First-year Seminars

Judge Cerski and a student hang garland on a light post

Dec 2, 2019 • Caitlin Burns

Students Make Glenside Twinkle for the Holidays

Glenside once again is ready for the holiday season, courtesy of students from the Citizenship and the Law First-Year Seminar, led by the Honorable Christopher Cerski, J.D., adjunct professor of Historical and Political Studies and Montgomery County District Judge. On Nov. 21, students...

Denise Glick • Oct 31, 2019 •3:40 pm

A Kidney Biopsy—and Unexpected Benefits

The last time I was admitted to a hospital was January 2016. Of course, my transplanted kidney decided to wait until the most inconvenient time to throw a fit: the third week of this semester. Which isn’t just any semester, mind you. No, this is my first ever college semester. The transition to...

David Hogg speaks to first-year students during an afternoon discussion session.

Oct 16, 2019 • Caitlin Burns

At Common Read Event, David Hogg Urges Civic Engagement, Activism

At this year’s Common Read on Oct. 14, 19-year-old David Hogg, March for Our Lives co-founder, gun control advocate, and survivor of last year’s mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., urged students to be civically engaged this election season and vote for...

Jessica Derr • Jul 31, 2019 •4:19 pm

Katniss in the Classroom: My FYS Experience

The Thanksgiving break of my freshman year of college was my first time going home since moving to school. Even though my hometown is a measly 15 minutes away from campus, I was now immersed in two entirely different spheres—my life at Arcadia and my life back in Willow Grove. Suffice to say, my...

Jessica Derr • Jun 25, 2019 •10:57 am

As Much As You Put In

I have never put much weight in the occult. To me, graveyard walks are a pleasant way to spend an evening. Ouija boards are not the earpiece of the dead, but a tool to push my cousins’ buttons. And The Long Island Medium, one of my mother’s favorite shows, does little more than make me roll my eyes...

Alura Neumyer • Apr 25, 2019 •3:20 pm

Coffee, Tea, and an Unexpected Boost

Every freshman is required to take a First-Year Seminar. Having come back to campus in the spring, there was only one course option available. That is how I ended up in “Coffee and Tea: Origins, Economy, Ethics.” At first, I was apprehensive. I wasn’t sure how a class about...

Jessica Derr • Oct 25, 2018 •2:43 pm

‘The Nun Is in Over Her Head’: A Conversation with Sister Helen Prejean

Growing up Catholic and enduring years of CCD, I had an established view of nuns in my head. They were habit-clad, solemn-faced, steely-eyed women, ever ready to put a finger to their lips and shush if someone even looked like they were about to speak in mass. Also lingering in the back of my mind...

Oct 11, 2018 • Caitlin Burns

Sister Prejean Discusses Social Justice and Death Penalty as Common Read Speaker

“People need to know,” said Sister Helen Prejean. “Most people have never thought about the death penalty, because it doesn’t touch their daily lives. Together, we need to change it.” Sister Helen, author of Dead Man Walking: An Eyewitness Account of the Death Penalty in the United States,...

Shivani Mansharamani • Apr 10, 2018 •12:45 pm

1968: Revisiting an Unforgettable Year of Rebellion

1968. It was a year of chaotic revolt against authority: division and disruption at the Democratic National Convention and the nomination of a pig for President of the United States; the Prague Spring and consequent occupation of Czechoslovakia; the Tet Offensive; the assassination of Rev. Dr....

Olivia Armacost • Oct 17, 2017 •10:49 am

Nicole Maines: Her Story, Her Struggles, Her Shoes

This is one of the many lessons I learned from my interview with Nicole Maines, the high-heeled, quick-humored, stressed but well-dressed college student. Oh, and also the subject of the New York Times bestseller Becoming Nicole: The Transformation of an American Family, by...

Oct 11, 2017 • Caitlin Burns

Explore Phobias During Fright Week, Oct. 16-19

Have you ever wondered where phobias come from? Or why we fear certain things? Explore the science behind phobias and fears during Fright Week, Oct. 16 to 19, in the Rose and Mirror rooms. The week’s events are a collaboration between the Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminal Justice Department,...

Oct 6, 2017 • Jennifer Retter

Nicoles Maines Discusses LGBTQ Activism at First-Year Common Read Lecture

Nicole Maines, subject of Arcadia’s First-Year Common Read Selection Becoming Nicole: The Transformation of an American Family, visited campus on Oct. 5 to discuss her courageous efforts to embrace life, expand her family’s understanding of gender identity, and secure transgender rights for...