<p>I don’t know if anyone can answer this question because its so specific but to any past or present Bates students…which FYS should I take? I’m more interested in the professor since he/she will be my academic advisor than subject matter…I just want something interesting, but they all sound good. Here are the ones I’m leaning towards:</p>
<p>Desire,Devotion,Suffering with Sagaree Sengupta
Family Values: Tales of Childhood and Kinship across Cultures with Kirk Read
Growing Up Perfect with Dennis Grafflin
The Identity of Persons with Mark Okrent
Literature Through Cataclysm with Bill Hiss
The Magic Mirror with Sawyer Sylvester
NATO’s Moral War with Dennis Browne
and Searching for the Good Life with Michael Sargent</p>
<p>Sawyer Sylvester is pretty chill, but his voice just drones on and on. He's a nice guy, and you'll either love him (select few) or fall asleep every class.</p>
<p>Wow! No women teach at Bates? S's best friend will be attending & asked I help him select courses, and I was struck by all male roster. I mean Bates no disrespect.</p>
<p>mythmom, I think Sengupta is a woman, but yes, the majority of the FY-seminars are taught by men. I guess it's reflective of academia in general, even though there are more female students than male students these days. With all these educated women coming out of our universities I think things will change in the next few years!</p>
<p>I went my entire first year at Bates without having a female teacher. However, I think my case is the "exception," rather than the norm. And I have heard many, many lovely things about the women professors at Bates. So they're there, even if they aren't teaching FYS classes!</p>
<p>And, Bill Hiss isn't normally a professor: he's actually the college's Vice President of External Affairs, and an alum. Pretty important guy, as far as the college is concerned.</p>
<p>Yeah, I just got back from a scholarship award thing and two Bates administrators (as well as his wife) came up to me and said that Bill Hiss wanted them to say "hi" to me for him since he couldn't be there. I'm really glad I signed up for his class...hearing everything that people had to say about him made me feel like I made the right choice. I'm excited!</p>