First Year Journey Course Descriptions

Fall 2025

FYJ 0101.0XX Serial Killers and Society

Professor Francesca Spina

MWF 10:25-11:15 a.m.

This course explores the cultural, psychological, and sociological dimensions of serial killings. Students examine how serial killers are portrayed in the media, what motivates their behavior, and how society responds to this type of violence. Through discussion, reflection, and analysis of real-life cases, documentaries, and fictional portrayals, students gain insight into human behavior, societal fears, and the ethics of our fascination with serial killers. This course also supports students’ transition to college by building skills in critical thinking, information literacy, academic writing, and self-reflection as part of the First Year Journey experience.

FYJ 0101.010 Visual Thinking with Diagrams

Professor Karsten Theis

MWF 11:30 a.m. - 12:20 p.m.

Diagrams in the form of doodles, sketches, and maps are powerful tools to capture thoughts, solve problems, and generate ideas. Some visuals such as symbols and icons are understood by most, while others are like a secret language within a discipline. In this course, we will sketch for fun and to solve problems. As a group project, we will redesign the campus map. As your main project, you will explore how a chosen discipline at WSU uses diagrams to think and communicate. No matter what your academic and professional path, you will expand your thinking tools through this practice.

FYJ 0101.034 The 1980s and Today

Professor Lee Desrosiers

MWF 11:30 a.m. - 12:20 p.m.

The 1980s was a decade of change, both cultural and political. Some important events in the 80s were the birth of MTV (Music Television), the AIDS crisis, the emergence of music such as hip-hop, new wave and punk, the start of the collapse of the Soviet Union, and the beginning of what we now pretty much live on, the internet. We will explore the decade through newspaper archives, videos, art, music and film, and through critical thinking, discussion, writing and reflection, discover how that decade relates to our world today.

This class will ask you to use your powers of observation to reflect on art, music and culture from the past and find ways to relate it to where we are today. We will also discover the culture of our campus and make use of all the fabulous resources Westfield State has to offer.

FYJ 0101.033: The Neurospicy College Experience

Professor Wyatt Hermansen

MWF 12:35-1:25, Monday asynchronously

Welcome to The Neurospicy College Experience, where we'll dive into what it means to thrive as a neurodivergent student in college. This course is all about exploring neurodiversity—not just as a personal experience but through academic research, real-life case studies, and media perspectives. Together, we'll explore the unique strengths and challenges of neurodivergent students and how you can navigate your college journey with confidence. All students are welcome here, regardless of your level of neurospiciness! We'll also look into campus resources to help you connect with the support systems available to you. Think of this as a space to learn more about yourself and your university, build community, and develop skills to take on the world (or at least your next semester!). If you're ready to geek out about neurodiversity, grow your research skills, and explore how to succeed at WSU, this is the course for you!

FYJ 0101.004 Discover Westfield

Professor Dristi Neog

Monday, 1:40-4:10

In Discover Westfield, students will discover their college town, through their individual lenses, while developing the college skills they will need to navigate college life. In exploring downtown Westfield, students will observe, connect, reflect, discover, analyze, and act on their findings, using their new WSU resources and academic skills. The course will include trips downtown to explore and connect with their new college town; collaborative projects to get to know classmates and learn about academic resources; and collective action to help students connect with their new city–to socialize, to gain professional experience, to give back to the community, to learn. 

FYJ 0101.002 Social Justice and STEM Education

Professor Christine von Renesse

MW 1:40-2:55 p.m.

Are you passionate about social justice? Are you interested in science and/or math, but you disliked aspects of your STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education? This course invites you to reflect on your own K-12 education journey and explore problems in (STEM) education. You will have the opportunity to experience different teaching strategies, compare education systems, and finally suggest actions to improve our regional community. The class will be taught without lecture, using collaborative learning and grading for growth. 

What students have to say about Social Justice and STEM Education: 

"The “ungrading” of this class has made me much more relaxed when completing assignments because I know that I can always re-do them. I have felt more at ease and available to actually learn in class rather than memorize everything said to later recall it on an exam and then never think about it again.'

'Another huge part was Professor Von’s response to my and other students' answers. Whenever we say anything, she finds a way to work with it or incorporate it into what we are actively learning about. This gave me a feeling of safety because I knew I could express my thoughts, and I would not be looked at like I have three heads if it did not make exact sense.'

