St. Lawrence students cover fear in class abroad

CANTON — St. Lawrence University students had nothing to fear but fear itself ... that, and possibly their class grade.

The students traveled to Copenhagen, Denmark, from May 22 to June 11 to take an interdisciplinary science course on the "neuroscience of fear." The course drew upon work in the fields of biology, psychology, neuroscience and philosophy and was taught by St. Lawrence faculty members Joseph S. Erlichman, professor of biology, and William E. DeCoteau, associate professor of psychology.

"We tried to pick something they wouldn't have at their home institution," Mr. Erlichman said. "Neuroscience is an emerging discipline, and the reason we picked fear is that the neurocircuits were all worked out. There's already a lot of psychology that's been done along the way in the same area."

Offered through St. Lawrence's Patti McGill Peterson Center for International and Intercultural Studies, the three-week course focused on the evolution of fear and its ties with everyday decision-making. While in Copenhagen, students learned the mechanics of brain functions, the psychological and physiological effects of fear and concepts related to consciousness, mental disorders, perceptions and emotions.

The course was taught at the Danish Institute for Study Abroad, a private study abroad program in Copenhagen that annually enrolls more than 1,500 American students. Although a related course has been taught by St. Lawrence for the past three years, this summer was the first time this particular class has been offered.

"We're always trying to fine-tune it, so I think revisions are mandatory," Mr. DeCoteau said. "It's never perfect right out of the box, but I think it ran pretty well. We want to establish it as an ongoing class, so we'll rotate faculty through it."

The course featured lectures, guest speakers and laboratory time as well as observation in the University of Copenhagen's medical school. For many of the students, whose science majors comprise rigid, sequential curricula, the summer class represented their only chance to study abroad while at St. Lawrence.

"Because of the courses that I wanted to take in science and the path you have to stick to, it doesn't really give you an opportunity to take them," said Matthew J. Parker, a rising senior and a biology and psychology double major. "The timing was perfect, and the topic was engaging and interesting."

Caitlin E. McArdle of West Martinsburg, a rising senior and a math and psychology double major, agreed that the chance to take a course beyond the Canton campus was worthwhile.

"I think it was a really valuable experience," she said. "What we learned about neuroscience we didn't really learn about because we were in Denmark — we probably could have gotten that information here — but I think being in Denmark was really valuable on its own. We had a lot of time on our own to explore Copenhagen."

Before they left, the students put their knowledge of fear into practice during a trip to Copenhagen's Tivoli Gardens amusement park. According to Mr. Parker, the park's "Vertigo" ride especially gave students a chance to experience their topic of study firsthand.

"It scared about half the class away," he said.