The Science Of Harry Potter And Other College Classes You Wish You Could Take
Posted by: Kate Torgovnick
Filed in:
news
12:00PM, Saturday August 29th 2009
All around the country, you can hear the sound of college students hitting bookstores with new reading lists and buying mini-fridges in which they will store zero food and a whole lot of beer. Ah, I miss college. Earlier today, I read about a class at Occidental College called, simply, “Stupidity,” which I really wish I’d been able to take, even though the course description is a snoozefest. (“Stupidity is neither ignorance nor organicity, but rather, a corollary of knowing and an element of normalcy, the double of intelligence rather than its opposite. Stupidity is always the name of the Other, and it is the sign of the feminine.” Huh?) So in honor of back to school, here are some other off-the-wall classes you can actually enroll in at higher education establishments across the country. Yes, the student loans are totally worth it.
| The Class | The College | The Deal |
| Arguing with “Judge Judy” | Berkeley | This class is all about logic and the, uh, illogic of arguments constructed on TV court shows. |
| Adultery Novel In and Out of Russia | University of Pennsylvania | This class actually involves reading heavy-duty novels about the theme of adultery. However, we’re more tickled by the “in and out” part of the course title. |
| Philosophy and “Star Trek” | Georgetown | “What better way to learn philosophy, than to watch “Star Trek,” read philosophy, and hash it all out in class?” That’s from the actual course description. |
| Art of Walking | Center College | This class meets twice a day—in the first half, they read Kant’s Critique of Judgment which is all about beauty and nature. Then in the afternoon, they take a daily walk. |
| Learning From YouTube | Pitzer College | In this class, students look at what’s available on YouTube and what that says about our society. Wonder what they thought of that candy bra video? |
| Joy of Garbage | Santa Clara University | Field trip! Students in this class go to a sewage treatment plant, a household garbage transfer station, and an electronics recycling facility. Fun? |
| The Science of Superheroes | University of California at Irvine | This class sounds kind of bad-ass. You learn basic science concepts through discussions of, say, whether Superman could really fly or whether Wonder Woman’s bracelet could really deflect bullets. |
| The Dirty Picture | Rhode Island School of Design | “Note: Sexually explicit subject matter will be addressed and viewed in this course.” Nuf said. |
| Zombies in Popular Media | Columbia College | After all, zombies are the new pop-culture vampires. |
| Tightwaddery | Alfred University | This class is all about debunking capitalism and showing students that spending money does not equal happiness. |
| The Science of Harry Potter | Frostburg State University | Holler. This class looks at the magical happenings in the Harry Potter books and explains them via physics. Even quiddich. |
| Cyberporn and Society | State University of New York at Buffalo | This class looks at how porn built the interwebs, and how having so much available at our fingertips affects us. |
| Finding Dates Worth Keeping | University of Sioux Falls | Um, no really. I need this class. |
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dandrean
wrote on August 29 2009 @ 12:12 pm: [report]
the science of harry potter class sounded cool… until i heard/read the word ‘physics’. yep. that ruined it for me.
CheeeeEEEEse
wrote on August 29 2009 @ 12:33 pm: [report]
At Sioux Falls’ “Finding Dates Worth Keeping”, yeah you need to keep something as they is nobody actually in South Dakota.
alifran
wrote on August 29 2009 @ 01:07 pm: [report]
If that “Center” College is in KY, I can promise you it’s actually “Centre.”
dutchelmdisease
wrote on August 29 2009 @ 02:03 pm: [report]
I was so excited to see my school (Columbia College) on here! Columbia also has a Harry Potter-themed literature class and a class about The Simpsons, and they fill up almost immediately.
apple_pie
wrote on August 29 2009 @ 02:53 pm: [report]
Harry potter/science class would be the most fun class and easiest A ever XD
LadieBug
wrote on August 29 2009 @ 02:56 pm: [report]
Up here in Canada we have a course at a college named “Biology of Video Games.” I think that one’s neat…
belongsomewhere
wrote on August 29 2009 @ 04:26 pm: [report]
Last semester I took a class called “The History and Politics of Domestic Labor,” and my very first class in college was “Drugs, Culture, and Deviance.” This semester, I’m enrolled in “Public Radio Culture” and “Serious Laughs: Humor & Controversy.”
