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COURSE DETAILS

 

FSEM100-01 (CRN 4618)  Energy and the Environment

One of the most
important challenges facing the world in the twenty-first century is to identify and develop sustainable sources of energy in order to maintain a reasonable standard of living while also minimizing our impact on the environment. This seminar will discuss the science of energy production and usage for a variety of energy sources and energy conservation strategies, and also examine the environmental advantages and drawbacks of each source or strategy. The Deepwater Horizon oil spill into the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 and the nuclear disaster in Japan after the earthquake and tsunami of 2011 illustrate just some of the dangers underlying our current energy production portfolio. The science regarding the challenge of global climate change will also be discussed. While the seminar is discussion based and writing intensive, students will be introduced to the basic physical principles and skills necessary to understand the issues involved in energy systems and sustainability, including physical units conversion and problem solving techniques. The course will also include course blog postings and discussion of topics of current interest regarding energy and environmental issues found in the popular press.

Your Professor

Kevin Riggs holds a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Minnesota and specializes in research on magnetic materials useful for magnetic recording and information storage. He also holds an M.S. in Physics/Musical-acoustics from Case Western Reserve University and has an active research program using laser-based holographic techniques to image the vibration patterns of musical instruments. He teaches many advanced courses for physics majors, but especially enjoys interacting with students from a wide range of backgrounds in his general education course on musical acoustics titled "The Science of Music" and his new first-year seminar titled "Energy and the Environment." In his spare time, Dr. Riggs enjoys playing guitar in a Stetson faculty jazz quartet, the "Thin Film Magnetism."

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FSEM100-02 (CRN  4619) Writing for the Health of It

Is writing good for your health? Many writers describe their creative process as a sort of spiritual practice from which they gain insight. And many of us have experienced the way we can write our way to answers in our lives and discover our inner wisdom. Numerous fictional works explore illness—are writers drawing from their related experiences and instinctively moving themselves toward wellness when they write? Is it that same impulse that drives others to keep journals and diaries or turn their troubles into poems? Scientific studies on the impact of writing on health—both emotional and physical—show remarkable results, supporting what those who love to read and write have known all along: the written word is powerful medicine. Where do writing, spirituality, and wellness meet? This course explores that intersection through a variety of texts, discussion, and written responses. In addition, students will learn the sort of writing that has been found to be healing and have the opportunity to experience its potential through journaling and creative writing. This course includes a service-learning component, in which students will perform some tasks off-campus in our local community.

Your Professor

Gail Radley, a lecturer in the English Department, received her B.A. in Independent Studies with an emphasis in creative writing from Mary Baldwin College and her M.A. in English from Stetson. Besides journaling and dabbling in poetry, she is the author of 21 books for children and young adults, as well as various articles and short stories for adults. One of these, "Writing With the Ink of Light on the Tablet of the Spirit," a paper Radley presented at the annual Writing and Wellness Conference, was published in Writing and Wellness Connections (Evans: Idyll Arbor, 2010).

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 FSEM100-03 (CRN  4620)  Thinking About Poetry

 Why does poetry, one of the oldest art forms, not only survive but flourish in the twenty-first century? In this class we will consider how poems make meaning as strangely and as beautifully as the sky produces weather. We will read translations of famous works (Robert Pinsky's translation of Dante's Inferno) as well some famous revisions (the new version of Plath's Ariel ) and consider the stunning and sometimes desperate measures poets take to tease what is real out of the artifice of language. Students will write analytically about poetry, attend readings by writers, and read some of their class favorites at the longest-running student reading series in Florida, Poetry at an Uncouth Hour.

 Your Professor

 Terri Witek is the author of four books of poetry as well as a scholarly book about U.S. poet Robert Lowell. She has a special interest in the connection between poetry and the visual arts. A graduate of Vanderbilt University, she directs the Sullivan Creative Writing Program in the English Department. She is a past winner of the prestigious William Hugh McEniry Award for teaching excellence at Stetson.

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FSEM100-09 (CRN  4626)  The Search for Wisdom

 

You don't tug on Superman's cape. You don't spit into the wind. (Jim Croce)

A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing personal opinion. (Proverbs)

Never insult an alligator until after you have crossed the river. (Cordell Hull)

Ancient seekers of wisdom believed that there was meaning in human existence. If you found the rhythms of life, success followed. Other thinkers were less positive. No matter how hard you try, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, and sometimes you get sucker-punched! As did the sages of old, students will enter the ageless quest for wisdom. We'll explore the traditions of the ancient Near East including that of the biblical texts. We'll look to wisdom traditions within world religions and consider contemporary expression of wisdom themes. The worldview of wisdom, as a social movement and as language and literature, will provide students a blueprint for developing their own guide for finding meaning in life.

 Your Professor

 Kandy Queen-Sutherland holds the Sam R Marks Chair of Religion. Her courses focus on the literature of the Bible, particularly Hebrew Scriptures and often grow out of the interplay of biblical texts and issues of social justice. Before coming to Stetson, she taught on a theological faculty in Switzerland. Her love of international travel continues at Stetson through the offering of travel courses to Greece and Turkey as well as the Middle East. She enjoys being the mother of a Stetson student, living on a dirt road, volunteering at the Neighborhood Center, and downtown DeLand on Friday evenings.

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FSEM100-10 (CRN  4627)  Self and World (This seminar is required for incoming first-year Bonner Scholars.)

 What does the term "individual" mean apart from "the community"? What does "community" mean apart from the concept of "the individual"? This seminar will explore the relationship between these two concepts with a view to understanding how the community shapes the individual and how the individual can, and should, shape the community. We will think about issues pertaining to social justice and ask what responsibility the individual has for her or his own formation and what responsibility the individual has for the formation and well being of the community. Service learning in the community is central to this exploration.

 Your Professor

 After earning his B.A. from Stetson University, Greg Sapp went on to earn an M.Div. from Princeton Theological Seminary and the Ph.D. in Philosophical Theology from the University of Virginia. He is particularly interested in the formation of Christian thought and doctrine. He has published articles and presented papers in the fields of doctrinal development, historical philosophy and theology, and religion and culture. His latest work is in the area of sports and religion. He returned to Stetson in 2006 and holds the Hal S. Marchman Chair of Civic and Social Responsibility. He comes to us most recently from Mercer University in Macon, Georgia, where he was awarded the 2005 Spencer B. King Distinguished Faculty Award. He has taught first-year seminars for 12 years now.

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FSEM100-12 (CRN  4629)  The Mysteries of Perception

 We will explore, through discussion, readings, observation, and simple demonstrations, the best understandings of how our sensory systems define what we perceive about the world around us. Course material will include primary scientific literature, popular books on sensory perception, and works of art that will allow us to explore the mechanisms of perception.

 Your Professor

 Michael King is a Professor of Biology and teaches Introductory Biology, Neurobiology, Animal Behavior, and Endocrinology. He earned a B.A. in Biology from Princeton University and a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the University of Virginia and completed postdoctoral work at the University of Michigan. He is interested in how the brain processes sensory information and produces appropriate behavioral responses. His research, which has been sponsored by NSF and NIH grants, has focused on brain mechanisms underlying behavioral responses to taste input. Students regularly work with him on peer-reviewed scholarly papers and conference presentations. He chairs the Health Professions Advisory Committee and serves as a DJ for a punk rock show on WHAT, the campus digital station. In 2008, he received the McEniry Award, Stetson's highest recognition for excellence in teaching.

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FSEM100-13 (CRN  4630)  Ecology and Evolution

 In this course we investigate two of the major themes in modern Biology. First, we discuss how evolution has a profound impact on our understanding of all biological systems. We also consider how the concept of evolution has been the subject of controversy, particularly in our public schools.  Second, we discuss how the study of human cultures from across the globe and an understanding of their environmental impacts can inform our efforts to live in a more sustainable manner. Students who enroll in this course should enjoy being outside in natural habitats. On Fridays we will frequently take field trips to local areas including Blue Spring State Park and Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge.

