Taken your first semester on campus, Simpson Colloquium is designed to immerse you in the college's academic culture of engaged citizenship and introduce you to others new to campus.
Grow personally and intellectually as you transition into the collegiate environment
Your Simpson Colloquium will familiarize you with the tradition of a liberal arts education through focused study of important issues, and give you a solid foundation for future academic success by focusing on essential skills like writing and critical thinking.
First-year students: SC 101
The Simpson Colloquium (SC 1010) is a four-credit, full semester course limited to 18 students each. The professor will be your academic advisor for most of your first year of college. Exemplary current students also serve as your peer mentor SC leader and as your writing tutor. Together, they'll help you transition to college life and expectations.
You'll meet students in your SC 101, your SC leader and your professor at summer registration in April or June, when they'll also help you register for your other fall classes. For more information contact Simpson Colloquium Director, Mark Gammon, at 515-961-1685 or via email.
There are Simpson Colloquium topics for nearly every area of interest and academic pursuit. Check out the individual course descriptions below and meet the instructor and SC Leader of each.
Moving decade by decade, this course examines the last 100 years of American Broadway Musical Theatre. It offers insight and inside information about the artistic approaches various composers, lyricists and directors have taken; how those approaches have changed over time; and what social and historical forces continue to shape musical theatre today. Particular attention is placed on diversity and how it is an essential part of this art form as it moves forward. Treating musical theatre as an irreplaceable piece of American history, this course demonstrates how it reflects the social and political conditions of its time. Texts and resources for this class will include Strike Up the Band, by Scott Miller, Broadway: The Musical PBS film by Michael Kantor, and various CDs and DVDs of individual productions and performances.
Meet your instructor
Matthew Lau
Assistant Professor of Music–Voice
I first saw The Wizard of Oz in first grade and have been hooked on American musical theatre ever since. Live theatre was thriving in Michigan City, IN, where I grew up, and I took full advantage. My undergraduate degrees are from Indiana University in both theatre and in music, while my Masters of Music Performance is from The Eastman School of Music. Living in New York City for more than 30 years, I was fortunate to find steady work in both opera and musical theatre. When not on the road performing, I was in line for discount tickets to the best that Broadway had to offer. In addition to teaching musical theatre at Simpson, I also teach private voice, vocal literature and music history. Additionally, I continue an active performing career with recent performances in St. Louis, New York, Pensacola, Milwaukee and Cedar Rapids. In my free time, I am an amateur artist working in oils, acrylics and fiber arts.
Meet your SC Leader
Annalise Minnick
Hello! My name is Annalise Minnick. I am from Leon, Iowa and I went to Central Decatur High School. This fall I will be a senior at Simpson College. I am majoring in music education. This is my first year being an SC Leader! I am a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority, Mu Sigma Kappa music fraternity, Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Light Company. I work in the Scene Shop for the Theatre Department. Outside of Simpson I co-direct for Leon Community Theatre every summer and I am a lifeguard at the local pool. I love watching Riverdale, trying new and different foods, and traveling just about anywhere. I love Coldplay, fall weather and football! I love socializing with my friends and making new ones along the way!
Your first year can be a wonderful experience and I hope that I can help guide you along the way. I am so excited to be an SC Leader and get to know all of you! I really have enjoyed my time here at Simpson and I can’t wait to be a part of your first year. See you at registration and Go Storm!
Are you a bomb-thrower or a suck-up? Don’t like those choices? This course might help you to re-phrase the question. Conformity and rebellion are not polar opposites: We sometimes conform thinking we are rebelling and vice-versa. Arguably, a free community demands some level of both conformity and rebellion. But what level? When should we conform, and when should we rebel? How much tolerance should we grant other people’s rebellion (or conformity)? This course asks you to think deeply about conformity and rebellion in the context of case studies from different cultures and historical eras. Buckle-up: We will take a close look at war, rape, genocide… and school.
Meet your instructor
Mark Freyberg, PhD
Professor of Sociology
I come from a most conservative place—Appleton, Wisconsin. As the birthplace of Senator Joseph McCarthy and the center of his political base, it now is the international headquarters of the John Birch Society. I remember it fondly, but not for its politics. In the 1960s and '70s, all us working-class kids assumed we would end up in the paper factories. While America heaved and twisted under protest and reaction, I begged my parents to move the family to Madison. I did finally leave Appleton, but my ticket out was a tour in the U.S. Navy—It seemed the only way I could obtain the money I needed to go to college.
The Navy, of course, changed me. I visited South America, Europe, Africa and the Middle East. I pushed away shoeless beggars, then returned home to supermarkets with 90 brands of breath mints. And then I noticed the lines of early-risers gathered in Jacksonville to sell their blood plasma for $15, and noticed how much they resembled the beggars overseas. I’m too selfish to be called a humanitarian, but I knew something needed to change.
I studied international development at UW-Green Bay, then social change at the University of Michigan. What I learned is that fiery leaders and radical policies and new technology can bring change, but the nature of those changes will depend on how large masses of ordinary people understand and react to their everyday world. Hence a course in conformity and rebellion—it all starts with us. You want to be free? Free your neighbor.
Meet your SC Leader
Cheyenne Wiederholt
Hello friends,
My name is Cheyenne Wiederholt and I will be the SC Leader for Mark Freyberg’s Simpson Colloquium class. I will be a junior in the 2018-2019 school year. I am studying biology with a focus in pre-nursing and minors in criminal justice and religion. I plan on being a nurse for a while after school and hopefully will move into Death Investigation as a career.
Here is a little bit about myself: I am from Ankeny, Iowa, and have lived there my whole life. I am a cat lover and am always down for a quesadilla. You can typically find me at the local YMCA practicing with the Simpson swim team or working at a restaurant on the square. I also spend a lot of time in Kent and at the Pi Beta Phi house. Outside of Simpson I love to go to concerts, feel free to ask me about my favorite ones!
Your first year of college is full of many new experiences. It can be very overwhelming but I am here to help you through it all. I aspire to make Simpson feel like home and make transitioning into college as smooth as possible. I can’t wait to meet you all during SOAR!
Feel free to contact me at cheyenne.wiederholt@my.simpson.edu with any questions. Go Storm!
This seminar will examine the truths (and the fictions and everything in between) to be found in songs, present and past. We will interpret the lyrics and music—largely via recorded performances (audio and video)—as we critically analyze the music we listen to, both contemporary and otherwise. We will examine what the works reveal about and contribute to the culture producing them and what the listeners and readers find in the visions of human experience represented in such works. We’ll begin by covering some fundamental ways to approach our critical task and then turn to works chosen by class members for study. All styles, eras, subjects, etc. are on the table. You will be primarily responsible for selecting the pieces we study, and that will only make the experience of the course richer and more rewarding for all.
