Note: First-Year Seminar descriptions are also available on the online course schedule. You will ultimately choose and register for a First-Year Seminar during your online registration time. Detailed information on how to search and register for courses can be found on the first-year registration website. See the online course schedule for a full listing of all fall courses.
IN MONEY WE TRUST? THE HUMAN SIDE OF ECONOMICS – KOFFI NOMEDJI (SEMN-118)
Money structures everyday life, but few pause to ask what it really is or where it comes from. This seminar examines money and markets as social and historical creations rather than purely economic tools. Through readings from classic thinkers such as Marx, Simmel, and Polanyi, students uncover how monetary systems reflect broader human values, institutions, and political power. Beyond economic theory, the course explores how exchange binds people together through gift-giving, debt, and moral responsibility. Anthropological and sociological perspectives help students understand money’s role in shaping relationships—from household finances to digital transactions. Weekly case studies investigate topics including mobile banking, cryptocurrency, and fraud as expressions of trust and identity in modern life.
TRAVEL MATTERS – BRAYAN SERRATOS GARCIA (SEMN-119)
This course, ideal for students embarking on an exciting new journey, aims to inspire a multifaceted exploration of travel and travel narratives. Why do we travel? What are the metaphorical, philosophical, psychological, and cultural underpinnings of traveling? Why is travel central to coming of age and search for origins plots? What are the reasons that impel us to record voyages, real or imaginary, and to tell others about them? Why do we listen to, read, or watch travel accounts? What role does travel play in the definition of both us and others, in the construction of our own identity and the identity of those whom we encountered in our wanderings? How are travels and travel accounts connected with the politics of gender, race, social class, politics, and economy? These are some of the main elements that the course will explore through a series of books and films.
ANIMATION, INCLUSION, RELIGION – SOHINI PILLAI (SEMN-125)
In the USA, many children grow up watching animated movies created by Walt Disney Studios and Pixar Animation Studios. While some of these pre-21st century films have been criticized for their depictions of different communities and religious traditions, Disney and Pixar have recently been trying to create more inclusive and authentic representation in new animated movies (such as Moana, Zootopia, Coco, and Encanto) and live action remakes. In this seminar, we will analyze Disney’s portrayals of specific communities and religious traditions and examine how they have changed over time.
ALL SPEECH IS LEGITIMATE: THE FALLACY OF “BROKEN” LANGUAGE – TRIS FAULKNER (SEMN-129)
Descriptions of language use tend to be absolute and uncompromising in their nature. For instance, it is common to hear that certain ways of speaking or writing (i.e., expressing oneself) are “wrong” or “ungrammatical”, “inappropriate”, or even “unprofessional”. In other words, that there is correct (“good”) language and incorrect (“bad”) language, where the former is how we should strive to express ourselves. However, what standard and non-standard speech have in common is that they are both human creations. In other words, both are invented, since all language is invented! In this seminar, students will explore various language dialects (both standard and non-standard) with the objective of developing a more in-depth understanding of the relationship between language use and personal identity. Not only will we examine views on “right” and “wrong” language, but also how these views influence how we perceive others and tie in with internalized socio-cultural biases. Who gets to decide what’s “right” or “wrong” anyway? Put differently, “If you understand me, why correct me?” Some familiarity with Spanish, while not required, will benefit students in their understanding of course concepts.
SUPERHEROINES: GENDER, POWER AND JUSTICE – ISABELA AGOSA (SEMN-134)
Superheroines are in short supply, but their impact on pop culture is legendary. From Wonder Woman to Buffy: The Vampire Slayer, from Sailor Moon to Kpop Demon Hunters, powerful women have captured audiences’ attention. But what makes the superheroine super? In this course, we will track the trajectory of the contemporary superheroine in comics, television and film from the 1990s to now. What does the superheroine tell us about our cultural values and expectations of women? How has that changed in the last thirty years? In studying how superheroines are constructed, we will engage in ongoing discussions around gender, particularly as they intersect with race and sexuality. How does the superheroine access and demonstrate power? How does she define and produce justice?
LIVING WITH AI: TECHNOLOGY, SOCIETY, AND YOU – TASNIM GARIBEDEH (SEMN-140)
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly shaping how we live, learn, and make decisions – from social media feeds and recommendation systems to healthcare, hiring, and creative tools. This seminar introduces the fundamentals of AI and machine learning in an accessible, non-technical way while critically examining their societal and ethical implications. Through discussions, case studies, and hands-on activities, we’ll explore how AI systems work and how they impact individuals and communities. We’ll also reflect on how AI tools can support learning, build effective study habits, and understand the boundaries of appropriate and ethical AI use in academic work.
