The Lenoir-Rhyne Experience for First-Year Students
First Year Seminar Topics and Abstracts
Lenoir-Rhyne University offers its 1st-year students a comprehensive introduction to the Lenoir-Rhyne community. These will combine academic courses on a variety of topics with practical information on the tools you will need to succeed. The list of first-year seminar courses that are available for you in Fall 2011 follows.
- The Art and Literature of Healing
- Turn that racket down! The Rise & Fall of Rock n' Roll
- Travels with a T-Shirt
- You Are Here: The Cartography of Self
- Science, Quackery & Truth: A History
- Baseball and Other Religions
- The Science in Science Fiction
- Sex, race, politics, and other "impolite" topics
- Animal, Vegetable, Miracle--exploring the issues surrounding eating locally
- Spirituality and Leadership
- Women and the Economy
- Peer Mentoring: Becoming a Role Model
- The Roots of Southern Culture
- So Close and Yet So Far: Mexico and the United States
- Love, Friendship and Music
- The Role of the Scholar
- Doomsday 2012: to be or not to be
- Grits, Fatback and the Evolution of Obesity
Devon Fisher
The Art and Literature of Healing
This course will use literature, film, television, drama, and other arts to ask questions both about what healing means and about what it means to be cared for. Along the way, we will use the arts to explore some of the ethical dilemmas that medical practitioners might face, to consider medical practice as vocation, and to reflect on the ways in which medical practice reflects our own cultural assumptions and values.
Luke Benton
Turn that racket down! The Rise & Fall of Rock n' Roll
In this course we will examine the evolution of the modern musical juggernaut known as rock & roll, basing our study not only in the ever-changing music scene, but also in the amorphous social climate that influenced and stimulated every chord and lyric. Our journey will include crooners from the 1920s, ‘30s, & ‘40s; "dangerous" Rhythm & Blues; The King, Elvis Presley; the British Invasion; psychedelic and hippie rockers The Doors, Jimi Hendrix, and Pink Floyd; the ‘70s rebels Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Marvin Gaye, and Bob Marley; hair bands (Aerosmith, Van Halen) to punk rockers (Ramones, Sex Pistols) from the ‘80s; the Seattle grunge innovators Nirvana and Pearl Jam; modern paradigms DMB, Tool, and System of a Down; as well as post-modern rock bands Mogwai and Explosions In The Sky.
Mary Lesser
Travels with a T-Shirt
Did you know that a t-shirt you buy in the United States could end up in the clothing markets of Africa? In this course we will learn about global markets by following the travels of a t-shirt from beginning to end and then build on that knowledge to learn about the effects of globalization and the issues it presents.
Mia Self
You Are Here: The Cartography of Self
An interactive course exploring mapping as a way to more fully understand the way people view themselves and the world. Experiential projects include journaling, movement, visual arts, and environmental exploration - no previous experience necessary!
Paul Custer
Science, Quackery & Truth: A History
An introduction to some of the most important developments in the history of Western science, ranging from Copernicus through to Climate Change. In each case, close attention is paid to fighting that surrounds discovery. Also in each case, the class will undertake an engaged learning activity to illustrate the problems and consequences of re-thinking the natural world around them.
Baseball and Other Religions
In his book, Religious Literacy, Stephen Prothero remarks that, among other things, the Yankees-Red Sox saga can only be understood from a solid grasp of religion. But that story of curse and redemption is only the tip of the iceberg. Baseball's rituals, its symbolism, and its "play" all suggest that the game can act as a kind of "civil religion" in the United States. Beginning from this insight, this course will explore questions about the nature of religion by looking at a variety religions-their goals, their practices and beliefs, their sacred texts-and will explore similarities and differences between baseball and these other religions. Religions new and old, mainstream and marginal, will be brought into the conversation. Students can expect to gain valuable knowledge about the world's religions and the religious dimension of human culture through comparison with this national pastime.
Michelle Mabry
The Science in Science Fiction
What makes science fiction different from science fact? Often, it's just a matter of time. Satellites, robots, cloning and flying cars were all predicted in science fiction, and most of those are now realities. This course will look at science fiction in literature, film and television from a broad perspective and with a firm foundation in the sciences.
Brian Goldsmith
Sex, race, politics, and other "impolite" topics
Some of the most important topics affecting our lives are simply never discussed. We are taught from early adulthood to avoid taboo topics in public. Sadly this means that important issues about sex, race, politics, and religion never discussed in an open and informed manner. These hot button topics end up becoming the fodder of shock jocks-people more interested in driving ratings with inflammatory speech than in understanding and fixing problems. This class will explore these sensitive issues to open up a meaningful conversation among students, and a deeper understanding of these contentious issues.
