First Year Seminar (GNED 1300) Course Descriptions
Fall 2012
GNED 1300-15 Professor C. Ardavin
“Cuban Americans:
Between Two Worlds”
NH 232
MWF 11:30
This seminar will explore significant Cuban-American cultural, artistic, cinematic, musical, sociopolitical and
literary representations since 1960 up to the present day. One of the principal pedagogical aims of
this course will be to analyze and deconstruct the numerous stereotypes and myths about Cuban-Americans -especially regarding exiles of Miami --, which are still prevalent in US academia. These stereotypical images have
been abundant and have obscured in great part the complex history of a community characterized by cultural and
racial diversity, esthetic passion and a sustained work ethics. In addition, this class will also deal with some aspects
of Fidel Castro's Cuba, a topic practically unavoidable when studying Cuban-Americans. This course will assume a
multidisciplinary approach. Students will be exposed to films, music, television series as well as literary texts.
GNED 1300-2
Professor B. Blystone
“Stalking Medical Science”
CGC 240
MWF 11:30
A portion of the classical Hippocratic oath states: “I will apply dietic measures for the benefit of the sick according
to my ability and judgment; I will keep them from harm and injustice. I will neither give a deadly drug to anybody
who asked for it, nor will I make a suggestion to this effect. Similarly I will not give to a woman an abortive
remedy.” Twenty-five centuries later the modern Hippocratic oath has evolved to: “I will respect the hard-won
scientific gains of those physicians in whose steps I walk, and gladly share such knowledge as is mine with those
who are to follow. I will apply, for the benefit of the sick, all measures [that] are required, avoiding those twin traps
of overtreatment and therapeutic nihilism.”* Knowledge of health gained through medical science has changed that
oath taken by most American physicians. Working through texts from Mukherhjee, Lewis, Meyers, Carson,
Verghese, and Thomas, we will consider how medical science has transformed the practice of medicine as revealed
by changes in the Hippocratic Oath through time. *Quotes derived from Peter Tyson for NOVAbeta.
GNED 1300-13 Professor M. Brown
“Frankenstein and Beyond”
CSI 337
MWF 11:30
“It’s Alive! It’s Alive! Now I know what it feels like to be God!” So, at least, claims Dr. Frankenstein in the 1931
film classic, as his monstrous, electrified creation first flexes its twitching right arm. This seminar will examine the
fascination and apprehension, if not outright horror, we humans share as we increasingly gain the knowledge and
technology to penetrate, control, and perhaps even artificially create, the mysterious process we call life. Once held
to be strictly a divine prerogative, the modification and creation of life, including human life, is becoming a reality
as scientists uncover the secrets of living beings. A closely related theme is the creation of an ideal society in which,
through science and technology, human suffering is vastly reduced if not eliminated, and full human potential is
realized for every individual. Such visions of earthly utopias have inspired enormous hope, but such earthly
paradises have a nasty habit of turning into terrifying dystopias. We shall explore the Frankenstein theme of human
curiosity and creativity run amok through a variety of novels and films.
GNED 1300-9
Professor W. Christ
"Media Stereotypes:
RCC 316 L
So that's how a college student is supposed to act?"
TR 11:20
Media inform our political, social, cultural, emotional, spiritual, and psychological lives. An analysis of media
representation and how that representation helps "construct" who we are provides the central focus of this course.
We read seminal articles in the class and discuss interesting and important ideas about how the media forges our
identity. You will be evaluated on analytical thinking and writing, and your contributions in discussions. Good
thinking required. . . lots of rewards.
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GNED 1300-21 Professor A. Ejikeme
“Knockout: Class, Race and Masculinity
in the History of Boxing”
CGC 240
TR 11:20
Boxing is one of the most brutal of sports. Yet it is referred to as “the sweet science” and “le noble art.” It is the
sport most frequently represented on the silver screen. What is it about boxing that so fascinates us? In this seminar
we will trace the history of boxing. More importantly, we will be asking the following questions: Who boxes and
why? How has boxing shaped society and how has society shaped boxing through the ages? In what ways are ideas
about boxing and gender related? In what ways have the media (film and print) shaped the public’s understanding
of and relationship with boxing?
