189H Seminars

From spray-painted graffiti to community murals, from guerrilla street sign campaigns to sidewalk chalking, the wide, wonderful practice of street art (both pre-approved and unsanctioned) has grown in stature and importance in the public consciousness since the mid-1960s--it is a graffiti revolution! In this class, we will explore how graffiti practices highlight the unique relationships that develop between artists, communities, and society-at-large within the urban environment. We will study this public form of expression from early graffiti writing and the birth of hip hop, to its current use as the voice of resistance and protest. Graffiti’s power can be double-edged. Artists contribute to creative placemaking and transforming neighborhoods, but simultaneously can open the door to gentrification. This project-based class facilitates an understanding of the practices, style and struggles of street art by tackling subject matter such as intersectionality, the environment, personal expression and public interventions.

No artistic experience is necessary, but an open mind and the ability to embrace experimental practices is expected!

Greenhouse gasses generated by human activity are causing an increased frequency of extreme weather events, record-hot summers, and melting glaciers. The problem has seeped into our collective imaginations, generating numerous apocalyptic visions of the future and a widely felt climate anxiety.

Yet, the effect of climate change on life on Earth represents an enormous opportunity to understand nature in an integrative way. Heat, water, and other physical features of the environment (e.g., acidity, gases) have broad effects on physiology, and these effects ‘scale up’ to impacts on organisms, populations, communities, and even whole biomes. Changes in one species may affect another species or even the physical environment, causing ripple effects throughout natural systems. Thermal stress, among other changes, may drive evolutionary responses, further changing the make-up of ecological communities. Understanding the biological effect of climate change requires, at a minimum, some ability to connect the dots among processes and organisms.

In this course, we will strive to connect the dots and follow the likely trails of effect from adding CO2 to the atmosphere to changes in natural phenomena. We will map out a logical flow of consequences and investigate the evidence for steps along the trail. We will then integrate across effects to make educated guesses about complex but critical climate impacts on things that many people care about, like coral reefs, polar bears, and coffee, and things we worry about, like malaria and growing food.

Providing a growing global population with healthy diets based on sustainable food production systems is one of the greatest challenges of the 21st century. Choices made by producers (e.g., technologies and agricultural practices), market agents (e.g., transport, storage, processing and selling of food) and consumers (e.g., dietary patterns) depend on multiple factors and have major impacts on society and our planet. In this course, we will explore current food systems (e.g., global production, processing, trade, consumption and waste), their driving trends (e.g., population growth, income, dietary habits, globalization) and impacts (e.g., human health, food security, climate change) as well as the challenges of redesigning food systems. The course will rely on reading and critically evaluating, using the principles of the scientific method, research papers and reports from academic groups, non-profit organizations and government agencies. Group projects will focus on specific case studies such as plant-based burgers, AquAdvantage salmon, Artic apple and fortified foods. Evaluation of student accomplishments will be done by written assignments, discussions in class, a group project and a class presentation.

This course will bring together a series of novels from around the world to explore a central question: How do contemporary authors use the representation of food as a way of engaging themes like family, belonging and the immigrant experience, cultural exchange and adaptation, and individual and collective cultural identity? Primary texts will include The Hundred-Foot Journey (India/France), The Mistress of Spices (India/USA), The Vegetarian (South Korea), Kitchen (Japan), Salt Houses (Palestine), and Like Water for Chocolate (Mexico). Secondary texts will illuminate relevant cultural and culinary contexts, as a way of deepening student understanding of the primary texts. The course activities and assessment methods -- including collaborative analysis, group discussion, in-class writing, oral presentations, and a final exam -- will challenge students to explore the course texts in detail while developing various abstract, intertextual and transcultural connections. Extra-credit activities will give students an opportunity to sample some of the multicultural cuisine found in Lincoln.

Science fiction narratives have always utilized racial allegories. From the existential anxiety of invading alien civilizations following the model of European colonizers to mutant factions clashing over whether to integrate into a society that sees them as a hostile threat, this class will use the works of science fiction writers and auteurs like H.G. Wells, Jordan Peele, Alex Garland, and Stan Lee to explore what futurism, parallel universes, and technology can teach us about racial dynamics and symbolism.