Meet your instructor
David Wolf, MFA
Professor of English
Greetings! I am David Wolf, professor of English at Simpson College, where I teach courses in creative writing, contemporary literature and literary theory. I am the author of five collections of poetry, Open Season, The Moment Forever, Sablier I, Sablier II, and Visions (with artist David Richmond). My work (poetry, nonfiction and fiction) has appeared in numerous literary magazines and journals, including Cleaver Magazine, decomP, The Hampden-Sydney Poetry Review, New York Quarterly, Poet & Critic, and River Styx Magazine. I am also the literary editor for Janus Head: Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies in Literature, Continental Philosophy, Phenomenological Psychology, and the Arts. Born and raised in Des Moines, Iowa, I have lived in Oxford, UK, and in New York, NY, where I worked for several years in magazine publishing. I enjoy traveling and playing in my two bands Weather Beacon Blue and The Sonny Humbucker Band.
Meet your SC Leader
DJ Duve
Hey Everyone! My name is DJ Duve and I will be the SC Leader for David Wolf’s Simpson Colloquium class. I will be a sophomore in the 2018-2019 school year.
I am from West Des Moines, Iowa and graduated from Valley High School in 2017. While at Valley I played baseball and dominated intramural basketball. I love the Cubs and a good game of 2K. Also, I work at Raygun and with the Iowa Cubs. At Simpson, I am majoring in psychology. I plan on acquiring my Master’s in psychology, and eventually becoming a school counselor. Outside of academics, I pitch for the Simpson baseball team and am involved in student government. I also love to attend the athletic events on campus.
Your first year at Simpson is an adventure. It will have its ups and downs. My job is to make you comfortable and to help you through this transition. I hope to make Simpson feel like home as quickly as possible. This fall is my first semester as an SC Leader and I am excited to work with you! Feel free to contact me with any questions or worries at dj.duve@my.simpson.edu. Also, feel free to add me on Facebook (Raymond Duve). I am looking forward to meeting you at SOAR and helping with the transition to Simpson. Roll Storm!
In this course, students will investigate contemporary art practices, especially the way in which newer art has been used to investigate, document and illustrate political, social and/or historical concerns. Various art media will be reviewed such as mixed media installation, video installation, photography and performance art. Specific contemporary artists who practice this media will also be studied. After the general review of contemporary art practices, the bulk of the class will consist of each student learning to think about and represent concepts in open-ended, abstract ways. Students will then use contemporary art media (sound installation, abstract video, filmed performance, etc.) to give body to their ideas. The overall culmination of these practices will result in a larger, final work of art created by each student that represents their ancestral history, family background and life experiences as means toward defining personal identity.
Meet your instructor
Justin Nostrala, MFA, MA
Professor of Art
In 1986 I received a Bachelor of Arts Degree, with a focus in painting from Simpson College. Between 1986 and 1995 I lived in St. Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota and New York City. I occupied an art studio at each of these residences.
After returning to Iowa, I enrolled into the Graduate Painting Program at The University of Iowa where I received a Masters of Art degree in 1998 and a Master of Fine Arts degree in 1999. Upon graduation from The University of Iowa, I taught design, art history, and photography at Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa. After this one-year assignment, I taught in another one year-appointment at Mount Union College, in Alliance, Ohio. Since 2001 I have been teaching art as a full-time instructor at Simpson College. I am currently a full-time, tenured, professor of art, and I continue to make art from my studio in Indianola, Iowa.
Meet your SC Leader
Ben Rockhold
My name is Ben Rockhold, and I will be your SC Leader for Justin Nostrala’s “Discovering Identity through Art” 2018 SC class. I will be a senior this upcoming fall and can’t wait to meet all of you and get started!
I’m majoring in English with a minor in secondary education, and I plan on student teaching the spring of 2019 and then teaching full time after I graduate. Some interesting facts about me include: I play piano (but not very well, so if you’re expecting something fancy, prepare to be disappointed), I love movies and you will probably catch me quoting movies at random, I’m in Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, and I have a twin brother that also is a student at Simpson…so if you see someone that looks like me outside of class who doesn’t acknowledge you (or looks at you frightened and confused if you try to say hi) don’t worry, that’s not me ignoring you, it’s a completely different person!
Everyone’s first year at college is different; it is something that can be overwhelming, but also very exciting. I hope to make your first semester one to remember and to make your experience feel welcoming and comfortable! I hope you all are excited to get started!
One of the most enduring legends in the Western literature is that of King Arthur, his knights, and their ladies. Almost every age has produced a version of the myth of Camelot. But what is it about this medieval tale that is so interesting? Are there universal themes appearing in these stories that allow people to connect with the characters of Arthur, Guinevere, Merlin, Lancelot, Morgan le Fay and Mordred? What can we learn about heroism, justice, loyalty, love, honor and gender from these stories? How might these stories be relevant to our world today? This course will explore the early beginnings of the Arthur tales, like “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight,” Sir Thomas Mallory’s “The Death of Arthur,” and Cretien de Troyes Arthurian romances, before tackling modern retellings, such as T. H. White’s “Once and Future King.” We will also compare how the stories have been adapted to the screen, for example, Excalibur and Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
Meet your instructor
Rebecca Livingstone, PhD
Department Chair of History, Associate Professor of History
I am from the San Francisco Bay Area, California, but have lived all over the country before landing here at Simpson College. I went to college at a small liberal arts college called Lawrence University in Wisconsin, where I majored in history. I had always been interested in history, most likely because we lived in very historical places, especially in the South. Wherever I looked, history had happened and I simply became fascinated with the past, so a history major seemed like a natural choice when I went to college. After graduating from college, I worked in the corporate world for a few years before pursuing my graduate studies at Tulane University in New Orleans. I received my PhD in 2007 and arrived here at Simpson that same year.
One of the best things about teaching here at Simpson is getting to know my students as people and being able to share my interest and passion for history with them. I am very excited about teaching this course on the legends of King Arthur as I have been long fascinated by the topic. My specialty in history is England so my interest in King Arthur is born out of my love for all things English.
Some of the things that I enjoy when not teaching are reading, bike riding, finding whatever the dog has hidden in the house for later, cooking new things, binge-watching Netflix, photography and traveling internationally.
Meet your SC Leader
Rachel Miller
Hi! My name is Rachel Miller, and I’m from New Providence, IA. This fall I will be a junior at Simpson majoring in history with a possible minor in political science.
I’m an Iowa History Center Scholar at Simpson, as well as a Wesley Service Scholar, and I’m involved in Simpson Theatre and Women’s Chorale as well. I work as a UGA in Admissions so I probably did a lot of the behind the scenes work for your visit if you came to Simpson before this year! I studied abroad my freshman year for May Term in Europe for a class on World War II, and it has by far been the highlight of my Simpson career.
I love Harry Potter, binge-watching Merlin and the Office on Netflix, and taking naps. I also love playing sports, especially tennis, and going to on-campus events like Bingo and winning awesome prizes! I am also low-key obsessed with French fries, just ask any of my friends.
I’m extremely excited to be working with all of you this semester as your SC Leader for Finding Camelot, and I look forward to getting to know you! Feel free to add me as a friend on Facebook if you have any questions, and I look forward to meeting all of you at SOAR! Go Storm!
