THE PENDULUM

by Laura Wainman, November 1, 2009

Winter Term can be a time for exploration, and while many Elon students spend January traversing foreign lands, there is plenty of room for exploration within the walls of Elon. Students can use Winter Term to break out of the comfort zone of the required classes of their major and try their hands at a completely new subject. With registration just around the corner, here is a look at five unique classes available to all students.

GST 200
Outdoor Leadership via the Elon Challenge
Professor: Associate Dean of Students Rex Waters
Time: 1:30 - 4:30 p.m. Monday - Friday
Fulfills: Four credits in civilization or society
This course focuses predominantly on group dynamics, problem-solving and leadership, with particular interest in learning to facilitate discussions using diverse teaching styles. Students will apply what is taught on the Elon Challenge ropes course.
Format of class: Mostly hands-on, as about 60 percent of class time is spent outdoors on the ropes course. "There is a traditional classroom portion of this class that we try to accomplish quickly so that students can spend the majority of Winter Term applying what they learned outdoors," Waters said.
How many hours of homework a night a student expect: "It will really depend on the level at which the student enters," Waters said. "If the material is completely new for the student, he or she will need to dedicate more time in order to successfully master the concepts taught."
What students can expect to gain: "I think that students will leave this class with a greater understanding of who they are and how they interact with others as well as getting an opportunity to practice public presentation and receive feedback from peers," Waters said.
Who would this course not appeal to: Students who do not enjoy challenging outdoor activities or being in the cold should consider other courses.
Student review: "I took Dean Waters' class about a year ago and can honestly say I am shocked at how many times I have used the principles from his class in group settings," junior Rachel Perron said. "As an added bonus, you get pretty close with everyone in the class, which isn't always the case in classes at Elon."

ENG 255- NEW COURSE
Renaissance Witchcraft on Stage
Professor: English professor Megan Isaac
Time: 8:30 - 11:30 a.m. Monday - Friday
Prerequisite: ENG 110
Fulfills: The literature requirement of expression and counts toward the classical studies minor
Readings: "Dr. Faustus", "Macbeth", "The Tempest" and "The Crucible."
This course will focus on detailed readings of three English Renaissance plays and one modern American play to explore what witchcraft was doing on stage and in society with an emphasis placed on the social, political and religious constructs. Students will also study court cases dealing with the prosecution of witchcraft in order to better understand how it was exploited.
Format of class: Combination of lecture, discussion and some performance of the texts.
"Though we will look at some visual representations, we won't be watching films and, sorry to disappoint, but we won't be performing witchcraft," Isaac said.
Necessity of being an English major to take the course: "It is not necessary, but you should not be hostile to the subject," Isaac said.
How many hours of homework a night a student can expect: "I would say to expect a minimum of two hours a night, but it will vary depending on how well you break up the reading and writing assignments and how comfortable the readers are with Renaissance literature as it can be difficult for some students," Isaac said.
What students gain: "I hope students will get a better understanding of how complicated an accusation of witchcraft was during this time, and how it was affected by gender, class and socioeconomic status," Isaac said. "Hopefully, students will also be able to transfer this knowledge to issues we face in our own society."

GST 234
Elon: Past, Present and Future
Professor: President Emeritus  and chemistry professor Earl Danieley
Time: 8:30 - 11:30 a.m. Monday - Friday
Fulfills: Four credits in civilization or society
This course explores the major developments that led to the founding of Elon college as well as some of the most significant moments in the school's history. Students will also learn about past leaders of Elon by participating in an extended research project, which will be permanently documented in Belk Library's archives. The Elon Vision and the New Century @Elon strategic plans will also be discussed.
How many hours of homework a night can a student expect? "I would like to expect that students spend at least a couple of hours each day outside of class — some probably get by on less than that," Danieley said.
Preview of research project: "Each student does a research project," Danieley said. "In 2010 we will be looking at names of buildings and learning something about the people for whom they were named.  Each student will write a paper on their research and give an oral report in class.  The written papers will be filed permanently in the archive in Belk Library."
What could a student gain from this course?  "Hopefully a greater appreciation for your chosen alma mater," Danieley said. "Knowing more about your own school is something that will stay with you throughout life and having you in my class will enrich my life."
Student review:  "Dr. Danieley's first hand accounts and personal relationships with many individuals you learn about make the class more entertaining and personable," said junior Daniel Watts.

BUS 350
Business of NASCAR
Professor: Operations and Supply Chain Management lecturer Coleman Rich
Time: 1:30 - 4:30 p.m. Monday - Friday
Fulfills: Experiential Learning Requirement; counts toward the American Studies minor
Motorsports in North Carolina is a $6 billion industry and this course seeks to explore the industry as more than just racing. Students will study the influence of NASCAR on the North Carolina economy as well as the various marketing models used. Visits will be made to various racetracks, including Daytona, Florida.
Format of class: Professor Rich estimated that 1/3 of the winter term would be spent in a classroom and 2/3 would be spent outside of it.
Special Requirements: $825 travel fee
How many hours of homework a night can a student expect? "My class is very project based, so it will depend on how well the students manage their time," said Rich. "Students are rewarded for the time and effort they put into their projects and I try to keep the assignments fun."
Preview of main project: "Students will have the opportunity to design their own derby racecar and obtain real sponsorships from members of the community," Rich said. "The donations go to the Victory Junction Gang Camp."
Student review: "I absolutely loved the Business of NASCAR class," said junior Meg Anderson. "Before taking the class I knew nothing about the world of NASCAR, and by the end of January I had learned to love the sport.  Not only do you get to travel to Daytona Beach and Orlando, but also to Charlotte and other race tracks around the area.  We were able to ride along with a professional driver at Charlotte and in Orlando- going around 150 MPH.  Professor Rich made the class an extremely fun and educational experience- one that I am so glad that I had the opportunity to take"

MUS 275
Woodstock, Hippies and Other Enduring Legacies: Music of the ‘60s and ‘70s
Professor: Music instructor Jim Roberts
Time:8:30 - 11:30 a.m. Monday - Friday
Fulfills: Four credits of the expression requirements
This course is not just a music class. It would more accurately be described as a sociology music class that looks at influential music of the ‘60s and ‘70s that has withstood the test of time as well as what was happening surrounding the music. Students will be studying the question of whether the music influenced the times or the times influenced the music.
Format of class: The course will combine lectures, watching footage from the times, such as the Woodstock movie, the Beatles anthology and documentaries on music festivals, group activities and listening activities outside of class.
Preview of class project: Last year, students created two timelines spanning 20 years, one displaying musical events and the other highlighting the cultural developments that occurred during the same time. The final project was displayed in the library and allowed other students to understand how musical and cultural events of the time period correlated.
What students can expect to gain: "We will be listening to and studying music from a time period that the students never lived through," Roberts said. "Eventually, the generation who was alive during this musical era will be gone, and I don't want to wait until they are mostly gone to try and get people interested in the subject. I try and make historians out of my students so that the music will always be "preserved."
Student review: "The class was awesome," junior Robert Gardner said. "Everyday we came into a class with 60 and 70's music blasting. If you enjoy the music from this time period, you have to take this class. Jim Roberts is understanding, but wants you to pay attention.  He throws in some impossible questions on the quizzes and test, but if you pay attention and do what he asks, it's an easy A."