Other awesome classes include “Beauty and the Cyborg,” “Punk and Noise,” “Horror Films,” “Story of the Devil,” “Love in the Western World,” and “On Nothing.”
We have some strange, amazing classes at my school.
majicksand
wrote on August 29 2009 @ 05:39 pm: [report]
You know I’ve been thinking about going back to school for another degree. Screw business. Can I major in “Education Through Awesome Electives”? More importantly, can I do it online? Cheese is living proof it’s okay to be totally outragious when no one actually knows who you are.
Sami
wrote on August 29 2009 @ 07:23 pm: [report]
I wish one of those classes was in Wisconsin but noo, we have to settle for Music Appreciation…
*sam*
wrote on August 29 2009 @ 07:29 pm: [report]
UNF had a lit class on comic books—not graphic novels, comic books. but my all-time fave class that I took was my “human sexuality and behavior”—we got to look at pictures of celebrities’ private parts and read up on the Kama Sutra. the worst part though was the ‘sex through the ages’ lecture, which held all the wonders of geriatric sex.
Jill
wrote on August 29 2009 @ 11:49 pm: [report]
I’m glad you included my school, Columbia College Chicago, because we have a few strange classes. Another interesting one is “The Simpsons as Satirical Authors”
Jill
wrote on August 29 2009 @ 11:55 pm: [report]
Oh hey I didn’t see there was another columbia student in this comments thread!
FrannyFranklin
wrote on August 30 2009 @ 12:30 am: [report]
I took that class at Centre - it was called “Walking and Falling Down” and it was BRILLIANT.
I also took at class at Kenyon on the biology of science fiction - I would recommend it, as well.
lewomack
wrote on August 30 2009 @ 09:58 am: [report]
I would defs take The Science Of Superheroes! I just hope it wouldn’t require a lab…
LunaLena
wrote on August 30 2009 @ 10:36 am: [report]
The Science of Harry Potter class sounded interesting until I saw the synopsis… sometimes it’s more fun to simply say “it’s magic” than to try to explain it scientifically.
I would totally take the Star Trek philosophy class, though. I would also love to see a college course discussing philosophy in adult-oriented anime series like Cowboy Bebop or Ghost in the Shell. Seriously, I could spend all day debating the philosophical themes in those series - they touch on the nature of reality, human relationships, gender identity, the development (or lack of) a soul, and so on and so forth.
Aidra
wrote on August 31 2009 @ 12:01 pm: [report]
@LunaLena, ignore luvtara. She forgot her meds this week.
*sam*
wrote on August 31 2009 @ 12:10 pm: [report]
@TheFrisky: first off, THANK YOU for closing the other thread, but can you PLEASE ban luvtara now?? It’s obvious that she can’t just let it die and is going to troll every single thread until she is the only one left commenting on anything. Pretty please?
also, as I mentioned earlier, I added her to my ‘block’ and ‘ignore’ lists, yet she keeps showing up. why?? did I say or do something to make you hate me? *tear*
@LunaLena: I would take those courses with you! though, I’m not very knowledgeable of the genre, I love contemporary philosophy. One of my favorite books is “Philosophy and Monty Python”
*sam*
wrote on August 31 2009 @ 12:12 pm: [report]
oops, sorry, the actual full title is “Nudge Nudge, Think Think: Monty Python and Philosophy”
majicksand
wrote on August 31 2009 @ 12:24 pm: [report]
I’m choosing to ignore the wildly inflammatory troll post other than to say that I agree with several other posters in that luvtara should be banned at this point. We’ve had our fun, but it’s getting old. Attacking me is one thing, but attacking my wonderful husband is just too much.
lareinedeslames
wrote on August 31 2009 @ 12:48 pm: [report]
Yes, admins. Please just ban luvtara and have done?
Now, to the point: I wish I could be taking the science of Harry Potter. I might actually pass that class with something over a C.
Heck, I’d like to take ANY of the classes mentioned in this thread. First semester of freshman year for me: Comedy and the Devil. All about how there was something at least dark, if not slightly evil, about comedy in general.
