Classes That Changed Us
*record scratch* *freeze frame*
Yup, that's me. You're probably wondering how I ended up in this major...
Join us on our Reflection era tour as we reminisce about the classes that changed us. (Apologies to Marion: we know you wrote an article last semester about how aestheticizing ourselves is bad, but just this once, ok?).
ZACHARY LUTZKY // FLAT HAT MAGAZINE
Community Psychology and Prevention
Community Psychology and Prevention reminded me of why I wanted to become a Psychology major. The course emphasized the importance of the individual in context, rather than placing full blame for one’s behaviors on the brain. It transformed my thinking and the way I communicate with others.
– Monica Bagnoli ’25
Age of Soul: Jazz, R&B, Rock n Roll in American Life
Age of Soul: Jazz, R&B, Rock n Roll in American Life convinced me that it is possible to study the American popular music that I have loved all my life in an academic context. Every class, we listened to music from a variety of genres and learned about the ways in which pop music shapes — and is shaped by — American history and culture. I found so many new favorite songs through this class but, most importantly, I found my home in the American Studies department. Thank you, Professor McGovern!
– Mary Beth Bauermann ’24
Methods in Archaeology
My Methods in Archaeology class changed how I view culture and archaeology. As a Classical Studies student, I thought it was fascinating how the physical land and nature of excavations, along with indigenous peoples, not only impacts the excavation itself but the conclusions we draw from them — we discussed how to keep culture, cooperation, and teamwork at the forefront of research, rather than focusing exclusively on the history preserved in the ground. In general, COLL 350s are a fantastic way to educate yourself about navigating race, ethnicity, and your own implicit biases in any field.
– Georgia Thoms ’23
Race, Law, Memory
Despite being listed as a Government course, Race, Law, Memory showed me what the study of history should look like. Structured like an open dialogue and a safe space in which we all laughed and shared pieces of ourselves, it put the high school lecture format to shame and pushed me to rethink my understanding of race and identity. Through this course, I discovered a passion for investigating U.S. racial history to better understand and combat contemporary social inequities, which later led me to proudly declare a History major. Shout out to Jackson Sasser!
– Vivian Hoang ’24
Deciphering Ancient Egypt
I would not be who I am today if I hadn’t taken Professor Pope’s Deciphering Ancient Egypt course. I fell in love with the language, with those “aha” moments where you might have stumbled across something that no one alive in the past 1,500+ years has ever considered. It’s intoxicating in the most twampy way. I finished Deciphering Ancient Egypt, DAE II, Ancient Egyptian Inscriptions, and Middle Egyptian Texts with lifelong friends, some of my fondest college memories, and an Ancient Near East & Africa Studies major. I’m also a Classics major, but if you ask me, “Greece or Rome?” I will 100% answer with “Egypt.” Sorry, not sorry.
– JR Herman ’24
Acting One
Acting One has really shifted my path in college because it showed me how passionate acting makes me feel. Digging deeper into scripts and character motivations has helped me transform myself into different characters and adopt so many different perspectives. Seeing how much work and time goes into rehearsal, ensemble camaraderie, and character building has also given me a huge appreciation for acting as an art form.
– Nevaeh Galluccio ’26