First-Year Seminar (FYS)
Catawba College's First-Year Seminar Program is designed to help you make a smooth transition from high school to college. It will introduce you to the academic values of the Catawba College community, and introduce you to many of our renowned faculty that will become your advisors and mentors.
Catawba students may choose among Seminar sections that feature as many as 16 different topics; however, every section emphasizes the development of critical reading and writing skills. The Seminar instructor serves as the academic adviser for the students in her/his section.
All new students, including transfer students with less than 18 credit hours, are required to participate in one of our First-Year Seminars during your first semester at Catawba.
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FALL 2022
View the list of available seminars and descriptions below:
Walking in Their Words: Performance, Activism, and the Power of Empathy
Dr. Beth Homan
This course will explore empathy as a tool for personal, academic, and cultural transformation. Through a variety of techniques, including the verbatim Theatre of Anna Deavere Smith and Forum Theatre of Augusto Boal, students in this class will experiment with performance as a way to experience and understand situations, opinions, and ideas, outside of themselves, and through that process engage in productive and meaningful dialogues with Difference.
Dr. Beth Homan is just finishing her 19th year at Catawba, Dr. Homan has been lucky enough to teach everything from theatre history, dramatic literature, acting, and directing, to First Year Seminar, and honors courses. She is very excited to be teaching in the First Year Seminar program again! Though she is proud to be a true theatre generalist, she is particularly interested in collaborative approaches to the production process and the intersection of theory (“thinking about doing”) and practice (“doing”) in all disciplinary areas.
Dr. Homan also has a passion for directing. She is interested in (re)visioning the classics but particularly enjoys working on new works and devised pieces. Her favorite playwrights include Tennessee Williams, Harold Pinter, Christopher Durang, Tom Stoppard, and Sarah Ruhl. Past directing projects include The (Curious Case of the) Watson Intelligence; Twilight Los Angeles, 1992; Reefer Madness: The Musical! and a stage adaptation of William Faulkner’s novel As I Lay Dying.
Dr. Homan earned the BFA from the University of Florida, an MA from Miami of Ohio, and a PhD at the University of Missouri-Columbia. Dr. Homan has presented papers and workshops at both regional and national theatre conferences and has published several articles and book chapters. Her scholarly interests include feminist pedagogy, gender studies, acting, directing, and movement pedagogy. She lives in Salisbury with her husband Sean (a free-lance photographer); her beautiful daughter, Emmaline; and a veritable menagerie of family pets, including five chickens.
Wisdom, Wit, and Wonder: Discerning Your Calling and Charting a Course for a Meaningful Life
Ms. Shannon Axtell Martin
From Yoda to “YOLO,” from proverbs to parables, from concerts to commencement addresses, words of wisdom are all around us. What is wisdom, and where does it come from? How is wisdom gained, shared, and put into practice? We will explore ancient wisdom from a variety of cultures and religious traditions as well as contemporary sources of wisdom to examine fundamental questions about life and a life well lived.
We will ask questions such as, how can we wade through information overload to tune into wisdom? What kind of life do I want to live? What are my gifts, interests, and values? What should I do, to quote poet Mary Oliver, with my “one wild and precious life?” With an emphasis on practical experience and tools for implementation, we will explore the value of wisdom in the information age.
Shannon Axtell Martin graduated from Catawba in 2008 with a degree in Religion and Philosophy. She received her Master of Divinity from Wake Forest University and completed a year as a Hospital Chaplain Resident. She then worked with the NC Council of Churches until she returned to Catawba to lead Discover, Catawba’s Youth Theology Institute, in 2018. She was born in Indiana and lived in California, Saudi Arabia, and Connecticut before moving to North Carolina. She was surprised, therefore, to find herself attending both college and graduate school in NC and “settling down” here with her spouse, two kids, two dogs, and a houseful of plants. She loves spending time with friends and family, being outside, and pursuing creative endeavors like cooking, baking, making music, writing, and painting.
Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire: Pinocchio, It Was Not Just Your Nose
Dr. Yan Gibson
Honesty and integrity are more important than ever, given the complexity of business transactions. Fraudulent behaviors in business are becoming a bigger concern for the general public. We all have lied unintentionally or intentionally. If we were to put ourselves in the shoes of the person we are lying to, we probably would choose otherwise. Pinocchio thought he was only busted by his nose; in fact, the rest of his body was just as honest as his nose. Fabricating a perfect lie is A LOT harder than most people think if it is even possible.
We will look at how lies are identified through the eyes and cases of FBI detectives and professionals by reviewing manuscripts and videos of interrogations in combination with insights documented by detectives and professionals. Reading, writing, and analyzing are core building blocks of this course, with the ultimate goal of getting better prepared for college and the real life beyond college.
Dr. Yan Gibson has taught accounting and business classes with Catawba for the last seven years. She holds a doctoral degree in business administration from Liberty University and an MBA degree in accounting from the University of Toronto. Dr. Gibson also holds a CPA (certified public accountant) and CFE (certified fraud examiner) license. She is a mom to 2 middle schoolers and enjoys exercising, cooking, and knitting. She speaks Chinese and has worked for the federal court as a freelance interpreter.
Designing Your Life
Professor Meredith Williams
Have you ever been asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” How many different answers have you considered to this when-you-grow-up question? If the answer is LOTS, you are not alone!
So often we view life choices, like what we want to do for a career, as a problem with a single best answer. However, life is the type of problem where the solution does not come from a multiple-choice list. Rather, building a life you love is a solution that must be designed. Designers can imagine things that don’t exist yet and strategically build towards them. In the process, designers can change the future with their creations.
In this course, we will engage with the text, Designing Your Life, which was written by Burnette and Evans from their wildly popular Stanford elective course on life design. Through our time together, you will learn how to apply the design thinking process to your own life. By considering life as a designer, you will determine what you want, who you want to grow into, and how to create a life you love.
Professor Meredith Williams is joining the Catawba faculty in the fall of 2022 as the Assistant Professor of Instructional Design. Previously, she taught high school biology and served as principal of North Rowan High School where she led the school to reimagine education as the Center for Entrepreneurship and Design. She received her BA in Biology at UNC Chapel-Hill, where she was a Morehead Scholar. She received her MAT from Wake Forest and administrative certification from Wingate University. Meredith works to build her own best life through her passions for her three kids, the beach, and all things learning and design.
Shaken, Not Stirred: The History and Status of Espionage
Joint section with Drs. Kathy Baker and Scott Morton
Infamous spies, intrigue, and secrets. Who was James Bond? Could Hitler have possibly taken over the world if someone had not broken the Enigma? Did Lucille Ball actually help expose a secret Japanese agent in California using a highly unorthodox method? Where does espionage stand today?
History is replete with instances of famous spies, acts of espionage, and coded messages traveling back and forth across enemy lines. The American Revolution saw the rise of the first Colonial spy ring headed by none other than General George Washington, employing invisible ink, ciphers, coded letters, and even hidden drop points to ferry messages from British held cities to the Continental Army. The Civil War brought spying on enemy movement with hot air balloons, and even a spy agency run by famous detective Allen Pinkerton. As with the American Revolution, women were often utilized in espionage, and the Pinkertons were credited with capturing Confederate spy, Rose Greenhow. World War II saw technology become important to counter intelligence and espionage, with German officers impersonating US soldiers during the Battle of the Bulge, and all major war powers had coded machines that allowed for their Navies to move through the oceans virtually undetected, especially with submarines. Coded machines were sometimes decrypted by opposing forces. In modern times, terrorist groups have been known to use cell phones to store and transmit intelligence. Devices such as the iPhone have encryption that is extremely hard to break, making them almost perfect devices to store data on.
This course will delve into famous spies and how they changed the course of history. We will also learn how to create and read secret messages during the semester. The class will examine famous cases of espionage and counterintelligence operatives as well as gain an understanding of the complexity of the spy profession. We will examine books and films on the subject throughout the semester. The class promises to be fun and highly informative!
Dr. Scott A. Morton, assistant professor of communication and digital media production, began his career at Catawba College in 2017 following his doctoral graduation from the University of Alabama’s Department of Communication and Information Science. Dr. Morton has a background in mass communication history and specializes in 20th Century propaganda, especially in radio and film. Before coming to academia, he spent ten years running one of Alabama’s largest nonprofit scholarship programs, The J.L. Bedsole Scholars Program. Dr. Morton teaches communication classes including media history, public relations, digital media production, and media writing.