In the Outer Rim, allies of Leia Organa’s Resistance are gathering. After the death of Supreme Leader Snoke, and the growing schism between Kylo Ren and Armitage Hux, many see an opportunity. Several dozen systems are sending representatives to a reconstituted senate, which must face a number of complex issues, including: trying stormtroopers for war crimes; addressing issues of gender among alien species and cultures; condemning the terroristic tactics of the Resistance; managing relations with the Jedi; constructing a “Peace Star” to defeat the First Order; emancipating droids; dealing with crime syndicates; and designing a permanent new government. This course will involve role-playing as representatives from systems around the galaxy. We will begin the semester by reading Bloodline, which describes Leia’s experiences with galactic politics before Episode VII. As the semester progresses, we will read a number of other texts, which should allow us to draw parallels between the issues we face in the Star Wars universe and the contemporary world.
Meet your instructor
Eduardo Magalhaes, PhD
Professor of Political Science
Even though I have a very unusual name, I was actually born in Peoria, Illinois, but when I was 14 my family moved back to my father’s hometown in Brazil, where I lived for two and a half years. I moved back to the U.S. to live with my grandparents and finished high school in Kewanee, Illinois (the hog capital of the world!). From there I went to Monmouth College in Illinois and majored in government and psychology. I met my wife Terri at Monmouth and because she is from Iowa, I went to the University of Iowa for grad school in political science, where I got my PhD in 1991. Since then I have been teaching political science at Simpson. I teach a broad range of courses at Simpson in comparative politics, international relations, minority politics and American government. My wife and I and our four kids (Lydia, 21 and Nathan, 19 who are students at Simpson, and Elliot, 17 and Ryan, 15 who attend Indianola High School) live on a small acreage west of Indianola. We love traveling, movies and the State Fair, among other things.
Meet your SC Leader
Ryan Courtney
Hello Everyone! My name is Ryan Courtney and I will be the SC Leader for Dr. Eduardo Magalhaes’s SC 101 course, The Galactic Senate. I will be a sophomore this fall. I am majoring in chemistry with minors in secondary education and coaching.
I grew up in Humboldt, Iowa, about two hours north of Indianola, and graduated from Humboldt High School. In high school, I was involved in cross country, basketball, track and field, student senate, quiz bowl and FCA. I also work at the Humboldt Family Aquatic Center.
Here at Simpson, I continue to be involved as an athlete on the Storm cross country and track and field teams. Running is a huge part of my life, but when I’m not doing that, chances are that I’m studying, hanging out with friends, playing video games, watching Netflix or sports, doing something outdoors or attending a Storm sporting event!
Simpson is like my second home, and I hope that I can help you feel the same way during your first semester. I am super excited to share the beginnings of your college experience with you, and I cannot wait to meet you at summer orientation and registration! Roll Storm!!!
In the Outer Rim, allies of Leia Organa’s Resistance are gathering. After the death of Supreme Leader Snoke, and the growing schism between Kylo Ren and Armitage Hux, many see an opportunity. Several dozen systems are sending representatives to a reconstituted senate, which must face a number of complex issues, including: trying stormtroopers for war crimes; addressing issues of gender among alien species and cultures; condemning the terroristic tactics of the Resistance; managing relations with the Jedi; constructing a “Peace Star” to defeat the First Order; emancipating droids; dealing with crime syndicates; and designing a permanent new government. This course will involve role-playing as representatives from systems around the galaxy. We will begin the semester by reading Bloodline, which describes Leia’s experiences with galactic politics before Episode VII. As the semester progresses, we will read a number of other texts, which should allow us to draw parallels between the issues we face in the Star Wars universe and the contemporary world.
Meet your instructor
Nick Proctor, PhD
Professor of History
Before deciding upon History as my major, I thoroughly explored the liberal arts, considering Art, English and botany. I finally settled on a history major during my third year, which was spent abroad at Oxford University. In the end, I was drawn to history, as it seemed to be the discipline that would be most helpful in figuring out why things were the way they were.
Moving forward in history seemed daunting, as I was concerned that I would tread too closely along the path forged by my grandfather, Dee A. Brown, a renowned historian. Changing direction a bit, I enrolled and completed a master’s program in diplomacy and international commerce at the University of Kentucky. Unsure about proceeding along this path, I took a year off to work in a bookstore and read novels.
After that, I completed my degrees from Emory University with an emphasis on the nineteenth-century South. This work allowed me to publish my first book Bathed in Blood: Hunting and Mastery in the Old South. Since joining the faculty at Simpson, I have been awarded Simpson College’s Distinguished Teaching Award and the Faculty Research Award.
Soon after joining the faculty at Simpson my research interests became caught up in the Reacting to the Past series of historical role-playing games. In addition to serving as the chair of the Editorial Board, I am also author or co-author of several games in the series including Forest Diplomacy: War, Peace, and Land on the Colonial Frontier; Kentucky, 1861: Loyalty, State, and Nation; Modernism vs. Traditionalism: Art in Paris, 1888-89; and Self-Determination, Empire, and Security: Yalta, 1945.
I recently traveled to several colleges and universities in China and Japan to teach faculty there about RTTP.
While these games are rather serious and pedagogically intense, I also enjoy games that are simply fun. I especially like the absurdity of Simpson’s Humans vs. Zombies Club, so I have served as its faculty adviser since its inception. As a spinoff of this, I worked with students to publish A History of the Great Zombie War: The Simpson Experience.
Meet your SC Leader
Elliott Meyer
Hey Everyone! I am Elliott Meyer and I am the SC Leader for the upcoming SC 101: The Galactic Senate class taught by professor Proctor. I will be a sophomore in the 2018-2019 school year.
I am from a small town called Edgewood, up in Northeast Iowa. I attended Edgewood-Colesburg High School, where I was involved with numerous activities like football, basketball, track and field, large group and individual speech, musical and play, student council, FBLA, and National Honors Society. In addition to all of this, I also was involved with the Boy Scouts of America organization, where I attained the rank of Eagle Scout. Beyond the classroom and extracurricular activities, my hobbies and interests include hanging out with my friends and family, playing Xbox, and most importantly Star Wars!!
At Simpson, I am majoring in history and political science. After finishing my education at Simpson, I plan to go to law school and hopefully one day become a lawyer. Along with my studies, I am also involved in track and field here at Simpson, where I do hurdles and short sprints. In addition to this, I am also a Community Assistant over at the Buxton Residence Hall.
Last fall I had the privilege to participate in the previous SC 101: The Galactic Senate taught by professor Proctor and it was one of the most amazing and exiting experiences I have had. Star Wars has been a passion of mine for almost my entire life, so I jumped at the chance to take a class that was based around it. Some of my fellow classmates and I decided that we liked the Galactic Senate class so much that we created a club here on Simpson which uses the background of the Star Wars universe to create political crisis games for students to work through. All in all, the Galactic Senate class was a super great experience for me that I hope to share with all who sign up!
I cannot wait to meet all the perspective Senators and I look forward to speaking and negotiating with all of you more this fall! If any of you have questions or need to contact me, you can by emailing elliott.meyer@my.simpson.edu. Also, feel free to add me on Facebook! And as always, may the force be with you, always.