GNED 1300-6
Professor C. Grissom
“Functions of Humor in Contemporary Fiction”
NH 318
TR 11:20
In spoken as well as written communication, people use humor (and wit) in efforts to accomplish a variety of goals –
e.g., to intimidate, to stereotype, to ridicule, to amuse, to cope with anxiety, angst, ennui; to help face disease,
despair, and death; to cover shyness and insecurities. In this seminar, we’ll examine a sampling of contemporary
novels, essays, and stories in order to analyze uses and effectiveness of humor.
Caution #1: Humor is (and always has been) a dangerous tool. There is surely something in the readings for this
course to offend everyone. This is NOT a seminar for the fainthearted, the squeamish, or the easily offended.
Caution #2: This is NOT a seminar for homophobes, racists, bigots, or sexists. Open-minded, non-judgmental,
intelligent students should select this section of GNED 1300.
Caution #3: One of the objectives of the course is this: to develop and/or hone students’ ability to examine and to
understand their own definition of humor and its function in their lives. If you are seeking a course in which the
professor dictates what you are to conclude about the literature, this is not such a course.
Caution #4: This course involves MUCH in-class and out-of-class writing as well as formal oral presentations,
critiques of peers’ work, and active, informed participation in class discussion. Students who do not like to read, to
write, and to engage in civil discourse should eschew this class; they will not be happy here.
GNED 1300-18 Professor J. He
“Art and Life”
MPC 105
TR 11:20
This course explores the relationship between art and life in different cultural, political and historical contexts. The
themes include: What does art means to life? How life is reflected in art? How an artist lives in both art creation and
reality? What is artistic creativity? etc. The course aims to develop students’ critical reading, speaking, writing, and
thinking skills in alliance with creative reflection. Some course materials include the novels The Picture of Dorian
Gray (Oscar Wilde, England]) and Snow White and Russian Red (Dorota Maslowska, Poland), and the films Poetry
(dir. Lee Changdong, South Korea), Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (dir. Paul Schrader, USA), Chicken Poets
(dir. Meng Jinghui, China), Exit Through the Gift Shop(dir. Banksy, England) and Nightwatching (dir. Peter
Greenaway, England) and some philosophical chapters from Plato's Republic, the Analects and the Zhuangzi.
GNED 1300-19 Professor K. Lyons
“Sex and Conflict”
CSI 441
TR 8:30
Sex is dangerous. Sex leads to conflict. Our pursuit of sex can result in some rather poorly considered decisions.
Indeed, Darwin was baffled by displays of male peacocks and lion manes, qualities that put them at risk and
inflamed fights among rivals. Then, why bother with sex? We will begin this course with a study of the evolution
of sex, with emphasis on natural selection of sex through time. We will then explore aspects of human nature and
historical trends that derive from our evolution as sexual beings. Readings will be drawn from scientific as well as
sociological, anthropological, political, and creative literature. Students enrolled in this course will be challenged to
abandon their preconceptions and reconsider their personal perceptions of sex, gender, and the roles of males and
females in human societies.
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GNED 1300-1
Professor A. Madrid
“Fear and Loathing: The increasing trauma
of pursuing higher education”
NH 278
TR 11:20
Pursuing higher education, particularly at selective institutions, has increasingly become a traumatic experience for
both students and their parents and presents them with a broad range of questions: What institutions should one
apply to? On what basis? To how many? How does one determine quality? What is required for admission? Who
gets admitted and why? On what basis does one decide where to go? How much does it really cost? Who gets
financial aid and why? What is required of students? What should one expect of a college education? What should
one study?, etc. This seminar, which is designed to help students understand the higher education process and how
to negotiate it, includes discussions with University officers and experts as well as extensive exploration of current
thinking on the subject as found in reports on higher education and articles in newspapers and magazines.
GNED 1300-11 Professor P. Myers
“Code Book Lost”
DSB 341
TR 11:20
This is a wide-ranging seminar consisting of many topics relevant to our lives. A Robert Penn Warren poem ends
with a line that will influence this seminar: "The whole world pours at us. But the code book, somehow is lost."
Indeed, "message on message" are available to us in all domains of our existence: factual, scientific, emotional,
interpersonal, societal, intuitive, aesthetic, and maybe even mysterious forms of knowledge. We will investigate
some of these. Relevant topics will be treated in a seminar setting (i.e., much discussion) with the focus and
stimulus deriving from various readings selected for the seminar. These readings will include the historical and the
contemporary, the philosophical and the mundane, the speculative and the traditional -- in forms ranging from
essays to poetry, from history to art. Our work will also draw on personal experiences and insights, controversies,
and challenges to lead to an appreciation of complexity of the topics and of some of the various ways in which we
might deal with these complexities.