 Your Professor

 Terry Farrell came to Stetson from Stanford University where he was conducting research on Marine Biology. He teaches in a variety of courses on Ecology and Marine Biology at Stetson. In the last two decades he has done research with many Stetson students. This research has resulted in more than a dozen published articles on the ecology and behavior of turtles and rattlesnakes. He is a former chair of the Biology Department. In 2009 he won the Hague Award for outstanding teaching in the College of Arts and Sciences.

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FSEM100-14 (CRN  4631)  Kitchen Chemistry

 This seminar takes a scientific approach to cooking and explores the chemistry of foods and the various techniques employed in gastronomy. We will begin by exploring how early humans gradually changed their eating habits. We will then focus on the nature of various foods, how they are made, and why they are made in that way in various international cuisines. We will also try to understand why and when specific culinary habits began. A hands-on approach will be taken, in which experiments will be carried out to answer questions such as," Can you taste foods if you simultaneously hold your nose?" and, "Is there a remedy to over salted soup?"

 Your Professor

 Ramee Indralingam started teaching at Stetson University after she received a Ph.D. in analytical chemistry from the University of Florida. She teaches general chemistry, analytical chemistry, and instrumental analysis. She has also taught forensic chemistry in the Honors Program at Stetson. She is interested in determining the volatile and medicinal components of herbs and spices, and in developing new and innovative lab experiments for the curriculum. A recent success was in developing a technique to determine the amount of iron in the yolk of an egg. She carries out her research with the collaboration of chemistry and biochemistry majors.

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FSEM100-16 (CRN  4633)  The West in Question

 It is impossible to read a newspaper, surf the Internet, or watch the nightly news without hearing how "western values" are under assault. Chinese economic might, Islamic terrorism, Russian imperialism—the so-called "West" faces numerous challenges. Such challenges are hardly new, of course. From the Thirty Years War and The French Revolution to the Holocaust and the Cold War, "Westerners" have debated, fought, and even killed each other in the name of "freedom," "equality," "nation", "democracy," and "Judeo-Christian" values. By analyzing major questions in Modern European History, this First Year Seminar will inquire whether "The West" possesses a coherent set of values and whether those values continue to have relevance at the outset of the twenty-first century

 Your Professor:

 Eric Kurlander, Associate Professor of Modern European History, studied at Bowdoin College (BA) and Harvard University (MA, PhD) before coming to Stetson in 2001. His most recent book, Living With Hitler: Liberal Democrats in the Third Reich (Yale University Press, 2009), examines the ways in which German liberals negotiated, resisted, and in some ways accommodated the Third Reich. His first book, The Price of Exclusion: Ethnicity, National Identity, and the Decline of German Liberalism, 1898-1933, appeared in 2006. He has published articles in leading journals, including Central European History, German History, and The Journal of Contemporary History, and held research and writing fellowships from the Fulbright Foundation; Alexander von Humboldt Foundation; the German Historical Institute; the German Academic Exchange Service; the Krupp Foundation; and Harvard University's Program for the Study of Germany and Europe. His current projects include a textbook, The West in Question: Continuity and Change (Pearson-Longman), and Hitler's Monsters: A Supernatural History of the Third Reich. In his free time, Kurlander enjoys parenting, reading, travel, sports, and popular culture.

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FSEM100-17 (CRN  4634)  The Voice of the People

  In this course, we will examine the role of citizens in political decision-making. Our main goal is to explore whether or not average citizens have the capacity to understand complex political and economic issues and convey meaningful preferences to political leaders. We will explore readings on the topic of citizen input ranging from classics of political philosophy to cutting edge research on the nature of public opinion. Participants in this course will participate in the development and implementation of a Deliberative Poll, which is an alternative polling technique that involves bringing citizens together to discuss issues important to the local community.

 Your Professor

 David Hill received his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Stetson and his Master of Arts and Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Florida. He teaches courses in the areas of American politics, political parties and representation, campaigns and elections, and research methodology. His research focus is on political behavior with a specific interest in the interaction between institutions and political participation. He has published articles in several professional political science journals and is also the author of American Voter Turnout: An Institutional Perspective (Westview Press), a book exploring the impact of governmental and electoral institutional arrangements on turnout in American elections. 

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FSEM100-18 (CRN  4635) Utopias in Fiction, Real Life, and Virtual Reality

Are you drinking the Kool-Aid? This seminar engages students in the exploration of the phenomena of utopias (idealized communities). These communities are created, in fiction or in practice, to show us either a better way of life that we can attain, or the hell-on-earth that we must avoid. In the class we discuss classic utopian works of fiction and film. We study the history of real-world utopian communities in the United States and explore the reasons for their success or failure. Finally, we look at modern day "utopias of convenience" that last for a week in the desert or that come to life nightly on the internet. From the Garden of Eden, to Walt Disney's original proposal for EPCOT, to Burning Man, we will pursue the meaning of it all.

Your Professor

 When not pursuing his hobbies of planning the future of DeLand, robot building, sports car racing, or movie making, Bill Ball teaches political science as a visiting associate professor at Stetson. He grew up in Kansas City, Missouri and has also lived in Iowa, Ontario, and New Jersey. His Ph.D. is from the University of Missouri-Columbia, where he focused on political philosophy and public policy. In recent years he has become very involved in civic engagement and regularly works with his students on local policy issues and on engaging the public in  building a stronger community.

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FSEM100-21 (CRN  4638) American Freedom in Action

Free speech, freedom of religion, freedom from unreasonable search and seizure, due process of law—commonly recognized terms, but what do they mean in practice? Using public schools as our backdrop, we will examine American freedom by reading and discussing exciting legal cases with primary focus on U.S. Supreme Court decisions. Can students protest? Pray? Advocate illegal behavior? Be strip searched? Can a school post the Ten Commandments? Censor student publications? Teach intelligent design alongside evolution? Compel students to accept diversity? Ban the expression of uncomfortable ideas?

We also consider the inevitable conflict between the twin pillars of the American experience: freedom and democracy. When individual freedoms clash with the desires of the majority, how are we to referee the disagreement? Should the majority always rule? Are there instances where one's individual rights are so important that it does not matter what the majority believe? Where do we draw the line between individual liberties and majority rule? Anyone who is considering a career in law, education, religion, politics—or who is passionate about liberty—will enjoy this hands-on study of America's experience in defining individual freedom while preserving democratic order.

Your Professor

Glen Epley has been a sportswriter, high school history teacher, professor at three universities, deputy superintendent of a 55,000 student school district, and a senior executive for the world's 8th largest insurance brokerage. He is currently Professor and Chair of the Department of Teacher Education at Stetson where he teaches graduate courses in school law and school finance. He has published his research on separation of church and state, due process in student discipline, censorship in schools, legal issues of child abuse, teachers and tort liability, in loco parentis, educational malpractice, and the constitutional rights of parents. He earned his Ph.D. from Duke University.

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FSEM100-23 (CRN
 4866) When Women Ruled Russia: Eighteenth-Century Russia

 Almost continually for 70 years, from 1725 to 1796, women held the supreme authority in Russia. The most famous of these rulers was Catherine the Great. During this time Russia's identity changed greatly, both externally, in terms of territorial expansion and its role in European affairs, and internally, as it absorbed modern values imported from the West. These changes had both negative and positive dimensions. In this period Russia became a major European power. It also changed domestically by incorporating European standards into an established Slavic tradition. This course deals with much more than the politics of female rule. We also look at the experience of women who were not ruling, both nobles and commoners. We will access that experience through literature, painting, religion, music, and memoirs.