Everyone knows that water is essential for life. Water covers most of the earth’s surface. More than half of the human body is made up of water. It has been estimated that a person without water would only live for three days. Despite these well-known facts, much of what humans do has a direct and negative impact on water. Lawsuits have been filed about water rights, water use and water quality. Common practices in Iowa have been linked to the death of organisms 1000 miles away in the Gulf of Mexico. The water problem is one that can’t be ignored.
This course will explore the interactions between water, humans and natural systems. A significant focus will be the ways humans are impacting water quality in Iowa and beyond. Finally, we will explore ways in which we can change our practices to protect and conserve water. This course will have a significant interdisciplinary collaboration with “In Deep Water” taught by Clint Meyer. At the beginning of the semester, both classes will work together to focus on how implementing buffer strips, restored prairies and wetlands, and bioreactors into agricultural systems can help decrease runoff into streams. Course activities will include readings, discussions, travel to local sites for water testing and biological sampling, and guest lectures from water stakeholders. For the second part of the semester, our class will use these ideas to develop mathematical models to implement improvement strategies for improving our relationship with water as it pertains to water quality, water use, health concerns and environmental impacts. In this way, we will be taking an interdisciplinary approach to studying this vital resource.
Meet your instructor
Heidi Berger, PhD
Associate Professor of Mathematics
I completed my B.A. at Coe College in Cedar Rapids, IA with majors in mathematics and physics and a minor in English. I have also been fascinated by the interface between mathematics and science. In high school and college, I worked in my father’s lab analyzing the structure of glass. I love seeing how mathematics can be used to describe the patterns found in nature.
My curiosity in mathematics and its applications led me to complete a Ph.D. in mathematics at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. I started at Simpson College in 2008 and I maintain my interests in mathematics as applied to science. In the past nine years, I have worked with Dr. Meyer on several undergraduate research projects dealing with insect population models and prairie restoration. Our most recent project has involved optimization strategies to improve water quality in Iowa. I think this is a gorgeous field and I’m very excited to introduce you to it this fall in our SC 101 course.
When I am not teaching, I enjoy spending time with my husband, Howard, and sons, Max and Isaac. We especially like cooking, watching movies, reading books, playing with Lego sets, working on puzzles and folding Star Wars origami figures.
Meet your SC Leader
Levi Lefebure
Hello everyone! My name is Levi Lefebure and I will be a junior for the 2018-2019 school year. I am from Cedar Rapids, Iowa and attended Cedar Rapids Prairie. I am majoring in mathematics, history and political science.
Here on campus I am involved in cross country, track and field, student government, the Culver Public Policy Center, Vote Everywhere, the Student Athletic Advisory Committee, and Omicron Delta Kappa Honor Society. I have also taken advantage of a study abroad opportunity to London, Paris and Belgium here in my time at Simpson. Therefore, I am involved in a lot and am always happy to help you find a group that fits your interests!
Some of my interests include cheering on the best professional football and baseball teams in America (Jacksonville Jaguars and St. Louis Cardinals), playing video games such as NBA 2K and NCAA 14, and playing strategic board games. I also enjoy watching Friends, Seinfeld and The Office in my free time. I am very excited to be your SC Leader this year and am always happy to assist you in any way possible. College is the most exciting time of your life and Simpson is the perfect place to experience it at!
Can theatre comfort the suffering and heal the wounded? Can it rehabilitate the prisoner and reduce the chance of reoffending? While theatre performances are happening on Broadway, in community theatres, and on college campuses, performances are also taking place in prisons and on military bases. This course will explore how theatre can be a powerful instrument for transformation and recovery for at-risk communities.
Meet your instructor
Jennifer Nostrala, MFA
Department Chair of Theatre Arts, Professor of Theatre Arts
I have been directing and teaching theatre for over twenty-five years. I am currently chair of the theatre arts department and an active member in our women’s and gender studies program.
Recent directing credits with Theatre Simpson include Moliere’s Tartuffe, Shakespeare’s Comedy of Errors, and a co-production with the Simpson College opera program of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Carousel. In the spring of 2016, I directed a play that I also wrote, Knowing Joan. In the play, a young songwriter, Yolande, is trying to find a way to move forward with her life when she finds herself haunted by Joan of Arc.
Over the past few years, I have worked with the Agents of Change on campus to create a performance for first-year orientation that deals with sexual assault and harassment on college campuses. Directing credits off campus include Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, Venus in Fur, and The Shape of Things at StageWest Theatre in Des Moines. I directed the premiere of The Quiet Man at The Winterset Stage and Fat Pig at the Des Moines Social Club.
I have an MFA in directing from the University of Texas at Austin and a B.A. with majors in theatre and art from Simpson College. I live in Indianola with my husband, artist and professor Justin Nostrala. We have two boys, Seth (a first-year at Simpson) and Caleb (a sophomore in high school).
Meet your SC Leader
Jessica Arnold
Hello and welcome to Simpson College! I will be your SC Leader for The Healing Power of Theatre and I am super excited to meet everyone!
I will be a Junior this year and I am a biology major with a Spanish minor. I am involved in many campus activities and organizations including Theatre, Speech, RLC, On the House Improv, Sustainability Club, Climbing Club and Dance Club. In my free time, I enjoy writing, playing piano, and spending time outside (when it’s warm).
I grew up in Glenwood, Iowa, though I’ve lived in several other places before that; I was actually born in Heidelberg, Germany. I have two sisters that are both currently in high school, who are also involved in many school activities.
I am very much looking forward to being your SC Leader and doing my best to ensure your transition to college life goes as smoothly as possible. Feel free to email me anything this summer with any questions you might have: jessica.arnold@my.simpson.edu.
Everyone knows that water is essential for life. Water covers most of the earth’s surface. More than half of the human body is made up of water. It has been estimated that a person without water would only live for 3 days. Despite these well-known facts, much of what humans do has a direct and negative impact on water. Lawsuits have been filed about water rights, water use, and water quality. Common practices in Iowa have been linked to the death of organisms 1000 miles away in the Gulf of Mexico. The water problem is one that can’t be ignored. This course will explore the interactions between water, humans and natural systems. A significant focus will be the ways humans are impacting water quality in Iowa and beyond.
Finally, we will explore ways in which we can change our practices to protect and conserve water. In particular, we will focus on how implementing buffer strips, restored prairies and wetlands, and bioreactors into agricultural systems can help decrease runoff into streams. Course activities will include readings, discussions, travel to local sites for water testing and biological sampling, and guest lectures from water stakeholders. We will coordinate much of what we do with the SC 101 course, “H 2 Uh-Oh” taught by Heidi Berger, who will be focusing on mathematical techniques to model these water quality issues. We will also be coordinating with John Pauley’s SC 101 entitled, “Rural Iowa,” because of the importance of water to communities throughout the state. In this way, we will be taking an interdisciplinary approach to studying this vital resource.