'This class was unlike any other class I have taken in certain ways, such as the social justice aspect of the class. I was able to learn a lot about how others think, and others feel about their education. I enjoyed how we were able to look at other communities and how they saw getting an education, I also liked how we were able to talk about certain stigmas around professions, especially in the STEM field. I think this class did an excellent job representing a lot of social justice issues and broadening my views on certain aspects of my life.'

FYJ 0101.019  Games without Frontiers

Professor Nicholas Aieta 

MW 1:40-2:55 p.m.

Thinking about, playing, and designing games offer new ways to engage with history. Games can provide doorways to consider how historical events are represented in a real and anachronistic way. Students in this course will explore not only the mechanics of board and role playing games but increase their fluency in relating to historical themes as well as exploring ways to consider alternative outcomes. The course requires thinking about an imagined past and collaborating together to create playable games that can tackle difficult aspects of our global past. 

FYJ 0101.025 What’s in a Name?: Exploring Self, Place, and Society through Names

Professor Erica Morin Kelliher

MW 1:40-2:55

This course offers an introduction to Onomastics, the study of names, and the power and significance of names in society. Students will study the overlap between history, linguistics, cultural traditions, and power dynamics through the lens of names. Students will investigate the meaning of their personal names, campus names, and cultural naming practices, and consider the significance of name changes, revising problematic names for items, and the practice of naming as a means to claim land, money, and authority. 

FYJ 0101.004 Discover Westfield

Professor Dristi Neog

Monday, 1:40-4:10

In Discover Westfield, students will discover their college town, through their individual lenses, while developing the college skills they will need to navigate college life. In exploring downtown Westfield, students will observe, connect, reflect, discover, analyze, and act on their findings, using their new WSU resources and academic skills. The course will include trips downtown to explore and connect with their new college town; collaborative projects to get to know classmates and learn about academic resources; and collective action to help students connect with their new city–to socialize, to gain professional experience, to give back to the community, to learn. 

FYJ 0101.005 Discover Westfield

Professor Dristi Neog

Wednesday 1:40-4:10 p.m.

In Discover Westfield, students will discover their college town, through their individual lenses, while developing the college skills they will need to navigate college life. In exploring downtown Westfield, students will observe, connect, reflect, discover, analyze, and act on their findings, using their new WSU resources and academic skills. The course will include trips downtown to explore and connect with their new college town; collaborative projects to get to know classmates and learn about academic resources; and collective action to help students connect with their new city–to socialize, to gain professional experience, to give back to the community, to learn. 

FYJ 0101.020 What is a Witch?

Professor Mark Abate

TTH 8:15-9:30 a.m.

The witch is a multi-faceted figure whose depictions range from the ultimate icon of evil to a member of a nature-based expression of spirituality. This course is a comprehensive and interdisciplinary exploration of conceptions of witches from anthropological, sociological, historical, artistic, literary, and cinematic perspectives.

FYJ 0101.012 A Better Tomorrow

Professor Alexandra "Ola" Smialek

TR 9:45-11:00 a.m.

Why should we care about our changing climate? Whether we see the news about natural disasters or want to focus on our own role, there is so much to be done. But how? We can work to build a better tomorrow in the places we love by tackling and understanding climate issues and natural hazards. Through targeted strategies, innovative projects, and increased awareness, our communities can become stronger and better prepared. In this class, we’ll learn what it takes to address the issues at hand, explore local efforts, and see how we all fit into this critical conversation. Whether you want to be a planner or not, this class will help you explore a topic relevant to every field!

FYJ 0101.007 Emerging Adulthood: Who Am I and Who Will I Become? 

Professor Janet Gebelt

TTH 9:45-11:00 a.m.

The college years are an exciting time of growth, discovery, and change…are you ready?!? In this course we will explore answers to questions you will be wondering about intensely at this stage in your life, commonly known as emerging adulthood. Through readings, discussions, and in-class activities, we will explore how you might answer the question “who am I” and, more importantly, what that means for “who will I become?” We will begin by talking about what it means to be a student, a life-long learner, and member of the Westfield State community. Then we will move on to research that focuses on how emerging adults find themselves as individuals, covering topics such as identity (e.g. personal, cultural, sexual identities), ethical systems/values, and career development. Additionally, we will look at research about emerging adults in relationship with others, covering topics such as attraction, intimacy, and sexuality. 