Dr. Katherine Baker, Assistant Professor of Mathematics and Computer Science, started at Catawba in 2017. She holds undergraduate degrees in both Mathematics and Computer Science and a Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics. She spent 11 years in the United States Air Force, where she was responsible for the control of encryption and decryption materials for communications by the E-9, Airborne Warning and Control Center. She currently teaches introductory encryption and decryption methods in her Modern Mathematics class. Outside of school, Dr. Baker is a diehard gamer and cat lady.
Wax On, Wax Off: The Tao of Mr. Miyagi and Other Notable Martial Artists
Dr. Chad Betters
Martial arts, or “the art of war,” encompasses a variety of styles and systems, each with unique goals and philosophies. While some people view martial arts as simply fighting, those who have adopted a martial arts lifestyle can attest to the physical, mental, and spiritual benefits of “walking the path.” Many esteemed marital artists, both real and fictional, have shared their principles to those who commit themselves to the various art forms. Their “Tao,” or their doctrine for how to live, not only drives those who practice martial arts, but has many applications for everyday life of the non-practitioner. From “Be like water,” to “Strike first, strike hard, no mercy,” this class will explore the many teachings within several martial arts and the applications not only to physical practice, but to everyday life. Students will also develop an appreciation for the benefits of martial arts culture, as well as learn how to perform a technique or two.
Dr. Chad J. Betters (PhD, LCMHC, BCPCC) is an Associate Professor and Director of the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program at Catawba College. He is a licensed clinical mental health counselor in North Carolina and nationally board certified Christian counselor, and has over twenty years of experience, academically and clinically, in the counseling arena. Dr. Betters has served the academy teaching counseling and health science curriculum and conducting scholarly work resulting in over a dozen publications and over fifty local, regional, and national presentations. His research interests include faith-based approaches in counseling, marital counseling practices, and stress management approaches. Clinically, he has worked in private practice, treating individuals, couples, and families. Dr. Betters earned his BA at the University of North Florida, and his MHS and PhD at the University of Florida. He spends free time with his wife and children, serves their church working with the youth ministry, and training and competing in martial arts. Dr. Betters was introduced to martial arts as a kid and has trained in several styles, currently focusing on traditional martial arts of Japanese origin. His current goals include 1) self-defense, 2) competing with other practitioners who are stubborn enough to keep training at their age, and 3) keeping up with his son, the Karate gold medalist in the 2021 North Carolina State Games.
Mindfulness, Meditation, and Yoga in Daily Life
Dr. Jennifer Klebaur
Life can be stressful. And while there are many ways to reduce stress, recent research has examined the ability of mindfulness, meditation, and yoga to reduce stress and the impact these techniques have on the brain. Join us as we learn strategies to enhance mind-body awareness, develop or refine our practice of these techniques, and explore the science behind each of them in relation to stress reduction and their beneficial effects on our own physical and mental health. As part of our exploration, we’ll read The Mindful Twenty-Something by Holly Rogers, participate in various class discussions, and of course, practice mindfulness, meditation, and yoga both in and out of the classroom.
Dr. Jennifer Klebaur is an assistant professor of psychology and has been at Catawba since 2016. She completed her BA in Psychology and Spanish at Auburn University and her PhD in Psychopharmacology at the University of Kentucky. Following this, she moved to Michigan where she completed post-doctoral studies at the University of Michigan. Her research interests include examining the biological and environmental influences that underlie behaviors associated with substance use disorders. Dr. Klebaur has a college-aged daughter and a cat. She enjoys reading, yoga, cooking, and walks on the greenway but would much prefer to walk along the beach.
HACKING COLLEGE: The Psychology Behind Your Success
The Hacking College Team
This class is based on research from the field of Positive Psychology and growth mindset. The class will examine the influence a growth mindset has on leading a meaningful and fulfilling life that enhances our experiences of love, work, and play. Students will explore practical application of the principles of happiness and its impact on decision-making, personal development, leadership, as well as one’s sense of health and well-being.
