1.    Course Description  

Explorations introduces students to the joy of studying the liberal arts while cultivating the skills needed for future academic success. Each course investigates a subject of faculty choosing from beyond a single disciplinary approach, incorporating multiple ways of understanding that subject and working with evidence from different academic and popular sources. Students will engage in scholarly practices foundational to inquiry and future academic success, including reading, annotating, and taking notes on texts; analyzing and evaluating sources; drafting, revising, and editing writing; and working with peers. Assignments and activities will cultivate students’ abilities to think analytically.

2.    Student Learning Outcomes

Upon successfully completing the course, students will be able to

Section Descriptions

Adams, Sarah & Hodge, Tracy:

Looking to the Night Sky

Archaeological evidence suggests that our ancestors began keeping track of the position of the stars through cave paintings about 40,000 years ago. From those first artistic explorations of the night sky, we now have everything from Vincent Van Gogh’s famous painting “Starry Night” (1889) to Gustav Holst’s orchestral suite The Planets (1917) to Christopher Nolan’s film Interstellar (2014) to Nnedi Okorafor’s sci-fi novella Binti (2015). And yet, according to Paul Bogard in The End of Night, “some two-thirds of Americans and Europeans no longer experience real night.” At the same moment that we celebrate humans’ physical ability to explore the night sky via Artemis II’s mission to the moon, we here on Earth may be losing imaginative access to something our ancestors knew better than to take for granted 40,000 years ago. 

In this section of L&I 100 two professors—one a physicist and one a writing specialist—will serve as your guides and co-explorers of the night sky. As a class, we’ll ask:

Bouma, Jill:

Walking: Pilgrimage of the Personal and Political

Tell me who you walk with, and I’ll tell you who you are,” a quote by Esmeralda Santiago, provides an invitation to discover who we are and understand the experiences that shape us.  In this course, we’ll write about and engage in various walks as we explore a history of walking and its myriad benefits. We’ll begin by discussing how walking and other forms of exercise can help us deal with stress. Next, we’ll explore paths to personal pilgrimage, from walking our way through problems to discovering new passions. As we engage in our own walks, we’ll share the various health benefits we’re discovering, bolstered by research and informal presentations.  And finally, we’ll end by exploring the power of mass movement for political solidarity, from Civil Rights marches to recent social movements important to you.  Throughout the course, we’ll examine the physical, emotional, and spiritual benefits of walking to inspire our writing and the ways we engage the world.

Brown, Jarrod:

High Water & Hard Ground: Climate Trauma & Appalachian Resilience

This course examines the lived realities of Appalachian climate and environmental disasters, moving beyond headlines to explore the human toll of a changing landscape. From Kentucky River floods to the recurring trauma of wildfires and "thousand-year" storms, we analyze how the region’s topography and socioeconomic history intersect with global climate shifts. Students will engage with diverse perspectives and sources, including survivor oral histories, environmental history, meteorological data, environmental justice scholarship, documentaries, and fieldwork. Central themes include the legacy of extractive industries on disaster vulnerability and the political complexities of response and recovery. By the end of the term, participants will not only understand the mechanics of regional crises but also be able to articulate the emotional and cultural shifts occurring as mountain communities navigate an increasingly volatile future. This course will entail some non-strenuous hiking and one Saturday commitment for off-campus travel.

Butler, Jim:

Words are Lying to You

Given the abundance of disinformation and misinformation in the world right now, one might ask: How in the world do people fall for all this nonsense? Do people really think that: The world is flat? Vaccines contain 5G microchips? President Kennedy is still alive and returning to Dallas (where he was shot)???

Part of the problem is that people do not focus on how these memes are communicated: through language using words. “But hey”, one might respond, “words and language are easy; We have all been using them since we were infants.” But to those who pay attention, sentences (and the words within them) are incredibly complex. For instance, words can have multiple meanings; be vague or precise; sentences can communicate truth, falsity, feelings, quotes, sarcasm, jokes, and even make promises.

This class will take a careful look at language and how it functions as part of a liberal arts education, in communication, reasoning, interpretation, and rational discourse. As part of this investigation, we will read essays from various academic disciplines, including Kurt Vonnegut, and Harry Frankfurt’s essay, “On Bullshit”. We will also focus on some non-academic sources like Monty Python and the Daily Show.