 

Your Professor

 Paul Steeves is a specialist in Russian church history. He has taught at Stetson University since 1972. He was awarded the William Hugh McEniry Prize for Excellence in Teaching in 1979 and the first Hand Research Award in 1992. He has published many items dealing with religion in Russia. He maintains a current web page reporting news about religion in present-day Russia and other post-soviet countries.

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FSEM100-26 (CRN  4967) Medicines, Drugs, and Toxins

  In modern society, individuals are bombarded with information about chemical compounds and their impact on human health and wellbeing. This information about compounds such as pharmaceuticals, drugs, environmental toxins, and nutritional supplements, is often difficult for people to interpret or understand. Sometimes, the scientific basis of such information is wrong or even purposefully misleading. In this course, students will explore the impact of selected chemical compounds on human health. Discussions will focus on the use of both man-made and natural compounds, investigating both their beneficial and harmful effects on individuals and society. Students will also explore how various classes of chemical compounds are viewed by people in our society and how these views are affected by social, political, and economic factors. Some topics to be discussed include: Drugs and Medicines; Poisons and Toxins; Foods and Nutrients; DNA and Genetic Testing/Modification.

 

Your Professor

 John York received a B.S. degree in Chemical Engineering from North Carolina State University and obtained a close-up view of industrial life by working for the DuPont chemical company in New Jersey. After realizing that teaching was his real calling in life, he obtained a degree in Secondary Science Education from the University of Wyoming, followed by a Ph.D. in Inorganic Chemistry from the University of Minnesota. He teaches a variety of chemistry classes at Stetson, ranging from introductory General Chemistry to advanced classes like Biological Inorganic Chemistry. He is very interested in research involving the chemistry of metals in biological systems and in industrial processes, and actively recruits undergraduate students to participate in this research. In his spare time, he enjoys playing a variety of instruments and keeps especially busy playing bass, guitar, mandolin, and banjo in various Stetson bands.

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FSEM100-27 (CRN  4968) Social, Economic, Emotional, and Spiritual Intelligences, or the Lack Thereof?

 Can u raed this? Do you bilvee ptassinaloey in the pweor of iedas to cnaghe ateitudts, lveis and umtillaety, the wrlod? If so, you may wish to ponder over why so many life-changing ideas are ignored or downright rejected in the world. We agree that humans are rational, intelligent beings, but why do we often act against our intelligence? To what degree do we live our lives in an economically, socially, emotionally, and spiritually thoughtless manner? Is it possible that despite our intellectual dominance, we live like goslings imprinting upon the first role model (economically, socially, emotionally, and spiritually) that we come across, blindly following it to the death of our human intelligence? Students registering for this course will read and analyze books in economics, psychology, sociology, and religious studies to contemplate these questions and more. However, as you prepare to think outside the box, be wary of jumping into the frying pan.

 Your Professor

 Ranjini Thaver was born and raised like a gosling in South Africa. She completed her B.A. degree in Economics and Psychology at the University of Durban-Westville, a B.A. (Hons.) degree in Economics at the University of Cape Town, and then completed her M.A. and Ph.D. in Economics at the University of Notre Dame. She has taught at Stetson since 1992 and co-created the AFS program and developed the first university-based microcredit program in the world. This program is located in poverty-stricken Spring Hill in Deland, and in a small village in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. She has also teamed up with organizations such as the United Way, the FDIC, and the IRS to offer business development workshops and personal finance classes to low-income families. She has taught courses in Economics, Africana Studies, Women and Gender Studies, and the Honors Program.

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FSEM100-29
(CRN  4978) The Dynamics of Friendship

Both the phenomenon of Facebook and the quest for intimacy have elevated the topic of friendship into serious discussion. Among the questions this course explores are the following: What exactly is a friend? How does friendship differ from other relationships? Are virtual friendships authentic relationships? How does one become a friend? What leads to breakups between friends? How are love and friendship different? Can humans be friends with animals? The seminar discussions will be prompted by readings in classical, biblical, and contemporary works about friendship by prominent thinkers such as Plato, Aristotle, Cicero, C. S. Lewis, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and Thomas Merton. In addition, fiction, films, music, and poetry will engage our thinking together.

Your Professor

Donald Musser has taught at Stetson since 1978, specializing on the role of religion in culture and interfaith relationships. Additionally, he has been an Air Force chaplain, a chemical engineer, and a pastor. His Ph.D. is from the University of Chicago. He is co-author of a widely used college textbook on the Bible. Currently, he is working on a book entitled "The Autobiography of a Friendship." He lives in an  oak forest with his wife Ruth, and armadillos, squirrels, raccoons, bird, and butterflies. His avocations include gardening, bass fishing, and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

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FSEM100-30 (CRN  4979) Healthy Religion and Sick Religion

 This course will help you think intelligently about religion and its role in today's world. Religion serves both to heal and empower and to promote violence in the name of God. We will examine key topics including religion and self-transformation, religion and violence, and freedom of religion as a human right. The class is organized as a seminar, meaning that during most classes we sit around a table and discuss assigned readings and films. You will learn how to make professional oral presentations and how to write with precision, persuasiveness, and clarity. You also will learn how to think critically so that you can discern whether an argument rests on solid evidence or not. Religion has long been a controversial topic in human life. Wars have been fought over religious disagreements. In this class we will examine religion's power both to divide and to bring us together to accomplish great things.

 Your Professor

 Phillip Lucas, Professor of Religious Studies, enjoys teaching, spirituality, baseball, India, guitars, travel to sacred sites around the world, and gardening. He received his M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of California at Santa Barbara and has published four books and numerous articles in the fields of new and minority religions, religious freedom, comparative spirituality, and American religious history. He is regularly interviewed in newspapers and television news, and is the founding General Editor of Nova Religio: The Journal of Alternative and Emergent Religions. This academic publication is the leading international journal in the field of new and minority religions. At Stetson he teaches courses on world religions, American religious history, comparative spirituality, and new religions. He received the William Hugh McEniry Award for excellence in teaching from Stetson in 2002 and the Homer and Dolly Hand Award for Excellence in Scholarship in 1995 and 2007. In 2011, he became university director of the First-Year Seminar program at Stetson. He has lived and/or traveled in India, Nepal, Taiwan, Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, Central America, and Canada.

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FSEM100-33 (CRN  4983) Does Civilization Make Us Crazy?

Madness and civilization have always been inextricably intertwined, from Old Testament prophets in the wilderness to divinely inspired pagans (the oracle at Delphi, the Sybil, Cassandra) to modern figures like William S. Burroughs, Sylvia Plath, Amy Heckerling (Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Clueless), Syd Barrett (of Pink Floyd) and Vincent Van Gogh. Does Civilization Make Us Crazy explores the borders of sanity and civility through a broadly cultural approach, from investigative journalistic critiques of western psychiatry to film, painting, literature, music, and other aspects of culture. We will also examine some of our most important theorists of madness and civilization, from ancient thinkers like Plato to moderns like Freud and Foucault. Expect to read a lot, write a lot, and to spend time with your classmates working out other means of expression.

Your Professor

Joel B. Davis grew up in Wyoming, graduated from the University of Oregon with a Ph.D. in English Literature, has enjoyed climbing Devil's Tower as much as working in the Manuscripts room at the British Library, and cannot shake his irrational fear of sharks and amoebae in Florida waters. He has traveled extensively in Europe and published on Shakespeare and other Renaissance writers. His teaching interests include film, poetry, gender and sexuality, rhetoric, Shakespeare, and most things having to do with sixteenth and seventeenth-century European literature or culture.

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FSEM100-34 (CRN  4984)  African American Women, Film & Culture

Films provide profound insights into the cultures and societies that produce them. As a result, movies are one of the most important art forms of our time. In this course, both the "art" of film and the social or political statements made by films about African-American women will be studied. Course content will rotate each time it is taught among the following foci: attention to Hollywood's apparent celebration of African-American women in film and the contradictions that belie those apparent celebrations; the depictions and characterizations of African-American divas, sassy mammas, and jezebels in film; and how African-American women and men are portrayed by African-American producers and directors as opposed to non-African-American producers and directors. 

