Another semester, another hectic period of pre-registration. Students looking to get into highly requested classes will be happy to know that new sections have opened with some intriguing adjustments.
The Film Department sent out an email earlier this week about a new section of its most popular listing: “We noticed that World Cinema was turning heads for the fall semester, netting over 70 requests with only 25 spots available, so we’re planning on teaching another section with a slightly different twist to the title, ‘World Cinema: North Dakota.’” The course catalog reads, “Step into the world of North Dakota, as featured in such films as ‘Fargo’ (1996). For this additional section, we’re narrowing our scope to just one United State, as tackling the entire world twice this fall would seem awfully bold of us (one time is bold enough). From Bismarck to Grand Forks, we’re hoping to examine great North Dakotan filmmaking and filmic portrayals to their full potential. ‘Fargo’ (1996) is an excellent testament to the state’s rich film history. We are sure that other great testaments also exist.”
Meanwhile, the creative writing professors in the English Department decided to add a new intro section titled “Introductory Creative Writing: Pharmaceutical Commercials.” The course description provides some clarifying info: “This is NOT a copywriting class. This is a creative writing class focusing on the process of writing persuasive marketing and promotional materials that motivate people to take some form of action, such as make a purchase, click on a link, donate to a cause or schedule a consultation. You will learn how to creatively and vividly describe the benefits of a given drug and also how to blaze through the laundry list of life-threatening side effects. By the end of this class, you will write, direct and star in your very own pharmaceutical commercial! Now I know a lot of you might have been hoping to just take the regular intro class, but this class will help you stand out when applying for ‘Intermediate Creative Writing: Obituaries.’”
Over in the Political Science Department, “Politics as Games” netted over double the requests for only 25 spots, sparking a new section called “Politics as Vague Similes.” The course description reads, “In this class we are going to examine the accuracy of various comparisons to the world of politics such as ‘politics as glue,’ or ‘politics is like buying a new car.’ By the end of the class, students will be capable of writing their own vague similes to shake up the PoliSci world.”
The Anthropology Department, in an attempt to quench the thirst for animal-specific classes, brought a bonus section of the much celebrated “Primates,” titled, “Primates and Also Anteaters.” The description reads, “The first 12 weeks of the class will cover the four extant species commonly known under the umbrella term ‘anteaters.’ During this time, we are going to uncover the important links of anteaters to human evolution. We will also take a field trip to the Bronx Zoo where we will observe the Giant Anteaters for four hours. Hopefully something cool happens. In our final week, (as long as we don’t get behind lol) we’ll have a week for monkey talk. To be clear, the class is at minimum, 95 percent anteater stuff.”
I talked to some students who had mixed feelings about the new listings. One shared, “While I wanted to take World Cinema, World Cinema North Dakota actually sounds a lot more interesting. I’m excited to sink my teeth into ‘Fargo’ (1984) and also hopefully other North Dakotan films.”
I talked to another student who was excited about the new political science class, who said, “I’ve always thought politics are a lot like putting on a pair of socks, and I want the world to start quoting that.” Finally, I talked to one student who was disappointed by the new “Primates” section. “I love all of the Earth’s primates, but I despise every single anteater.”
Whether you’re hoping to dig into North Dakota cinema or creatively hook people on Mucinex, Vassar has got you covered for the fall.