HWS News
16 December 2024 Unveiling Curiosities at FSEM Symposium By Colin Spencer '19
First-year students showcase their semester of learning.
From the chemistry of cooking and accounts of disability to belief of the paranormal and the identity of running, students from First-Year Seminars showcased what they had been working on throughout the semester during the 11th annual First-Year Seminar Symposium in the Vandervort Room.
“Each year, the event showcases the innovative courses developed by our faculty and highlights the impressive depth of knowledge demonstrated by our first-year students,” says Associate Provost for Academic Faculty Affairs and Strategic Initiatives Susan Pliner. “I’m always amazed by the caliber of student work on display and the thoughtful, insightful discussions that accompany it. The FSEM Symposium marks the exciting beginning of the public sharing of knowledge, while HWS Day continues that journey, culminating in the Senior Symposium as a celebration of the full arc of student growth and academic achievement.”
Around 300 students from 19 FSEMs presented their work during Wednesday night’s event attended by faculty, staff, fellow students and community members. Several students reflected on their classes and their introduction to the community.
Philip Dilgard-Clark ’28, of Glen Cove, N.Y., spent his time in “Our Linguistic Identities” with Assistant Dean Amy Green and Senior Associate Dean Kelly Payne building a foundational knowledge of linguistics and how it shapes identities. For his project, Dilgard-Clark analyzed a strip of the Pearls Before Swine comic, understanding how humor is used to shape identity by building community.
“I was interested in studying linguistics before I came to college, and now I’m even more interested after taking this course,” he says.
Jay Voica ’28 makes pasta with Associate Professor of Anthropology Christopher Annear as part of “What’s Eating You? Cooking, Cuisine & Me.”
Emma Sherwood ’28 explores the significance of birds in ancient civilizations, a topic she studied in “Bird Obsession: Beauty and the Beast” with Professor of Biology Mark Deutschlander.
Students in Assistant Professor of Media and Society Iskandar Zulkarnain’s course “Media in Our Life” discuss their work.
First-year students in “Math and Metaphor,” taught by Associate Professor of Mathematics and Computer Science Jennifer Biermann, pose for a photo.
Weldon Arner ’28 shares a video about his dog, Macie, that was created while taking Professor of Gender, Sexuality, and Intersectional Justice Betty Bayer’s FSEM “Pawprints! All Things Dogs.”
Melanie Lira Chora ’28 presents her project on women’s reproductive rights, developed as part of her FSEM “Ethical Debates in Medicine” with Professor of Religious Studies Etin Anwar.
Bella Miller ’28, Bree Lenthall ’28 and Andrew Hanna ’28 gather in front of their projects from “Running Down a Dream” taught by Ruth Shields, the Director for the Center of Teaching and Learning.
Bilal Akeem ’28 discusses his research from “On Strike!” with Associate Professor of Writing and Rhetoric Hannah Dickinson.
Johnnie Clay III ’28, of Chicago, Illinois, and Grace Whittaker ’28, of Topsham, Maine, explored the chemistry of cooking in “I Know What You Ate Last Summer” with Professor of Chemistry Justin Miller. For their final projects, they were challenged to create a dish using a limited set of ingredients and then teach their classmates how to prepare it, the science behind it, and what gives the dish meaning to them. Clay and his group crafted French toast with strawberries and whipped cream, while Whittaker and her group prepared eggs benedict.
“This course was essential to me— it taught me important college skills like studying, planning and staying organized,” says Clay. Whittaker noted that the class revealed the complexities that occur during food preparation, showing that there’s more to cooking than meets the eye.
In “Narratives of Disability” with Associate Professor of Educational Studies Mary Kelly, students read The Lives They Left Behind: Suitcases from a State Hospital Attic about the closure of the Willard Psychiatric Center in Willard, N.Y. and the possessions former patients left behind in suitcases. For their final project, the students reflected on the possessions that best represent their lives by imagining what they would pack in a suitcase. Molly Bluestein ’28, of Fairfield, Conn., included pictures of her family, her cat, and a photo with First Lady Jill Biden from a memorable trip to the White House for a Toys for Tots event. The course delved into personal stories of individuals with disabilities, exploring topics such as educational access and inclusion, community participation, self-advocacy and family perspectives.
As a student with a bilateral cleft lip, Bluestein says, “The course helped me express myself as a person with disabilities.”
In “Community Building: Relationships, Happiness, and Service” with Director of the Center for Community Engagement and Service Learning Katie Flowers, Kylie Lundberg ’28, of Greenwich, N.Y. learned the importance of building community through interacting with local organizations. Lundberg volunteered with non-profit The Linden Exchange, a consignment shop that provides low-cost, used clothing in downtown Geneva.
“I’m so glad I was a part of this FSEM,” says Lundberg. “I now know the Geneva area so much better and feel like I’ve found my home here.”
Top: Students in “Community Building: Relationships, Happiness, & Service” co-taught by Shelle Basilio, the AVP for Campus Life, gather for a group photo.