Your Professor

 Shawnrece Campbell received her Ph.D. in English from Kent State University. Her teaching specialties include African-American literature and culture, Women's Studies, and Film Studies. Her publications focus on the collective power of females of all ages and the traditional healing arts. She loves literature and film, sports, cooking, and enjoying nature.

FSEM100-37 (CRN  4993)  Diversity in the 21st Century Classroom

 In this course we will examine the meaning of diversity and its relation to global education. Through literature and film, we will discuss the broad definition of diversity, focusing on the study of race, ethnicity, language, gender, social class, sexual orientation, religion, and emotional and physical disabilities. All students will use field placements in local schools or non-profit organizations to provide practical experiences that will illuminate our class's major concepts. 

Your Professor

 Bette Heins holds the Nina B. Hollis Chair of Educational Reform in the Department of Teacher Education. She directs the Hollis Institute for Educational Reform and teaches educational psychology, exceptional student education, and classroom management. Her research interests include single gender education, reading issues, and classroom management. She loves teaching about diversity in the classroom and, in her words, "celebrates deviancy on a daily basis."

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FSEM100-38 (CRN  4994)  Media in the Age of Facebook

 Our daily lives now include a constant stream of information that still arrives in print, on TV or film, or on the radio, but also now comes to us through newer and rapidly changing mediums, from the web to mobile phones, podcasts to YouTube videos. Facebook, Twitter, and other platforms have provided tools for political revolutions, and they are also revolutionizing how we receive information. But how is this all affecting us?

 Find out in this class, which will take the structure of a reality television show to allow us to critically examine media and culture. We will explore everything from the evolution of news and social media (such as Facebook and Twitter) to advocacy journalism, and through discussion of books, film, and TV shows, and our own written analysis, learn how to be smart consumers of the never-ending information stream.  

Your Professor

 Andy Dehnart teaches writing and journalism and directs the journalism program at Stetson. His writing and reporting on television, culture, and media has appeared on NPR and in Playboy, The Daily Beast, msnbc.com, and other publications. A member of the Television Critics Association, Andy publishes and writes reality blurred, which has, since 2000, offered his impassioned analysis and original reporting on reality TV. Andy has a Master of Fine Arts in nonfiction writing and literature from Bennington College, and has taught at Stetson since 2002.

 Besides being addicted to television and popular culture, he is also an avid runner and thrill ride fanatic who performs improv comedy as a member of the Lab Rats improv comedy ensemble at SAK Comedy Lab in Orlando.

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FSEM100-40 (CRN  5089)  Water & Life

 

This seminar will sample the interplay of culture, science, environment, power, politics, literature, business, an  the myriad other ways that human lives intertwine with Water and Life. Topics will be chosen by student members of the seminar. Topics for consideration could include: Water as Sacred; Water and Disease; Melting Ice; Water and Politics; Water and Literature; Water and History; Restoring Ecosystems; Water and Energy; Sustainable Clean Water; Water and Climate Change; Aquifers and Groundwater; Impacts of development on water resources; Urban water quality; Coastal water resources management; Ocean management; and many other possibilities.

 Your Professor

 Derek Barkalow grew up in, under, and on the waters and beaches of Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, Block Island, Montauk Point, and the Jersey shore. A sojourn to the Midwest for college allowed new experiences in and around the Great Lakes. Dr. Barkalow has taken Stetson students to the Caribbean and various local lakes, rivers and beaches in central Florida. A member of Stetson's Biology faculty, he has explored many diverse academic arenas including a recently developed junior seminar on the "Future of Human Health & Welfare."

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FSEM100-46 The Ritual of Our Lives - Bells, Smells with Stories to Tell

Why do we throw babies off the side of temples to awaiting families? Why do we put our hands in gloves filled with stinging ants? Why do we physically alter our bodies with specific markings or piercings? Why do we prepare to watch athletic events with dances, arm gestures, elaborate costumes and ceremonies? Why do some groups express reverence for the sacred with ecstatic dances and others with meditation and silence? ARE WE JUST NUTS OR ARE WE REMARKABLY HUMAN? This course will examine our habits, customs and traditions: THE RITUAL OF OUR LIVES. You will examine the nature of rituals of many cultures and how they compare and contrast in their explanation of the Circle of Life. Finally, we will critically examine whether or not rituals are outdated, need to be replaced, or no longer have value for contemporary life.
Let's find out together.

Your Professor

  Michael Fronk, the University Chaplain, is a graduate of Stetson University where he received his B.A. in Religious Studies. He received his M. Div. from Southern Seminary. His special expertise is in the area of changing expressions of death rituals in America where he continues to be a national speaker, writer and consultant. This has lead him to embrace the faith practices of cultures that are not his own and to encourage students to find excitement in the meaningful journey of people who do not share their history. He is known for his ability to find humor in the quest to be human and believes that truth and self discovery happens in the most unlikely places.

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FSEM100-48 (CRN  5242) The Anxiety of Identity

 I think therefore I am... I think? Our identity, we wish to believe, is housed in our control over our thoughts, in the choices and memories we have made. What does it mean, then, when someone else takes control of my "I"? Even scarier, what happens when I cannot avoid this "I," and "I" takes me places where I don't want to go? Art often taunts this anxiety, teasing us with competing concepts of the self that shake the stability of identity.  That "I" scams people (me, too!), commits crimes, stalks victims. All the while, I uncomfortably enjoy the alienating experience. We will explore novels and short stories, mystery and horror films that creatively manipulate first-person narration for different, subversive purposes.

 

Your Professor

Dr. Nicole Denner attended Indiana University for her undergraduate and Master's degree, and received her Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from Northwestern University. She studied horror films at IU and eighteenth-century Enlightenment literature for her doctorate (they aren't so different after all). She has taught at Stetson since 2001 in both the French and English departments. She is most interested in how and why texts so frequently turn inward and comment upon  themselves.

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FSEM100-49 (CRN  5243) Are We What We Eat? Food, Health, and Controversy

What does food mean to you? In this course we will have lively discussions about food (fast, organic, wild, vegan, and food stuffs, among others). What do we need to know to make thoughtful choices about food? How does popular culture influence what food we purchase and consume? What affects our perceptions of what is healthy or nutritious? In our exploration of food, ideas of nutrition and our personal and community health will be discussed. What role does society and science play in our pursuit of health and wellness goals? How are we situated in the culture of food and society, and not just in the science of nutrition? This course also includes a required service-learning component in which students will work with a community partner to better understand food production. Together, we will endeavor to discover what options we have for taking action to address food-related issues in our own lives.

Your Professor

Tara Schuwerk earned an interdisciplinary Ph.D. in Human Communication from Arizona State University with specializations in health and intercultural communication and qualitative research methods. She has a passion for understanding how people perceive and construct ideas of health, specifically in the area of food and nutrition. At Stetson, she is an Assistant Professor of Communication Studies and Integrative Health Science.

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FSEM100-51 (CRN  5251)  Writing the Revolution: Civic Engagement and Rhetoric

Regardless of political orientation, class, nationality (or any perspective that informs a worldview), everyone is in agreement that something is wrong with the "system." As we examine a wide range of historical reform figures and their strategies to effect social and institutional change (i.e., Lycurgus, Cicero, Gandhi, Assange), you will work to emulate and/or adapt these models to achieve some degree of measurable civic improvement, either in a local or national context. Given this purpose, your success in the course will depend, at least partly, on the written, verifiable impact you have. For example, for every meaningful email response you receive (from city/county leaders) or for any published letter to the editor, you will receive credit. All non-violent political perspectives (and agendas) are welcome. Significant research is required, with a portfolio that consists of your accumulated research, communications, and action narratives which, taken together, argue for your overall ability to persuade others of your point of view.