Detective fiction is currently one of the most popular literary genres, and has been for centuries, but where did it come from? Why did mystery, suspense, and crime fiction become such a huge part of both literary and popular culture? This course will address these questions from historical, social, demographic, and psychological perspectives as we trace the detective novel back to its nineteenth-century origins. Before the nineteenth century, most people lived in rural towns where they worked and socialized in close circles, knowing almost everyone with whom they came into contact. But with the rise of industrialization, more and more people moved to urban centers—a process that led to their interaction with strangers on a daily basis. This new anonymity created a heightened sense of anxiety, suspicion, uncertainty, and crime. Hence, the creation of the first metropolitan police departments (London and Scotland Yard in 1829, New York in 1845). We will study how these developments became represented in fiction starting with Edgar Allan Poe’s “Murders in the Rue Morgue (1841) and continuing through to such twentieth-century writers as Arthur Conan Doyle (Sherlock Holmes series), Agatha Christie, and Patricia Highsmith—among others. Students will also have the chance to assess how the detective genre has changed in the twenty-first century.

Fictional stories about disaster and apocalypse offer a robust opportunity to explore key issues in the field of geography – from physical geography to human geography. In this class, we will look at key representations of geography from popular disaster and apocalypse films to gain a deeper understanding of the landscape(s) we inhabit and the complexities of global change.

Both humans and artificial intelligence tools learn, but who wins the intelligence race? This seminar class will use psychology and creativity research, activities, and discussion to understand how humans fine-tune learning and creativity to develop expertise. This field of study offers implications for self-growth and the future of education. Have we reached a point where AI can do our work for us? Maybe, but how will it impact creativity and talent?

For over one hundred years we have been enthralled by the movies! Undoubtedly film is the central mode of artistic cultural expression in our world today. Much of our social discourse revolves around our shared experiences of the cinema. In this course, students will explore the worlds of film by 1. Watching; 2. Reading (both films and screenplays); 3. Contextualizing; 4. Talking (in class discourse); 5. Writing (both analytically and creatively), and, last but not least, 6. Enjoying the pleasures of the cinema. This Honors seminar will introduce students to the art of film and the craft of screenwriting; key moments of film history and the social, historical, and artistic context surrounding the films; and, through the reading of screenplays, how films develop from page to screen. Students will not only watch some of the great films of the last 100 years, but they will also learn how to read films as “texts,” by applying analytical and critical methods to their viewing of films. As we view/read the films, students will also have the opportunity to read a number of screenplays (and a few short novels) to learn the craft of screenwriting, and they will write their own short screenplay as one of their class projects. Students will also learn the craft of the film review by writing two film reviews during the course of the semester.

This class takes students on an immersive journey through the vibrant history and cultural impact of American musical theatre. From its origins to contemporary innovations, this course delves into the evolution of musical theatre as a dynamic and influential art form. Through a combination of live performances, lectures, discussions, readings, and multimedia presentations, students will explore key milestones, groundbreaking works, influential artists, and significant cultural moments that have shaped the American musical landscape. Topics covered include the Golden Age of Broadway, the process for writing musicals, the rise of concept musicals, pop culture jukebox musicals, live action and musicals on film, technology and multimedia on stage, the impact of diversity and representation, and the intersection of musical theatre with social and political movements. Emphasizing critical analysis and creative exploration, the course encourages students to engage deeply with the material, develop their own perspectives, and appreciate the enduring legacy of American musical theatre. We will explore musicals such as Rent, West Side Story, Hamilton, Cabaret, Hair, and others!

From spray-painted graffiti to community murals, from guerrilla street sign campaigns to sidewalk chalking, the wide, wonderful practice of street art (both pre-approved and unsanctioned) has grown in stature and importance in the public consciousness since the mid-1960s--it is a graffiti revolution! In this class, we will explore how graffiti practices highlight the unique relationships that develop between artists, communities, and society-at-large within the urban environment. We will study this public form of expression from early graffiti writing and the birth of hip hop, to its current use as the voice of resistance and protest. Graffiti’s power can be double-edged. Artists contribute to creative placemaking and transforming neighborhoods, but simultaneously can open the door to gentrification. This project-based class facilitates an understanding of the practices, style and struggles of street art by tackling subject matter such as intersectionality, the environment, personal expression and public interventions.