Meet your instructor
Clint Meyer, PhD
Associate Professor of Biology, Director of Sustainability Programs,
Co-Director of Undergraduate Research
I grew up on a farm in northeast Nebraska. I spent much of my childhood outside, exploring the fields and woods, on a quest to understand the plants and critters around me. It is fitting that I am now a field ecologist because I essentially made a career out of continuing the exploration I started as a child. I teach a range of courses at Simpson, but as often as I can, I take students out during classes, labs, and in research projects to learn as much as we can about the natural world. My favorite organisms are plants and insects. I love the diversity that both groups represent because there are so many ways in which these groups are critical to the habitats and communities they are a part of. I am excited to teach an SC 101 course again because I get to know students at the beginning of their educational journey. It is incredible to watch a student figure out exactly what they want to do with their lives and to help in any way I can along the way. When I’m not at Simpson, I’m probably spending time with my family. When there is some spare time I can be found on our acreage tending animals and the garden, out in the field hiking, on a quest for ducks, pheasants, and fish, or somewhere playing music.
Meet your SC Leader
Kaylee Grabarkewitz
Hello! My name is Kaylee Grabarkewitz and I will be a sophomore during the 2018-2019 school year. I am from Grand Rapids, Minnesota. In high school, I was the recipient of the International Baccalaureate Diploma. At Simpson, I am majoring in mathematics and biochemistry with the plan to get into research.
On campus, I am involved in Mock Trial as well as participate in the Math Modeling Competition. I also am involved with different volunteering opportunities on and around campus. I am also excited to say that I have taken advantage of Simpson’s May Terms and will be going on a trip to London, Belgium and Paris to study World War I.
A little about me…I love watching movies and TV shows. I watch NCIS, Criminal Minds, Supernatural, Arrow and many more. I love to play board games and hang out with friends, whether it be to study or watch a movie. I am also a student ambassador on campus, meaning I give tours to perspective students so I know a lot about Simpson if you every have any questions.
I am excited to be the SC Leader for professor Meyer’s class and I am glad to meet all of you! I know the first year of college can be a bit of an adjustment and my job is to help you through that and I know Simpson can feel like a home to all of you! I look forward to seeing you all at registration and helping with your transition to Simpson College.
The world is facing unprecedented levels of turmoil and conflict. Commitment to living virtuously, and excellently, is quickly fading. A new Justice League is convening to discuss the fate of our planet and the future role of the superhero. Superheroes from across the globe, in addition to a number of far off dimensions, universes, and galaxies, are expected to join.
Some of the questions this new Justice League will address are: How do we define the hero and superhero? Can anyone be a (super) hero? Where is the line between crime fighters and vigilantes? How does a superhero define truth and justice? Where do superheroes get their power? How are, and how aren’t, superheroes diverse? Why are (or aren’t) superheroes good? Why should (or shouldn’t) superheroes be good? Why be a superhero? Why be moral? What’s behind the mask? Identity and the superhero.
In addition to these issues, students will more broadly discuss why we value the qualities and characteristics we attribute to superheroes. In a sense, superheroes represent what it means to live excellently. Students will not only analyze what it means to live excellently from the perspective of a superhero, but will apply this analysis to their own lives as well.
Meet your instructor
Chad Timm, PhD
Professor of Education
I first came to Simpson College in the fall of 1991, beginning a relationship that has lasted nearly three decades. As a student at Simpson, I majored in history and minored in secondary education and political science. I was also a four-year letter winner on the wrestling team, qualifying for the Division III National Tournament in 1994. Although I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life when I arrived at Simpson, I was inspired to be a college history professor after taking one of my first college courses, Western Civilization, with the legend Dr. Joe Walt.
After graduating from Simpson College in 1995 and marrying my high school sweetheart, Andrea (a 1994 graduate of Simpson College), I began a career as a high school history teacher that lasted from 1995-2010. I earned a master’s degree in history from Iowa State University in 1999, then a PhD in education from Iowa State in 2008. I have been teaching at the college level since 2010, specializing in the history and philosophy of education.
My research interests are wide and varied. I spent four years conducting a qualitative study of a partnership between a grassroots, non-profit, community-based organization and a local public school. This research turned into an article titled “The space between: building liberatory capital in a school–community partnership,” and was published in the International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education. I am also a member of the Humanities Iowa Speakers Bureau where I travel the state giving presentations on two prisoner of war camps in Iowa that housed German, Italian and Japanese prisoners between 1943 and 1946. My most recent research interests center on the manners in which popular culture in the form of films, television, music and graphic novels can be used for pedagogical purposes. In other words, how can we use these forms of pop culture as educational tools, helping students to wrestle with complex theoretical and philosophical concepts?
To that end I have published essays in the following edited books: Stieg Larsson and Philosophy; Game of Thrones and Philosophy; Ender’s Game and Philosophy; Planet of the Apes and Philosophy; The Hunger Games and Philosophy; Deadpool and Philosophy; Hamilton the Musical and Philosophy (in press); and Doctor Strange and Philosophy (forthcoming).
Because my courses require students to wrestle with educational theory and philosophy, I intentionally incorporate film and television clips, popular music and graphic novels into my courses. In this way, I take complex and intense academic theory and help make it more accessible and engaging.
Meet your SC Leader
Cami Schmalz
Hey guys! My name is Cami Schmalz and I am from Muscatine, Iowa. I will be the SC Leader for Dr. Chad Timm’s Simpson Colloquium class. I am a junior here at Simpson, majoring in psychology and minoring in human resources.
At Simpson, I have a work study job with media services, am involved in dance marathon, and play for the varsity women’s soccer team. In my free time I like to binge watch documentaries on Netflix and read about things that I will probably never need to know.
This is my first year as an SC Leader and I am here to make your transition from high school to college as smooth as possible. If you have any questions about freshman year or Simpson in general, feel free to shoot me an email at: cami.schmalz@mysimpson.edu. I look forward to meeting you all! #RollStorm
Love and death are two of the most profound experiences of human existence, prompting poets, painters, prophets, and plebeians alike to strive to understand human nature, the meaning of life, the mysteries of the divine, and the divine’s relationship with creation. In this class, we will consider various explorations of love and death from the Bible to the present day, through the media of music, art, film, and especially literature, culminating with the Harry Potter Series.
Meet your instructor
Maeve Callan, PhD
Associate Professor of Religion
In our department, I am the historian to Dr. Everhart’s Bible and Dr. Gammon’s theology. I focus in particular on the Middle Ages, especially its freakier aspects (and that’s saying a lot!). Heresy (both real and imagined), persecution of alleged witches, saints, mystics, and just about anything to do with women and Ireland are among my primary interests. My book, The Templars, the Witch, and the Wild Irish: Vengeance and Heresy in Medieval Ireland, published by Cornell University Press and Four Courts Press, explores Ireland’s handful of heresy trials, their role in the colonization of the island by the English, and their relationship to heresy and witchcraft prosecution in Britain and on the Continent. In my current project, I return to the saints, including St Íte, whose fasting was so extreme it prompted force-feeding by angels and who had a flesh-eating stag-beetle as foster-child, at least until her nuns killed it in horror. God rewarded her love, compassion, and suffering by offering himself in the form of the Christ-child as replacement; the poem which revels in their rapturous relationship, though unlikely to be by the saint herself, may be one of very few extant female-authored works from medieval Ireland. With material like this, how can anyone not be a medievalist?!