Your Professor

While intermittently working on his graduate degrees (Clemson, M.A., English; University of South Carolina, Ph.D., Composition and Rhetoric), Michael Barnes taught, wrote, and traveled in the Far East, calling Tokyo home for four years. Tenured at Stetson in 2006, his current research interests focus on computer-facilitated empirical studies on academia via overlooked institutional artifacts (textbooks, internal communiqués, and so forth). Pedagogically a sophist, most of his courses push students to "argue both sides equally well."

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FSEM100-54 (CRN  5370) Modern Global Societies

 The opening decades of the twenty-first century have taken on a character that goes beyond national borders, cultural distinctions or geographical isolation. Increasingly, every aspect of society is interconnected. This seminar is designed to acquaint you with the basic fundamentals of the new global societies. To do this, we must cover a breadth of subjects in a very short period of time. As it is not possible to cover any particular aspect in great detail, we will focus primarily on the historic political, religious, economic, and environmental mechanisms that impel the twenty-first century world. Readings and  written assignments will be diverse and encourage you to think about global interconnections, globalization, and global climate change. We will ask what challenges are faced by an information-technology-driven world whose billions may owe allegiance as much to corporations as to states. By the end of the course, the successful student will have a clearer picture of the world as it faces the challenges of a new century.

  Your Professor

  Kimberly D. S. Reiter (Ph.D. University of Virginia) is Associate Professor of Ancient and Medieval History at Stetson University, and President of the Interdisciplinary Environmental Association (IEA). As a member of the IEA Roundtable on Curriculum Change, she consults on green curriculum design. She also directs the Stetson Field Course in Early English History. Dr. Reiter also chairs the Stetson Undergraduate Research Committee, which organizes the annual Stetson Showcase. She serves as a National Councilor on the Council of Undergraduate Research (CUR). Her scholarship focuses on imperialism in the Western Roman Empire and in the differing perceptions of "Romanization," especially its application as a theoretical construct in explaining imperialism, change and continuity in Roman provincial society and art. She is co-author of the forthcoming textbook in Western Civilization, The West in Question, with Dr. Eric Kurlander.

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 FSEM100-55 (CRN  5407) The Fairy Tale in Literature and Film

 Throughout the centuries the Fairy Tale has remained the site of horror and the grotesque, of violence and death: a view into the hopes and deepest fears of the culture and age that embrace them. What accounts for their longevity, universality and adaptability? What led to the need to "create" these unbelievable tales and why, in this very technical, enlightened day, do two of the major U.S. networks have very popular programs dealing with the same themes? These are the questions that this seminar will endeavor to answer. Through cross-cultural comparisons and contrasts, we will be challenged to create links between artistic expression (literature and film) and the defining social and cultural issues of a people and a nation, past and present.

 Your Professor

 Dr. David Dysart received his Ph.D. in Germanic Languages and Literatures in 1990 from the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana. He has taught at Stetson since 1991 and in 1999 received the university's prestigious William Hugh McEniry award for excellence in teaching. Dr. Dysart teaches a broad spectrum of courses from Beginning German to German Culture and Literature. A recent popular course has been his German Fairy Tale course "Happily Ever After?" which examines the nineteenth-century German fairy tale as a reflection of the cultural norms and morés of the day. Regardless of the course, Dr. Dysart strives to teach cross-cultural understanding and multi-cultural awareness.

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 FSEM100-56 (CRN  5408) Latin American Cultures in Film

 Even though there are currently over 50 million Latinos in the United States and the Stetson campus is located in lands that were once part of Latin America, most people in this country know surprisingly little about our neighbors to the south. This course aims to develop greater familiarity with the astonishingly diverse cultures of this vast region through a series of carefully selected films highlighting especially important historical and social dimensions of the Latino experience. Students will learn to approach film with critical eyes as they acquire an enhanced appreciation for the varied peoples of the Americas through cinema set in Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Guatemala, Paraguay, El Salvador, the United States and elsewhere.

Your Professor

 Robert Sitler is Director of Stetson's Latin American Studies Program and teaches Spanish as a Professor of Modern Languages and Literatures. He travels frequently to Latin America, especially the Native American communities of Mexico and Guatemala. He has taken numerous small groups of Stetson students to Latin America including field courses in Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Argentina and Peru. His current research focus is the 2012 phenomenon and Mayan perspectives on the December 21 date in their Long Count Calendar. He is a passionate environmentalist, a committed integrative health advocate, and loves free-diving in local springs. He has been married for over 35 years to a highly intuitive body worker and has adult children living in Abu Dhabi, UAE and Bogotá, Colombia.

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 FSEM100-58(CRN  5412)  From Buddha to Bollywood: Eastern Culture & the Media

 How have Eastern philosophy, practices, and culture been introduced to North America during the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries? What about Asian pop culture, such as horror movies, Bollywood films and Japanese animation? In this course, topics will range from the religious and spiritual to the stuff of pop culture. We begin with the introduction of Buddhist philosophy and the martial arts in America, then move on to the more recent popularization of yoga, meditation, acupuncture and other holistic practices. Discussions will also touch upon the late-twentieth century introduction of Asian popular culture in America. What has been the role of media in helping Eastern philosophy, practice, and culture gain a greater acceptance in America? How have these subjects been depicted in movies, music,  magazines and on TV? What about news coverage? What are the implications of treating Asian philosophy and spirituality as products? Finally, what is new on the  horizon of Asian cultural exports?

 Your Professor

 Mario Rodriguez may have studied media and communication, but he has always had a fondness for Asian culture. Though his research focuses on social network privacy,  his teaching and research interests are varied and include popular culture and visual culture. He  has a strong interest in critical cultural studies and teaches a range of courses, including New Media & Privacy, Communication & Technology, Critical Studies in Mass Communication, Visual Communication, and Interpersonal Communication. Professor Rodriguez hopes that by focusing on the role of media in exporting Asian culture he can raise students' cultural awareness and introduce them to the vast possibilities of globalization.

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 FSEM100-59 (CRN  5451)  Comics & Graphic Novels

Stories told in words and pictures go by many different names all around the world, such as comic strips, comic books, graphic novels, manga, bandes dessinées, fumetti, tebeos, comix, imagetexts, sequential art, and graphic narratives. Whatever they are called, comics and their influence are everywhere—on magazine racks, online, in literary journals, in museum galleries, and on movie screens. They have been used to tell the simplest of jokes, to create the wildest fantasy worlds, and to explore the depths of the most profound human experiences. This course will examine the art form that the French call "The 9th Art" in order to:

  • Examine how words and pictures combine to make meanings
  • Survey a variety of texts from different times and places
  • Investigate where comics have come from, where they are now, and where they might go in the future

 We will work together on reading visual/verbal texts closely, on writing analytically, and on finding ideas and presenting them in class. Students will have the opportunity to design a creative project in which they make their own comic or create a work of art about comics. Additional activities will include a campus visit and lecture by graphic novelist Josh Neufeld, creator of A.D.: New Orleans After the Deluge and other comics and graphic novels. The course is designed to be fun for anyone whose definition of "fun" includes thinking hard about ideas and working on how to express them.

 Your Professor

 Joseph "Rusty" Witek, Professor of Humanities, has been teaching English and Humanities courses at Stetson since 1989. He is known as one of the first academics in the United States to focus on comics as an art form, making Stetson one of the first universities to offer regularly scheduled courses on comics and graphic novels. He has published books and articles on such topics as comics criticism and theory, autobiography and history in comics, war comics, 9/11 in comics, and the fact that Donald Duck can't fly. He is presently working on a book project that examines some of the worst comics ever published.