*sam*
wrote on August 31 2009 @ 12:50 pm: [report]
@lareinedeslames: “comedy and the devil”—when I read that, I had it all backwards. I thought it would have been about how the devil has been represented as a comical figure throughout history.
lareinedeslames
wrote on August 31 2009 @ 12:54 pm: [report]
@sam: it was actually a really, really good class. We watched Eddie Murphey Raw, Chris Rock stand up, The Simpsons, and read Nabokov’s Lolita. It lead to me taking senior-level lit classes starting second semester of my freshman year.
LunaLena
wrote on August 31 2009 @ 01:09 pm: [report]
Oh my, haha, to think I almost missed this… I wondered if luvtara would try to have a dig at me after the other comments thread was locked. Whatever, she’ll have to try harder if she’s trying to win some kind of award from me for her insults… I’ve had far worse from trolls on the Internet. I would have to join the others in asking that luvtara be banned, though. I couldn’t care less what she says to me, but some of her insults to others are completely unreasonable and bordering on psychotic now. It’s not funny, it’s just disturbing.
Back to the topic, though: @*sam* - that Monty Python course would be awesome! One thing I love about British comedy is how logical their crazy illogic is. Some of the scenes in Life of Brian were hilarious in that sense.
lareinedeslames
wrote on August 31 2009 @ 01:15 pm: [report]
@lunaLena, are you an artist, by any chance? I’m just asking because of your avatar. Also, I forgot to mention that I LOVE Cowboy Bebop. I’m not as familiar with Ghost in The Shell, but what I’ve seen of it, it’s good. I’d also like to see a class exploring adult philosophical themes in something like Weiss Kreuz.
One of my classes in College used Princess Mononoke and Akira to discuss environmental issues.
LunaLena
wrote on August 31 2009 @ 01:55 pm: [report]
@lareinedeslames - yep, not a professional artist, but a hobbyist.
If you liked Cowboy Bebop, I HIGHLY recommend the Ghost in the Shell TV series: Standalone Complex, Second Gig, and Solid State Society. They’re much better than the movies, and like Bebop, are very stylishly animated. Also the soundtracks to all three were done by Yoko Kanno, the genius behind the Bebop soundtrack.
eclipse
wrote on August 31 2009 @ 02:08 pm: [report]
I took a ‘Comic Book as Literature’ class my senior year in college. It was more complicated that I thought it would be and I learned to appreciate the art form. I’m not a huge comic fan myself, but I have more respect for them after taking that class.
lareinedeslames
wrote on August 31 2009 @ 02:11 pm: [report]
@Luna, I figured as much! I assume you drew that avatar yourself?
I’ve seen parts of Standalone Complex. I used to be a member of my college’s anime club; it exposed me to so many wonderful works! I am actually a big fan of FLCL, as ridiculous as it is, and I find the artwork for Loveless to be breathtaking. It’s sort of the opposite end of the spectrum from Bebop and Ghost in the shell… Very soft, you know?
LunaLena
wrote on August 31 2009 @ 04:05 pm: [report]
@lareinedeslames - yep, I did! Thanks for noticing! :D
Hmm, you might like Fruits Basket, then… it’s a bit old, but it’s definitely one of the gentler anime series out there. It’s also very funny and has one of the best emotional storylines I’ve ever seen in an anime.
rsonnack
wrote on August 31 2009 @ 04:15 pm: [report]
make that a third Columbia student here!! my boyfriend is taking the Simpsons as satire class this fall, and i totally plan on taking the zombie class at some point over the next 2 years i have here. i think the zombie class is only offered over J-term though, which kind of sucks…
lareinedeslames
wrote on August 31 2009 @ 05:11 pm: [report]
@luna: I’ve seen a good deal of fruits basket, and I loved it! I need to eventually get the manga, because I saw the series up to what had been done at that point, and there’s much, much more to it than what I saw.
Lucky Columbia students!
Sami
wrote on August 31 2009 @ 08:59 pm: [report]
@sam
I want a Monty Python class because the british have illogical comedy down to a science(AHH FLYING SHEEP!!)
and to be honest Monty Python is the #1 comedy series ever!!
@LunaLena
I am personally more of a Bleach fan myself, I do watch Ghost in a Shell ocassionally when I can manage to stay awake till 2:00 AM on Sunday; I personally think Anime has better animation and storylines compared to American cartoons in general. Wait a second it’s ANIMONDAY, ScyFy channel here I come; see ya…
*sam*
wrote on August 31 2009 @ 09:16 pm: [report]
@sami: oh, don’t even get me started on how much Monty Python rocks—I can honestly quote “Holy Grail” in it’s entirety. As well as the Dead Parrot and Four Yorkshire Men sketches.