TRUTH, LIES, AND POLITICS – JENNIFER EINSPAHR (SEMN-144)
Are truth and politics friends or foes? Does your answer differ depending on the kind of truth in question? In political matters, is it always wrong to lie? Political thinkers have been asking such questions for millennia, but in an era of echo chambers, “fake news,” and conflicting accounts of what’s true, they have presented themselves with renewed urgency. In this course, we will examine the relationship between truth and politics within the political theory tradition as well as in the contemporary context. We will focus in particular on strategies for navigating the bewildering terrain of our so-called “post-fact” context, in which it seems as though politics has become a contest over reality itself.
CREATIVITY: INSPIRATION AND BEYOND – SIU-LAN TAN (SEMN-145)
The psychology of creativity is as complex and mysterious as it is intriguing. Whether brushing paint on canvas, composing a poem or piece of music, launching a new advertising campaign, or making a breakthrough at the frontiers of science, some form of creative thinking is required. In this seminar, we examine how creativity is expressed in arts, sciences, inventions, marketing, and many other domains, and also shine a spotlight on inclusive design. The ideas of classic and contemporary theorists and research findings reported by social scientists serve as a foundation for discussions and essays. Students will also apply their own imagination and creative problem-solving skills to a variety of puzzles and projects. This seminar will challenge basic assumptions about the nature of creativity and expand our horizons, to encompass the richness and diversity of creative expression in its many forms.
WHO ARE THE SAMURAI? – DENNIS FROST (SEMN-154)
On a dark, chilly night in the city of Edo, Japan in 1703, 46 men broke into the home of a government official and murdered him. The story of these men, best known as the 47 ronin (and yes, you read the number correctly), has been retold countless times since that night. Outlaws to some and heroes to many, the 47 ronin have often been lauded as exemplars of true samurai. But what exactly is a “true samurai”? When you think of the samurai, what do you imagine? Is the image you have in mind the product of fact or fiction, or perhaps a little of both? Did you know, for instance, that the samurai included both women and children? Since most people are not familiar with the history of Japan’s famous warriors, in this seminar we will begin by drawing from a variety of sources to explore how this warrior class – men, women, and children – lived, and how they have been viewed both within and outside Japan. We will combine our historical examinations of the emergence, evolution, demise, and reinvention of the samurai with analyses of representations of “samurai” in literature, film, sports, and business in order to gain a better sense of who the samurai are, how they have been portrayed, and why the samurai–and especially the 47 ronin–have become such an enduring and popular symbol of Japan.
I LOVE (THE MUSIC OF) THE 90’S – JOSH MOON (SEMN-158)
The 1990s were a period of dramatic change for popular music. Genres like alternative rock, “gangsta” rap, and electronica rose to prominence and still influence the music we hear today. Major label sales and indie success soared until the disruption of mp3 technology and Napster reorganized the music industry. MTV and Rolling Stone were essential. Today, the music and culture of the decade is mined for “new” styles, products, and nostalgia (“I ♥ the 90’s!”). While thinking seriously about sounds, image, and artistry, this course examines the music of the 1990s in social context with an ear to the events, politics, fashion, controversies, and identities that shaped musical experience.
PERFORMING ART IN CHINA: TRADITION AND INNOVATION – RUYUAN YANG (SEMN-160)
This seminar introduces students to the rich world of contemporary (21st century) Chinese performing arts through the study of visual works. It focuses on the intersection of tradition and modernity. Students will have the opportunity to understand key aspects of theatre, dance, music and folk performance, including their cultural and artistic significance. Iconic works such as the 2008 Beijing Olympic Opening Ceremony, Yang Liping’s dance drama Peacock, and Zhang Yimou’s Impression series will be discussed. The course also explores the role of festivals, globalization, and cross-cultural collaborations that keep shaping Chinese stage art.
THE ARTS IN STALINIST USSR – ANDREW KOEHLER (SEMN-165)
From the 1920s until his death in 1953, Joseph Stalin wielded an extraordinary amount of control over the newly-created Soviet state. He interpreted the proper implementation of Socialist economic policy, he silenced his critics with unimaginable savagery, and he took an especially keen interest in dictating the terms by which art should be made. To whom does art belong? What was it like to create art in an atmosphere of censorship? Could artists — like poet Anna Akhmatova or composer Dmitri Shostakovich, for example — navigate these treacherous waters without sacrificing their creativity and artistic integrity? We will examine these and related questions through reading memoir, fiction, and historical accounts of the time; watching films; and closely listening to the music that spoke to and reflected this tumultuous time.