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FSEM100-60 (CRN  5452) Beyond the Campbell Soup: Andy Warhol, the Artist and the Brand

"If you want to know all about Andy Warhol, just look at the surface of my paintings and films and me, and there I am. There's nothing behind it." 
Andy Warhol

This course is designed to do exactly the opposite. We will go beyond the surface and examine the artistic career of Andy Warhol, commercial artist, major Pop Art artist, queer icon, filmmaker, producer, founder and publisher of Interview Magazine, successful businessman, and ultimate celebrity. We will consider these aspects of Warhol's public and private persona as they continue to influence contemporary artistic practice. The central objective of this course is to understand how Warhol redefined what it meant to be an artist in contemporary culture, introducing celebrity logic into artistic production. Special attention will be paid to the role of business and marketing, the media, and the art market in the artist's construction of his stardom. And yes, you will find out how to be world-famous for 15 minutes.

 

Your Professor

  Dr. Katya Kudryavtseva (Ph.D., University of Southern California) is Assistant Professor of Art History at Stetson University. She specializes in art of the twentieth century, and her research focuses on the intersecting trajectories of art history, politics, law, and business and their role in the development of the canon of modern and contemporary art. Her teaching interests include historiography and canon formation; collecting and display; aesthetic and critical theory of modern and contemporary art; and the impact of art institutions and the art market on the art historical discourse. Her book, The Making of Kazimir Malevich's Black Square, is under contract with NLO publishing house (Moscow, Russia) and will come out in 2012.

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 FSEM100-61 (CRN  5457) Asian History in the Cinema

  Filmmakers have often portrayed important events and personalities in Asian history with some artistic license, influencing both Western and Asian perceptions of Asia's past. This course will examine historical films about Asia, loosely defined, with some emphasis on films made in Asia. The main aim of the course will be to address the question of historical objectivity, which is one of the most important issues concerning studies on the past. Besides learning about the actual historical events and personalities associated with selected movies through background lectures, students will discuss and analyze these movies, comparing and contrasting them with readings comprised of both primary and secondary sources. After taking this course, successful students will be able to better appreciate and think critically about historical films and how history, especially in relation to Asia, is portrayed in the cinema. Case studies for this semester will include a samurai film by the late Kurosawa Akira, who is arguably still known as the most famous samurai  film-maker of all time, and a Jet Li Chinese martial arts epic about the first emperor of China by renowned film-maker Zhang Yimou.

 Your Professor

 Dr. Leander Seah (Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania) is an ethnic Chinese native of Singapore who teaches modern East Asian history, modern Southeast Asian history, and modern world history.  His research focuses on maritime China and maritime Southeast Asia, modern China, modern Japan, migration and diasporas, and transnational and world history. He has published journal articles, presented his work at conferences in the United States, Singapore, Hong Kong and mainland China, and is currently revising a book manuscript based on his doctoral dissertation, "Conceptualizing the Chinese World: Jinan University, Nanyang Migrants, and Trans-Regionalism, 1900-1941." His accolades include seventeen fellowships, research grants and awards from such organizations as the Association for Asian Studies, the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, the Center for Chinese Studies in Taiwan, the National Library Board of Singapore, the National University of Singapore and the University of Pennsylvania. His current personal interests include traveling, supporting Liverpool Football Club (soccer) and the Philadelphia Phillies, enjoying Asian movies and Asian cuisine, reading historical fiction, and collecting academic books.

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FSEM100-62 (CRN  5023)  God at Work

 How do Protestant Christians manifest their faith in the world of work? This surprising inquiry, based on the theology of the Reformation, will explore the tensions experienced by those seeking to be influential for good amidst the demands of professional life while maintaining historical Protestant convictions. Among topics explored will be the meaning of work, affluence, social justice, and work as mission.

 

Your Professor

 Dr. William Andrews directs the Prince Entrepreneurship Program at Stetson University and has over 17 years of experience on various company boards including seven years as a board chairman. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Georgia in Strategic Management and his M.I.M. degree from the Thunderbird School of Global Management. In addition, he earned his Certified Financial Manager designation with the Institute of Management Accountants and his Certified Mergers and Acquisitions Advisor certification with the Alliance of Mergers and Acquisition Advisors. He is an active member of the Florida Venture Forum—the South's largest association of venture capitalists.

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FSEM100-63 (CRN  5024)  Discussions of Capitalism, American Business and Creative Thinking 

This writing-intensive and critical-thinking course will focus on the development of capitalism as a form of economic activity. The course will also feature discussions of creativity and innovation as cornerstones for modern business practices. Required reading for the course includes Edward de Bono's Six Thinking Hats, which guide the discussion of capitalism and American business. The other primary reading for the course is Joyce Appleby's The Relentless Revolution: A History of Capitalism.

 
Your Professor

 Scott A. Jones (Ph.D. University of Oregon) is an Associate Professor of Marketing in the School of Business Administration at Stetson University. Dr. Jones has published more than 25 intellectual contributions including manuscripts in the Journal of Service Research, Journal of Public Policy and Marketing, Journal of Internet Commerce, and Sport Marketing Quarterly. Broadly, his research focuses on the relationship between consumers and brands. Dr. Jones teaches courses in Stetson's First Year Seminar program, sport marketing as well as other core marketing requirements including Marketplace and Consumers. He is the advisor for Stetson's American Marketing Association.

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FSEM100-64 (CRN  5025)  The Tipping Point: How to be Successful in College and in Life

 What you do today will determine who you are tomorrow. How do you define success? Is your definition similar or different to that of your peers, your family, or society? What are the habits of successful people? In this course we will examine and analyze factors related to successes and failures in individuals, groups, business, and sports, drawing connections to how you live your daily lives as college students. Together we will reflect critically on contemporary literature, and complete projects and assignments that reinforce vital skills such as self-awareness, team building, problem solving, and effective written and oral communication. 

Your Professor

 Rosalie Carpenter holds an M.S. in Positive Organizational Development from Case Western Reserve University, and a M.Ed. in Higher Education Administration from the University of South Carolina. She also holds Certificates in Emotional Intelligence, Sustainability and Appreciative Inquiry, and has taught courses in Management and Business Communications. Since joining the University in 2003 Carpenter has held several positions in Student Activities, First Year Studies and Student Success. She has opened two successful businesses, loves improv comedy, is a sports fanatic and enjoys taking care of her 3 dogs.

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 FSEM100-65 (CRN  5026)  The Undergraduate Experience

 College is sometimes billed as "the four best years of your life." It can be an incredible experience of intellectual and social growth. It can be a transformational rite of passage. It can be a time to explore new ideas, define personal values, and identify lifelong passions. It can be all these things—and a lot of fun as well. But too often, students find themselves "academically adrift" (to use the title of one recent book); others experience nothing more than "animal house" (as in the popular film). And at an increasingly high price as well—for many students, a college education will be one of the two most expensive items they will ever purchase. Meanwhile, the higher education industry is itself in flux, faced with rapid changes and numerous challenges. In this course, we will explore "the undergraduate experience" as it is portrayed in fiction, nonfiction, and film. We will discuss how to "get your money's worth" from what Stetson has to offer. And we will consider how to act as change agents for an improved academic experience, be it on campus or around the world.

 Your Professor

  Dr. John Rasp is originally a Midwestern boy—raised in the St. Louis area, with undergraduate work in mathematics at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Indiana. After experiencing far too many cold and snowy winters, he decided to head south. He got a Ph. D. in statistics from Florida State, then taught for five years at the University of Alabama before coming to Stetson. Here he teaches the introductory business statistics course, as well as advanced statistics electives. Over the years he has served as advisor to several student organizations, including the Chess Club, the College Libertarians, the Honor System Council, and Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity. He has a master's degree in theological studies, obtained after fourteen years of part-time study "just for fun." He has received the William Hugh McEniry Award for Teaching (the top faculty award on campus), and has published research on statistical applications in a variety of disciplines, including accounting, labor law, literary analysis, and baseball.

