Freshman Seminar
Course Descriptions

Fall 2008

All Freshman Seminar are listed in the catalog as UNIV 101.  Section numbers are displayed below each course.

Adjusting to College & Culture (For International Students)
Section 001: Jeff Buell
T/Th 12:00 to 12:50 p.m. (2 credits, full semester)

Adjusting to college or a foreign culture can be overwhelming and intimidating, but students can make wise decisions, overcome challenges, and focus on solutions in adjusting to college and culture at BYU. A core aspect of this class is to treat all people with respect and dignity. During class we will explore, discuss and practice skills that magnify individual strengths, create positive interactions with others, and seek to achieve academic and personal success while attending college.


Mighty Missionaries: Using Your Freshman Year to Prepare to Preach My Gospel
Section 002: Craig Earnshaw
W 2:00 - 2:50 (1 credit, full semester)

Getting ready to submit your papers? Thinking about it? Then this class is for you. Elder Bednar observed that the young people of the Church should not "go on a mission," but rather they should "become missionaries" long before they enter the MTC. In this class we will take up that challenge: we will discuss the habits and practices that will help prepare you for your mission and be a better student. With the scriptures and "Preach My Gospel" as our guide, we will study, practice and learn many of the teachings and habits of successful missionaries.

A Testimony of God: Science and the Wonders of Creation
Section 003: Rodney J. Brown
W 3:00 to 3:50 p.m. (1/2 credit, first block only)

This course will look at much that science has shown us of God's creation. In addition, it will compare the different approaches of religion and science in discovering truth. Many of the marvels found in math, physics, chemistry, biology, astronomy, and other areas of inquiry will be presented at a non-technical level. The result will be an appreciation bordering on awe of the universe and the earth upon which we live.


The Hands that Rock the Markets Roil the World: Booms, Bubbles and Innovations in Global Financial Markets
Section 005: A. Kim Smith
M/W 10:00 to 10:50 p.m. (1 credit, first block only)


Movies that Move Us: The International Cinema Experience
Section 007: Scott Miller
MW 3:00 to 3:50 p.m. (2 credits, full semester)

Love films? One of BYU's best-kept secrets is its International Cinema program, the world's "longest running foreign film festival." 

Using films from the Fall semester International Cinema lineup as our primary texts, this 2-credit, semester-long seminar will explore the power cinema exercises upon its audience. We will delve into a number of issues revolving around viewer reactions to film, including genre, theme, music, and even subtitles. Students will examine their own—and study others'—responses to International Cinema films. Spend some time this semester learning to watch films like you've never seen them before!


In the Year of Our Lord, 1820: An examination of world history in the year of the First Vision
Section 008: Richard E. Bennett
T 4:00 to 4:50 p.m. (1 credit, full semester)

We will examine the exciting events, viewpoints, thoughts, etc., in a wide range of fields that when combined make up the Spirit of the Age. As the great Mormon historian, B. H. Roberts, has said, "There were earlier lights in the morning than the rising sun." And there were preparations for the coming restoration of the gospel in many fields of human endeavor. In this course, we will study the French Revolution and the Rise of Napoleon; Francois Champollion, his decipherment of the Rosetta Stone and the birth of modern Biblical archaeology; Czar Alexander I, the critically important Congress of Vienna of 1815 and the new age of profound peace; Ludwig Von Beethoven and his contributions at the time to the field of music; religious reform in Great Britain; developments in art, science, and religion in America that were contemporary to the time of the First Vision. This will be an around-the-world exploration of thought and feeling at the dawn of the Restoration.


Reading and Enjoying Horror Stories Without Losing Sleep
Section 013: Carl Sederholm
W 3:00 to 3:50 p.m. (1/2 credit, first block only)

Most of you reading this have experienced some kind of horror writing, whether it was reading Edgar Allan Poe in High School English classes or when you read a Stephen King novel in your bedroom at night (you know the one, it kept you up all night). In this course, you will mostly read a large selection of writings by Poe and by a few other writers who follow his lead. You will also enjoy some films inspired by Poe’s work. By the end of the course, you will understand not only how horror stories work but also why they are so popular in American culture. Even better, you will know exactly what stories to read over the campfire this Halloween!

Here are a few course goals I’d like you to work on during our time together:

• You will develop a greater ability to think critically about the ongoing debate concerning the meaning and purpose of horror literature and film.
• You will improve in your ability to speak and to write persuasively about the strengths and weaknesses of horror literature and film.
• You will increase in enthusiasm for horror literature and will want to become a lifelong reader of horror tales!

How to Design, Build, and Test Your Own Loudspeakers
Section 016: Tim Leishman
Th 4:00 to 4:50 p.m. (1 credit, first block only)

This course will introduce students to the fascinating science and art of loudspeaker design, construction, and testing. Students will learn about loudspeaker components and systems from a simplified point of view. Armed with an understanding of basic concepts, they will use software tools to design a pair of high-fidelity loudspeakers. They will then construct, test, and optimize the loudspeakers using real components and state-of-the-art acoustical instruments and facilities. They will have the opportunity to purchase their own components if they wish to keep the completed loudspeakers for their own use after the course is over.


School: Do We Have To Go Or Do We Need To Go?
Section 017: Steve Baugh and Paul Wangemann
T 1:00 to 1:50 p.m. (1 credit, full semester)

If public schooling is mandatory, what’s so important for all of us to learn? This seminar will pose questions about the public purposes of schools in our democratic society. It will focus on the relationship between our American form of democracy, the nature of education required, and the purposes of public schooling.


The Art of Writing History: A Writers’ Workshop
Section 018: Jenny Pulsipher
T 4:00 to 5:20 p.m. (1.5 credits, full semester)

The Art of Writing History: A Writers’ Workshop is designed to be a hands-on exploration of the art of writing history. We will read examples of different approaches to history from the past and the present. We will also discuss the nature of history: Is it an art or a science? If it is both, how does a historian balance the competing demands of each discipline? Finally, we will practice writing and critiquing our own examples of narrative history.


Note:
In addition to the freshman seminar courses offered through the Office of First-Year Experience, many departments offer seminar courses designed to preview majors and careers.  These courses, however, do not necessarily have small classes, peer mentoring, or an emphasis on faculty/student relationships.  If you would like to take one of these courses, please take a look at this listing (in excel) for more information.