First Year Seminar

Current advances in medicine have been astounding. For instance, we can now alter the human genome to treat some genetic diseases, and have figured out how to train the human immune system to fight cancer! In this course, we will travel back in history to explore some of the most impactful advances in medicine. We'll examine the current state of medicine, and discuss major advancements that may lie ahead. How close are we to growing replacement organs for a person from their own stem cells? Is a cure for Alzheimer’s disease on the horizon? How will AI change the practice of medicine? We’ll explore these topics and more in this interactive, project-based course!

How do you write a check? What is insurance for? What is an O2 sensor on my car? What is the proper way to communicate via email? How do I shut the power off in my house? Adulthood brings many questions that we haven’t all been taught to answer. Going off to college may be the first “adult” experience many of us have. But are we adequately prepared to survive and thrive in the real world? That’s the knowledge gap this course attempts to fill. From learning what those lights mean on your car dashboard to understanding how voting works, Adulting 101 is the course that answers the most practical questions most young adults have about living independently in the world.

Voices of the past speak to us through myths and folklore. These ancient stories, passed down through generations, describe worldviews and offer wisdom for people from every part of the world. This class will explore and compare the traditional stories of cultures from around the world as they are retold by modern storytellers and artists, with an emphasis on foreign films, animations, comics, and other modes of artistic interpretation. Students will respond through analytical writing and creative projects.

Never before have environmental issues been more pressing and creative solutions needed. In this course, you will develop a broad understanding of these environmental issues and their relationship to the social, political, cultural, and economic systems that impact the future of humanity, other species, and our shared planet. You will understand how your own work as an individual, artist, or designer can comment on, interact with, and impact the world. This course will explore artistic responses to environmental sustainability and related social issues. You will develop collaborative and creative individual projects that may take the form of social/relational art practice, video, installation, performance, writing, sound, 2D or 3D form, and electronic media. The course will focus on artists, designers, and architects that work across disciplines and within communities to focus attention on the web of interrelationships in our environment, from the physical and biological to the cultural, political, and historical.

What can a forest teach you about college—and about life? In this course, we’ll trade the classroom for the trails as we explore the forest through the eyes of a biologist. Along the way, you’ll sharpen your critical thinking, observation, discussion, and reflective writing skills, all while learning how to approach complex questions about the natural world. This course isn’t just about trees and wildlife (though you’ll definitely meet some of each!). It’s about learning how to ask good questions, make thoughtful connections, and engage deeply with your surroundings—skills that apply in any major and any field. As we walk and talk through local woodlands, you’ll also get to know your classmates, your professor, and yourself a little better.

This how-to college course sets you up for academic success through exploring what we can learn from collaborative storytelling games, from role playing classics like Dungeons and Dragons and goth-favorite Vampire: The Masquerade, to the pre-internet Infocom text adventures of the 80s (think Zork and Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy), and even solo RPGs like Choose Your Own Adventure stories. You will explore such questions as:
- How do these games shape relationships between players as they create and inhabit diverse identities, solve dilemmas, and build imaginary worlds?
- In what ways do these stories and characters reflect, transmit, reinforce, or resist cultural biases and norms?
- How might we redesign games to create new possibilities for players – and in so doing, expand our own?
Alongside learning about and gaining practical skills in navigating the challenges of college life, we will work in teams to invent, design, and showcase, by the end of the term, our own original tabletop and indie role-playing games.

Do you love a hike in the woods? Over the years, humans have profoundly stated our love for being outside and enjoying the wilderness that surrounds us. Through this class, you will read some of these accounts from Henry David Thoreau to Anne LaBastille, and Annie Dillard to experience the romantic, environmental, and meditative aspects of nature. Also, you'll explore the question: How did the woods and mountains get here in the first place? Humans often overlook the geologic controls of our natural environment. Geology creates the physical landscape we exist on but also subtly molds earth’s water and climate, influencing the distribution of plants and animals. In this course, you will walk and explore the Southern Tier of New York as we meld a soulful wilderness experience with the science of how and why that wilderness exists. Fortunately, we are surrounded by beautiful wilderness and geology. Elmira is situated on the Allegheny Plateau, bordered by the beautiful, glacially carved Finger Lakes to the north, the Pennsylvania Fold Belt to the south, and the Appalachian Mountains to the East. Come outside to explore with us!

