All About Dinosaurs with Neil Wells

Everything you could ever want to learn about dinosaurs and their relatives.

Investigate the history, evolution and biology of these prehistoric creatures.

“I have a deep-founding love for skeletons and rocks. It’s a fun class. There’s a lot of learning from little details, working backwards from modern critters to dinosaurs. You do things like looking at crocodiles to see how they’ve adapted and what things would have done.”

Beginning Ballroom Dance with Jane Jindra-Parman

Grab a partner and learn how to ballroom dance for social events or just for fun.

“I took this class basically because it’s something fun to do. It’s really good to take if you’re having a really stressful schedule. Even though it’s late at night, it’s really good to do because it gives you a way to work out even though you’re doing something fun and if you can’t have time to go to the gym, this is the best way to do it. Plus you get credits for it. It lets you meet more people. Normally the people are really fun and interesting, so that’s why I do it. It’s a good time.”

Film Comedy with Ron Russo

Watch and discuss some of the funniest films ever made and what makes them great.

“It’s a really fun class once a week. Every day we just go for a couple hours and watch funny skits or funny movies and our teacher points out the comedy terms, you know, or tactics used in the shows or movies. You just get to sit there and laugh for a couple hours and the homework’s really easy and you just get to have fun while you learn. My teacher’s really cool. He finds all the fun movies. It makes you appreciate comedy more because you get to learn why these comedians and actors and actresses are doing what they’re doing, so it really helps you appreciate it more when you watch it every day for fun.”

Human Sexuality with Angela Backus

Explore your sexuality on a personal and societal level, with focus on facts, trends and taboos.

Nick Roope, Junior Bio-Chemistry major: “It breaks down the social barriers and stereotypes. I mean we just got done talking about bestiality and necrophilia. You can talk about things without having people condemn you. There’s openness. It definitely tells you facts too that you didn’t know. There are some shocking things.”

Introduction to Conflict Management with Pat Coy

Learn how to problem-solve, mediate, negotiate, and intervene nonviolently in conflicts by developing and improving communication skills.

Abigail Faust, Senior Russian major: “One of the best classes I’ve ever taken was Introduction to Conflict Management. I learned a lot about how to deal with conflict and people in a completely new way. Not only that, but I also really enjoyed the activities and role-plays we did to reinforce the material we learned in class. It’s a hands-on, interactive class that involves more than just staring at a PowerPoint for an hour and a half. It also teaches skills that are applicable to everyday situations, which is not something you get from every class.”

Introduction to Creative Writing with Alice Cone

Hone your skills for writing creatively in different forms and on various topics.

Melanie Rayk, Sophomore English major: “It’s funny you should ask because I just told my teacher how much fun I have on my homework. I like Introduction to Creative Writing because it lets you kind of experiment with different ways of writing. I, myself, am really horrible at writing short stories and this class is giving me an opportunity to see how I can perfect my writing in that way without having a back-story and just letting certain fundamentals speak. Since I am an English major, it’s more fun for people who write things like that, but you have to look at it as a challenge and work with it. That’s what I guess English is about – for most of us in the class anyway.”

Literature for Young Adults with Susan Sainato

Read and discuss the most popular books ever written for children, pre-teens and teenagers.

“The books we read are really fun. We read ‘Harry Potter,’ we read ‘Night’ by Elie Wiesel, we’ve read ‘V for Vendetta,’ and all the ‘Lord of the Rings’ books. We basically get to go to class and just talk about the books and what we like about them. We talk about different themes and our favorite parts of the book. Coming up we’re going to do a whole project on ‘Harry Potter.’ Basically, whatever we want to do with ‘Harry Potter.’ Dr. Stanato is a great professor. She really is interested in what we have to say and what are favorite parts of the books are. It’s really awesome.”

Me and My Money with Ron Stolle

Learn how to budget your money wisely and to approach your finances intelligently in today’s economy.

“I like the class because it helps. I struggle with my finances, getting everything in line, so this class definitely helps me get organized. It’s about investments and just organizing your money and spending it wisely, so it’s definitely helping me.”

Contact Amy Cooknick at [email protected].