Spring 2025
See Zagweb for days/times.
CLAS 193, FYS: From Marathon to March Madness -- Ancient and Modern Sport. This course will look at ancient Greek and Roman athletic competitions, including the Olympics, chariot racing, and gladiatorial combat, and trace their legacy up through the modern day. We will think specifically about how gender and race intersect with sports cultures, as well as the role that sports fandom plays in both ancient and modern societies. Instructor: Pistone
COMM 193, FYS: Relationshipping LLC. People need each other. Repeated studies show that relationships and feelings of connectedness are the keys to better mental health, improved cognition, and a longer, more joyful existence. So, if relationships can save us, then why is being with other people so… complicated? Drawing on a range of disciplines, this course will explore the ways relationships teach us how to love, how to grieve, how to live more emphatically, and how (and why) to establish boundaries. Most importantly, we will learn how other people not only sustain us but contribute to our growth. Since mediated relationships are part of our socialization, we will see how pop culture and celebrity inform us—teaching us relational norms of both what to do, even more likely, what not to do—when in the company of others. Instructor: Morehouse.
EDTE 193, FYS: Learning Theories/Epistemologies. This course is designed to introduce the undergraduate student to the epistemology of various disciplines and to make them aware of their own personal epistemology. In addition, the contributions of behaviorism, humanistic psychology, and cognitive psychology will be examined in order to give a basis for critically analyzing how and why human growth and development occur in the teaching and learning act. Based on the dynamics of respect of individual differences within the learning community, prior learning and authentic scholarly exploration of historical and current literature, students will be able to articulate, develop and seek alternatives to their theories-in-use. Instructor: Cox
ENGL 193, FYS: The Search for Meaning. This FYS is designed to introduce students to learning and knowing as deliberate, creative processes by engaging the question of what makes for a meaningful life. The course will emphasize writing and reading as tools for participation in the creation of meaning. The course will focus on bulding a personal map of meaning in conjuction with a study of how literary works approach meaning, along with consideration of the approach to meaning by various works from philosophy, psychology, and religious studies. Fulfills a Writing-Enriched (WE) designation*. Instructor: Butterworth
ENGL 193, FYS: 1960’s in 21 Songs. Before there was Black Lives Matter, there were the Black Panthers, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King. Before Megan Rapinoe, there was Stonewall and Muhammed Ali. Before the War on Terror, there was Vietnam. And before the fracturing of audiences with Netflix, TikTok, and YouTube, 73,000,000 Americans watched four lads from Liverpool start a revolution on their televisions. The 1960s was a decade of mass movements and mass media, one when a “new generation” imagined better worlds… and, by the end, faced deepening nightmares. This class will examine the decade at the intersection of media and society, using the popular music of the day – artists such as Bob Dylan, the Beatles, James Brown, and Aretha Franklin -- to frame interdisciplinary discussions on civil rights, women’s and gay liberation, art, religion, war, and what it means to be American. Students will be expected to be active participants, reading and listening carefully, and contributing to class discussion. A number of controversial and difficult topics will be featured, and students are cautioned that the language and topics may be challenging. Engages with issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Fulfills a Social Justice (SJ) designation*. Instructor: Cooney.
ENGL 193, FYS: What is a University? LLC / CGE. The primary purpose of this First-Year Seminar is to explore as much as we can about a university. Drawing from a wide range of perspectives will provide us with insight as to how an institution of higher education operates. We will delve into the history of universities, the politics involved in academia, and the practicalities of keeping a university running. We will consider various types of universities while also focusing on Gonzaga and how it is similar to and different from other universities. Course activities will require students to research these issues and others and to share the knowledge that they gain from that research in our seminar meetings. The goal of this sharing is to “cultivate [an] understanding” of what it means to be part of a university community at this point of their education and to take that understanding with them when they leave Gonzaga. Engages with issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion and fulfills a Writing-Enriched (WE) designation*. Instructor: Pajer.
ENGL 193, FYS: Civilization Reconsidered (note: sec 3 is an LLC, sec.5 is not). Is civilization worth it? It is likely a question few of us have considered since we’ve never known anything else. But this seminar will ask whether living in a civilization is conducive to human flourishing. We will look back at the long sweep of history since humans have established sedentary, hierarchical societies; we will chart the differences and changes that have ensued; and we will establish a value system by which we might evaluate such changes. To facilitate this inquiry, this course will investigate diverse perspectives from a variety of disciplines such as psychology, anthropology, literature, and human ecology, among others. Instructor: Tagnani.
HEAL 193, FYS: Religion and Medicine. See RELI 193 description below. Instructor: Tran
HIST 193, FYS: Pompeii, Fact and Fiction. Can we truly reconstruct the past? How do we differentiate between historical fact and fiction, as we explore and interpret events of the past? This course will pursue answers to these questions through examining one of the most fascinating (and deadly) episodes in ancient history: the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 CE and the subsequent destruction of Pompeii and its neighboring cities. Using archaeological, anthropological, art historical and textual/historical evidence (e.g., everyday objects, ancient graffiti, skeletal remains, world-class art and monuments), this seminar will investigate what we both do and do not know about the Pompeii’s origins, its vibrant culture, its downfall, and its rediscovery nearly 250 years ago. Furthermore, we shall employ that knowledge to understand the ways in which Pompeii and its people – women and men, citizens, slaves and foreigners – have been received and reinterpreted within modern historical fiction and current public imagination, through the critical analysis of books, films and other media. Instructor: Goldman.
