The first-year seminar (FYS) course is a rite of passage for every Butler student that passes through campus. Through FYS, Bulldogs can read “The Hunger Games”, learn how to stay present in a fast-paced culture, analyze power structures in fairy tales and more. This academic year, a new FYS centered on the “Harry Potter” franchise by J.K. Rowling has debuted on campus.
Senior lecturer of German Michelle Stigter-Hayden was inspired to design “Beyond the Magic — Magic, Muggles and Me” by both a personal connection to the series and its accessible commentary on complex topics. Throughout the year, students will explore identity, prejudice and power through the lens of the fictional Wizarding World.
“I was trying to find something that students can connect with, but that also has some really great substance for talking about some bigger issues that we see in the world today,” Stigter-Hayden said.
For first-years, FYS is one of their first introductions to the pace, structure and demands of higher education. As part of the core curriculum, FYS instructors are tasked with teaching students the written and oral communication skills necessary for success in both upper-level coursework and professional careers.
First-year marketing major Carson Ryan expressed that studying a story that he was already familiar with like “Harry Potter” is comforting as he settles in on campus and experiences typical college growing pains.
“I don’t like coming into something that I have no idea what it even is [or] what we’re talking about,” Ryan said. “There’s a lot of new [things] happening right now, so to go into something that I already don’t know just didn’t really pique my interest.”
Students in the “Harry Potter”-based FYS will strengthen their academic abilities by interacting with both Rowling’s content and supplementary work from authors including Roxane Gay, William Cronon and Matthew Sanders. Projects will encompass a range of topics, from community and belonging to propaganda.
Kristen Lange, a first-year entrepreneurship and innovation major, is looking forward to connecting the real world to the class differences present in the Wizarding World.
“I think that [exploring diversity in social classes will] be really interesting,” Lange said. “You see the Purebloods, Halfbloods, Mudbloods and even Muggles. [I’m excited to discuss] those different social classes and compare them to our world.”
Rowling has been a topic of cultural discourse throughout the 2020s due to her controversial comments about the transgender community, which LGBTQ+ advocacy groups like GLAAD and The Trevor Project find transphobic. Students in the new FYS have already studied the timeline of Rowling’s statements about transgender people, as well as both letters of support and disagreement others have made on the subject.
Stigter-Hayden wanted to address the heavy topic immediately to allow students time to make an informed decision and withdraw from her course if they felt it was necessary.
“I accept and love all of my students, regardless of how they identify, but I also understand that what she has said can be very hurtful to a lot of people and very exclusive,” Stigter-Hayden said. “Allowing space for there to be disagreement is important. It’s important for me also to try to balance that with helping my students understand that they are loved and they belong and they absolutely should be here and in our class.”
For many fans and non-fans alike, Rowling, although the author of the books, is also not the only public figurehead representing the “Harry Potter” universe. Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint brought Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, respectively, to life on the silver screen, and each actor has expressed disagreement with Rowling and support for the trans community.
“It’s just so much bigger than her,” Ryan said. “Yeah, she made the books, but really, there’s still a lot of people who brought the characters to life — in the movies and stuff — and they’re very outspoken [against her statements].”
FYS topics at Butler have consistently centered on entertainment media, so the inclusion of “Harry Potter” has been a long time coming. Incoming Bulldogs are now free to leave campus and immerse themselves in the Wizarding World for academic credit three times a week, fulfilling the dreams of anyone still waiting on their Hogwarts acceptance letter.