Living and Learning Course Content
Simple Living (Simple Living LLC)
Dr. Kozimor-King
Do you ever feel so busy that you can’t spend time doing the things you really enjoy? Have you ever said, “I’d like to, but I just don’t have time?” Many people today find that limitless choices, the work and spend treadmill, and care for material things have completely taken over their lives leaving very little time and energy for anything else. Additionally, many scholars have suggested that our current lifestyle, centered on consumption and materialism, is destroying the natural world and the health of our environment. Do our lives really have to be this way? This first year seminar is designed to explore a way of life called simple living. Simple living is far from a new invention. In virtually all historical periods, there have been groups of individuals who have stressed the virtues of leading a simple life. In recent times, the simple living movement has gained increased momentum in light of economic uncertainty and growing dissatisfaction with the unyielding pursuit of more. It may sound strange, but sometimes getting more of what really matters can actually mean living with less. This seminar will critically examine the justifications for, evaluate the merits of, and address the conceptual challenges of living a simple life. Students in this class will learn skills necessary to live consciously, spend wisely, and make a difference in the community while becoming acclimated to the Elizabethtown environment.
Student Testamonials
I really enjoyed Simple Living, because it made me realize that life doesn't have to be as hectic and crazy as we often make it. I learned ways to simplify my day to day activities in order to have time to do the things I love. - Stephanie Kreis,The course was a great experience because I was really able to revaluate myself and look deeper into what I value in life. I learned many new things about how to live a more simple, healthy, and organized life. If I were to have had the opportunity to live on the "Simple Living" floor, I feel that it would be a great experience to grow with a group of people who are working towards personal goals. The floor would be a great support system for the "Give It Up" part of the course. - Lauren deDufour, former Simple Living class student
What is Wrong with the World? (HRC Course)
Dr. Ayres
As Americans, we live in a privileged place at a privileged time. Our lives are more comfortable, more wealthy, and healthier than at almost any time in human history. We have gone to the moon, conquered numerous diseases, more than doubled our average lifespan, and invented things that our great-grandparents could not have even imagined.
And while some other parts of the world share our good fortune – notably Europe and Japan – large swaths of humanity do not. Across much of the world’s surface, poverty, disease, tyranny, and violence are the norm, not the exception. In this seminar, we will explore the basic question: why?
We will be looking both globally – at broad structures that define the shape of the world and the way people live in it – as well as examining one region (Africa) in greater depth. Africa is not the only part of the world to suffer problems, but it makes an excellent case study on development and ethnic conflict issues. Students will be free in their own writing, as well as in our discussions, to wander farther afield and pursue similar questions in other parts of the world if they wish; some of our readings will also focus on other regions.Shakespeare Through Performance (HRC Course)
Dr. Rohrkemper
Physics 200 (PiE Hall)
Dr. Stuckey
We will cover kinematics (study of motion using position, velocity and acceleration) and dynamics (study of motion using concepts of kinematics plus concepts involving mass, e.g., momentum, force, energy, torque), both translational and rotational. This will likely be the first time the students have actually had to solve physics problems because most high school physics is merely algorithmic, i.e., done by blindly following a set of rules like a computer program. Real physics is not algorithmic and the students will be challenged to learn the art of problem solving for the first time. The experience can be frustrating and demoralizing at times, so progress is all the more gratifying. Oh, I almost forgot, Physics I now covers special relativity so they get to learn about time dilation, length contraction and the blockworld (that their past and future selves are as real as their current selves!). This course is really cool!
Engineering 100 (PiE Hall)
This is a course that will help help them understand what different engineering disciplines do to help them decide which field interests them the most. It consists of active learning labs where they will have hands on activities that allow them to experience what each discipline does. We bring in local engineers who share insights with the students and tour manufacturing and alternative energy sites to see the results of their efforts. Students learn CAD (computer aided design) to help them implement their team based community service project. The class is devided into teams (based on their project preference) and assigned an engineering project to complete. This is the highlight of the course for all class participants. They learn how to work in teams and apply engineering skills to complete a project. The projects are geared to the student knowledge level. This is a chance for the students to help others while developing their engineering skills.