HIST 193, FYS: Chernobyl. This course examines the causes and outcomes of the Chernobyl nuclear accident of 1986. Further, it introduces students to the means by which the Chernobyl nuclear accident has been interrogated by scholars in a diverse array of academic disciplines. What has been the impact of Chernobyl on human beings, animals, and the natural environment? How did it impact the economy and politics of the Soviet Union? How did people experience the catastrophe at the time? How have historians tried to make sense of the meaning and impact of Chernobyl? Instructor: O’Connor
MATH 193, FYS: Knitting. In this First Year Seminar, we will explore knitting from many different viewpoints. Our many different cultural backgrounds and areas of study affect how we see the world. We will learn about knitting as it connects to disciplines including history, political science, chemistry, and mathematics. We will also explore how our personal experiences affect the story we see in knitted work. Engages with issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Instructor: Kearney
MDLA 193, FYS: Latin Noir: Crime Stories from Latin America. “How can you write a crime novel in a country where the main criminal is the state?” - Paco Ignacio Taibo II, Mexican author. It is this, among other questions, that this course seeks to answer through a tour of selected Latin American detective and crime fiction from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Cuba, and Mexico. We will explore short stories, novels, and films while investigating the socio-political contexts in which they were produced. Through close reading of these texts, we will uncover themes such as justice, memory, democracy, immigration, globalization, and narcoviolence. Instructor: Bishop
MDLA 193, FYS: Witnessing Injustice: Testimonial Writings as a Tool for Change. As a class we will produce our own testimonial anthology! Can literature promote social justice? How do people experience and talk about injustice? How do readers experience a personal transformation through the texts they read? How do they (re)act after reading such texts? These questions and others are at the heart of our seminar. In this class we will explore testimonial writing from Latin America, including Guatemala, Argentina, and the border between Mexico and the US. We will look at testimonio’s origins, its definitions, and how it has evolved over the second half of the twentieth century. We’ll wrestle with concepts such as “social justice,” “human rights,” and “truth.” Finally, we’ll look at ourselves as readers and how we are implicated in a call to transform our world into a safer, more just place for all people. You will even have the opportunity to find your voice as witness and agent for/of change. Fulfills a Social Justice (SJ) designation*. Instructor: Marquis
MUSC 193, FYS: Social Justice and Music. With music and social movements as our primary source, this First-Year Seminar focuses on how rap and hip-hop have been a means to communicate complex cultural, social, and political issues of Western culture from the 1970s to the present. We will journey through the vast landscape of Black musical traditions that will come to influence the cultural and musical phenomena known as hip-hop. The main questions we will explore include: 1. How has race been constructed in Western music history, in music criticism (of African diasporic music and musicians) 2. How has the commercialization of rap and hip-hop aided in the personification of antebellum stereotypes and imperialistic/capitalistic agendas? 3. How has hip-hop impacted social movements in the Americas and abroad? At the completion of this course, students will be able to (1) articulate how their own personal and cultural views affect their empirical and theoretical knowledge and understanding, (2) appreciate various music genres and how they intersect with current and popular music, with an emphasis on Black music traditions, (3) think about how music has impacted social movements and they can be agents of change with music, (4) understand social factors related to resilience and how to foster resilience, (5) reflect on their role in creating a better world. Finally, (6) integrate the principles of Gonzaga’s mission with their academic, personal, and spiritual aspirations.Engages with issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion and fulfills a Social Justice designation*. Instructor: Tarver
PHIL 193, FYS: Loneliness & Community. It’s hard to imagine any person existing without at least some experience of feeling or being lonely. For many of us, loneliness is situational: it’s what we feel when we first immerse ourselves into a new community or when a relationship ends. For some, loneliness is a feeling they wrestle with more consistently. In this class, we will look at what it is to be and feel lonely. We won’t stop there, though. We’ll study how community and connection to other people (might) help alleviate loneliness. We’ll ask if the experience of loneliness today is unique to our time, or if there is something common to all human experiences of loneliness. We’ll ask how different scholars from diverse fields suggest we “deal” with the problem of loneliness and discover whether there are skills and practices we can adopt to lessen our own and others’ lonely feelings. Fulfills a Writing-Enriched (WE) designation.* Instructor: Kulp
PHYS 193, FYS: Social Justice in Science Fiction. PHYS 193, FYS: Social Justice in Science Fiction. In this seminar, we will explore the role that science fiction plays in evolving our understandings and beliefs regarding social justice. We will read classic texts and watch films and television series as we consider the relationships between individuals, societies, species, and cultures in real and imagined worlds. Carries a Social Justice (SJ) designation.* Instructor: Fritsch
RELI 193, FYS: Mindfulness and Spiritual Growth. Focus is on students’ spiritual growth and the interdisciplinary field of contemplative studies. This course is designed to engage students with both the theoretical foundations and practical applications of contemplation and mindfulness in various contexts. Instructor: Chien
