With registration for spring semester just around the corner, the scramble to enroll in the university's most popular electives will soon begin, some of which will fill up within the first few days, or even hours, of registration, according to Suzanne Foster, assistant chair of philosophy.
The subjects of some of these popular electives, however, may come as a surprise to some people, and can range from the history of rock 'n' roll to the philosophy of humor.
James Marten, chair of the history department, said the department is offering several relatively new courses next semester, including Technology for Historians, Imperial Surge: Rise of the U.S. Empire, Violence in Japanese History and Senior Experience: The U.S. and the Sixties.
Martin said one of the most popular classes in the department by far, however, is History of Rock and Roll. Martin said one reason for the popularity of the class is that students think it will be a good time.
"The class sounds like it is gong to be fun, but it's actually a pretty hard class," he said. "It's much more cultural history and context than just rock 'n' roll bands."
Phillip Naylor, associate professor of history who co-created and teaches History of Rock and Roll, agreed that students can sometimes underestimate the course.
"I take this class seriously," he said. "Students who take this class have to understand, and do understand, that it's a demanding course."
Naylor said one reason why the class is important is because rock 'n' roll has much more impact and significance than people often think.
"Rock 'n' roll can be used as a metaphor for U.S. history," Naylor said. "It is loaded with significance."
Naylor said the class is applicable to students from various majors and colleges throughout the university, and can apply to subjects such as sociology, history, business, religion and crime.
Foster said some of the most popular classes in her department include Philosophy and History of Crime and Punishment, Philosophy of Art and Beauty and Philosophy of Language.
She said one of the most popular classes next semester will probably be Special Questions in Philosophy: Philosophy of Humor, taught by the Rev. John Naus, associate professor of philosophy.
"I guarantee the class will be full the first day of registration," Foster said.
Another popular elective is The Logic of Social Inquiry: The Kennedy Assassination, a class taught by John McAdams, associate professor or political science, that centers around the various theories and evidence surrounding the assassination of John F. Kennedy.
McAdams said many students enroll in his class because they think they're going to find out who killed Kennedy. While he can't offer them an exact answer to that question, he said students do walk away from his class with many important skills in theorizing and analysis.
"Students need to be faced with situations where the reality is complex and sorting out the evidence is rather difficult," he said. "You could view my whole course as sort of an extended intellectual puzzle."