The history of sports is a journey filled with stories...If we traveled to Brookline, Massachusetts, in 1913, we'd find a 20-year-old former caddie trying to win the U.S. Open golf tournament. In a federal courthouse in Chicago in 1921, we'd find eight men standing trial, accused of fixing the 1919 World Series. Other stops on our journey include Berlin, Germany, the site of the 1936 Summer Olympics; El Paso, Texas, the center of the college basketball universe in 1966; Lake Placid, New York, the location of the 1980 "Miracle on Ice"; the 1980s boardrooms of Nike’s fledgling basketball division; and the basement of the Oakland Coliseum where, in 2002, the idea for Moneyball was born. Hollywood’s portrayal of these and other important sports moments will provide the backdrop for an introduction to the business of sport. Along the way, we'll explore the connection between sports, sales, marketing, legal and ethical issues, analytics, and management.

Do you love viewing films and talking about them with friends? Are you searching for a deeper understanding of the moving image, beyond the popular 10 second TikTok video? If so, this is the class for you! You will view feature films, short films, and television episodes. You will read related critical essays to help analyze and write about the artistic and technical choices made by filmmakers. In addition, you will collaborate to create video podcasts in response to class readings and research, using your own smart phone technology. The focus is to develop an appreciation of film as a powerful art form that can inform and inspire change.

What does it mean to “find your place?” At Elmira College and in the world? How do the places and stories we come from shape who we are, and how does arriving somewhere new begin to change us? This course explores these questions by reflecting on where we grew up and where we are now, and how stories attach to landscapes and shape our understanding of belonging. We will explore the relationship between place, identity, and storytelling, connecting these ideas to our own experiences of home and transition to EC. From haunted roads and local legends to stories tied to land and memory, we’ll also examine how places come to feel meaningful -- and who gets included or excluded from those stories. Alongside developing practical strategies for navigating college life, we will build a collaborative Story Atlas of our local region, combining research, mapping, and creative work.

Looking for the meaning of life? Look no further than…every Pixar movie…ever! In this seminar, you’ll join a psychologist in exploring the world of Pixar. What’s the logic behind their successful movie-making formula? Is there a rational appeal (or logos) built into the structure of each film? And, why is this format so effective for generating an emotional response (or pathos) among the audience? We’ll dive into the psychology behind the characters and explore what it reflects about ourselves: our ambitions and insecurities, our relationships with family and friends, and our experiences of love and loss. You’ll laugh. You’ll cry. You’ll discover the meaning of life…maybe. Or, you’ll at least make some unexpected friends, go on a strange journey, and learn something about yourself. Just like the main characters in every Pixar film.

This course is designed to optimize the transition of new students to Elmira College. Focusing on key components of campus life, the instructors utilize engaging activities and insights to highlight the perspectives, skills, and activities that you need to succeed at Elmira College. By focusing on the purpose and benefits that college life provides, you will take part in a discovery process to enhance your experience at Elmira College.

In this course, we'll explore some of the ways human history has been shaped by advances in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). Throughout the term, we'll watch and discuss movies that highlight the real people behind groundbreaking discoveries in STEM. Watching these movies will lead to important discussions about the power of film in storytelling. Whose stories have been told? Whose stories have yet to be told?

Unplugged explores the impact of living in a world where everyone and everything is constantly connected. Our course will look at what connection is and how it impacts individuals, relationships, and society. You'll examine how social media and technology, such as Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat, have shaped your identity, expectations, attention, critical thinking, and overall well-being.

The course will explore the questions: What does it mean to be “connected”? How do digital platforms redefine friendship, community, and belonging? When does connection become distraction, dependence, or distortion? What does it mean to disconnect—and is true disconnection possible? You'll learn how technology can be used in both positive and negative ways.

We'll engage in guided “digital reflection experiences” in which you'll experiment with structured disconnection and analyze your emotional, cognitive, and social responses with the intention of developing a deeper understanding of how to cultivate meaningful connection—both online and offline.