First Year Seminar Courses

FYS 100 Moving Stories

Through physical practice, readings, lecture, discussions, reflective writings and group assignments, students will develop self- awareness, an understanding of body language and total mind-body fitness; gain inner strength and confidence; obtain an increased awareness of the senses and a feeling of wholeness by balancing the mind and the body.

FYS 101 Psychology of Dreams

Since the dawn of civilization, people have been fascinated with the world of dreams.  Indeed, throughout history, different cultures have offered various explanations for why we dream. In this course we shall explore this fascinating, nocturnal aspect of human behavior from its mythological and archetypal origins to the latest scientific elucidations. Particular attention will be placed upon Jungian (psycho-historical and archetypal), analytic psychology. Also, we shall address the relationship between dreaming and physical and emotional health.

FYS 102 Not All Heroes are Men

This seminar uses five internationally recognized films to explore examples of women’s courage, character, and conviction in difficult, if not dangerous, circumstances. In settings as different as Argentina, Vietnam, Kenya, Germany, and China, the female protagonists in these films confront and master adversity amidst war, dictatorship, epidemic disease, and exile. The films are The Official Story, dir. Luiz Puenzo (1985), Indochine, dir. Régis Warqnier (1992), Nowhere in Africa, dir. Caroline Link (2001), Rosenstrasse, dir. Margarethe von Trotta (2003), and The Painted Veil, dir. John Curran (2006).  These films have been chosen for their global reach, their engagement with issues of profound importance, and the memorable character of individual performances. Three of the films won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film; a fourth was nominated in the same category.

FYS 103 Growing Up Pink

This engaging first year seminar will encourage students to explore how media, advertising, family, friends and other prominent social forces help define our identity as women. Through a series of readings, discussions and explorations throughout the Lehigh Valley, this course will ask students to look at how they see themselves   and the world. We will also explore society’s influence on our perceptions of race, ethnicity, sexuality and class. Students will refine and redefine how they see themselves in the course’s final project – a class-­-made video production that captures student’s exploration of self and what it means to “grow up pink.”

FYS 104 Theatre – A Universal Language

This course examines both intellectually and experientially the role of the Theatre Artist – specifically, the Actor, the Director and the Designer.  Students will discuss and explore the great artists from each area from around the globe – for example, Growtowski and Stanislavsky in Acting – as creators of new approaches to the craft, the Actor as Activist, such as Susan Sarandon, Angelina Jolie, Vaclev Havel in Czechoslovakia;  Peter Brooks, Anne Bogart, Julie Taymoor in Directing and Ming Cho Lee in Design.   Coupled with discussion is the opportunity for students to perform Growtowski or Stanislavsky Exercises, direct scenes, and work on an area of design for a One Act play.  The course looks to open the students to their own perceptions, passions, ideas, and express the artist within.   Material used will come from both Eastern and Western traditions.   Group collaboration – each student picking a specific artistic role will bring a final project to fruition.

FYS 105 Visions & Voices HONORS

The characters of Oedipus and Othello, Jane Eyre and Hermione Granger: the outsider has figured prominently in literature for centuries. Not all outsiders are outcasts or villains. In fact, outsiders are often a part of the culture they are simultaneously distanced from: their place “in between” worlds offers them a privileged perspective on the culture from which they stand apart. In this seminar, we’ll consider examples of literature and film that contain “outsider” characters in order to explore the challenges and benefits of being an outsider. We’ll explore what it means to “belong,” why people are threatened by those who appear to be different, and how individuals learn to navigate the communities they wish to join—or choose not to. Ultimately, we’ll consider how living in the in-between may lead to the discovery of one’s unique voice and vision: as English author Julian Barnes suggests, “the writer must be universal in sympathy and an outcast by nature; only then can he see clearly.” Only students accepted into the Honors program may enroll in this section.

FYS 106 Novel Appr. To Science

Scientists in movies are often portrayed more negatively than even serial killers. In contrast, several current television shows feature heroic scientists solving crimes in the lab and field with a minimum of effort. In this course, we will examine fictional depictions of scientists and their work, identify typical stereotypes used to describe scientists, and ask why these stereotypes have evolved and what impression of science they create. We will explore examples of children’s literature about scientists and compare these representations to novels intended for adults. To examine a scientist’s perspective, we will read selected works by Carl Djerassi, a distinguished chemist who has written several novels exploring science-in-fiction. Film and television examples of scientists will provide additional discussion material. Only students accepted into the Honors program may enroll in this section.

