Tea is earth's most popular beverage. Each year, the world's population consumes billions of kilograms of tea at meals, as an afternoon break, to welcome guests, during ceremonies and rituals, in closing business deals, and on many other occasions. Drinking tea can be a pleasure; so can studying it. This course introduces students to how scholars of politics, history, science, and culture ask questions about tea, while also offering an introduction to the university curriculum and campus life.

This course focuses on building community in a variety of settings. Students study community building in a variety of contexts through academic and popular press articles, podcasts, videos and by building community on campus. In small teams, students help build community with a campus club. Questions examined include: Why do people behave in certain ways? What helps and what detracts from building meaningful community? In what ways can community enhance our lives? Students read, listen, watch, observe, interact, question, write, converse, and experiment.

This Connections seminar provides an introductory and multidisciplinary examination of critical societal and global relations through the prism of soccer, which is often also referred to as 'the beautiful game.' As a sport, soccer has and continues to captivate the lives and imagination of billions globally. Since the invention of modern soccer, it has grown to become universal and ubiquitous across cultures and societies.

This course explores the definition of health from multiple perspectives including biology, economics, society, exercise, and nutrition. Discussions and activities will span individual experiences to the Puget Sound community and beyond via readings, self-assessment, a community-based project, and excursions around Tacoma. In addition, students will be introduced to campus resources focused on academic success, wellness, and working towards future goals.

More than a children's toy or a means of exercise, the bicycle has had a profound

This course engages students in conversation about ethics in everyday life, and the values and reasoning behind different ways of approaching them. Throughout the semester, students research and discuss case studies in small groups. The instructor-assigned cases may come from personal contexts (such as friendship and family), social contexts (such as speech and representation), technological contexts (such as social media and generative artificial intelligence), or professional contexts (such as medicine or business).

The novel Dune by Frank Herbert is widely recognized as a foundational text for modern science fiction. Less known are its origins in the Pacific Northwest, as Tacoma native Herbert sought to address issues of climate change, resistance and conflict that were unfolding around him. This course engages Dune through a multidisciplinary lens. Students will examine the interplay between such topics as ecology, locality, empire, and identity, tracing the narrative's origins, influence, and eventual transition to film.

What is study abroad and how can it help us understand the political, economic and social forces that shape globalization and the world we live in? This course explores the various meanings and modalities of study abroad, how to prepare to take advantage of this opportunity, and how curriculum designs connect with global affairs. In addition, we discuss the meaning and experiences of study abroad for students from other countries, and how they differ from those of Americans.

We are able to learn when we create space to explore and notice. But our "hustle culture" and our built environments tell us that we should spend all our time with our noses to the grindstone, where we can't explore or notice much. Research also tells us that spending time in green spaces can improve cognitive function.

Fun is a vital, yet underexamined, part of community building. This course introduces students to a variety of approaches to thinking about the relationship between community and fun. Students will encounter different definitions and ways of understanding fun. They will learn about fun in cross-cultural contexts. They will think about different barriers to fun. They will reflect on what fun means to them. Then, students will design a campus-wide activity that aims to bring fun to as many community members as possible.