By SELENA ESTRADA & NATALIE SACKET
Columnists
If your general education requirements are leaving you a bit underwhelmed, if you desire a course that is revolutionary, groundbreaking or even just different than the norm, Northwestern has a variety of courses from which you may choose.
Northwestern offers numerous unique courses, many of which only a few students are familiar with.
In the education center, Associate Dean of Graduate Studies, Shawn Holliday, Ph.D., teaches a course that covers the history of rock and roll. From The Beatles to Buddy Holly, this course provides a unique framework for history, from the viewpoint of the rock and roll industry.
Holliday said, “I teach my rock and roll course to expose students to music that they might never have heard before. Hopefully this course helps them to understand the influence of older rock and roll on contemporary music and allows them to develop a more sophisticated taste in music that is different from what they currently listen to. I also want them to see the influence that rock and roll has had on American culture over the past 60 years.”
If you don’t desire to rock and roll, there is a physical education course by the name of Sports Officiating. The most recent course catalog describes this as “a course designed to meet the needs of those who expect to qualify as competitive game officials for football and basketball.”
There is also a Museum Studies course offered for students who are in the social sciences, history and science programs. This course examines archival techniques and the preservation and presentation of artifacts.
Great Books is a course that teaches readings of poetry, drama, history, philosophy and essays from history, all across the globe. This intensive course promotes reading and writing skills.
Another course pertaining to music is Beginning Guitar, a course offered in the Fine Arts department. The department also offers courses for other musical instruments.
If you’ve a love for history and movies, Introduction to Film combines both subject materials. This course, taught by Richmond Adams, Ph.D., promotes the discussion of films and how they reflect the cultures and time periods in which they are made.
Adams said, “Introduction to Film is a good class to take as it allows students to use a vehicle of popular culture as a means by which to think about larger and more complex issues within previous times or even how more modern portrayals of those times suggest something of how they are being examined.”
He said, “By taking a film class, students will be encouraged to develop a critical eye for scenes, settings and a critical ear for dialogue and even silence.”
Students with an interest in physics and mathematics who have taken required prerequisites in those particular fields have the ability to take a course solely pertaining to the theory of heat and thermodynamics. Similarly, students can take a course called Light, which offers information regarding “geometrical and physical optics; spectroscopy and photometry; light measurements,” according to the recent course catalog.
If you desire to gain a further connection to theological roots, a course is offered that examines the letters of Paul, presented in The Bible. This course examines the book of Acts and the New Testament letters of Paul. The course is offered as part of the humanities department at Northwestern.
If you’ve a knack for mascara and face paint, the theater department offers a course on stage makeup design. In this course, the student is taught basic makeup, crepe hair and use of basic prosthetics. Students can take this course with the permission of the instructor, according to the course catalog.
A course available this semester is offered by Jennifer Page, Ph.D. This course, not typically offered, examines several works of Shakespeare in comparison to J.K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter” series.
Charlie Wylie, a student in this class, said, “It’s the only class I can say I’m truly excited to go to every week.”
No matter how much you may adore your disciple of study, sometimes it can be nice to explore subjects beyond those requirements for education. If you’re looking for a course that will spice up your educational background, Northwestern is a host to many intriguing courses.