...yeah, I’m a hopeless nerd. but I’m OK with that.
Sami
wrote on August 31 2009 @ 11:19 pm: [report]
@sam
Oh Polly parrot, yeah I know what you mean about Monty Python being the best comedy series EVER; and you are not a hopeless nerd sam there are alot of people (most of my family included) who love Monty Python and can quote certain sketches by heart for example (how to recognize trees at a distance,starting with The Larch, The Larch, The larch, The Larch trial) and to be honest real nerds can quote every episode of Star Trek by heart and in order. I cannot do that and I doubt you can do that so you are not a nerd, however if we are talking intellectually I would definately qualify as a nerd due to how I tend to over complicate everything I say (and I can understand String Theory and Hawkin Radiation and I am a sub-par math person, it is really freaky being able to comprehend things intuitively even when you don’t understand the math) so don’t feel bad. Have you checked out YouTube they have a great assortment of Monty Python’s Flying Circus videos and movies such as Monty Python and the Holy Grail, if I don’t get a dose of either JibJab or Monty Python a day I freak out; I believe I have Chronic Humor Dependency Syndrome…
Sami
wrote on August 31 2009 @ 11:22 pm: [report]
@sam
I forgot to put this in my previous comment but I can quote the JibJab funnies “This Land”, “Nuckin Futs”, “2nd Term” and of course “2007, a Year in Review” by heart; I won’t post them here but I can quote them….
*sam*
wrote on August 31 2009 @ 11:27 pm: [report]
@Oh yes, trust me, I’ve frequented the Python channel on YouTube on a daily basis. I love JibJab as well, though I can’t quote anything. I can however, quote the entire “Old Gregg” bit on YouTube (as well as a good portion of the songs from the actual show it’s from), and I know the dance to it as well (and have even gone so far as to do it in public).
If you haven’t seen that, you should DEF. check it out—it’s British humor and the show it’s from (“The Mighty Boosh”) has def. been influenced heavily by Flying Circus.
Abby
wrote on September 1 2009 @ 11:34 am: [report]
I love courses like this! I’m currently enrolled in two…a “Simpsonology” course on the culture of the Simpsons and one called “Don’t Drink the Kool-Aid,” which is about cults, Scientology and mega-churches (complete with a field trip to Lakewood Church…)
Meg
wrote on September 1 2009 @ 06:59 pm: [report]
The school I went to had a short term (month of January) between regular semesters where we could take one class. One of the popular offerings was BS, a class that examined the philosophy, politics and popularity of #&@$%. Needless to say, that class filled up first. The college was Hollins University, by the way.
Jill
wrote on September 2 2009 @ 12:05 pm: [report]
I really think Columbia should offer a comic book class like the one mentioned by someone. As a huge comic book nerd, I would take an extra elective I don’t need just for that.
pinkjellyfish
wrote on September 2 2009 @ 04:56 pm: [report]
I took a course called “Linguistics of Tolkien’s Middle Earth” at The University of Texas in Austin. Awesome class, and in no way useful!
papayalily
wrote on October 6 2009 @ 05:40 am: [report]
I want to take every single one of those classes.
Sami
wrote on October 6 2009 @ 10:24 am: [report]
@sam
I personally havn’t seen the mighty boosh but I guess I could look it up, oh and I frequent Youtube and The funny channels in general (The Smoking Gun Present’s, Monty Python, JibJab etc.)quite a bit my screenname is Sami Wheeler(I use the term Sami alot when I make screennames)so I hope to see you there sometime. If you look up the French Taunting skit(the one with both of the skits combined) look at the old comments until you find one I made where I pretended to be the french(I think I overdid it, I added things that weren’t in the sketch) I think it is a funny comment.
@pinkjellyfish
I just knew that TUA (GO LONGHORNS) would have a class like that, BTW have they gotten rid of thier “Science of Comedy” class yet because that would really suck; it was really popular.
@papayalily
I want to take all of those classes too, but my school doesn’t have any classes like that Boo-Hoo; which is why I plan to transfer…