No artistic experience is necessary, but an open mind and the ability to embrace experimental practices is expected!

The former Chief Justice of the United States Earl Warren famously said, “I always turn to the (newspaper’s) sports pages first, which records people’s accomplishments. The front page has nothing but man’s failures.” In the subsequent six decades, sport has moved closer and closer to the front pages. Collectively, sports would be considered among the biggest industries in America, and with it are the inherent issues and ethical considerations we examine in this course. Sport is one of the few places in our society you will find the confluence of economics, class, gender, race, and identity. To study sport is to take a close examination of who we are as Americans, and as citizens of the world. In this course we will examine the issues and ethics of a variety of institutions, including college and professional sports, the media, the sports business, and what role fans play in these dynamics.

This course examines how brands and organizations respond to crisis situations by anticipating, preventing, and mitigating crises through communication. Not only do organizations protect themselves during crisis moments, they also have an ethical obligation to help consumers cope with a variety of threats. We will study professional ethical principles and apply them to a variety of crisis situations. You will investigate how organizations communicate before, during, and after crises, and the ethical decisions that need to be made at each stage based on the situation the organization finds itself in. We will also discuss the unique challenges posed by different types of crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic, which was complicated by economic pressures, social unrest, and political polarization. You will learn how to think like a professional communicator and develop hands-on skills including media relations, critical thinking, messaging, and brand management.

All communication is persuasive in some way, so how do we sort through what others tell us to find the truth and how do we act as ethical communicators ourselves, both personally and professionally? This course will familiarize you with a variety of ethical issues in advertising and public relations and examine their impact on contemporary society. You will develop your ability to think critically about communicating messages and examine the role of persuasion. You’ll learn about various ethical perspectives and pick up some tools that can be applied no matter what your major, such as reframing arguments and considering their impact on your audience and society. Even though the topics will be studied through the lens of marketing communications, these skills and abilities transcend disciplines as we are all creators and consumers of information. You will have the opportunity to apply what you learn to issues that interest you.

This class takes students on an immersive journey through the vibrant history and cultural impact of American musical theatre. From its origins to contemporary innovations, this course delves into the evolution of musical theatre as a dynamic and influential art form. Through a combination of live performances, lectures, discussions, readings, and multimedia presentations, students will explore key milestones, groundbreaking works, influential artists, and significant cultural moments that have shaped the American musical landscape. Topics covered include the Golden Age of Broadway, the process for writing musicals, the rise of concept musicals, pop culture jukebox musicals, live action and musicals on film, technology and multimedia on stage, the impact of diversity and representation, and the intersection of musical theatre with social and political movements. Emphasizing critical analysis and creative exploration, the course encourages students to engage deeply with the material, develop their own perspectives, and appreciate the enduring legacy of American musical theatre. We will explore musicals such as Rent, West Side Story, Hamilton, Cabaret, Hair, and others!

In this class, we will learn about notable American trials where sex, gender, race/ethnicity, or disability of a primary character is integral to the legal action. We will then critically evaluate Hollywood’s rendition of those legal events. During the course of the semester, we will learn about legal aspects of trials that hinge upon complex issues of social identity and what their big screen adaptations reveal about American attitudes towards the legal issues at the heart of these court battles.

Identity has become an increasingly complex and layered phenomenon. The course seeks to examine ideas such as the nature of individual identity broadly, national identity, bodily identity, gender identity, racial identity, digital and online identity, and spiritual identity. Assignments will support students in reflecting on these major issues, as well as encouraging them to consider the increasing prominence of consumer, hybrid, border, and marginal identities, and the notion that identity can shift, that it can be fragmented, and that a variety of identities can exist simultaneously.

In this course, we will read and analyze the text of Shakespeare and examine how Shakespeare's plays are adapted into performances around the world. We will explore global approaches to the Comedies and Tragedies through multiple mediums (including theatre and film), time periods, and cultural lenses. We will investigate how and why the language, characters, and stories in Shakespeare transcend generational and geographic divides, and how the continued translation and transformation of Shakespeare impacts the formation and expression of cultural identities around the globe.