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 FSEM100-66 (CRN  5027)  Applying Self Awareness to College and Career

The college years are some of the most formative of your life, and you will be faced with important decisions about the paths you will follow. Self-assessment, self-reflection, and dialogue are essential to your journey. In this seminar, you will have the opportunity to better understand yourself and how this understanding relates to both enjoying and succeeding in college and in your personal life. Significant parts of the course will include talking with your peers, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, values clarification, and objective feedback.

 Your Professor

 Peter Begalla is a family business owner and Adjunct Professor and Program Manager of Stetson University's Family Enterprise Center. He is at the forefront of Next Generation Leadership Development, having helped hundreds of college-aged students establish credibility and marketability with their family, with their family businesses or with non-family employers. He combines years of counseling experience with over eight years of business development and marketing experience in online education. As a consultant, he has worked with such companies as Butterball Farms, Angley College, Flight-1 and Cascade Engineering.

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 FSEM100-67 (CRN  5030)  Life at the Intersection: Examining the Collision of Ideas, Innovations, and Culture

 "What do termites and architecture have in common? Music records and airlines? And what does any of this have to do with healthcare, card games or cooking?" In this course, we will examine these questions and many more as we study and discuss how ideas and innovations come together in often-explosive ways. We will use a study of the Medici Effect and other works to challenge ourselves to see beyond our own current expertise and to actively approach new situations, including the first year in college, in creative and game-changing ways.

 

Your Professor

 John Tichenor is a jazz drummer who teaches in the Decision and Information Science department in the School of Business Administration. John has worn lots of Stetson hats over fifteen years, teaching statistics courses, serving as Director of Institutional Research, University Registrar, and occasional drummer in local jazz and rock groups including the faculty rock band, "Two-Piece Chicken Dinner." His academic background includes the B.A. and M.A. from Baylor University and Ph.D. in sociology from Florida State University. John and his family enjoy traveling and often participate in Stetson's Study Abroad program in Innsbruck, Austria.

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 FSEM100-68 (CRN  5235)  Crafting Your Life Plan

The college years are some of the most formative of your life, and you will be faced with important decisions about the paths you will follow. Self-assessment, self-reflection, and dialogue are essential to your journey. In this seminar, you will have the opportunity to better understand yourself and how this understanding relates to both enjoying and succeeding in college and in your personal life. Significant parts of the course will include talking with your peers, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, values clarification, and objective feedback.

Your Professor

 Greg McCann is a teacher, coach, consultant, entrepreneur, business owner, and professional speaker. He works with family businesses all over the U.S. and abroad. He comes from a family business and was a Stetson business major right after the last ice age. Since 1990 he has been on the Stetson Business faculty and for the last 14 years he has worked with the next generation from families that have businesses. He is passionate about helping students and professionals gain greater awareness, increase their passion for their (personal and professional) lives, and develop their character.

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 FSEM100-69 (CRN  5248)  The Secret Law of Attraction

 Be mindful of your thoughts...they always come true! The law of attraction is always working, and it will give you what you want every single time. This course, based upon a book by R. Byrne, is designed to inspire you to think differently: about yourself, about the world, and about your place in the world.

 Your Professor 

Maria Rickling attended the University of Cincinnati in Ohio and graduated in 2001 with a Bachelor of Business Administration, majoring in both Accounting and Management Information Systems. Rickling received a Master of Accountancy and a Doctor of Philosophy in Business Administration (Accountancy track) from Florida International University in Miami. Dr. Rickling teaches accounting courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. She is a member of the American Accounting Association, The National Scholars Honor Society, and the Golden Key International Honor Society, and she has numerous years of experience in, and personal testimonials of, harnessing the power of thought.

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FSEM100-70 (CRN  5263)  Finance in Film

 

The class will examine films with finance-related themes. The course will review various movies such as: comedy classic Trading Places, which deals extensively with the futures markets; Wall Street, which portray the rampant deal-making of the go-go Eighties; Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room, which exposes the greed and unethical behavior behind one of the biggest accounting scandals in U.S. history; and Too Big to Fail, which documents the early days of the financial crisis and the government's response to a crumbling financial sector. In the process, we will cover finance and economics from an academic standpoint to better understand the concepts dealt with in the films. 

Your Professor

  A professor in the finance department, Dr. Chris Tobler spent six years as a journalist and 10 years as a small business owner prior to joining the faculty at Stetson in 2007. In addition to an M.B.A. concentrating in international business and a Ph.D. in finance, he also has a Masters of Arts in English specializing in Modern and European Literature. A native of Arkansas, Dr. Tobler has tra eled extensively throughout Europe and North America.

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 FSEM100-71 (CRN  5267)  Building Wealth and the Lifestyle You Desire in both Good and Bad Economic Times

  Your economic future will be decided partially by choices you make individually and partially by events and circumstances that you have no control over. This course is designed to help you identify and choose a course of action related to your future assets and liabilities so that you can become monetarily successful in life. The course is also designed to recognize and adjust to the behavioral habits of 300 million people walking in tandem in a capitalistic society. My purpose is to teach you, the student, how to build your economic success and to do so in an ethical manner. 

Your Professor

 Professor Richard Copeland received his JD from the University of Florida in 1972, and his LLM from the University of Miami in 1973, majoring in tax. For 36 years he has been an Associate Professor at Stetson University. Dr. Copeland has extensive experience in the areas of taxation and estate planning and for 39 years has had his own law practice specializing in the purchase and sale of businesses, probate, guardianship, sale of real estate, and adoptions. He is an active speaker in the Florida Bar Association, Florida Institute of CPAs, at estate planning meetings for numerous churches, Bank of America, Merrill Lynch, insurance companies, and others.

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 FSEM100-72 (CRN 5470) What Happens When the Fat Lady Sings? An Introduction to the Wild, Wonderful and Wacky World of Opera

Originating at the dawn of the seventeenth century in late Renaissance Italy, opera is alive and well today—as entertainment, as drama through music, as social and political commentary, as celebration of historical events, as a psychological examination of humanity—in short, as a mirror of society. This course is designed for the opera novice—any student interested in the art form of opera and wishing to learn about the myriad elements that combine to produce this fascinating and complex combination of music, theater, and visual art. Topics for classes include learning about voice types, operatic roles, and the production elements involved in the art form, such as staging, conducting, set construction, costuming, and theater design, with particular emphasis on opera's connection to and impact on society and culture. Students will meet featured guests from the professional opera world, and the class will make at least two field trips to view opera in live performance as well as in the "Live from the Met" broadcast series at a local theater. No musicianship skills, such as singing or reading music, are required. 

Your Professor

Jane Christeson, mezzo soprano, received performing degrees in voice and piano before making her operatic debut with the Birmingham Opera at age 23. Twice a winner of the Metropolitan Opera district auditions, she has had a varied career in opera, oratorio and musical theater. As a solo artist she has appeared with many regional opera companies such as Palm Beach, Cincinnati, and Orlando, and has been a featured soloist with orchestras in the mid-western and southern United States. She has performed as a solo artist with world-renowned conductors, including Christopher Keene, Anton Coppola, Anton Guadagno, Julius Rudel, and Amerigo Marino. Ms. Christeson is a Professor of Voice at Stetson, where she teaches courses in Song and Opera Literature, and was Director Opera for several years.

