Faces of FYE
FACULTY
Mimi Hellman
Associate Professor of Art History
Scribner Seminar: BUZZ—The Visual and Material Culture of Caffeine
“I loved my Scribner Seminar because it allowed me to teach something I'm passionate
about–the history of coffee, tea, and chocolate– that doesn't fit into a traditional
discipline. My students and I explored it through multiple lenses–art history, sociology,
literature, business. My excitement fueled the class and we all learned together.
This is what college should be about–thinking critically and creatively, making new
connections, sharing ideas, seeing the world in a different way.”
Kyle Nichols
Associate Professor and Chair of Geosciences
Scribner Seminar: Hollywood’s Science
“My course was a long time in the making, going back to the mid-1990s when I was watching
disaster films. Movies were quite entertaining in part because Hollywood took extreme
liberties with the science. It concerned me that viewers might be taking away misconceptions
about science. I decided to develop a course where students could interrogate the
science in films and pick apart fact from fiction, as well as delve into the unintended
consequences for society.”
Flip Phillips
Director of Neuroscience
Professor of Psychology
Scribner Seminar: Mind Design
“The nice thing about cognitive science is that it has psychological, philosophical,
computer science, and anthropological approaches, to name just some. I try to teach
my students that there is more than one way to see things—that you can ask big questions
and come at them from a bunch of different perspectives, and, in fact, that’s how
you should examine them. To me, it’s the whole reason to be at a place like Skidmore.”
FYE STUDENTS
Zubin Mobedshahi ’11
Psychology, Woodside, Calif.
Scribner Seminar: Human Dilemmas
“When I first arrived at Skidmore, I didn’t know anybody. But there were so many older
students who were so happy to help me. I was showered with kindness. I became a peer
mentor in part because I wanted to return the favor and help new students find Skidmore
as much of a home as I have. It’s definitely a labor of love. I have so much fun with
my mentees. We’ve done dinner at my place twice, we went to a play, we got food downtown,
we hung out. It’s a primary support structure for all of us.”
Cameron Ledy ’11
English, Manhattan, N.Y.
Scribner Seminar: Jewish-Christian Relations
“The First-Year Experience is much more than the seminar and living in the same residence
hall with your classmates. It’s also a supportive community in which you are encouraged
to make your mark pursuing whatever passion you might have. In my case, I was co-director
of FYE Cares as well as its graphic designer. We raised $7,500 to help send 30 students
to the Gulf Coast to do volunteer work for victims of Hurricane Katrina. Now I also
do design work for several student clubs, including the Student Entertainment Committee
and SkidTV. FYE is a great launching pad for the rest of your college career.”
