Seminar Topics

Faculty: Emerick, Barrett

Schedule: MWF 1:10PM - 2:00PM

What does it mean to be a good person? Usually we might take that to be a moral question about how you ought to act or treat other people. We’ll ask those questions, but we’ll also explore what it means to be a person in the first place, how that can go badly for someone, and how others in their moral community can help it to go well. Specifically, we’ll think through what it means to say that persons are profoundly social beings by exploring what we’ll call a narrative account of the self and a relational account of autonomy. We’ll then go on to think about ways that things like technology and social media can undermine both. We’ll conclude by thinking about humans as beings who are capable of repairing the wrongs they commit and the harms they do to others.

Faculty: Park,Bradley

Schedule: TR 6:10PM - 7:25PM

This course examines the relationship between body and mind. While we will start from traditional conceptions of mind-body dualism, the bulk of the course will concentrate on how intelligence arises out of our embodiment and on the significance of mind-body integration.

Faculty: O'Sullivan, Brian

Schedule: TR 12:20PM - 1:35PM

This seminar will explore the varied ways—from the solemn to the silly--in which writers, poets, comedians and filmmakers use the written word to recall and/or call out social injustices and to raise possibilities of positive change in society. We’ll look at literature as a complex set of practices with both aesthetic and ethical dimensions, and we’ll explore its relationship to humor, trauma, memory and other aspects of human experience. Students will write and revise several analytical and interpretive essays about cultural acts of commemoration and satire and will experiment with some creative commentary of their own on social justice issues. Students should expect to propose topics for discussion and for their own projects, to participate actively in discussion during every session of the class, and to write and revise on a weekly basis. Careful reading and listening and mutually respectful dialogue will be emphasized.

Faculty: Zaman, Nadeem

Schedule: TR 9:55AM - 11:10AM

The short story is one of the most dynamic forms of storytelling. Lifetimes can happen in few short pages, just as the seemingly smallest interactions can alter lives and relationships forever. In this class we will dive deep into the reading of short fiction, discuss their various elements, and read critical works and essays about the short story. Through a series of focused writing assignments, students will engage the knowledge they gain to write analytic, argumentative, and research-based works based on short stories.

Faculty: Beers, Morgan

Schedule: MWF 3:10PM - 4:00PM

Throughout the 21st century, the rise of technology has presented a multitude of possibilities for life outside of one’s typical, physical, social bubble. This course sets out to examine how digital and media spaces, such as podcasts, commercials, social media sites, video games, digital life simulator space, etc., have impacted how we shape our identities and ways of communicating in our current world. Using the lens of digital rhetoric, we will interact with and examine various forms of multimodal and digital texts to better understand how the authors create meaning and how we, as the audience, interpret said meaning outside of the constraints of written, academic texts. You will utilize rhetorical analysis to engage with various forms of multimedia and multimodal readings to build a rhetorical toolkit for engaging, analyzing, and producing multimodal projects, which will then be used to produce your own multimodal projects relating to a singular theme of your choosing. Possible topics include the peer pressure and social media, social media and psychology, digital community organizing, digital social movements, the creation of a digital self in video games, etc.

Faculty: Coleman, Jeffrey

Schedule: TR 9:55AM - 11:10AM

This first-year seminar explores how sports function as national storytelling on the page, screen, and field of play. Through novels, short stories, memoir excerpts, poems, films, and media analysis, we will consider how writers and filmmakers use sports to dramatize adversity, personal growth, teamwork, exclusion, and resistance. Likewise, students will examine how athletic narratives intersect with major cultural themes, reflect social tensions, and give voice to questions of power, (inter)national identity, race, gender, class, and belonging. We will engage with literary and cinematic works to analyze sports media and develop critical frameworks for understanding why athletic competition and stories, whether triumphant or heartbreaking, occupy such a prominent place in American life and culture.