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FSEM100-74 (CRN  5527) Love, Hate, Passion & Deceit: Four Centuries of French Love Stories

"And they lived happily ever after." That's how most fairy tales end isn't it? But what happens if you meet Prince Charming on your wedding day, or if Prince Charming is a womanizer and a rogue? What if Snow White isn't as pure as the driven snow? The French novels that we will read and discuss this semester will present us with scenarios that differ considerably from those of most fairy tales with different endings and different ways of looking at love and the consequences of falling in love. Does faithfulness always lead to happiness? Is it possible to live up to someone else's ideal of a lover? Can jealousy blind one to the truth about the other? Does trust in God lead to happiness in love? These are some of the questions that we will seek to answer through our reading of these novels set in four different periods of French history with very different perceptions of the relationship between a man and a woman. Along the way, we will explore French culture, art, music and history as they help us to look at the meaning of love.

Your Professor

  Richard Ferland has a B.A. in French from Assumption College, and A.M. and Ph.D. degrees from Harvard University. He also has an M.B.A. degree from Stetson University. His main interest is the History of Ideas in 18th Century France with an emphasis on the conflict between Enlightenment writers and the established Church. His other academic interests include the Marquis de Sade, French Comic Theater and French feminist writers. At home, he loves to cook, putter around in his yard and read spy novels and thrillers whenever he has the time. In addition to teaching at various universities in the U.S., he has taught in Paris and Freiburg, Germany.

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FSEM100-75 Values, Culture and Success

How do you define success? How is your definition a construct of your culture, your values, your age, your family background, and other factors? How do groups and systems define success? In this seminar we will use identity theory, biographies and novels (including Into the Wild and the Hunger Games) to examine culture ethos and how it interacts with individual identity development on your pathway to success.

Your Professor

  Dr. Lua Hancock is the Assistant Provost for Student Success at Stetson. Dr. Hancock was previously the Director of Residential Life and Housing, the inaugural Director of Student Success, and faculty at Nova Southeastern University. Dr. Hancock has a B.A. in Psychology with a minor in African Studies; an M.S. in Conflict Resolution and her Ed.D. in Higher Education Administration. In her current role, she oversees the Center for Community Engagement, the Academic Success Center (including tutoring, first generation student programs, and testing), and Career Development and Academic Advising. Dr. Hancock also has two young boys and teaches Spin at the Hollis Center.

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FSEM100-76 The Future ... What Will it Hold for You and the World?

What is the next global trend? What current trend will become part of the past…money, Facebook, the television? As global leaders, each of us needs to understand how trends will affect our education, career goals and society. It is also a tremendous opportunity to help create what the world will look like.

In this class, you will become futurists. As futurists, you will closely examine societal trends, make predictions about the future and explore why trends of the past became extinct. You will also be able to follow a trend related to medicine, technology or even the environment and offer your prediction about the next big global trend. You could make history or fix a short-coming that is currently not working. We will explore current trends through books, social media, current TV shows and music.

Your Professor

Vice President of Student Affairs Christopher Kandus is a proud member of the Stetson University community where he serves as the Chief Student Affairs Officer for the university. Vice President Kandus grew up in Ohio and received his Bachelor's Degree in Public Communication from Ashland University, his Master's Degree in Higher Education Administration from The University of Akron, and is currently pursuing his Doctorate in Higher Education Leadership at Nova Southeastern University. Chris and his family are HUGE fans of DisneyWorld, the beach and spending time with friends and family. When not watching Jake and the Neverland Pirates, Dora the Explorer or Diego with his son, he is usually listening to Kelly Clarkson or watching some ridiculous reality television show like The Bachelorette, American Idol or X-Factor.

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FSEM100-77 Self-Assessment and Societal Relationships

This course is designed to help students understand themselves and their environment as they make the transition into the collegiate program. Students, through a variety of self-assessment vehicles, will better understand their values, learning styles, and habits in order to create a successful academic life. Students will gain exposure to a diverse set of perspectives and how they interact in various societal relationships.  Students will read several popular books. Since the professor of this course loves sports, we explore the many facets of sports.

Your Professor

Dr. Gary Oliphant is Associate Professor of Decision and Information Sciences and a frequent co-author with his wife, Dr. Becky Oliphant.  He holds a Ph.D. in Marketing and an MBA from Florida State University and M.Ed. in Computer Science and Mathematics from California University of Pennsylvania. He is certified in Project Management and in several different areas of SAP an enterprise software system.  He has worked in several government agencies as a planning manager, in the nuclear field industry as system analyst, and owned several different companies, one of which was the second largest real estate publication in the United States. In his classes he makes theories come alive with real world business examples. He loves to play all sports, follows the Stetson athletic teams, and is a big Steeler, Pirate, and Penguin fan.  He has played college basketball and continues to play baseball today. He has taught in the international program in Austria-Germany-Italy on both the MBA and undergraduate level and also accompanied the graduate students to China and Japan.  He and his wife were with a group of graduate students in Tokyo, Japan, during the earthquake.

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HON101-01 (CRN 5196) Enduring Questions (Honors Only)

 "We should live sustainably!" seems a recent exhortation, but perhaps it is no more than a return to the literary tradition of Utopias. Are we not telling stories about an intentional community based on idealistic visions? How do such comparisons between sustainability and Utopias fail to account for contemporary realities? What are the dystopic aspects to sustainability? The primary work of this course will be to historically situate the sustainability movement within a historicity of Utopian and dystopian thought. What is the relationship between contemporary calls for sustainable living and the rich tradition of Utopian thought? In what ways can the Brundtland Report, which popularized the notion of sustainability, be seen as continuous with a corpus as heterogeneous as Plato's Republic, Augustine's The City of God, Marx's Manifesto of the Communist Party?

Your Professor

Joshua Rust is an assistant professor of philosophy and faculty advisor to both the Philosophy Club and Film Club. A committed fan of all things pop-cultural, he has recently co-authored an essay in the book True Blood and Philosophy. His wife gave birth to their first child recently, a big baby boy named Quinn.

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HON101-02 (CRN 5197) Enduring Questions (Honors Only)

 "We should live sustainably!" seems a recent exhortation, but perhaps it is no more than a return to the literary tradition of Utopias. Are we not telling stories about an intentional community based on idealistic visions? How do such comparisons between sustainability and Utopias fail to account for contemporary realities? What are the dystopic aspects to sustainability? The primary work of this course will be to historically situate the sustainability movement within a historicity of Utopian and dystopian thought. What is the relationship between contemporary calls for sustainable living and the rich tradition of Utopian thought? In what ways can the Brundtland Report, which popularized the notion of sustainability, be seen as continuous with a corpus as heterogeneous as Plato's Republic, Augustine's The City of God, Marx's Manifesto of the Communist Party?

 Your Professor

Tony Abbott is a Geographer and Political Ecologist. Research foci include agricultural biodiversity, clean energy, greenhouse gas and other environmental policy, and sustainability science with a longstanding regional interest in the Americas, especially Ecuador.

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HON101-03 (CRN 5523) Enduring Questions (Honors Only)

 "We should live sustainably!" seems a recent exhortation, but perhaps it is no more than a return to the literary tradition of Utopias. Are we not telling stories about an intentional community based on idealistic visions? How do such comparisons between sustainability and Utopias fail to account for contemporary realities? What are the dystopic aspects to sustainability? The primary work of this course will be to historically situate the sustainability movement within a historicity of Utopian and dystopian thought. What is the relationship between contemporary calls for sustainable living and the rich tradition of Utopian thought? In what ways can the Brundtland Report, which popularized the notion of sustainability, be seen as continuous with a corpus as heterogeneous as Plato's Republic, Augustine's The City of God, Marx's Manifesto of the Communist Party?

 Your Professor

Karen Cole directs the Gillespie Museum, Stetson's Earth Science Museum in a Natural Setting. She earned her Ph.D. in literature from the University of Illinois and served as Associate Professor of Humanities and Social Thought at the Louisiana Scholars' College at Northwestern State University in Louisiana. She has taught courses on environmental literature and gender studies, and has published on women's work in landscape design.

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