Course Info

Browse the Course Catalog Course Search

Course Info for FYSM - 142 - 01, Fall 2026
Class number: 3412 Title: Being Seen Department: First Year Sem & Colloq
Career: Undergraduate Component: Seminar Session: Regular
Instructor's Permission Required: Yes Grading Basis: Graded Units: 1.00
Enrollment limited to 16 Current enrollment: 16 Available seats: 0
Start date: Tuesday, September 8, 2026 End date: Wednesday, December 23, 2026 Mode of Instruction: In Person
Schedule: TR: 2:55PM-4:10PM, AAC - 231 Instructor(s): Bouchakour, Walid
Prerequisite(s): Only first-year students are eligible to enroll in this class.
Distribution Requirement: Meets FirstYr Seminar Requirement
Course Description:
What does it mean to be seen, and why does it matter? This first-year seminar invites students to examine how individuals and communities become visible or invisible. Through theoretical texts, literature, film, and visual art, students explore ideas such as Édouard Glissant’s opacity, Françoise Vergès’ invisibility, and concepts including the male gaze, white gaze, and spectacle. The course connects these frameworks to histories of race, gender, and class that shape how we perceive one another. Combining discussion and writing with experiential learning, we will visit archives on marginalized histories at Trinity and engage with local communities in Hartford. By the end of this seminar, students will apply critical theory to cultural works, conduct archival inquiry, and reflect on the ethics of visibility, representation, and identity.