During registration this week students had a variety of options to choose from
Pop culture enthusiasts unable to snag one of the 86 seats left in the Lady Gaga class, as of Thursday evening, might consider enrolling in SOCY 368, Sociology Through the Lens, where viewing recent popular movies and television shows and discussing their social implications are part of the curriculum. Students can choose from select topics in popular culture in the religious studies and music departments as well. RELG E491T, The "Twilight" Saga and Religion, currently has 26 available spots, while MUSC E310B, The Beatles, has 11 more open seats.
Nontraditional courses don't all focus on entertainment. Students who have completed PSYC 226 can learn about the chemical effects of illegal substances and prescription drugs on the brain in PSYC 503, Drug Use and Effects.
Also in the South Carolina Honors College, Southern studies professor Walter Liniger will be teaching SCHC 467I, ambiguously titled "The Shadow." According to Liniger, the class will invoke an examination of the subconscious through music, creative writing and class conversation. Curious-minded students interested in this course will be asked to purchase their own musical instruments for self-expression. Liniger will be teaching this class in addition to the popular SCHC 367, Echoes in Blues, which is currently at maximum capacity with 30 full seats.
While topic-centered classes such as The Birth and Death of the Book (SCHC 350S), the History of Hip Hop (367S) and Death (359R) are only available to Honors students, the University 101 program offers a series of one-hour academic seminars for students of any academic standing. This year's University 201 section, Fundementals of Inquiry: Exploring the World of Work, led by Assistant Director of Experiential Education Julie Hutt, will use interest inventory tests and examine workplace trends to introduce students to the societal and economic impacts of the work environment.
"The intent is to help students learn how to get real-world experience now before they graduate," University 101 Director Daniel Friedman said.
University 101 classes such as UNIV 401A and 401D will be available to graduating seniors as transition aids to law and medical school. These courses go over higher education practices and policies, and, according to Friedman, have successfully prepared students for their preprofessional exams, improving this year's average MCAT scores from 20.9 to 23.9.
The program's University 290 sections, open to residential students, will focus on more on personal development. Inner Mastery for Resilience, Creativity and Life Balance (UNIV 290F), led by West (Green) Quad Principal David Whiteman and local yoga instructor Diane Barnes, will incorporate neurobiological research, meditation and yoga for physical and mental health improvement, while Green Issues (290D), for members of the Green Quad Learning Community, will cover practical applications of sustainable practices from water conservation to community service.
According to Friedman, the university's selection of diverse, topic-oriented courses can help foster community building and expand students' ways of thinking.
"These interdisciplinary classes are a great way to deepen the university's academic mission," Friedman said. "When you can have a group of students interested in a particular topic that might be outside their curriculum, it builds common ties and gives them a chance to look at other subjects not offered in their regular schools."