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First-Year Connections

Spring Seminars

2020

First-Year Seminars, Spring 2020 First-year seminars are small classes – limited to 19 students – that fulfill general education (distribution) requirements. Many of the seminars involve activities in New York City. Seminars are an excellent way to connect with peers and faculty in a relaxed and friendly setting. Note: As long as you started taking classes at Hofstra in the fall 2019 semester, you are eligible to register for a spring 2020 first-year seminar, even if you will reach sophomore class standing (30 or more credits) upon completion of the fall 2019 semester. To prepare for spring 2020 registration, you must complete the Blackboard tutorial “Pathway to PRIDE Fall 2019” and attend a group advising session to receive an alternate PIN. Check your Hofstra email for more information. First-year students with an alternate PIN may register for a spring 2020 first-year seminar or any other course on or after Sunday, October 27, 2019, at 10 p.m. If you have questions about this process, please contact your advising dean. You can find your advising dean’s name on the Hofstra portal in several locations: • Log in to my.hofstra.edu. • Go to Menu, click on Student Services, then click on Your Success Team. • Select the Student Success Connect icon on the homepage to view Your Success Team on the bottom right of the home screen. • Click on the Degree Works icon to view your degree audit. Your advising dean’s name will appear at the top of the audit. You can also contact the Center for University Advising (CUA) and ask, “Who is my advising dean?” Please call the CUA office at 516-463-6770 for any assistance you may need. The CUA Office is located in Room 101 Memorial Hall, South Campus

ANTHROPOLOGY

1. ANTH 014S, sec. 01: Myths Cross-Culturally (BH, CC), 3 s.h. M/W, 12:50-2:15 p.m., Anne Buddenhagen, CRN 22065 All over the world, humans have told stories in attempts to explain perplexing elements of their existence – mountains that unexpectedly spewed lava, rains that didn’t stop and flooded the landscape, relatives who betrayed them, and strange behaviors of their spouses. These stories, filled with horror, humor, and (sometimes) wisdom, were told around nighttime fires as part education and part entertainment. This course examines Viking stories of long, strange journeys; Navajo stories of monsters; and Maya stories of how to win wars. Please note: This course satisfies a University graduation requirement in either the Social Sciences or Cross-Cultural category.

2. ANTH 014S, sec. 02: Forensic Anthropology: Bones, Bodies, and Burials (BH), 3 s.h. T/R, 9:35-11 a.m., Kristen Hartnett-McCann, CRN 22430 This course evaluates popular depictions of forensic science and forensic anthropology and explores the diverse roles of a forensic anthropologist in a modern, medicolegal setting. Students participate in hands-on skeletal analyses, case studies, and mock crime scenes. Contemporary topics such as human rights, serial killers, mass fatalities, and ethics of human subjects research are investigated through readings and discussions. Please note: This course satisfies a University graduation requirement in the Social Sciences category. –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––————————————————————————––———

ASTRONOMY 3. ASTR 014S, sec. A and AL: Shining Stars and Beyond: The Birth, Life, and Death of Stars, Galaxies, and the Entire Universe (NS), 3 s.h. Lecture, T, 2:20-4:10 p.m.; Lab, R, 2:20-4:10 p.m.; Brett Bochner; CRNs 21457 and 21458 In this survey of the universe on truly big scales, we show how an understanding of light can bring us information from the greatest distances, and how matter itself is turned into energy to make the stars shine. We explore the births and deaths of stars, discovering how dying supergiant stars create the most powerful explosions, while also forming deadly Black Holes. We explore the different varieties of galaxies, and examine galactic clusters so large that the entire Milky Way is an invisibly tiny dot in comparison. The ideas of Albert Einstein are discussed, from the well-known E=mc^2, to his discovery that gravity is really a warping of space and a stretching of time. Lastly, we discuss how the universe itself originated in the "Big Bang", and how we can observe that the entire universe still expanding (and even accelerating in speed!) to this day. (Students in daytime sections will be required to attend several evening telescope observing sessions during the semester at the Hofstra Observatory, dynamically scheduled to account for the weather.)

Please note: This course satisfies a University graduation requirement in the Natural Sciences category.

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COMPARATIVE LITERATURE 4. CLL 014S, sec. 01: Homer (LT), 3 s.h. M/W, 12:50-2:15 p.m., Ilaria Marchesi, CRN 23681 This course is devoted to a close reading of Homer’s epics, The Iliad and The Odyssey, poems that for more than 2,500 years have profoundly influenced literature, art, and thought in the Western world and beyond. Students have the opportunity to learn how to practice close readings and informed literary analyses, as well as consider issues of translation. (We will have a chance to speak directly with Emily Wilson, the first female translator of The Odyssey into English; she will be at Hofstra in February.) Conceived as a cultural road map for his civilization, Homer’s poetry will be the space in which we reflect on our own civilization. Please note: This course satisfies a University graduation requirement in the Humanities category.

DRAMA 5. DRAM 014S, sec. 01: Improv for Everyone (AA, CP), 3 s.h. M/F, 9:35-11 a.m., Christopher Dippel, CRN 21367 Trust, teamwork, honesty, communication, risk: These are the foundations of improvisation, and these skills are useful in every career. This course employs theater games and performance exercises to help students learn to think on their feet, work collaboratively, communicate effectively, and trust their own creativity and ideas. Students attend performances of various types of improvisation.