RELI 193, FYS: Paranormal. As a First-Year Seminar, this course investigates how we pursue knowledge and cultivate understanding. To achieve this, Para/Normal investigates what Americans have considered normal and paranormal. By taking the categories “normal” and “paranormal” as our object of study, this class asks questions about how people see and experience the world, the ways in which humans make meaning of those experiences, and whether or not the supernatural still has a place in today’s modern world. Along the way, we’ll meet witches, Bigfoot hunters, UFO abductees, ghost hunters, and more. And we’ll see what Americans fear, what Americans believe, and what Americans love to debunk. Instructor: Clark
RELI 193, FYS: Vietnam-Ethics of War. Addresses the first-year core question, “How do we pursue knowledge and cultivate understanding” through a multiple disciplinary analysis of the Vietnam War. In recent American history, few events have evoked as much controversy and debate as the Vietnam War. Positions on the war ranged from total support to total opposition with often little room in between these views. For this reason, the Vietnam War calls forth a variety of viewpoints regarding the political, social, and moral consequences of the war. Many of these viewpoints reflect concerns related to justice such as the morality of war, the just war theory, colonialism, cultural narratives, the cold war, protest movements, and the draft. Seen through the lens of ethics, history, popular culture, music, and politics, we will look at the war from the perspective of policy makers, soldiers, and the Vietnamese people. We will see how each of these groups dealt with the ethics of the war in relation to their own situation and role in the war. We will try to gain some understanding of the impact of the war on America, on Vietnam, and on the people whose lives became intertwined with the war. Since war is not an isolated phenomenon, this understanding will equip students to develop an analysis of war in a more contemporary context. Fulfills a Social Justice (SJ) designation*. Instructor: Large
RELI 193, FYS: Religion and Stuff LLC. Is a religion primarily a set of beliefs and symbols? Or does religion also require things? How are beliefs developed and encoded in conversation with the things around us? And what impact do religions have on their material environments? This course seeks to explore religion and/as physical stuff, not only belief. Instructor: Porter
RELI 193, FYS: Generative Balance: Whole Person Growth through Deep Learning LLC. This FYS explores the “integrated internal self,” what it means to be authentically human, and best practices needed for generative human connection in professional and nonprofessional settings, particularly for students anticipating professional health careers. Thematically, this course rigorously pursues the question posed by the poet in Psalm 8, “When I look to your heavens, the work of your fingers…what are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them.” This course utilizes a multidisciplinary approach to generating knowledge around these key (and other student-generated) questions: What is a human being? How is a human being part of nature? How might humans relate to the Other, perhaps even the Divine? How might we understand the ancient poetry of the soul in post-modernity and how can this poetry help us connect with others as completely human even in professional settings? Why do humans tend to objectify others psychologically? Why is non-binary gender identity potentially threatening to some and salvific to others? Why do humans struggle with racism? Why do humans so often fear and avoid failure? Why do humans dehumanize? Through flipped classroom discussion, journalling, project-based learning, and key readings, this course aims to expose the student to the gift of the university and its various schools, scholarly approaches, and libraries when facing existential questions of the human condition. Engages with issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion and fulfills a Social Justice (SJ) designation*. Instructor: Starbuck
RELI 193, FYS: Religion and Medical Science. Are religions and medical science compatible? How do they relate, support, and challenge each other over the history? What are the tensions that can be quite destructive between them at times? What opportunities can they bring to humanity if we can find a good way to utilize both properly? This course will examine questions such as these. The course aims at helping students to go beyond their preconceptions and develop a critical analysis to (1) concretely identify issues that need to be resolved, (2) avoid falling into the trap of exclusivity or extreme, (3) recognize elements that help to enrich rather than impoverish our ability, and (4) view everything through a humanistic and wholistic lens. Instructor: Tran
WGST 193, FYS: Gender & Sexuality in Games. This class will explore the impact of gender and sexuality within the history, theory, and design of both tabletop and video games. We will study how these issues arise within representation in games, gaming communities, and the wider industry. Readings will include both academic texts and a variety of different games. In the process, students will not only develop a deeper understanding of the interactive media they frequently consume but also apply this understanding through design. Engages with issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Instructor: Dame-Griff, Avery
* To fulfill university core requirements, students must complete 2 Writing-Enriched (WE) designated courses (in addition to Writing), 1 Global Studies (GS) designated course (in addition to World/Comparative Religion), and 1 Social Justice (SJ) designated course. Designations double-count. That is, students completing an FYS with a designation, get credit for the FYS and fulfill the designation it carries. Transfer students with 45 or more credits have a reduced designation requirement (1 WE, and 2 total of either 1 WE, 1 GS, and/or 1 SJ), and students with 60 or more credits, including AA/AS-T degree holders, are not required to fulfill the designation requirements.