Learning Communities

Students who choose to participate in this group will engage in independent (outside of class) interaction where we play games, discuss gaming, and look at a little bit of the academic side of games and gaming. This does not include video games and this is not video game L&L group; these are board games and social games. As one example, we will look at the phenomenon of rule following. Is playing a game the same thing as just following rules? We will play a game where a ‘move’ is actually making a rule (or changing one). Students will be able to partially guide what games we play. These discussions will occur at social events where we will discuss, engage, and play some games! In fall 2025, all students in this L&L community will be enrolled in Dr. Hights’s Phil 102 Introduction to Philosophy (a core requirement). In that course one of the topics will be the philosophy of games. Students who are interested are invited to contact Prof. Hight (mhight@hsc.edu) for more information.

Are you curious to learn about guerrilla warfare? Do you want to develop the dirty tricks and strategies you need to succeed? Do you like the idea of watching your professors navigate the paintball minefield that you've just set in the woods? You've found the right community. Students in this group will be enrolled together in a one-credit seminar with Dr. Frusetta-Ulfhrafn that completes a general education requirement, discussing partisan warfare in the Second World War with a weekly practical laboratory in the woods at Hampden-Sydney — learn to camouflage, set ambushes, and gauge the most efficient patrol routes. We’ll hack the H-SC Escape Room and learn practical tricks on how to get information out of your professors. This community is for those interested in applying theory to real life when it comes to insurgency and counter-insurgency. Leave your jacket and tie in the dorm for this class, ghillie suits optional.

This Living and Learning Community will focus on how cinema can enrich our lives, both as an object of study and as entertainment. Students will be enrolled together in Dr. Weese’s English 257: Fiction Into Film, an EL-On course that satisfies both a Compass requirement in the Humanities and the College's core requirement in literature. We'll explore how stories are told differently when they move from the printed page to the silver screen, and students will make their own short film as part of the course's experiential component. Outside of class, students will have the opportunity to become involved in the H-SC Film and Television Club, in which they'll help plan club activities and meet upperclassmen interested in film. The group will also participate in other extra-curricular film activities such as on-campus screenings and lectures/discussions and take some field trips off campus to see new releases in the theater or to attend film events in the surrounding area.

The COVID-19 pandemic showed all of us how difficult it is to make tough and unpopular scientific and political decisions that will benefit society. In this Living & Learning Community, students will enroll in two courses that will let them explore public health from multiple perspectives and consider the ways in which effective leaders gather evidence and public sentiments to take necessary societal actions. In Bioethics (BIOL 130) with Dr. Mike Wolyniak, students will look at the history of public health, how societies respond to the threat of disease, and the challenges faced by past and present figures to effective decision-making. In Literature and Medicine (ENGL 195) with Dr. Sarah Hardy, students will see the impacts of historical public health and medical advances in literature and explore how these works capture the attitudes and beliefs of people representing different time periods and cultures. The two classes will have collaborative assignments, engage with guest speakers based on the material covered in the courses, and visit local facilities engaging with public health. This class is appropriate for any student interested in public health and how effective leaders formulate tough decisions.

This Living and Learning Community will focus on outdoor adventure and wilderness first aid. Students will participate in five adventures over the course of the semester. Each adventure program will feature a different wilderness first aid concept and scenario. The fifth and final outdoor adventure will be a two-day capstone adventure program such as backpacking or paddle camping—and will feature multiple wilderness first aid scenarios. Students will earn one credit hour as part of a course with Dr. Gleason and a Wilderness First Aid Certification.

Are you a future entrepreneur? Do you want to explore your passion for innovation while at H-SC? If so, then this learning community is for you! Students will be enrolled together in a section of Introduction to Psychology with Dr. Vitale. Outside of class, students will connect with Michele King and the Flemming Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, with the downtown Farmville SEED innovation hub, and with faculty and peers who share a desire to turn ideas into action.

Are you a sci-fi lover? Do you look forward to the latest superhero movie? Did you enjoy the spice-filled adventures of Paul Atreides on Arrakis in Dune? If you answered yes to any of these questions, this learning community is definitely for you! Our group activities will include watching sci-fi, fantasy and superhero movies, discussing the progression of the genres, and creating our own stories. We will also discuss some of the science behind your favorite superheroes and sci-fi/fantasy films. Students who choose this Living & Learning Community will be enrolled in Dr. Gilyot's CHEM 110: Chemical Concepts with lab, which fulfills the College's laboratory science core curriculum requirement.