SALEM POSSESSED: THE SALEM WITCH TRIALS AND THEIR LEGACIES – CHARLENE BOYER LEWIS (SEMN-168)
In 1692, the people of Salem, Massachusetts grew terrified when a small group of girls accused an enslaved woman, an impoverished woman, and a scandalous woman of bewitching them. Ultimately, twenty men and women were hung or pressed to death with stones and over a hundred others found themselves imprisoned. Historians have long considered the Salem Witch Trials a pivotal moment in American history. Countless works have offered countless reasons for the strange happenings in Salem, trying to explain why a small community in Colonial America would succumb to witchcraft hysteria long after it had died down in Europe. The Salem Witch Trials have haunted American culture. Starting in the nineteenth century and continuing into the present, writers and artists have grappled with the various meanings of the witch hunts and the persecution of innocent persons, seeing connections between “the furies of fanaticism and paranoia” of 1692 and their own time. Most famously, Arthur Miller in The Crucible used the trials to examine the persecution of alleged Communists in the 1950s. This course will examine and seek to understand the events of 1692 and the subsequent legacies of the trials in American culture through the actual documents from the trials, the writings of historians, and the imaginative works of novelists, playwrights, poets, and film makers.
REWIRED & DISCONNECTED: RETHINKING LIFE IN A DIGITAL WORLD – NICHOLAS POLANCO (SEMN-171)
In an age of constant connectivity, are we more isolated than ever? This first-year seminar explores how digital technologies are reshaping the way we think, communicate, and relate to one another. From the rewiring of our brains to the reshaping of our relationships, students will explore how constant connectivity can change not only how we think, but who we are. Students will analyze how technology alters attention, memory, and human relationships, and consider how living has changed in a tech-saturated world. Through critical readings, reflective discussions, and multimedia analysis, the course investigates the tension between technological advancement and human well-being—challenging students to consider how we might reclaim agency, attention, and authentic connection in a hyperconnected world.
THE POLITICS OF DEATH – SIDNE LYON (SEMN-174)
A politics of death refers to how political structures use power to make, manage, allow, or conceal death, defining whose lives are valuable and whose are disposable. It addresses a broad range of topics like state-sanctioned mortality, the regulation of corpse disposal, how mortality is interpreted and used, the creation of deathworlds, and who must be allowed to die. But who decides which lives matter and which do not? When does death become politicized? How and when is death more than just a bodily state? What rights do we have to our own corpse? This seminar will grapple with these questions by critically reading a diverse range of texts, including novels, short stories, poetry, film, essays, and academic articles. We will explore different politicized aspects and processes of death in the US. Example topics include the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power movement, the Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, the BlackLivesMatter movement, and imperial warfare.
EXPLORING CULTURAL DIVERSITY THROUGH STORYTELLING – QUINCY THOMAS (SEMN-177)
This course is an investigation into storytelling and an analysis of various mediums and texts created by scholars and artists working within an interconnected world. While examining and creating performances of self-discovery, students will explore how we, as part of a global community, embody/perform stories that speak to inequities across marginalized groups. The classroom community will explore what it means to take part in cross-culture encounters, conversations, and stories in a world where the socially constructed boundaries between culture, community, and country are becoming less visible.
DISASTERS, DESTRUCTION, AND RESILIENCE IN THE ANCIENT WORLD – CRYSTAL ROSENTHAL (SEMN-181)
How did ancient societies confront catastrophe, and what can their responses reveal about our own world? This course investigates themes related to natural and human-made disasters in the ancient Mediterranean, exploring how communities endured, interpreted, and rebuilt in the wake of crisis. Drawing on archaeological evidence, ancient texts, and modern scholarship, we will consider the causes and aftermaths of events like the eruption of Vesuvius, the fires and floods of Rome, the Antonine Plague, and other moments of environmental and social upheaval. Disasters tested the strength of governments, exposed social inequality, fueled religious fear and political unrest, and forced ancient communities to rebuild in the face of uncertainty. By examining how ancient peoples understood and responded to disaster, students will explore broader themes of resilience, vulnerability, memory, and survival while drawing connections to contemporary challenges such as pandemics, climate change, and urban disasters. Combining history, archaeology, environmental studies, and science, this course offers an exciting introduction to the ancient world through some of its most dramatic moments.
DID SCI-FI DO IT FIRST? EXPLORING THE FUTURE WE WERE PROMISED – DWIGHT WILLIAMS (SEMN-189)
Dive into the captivating world of retro science fiction (Sci-Fi) and its uncanny predictions about our future. Through the lens of classic sci-fi television, we will explore scientific themes such as artificial intelligence, space exploration, genetic engineering, and extraterrestrial life. Each week, we will analyze how these shows envisioned the future and compare their forecasts to today’s scientific realities. Together, we’ll examine the scientific accuracy of these narratives, their impact on real-world innovation, and the ethical and societal questions they raise. Along the way, we’ll consider the dynamic relationship between science fiction and science fact – how fiction influences and reflects scientific progress – and learn to thoughtfully evaluate emerging technologies and their potential impacts.