GNED 1300-14 Professor K. O’Rourke
“Architecture is Awesome!” DSB 341 MF 11:30-12:20; W 11:30-1:20
Why does the world look this way? This first-year seminar helps students learn how to answer this questions and
introduces them to ways of understanding and analyzing architecture. Students will study some of the world’s most
amazing modern buildings and will read major texts by leading architects. Particular emphasis will be placed on the
links between architectural modernism and engineering. Using the campus of Trinity University as a case study, the
course will also consider the links between the built environment and the liberal arts. As students adapt to life at one
of the nation’s most architecturally-significant colleges, they will learn how to see and interpret the world in new
ways. Course ends October 24.
GNED 1300-17 Professor K. O’Rourke
“Architecture is Awesome!” DSB 341 M 9:30-11:20; WF 100-11:20
(see description above)
GNED 1300-20 Professor M. Soto
“San Antonio Studies”
SML 102
MWF 11:30
This course investigates the landscape, history, society, culture, and built environment of San Antonio, Texas. We
will examine the city from multiple disciplinary angles and via numerous media, including creative literature (poetry
and fiction), film, and San Antonio’s cyber-landscape. Class requirements include regular, active participation
(including two formal presentations); a willingness to explore San Antonio beyond the confines of the Trinity
campus; and three short reviews and one longer paper. Carmen Tafolla, Sonnets and Salsa (Wings Press)
0916727106; Char Miller, Deep in the Heart of San Antonio (Trinity UP) 1595340076; Char Miller, ed., On the
Border (Trinity UP) 1595340149; John Philip Santos, Places Left Unfinished at the Time of Creation (Penguin)
0140292020; David Montejano, Quixote’s Soldiers (U of Texas P) 0292722907; Adina De Zavala, History and
Legends of the Alamo (Arte Publico Press) 155885181X; Sandra Cisneros, Woman Hollering Creek (Vintage)
0679738568; McNay Art Museum: Romo print collection, Vincent Valdez
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GNED 1300-5
Professor D. Suarez
“Complexity, Evolution
and the New Social Sciences”
CSI 337
TR 2:10
Can the forces of human history be represented and understood through a computer simulation? Do business
organizations evolve in the same way beehives once did? Can abstract concepts such as society, culture and identity
be expressed mathematically? Could new software developments help us understand why some countries are
wealthy while others remain in poverty? Can sociologists, economists and psychologists work together to create a
holistic theory of human behavior? In this First Year Seminar we explore the latest advances in the scientific
paradigm known as Complexity—a growing interdisciplinary approach that studies the way in which organization
comes about, whether in natural or in social systems. In this class you will get a hands-on introduction to the
computational methodologies that scientists are developing to better understand the world we live in. We focus on
the applications that this new approach has for the understanding of human behavior by following the latest findings
of researchers that work to bridge the gap between the traditional “hard sciences,” such as physics and computer
science, and those that study humans in context, such as anthropology and political science.
GNED 1300-3
Professor S. Tynes
“Pushing the Limits and Overcoming Stereotypes:
CSI 441 TR 11:20
First-Generation, Under-represented Students in Elite Colleges”
A seminar class is not a lecture or monologue, but a shared educational journey. Our journey will be to explore the
role of higher education in improving one’s life. Given that only 28% of the U.S. population has a college degree
(U.S. Census Bureau), college is clearly a privilege and luxury. Questions addressed are: Why are you here? Does
higher education liberate individuals and lead to upward mobility, or does it simply reinforce social inequality?
What makes a college experience a great one? What makes students more or less successful? How do families help
or hinder college students’ success? Finally, this seminar is one way of saying "Welcome!" to Trinity and San
Antonio (which we WILL explore), and all they have to offer you.
GNED 1300-4
Professor M. Uddin
“Creativity and Entrepreneurial
Behavior”
CSI 337
MW 2:30
Creativity is described as breaking down prior assumptions and making new connections for new ideas.
Entrepreneurial behavior is described as the processes, practices, and decision-making activities that lead to the
realization of our creative ideas. This first-year seminar course on Creativity and Entrepreneurial Behavior is
designed for students across the humanities, arts, engineering, sciences and business who love the initiative,
ingenuity and excitement of putting creative ideas into action. This course focuses on the following topics:
Awakening Creativity, Channeling Creativity through Design, the Entrepreneur Within, Entrepreneurial
Opportunity, and the Entrepreneurial Challenge. As part of this challenge, students will form Entrepreneurial
Teams. Each E-Team will develop long-term project plans to transform their creative ideas and turn them into
market-place realities. Students interested in this seminar are encouraged to live on the Entrepreneurship residence
hall floor.
