Karma's Kitchen

Fall Bridge H-Course

Welcome to Language and Food. From 2016-2022, this course was a First Year Seminar (FYS) of the University of Wyoming. In 2023, the course underwent some changes to become a Human Culture course within the Fall Bridge program. Students in this class learn about linguistics and food culture. Each student completes a research project and shares their results in a live presentation. Here's a video I put together for a 2022 World Languages Day Workshop. Watch it to learn more about the former First Year Seminar courses offered on campus and what is a Pecha Kucha. Also, there are three Pecha Kucha presentations from students in the 2021 class for you to enjoy.

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The Research: Self-Selected

Students choose various topics to research inspired by their international conversation partners, class lectures, or personal interest. For example, one student chose to research quality standards in Chinese restaurants after hearing a story from a Chinese conversation partner, and an art major chose to research how food is used in pigment.

In 2019, Wyoming celebrated the 150th anniversary of women's voting rights. That year the class examined the importance of cookbook sales to the Suffrage Movement.

Between 1886 and 1920 cookbooks were published by suffragette associations around the country. Suffrage Cookbooks had not only recipes but also political statements and quotes from notable people of the time and from history. These all helped move the suffrage movement forward.

It's important to remember that it was only a few generations ago that a state constitution had these words:

Idiots, lunatics, paupers, felons and women shall not be entitled to vote. -- Illinois constitutional law circa 1891

Sales of cookbooks not only raised money for the Suffrage Movement, but they also allowed women to network during sales events such as bazaars and fairs.

The Charity: UW's Karma Fund

Each year in this class, students select a charity to support. In 2020, due to the pandemic, students created ornaments for the UW Art Museum's fundraiser ornament auction. In 2021, still with COVID restrictions, students helped create a video for the virtual UW World Languages Day. In 2018, 2019, 2022 and 2023, students selected the Karma Fund for their charity. The Karma Fund is a program created by the UW International Student Association in 2011 to help raise money for international students in case of a medical emergency. The funds from Karma help pay for medical expenses and help students return to school.

The Presentation: Pecha Kucha

Students in this class present research in the form of Pecha Kucha Presentations. See a few examples of what a Pecha Kucha is in this video made by students in the 2021 class.