What Is FYS, and Why Do I Have To Do It? First-Year Seminar for Dummies.
Becca Boynton | April 27, 2023
Warren Wilson College (WWC) is offering 14 first-year seminar courses (FYS) for incoming freshmen and transfers. From learning about the Disneyfication of American culture to discovering pollinators, new WWC students have a broad range of classes they can choose from for their first-year seminar.
First-year seminars are preliminary courses for new students to help accommodate them to the college experience. While these courses are required for all colleges in the U.S., WWC strays from the traditional style.
All FYS classes involve community engagement. Students apply their interests and skills to the community around them while building knowledge to support them in their upcoming college careers.
Each FYS assists students with the required community engagement students must satisfy before graduation. Points of Engagement and Growth (PEG) ones are automatically finalized upon completion of an FYS course.
Classes are assigned a volunteer project that they will execute on WWC work day and continue to support throughout the rest of the fall semester. These activities range from tending to a local garden to preparing food pantries in West Asheville.
The FYS classes offered for the upcoming fall semester are:
Problem-Solving: This course will be best for math lovers. With collaborative work and innovative examination, students will better understand topics like algebra and have fun doing so. Taught by Gretchen Whipple.
Craft and Material Studies: Exploration of craft in cultures in the past, present and future. Students will collaborate with a local community partner and examine food insecurity while crafting valuable dinner objects. Taught by Melanie Wilder and Ben Blackmar.
Nature Rx: Mindful by Nature: Explores how nature can assist in improving a student’s mental health. Looks deeply at how nature can assist with reducing anxiety in Higher Education settings. Taught by Matthew Scott Vosler.
Innovative and Entrepreneurial Spirit: This course collaborates with a local middle school to explore innovative ways to be an entrepreneur. Students will explore entrepreneurial methods while playing like kids and tuning in to their inner child! Taught by Wendy Lee Selgimann.
Latin America through Film: An anthropological course that will explore the histories and cultures of Latin America. The class will work with the Center for Conscious Living and Dying and explore cultural relationships of death and memorialization. Taught by Benjamin Feinberg.
Growing Your Inner Scientist: A class perfect for science lovers. This course will allow students to work with the Western Carolina community while discovering what type of scientist they are or could be — taught by Langdon Martin.
Networked Landscape: A class that will look into the footprint new technologies are leaving on this planet. Students will work with a local middle school and research gentrification, cobalt mining and much more. Taught by David Abernathy.
Healthy People, Healthy Places: Students will explore what it is to be healthy and what makes a community healthy. The class will also work with local organizations to try to improve the health of the Western Carolinas. Taught by Jennifer Mozolic.
Inspiring Kids as Readers: Students get the opportunity to become reading and writing buddies to young students at a local elementary school. They will also grow more proficient skills in reading and writing. Taught by Julie Wilson.
Practicing Playfulness: Along with playing with local elementary students, students will explore a philosophical and literary analysis of “play.” This course will allow students to reflect and become creative collaborators. Taught by Rachel Himmelheber.
Forgotten Pollinators: A course that will dive into the relationship between animals and plants. A science lover’s dream! Students will examine plant reproduction and pollination, as well as work with a local organization to try to protect local plants. Taught by Amy Boyd.
Pivoting Towards Community Justice: Focuses on how to be sustainable new community members. While working with the community, students will explore how to better their local community to better social change — taught by Sarah Himmelheber.
Disneyfication of American Culture: Discusses and examines Disney franchise influence on American culture. Students will discuss the capital Disney has and how that has controlled American culture over the years — taught by Paula Garrett.
Spirituality of Imperfection: Students explore cultures of the past and present and how human mistakes are natural. They will understand the need for perfectionism and examine other cultures and their rituals to abstain from this. Taught by Shannon Spencer.
While FYS classes are required for all incoming freshmen and some transfer students, the classes are still vital in introducing students to WWC community engagement. As well, students get a chance to bond with their classmates in a non-classroom setting.