Faculty: Oliver, Crystal

Schedule: MWF 1:10PM - 2:00PM

On a page, song lyrics and poems look similar, relying on figures of speech and poetic techniques. But what happens when we add music, performance, and technology? What happens when we take away those aspects? How do songwriters respond to, reflect, and incorporate various musical styles, genres, and themes? What themes are specific to individual writers? What makes music so powerful? How has it influenced daily life and society as a whole? This seminar will explore song lyrics' sound, structure, form, language, and cultural context across genres and periods. In search of answers, we will investigate the historical and literary roots of poetry and song to better appreciate their relationship. We’ll examine the social, personal, and political environment in which a song was written and discuss how personal expression, emotional authenticity, social commentary, ritual, and entertainment intersect. We may look at photographs, read short stories and poems, take in performances, listen to songs, and watch movies that may have informed a particular writer and his/her work. As you progress, the shape of the course will reflect the issues in your research.

Faculty: Dennie, Garrie

Schedule: TR 1:45PM - 3:00PM

From the music of Bob Marley to the music of Beyoncé, this course examines the ways in which African Americans, Afro-Caribbean people, and Africans have used music to create zones of artistic freedom to enrich their experience of faith and interrogate and challenge systems of oppression in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. The fundamental historical challenge is to understand the contexts within which Africans and African diasporic peoples produced this music, the impact of the music in shaping the lives of their broader communities, and the changing forms the music would take. The course is particularly interested in charting how Black musicians in racially disempowered and marginalized communities have sought to transform their world and give value to Black lives in a world that remains hostile to this principle. The course is divided into three geographical units. The first four weeks will be devoted to the Caribbean, the next three to Africa and the final six weeks to the USA.

Faculty: Basaran, Betul

Schedule: TR 9:55AM - 11:10AM
Schedule: TR 12:20PM - 1:35PM

In this course, we will focus on the history, experiences, and perspectives of American Muslims, primarily, but not exclusively, of Muslim women. Contrary to their popular representation as outsiders and foreigners, Muslims have a long history and presence in the Americas that predates the USA and they have been actively engaged in  social justice movements, including the Civil Rights movement and contemporary justice movements. After examining the history of Muslims in American society, we will explore some of these  movements, such as the #BlackLivesMatter movement and the Women’s March in DC.

Faculty: Ballesteros, Jose

Schedule: MWF 9:30AM - 10:20AM

Will explore the history and social, political, and artistic contributions of Latinxs in the US. Students will learn to analyze writing, film, photography, music and other forms of cultural production that serve to resist oppressive marginalization and seek to empower the cultures they reflect.

Faculty: McDowell, Jessye

Schedule: TR 12:20PM - 1:35PM

In a time and culture saturated with information and images, attention has become a scarce resource. The ongoing competition for your attention has become a driving force of our economy through social media and other algorithmic metrics of digital life, which has consequences for creativity, democracy, freedom, and human experience. This class invites students to think critically about the ways humans engage with technology, as well as how technology shapes our values and experience. We will draw from an array of sources and disciplines, including history, social and behavioral sciences, art, science fiction, and literature, to explore in depth how communication technologies and human identities are intertwined.

Faculty: Davis, Patricia

Schedule: MWF 1:10PM - 2:00PM

Roll up your yoga mat and pause between asanas (poses) to take a deeper dive into yogic philosophy. Yoga means to "yoke," or "connect" your mind, body, and spirit. How can we live this in everyday life? Does yoga only mean to practice poses and breathing, or is there more to it? Students will learn the basics of yogic philosophy and explore ways to incorporate nature, awareness, and mindfulness into daily living.

Faculty: Mantell, James

Schedule: TR 8:30AM - 9:45AM

In the end, everything is history. This course presents a secular reflection on the fragility of life on our world across deep time. We’ll sweep through the ages to examine global extinction events, calamitous moments in human history, climactic forces that threaten life on our planet, and the certainty of ultimate cosmic doom. By the end of the course, you’ll be prepared to act with new ideas and skills that might bolster our chances. Well, at least for a little while because… nothing lasts forever. It’s the history of The End!