In first-year seminar, students are introduced to the liberal arts and to the skills necessary to succeed in college. The course helps students make a smooth transition from high school to college, introduces students to the academic values of the Catawba College community, and facilitates the development of strong bonds among students and between students and staff.
The Hacking College Team:
Lead Instructor Mr. Daryl Bruner received his Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Eastern Michigan University, and his Master’s degree in Counseling from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and he is the Director of the C2C Success Center. His career includes similar student success leadership appointments in a variety of higher education settings including large state schools, community colleges, and small privates. Originally from Detroit, MI, Professor Bruner was a first generation, Pell eligible, student, who flunked out of college--twice! It is that experience he credits for igniting his passion for his professional career in student success. When not at work, Professor Bruner enjoys traveling the world; spending time with his family, friends, and pets; and reading. Plus, he cooks an awesome prime rib!
Ms. Emily L. Schneider, Instructor, is the Director of Wellness & Intramural Sports and the Assistant Director of Housing & Residence Life. Emily also teaches a few courses in Health Science and Human Performance. Emily earned her M.Ed. in Higher Education from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and a B.S. in Exercise Science from Urbana University (Ohio). This fall will be the start of Emily’s 12th year at Catawba! During her free time, Emily enjoys taking photos, sitting on the porch, and taking walks around campus.
Ms. Octoria Ridenhour, Instructor, is a native of Albemarle, NC – she is a graduate of Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, NC where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with concentrations in Education and Psychology. As an undergrad Octoria enjoyed all things student leadership – she served as a member of the university’s royal court, Student Government Association as well as the activities board. Octoria also holds a Master of Arts degree in Higher Education from Lincoln University of Missouri. She currently serves as the Director of Campus Life. Octoria enjoys cooking, spending time with family and sports! With a passion for student leadership and development, she is excited to join the FYS team to bridge the gap between the college experience both inside and outside the classroom.
Daniel Allen, Lead Success Coach and Skills Mentor, was born and raised in North Carolina. Daniel received bachelor’s degrees in Social Sciences Education and History from Western Carolina University. He also earned his Master’s degree from Western Carolina University in the field of College Student Personnel. Daniel has been at Catawba for three years and enjoys working with new students as they transition to college life. His hobbies include exploring new places, reading, and spending time with family and friends.
The Way to the Finish Line
Dr. Regina Simmons and Austin Mangus
There are nearly 500,000 student-athletes competing in NCAA competition across the United States. And, as the commercials say, almost all of them are going pro in something other than their sport. This section will focus on the identity and development of college student-athletes. Students will examine research on athletic and academic achievement among different divisions and sports within the NCAA. Students will also research and investigate different challenges and opportunities provided to student-athletes.
Austin Mangus serves as Student Success Coach within the Catawba 2 Career Success Center. Austin received his Master of Arts degree in Sports Leadership from Wesley College in Dover, Delaware, where he also earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Exercise Sports Science. He was raised in New Jersey but was adopted from Russia. He enjoys watching sports and exploring new things. He loves helping others and seeing others succeed in what they want to do in life. He also likes watching T.V. shows such as The Office, Shameless, and The Big Bang Theory.
Dr. Regina Simmons is the Director of Retention and Persistence at Catawba. Regina is originally from Charleston, SC and calls both Carolinas home. She earned her EdD from UNC Charlotte in Educational Leadership, where her research interest focused on the intersection of athletics and the small, private college. Regina also holds a Master of Business Administration and Bachelor of Arts in Communication, both from Campbell University. Constantly in competition with her older brother, Regina harnessed her competitive energy into a love for athletic competition. In her free time, she enjoys kayaking on area lakes and spoiling her niece and nephews.
Faith, Family, and Football? Examining Sport from Religious Perspectives
Dr. Troy Carlton
Why is football played on Sundays? Why do we immortalize players and coaches by erecting statues of them? Have sports stadiums replaced churches as places of worship? Sport consumption is one of the most popular and significant dimensions of the human experience and when coupled with religion, make up two central facets of contemporary life that are deeply rooted in cultures around the globe. Both sport and religion can be enriching influences but can also be the root for social evils—greed, corruption, hate, idolatry, commercialization, racism, and sexism to name a few.