FYJ 0101.014 Redefining Fashion: What We Wear and Why It Matters

Professor Sarah Heim

TTH 9:45-11:00 a.m.

How do you decide what you are going to wear each morning? What factors impact those decisions, and how aware are you of those influences? Fashion is everywhere, and it’s more than just clothes: it’s shoes, jewelry, hair, nails, and makeup. It’s accessories, like that new water bottle or i-phone case you just ordered online last weekend. It’s piercings and tattoos. It's the collection of things you adorn your body with that makes you who you are.

In this class we will take a comprehensive look at why we wear what we wear, where it comes from, and what it says about who we are. You don’t have to be a fashionista to be in this course. Class members will quickly learn that fashion is much more than French manicures and high-end runway shows. Using the ������Ƶ campus as our fashion laboratory, we will observe students, faculty and staff at work, and at play – making connections between our course materials and what we see in the real world. Our classwork will be geared towards topics related to modern fashion, including gender, race, sports, and the environment.

FYJ 0101.009 Democracy at Risk: Why All Democracies are Fragile and How Some Fail

Professor Marsha Marotta

TTH 9:45-11:00 a.m.

Should we be worried about democracy failing? What kind of government and society do you think is best, and what role can you play in making that a reality? Using democracy as a case study, we will explore:

• strategies used individually and collectively to build and preserve healthy political communities
• activities that support democracies such as free speech, fair and free elections and equal protection under the law
• threats to democracies such as by undermining institutions, reducing rights and choices, and scapegoating the most vulnerable people

In the past, democracies around the world have tended to collapse under violence from military-backed coups. Today, the landscape of demise for democracies tends to be from a slow transition to authoritarian leadership that undermines democratic values and institutions, often through legal means. The democratic citizenry sometimes does not even notice, yet the results are as serious and potentially devastating as a coup. In this course you will research all of these activities in a variety of locations, including the United States, to engage deeply in the concept of democracy and examine how well democracy in practice meets democracy in theory, and why. The final assignment will be a reflection paper on applying what you have learned to consider what you think makes the best political community.

FYJ 0101.023  From Speedy Gonzalez to Encanto: Representations of Latin America and Latin@s in US Pop Culture

Professor Christin Cleaton-Ruiz 

TTH 9:45-11:00 a.m.

 ¡Bienvenidos! Bem-vindo! This course is an exploration of the ways in which Latin America and Latin@s have been represented in US popular culture over the past century. We will look at movies, television, advertising, video games, children’s literature and cartoons, and music videos to think about the stereotypes that have existed and persisted over time as well as efforts to resist and subvert those stereotypes. By first considering what exactly we mean by the terms “Latin America” and “Latinx,” we can start to unpack the ways in which these places and people are represented in US media. Latin America is a diverse region with many different racial and ethnic identities, distinct histories, and socio-economic conditions. What messages does US popular culture communicate about this fascinating part of the world and the people that originate from there? Through class discussions, written assignments, presentations, and other assignments, students (and the professor too!) will consider how these images of Latin America might influence contemporary society – such as immigration policies, racial and ethnic identities, and education in the US.

FYJ 0101.012 A Better Tomorrow

Professor Alexandra "Ola" Smialek

TTH 11:15 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Why should we care about our changing climate? Whether we see the news about natural disasters or want to focus on our own role, there is so much to be done. But how? We can work to build a better tomorrow in the places we love by tackling and understanding climate issues and natural hazards. Through targeted strategies, innovative projects, and increased awareness, our communities can become stronger and better prepared. In this class, we’ll learn what it takes to address the issues at hand, explore local efforts, and see how we all fit into this critical conversation. Whether you want to be a planner or not, this class will help you explore a topic relevant to every field!

FYJ 0101.008 Emerging Adulthood: Who Am I and Who Will I Become? 

