Discussing Medea during the first CIE class was really memorable for me. My first semester CIE class was a really good place for discussion. Everyone participated and brought different viewpoints to the class. The first class secession during freshmen orientation was a great opportunity for us to get to know each other and it set the tone for the semester.

Did CIE help you form personal connections on campus?

CIE helped me meet freshmen students since its the only freshmen only class and it gave me somethings to talk about with the other students on my hall since we were all taking the class.

How did CIE change or challenge your view on something?

CIE really helped me to become respectful of differing opinions. It is really easy to vilify people who disagree with you, especially when you don’t come into contact with them. CIE forces students to talk to people who disagree with them. CIE also taught me to be conscious of the media I was viewing. I found it is easy to only interact with media I agreed it and therefore was only getting one side of the story on a number of issues.

What you really need to know about CIE…

You get out of CIE what you put into it. If you read and study the books and participate in discussion, CIE will really affect you. CIE is a great opportunity for personal growth, but it is up to students to seize that opportunity.

What CIE will do for you?

CIE will challenge your thoughts if you let it. Be willing to learn and grow and grapple with these texts. Some of the texts might be difficult, but it is worth struggling with them and asking questions.