Please note: This course satisfies a University graduation requirement in the Humanities category. –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––————————————————————————––———

FINE ARTS 6. FA 014S, sec. 01: Ceramics and Civilization (CP), 3 s.h. T/R, 8-9:25 a.m., Linda Casbon, CRN 23773 In this hands-on course, we use clay to explore the world of touch and object making. Students learn the basic techniques of working with clay while studying the significance of ceramic objects from the late Paleolithic era (29,000 BC) to the present. Objects are a reflection of the culture that created them and of a moment in time. Insight into the past offers an expanded view of the present. We use this as a foundation to explore clay as a medium to generate personally relevant artwork.

HISTORY 7. HIST 014S, sec. 01: Museum Studies (HP), 3 s.h. T/R, 9:35-11 a.m., Anne Chen, CRN 21660 This course provides a broad introduction to the museum world, exploring questions such as: What are the ethical and practical issues connected to the collection and display of objects? What is the role of the museum in the community, and how do museums effectively serve the diverse range of visitors to which they cater? How much is “too much” conservational intervention? How is technology changing the museum experience? Through site visits, hands-on experiences, in-class debates, provocative readings, and written assignments, students gain an understanding of the challenges and responsibilities that museums and their staff members encounter. Please note: This course satisfies a University graduation requirement in the Social Sciences category.

8. HIST 014S, sec. A: Baseball in American History (HP), 4 s.h. T/R, 4:30-6:25 p.m., John Staudt, CRN 21661 Baseball has played a central role in American culture for almost 200 years. The game’s events and characters reflect critical issues confronted in the larger society. How have people absorbed and participated in the game of baseball? We explore how the game paralleled the growth of the United States from an agrarian society through industrialization and into the 21st century. Topics include the origins of baseball and its development as a business; its role in national segregation and integration policies; topics of gender, regional identity, and immigration; economic issues such as the disparity between rich and poor teams; and labor-management issues. Finally, the course touches on great moments in baseball history, such as Satchel Paige’s strikeout of Josh Gibson, Bobby Thompson’s “shot heard ’round the world,” and “the catch” by Willie Mays. The course includes travel to night games at Citi Field and a local minor league ballpark. Please note: This course satisfies a University graduation requirement in the Social Sciences category.

PHILOSOPHY 9. PHI 014S, sec. 01: Meaning of Life (HP), 3 s.h. T/R, 9:35-11 a.m., Mark McEvoy, CRN 21673 For us to have a chance of finding the meaning of life, human life must have meaning, or at least the lives of individual human beings must have meaning. But perhaps these claims aren’t true, or don’t even make sense. Further, if claims about life having meaning aren’t true, or don’t even make sense, would that horrify or at least disappoint you? If so, does that reaction itself show that life has some kind of meaning after all? We pursue these questions through class discussions and readings.

Please note: This course satisfies a University graduation requirement in the Social Sciences category. –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––————————————————————————––———

PSYCHOLOGY 10. PSY 014S, sec. 01: CSI: Psychology (or, What Psychologists Could Teach Lawyers) (BH), 3 s.h. M/W/F, 12:50-1:45 p.m., Robin Flaton, CRN 22152 In several recent high-profile cases, jury decisions have left people stunned and angry. What were those jurors thinking? How could a reasonable person have come to that decision? In this course, we seek to make sense of these issues. Our focus is not on what jurors might be thinking, but on how jurors might be thinking — about the evidence they are presented, about the witnesses, the accused, the lawyers involved, and about each other. Can psychological research increase the likelihood of a “just” outcome in the courtroom? To answer this question, we examine several areas, including the validity of eyewitness identifications; the effect of institutional racism within the criminal justice system; the efficacy of psychological jury selection; and some cognitive and social dynamics of jury deliberation.

WRITING STUDIES AND RHETORIC 11. RHET 014S, sec. 01: Truth, Public Communication, and Fake News (CP), 3 s.h. M/W, 12:50-2:15 p.m., Philip Dalton, CRN 22570 We start by exploring democracy’s requirements for the free flow of true facts. This involves understanding some foundational perspectives on democracy and truth. On that foundation, we begin to examine “fake news” issues of the day, including the role of fake news in the 2016 presidential election, evidence of foreign involvement in its production, who believes it, the challenges it poses to free speech, newer “deep fake” technology, corporate social media policy, and concerns as we approach the 2020 election. An emphasis throughout is placed on distinguishing real news from fake news. Please note: This course satisfies a University graduation requirement in the Humanities category.

12. WSC 014S, sec. 01: Fashion Writing in the New Millennium (CP), 3 s.h. M/W, 12:50-2:15 p.m., Rory McDonough, CRN 21672 Fashion is much more than sequins and chiffon – it serves as a reflection of the zeitgeist of the culture in which it is created. From Anna Wintour’s influential role in campaigning for Barack Obama, to Lady Gaga serving as the face of Versace, to fashion bloggers earning millions of dollars for opinions, fashion is at the forefront of creative culture around the world. In this course, we explore the fashion world at large by surveying fashion magazines such as Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue, and we explore the influential role fashion editors play in shaping contemporary culture. If you enjoy designer bags, shoes, and clothing so much that you’d love nothing more than to discuss fashion and write about it, then this course is for you. You’ll even start to create your own fashion writing portfolio. Please note: This course satisfies a University graduation requirement in the Humanities category.

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