Karen McDougal
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle -- exploring the issues surrounding eating locally
Tomatoes in the winter, grapefruit or bananas anytime we like them--these are fruits and veggies in the 21st century. Refrigeration and long-distance transport have allowed us in the US to eat fresh fruits and vegetables year-round, without ever thinking of the hidden costs to society and the environment. Using Barbara Kingsolver's book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle (fall) and Michael Pollan's Omniovre Dilemma (spring) we will attempt to answer the question "What difference does it make if we eat locally?" We will visit local farms, farmers' markets and food production facilities as we explore these topics. We will even grow some of our food ourselves, but we will definitely cook and eat local foods.
David Ratke
Spirituality and Leadership
Business, industry and government are interested in leaders. They have discovered that one way of cultivating leadership is to respond to the spiritual impulse in its workers. We'll explore how you might nurture your "inner leader" in this course.
Jeffrey Wright
Women and the Economy
This course will use basic microeconomic concepts to examine the enormous changes in women's lives in the past few decades. Compared to 1960, women are disproportionally represented at colleges and universities, later marriage is now the norm, fertility has fallen sharply, the link between marriage and fertility has been weakened (births to single women - often hidden in 1960 - have grown; more families headed by a single mother), married women have joined the workforce in record numbers, and the gender gap in earnings has shrunk. This course is about such changes and the public policy issues that have resulted.
Jenny Smith
Peer Mentoring: Becoming a Role Model
This course will educate students on the importance of being a positive influence amongst their peers, while teaching them the skills needed to mentor their peers on varying issues, which may arise throughout their college careers. Students will also be given the opportunity to reflect on their own freshman college experience. This course is designed to appeal to those students who are particularly interested in majoring in "helping professions", including; Nursing, Education, Human and Community Service, Sociology, Psychology, and so on.
Laurette LePrevost
Roots of Southern Culture
"American by birth, Southern by the grace of God" - Often seen on baseball caps, bumper stickers, and even tattoos, this slogan reflects the pride Southerners take in their region. But what qualities make the South so special? During the first semester*, students, both native southerners and transplants, will explore Southern culture, history, literature, cuisine, music, and art. (During the spring, students will engage in more in-depth study of Southern history and literature.*) Guest lectures, fieldtrips, and original research will be an integral part of the course.
Eric Schramm
So Close and Yet So Far: Mexico and the United States
As Mexico and the United States become increasingly connected through trade, travel and immigration, it is more important than ever that the two countries have a deep and thorough understanding of each others' history, customs, and culture. We'll do our part in this class, through a wide variety of written texts, films, music, food, photography, and people, to get a better grasp on the fascinating and complex place that is Mexico. We'll get to know some of the families involved at Hickory's Centro Latino, and their perspective on the immigrant experience; they'll get to know us, and ours. At the same time as they tackle this topic, students will also acquire skills and information necessary for success here at LR and beyond. It'll be an eye-opening First Year Experience.
Michael Funk Deckard
Love, Friendship and Music
In the first semester, this course will focus primarily on love and friendship in Plato, Aristotle, and C. S. Lewis. What are the different kinds of love and how do they affect us differently? Whereas there are three different words for love in Greek, there is only one word in English. What is the difference between sexual love (eros) and friendship love (philia)? Are there other kinds of love as well? In the second semester, we will focus on music primarily as it promotes love and friendship. By means of listening to opera, classical, and pop music, as well as attending concerts, we will analyze how music contributes to our understanding of love and friendship.
Nathanial Ward
The Role of the Scholar
TBA
Douglas Burkholder
Doomsday 2012: to be or not to be
Long ago the Maya predicted that the end of the World will occur on December 21,2012. This course is about exploring questions centered around this prediction. Initially we focus on who made the prediction. We explore what is known about the Maya, one of the greatest ancient civilizations in the New World. We explore, when and where they lived, what they did and how they thought. We then move towards the prediction itself and strive to understand the significance of 12-21-2012 to the Maya. But wait one moment! Why are they are predicting our collapse? What about their own collapse? Their civilization collapsed over a thousand years ago! Why did they collapse? Didn't they see it coming? Could the Maya have prevented their own collapse? Which leads us back to: Could our civilization collapse?
Michelle Rimer
Grits, Fatback and the Evolution of Obesity:
This FYE is designed for students with an interest in health sciences, community health and southern culture. This course will use public health principles, scientific research, history, literature, and other arts to examine the reasons why obesity is such an acute issue in the South. Additionally, Southern customs pertaining to literature, cuisine, music and art will be woven through the course as a means to understand how our environments, traditions and beliefs impact our well-being.
