HWS News
1 October 2024 Exploring Identity through Running By Annabel Ramsay '25
Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning Ruth Shields leads First-Year Seminar “Running Down a Dream.”
At HWS, First-Year Seminars (FSEMs) are designed to aid in the transition to college life. Each seminar is intended to strengthen critical thinking and writing skills, as well as the development of high-level analytical work. FSEMs are a required step students take during their first semester on campus, serving as the academic and social foundation for their future at HWS.
When Ruth Shields, Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning, was thinking about designing a First-Year Seminar, she first thought about one of her hobbies. The course she now teaches, “Running Down a Dream” empowers students to “examine how running shapes and reflects identity, both personally and within broader communities.”
“Running Down a Dream” has course objectives that range from engaging with the Geneva running community to exploring physiological aspects of running and examining the historical context of running as a cultural practice.
Elizabeth Stark ’25 selected “Running Down a Dream” as her FSEM in 2021. As a current senior, she says the class continues to impact her academic career and social life. “Geneva became our classroom; we were given the opportunity to explore our local and campus environments,” says Stark, noting the experience translated to “feeling comfortable and capable” navigating the local area.
In the class, students are tasked with writing reflective journals that chronicle their personal journeys with running and movement. They also set specific movement goals tailored to their interests. And, yes, there are group runs as well. Four class runs take place throughout the semester, each with a unique component such as the Oct. 31 race to trick-or-treat around campus.
Spencer Pinque ’26 says he does not consider himself an avid runner but enjoyed the course. “The FSEM doesn’t require you to be at a certain level of athleticism, but more emphasizes passionate discussions about identity, community and goal setting in a running and broader sports-themed context.”
Shields hopes the class enriches students' academic and personal growth by providing a distinctive perspective on identity and community. “The course leverages the universal appeal of running to open doors to new experiences and understanding, making it a valuable and transformative component of the first-year experience,” she says.
Top: Students run by the President House on South Main Street in Geneva.
