If you long for elementary-school field trips – specifically ones to exotic, never-before-explored areas – Santa Clara University may have a course for you.
Santa Clara students can take a course called The Joy of Garbage, which allows them to visit some of the most intriguing landfills and sanitation plants in California.
This course, among others, seems to be part of a trend emerging at UF and at other U.S. universities: the offering of unusual, unorthodox and sometimes just plain weird classes.
For example, Cornell offers a course called Tree Climbing, the University of Wisconsin offers Elvish, the language of “Lord of the Rings,” and Alfred University has a class called Maple Syrup Making.
At UF, quirky courses offered include Plants, Gardening and You; Russian Fairy Tales; and the Queer Theory.
Perhaps the most classically bizarre course that exists, Underwater Basket Weaving, is offered at Reed College in Portland, Org., and at the University of California at San Diego. During the course, students learn how to make wicker baskets with a method that involves first soaking materials in water.
One can’t help but wonder, what could, say, an accounting major learn from taking Underwater Basket Weaving?
That’s a question Linda Behar-Horenstein, a professor in the UF College of Education, was all too eager to answer.
“The basket weaving could increase a person’s dexterity and focus their concentration on weaving,” Behar-Horenstein said, “and in some sense an accountant must have dexterity and be able to concentrate on one task for a long period of time.”
She also said English and other creative majors could benefit from taking Underwater Basket Weaving because doing a craft transcends people’s cognition and might open more connections in their brains than when they’re not being creative.
Indeed, several unconventional classes have core themes rooted in standard curriculum.
Among others, The Science of Harry Potter, offered at Frostburg State University, emphasizes using science to better describe the magical aspects of the Harry Potter series, applying physics to things like Quidditch, the series’ signature sport.
Nik Bajorek, a UF English instructor, teaches a course that examines how African Americans are represented in animated films, TV series, anime, comics and graphic novels.
He said his course helps those who have unrelated majors gain critical thinking skills and a new perspective.
“So often students feel locked and only focus on their major,” Bajorek said. “But if you take a risk and do or learn something unorthodox, you could broaden your horizons.”
Mark Lower, a 19-year-old business administration major, learned how to use Library West’s resources for research when he enrolled in the UF course called Witches, Trolls and Garden Gnomes.
“I needed another humanities class,” Lower said, “and it had a cool name.”
Lower said he still uses the research skills he learned in a German culture class and recommends that other students take unusual classes.
“The stuff you learn in these classes is so random, and I think you learn more than you would if you were taking a class that you’re familiar with,” he said.