Prior to coming to Simpson, I taught for several years at Northwestern University, developing courses such as “The Margins and the Mainstream in Christian History,” “One Nation, Many Faiths: Religious Diversity and American Democracy,” and “Celtic Christianity.” I also taught courses on world religions, Christian mystical theology, and the feminine and the divine in Christianity, among others. I have published repeatedly on the female saints of Ireland and have given papers in Ireland and the United States on topics including medieval women mystics, childbirth and abortion miracles, and ethnic tensions and allegations of heresy. In addition to my longtime interests in medieval Christianity and women’s religious history, I increasingly am focused on contemporary religious issues, especially interfaith dialogue and the intersection of religion and public policy. I am particularly impressed by Simpson students’ commitment to social justice and global awareness and strive to encourage such commitments.
In this course, you will learn financial literacy basics and develop vital financial management skills. The goal is for you to think critically about your own consumption decisions and the trade-offs of spending money versus investing or saving it. More broadly, we will examine how money is treated in popular culture, including movies and music. In addition, we will study some of the appeals and execution tactics that advertisers use to influence the decision process when consumers compare insurance, credit cards, and other financial products and services. Topics covered will include the basics of financial skills, student loans and debt, leasing versus buying a car, signing contracts for apartments, mortgages, buying insurance, 401Ks/IRAs, and more. Community members and successful Simpson alumni will visit class to discuss personal finance topics, and you will participate in activities, tailored for students and Millennials, on budgeting and personal spending.
Meet your instructor
Mark Green, PhD
Professor of Management
Meet your SC Leader
Beth Stolte
Hey friends! My name is Beth Stolte and I will be the SC Leader for Dr. Mark Green’s Money—It’s a Gas class. I will be a sophomore in the 2018-2019 school year.
A little bit about myself: I have lived in Winterset, IA, my whole life. It’s fairly close to Indianola, only about 25 minutes away! While at Winterset, I played volleyball, golf, and cheered for football, basketball and competitively. I was also actively involved in my school clubs outside of athletics. Aside from school-related topics, I enjoy: binge watching the greatest gift to television—FRIENDS, watching cheesy ’80s and ’90s movies, indulging in BWW, and finding anyway to be active with my friends, family and dog!
At Simpson, I am majoring in physical education as teaching, while earning endorsements in health and coaching. I plan on teaching middle or high school PE and health, and to some day earn my master’s in sports administration in order to become an Activities Director. Along with my studies, I am the In-House Director for Campus Activities Board, the Continuing Education Chair for Delta Delta Delta, participate in intramurals, am a member of the Education Club, work in the Financial Aid office, and try to find as many ways as possible to be involved on campus! Your first year of college is one of the most fun and exciting times and my job is to make sure everything is a breeze! My goal is to help you find your home on campus, and start your college experience off on the right foot. This fall will be my first semester as an SC Leader and I cannot wait to assist you in your college transition!
If you’d like to reach out to me with any questions, my school email is beth.stolte@my.simspson.edu. And of course, feel free to add me as a friend on Facebook and message me there as well! I am looking forward to meeting all of you at SOAR! Go Storm!
The path has been a popular metaphor for life. It is full of twists and turns, choices and roads not taken. Often the journey takes you someplace you did not seek and it challenges you to grow in ways you did not anticipate. This course will explore the metaphor of the path in various cultures through the study of literature, art and film. We will think critically about cultural perspectives and values throughout our studies and seek to trace our own life’s path and the possibilities that lay before us. Take this course if you have your life planned out, if you are just along for the ride or if you have no idea where you are headed. What better time to think about your path than when you begin the new adventure of college life? Hopefully your eyes will open to all the possibilities that lie ahead and allow you to make informed decisions about your journey.
Meet your instructor
Tracy Dinesen, PhD
Professor of World Language and Culture Studies,
Associate Dean of Academic Affairs & Retention
My name is Tracy Dinesen and this is my 13th year at Simpson College. I am a Spanish professor and Associate Dean of Academic Affairs. My path to Simpson was full of twists and turns and this adventure has continued during my time on campus. I grew up in Aurora, Colorado and attended the University of Colorado at Boulder for my bachelor’s degree. I then moved to Texas to work on a masters and Ph.D. During that time, I moved to Spain, traveled the world and learned things that, as a first generation and a high need college student, I NEVER even imagined were possible. I came to Simpson because I loved the people. I felt an instant connection to the mission and I wanted one-on-one interactions with students during their studies and after their graduation. I believe that we can always learn something new and as a professor, I am here to mentor that process and learn with my students. I am passionate about giving students the skills they need to successfully graduate and attain their individual goals. I look forward to meeting you and learning with you. Welcome to Simpson!
Meet your SC Leader
Emma Gerdis
Hi! My name is Emma Gerdis and I will be your SC Leader for Dr. Dinesen’s Course: The Path. I will be a senior in the 2018-2019 school year, but will be graduating early this coming December!
I am originally from Waukee, IA and have lived there basically my whole life. While in high school, I was involved in swimming, show choir and National Honor Society.
At Simpson, my major is Public Relations with a minor in Human Resources. After college, I hope to find a job in either Communications or Human Resources and hopefully stay in the Des Moines area to stay close to my family and friends. When I’m not working on my academics, I like to hang out with my friends, watch a lot of Netflix, eat lots of food and occasionally work at the YMCA. While at Simpson, I have been involved in swimming, PRSSA, am a Wesley Service Scholar, and of course, your SC Leader.
I am super excited to be your SC Leader this fall and can’t wait till everyone is on campus! If you have any questions, feel free to contact me by my email: emma.gerdis@my.simpson.edu or simply adding me as a friend on Facebook. I look forward to meeting you all at SOAR!
The Devil and Hell play key roles in the faith of many people, but they make only limited appearances in the canonized text of the Bible. So, what are the origins of Satan as a religious and literary figure, and where do we get the notion of a place of eternal damnation? Is Satan an aspect of God, a ravenous beast, a tragic hero, or a red guy with horns and a tail? We will trace the evolution of Satan and hell in the Bible and other ancient literature, touching on the problem of evil and the ideas of demons and damnation in general. Then we will explore how and why images of the Devil and hell change through time in literature, philosophy, visual arts, theatre, and film.
Meet your instructor
Mark Gammon, PhD
Professor of Religion, Associate Dean for General Education
I came to Iowa in 2003 from George Washington University, where I worked as a research associate in a public policy think tank. As a graduate of a small liberal arts college, I knew early on that I wanted to teach at a place like Simpson, where real mentoring relationships between faculty and students are possible, and where questions of meaning play a key role in the educational experience.