FYS 107 Coming of Age in Complex World

The “coming of age” novel has been popular for at least three centuries. Collectively, these novels almost always feature a male protagonist. In this seminar, however, we will focus primarily (not exclusively) on the coming of age of women as portrayed in literature and film. We will examine questions such as “What is the nature of rebellion and is it necessary?” “How does one begin to form one’s own philosophy?” “How do I find my voice as a leader?” The seminar will explore the meaning of “coming of age” in diverse social contexts, while examining the role that our beliefs and critical thinking play in this experience.

FYS 108 Women & Wilderness

“Woman’s connection to wildness is deep, long-term, and unique,” write Susan and Ann Zwinger. This seminar explores the role women have played in fundamentally transforming how we think of nature in modern society. As a study of the literature of wilderness and community, we will read works such as Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring, which contributed to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency; Wangari Maathai’s memoir Unbowed, which chronicles her founding of the African Green Belt Movement; and Barbara Kingsolver’s novel Animal Dreams, which dramatizes how the diverse residents of a small town are brought together in concern over their shared environment. We’ll also discover the wonders of Cedar Crest College’s arboretum, trace the shores of Cedar Creek as it wanders through our neighboring park, and join nearby efforts to rehabilitate a Superfund site located along the slopes of the Kittatinny Ridge.

FYS 109 Drugs: Good, the Bad, & the Ugly

In today’s society drugs are a part of our everyday lives and can be touted as good or evil.  In this course we will explore some drugs that have changed our world for the better or worse and discuss why.  We will also delve into the world of the pharmaceutical industry, both in a local and global aspect.  An awareness of eastern versus western medicine and its impact of society will also be considered.  As a project we will also consider how the pharmaceutical industries advertisement on TV, and other media’s influence our lives.  By the end of the course, students will have gained a better understanding of what a drug is and how to make more educated decisions in thinking about the impact of drugs in a local and global setting.

FYS 110 The Psychedelic Sixties

The primary focus of the course is the civic engagement involved in developing and maintaining the major social movements in the 1960s. Students will read, discuss, and write about how and why these movements developed and the critical role students played in these processes. Students will also investigate how most of these movements were simultaneously emerging in many parts of the world during this time period. A section of the course is devoted to reading, writing about, and discussing the women’s movement and their leaders as well as the sexual revolution and its implications for women.

FYS 112 The Outsider in Fiction HONORS

The characters of Oedipus and Othello, Jane Eyre and Hermione Granger: the outsider has figured prominently in literature for centuries. Not all outsiders are outcasts or villains. In fact, outsiders are often a part of the culture they are simultaneously distanced from: their place “in between” worlds offers them a privileged perspective on the culture from which they stand apart. In this seminar, we’ll consider examples of literature and film that contain “outsider” characters in order to explore the challenges and benefits of being an outsider. We’ll explore what it means to “belong,” why people are threatened by those who appear to be different, and how individuals learn to navigate the communities they wish to join—or choose not to. Ultimately, we’ll consider how living in the in-between may lead to the discovery of one’s voice. And we'll not only affirm our own voices, places, and journeys, but we'll choose our own projects designed to make a difference in our communities.

FYS 113 Power of Success

It is no secret that women are paid less than men for essentially doing the same work.  It is also proven that women are slow to move up the ranks into leadership roles.  In an effort to make the student more aware of this trend and this seminar will explore the meaning of success.  Success in this course is broken down into three different areas:  emotional, physical, and academic.  After a brief introduction and exploration of the general notion of success, the course will dive deeper into the three segments.  The students will explore success in a variety of forms, and by the end of the course be able to identify their own definition of success through a variety of activities throughout our community, the Lehigh Valley.   There will be lecture, discussions, readings, and activities during the course to help the student achieve her personal success.  The long-­- term goal of this course is to breed some future leadership both on and off campus.

FYS 115 Initiate Through Arts

What is community and how do you build it?  By using the visual arts as a pivotal point this seminar course directs attention to this question by exploring historical precedents and contemporary examples that illustrate the impact of the artist as a community initiator.  Through research and hands on experiences students will examine the role of the artist and ways in which art can facilitate building community and positive change.

