{"id":9237,"date":"2023-03-28T13:36:50","date_gmt":"2023-03-28T17:36:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.butler.edu\/academics\/?page_id=9237"},"modified":"2026-05-22T11:14:12","modified_gmt":"2026-05-22T15:14:12","slug":"making-a-difference","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.butler.edu\/academics\/core\/components\/first-year-seminar\/course-catalog\/making-a-difference\/","title":{"rendered":"Making a Difference"},"content":{"rendered":"<section class=\"content-block content-block--has-menu wp-block-butler-content-block\">\n\t<div class=\"content-block-container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"content-block-layout\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"content-block-menu-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<nav class=\"content-block-menu-nav\" aria-label=\"Site menu\" id=\"page-nav\"><div class=\"content-block-menu-wrapper\"><header class=\"content-block-menu-header\"><span class=\"content-block-menu-header-label\">First-Year Seminar Menu<\/span><button type=\"button\" class=\"content-block-menu-mobile-toggle\" title=\"Toggle menu\" aria-label=\"Toggle menu\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><\/button><\/header><ul class=\"content-block-menu-list\"><li class=\"content-block-menu-list-item content-block-menu-item-initial\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.butler.edu\/academics\/core\/components\/first-year-seminar\/course-catalog\/\" class=\"content-block-menu-list-link\">Course Catalog<\/a><\/li><li class=\"content-block-menu-list-item content-block-menu-item-initial\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.butler.edu\/academics\/core\/components\/first-year-seminar\/course-catalog\/honors-courses\/\" class=\"content-block-menu-list-link\">Honors FYS Courses<\/a><\/li><li class=\"content-block-menu-list-item content-block-menu-item-initial\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.butler.edu\/academics\/first-year-seminar-faculty\/\" class=\"content-block-menu-list-link\">Faculty<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/nav>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"content-block-content-container is-layout-constrained\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-making-a-difference\">Making a Difference<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>First-Year Seminar courses<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>ICR<\/strong>\u00a0course also fulfills an\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.butler.edu\/academics\/core\/components\/indianapolis-community-requirement\/\">Indianapolis Community Requirement<\/a>\u00a0credit.<br><b>*<\/b>Course offered as an Honors First-Year Seminar option<br>**Course offered to both Honors and non-Honors students<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-2c90304e wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button is-style-text-link-blue-medium\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.butler.edu\/academics\/core\/components\/first-year-seminar\/course-catalog\/\">Return to Course Catalog<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n<section class=\"content-block wp-block-butler-content-block\">\n\t<div class=\"content-block-container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"content-block-layout content-block-layout-menu-less\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"content-block-menu-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"content-block-content-container is-layout-constrained\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\"><div class=\"butler-accordion-container wp-block-butler-accordion-container\" data-allow-multiple=\"false\" style=\"--butler-accordion-title-bg-hover: ;\">\n\n<div class=\"butler-accordion-item wp-block-butler-accordion-item\">\n\t<div class=\"butler-accordion-header\">\n\t\t<h2 class=\"butler-accordion-title wp-block-butler-accordion-item\">\n\t\t\t<button class=\"butler-accordion-toggle\" aria-expanded=\"false\">\n\t\t\t\tBrain Candy**\t\t\t\t<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Open<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t<\/h2>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<div class=\"butler-accordion-item-content\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Instructor(s)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bryce Berkowitz<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Course Description<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In this course, our focus will be a lack of focus. Instead of one long marathon topic, let&#8217;s cover a shotgun smattering of topics: from image-based poetry to indie movies, from discovering life&#8217;s meaning to finding purpose in small moments, from voice-driven fiction to edgy memoirs, from redefining work culture to social movements, from graffiti art to street theatre, the perils of social media to inspirational Ted Talks to who knows what else&#8230; Let&#8217;s define our time together by taking a random and organic journey towards collective growth and awareness by asking big questions about some of life&#8217;s many topics.<\/p>\n\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"butler-accordion-container wp-block-butler-accordion-container\" data-allow-multiple=\"false\" style=\"--butler-accordion-title-bg-hover: ;\">\n\n<div class=\"butler-accordion-item wp-block-butler-accordion-item\">\n\t<div class=\"butler-accordion-header\">\n\t\t<h2 class=\"butler-accordion-title wp-block-butler-accordion-item\">\n\t\t\t<button class=\"butler-accordion-toggle\" aria-expanded=\"false\">\n\t\t\t\tBreaking Bad*\t\t\t\t<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Open<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t<\/h2>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<div class=\"butler-accordion-item-content\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Instructor(s)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Melissa Etzler<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Course Description<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Inspired by the ambiguity of \u201cbreaking bad,\u201d this course explores intersections of crime and madness. We will examine texts featuring issues of guilt, justice, abnormality, and deviance to uncover particular and universal social commentaries on moral values and community constructs. Focusing primarily on written and visual texts from the 18th century to the present, multidisciplinary fields will inform our interpretations.