I teach courses in systematic and moral theology, religion and international relations, and Islam. I have broad, varied interests in the field of religion. My dissertation addressed the meaning of Jewish suffering for Christian moral theology after the Holocaust, a subject I have continued to study through an NEH seminar on medieval Jewish-Christian relations at Oxford University’s Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies and two faculty seminars at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. I have done work on church-state relations and political theory, including human rights and the implications of free speech for the protection of children. My recent research centers on the theological and political implications of seventeenth-century radical Calvinism. I also have interests in religion and culture, and while at Simpson I have taught courses on vampires, superheroes, witchcraft and the devil.
I live in Des Moines with my wife Eva Jablonski, a swine veterinarian, and our daughter Wanda, a Spider-Man fanatic. I love the Red Sox, Marvel superheroes, spy novels and cooking.
Meet your SC Leader
Jailyn Seabrooks
Hello everyone! My name is Jailyn Seabrooks and I will be a sophomore at Simpson College. I am so excited to be Professor Gammon’s SC Leader!
A little about me…I am from Alburnett, Iowa, a small town near Cedar Rapids. I graduated with 36 people in my class! Here at Simpson I am majoring in political science and religion. My dream career is working in a political non-profit. In my free time, I like binge watching Grey’s Anatomy, eating sushi and catching a nap between classes.
You will definitely see me around campus a lot because I am involved in quite a few things. I am in the Student Government Association, Kappa Kappa Gamma (a social sorority), the John C. Culver Fellowship, the Speech & Debate team, Simpson Youth Academy, Model UN, Interfaith Fellowship and Andrew Goodman Vote Everywhere Foundation. I am also a CA for Kappa Kappa Gamma.
I am the first one in my family to go to college, so I definitely understand how overwhelming your first year of college can be. I love Simpson and I am so excited to help you adjust into college life. Feel free to reach out to me if you need anything! My email is jailyn.seabrooks@my.simpson.edu.
Rural Iowa, and the rural United States in general, is often misunderstood, forgotten, or ignored. And yet the vast majority of Iowa is rural. In this class, we will examine and explore rural Iowa and consistently compare rural Iowa with other parts of the rural United States. The central focus of the class is on current economic, sociological, and political issues facing rural Iowa and how these current issues are related to urban Iowa. Once again, we will draw comparisons with other parts of the rural United States. Students will take several short field trips to rural businesses, farms and towns. Students will have the opportunity to speak with large- and small-scale farmers, business people and politicians about rural Iowa.
Meet your instructor
John Pauley, PhD
Professor of Philosophy, Department Chair of Philosophy
I am a professor of philosophy with a primary interest in how philosophical ideas overlap with other disciplines. I am also keenly interested in how ideas and creative thinking can inform constructive change on a small scale (first). I teach in all areas of philosophy and my professional life has led me to study agriculture, art, biology, ecology, economics, psychology and sociology. A large project in agriculture has led me to rural studies and hence this class. I approach the study of any place from the standpoint of respect and with the spirit of openness and honest inquiry. We need to learn about rural Iowa and from rural Iowa before we draw any conclusions.
Meet your SC Leader
Reade Reiter
Hey everyone! My name is Reade Reiter and I will be your SC Leader for Professor John Pauley’s SC 101 class, The World of Rural Iowa! In the fall of 2018 I will be a sophomore majoring in elementary education. I plan on teaching either third, fourth or fifth grade when I graduate from Simpson.
I am from Keokuk, Iowa and I went to Keokuk High School. During high school I was involved in many activities. I was in baseball, tennis, show choir, band and marching band every year. Additionally, I played football my first year of high school and swam my senior year. I also played basketball for three years. At Simpson, I play on the tennis team and I am very active. I enjoy watching movies, listening to music, going on bike rides, eating ice cream and sports. I am a huge St. Louis Cardinals, New York Giants, Oregon Ducks and Iowa Hawkeye fan!
Adjusting to the college life style can be difficult. While being your SC Leader I will do everything I can to help you feel at home here at Simpson! I am excited to kick off the 2018 school year!
If you have any questions or concerns, you can reach out to me by email at reade.reiter@my.simpson.edu. Thanks and Roll Storm!
By 2020, it is projected there will be over 20 billion connected devices across our society. We can already adjust our thermostats, lock/unlock doors, and control other appliances which promise to save time, energy and money. People are using wearable devices for fitness, health and even entertainment. Connected automobiles help provide operational status and comfort of passengers. The number and type of connected devices continues to grow.
The benefit leans toward convenience and also a fascination with having our devices talk to each other along with its human interaction, but there are inherent risks including privacy and security issues. Do we really need to have our kitchen appliances connected to the Internet and controlled through mobile apps? How do we know if these devices are secure and how can we protect our privacy? What are opportunities for organizations and industries?
We are seeing a rapidly growing “Internet of Things” in which many of our day-to-day devices are being designed to connect to the Internet and estimated to generate approximately $14 trillion in value across multiple industries over the coming decade. We will explore the history of the technology and its applications for individuals and organizations. Along the way, we will discuss its current status and future possibilities, its technological challenges, criticisms, and controversies. Our goal is to explore the Internet of Things and discuss its advantages along with its concerns from both individual and organizational perspectives.
Meet your instructor
Todd Little, DSc
Director of Management Information Systems,
Assistant Professor of Computer Science
I am originally from a small town in northwest Iowa and soon will have completed 19 years at Simpson College. I completed my undergraduate degree at the University of Northern Iowa and then continued to complete my first graduate degree in higher education. After I started work at Simpson, I realized I wanted to pursue additional education in the field of information systems. I went on to complete two more graduate degrees from Dakota State University, where I earned my doctorate of science degree. I now serve as an assistant professor in the field of management information systems in the Department of Computer Science. I have always been a Star Wars fan, and when not on campus, I enjoy playing various multiplayer games including Star Wars Battlefront 2 and Titanfall 2 along with spending time with my family. You might even get a chance to see me wear my Jedi outfit at Halloween!
Meet your SC Leader
Addie Brewer
Hi Everyone! My name is Addie Brewer and I will be the SC Leader for Professor Todd Little’s Simpson Colloquium class. I will be a sophomore in the 2018-2019 school year.
A little bit about me: I am from Keokuk, Iowa. It is about three hours away from Simpson in the very bottom corner of Iowa. I have lived in Keokuk my entire life and went to Keokuk High School. I graduated top of my class and I was involved in science fair, swim team, band, show choir band, and a volunteer group. In my free time, I like to play with my two cats and watch an entire season of New Girl in one setting. My favorite fast food restaurant would have to be Sonic—I love their slushes!
At Simpson, I am double majoring in computer science and management information systems. I am not exactly sure what job I want with my majors yet. I am open to trying many different positions in the field of computer science. Along with my studies I am in the Pi Beta Phi sorority. Being in a sorority has made my Simpson Experience so much more fun and I love all of my new sisters!
Your first year of college is going to have a lot of change and it will take a little bit of getting used to. My job is to make this change as easy as possible for you. With my help, you will feel at home at Simpson in no time! This fall will be my first semester as an SC Leader and I cannot wait to meet all of you!
If you need to contact me with any questions you may have, you can always reach me by my school email: addie.brewer@my.simpson.edu, and feel free to add me on Facebook as well. I am looking forward to meeting you all at summer registration and helping you with your transition to Simpson. Go Storm!
