First Year Inquiry students study Space and community
Students study space in TCF stadium.
As CEHD freshmen prepare to read the CEHD Reads 2011 common book, Outcasts United, students in two PsTL 1525 First Year Inquiry sections had the opportunity to take the field at TCF stadium. Outcasts United tells the story of how a soccer team composed of young refugees in Clarkston, Georgia, challenges both players and townspeople to redefine the meaning of community. First Year Inquiry classes bring groups of PsTL faculty together to team-teach a course that addresses the broad question "How Can One Person Make a Difference?" through intersecting disciplinary lenses such literature, history, and psychology.
Students in both FYI sections were encouraged both to enjoy and to analyze their experience at the stadium. As part of an ongoing discussion about how social norms are maintained and challenged, students completed an assignment singling out an aspect of the TCF stadium design to consider how the built environment reinforces behavioral norms.
Students play soccer in TCF stadium.
Next, students played soccer! The football field was divided into six sections where students played 5-on-5 games with simple rules such as teams can only score once every teammate has touched the ball. The goals were to allow the students to experience playing soccer, to work collectively to be successful, and to have fun! Observers were impressed with how quickly teams communicated and collaborated to include players of all skill levels.
The weather could not have been more perfect: a hot and sunny day. As students continue to read Outcasts United and attend events such as the Panel on Sports and Community and talks by the author Warren St. John and the Fugees' coach Luma Mufleh, we hope their experiences at TCF will inspire and motivate them to think critically about the intersections of what defines community and how individuals impact those intersections.