In this course, we will examine, both as a class and individually, the similarities and connections between sports and religion. Specifically, we will attempt to understand the role of religion in the cultural origins, history and current state of football (and other sports) in American society and beyond. Topics include the relationship of religion and culture, political ideologies of the football subculture, the role of women and minorities, the practices of religious ministries, and the religious implications of football fans' fascination with the weekly tradition of tailgating, tackling, and touchdowns. The format of the class will combine readings, research, case studies, personal reflections, discussions, and presentations. The course culminates with a Saturday trip to a rivalry football game in a NCAA Division I Power 5 Conference to experience the religion of football with our own eyes.
Dr. Troy Carlton, Assistant Professor of Sport Management, started at Catawba in 2019. He holds an undergraduate degree in Sport Management from Elon University and a PhD in Parks, Recreation, & Sport Management from NC State University. At Catawba College, Dr. Carlton teaches Sport Marketing, Facilities & Event Management, and History of Sport among other classes. During his free time, Dr. Carlton loves to go backpacking in the mountains, train for half-marathons, and watch college basketball. Most of his weekends are spent playing with his three kids and putting them in and out of (mostly in) time-out.
HONORS: A Green Imagination: The Humanities and the Environment
For those students admitted into the College Honors Program
Dr. Gordon Grant
Designed for all students with an interest in the natural world, this class will examine how the Humanities (Literature, History, and Philosophy) focus on the environment, and we will read texts produced by various cultures, past and the present, for the ways they talk about the green aspects of our lives. We will explore how writers have imagined nature, human nature, and how humans relate to the natural world by considering stories that revolve around ideas such as the wild and the domestic, the pastoral, parks, gardens, towns/cities, animals, machines, the physical and the spiritual, and so on. In addition to creative artifacts such as poems, stories, dramas, and other aesthetic works, we will consider how historians have treated the relationship between humans and the natural world when interpreting the past, as well as how philosophers have described, and prescribed, the terms of the relationship. Ultimately, we will be looking at the varied ways humans over time have valued the natural world and how these expressions are vital today as we face the potential for ecological disaster, and the need to live our lives differently with respect to our ultimate home.
Dr. Gordon Grant came to Catawba in 2003. He grew up in eastern Pennsylvania and went to Dickinson College for his B.A. He attended the University of Texas at Austin for his M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in English, where he specialized in modern British literature, rhetoric, and interpretive theory. He and his family ultimately spent over 15 years in the Lone Star State, and learned to love the culture and geography of the Southwest. The last 18 years in North Carolina have meant a happy return to a more temperate climate and to hills, forests, and waterways very similar to the ones he explored in his youth. (Except that NC has much more pleasant winters than PA.) Now that his three children are on their own, he spends his free time searching for brook, brown, and rainbow trout in the clear waters of various North Carolina and Virginia streams and rivers.
HONORS: Science in the Crosshairs: Climate Change and the War on Science
For those students admitted into the College Honors Program
Dr. Joe Poston
We humans have changed the chemistry of earth’s atmosphere, and in doing so we have changed earth’s climate. In this class we will learn about the science of climate change. Scientists use evidence to answer questions about the natural world. Careful application of the scientific method has brought us improvements in medicine, transportation, communication, and more. Nevertheless, science can be misused: some people manipulate scientific evidence for personal, political, or economic gain. As a result, established scientific facts about climate change have sometimes been distorted, with harmful consequences for individuals and society. Shawn Otto, in his book War on Science, argues that science and scientists are “under daily attack in a fierce worldwide war on science.” In this class you will learn about the process of science, you will learn about attempts to misrepresent scientific evidence, and you will learn scientific facts about climate change.
Dr. Joe Poston is a professor in the Biology Department. He specializes in ecology, conservation, and animal behavior, particularly of birds. One of the things he enjoys most about teaching at Catawba is taking student groups off campus to explore natural places in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia. Poston earned a BS degree from Butler University where he double majored in Zoology and Computer Science. He then earned a Ph.D. in Ecology at UNC Chapel Hill. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his kids, nature photography, camping, hiking, and cooking.