Crachiolo, Beth:

American Identities: How do you know?

In this class, we will explore the definitions of “American,” beginning with the assumption that there are multiple definitions. We will be particularly focused on “Americans” from the United States, but you won’t have to consider that as the only American identity. What are the negotiations, tensions, and constructions that we use to forge our identities? We will be thinking a lot about gender, race, and class, especially as they relate to and/or define various categories of Americans: the privileged; the oppressed; the immigrant; the educated; the differently abled; the urban/rural American. Our avenues of exploration will include literature, culture, and education. Whether you are a USA American or not, you’ll learn a lot about yourself, as well as about this country.

Crum, John:

Reading, Writing, and Thinking with Homer’s Odyssey

Faced with political turmoil, climate change, and the rise of artificial intelligence, our society faces an urgent question: what does it mean to be human in a changing world? Fortunately for us, we
aren’t the first humans to confront this uncertainty. Since our earliest days as a species, humans have used stories to communicate ideas about who we are, and what we owe to one another. This course uses Homer’s Odyssey, in the acclaimed translation by Emily Wilson, as a guide to reading, writing, and thinking through these questions—skills foundational to a liberal arts education.

Feagan, Beth:

Freedom to Read

America is a contradictory place. We say we believe in freedom of speech, but every year thousands of books are challenged, censored, and banned. And Tango Makes Three, Captain Underpants, Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, Looking for Alaska, and The Perks of Being a Wallflower: from picture books to novels, these books have been banned right here in the USA. What does that mean? Why does that happen? What can we learn from these books? We will read a variety of banned books and wrestle with these questions. It’s a complicated conversation, and it’s been going on for a long time. Censorship is nothing new. Freedom of expression has been under attack since the founding of our country. We’ll learn how to unpack arguments, do thoughtful research, and make smart arguments of our own. We’ll also work on overcoming procrastination. Does writing freak you out? It’s actually just thinking on the page. That sounds abstract until you put it like this: I think something, I go find out what others think about it (reading and research) and then I let them know what I think (writing). Good writing is always in conversation with others. The conversation we will explore and join is about freedom of expression and the power of your voice.

Gift, Wes:

The Business of Storytelling:

Storytelling is more than entertainment—it's strategy, persuasion, and power. This course explores how narrative functions as a dynamic tool across diverse industries including creative writing, marketing, politics, tech, and beyond. Students will examine how stories shape perception, influence behavior, and drive outcomes in real-world contexts. Through academic readings, multimedia analysis, writing challenges and more, we’ll uncover the mechanics of compelling narratives and the ways they're adapted to meet the goals of different fields.

Greer-Effs, Keesha:

Writing with Joy: Self-Regulated Learning

Writing with Joy : Self-Regulated Learning is an introductory level, writing-rich course that develops students’ ability to construct evidence-based arguments, critically evaluate sources, and communicate with clarity while cultivating confidence, agency, and joy in writing. Grounded in Universal Design for Learning, Information Processing Theory and executive functioning research, the course scaffolds the full writing process from curiosity through academic inquiry and reading through drafting, revising, and polishing a 1,200-1,500-word argumentative essay. Instruction emphasizes planning, organization, self-monitoring, and cognitive flexibility as core writing supports. Students engage in metacognitive and self-regulated learning strategies including reflective writing, minute papers, and student-generated questions. Active learning practices such as SQ4R reading, paraphrasing, structured peer review, and source evaluation build transferable academic literacy skills across disciplines. Writing is framed as a rigorous academic practice and a meaningful, expressive, joyful form of inquiry.

Litzau, Mike:

Why Do We Make Art?

What motivates someone to make artwork and try to make their mark on art/history? We will investigate historical and contemporary visual artists Francisco Goya, Kara Walker, Hayao Miyazaki, and you! This course will investigate the connection between visual art and ideas, culture, and us. Visual art will take on different forms between what we traditionally may view as art (such as paintings), nature, graphic novel, and film. We will write a lot about our investigations and make an artwork or two. No previous artistic experience is needed to succeed in this course.