<\/p>\n\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"butler-accordion-container wp-block-butler-accordion-container\" data-allow-multiple=\"false\" style=\"--butler-accordion-title-bg-hover: ;\">\n\n<div class=\"butler-accordion-item wp-block-butler-accordion-item\">\n\t<div class=\"butler-accordion-header\">\n\t\t<h2 class=\"butler-accordion-title wp-block-butler-accordion-item\">\n\t\t\t<button class=\"butler-accordion-toggle\" aria-expanded=\"false\">\n\t\t\t\tCommunication and Power\t\t\t\t<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Open<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t<\/h2>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<div class=\"butler-accordion-item-content\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Instructor(s)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Robert Norris<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Course Description<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This course will examine the power of communication. Down through human history, communication has been used by some to exercise power over others. The evolution of speech, the advent of writing, the invention of printing, the ability to broadcast, the ability to post information on the internet&#8211;all these represent more than the exchange of information and messages; they have all been used as tools of influence which some seek to appropriate, and others seek to outwit.<\/p>\n\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"butler-accordion-container wp-block-butler-accordion-container\" data-allow-multiple=\"false\" style=\"--butler-accordion-title-bg-hover: ;\">\n\n<div class=\"butler-accordion-item wp-block-butler-accordion-item\">\n\t<div class=\"butler-accordion-header\">\n\t\t<h2 class=\"butler-accordion-title wp-block-butler-accordion-item\">\n\t\t\t<button class=\"butler-accordion-toggle\" aria-expanded=\"false\">\n\t\t\t\tFairy Tale, Self, and Society\t\t\t\t<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Open<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t<\/h2>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<div class=\"butler-accordion-item-content\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Instructor(s)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Jeana Jorgensen<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Course Description<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Often trivialized as &#8220;just for kids,&#8221; fairy tales have a centuries-long global history as wonder tales told by and for adults striving to articulate the complexities of power relations within social life: identity, gender roles, sexuality, and more. In this class, we will engage with fairy tales from oral and literary traditions, as well as retold fairy tales in the forms of short stories, novels, and films. Our goals are to learn about the messages fairy tales convey about self and society, as well as understand how narrative structure and story appeal apply to both scholarly writing and real life. In other words, we&#8217;ll study why the fairy tale is a classic template for coming-of-age experiences as well as more sophisticated political commentaries. Disney will provide only the briefest starting point on this journey.<\/p>\n\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"butler-accordion-container wp-block-butler-accordion-container\" data-allow-multiple=\"false\" style=\"--butler-accordion-title-bg-hover: ;\">\n\n<div class=\"butler-accordion-item wp-block-butler-accordion-item\">\n\t<div class=\"butler-accordion-header\">\n\t\t<h2 class=\"butler-accordion-title wp-block-butler-accordion-item\">\n\t\t\t<button class=\"butler-accordion-toggle\" aria-expanded=\"false\">\n\t\t\t\tFrom the HeARTland\t\t\t\t<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Open<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t<\/h2>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<div class=\"butler-accordion-item-content\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Instructor(s)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ashley Mack-Jackson<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Course Description<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Are you a dancer, musician, visual or multimedia artist, performer, writer, creative of any kind, or an enthusiastic lover of the arts? Explore Butler University and Indianapolis\u2019s diverse arts scene, engage in enriching discussions with local creatives, and join with Indianapolis-based arts organizations and artists to create your own artistic projects in \u201cFrom the HeARTland.\u201d Throughout this course you will investigate your own artistic identity as it relates to your community of origin and the Butler University and Indianapolis communities, consider how art impacts and is impacted by artists\u2019 identities and the community\u2019s culture, reflect on the role that the arts play in creating more diverse, equitable, inclusive, and just communities, and share with and learn from your peers as you all enter together into the vibrant Butler University and Indianapolis arts communities.<\/p>\n\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"butler-accordion-container wp-block-butler-accordion-container\" data-allow-multiple=\"false\" style=\"--butler-accordion-title-bg-hover: ;\">\n\n<div class=\"butler-accordion-item wp-block-butler-accordion-item\">\n\t<div class=\"butler-accordion-header\">\n\t\t<h2 class=\"butler-accordion-title wp-block-butler-accordion-item\">\n\t\t\t<button class=\"butler-accordion-toggle\" aria-expanded=\"false\">\n\t\t\t\tGreat Speeches\t\t\t\t<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Open<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t<\/h2>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<div class=\"butler-accordion-item-content\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Instructor(s)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Janis Crawford<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Course Description<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cSpeech is civilization itself. The word, even the most contradictory word, preserves contact\u2014it is silence which isolates.