Professor Janet Gebelt

TTH 11:15 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

The college years are an exciting time of growth, discovery, and change…are you ready?!? In this course we will explore answers to questions you will be wondering about intensely at this stage in your life, commonly known as emerging adulthood. Through readings, discussions, and in-class activities, we will explore how you might answer the question “who am I” and, more importantly, what that means for “who will I become?” We will begin by talking about what it means to be a student, a life-long learner, and member of the Westfield State community. Then we will move on to research that focuses on how emerging adults find themselves as individuals, covering topics such as identity (e.g. personal, cultural, sexual identities), ethical systems/values, and career development. Additionally, we will look at research about emerging adults in relationship with others, covering topics such as attraction, intimacy, and sexuality. 

FYJ 0101.024  From Speedy Gonzalez to Encanto: Representations of Latin America and Latin@s in US Pop Culture

 Professor Christin Cleaton-Ruiz 

TR 11:15 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

 ¡Bienvenidos! Bem-vindo! This course is an exploration of the ways in which Latin America and Latin@s have been represented in US popular culture over the past century. We will look at movies, television, advertising, video games, children’s literature and cartoons, and music videos to think about the stereotypes that have existed and persisted over time as well as efforts to resist and subvert those stereotypes. By first considering what exactly we mean by the terms “Latin America” and “Latinx,” we can start to unpack the ways in which these places and people are represented in US media. Latin America is a diverse region with many different racial and ethnic identities, distinct histories, and socio-economic conditions. What messages does US popular culture communicate about this fascinating part of the world and the people that originate from there? Through class discussions, written assignments, presentations, and other assignments, students (and the professor too!) will consider how these images of Latin America might influence contemporary society – such as immigration policies, racial and ethnic identities, and education in the US.

FYJ 0101.030 Arts & Owl-Crafts 

Professor Beverly St. Pierre

TR 11:15 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Arts and crafts have been a part of the human experience for centuries. Arts & Owl-Crafts is a First Year Journey course that uses arts and crafts to facilitate student learning about academic life, community, and lifelong learning. Throughout the semester, students will engage in a variety of arts and crafts to discover a curiosity for academic inquiry and develop skills necessary for college-level learning. No matter if you are a novice to crafts or an influencer in the arts, this course welcomes you. 

FYJ 0101.028 Look What You Made Me Learn: Swiftology 

Professor Christopher Gullen

TTH 12:45-2:00 p.m.

Over the last couple of decades, Taylor Swift has become a tour de force in both popular music and popular culture. She has set numerous records, won many accolades, and created the highest grossing concert tour of all time. Yet, behind all of this, Swift is a cultural critic, a feminist icon, and her catalog represents a diversity of genre rarely seen in modern popular music, showcasing everything from classic country to synth-pop. At the same time she was producing music, Swift entered popular consciousness with a high profile take down of Spotify, a symbolic one dollar sexual assault lawsuit victory, and the reclaiming of her own catalog. This course will explore Swift’s impact on a variety of entry points including race, gender, communication theory, and economics, deconstructing both her accolades and criticisms by close readings of her music and public discourse. We will also address issues like copyright, American Nationalism, and the role of social media in celebrity culture. 

FYJ 0101.032 The Truth is Out There

Professor Kristoffer Danielsen

TR 12:45-2:00 p.m.

Put on your tin foil hat and get ready to explore the world of conspiracy theories and cryptids. In this class we will use topics ranging from Bigfoot and UFOs to Flat Earth and Reptoids, to tackle concepts like folklore, mass hysteria, the Mandela Effect, and Spiritualism. We will dive into the internet echo chamber of QAnon and evaluate eyewitness accounts of The Loch Ness Monster and the New Jersey drones. Through exploration of these topics, we will learn real world skills that can be directly applied to our everyday lives and our academic journey at ������Ƶ. What awaits us in the Hollow Earth? Are we living in a simulation? Is it Berenstein or Berenstain?? The truth is out there.

FYJ 0101.007  Stand Up and Sketch

Professor Mark Abate 

Tuesday 2:15-4:45 p.m.

This course examines stand-up and sketch comedy as forms of social commentary. Students will explore the origins, historical evolution, and techniques of stand-up / sketch comedy through lecture, discussion, interactive exercises, and above all by studying master comedians. The course includes an experiential component with students creating their own short comedic bit for a mock performance.