Mack, Felicia:

Getting to Know College

In this section of L&I 100 we will read The Skinny House: A Memoir of Family that shares the story of Nathan Seely, an African American man, whose drive and determination led to him becoming a prominent homebuilder in New York. At the height of his fame and fortune he loses everything in the Great Depression; however, he is determined to avoid joining the growing ranks of the unhoused-- so he uses resources available to him to build a home.  

We can all relate to needing resources to help us reach our goals  which is why you decided to further your education at Berea College.  Throughout the course we will engage in numerous writing activities designed to help develop skill sets needed to write for an academic audience. Coupled with reading and writing activities you will be introduced to many resources available at the college, so like Nathan Seely, you can achieve your academic and professional aspirations.

Meadows, Richard

Fighting Poverty in Appalachia & Inner Cities

Initially, rural Appalachia and nearby inner cities seem very different.  Yet people from both areas—including most Berea students and their families and friends—confront many of the same obstacles, such as poverty, unemployment, poorly-funded schools, inadequate healthcare, substance abuse, and negative stereotypes.  Fortunately, many people in Appalachia and nearby inner cities are seeking and finding ways to overcome or help eliminate these obstacles so that their families, friends, and communities can prosper.  We will analyze and debate competing attempts to explain these obstacles as well as competing plans to overcome or eliminate them.  We will evaluate ideas from the U.S.’s political left, right, and center as well as ideas from other countries and from fields as diverse as economics, education studies, health studies, psychology, sociology, communication, biology, religion, and philosophy.  Thus, the course will give you a taste of many different fields to help you choose a major, minor, and/or other areas you want to explore.

Mecham, Neil:

The Influence of Animals in Our Lives

Our lives interconnect with other living creatures in a myriad of ways that we take for granted. We bet on horse races, drink milk from cows, eat pigs, keep dogs and cats as pets, and kill mice. What if we bet on dog races, drank milk from horses, ate cats, kept pigs and mice as pets and worshipped cows? Throughout the world, we do. In his course we will examine what influences our individual and collective beliefs towards the animals in our lives and in our world. We will explore how these beliefs influence actions. Through reading a variety of materials, viewing visual works, visiting settings where animals and people interact, and engaging in discussion, we will explore the nature of the human-animal relationship. Through expository writing, oral presentations and interactive dialog, we will develop critical thinking skills, research and analysis skills and an appreciation for the diversity of experience and thought that surrounds us. In the end, students will be able to explain the important roles animals play in our lives and express, with confidence, their beliefs about how humans should treat animals.

Mishra, Amrita

The Search for Utopia

College is often described and marketed as the best years of your life, a utopian place where everyone hangs out on the quad, an idyllic place where you meet lifelong friends, realize your dreams, and don’t have to worry about the “real world” until your time here is over. Berea College, in particular, as a liberal arts institution with a pretty unique history, often frames itself as a “utopian experiment” for its radical mission back in 1855 in educating Black and white students together. What makes a place or way of life a perfect place, a utopian place? How have utopias been imagined and dreamed up over the past few centuries? For whom are utopias built and designed for? What’s the difference between a utopia and a dystopia? Could they be more similar than we think? This section of L& I 100 grapples with the question of utopia by exploring how utopias/ dystopias have been imagined in literature and what a liberal arts education is and how it tends to be framed as utopian. Together we'll ask: how have writers and artists used the idea of utopia to think about liberation, make sense of environmental catastrophe, and dream of a different world? In addition to reading utopian and dystopian fiction and sharpening your critical reading and writing skills, you'll work on conceptualizing your own utopia: what would it look like? Feel like? What would it make it the good place? 

Norris, Ian:

Designing a Life Worth Living. 

Where do you want to go, and how will get there? But, more importantly, why there? What is worth wanting, and how do you know? Our culture is obsessed with efficiency, effectiveness, and achievement. But we often don't stop to ask what we value and why. This class will help you determine how to maximize the potential of your Berea College education: How to design the life you want for yourself. But it will continually force you to ask what philosophers have called "The Big Questions." Why are we here, and for what purpose? What is your purpose, and how can your education enable you to fulfill it? Prepare yourself for an interdisciplinary experience integrating lessons from psychology, design thinking, entrepreneurship, philosophy, and religion.