The 1960s were a half-century ago, and yet that tumultuous decade of American history continues to fascinate and divide us today. The course explores the highs and lows of the decade and gives students the opportunity to find how the legacies of the movements against war and for civil rights, women’s rights, and gay rights—as well a more inclusive definition of what constitutes a democracy—continue to resonate today.
Meet your instructor
Brian Steffen, PhD
Department Chair of Multimedia Communication,
Professor of Multimedia Communication
I’m the chair of Communication & Media Studies at Simpson College, and I’ve been a member of the faculty since 1989. I’m a teacher first and foremost and have won several campus, regional and national teaching awards. Before coming to Simpson, I was a government and politics reporter with the Ames Daily Tribune and the Associated Press. I’m a passionate believer in the values of the First Amendment and the potential for journalism to nourish a democratic culture. When I’m not working with students at Simpson, you’ll usually find me on my bicycle, on the golf course or traveling around the world. During Fall 2013, I led Simpson’s semester in London program at Roehampton University. I also serve as editor of the national research journal Teaching Journalism & Mass Communication.
Meet your SC Leader
Meghan Van Brogen
My name is Meghan Van Brogen and I will be your SC Leader for Professor Brian Steffen’s Simpson Colloquium class. I will be a senior in the 2018-2019 school year, and I will be graduating in December of 2018.
I am from Newton, Iowa which is about an hour northeast of Simpson. I graduated from Southeast Polk High School in 2015 where I was a varsity swimmer for three years. A little about me: I love the show Friends, hanging out with friends, and most importantly napping. I also enjoy reading, watching crime shows and I love the Hawkeyes.
I am majoring in public relations with a minor in business management. After graduation, I plan to either work as a company’s PR manager, or own my own event planning business. I was a part of the Simpson swim team my freshman year. I am currently the PR/Marketing Director of Simpson’s PRSSA chapter, which works with communications majors. Last May, I traveled to London for May Term, which helped to grow my love for travel and this May, I will be traveling to Belfast, Northern Ireland.
I am very excited to be your SC Leader and help you with the transition into college. I hope to help you come to love Simpson as much as I do. I can’t wait to meet you at SOAR.
Most of us are immigrants or the descendants of immigrants. The United States has often referred to itself as a nation of immigrants; a melting pot. Still, immigration is (and always has been) a hot button issue in this country—whether it was to create restrictions in immigration, the process of becoming a citizen, or whether immigrants help or hurt the economy. And, our current times are no different. In the past decade, detentions and deportations of migrants have increased, temporary protective status has been revoked, and DREAMers fight to stay in this country. Political fights about immigration have become deeply partisan, the U.S.-Mexican border has become increasingly militarized, and fights over terms like “illegal” have become normal. How did we get here? What should we do about it? What would a just immigration system even look like?
These are the questions that will frame this special SC Honors section of SC 101. Together, we will explore immigration from many different angles and disciplines (such as criminal justice, culture studies, economics, geography, history, journalism, literature, legal theory, philosophy, psychology and religious studies), engage with scholars from across these disciplines on and off campus, connect with professionals with expertise in immigration studies, take field trips to enhance our understanding of immigration, participate in service learning opportunities and conduct our own collective research project on a topic related to immigration chosen by the students of the class. Because this section is for students who have applied for and been accepted to Simpson’s SC Honors Program, there will also be additional co-curricular opportunities with other SC Honors students throughout the term.
Meet your instructor
Allison Wolf, PhD
Professor of Philosophy
My name is Allison Wolf and I am a professor of philosophy here at Simpson College. Though I grew up in Los Angeles, I chose to go to the East Coast for college, where I earned my B.A. from Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts, in Philosophy. From there, I went to the Great Lakes and earned my master’s degree and Ph.D. in philosophy from Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan. There I specialized in applied ethics and political philosophy, focusing on medical ethics and feminist ethics/philosophy. My research continues to focus in those areas. Recently, I have published an article on potential responses to health care injustices arising from homophobia in medicine in the anthology, Queer Philosophy published as part of Rodopi’s Value Inquiry Book Series. In addition, an article I co-authored (with Jennifer Benson) on the ways in which new mothers have been wrongly ignored in childbirth literature has recently been published in Philosophical Inquiries into Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Mothering: Maternal Subjects as part of Routledge’s Series in Contemporary Philosophy. Currently, my research includes feminist ethics, medical ethics (especially issues in the ethics of childbirth), the ethics and globalization and development (especially in the context of Latin America and Costa Rica in particular), and the philosophy of race. To that end, I am working on a chapter on “Feminism and Bioethics” for a new encyclopedia, reviewing a new book on childbirth ethics for the American Philosophical Association’s Feminism and Philosophy Newsletter, as well as on a series of articles on ethical issues in childbirth. I am also open to bringing students in on these projects.
In addition to my passion for teaching philosophy, I am very committed to helping students increase their philosophical abilities and knowledge by studying internationally. Before coming to Simpson, I assisted on a study abroad program in Costa Rica, which focused on Costa Rica’s health care system and related issues in medical ethics. Since coming to Simpson, I have led four May Term courses in Ethics of Globalization in Costa Rica as well as two courses on Ethics of Ecotourism, which will go for the second time in May 2018. I also lead a study abroad semester in Argentina. I look forward to expanding the study abroad offerings of the philosophy department in years to come.
I am very interested in helping students challenge themselves and broaden their personal and professional horizons through the study and application of philosophy and ethics. I want students to do more than just study what philosophers have said; I want students to do philosophy. That is one of many reasons that I worked with my colleague John Pauley to create both the philosophy minor with a concentration in ethics and the major in Applied Philosophy (the only one in the state of Iowa). I became a philosopher because I wanted to better understand the world so that I could help create solutions to the problems facing our world; I want to help students do the same by learning to ask their own questions, do their own research, and propose their own philosophically sound ideas. I do this in my teaching, advising, community service and campus service projects. I enthusiastically welcome the opportunity to work with students of all backgrounds and interests who like to learn, be challenged and explore themselves and their world.
Meet your SC Leader
Enrique Idehen
Hey Everyone! My name is Enrique Idehen and I will be the SC Leader for Dr. Allison Wolf’s “Just” Immigration class! I will be a sophomore in the 2018-2019 school year and will be majoring in pre-physical therapy and minoring in economics and Spanish.
Some things about me: I was born in Madrid, Spain but spent most of my life in Urbandale, Iowa. I am the oldest of four children and I enjoy spending time with my family. In high school, I participated in basketball, choir and was captain of the soccer team. I work for Vector Marketing as a sales representative. I enjoy watching movies, hanging out with my friends, traveling, listening to music and eating food. I am a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon, the Simpson Democrats, the Multicultural Student Alliance, Simpson intramurals and the soccer team.
If you have any questions or need to contact me, you can reach me by my school email: enrique.idehen@my.simpson.edu, and feel free to add me on Twitter as well. I can’t wait to meet the group and see all of you at registration! Roll Storm!