The history of literature is inextricably bound up with various forms of the supernatural. This course will examine how the supernatural has meant different things in different times and places, from ancient Mesopotamia to modern Hollywood.

This course will examine the role of villains across literature, film, and pop culture, uncovering why their stories captivate us as deeply as those of the heroes. We will step into the shadows of the narrative, exploring the motives, missteps, and turning points that create the complex villains we love—and love to hate.

A deep and meaningful relationship exists between a work of art and the place in which it came into being. Plays, works of visual art, music, dance, architecture, novels, poems, and all kinds of work marked out as “art” by its culture are profoundly shaped by the place in which the artist, author, or performer lived and worked. FSEM sections of Art and Place explore these connections, looking at artistic traditions which develop in one particular place.

While ADHD has often been understood as a disorder that individuals must overcome in order to be successful, some researchers have begun to examine how ADHD traits can be the source of great creativity and innovation.

In this first-year seminar, you will become the hero of your own story, learning from the searching exploits of mortals and demi-gods who explored unknown lands and divine realms and who, like Odysseus’s son Telemachus, searched for meaning and fulfillment as they transitioned into adulthood. 

Throughout United States history, disasters have redefined the American physical and political landscape. The History of American Disasters is a first-year seminar focused on how disasters affect people’s lives and communities. There are two sections of this seminar: one focusing on natural disasters and one focusing on building fires.

Fairy tales are a literary genre that encompasses the world. While often considered to be part of children’s literature, fairy tales reflect the culture of the region they originate from. On the other hand, as Vladimir Propp shows, fairy tales share common structures that transcend national and cultural boundaries. This course has a closer look at the structure, meaning, and function of international fairy tales and their enduring influence on popular culture.

Unlike post-Nazi Germany, post-dictatorial Spain has never been officially compelled to confront the violence, repression, and human rights abuses of its twentieth-century past. As a result, the victims of the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939) and the Fran …

It’s been estimated that college graduates have 80,000 working hours in their career. So, as a future college graduate, if you desire to build a better world for yourself and future generations, then your choice of career is one of their best opportuni …

I have been involved with the study of languages since I decided that I would take English as my college language requirement. Learning English proved more difficult than I anticipated (I thought I would learn it in a semester!), but it showed me how intricate and fascinating languages can be (i.e., messy). Ever since I started learning English, I became interested in other languages, how adults learn a second language, and lately, how our attitudes towards languages and dialects are shaped by our own ideas about the people who speak them.