Norton, Colby:

American Popular Music: Sound, Society, and the Cultural Pulse of a Nation

This course on American popular music offers students an exploration of music from a liberal arts perspective, cultivating skills that are foundational for academic success. Through this survey of diverse musical genres, including rock, jazz, funk, country, hip hop, and death metal, students will engage with the music itself, as well as its cultural and societal impact. The course encourages an interdisciplinary approach, incorporating evidence from both academic and popular sources, allowing students to analyze the evolution of music in the United States from multiple perspectives.

Students will engage in scholarly practices such as reading and annotating texts, evaluating and analyzing various sources, and applying critical thinking skills to understand the sociocultural influences on music. The assignments and activities will help students develop their abilities to think analytically, draft, revise, and edit their writing, while also fostering collaboration through peer interaction. This course provides a rich foundation for understanding how popular music reflects and shapes American society, while building skills essential for future academic success.

Sirianni, Lucy:

Education as Liberation?

"The academy is not paradise. But learning is a place where paradise can be created. The classroom, with all its limitations, remains a location of possibility. In that field of possibility we have the opportunity to labor for freedom, to demand of ourselves and our comrades, an openness of mind and heart that allows us to face reality even as we collectively imagine ways to move beyond boundaries, to transgress. This is education as the practice of freedom."
—bell hooks

In this course, we'll explore the ways in which education has both empowered and oppressed people with marginalized identities. How have educational systems and practices both advanced

and worked against the cause of justice? Together, we'll explore the stories of enslaved, Indigenous, and disabled individuals, among others, each of whom fought to attain an education within systems built to demean and dehumanize them—and each of whom went on to both

proclaim the liberating value of education and decry its profound inequities. We'll also think about Berea's history as an institution premised on the link between learning and equity—and

about how you as new present-day Bereans can use the education you're receiving to help work toward a more just world.

Wang, Jianfen:

The Global Monkey King

Centered on the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West, this course invites you to discover the global life of the Monkey King—a legendary figure whose story has traveled across languages, cultures, and media. No background in Chinese literature or culture is expected. Instead, the course guides you through a range of accessible English-language readings, including parts of the original novel, modern retellings, and essays, along with examples from film and popular culture. As you read and discuss these materials, you’ll explore how stories change when they are translated or adapted for new audiences, and how culture shapes the way we understand characters and ideas. Along the way, you’ll practice key college skills such as reading closely, taking notes, analyzing sources, and writing essays through drafting and revision. You’ll also work with classmates to share ideas and improve your writing. By the end of the course, you’ll not only have a better understanding of a famous global story, but also stronger skills in critical thinking, reading, and writing that will support your success in college.

Warren, Wendy Zagray:

Interconnections: Learning From the Earth

We can learn so much by observing the natural world, the place where people have lived and learned for most of human history. You and your peers are our hope for the future—and the earth is an important teacher. Rather than accepting narratives designed to divide us, the earth helps us see that all things are connected. Rather than a hierarchy where some claim power over others, earth’s systems model balance. Every part of an ecosystem has a different role to play, and all are equally important. In fact, an ecosystem’s vast diversity lets us know that it’s healthy. Humans are at home on the land; it is a place where we belong. As I write these sentences, I can feel myself relax. Yet do you ever worry about the state of the world? There is certainly plenty to be concerned about. Sometimes we may not want to face difficult realities; sometimes it feels like we would rather escape. In this course, we will practice alternatives to panicking or turning away. Instead, we will learn ways to stay grounded and centered as we face harsh realities, mourn losses, and envision new paths forward. We will enhance our abilities to work toward positive change, guided, in part by authors Joanna Macy and Chris Johnstone and their book Active Hope: How to Face the Mess We’re in Without Going Crazy.

Webb, Althea:

Why College? Issues in Higher Education.

This class will examine higher education in the United States of American.

Students will learn the history and evolution of higher education institutions (e.g., community college, private, public, and/or elite institution) over time. Students will examine opportunities and selected paths for those leaving high school. We will explore the life changes that students navigate while attending college. This course will help students to develop an understanding of the influences, external and internal, that impact attending college given today’s economic landscape. Anticipating potential barriers and strategies for success will be addressed to support resiliency. Examination of vulnerable populations (pertaining to diverse factor: race, class, gender, and Appalachia regionality) related to success in college will be considered.