Fall 2022: Fearing the Unknown: Horror Fantasy in Hispanic Fiction

Recap of the Fall 2022 Foundations Course: Fearing the Unknown: Horror Fantasy in Hispanic Fiction

This semester, University of Michigan-Dearborn students were given the opportunity to take part in the course offering Fearing the Unknown: Horror Fantasy in Hispanic Fiction, a class whose objective is to “bring major, and other less known, Hispanic artistic productions to all students”, says instructor Prof. Sofia Calzada-Orihuela.

This course is offered to first-year students through the CASL Foundations Program. This program allows students to explore their interests in unique subjects while counting towards Dearborn Discovery Core (DDC) general education requirements.

The course also utilizes Practice-Based Learning (PBL) to allow the students to fully immerse themselves in the class content. For example, student Nicola Morabito’s final project created a website about children in horror movies and stories.

Stepping into Prof. Calzada-Orihuela’s class, one immediately meets students engrossed in discussing the assignment of the day. The students are assigned films and short stories from Hispanic producers and are tasked with reviewing, summarizing, brainstorming, reflecting, and analyzing course materials.

Each student is then given the opportunity to discuss with peers their experience with their assignment and what that assignment meant for them.

Prof. Calzada-Orihuela approaches instruction in this class through her philosophy of learning. She says, “I believe that even if ultimately everyone is responsible for their own learning, learning is a social process in which we, students and professors alike, are constantly involved. I truly enjoy the new reading perspectives and complex questions that students bring to the table.”

This is especially true considering the students that choose to take a class on this subject. As the course description notes: “A good horror story incites fear, one of the strongest emotions that we as an audience seek.”

Professor Calzada-Orihuela also asserts that the students, “are a curious bunch, unafraid of tackling uncomfortable topics (we have many of those). And if there is something that research needs, it is a courageous and inquisitive mind. My course not only addresses the unknown as a source of fear, but it also plays with the idea that the stories we discuss are originally produced in a foreign language about people and places that may seem very strange to some.”

Fear isn’t the only emotion that the class seems to bring out; Horror Fantasy in Hispanic Fiction also brings out curiosity and enjoyment. Student Dina Alsaad says, “The class gives insight into different themes of Hispanic horror films and short stories… I decided to take this course because I enjoy reading and watching horror. I also wanted to see how horror films are in different cultures.”

Jasmine Ramirez echoes this, saying, “I decided to take this class because the name interested me the most. Learning about Hispanic culture and watching/reading horror are my favorite things to do.”

So, the next time you are faced with a spooky opportunity, embrace your fear for it may teach you something new!
 

Article by Noor M. Elshaikh, November 17, 2022