse.
While writing for college can seem a daunting and isolating prospect, in this course, first year student-writers discover they are already prepared to write in college and rarely have to do it alone. Students read composition theory and writers who write about writing; reflect on the pedagogues and pedagogies, dialogues, dialects and discourse communities that have shaped students' writerly identities; and analyze the rhetorical practices and products of local cultures. Students also share and critique their own and their peers’ texts and engage writing as a tool for reflection, learning, and problem solving in a culminating action project. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] B. Fullerton.FYS 490. Centuries of Struggle: American Women's Protest Movements, from Seneca Falls to "Me Too.".
Less than two years from now, the United States will mark the 100th anniversary of the Nineteenth Amendment, giving most American women the right to vote. This course honors this anniversary by exploring the history of women's public protests in the United States, from Seneca Falls in the 1840s, to the women's suffrage campaigns at the turn of the twentieth century, the women's liberation movement of the 1960s and 1970s, and the pink hat marches and Me Too movement of 2016–2018. Students consider the intersection of race, gender, class, and age in their discussions, and approach the topic from several angles: analyzing primary sources, assessing and debating historical and contemporary strategies, conducting an oral history with a veteran protestor. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] M. Creighton.FYS 491. Reading Japan in Multicultural Picture Books.
This course explores children's picture books and the depictions of Japanese culture in them. Students read each picture book closely, considering the whole book (including the cover, layout, pictures, and languages) and examining the representations of cultures, languages, and identities therein. Students draw on Ladd Library's Picture Book Collection; they focus on books that feature Japanese and Japanese American people, but also explore other dimensions of multiculturalism. Students deepen their understanding through community-engaged work. No background on Japan is required. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] K. Konoeda.FYS 492. Environmental Protection: A Crash Course.
This course offers a primer for understanding the basics of environmental law in the United States and how, in the interest of environmental protection, we might effectively respond to a wave of deregulation. Students review "what everyone needs to know" about environmental protection, gather insight and inspiration from celebrated conservationists such as John Muir and Rachel Carson, and ask how we might sustain ourselves as environmental advocates. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] L. Sewall.FYS 493. Cultivating Social Justice in Community Gardens.
In this course, students study the potential of community gardens to cultivate social justice, provide access to fresh food, and improve education. Students read about, write about, visit, and work in local community gardens, exploring the material and ideological relationships between food and culture. Course texts situate the local food movement in interdisciplinary historical contexts and connect agriculture with education and environmental justice. After learning about types of community gardens, garden-based education, and activist rhetoric, students create projects that expand opportunities for social justice in community gardens and complete a portfolio of writing in a range of genres. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] S. Wade.FYS 494. Lorraine Hansberry and James Baldwin: Young, Gifted, Black, and Queer.
Lorraine Hansberry and James Baldwin were two of the most influential artists and public intellectuals of the twentieth century. Both produced works in a variety of genres—essay, drama, novel, oratory, film, and television. They championed the civil rights movement, promoted African American dignity and pride, and critiqued white supremacy throughout their careers. This course joins the new research on Hansberry and Baldwin that uses an intersectional approach to demonstrate how their identities as queer people of color influenced and shaped their enduring and powerful analyses of race, gender, sexuality, and social class in their art. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] C. Nero.FYS 495. Understanding Russia: Truth, Lies, and Bullshit.
U.S.–Russia relations seem to have been driven into a cul-de-sac of political hyperbole, distortion, and provocation. Statements, such as those by U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, "Russia continues to redraw international borders by force, undermine democracy in sovereign nations, and divide the free nations of Europe, one against the other," and Russian President Vladimir Putin, "The people who are trying to sway the domestic political situation in the U.S.A. by means of anti-Russian slogans are either stupid or dangerous," are typical of the discourse in mainstream media and from politicians in both countries. In this seminar students examine the Russian side of this altercation and try to understand how the quarter-century of post-Soviet Russian history has shaped Russia's current narrative. Enrollment limited to 15. [W1] D. Browne.Concentrations
This course is referenced by the following General Education Concentrations