\u201d -Thomas Mann<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Speech can be a very powerful medium of persuasion and communication. Just like producing a written paper, a speech must be concise, present a compelling argument, and use the proper tone, and format to have a lasting effect on its audience. We will examine the orations of such great American speakers as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., President Ronald Reagan, Hilary Clinton, and Barbara Bush. This course will focus on the speech as a template for how to develop effective writing skills. In the course of reading and discussing the works of American orators, students will cultivate the skills necessary for critical thinking, oral communication, and effective writing. Class will involve discussion, student presentations, and writing assignments.<\/p>\n\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"butler-accordion-container wp-block-butler-accordion-container\" data-allow-multiple=\"false\" style=\"--butler-accordion-title-bg-hover: ;\">\n\n<div class=\"butler-accordion-item wp-block-butler-accordion-item\">\n\t<div class=\"butler-accordion-header\">\n\t\t<h2 class=\"butler-accordion-title wp-block-butler-accordion-item\">\n\t\t\t<button class=\"butler-accordion-toggle\" aria-expanded=\"false\">\n\t\t\t\tI\u2019ve Got That Main Character Energy: Bouncing Back from IRL Plot Twists\t\t\t\t<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Open<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t<\/h2>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<div class=\"butler-accordion-item-content\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Instructor(s)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Jules Grable<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Course Description<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Whether they are fighting mythical creatures or battling internal demons, main characters across literature, television, and film face seemingly insurmountable odds and persevere. What are the foundational aspects of this Main Character Energy that inspires such resilience? How do they build the relationships that ultimately help them succeed? What happens to the hero once the battle is won? In this course, students will explore how they can implement the lessons learned from The Hero\u2019s Journey to build up their own abilities to take on the challenges of life and manage those IRL plot twists through self-knowledge, healthy coping strategies, strong relationships, and resilience.<\/p>\n\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"butler-accordion-container wp-block-butler-accordion-container\" data-allow-multiple=\"false\" style=\"--butler-accordion-title-bg-hover: ;\">\n\n<div class=\"butler-accordion-item wp-block-butler-accordion-item\">\n\t<div class=\"butler-accordion-header\">\n\t\t<h2 class=\"butler-accordion-title wp-block-butler-accordion-item\">\n\t\t\t<button class=\"butler-accordion-toggle\" aria-expanded=\"false\">\n\t\t\t\tIf Songs Were Gods\t\t\t\t<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Open<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t<\/h2>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<div class=\"butler-accordion-item-content\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Instructor(s)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Robert Stapleton<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Course Description<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This class drops the needle on popular music as a significant and vibrant body of literature. We will employ the tools of literary analysis and critical thinking to examine the complex ways that 20th century music reflects cultural and artistic movements. We will consider aesthetic and neurological principles of sound, theoretical framings of lyrics, and the role of storytelling in the lyrical canon. We will engage in intellectual inquiry, debate, and scholarly writing in our investigations of how songs can embody the central tenets of literature and have expanded our cultural canon and informed our collective identity.<\/p>\n\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"butler-accordion-container wp-block-butler-accordion-container\" data-allow-multiple=\"false\" style=\"--butler-accordion-title-bg-hover: ;\">\n\n<div class=\"butler-accordion-item wp-block-butler-accordion-item\">\n\t<div class=\"butler-accordion-header\">\n\t\t<h2 class=\"butler-accordion-title wp-block-butler-accordion-item\">\n\t\t\t<button class=\"butler-accordion-toggle\" aria-expanded=\"false\">\n\t\t\t\tSocial Justice and Music\t\t\t\t<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Open<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t<\/h2>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<div class=\"butler-accordion-item-content\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Instructor(s)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">John Perkins<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Course Description<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What are the means and ends of music-making? This course explores the potentials, intentions and outcomes of making-music. We will reflect upon critical theories which help us how music intersects with many identities in society and how our identities influence music-making. Through discussion, readings and reflection, written papers and constructive projects, we will reimagine and redesign musical structures for justice-seeking outcomes.