WRITING THE ESSAY I: ADVENTURES IN BOREDOM. All day long, boring experiences threaten our enjoyment of life. Waiting for the train. Washing the dishes. Attending required college courses. But what do we mean when we call something “boring”? Where does boredom come from? And is there any benefit to being bored? In this first-year writing seminar we’ll explore these questions and many more through an exciting and unpredictable selection of reading and writing assignments. Topics will include: small talk, long speeches, the science of how we experience time, handheld devices, the internet, capitalism, “women’s work,” reality television, intentionally boring films, Buddhism, asceticism, meditation, mindfulness, heroin, prison, the Internal Revenue Service, the fear of missing out, the lives of zoo animals, life in a boring town, living off the grid, summer vacation, heaven, and silence.