Since this course is about the “end of the world,” I thought a bit of humor (The Onion) would be appropriate here –- to break the ice. Although humor can function in many different ways (e.g. by increasing or decreasing the psychological distances between people in groups), I hope its use as a defense mechanism in this case is mature in the sense that it might facilitate group discussion by easing tension. See generally, http://www.ehow.com/how_2294835_use-humor-as-defense-mechanism.html