<\/p>\n\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"butler-accordion-container wp-block-butler-accordion-container\" data-allow-multiple=\"false\" style=\"--butler-accordion-title-bg-hover: ;\">\n\n<div class=\"butler-accordion-item wp-block-butler-accordion-item\">\n\t<div class=\"butler-accordion-header\">\n\t\t<h2 class=\"butler-accordion-title wp-block-butler-accordion-item\">\n\t\t\t<button class=\"butler-accordion-toggle\" aria-expanded=\"false\">\n\t\t\t\tStoried Food\t\t\t\t<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Open<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t<\/h2>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<div class=\"butler-accordion-item-content\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Instructor(s)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Jesse Van Gerven<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Course Description<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This FYS will explore the stories that people tell each other about food.&nbsp; Stories and narratives are extraordinarily powerful tools that people develop, use, and share for making sense of the world and making their way through it. Stories give structure and meaning to our lives.&nbsp; Stories shape our perceptions of food and what food means to us.&nbsp; We swim through a sea of stories about which foods are good to eat, and which foods are bad to eat; what foods are healthy, and what foods are unhealthy; stories about where food comes from, how it is prepared, and by whom; as well as stories about the nature of human societies and our relationships with other species and the environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In this course we will begin an exploration of these stories, their deeper meanings, and the&nbsp; connections between them across different places, different times, and different social locations.&nbsp; We will explore a wide variety of \u201ctexts\u201d including children\u2019s stories and nursery rhymes, short stories, novels, films, recipes and cookbooks, investigative journalism, TikTok and other videos, as well as academic articles and books.&nbsp; This will include exploring various elements of different \u201cfood cultures\u201d from around the world and from different periods of time.&nbsp; Later, we will focus more specifically on stories about good and bad food, including the scientific stories of nutrition and food science.&nbsp; This will lead us to yet other stories about food politics and how decisions about food are made and by whom, which leads to yet more stories about food companies and their roles in the food system.&nbsp; Throughout the course you will have many opportunities to critically engage with these materials, issues, and ideas.&nbsp; We will do some hands-on, experiential learning at Butler\u2019s campus farm, you will have an opportunity to do some creative work writing a children\u2019s story, nursery rhyme, or poem, as well as other individual and group projects and assignments.<\/p>\n\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"butler-accordion-container wp-block-butler-accordion-container\" data-allow-multiple=\"false\" style=\"--butler-accordion-title-bg-hover: ;\">\n\n<div class=\"butler-accordion-item wp-block-butler-accordion-item\">\n\t<div class=\"butler-accordion-header\">\n\t\t<h2 class=\"butler-accordion-title wp-block-butler-accordion-item\">\n\t\t\t<button class=\"butler-accordion-toggle\" aria-expanded=\"false\">\n\t\t\t\tThe Fight for ADA &#8211; Past, Present, and Future\t\t\t\t<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Open<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t<\/h2>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<div class=\"butler-accordion-item-content\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Instructor(s)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Karly Keiper<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Course Description<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Many people do not realize that the laws prohibiting discrimination on the basis of disability are younger than most of our grandparents. In this course, we will explore the life of the &#8220;mother of the disability rights movement&#8221;, Judy Heumann. We will analyze how her unique personal story, life experiences, and fierce advocacy have shaped the law-making around disability and civil rights. We will discuss the evolution of the movement beyond Judy&#8217;s &#8220;birth&#8221; of it, exploring what accessibility meant, currently means, and what Judy (and many, many others) hope for it to one day mean.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Content warning: abuse, neglect, and violence against people with disabilities<\/p>\n\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"butler-accordion-container wp-block-butler-accordion-container\" data-allow-multiple=\"false\" style=\"--butler-accordion-title-bg-hover: ;\">\n\n<div class=\"butler-accordion-item wp-block-butler-accordion-item\">\n\t<div class=\"butler-accordion-header\">\n\t\t<h2 class=\"butler-accordion-title wp-block-butler-accordion-item\">\n\t\t\t<button class=\"butler-accordion-toggle\" aria-expanded=\"false\">\n\t\t\t\tUnpacking the Hunger Games\t\t\t\t<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Open<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t<\/h2>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<div class=\"butler-accordion-item-content\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Instructor(s)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tom Paradis<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Course Description<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Along with its roles in contemporary pop culture, Suzanne Collins\u2019 Hunger Games can be interpreted through numerous disciplinary perspectives. This FYS invites you to \u201cunpack\u201d numerous layers of meaning embedded within Collins\u2019 original dystopian series (fall semester) and her recent prequels (spring semester). Students with any level of (in)experience are welcome, though some level of passion for exploring this world is a must. We will first examine this allegorical saga as a cultural and literary phenomenon before moving into connections with our own world. We will take our own academic tour of sorts, sampling a variety of perspectives including psychology, history, philosophy, English, gender studies, political science, communication, music history (the Covey!), and health science, among others. You will have the opportunity to explore any of these disciplinary connections within your own creative projects. 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