As artists take the studio practice beyond the gallery walls communities are charged with a new relationship toward the visual arts. By generating dialogue and influencing creative collaborations communities are realized. With this background knowledge students will design and implement a community based art project utilizing art as an instrument for civic engagement.

The overall intention of this course is to increase awareness of the impact art has on local and global communities. Course materials will include readings, artist talks and visual presentations intended to foster a critical dialogue concerning current as well as historical trends within art as they relate to community. Written reflections will allow for careful articulation of how the individual can affect change through engagement with art and the community.

FYS 116 The Importance of Place

This course will investigate the importance of place starting on the Cedar Crest Campus. We talk about being “global” all the time, but what does it mean to know about the local spaces and places where we come from or spend our time? This course will explore our connections to places through thinking about the campus, the community, and on field trips a little farther away. Students in this course will read about and discuss the idea of place in classroom discussions, in journals, and in writing assignments. In order to investigate a specific place, the students in the course will ultimately produce a campus audio tour, which will be shared with the campus, the community and beyond.

FYS 117 Coming of Age in a Complex HONORS

The “coming of age” novel has been popular for at least three centuries. Collectively, these novels almost always feature a male protagonist. In this seminar, however, we will focus primarily (not exclusively) on the coming of age of women as portrayed in literature and film. We will examine questions such as “What is the nature of rebellion and is it necessary?” “How does one begin to form one’s own philosophy?” “How do I find my voice as a leader?” The seminar will explore the meaning of “coming of age” in diverse social contexts, while examining the role that our beliefs and critical thinking play in this experience.

FYS 118 Psychology of Sleep

First Year Seminar (FYS) classes are an important part of the First Year Experience (FYE). FYS classes, taught by dynamic faculty who are committed to supporting first semester students, will help you build important skills necessary for college success. Each FYS class is different. Because FYS courses do not count towards major requirements, selecting an FYS class that is different than your intended major is OK; in fact, we encourage you to take this opportunity to try out something new.

FYS 119 Community: Being an Active Citizen

This course explores the journey people engage in when becoming a part of a new community. Through active service projects, reflective discussions, comparative papers and group presentations students will develop and apply knowledge on being a change agent in their community. Required readings will include works by Martin Luther King, Jr., Mahatma Ghandhi, Robert Coles and Jonathon Kozol.  Students will complete direct service projects in one or more of the areas of education, health, homelessness, hunger and environment. Through these service projects and classroom activities, students will develop a group presentation that talks about issues of charity and justice. Service projects will take place in the Allentown area as a way to help students connect to the opportunities available.

FYS 120 Finding our Voice: Women in Politics

Sixty-Three percent of Rwanda’s lower house of government is composed of women. Compare that to 19% in the United States. What accounts for these differences? Why does the US have comparatively female political leaders than other countries? This course will examine the role of women in politics. We will explore how women’s relationship to government has changed over time as well as discuss women’s various political roles. We will also discuss policy issues generally classified as “women’s issues” including maternity leave policies, the pay gap, and abortion. Throughout, we will compare the experiences of women in the United States to those in other countries.

FYS 121 Molecules: The Good, Bad, & Ugly

In today’s society, organic chemical compounds have deeply permeated our everyday lives and yet many of us give them little thought. Many of these organic molecules are essential if the world’s population is to be fed, clothed, and medicated. Yet many of these molecules have been touted as good, bad or both at the same time.  In this course, students shall discover aspects of organic chemistry such as how both scientists and non-scientists have played important roles in the discovery and the unforeseen development of some of these molecules. Class discussions and assignments will allow students to reflect on the impact of individual molecules on society, women’s roles, and the environment, both historically and present-­-day. By the end of the course, students will have gained a better understanding of how organic molecules can globally impact and shape our society.

FYS 122 Sports Culture

Sport has been referred to as ubiquitous, woven into the very fabric of our culture. Regardless of whether or not one is an athlete, or even simply a spectator/follower, there is no denying the significance of sport in society. As consumers, we spend our time and money attending competitions, watching them on TV, and buying products associated with our favorite sports. As participants, we live for competition, we dedicate ourselves to team or self-improvement, we strive to achieve personal fitness goals, and/or we enjoy the social camaraderie of sport. The culture of sport contributes to society in many ways. This course will examine the complex impact of sports culture on individuals and society as a whole, focusing not only on the positive outcomes associated with sports consumption/participation, but also the ways in which a sports culture leads to detrimental consequences.

