Rodin begins Penn teaching career

Freshman seminar to focus on body image, eating disorders Eighteen freshmen hesitantly climbed the steps of Eisenlohr Hall for the first meeting of Psychology 53 Tuesday night, nervous but excited to meet the professor -- University President Judith Rodin. Rodin's freshman seminar, entitled "Body Obsessions -- Biology and Culture Intersect," will focus on topics of nutrition, obesity, dieting, athletics and eating disorders. The freshmen, who sat on Rodin's living room floor eating leftover birthday cake from Rodin's 52nd birthday, each wrote an essay to get into the class. According to Rodin, about 70 freshmen applied for the course. A coordinator of the freshman seminar program filtered through the applications and worked with Rodin to select the 18 students. Rodin explained that she decided to teach the class because of her expertise in the area. "I've been away from teaching for a while and I've missed it," she added. Rodin said the class will focus on the psychological and biological causes of body obsession. "Food is a way of celebrating, socializing, mourning," she said during the first class session. "It means so much more than just biologically sustaining yourself." Rodin added that it is important to look back at people's relationships with food over a long-term period. She also praised the freshman seminar program as a whole, reminding the members of the class that they should take advantage of its small size. "Penn has devised a wonderful program to help students discover a comfort level," Rodin said. "Consider this class a dress rehearsal for other classes," she added, emphasizing that students should feel free to take intellectual risks in her class. Students said Rodin's first effort at teaching at Penn was very successful. "It was interesting to find out who she picked and how she decided to pick people," said College freshman Oren Epstein, who said he chose the course because he helped his mother through a bout with cancer and watched the effects the disease had on her body. College freshman Andrea Lipman said she was impressed by Rodin's knowledge and extensive writing on the subject.