Faculty: Adler, Chuck

Schedule: MW 3:10PM - 4:25PM

Science fiction has been described as the “literature of the future”, but if so, where are the flying cars and moon colonies?  On the other hand, how did computers get so much better than the literature predicted?  In this class we are going to look at predictions by science fiction writers and futurologists, and see which predictions came true, which ones didn’t, and what we can learn from this.

Faculty: Lambert, Sterling

Schedule: TR 3:10PM - 4:25PM

For as long as love has existed (and when hasn’t it?), music has had something to say about it. In this course we will study two of the most famous and beloved musical disquisitions on love, the operas La Boheme (1896) and Madam Butterfly (1904), by Italian composer Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924). Indeed, these works are as relevant today as they ever were, dealing as they do with issues both of public health (La Boheme) and of race and colonialism (Madam Butterfly). We will consider not only the literary sources that inspired them, but also how they in their turn inspired two of the most significant musicals of the late twentieth century, Rent (1996, inspired by La Boheme) and Miss Saigon (1989, inspired by Madam Butterfly).

Faculty: Villada, Diego

Schedule: TR 9:55AM - 11:10AM

Performance is everywhere. It exists not only on stages and screens, but in rituals, politics, classrooms, sports, religion, protests, social media, and everyday human interaction. Drawing from Richard Schechner’s Performance Studies: An Introduction (4th ed.), this course introduces students to the interdisciplinary field of Performance Studies and examines performance as both an artistic practice and a framework for understanding culture, identity, and human behavior. Through readings, discussion, observation, writing, and performance-based experimentation, students will investigate how individuals and communities

“perform” race, gender, nationality, power, memory, and selfhood across different contexts. The course approaches performance not simply as entertainment, but as a way of knowing, communicating, rehearsing, resisting, and imagining the world. Emphasis will be placed on critical thinking, interdisciplinary analysis, embodied learning, and the development of the liberal arts scholar as an engaged observer, communicator, and citizen.

Faculty: Nyman, Whitney

Schedule: TR 1:45PM - 3:00PM

Love Abbott Elementary? Or scrolling TeacherTok? Take a deep-dive into all things education while honing your critical literacy skills in this interactive course about the purpose and practices of quality educational systems. This comprehensive course focuses on philosophies and best practices in education, especially those related to the theories that sustain systems of public education. We will examine inclusive and equitable educational practices by studying researchers, theorists, authors, and influencers who have shaped the field of education. This course will appeal to people interested in Educational Studies, Special Education, and a number of related fields, including philosophy, government, history, and psychology. As a student in this course you will study the interconnected nature of fostering high quality instruction in public education, as you develop a critical framework for reading, thinking, and writing about complex ideas.

Faculty: Porter, Elka

Schedule: TR 6:10PM - 7:25PM

This seminar will explore the living resources of the Chesapeake Bay from an ecosystem perspective. Designed for non-science majors, it will acquaint students with the Bay's watershed, its physical environment, and its living organisms, with an emphasis on the connections between these factors. Understanding the relationships between physical, chemical and biological processes will equip students to comprehend and appreciate the remarkable productivity of our estuary, as well as provide them with the knowledge needed to protect the Bay.

Faculty: Wilfong, Matthew

Schedule: MWF 1:10PM - 2:00PM

In this class, we will explore the Slow Food movement and the intricate connections between people and the environment through the lens of food. Using the books of two Michelin-star chefs turned environmentalists and slow food advocates as a platform, we will explore the slow food movement as a philosophy that emphasizes the importance of locally sourced, sustainably produced, and seasonally available food. In this class, we will delve into the principles of Slow Food, understanding its origins, and examining its impact on global and local food systems and environments. This class aims to inspire mindful and responsible food practices, encouraging you think critically and holistically about your food choices and their resulting impact on the local, regional, and global environment. Throughout the semester, we will explore our local food throughout St Mary’s County and the broader Delmarva region through hands-on, practical engagements with local food practitioners and proprietors.