FYS-123 Address the Stigma: The Culture of Mental Health

This course provides an opportunity for students to discuss the multidimensional perspectives on mental health in America, specifically on college Campuses.  This course will have a focus on stigma associated with mental health and the role that media plays on the depiction of mental health with college students.

FYS 124 Me, Myself & Why

A thought provoking investigation into the various, and often inconsistent, ways human identity is explained. By focusing on the questions “who am I?” and “why am I this way?”, students will begin to conduct an inquiry into the biological, personal, and social aspects of identity as a construct. Over the course of the semester, we will utilize scholarly articles, films, narratives, as well as culturally generated materials to engage with both historical and contemporary perspectives on aspects of identity such as gender, race, sexuality, cultural diversity, and the ethical and moral implications of identity formation. Through class discussions, writing assignments, group presentations, and student-designed creative projects, first-year students will have an opportunity to begin or sharpen inquiry based learning, critical thinking, and communication skills necessary for future academic endeavors.

FYS-125 Money & Life

This first year seminar will encourage students to explore how family, friends and other social forces shape our attitudes toward money and personal finances. Through a series of readings, discussions and explorations students will discover what gender-based stereotypes and cultural influences form how they see themselves and the world of finance and how they relate to earning, saving, investing and spending.  The seminar will explore the personal empowerment of women through confidence gained in developing their personal financial plan to achieve life goals and what success means to them in alignment with their personal objectives.

FYS 126 Protest Drama

Protests take many forms. Protests are strong complaints, objections, or disapprovals.  Protests often speak to a specific audience, and are dedicated to calling attention to a specific grievance using buzz-words, images and stories. Protests are often improvised and can be violent, but behind all successful protest movements are multiple strategies. Social change comes through public awareness, education through debate and eventually changes to existing laws. Drama has the power to draw attention to social change. Through research, original script writing and with minimal staging, students will explore ways to dramatize issues of importance to their generation either by taking up a new cause or extending the reach of a current protest movement through their script writing and social media.

FYS-128 I Am An Emotional Creature

Through discussions, readings, reflective writings and group assignments, students will work to develop self- awareness, inner strength, and confidence. They will feel a sense of wholeness by celebrating the authentic voice inside each of them and inspire a call to action for girls everywhere to speak up, follow their dreams, and become the women they were always meant to be.  Based on Eve Ensler’s popular book, I Am An Emotional Creature, this course will teach students how to develop a full expression to their secret voices and innermost thoughts, highlighting the diversity and commonality of the issues they face.

FYS 129  Falcon Files:  The Societal Impact of Forensic Science on the Global Scale.  

The seminar will examine how forensic science varies in practice not only throughout the United States but throughout the world based on differences in laws, the criminal justice system, and norms.  Examples include differences in laws regarding the recreational use of drugs and drunk driving.  Similarly, cultural and religious barriers to autopsies and the taking of fingerprints and the removal of biological fluids such as blood and saliva for DNA testing from individuals will be discussed.  This part of the course will also concentrate on the history of forensic science and how it has evolved to present day practice.  Students will also learn how the popular culture has positively and negatively influenced the perception of forensic science among the general public.  The seminar will also examine the societal impact of forensic science and the potential for catastrophic outcomes when forensic science is practiced fraudulently or incompetently.  The importance of guarding against contextual bias in the pursuit of justice through science will be emphasized.  The societal impact of forensic science will be demonstrated through the accounts of victims and their families, police, attorneys, and those wrongly accused and convicted.  Finally, the societal expectations of a forensic scientist and how to properly prepare for such a career will be explored.   

FYS 130  Human Rights and You   

According to UNESCO “education is a fundamental human right and essential for the exercise of all other human rights”. What are the other human rights that depend on education? And what is it about education that gives it this kind of power? In this course, students will trace the development of human rights, discuss the state of education equity and equality for groups around the globe, and research the organizations that work to address these issues.  Students will develop an awareness project promoting a human right for the population of their choice and consider their own role in supporting human rights and human rights education.