GNED 1300-8
Professor D. Ugolini
“Science vs. Pseudoscience”
CSI 441
MWF 11:30
Are humans causing global warming? Were the Apollo moon landings faked? Do gluten-free diets improve your
health? Are ghosts real? And when we read or hear about these subjects, how can we separate fact from fiction? In
this course we will discuss the meanings of the words "science" and "pseudoscience," and explore a host of topics
such as the ones listed above. More importantly, we will develop critical thinking techniques and an understanding
of the scientific method, to better differentiate between ideas based on experiment versus those based on faith,
speculation, or faulty reasoning.
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GNED 1300-16 Professor H. Wallace
“The Science of Freedom”
NH 332
TR 8:30
In the past 15 years, a flood of psychology and neuroscience research has shed new light on the complex and
sometimes counterintuitive realities of the pursuit and exercise of freedom. This seminar examines the details and
implications of this work and complementary research from political science, economics, sociology, and urban
studies. Assigned readings will primary be academic journal articles, but students will also investigate
correspondence between empirical research and portrayals of freedom in nonacademic media. In addition to
reviewing existing evidence, students will design and conduct novel studies to test hypotheses they form during the
semester.
GNED 1300-12 Professor F. Walmsley
“Critical Perspectives on Harry Potter”
CSI 337
TR 11:20
The Harry Potter books (one story in seven volumes) are thought by many readers to be a children’s story; a careful
reading reveals that the books are much more than that. J.K. Rowling is a very knowledgeable writer skillfully
weaving together multiple genre. Comparisons will be made to other writers such as C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien,
Jasper Fforde, and Lewis Carroll. We are challenged us to look at social issues such as education, prejudice, slavery,
the occult, politics, as well as adolescence, love, and family. We come to appreciate more great authors, especially
Jane Austen. And we can speculate on whether or how Ms. Rowling includes elements of her Christian faith. Even
Aristotle is there. We will carefully consider how much of this the author intended and how much we are reading
into the story. Other aspects of the story will be explored as determined by the class interests. It is expected that the
student will have read all the Harry Potter series but it is not expected that all the details will be remembered. Dr.
Walmsley is a chemist who loves to read cozy mysteries, science and engineering history, and theology (and
chemistry, of course). Texts: Harry Potter & Imagination by Travis Prinzi, Zossima Press: Allentown, PA, 2009;
Hog’s Head Conversations by Travis Prinzi (ed.), Zossima Press: Allentown, PA, 2009; and The Eyre Affair by
Jasper Fforde, Pengun, New York, 2002.
GNED 1300-10 Professor E. Watson
“Economic and Creative Thought”
CGC 413
TR 11:20
During this course you will discover and explore the basics of economic thought via creative outlets rather than
traditional methods such as textbooks and lectures. These outlets include novels, short stories, poems, comics,
movies, and television. After mastering the basics of economics you will apply what you have learned using similar
creative outlets. Working both individually and in small groups, you will apply economic thought through writing
poetry and short stories, writing and illustrating comics, writing and performing skits, etc. Through this process you
will not only learn what economics is really all about, but you will also learn how economics affects every aspect of
your lives and why understanding these concepts is vital in today's world.
GNED 1300-7
Professor J. Zhang
“Chinese Heroes”
MPC 105
MWF 11:30
Stories about valiant warriors, loyal bandits, and selfless martyrs are one of the most indispensable sources for the
construction of Chinese identity. Some of the heroic images that have entered the popular imagination include
Mulan, Kung Fu Panda, Monkey King, Water Margin outlaws, and more recently, the Drunken Master and Ip Man,
as well as various national heroes such as Lei Feng. In this course we will study how the portrayal of heroes and
heroines reflects historical, social, and literary changes in China. Traditional Chinese literary texts, which include
poetry, classical tales, essays, biographies, historical records, plays, and vernacular fiction, will be examined in the
context of modern films and other cultural products.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
If you are thinking of majoring in Engineering Science, it is strongly
recommended that you choose a First-Year Seminar section scheduled to meet
on MWF 11:30am.