Obscure courses should be explored, not overlooked
By Maggie Beidelman
Ever wanted to sign up for one of those uniquely named classes in the course catalog, but been too timid to do so? Maybe all you need is more information.
After contacting some Santa Clara professors, I have created a comprehensive list of those obscurely titled classes at the university. The following includes descriptions of the classes gathered from professors' e-mails and the winter 2006-2007 course catalog, as well as how many units and what core requirements the courses fulfill.
* Archaeology of Roman Baths (ARTH 197, CLAS 178): explores the archaeological, artistic and literary materials related to baths in Roman Italy and throughout the Empire. Students will discover how Romans articulated gender, class and ethnic identity through bathing practices, as well as everyday life of the bathhouse.
"We will spend a portion of the class looking at artistic representations of what happened in bathhouses (what an ancient workout looked like)," wrote Danielle Steen Fatkin, lecturer of the class.
A new course that does not fulfill a core requirement; fulfills an upper-division art history or classics elective requirement. 5 units. Class number: 30246, 30212.
* Joy of Garbage (ENVS 10): a science class for non-science majors that uses waste issues as a backdrop for learning science. Students learn about decomposition, the living organisms in soil that make things rot, the organic chemistry of why garbage stinks, waste issues and sustainability. During the nuclear waste section, students learn about isotopes, radioactivity and the science of assessing risk.
"I like it to be fun," wrote professor Virginia Matzek. "We sort through garbage on the first day of class, and I actually have a closet full of (dry) garbage in my office for that purpose right now. But it's also a serious class that requires people to do research and learn how to work with data."
Students must go on a required field trip. Last year, the class went to the Sunnyvale landfill and to the sewage treatment plant.
Fulfills the Arts & Sciences core requirement for a non-lab science class. 4 units. Course number: 28704
* Music in Pop Culture: The Beatles (MUSC 7): Students will use a historical overview of The Beatles' career to examine how pop music and culture were changed by them.
"We will periodically listen in-depth to their songs and become acquainted with musical forms, lyrics, recording techniques and instruments (including forays into Indian and electronic music)," wrote professor Joel Friedman.
Instead of a final paper, students will have the option of a creative project, such as a concert or an exhibit.
Does not fulfill a core requirement, but open to non-music majors. 4 units. Course number: 30395.
* Mysticism in Action (TESP 171): focuses on the links between contemplations and action in both Zen and Catholicism. Students will study the works of Buddhist and Catholic monk authors and examine how and why contemplation can be useful in making difficult ethical decisions, such as support for or opposition to war.
Prerequisite: Intermediate level course (SCTR 20-99, TESP 20-99, or RSOC 20-99) and completion of 88 quarter units. Fulfills university core requirement for a religious studies third course. 5 units. Course number: 30139.
* Sex, Family and Crime in Mediterranean Europe (HIST 119): an exploration of how law intersected with sex, gender and family in continental Western societies from 1300 to 1800. Students will discuss the role of the Inquisition and the prosecution of witchcraft. The focus is on Spanish, French and Italian cases, but comparative perspectives are sought in the study of Anglo-American legal traditions.
Fulfills Arts & Sciences core requirement for an ethnic or women's and gender studies class. 5 units. Course number: 30221.
Contact Maggie Beidelman at (408) 551-1918 or mbeidelman@scu.edu.