Faculty: Torres-Martinez, Lorena

Schedule: MWF 10:30AM - 11:20AM

Conservation biology is a �����Ƶ course that introduces key ecological, evolutionary and socio-economic concepts needed to propose strong management and restoration efforts of natural ecosystems. Students will interact with members of state parks and other conservation agencies in the US and Latin America that can provide case-study examples of successful conservation efforts

Faculty: Goethel, Christina

Schedule: MWF 10:30AM - 11:20AM

This �����Ƶ course is designed to introduce new college students to a snapshot of what it is like to work at sea and in oceanographic field work. The course will be structured around discussions and readings about basic ocean science with perspectives from the sea going community. We will dive into topics including the types of boat field work (large scale, long term and short term, smaller scale), international collaborations, cultural expectations on different ships, and women and gender diverse people in STEM, particularly out at sea and the challenges that accompany all of these. Throughout the course of the semester, students will read stories from living women across STEM fields in the book Determined to be Extraordinary to learn about the many paths a STEM career can take and the variety of opportunities that unfold. In addition, the course will discuss the rapid changes many marine ecosystems are experiencing and how we can plan ways to help solve these problems using ship work.

Faculty: Goldstine, Susan

Schedule: MW 3:10PM - 4:25PM

In the modern college curriculum, Mathematics and Literature live at a great remove, seated in the STEM fields and the humanities respectively.  But far from being strangers, mathematics and literature have been in conversation for centuries.  The connection is not confined to the most recognized and explicit literary appeals to math, such as Edwin Abbott’s Flatland or H.G. Wells’s The Time Machine.  Instead, we find threads of geometry, number theory, algebra, and so forth in the works of Edna St. Vincent Millay, James Joyce, Georges Perec, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Edgar Allen Poe, Murasaki Shikibu, and many other authors not traditionally associated with mathematics.  In this course, we will investigate the ways in which mathematics, writing, and the creative arts are intricately intertwined.

Faculty: Cohen, Inbal

Schedule: MW 3:10PM - 4:25PM

In this course we will discuss what and how we can and can’t learn from fiction and philosophical arguments. We will read a selection of science fiction short stories, dialogues, and thought experiments. Our discussions will focus on topics such as: what being human means given science fiction dealing with AI; death, the afterlife and god; the purpose of beauty; problems with empathy; and more.

Faculty: Ortega, Jeannine

Schedule: MWF 1:10PM - 2:00PM

This �����Ƶ course will introduce students to rhetorical analysis and college-level writing. We will examine how arguments are constructed through authors, audiences, contexts, and interpretation with special focus on detective fiction. Students will gain knowledge of concepts such as the rhetorical situation, discourse communities, and rhetorical artifacts. Our projects will focus on engaging in visual and textual literacies and gaining experience in investigative writing and research.

Faculty: Gabriel, Gerald

Schedule: MWF 10:30AM - 11:20AM

In this first-year seminar, we will examine our society’s complicated relationship with the Internet, a technology whose rapid evolution has made it nearly ubiquitous, touching many features of life, from education and employment, to transportation and our social lives. We will begin by discussing the origins of the Internet and its growth over the past half century, along the way examining a cross section of the seemingly countless impacts the Internet has on us. A partial list of those topics includes: the Internet and political discourse, especially around ideas of “truth”; the impact of the Internet on journalism; Internet privacy and security; AI, “net neutrality” and Internet access; Internet storage energy-use; social media and other social impacts; and the future of the Internet, particularly the Internet of Things. To enrich our discussions and responses, we will examine books, essays, short stories, articles, video essays, films, TV shows, songs and other media about the Internet.

Faculty: Salam, Muhammad Talha

Schedule: MWF 2:10PM - 3:00PM

Description will be available soon.