Photo courtesy of Unsplash.
Conn offers many interesting (and sometimes seemingly bizarre) courses. We have taken classes that surprised us, changed the way we think, inspired us to choose a major/minor, or even changed our lives. Based on community responses, here are some of those classes:
Current Issues in Museum Studies with Professor Jenny Dixon
“My dad works as an art dealer and I took this class mainly because it fulfilled a Social Difference and Power requirement. It has been so great because I have learned so much about the art world and been able to have more educated conversations with my dad about his career!”
—Johnny Alexandre ‘22, Psychology major
War & Peace in the Modern Middle East with Professor Marie Ostby
“As an English major it can be difficult to find classes that center authors & world views that don’t come from Europe or the United States. Taking this class allowed me to really open myself to a different literary canon and study world events that I hadn’t been so clear on previously. Some of my favorite novels I’ve read in recent years have come from that class.”
—Amanda Sanders ‘22, English major and government minor, Media, Rhetoric and Communication Pathway
Neurobiology of Disease with Professor Joe Schroeder
“This class had a big impact on helping me decide what I really want to do after I graduate from Conn. I knew that I wanted to do something in the realm of neurobiology or neurophysiology but looking at different diseases through a narrow scope helped me see just how much of an impact certain diseases can have on a person and just how limited the medications and treatments can be for certain diseases. We also looked at possible treatments through a pharmacogenetics lens which just bolstered my interest in continuing on after graduation to look at medicinal interventions for diseases.”
—Anonymous ‘22, behavioral neuroscience and philosophy double major
Globalization of Urban Poverty with Professor Sheetal Chhabria
“This class offers an alternative perspective on global economics, incorporating nuance into the traditional theories of supply and demand and such watered-down economic theories. As a cross-referenced offering between Econ and History, Chhabria debunks various myths of modern capitalism by highlighting exploitative historical events.”
—Sam Maidenberg ‘23, International Relations major, English minor, Media, Rhetoric and Communication Pathway
Methods and Theories of Ethnobotany with Professor Manuel Lizarralde, and Climate and Society with Professor Julia Flagg
“These classes both added a significantly different perspective to my education and helped guide me towards my true academic interests. The Methods and Theories class gave me the experience to learn about environmental studies outside of the traditional western educational experience and change my understanding of both the field of ES and education forever. The Climate and Society class was an excellent experience in critically analyzing the functions of our society and why we see global climate change playing out at a much deeper and complex level that I have experienced since.”
—Anonymous ‘23, Environmental Studies major, Psychology minor, Social Justice and Sustainability Pathway
Gender, Sexuality and Intersectionality Studies with Professor Ashley Hanson
“I did not expect to take such an impactful and important class during my very first semester at Conn, but my intro GSIS class was exactly that. Students in my class agree that everyone should take this course because of its extreme relevance to current events at Conn and beyond. Professor Hanson assigns such fascinating readings and films, and our class discussions are always engaging. What I love about this class is how student-oriented it is; a different pair of students leads class discussion each time. We covered so many topics I had never formally learned about before, such as transgender history, reproductive justice, stand-up comedy as a form of activism, and educational policies surrounding gender and sexuality.”
—Daviel Schulman ‘25, undecided
Compositional Improvisation with Professor Lisa Race, Leather & Glitter with Professor Ari Rotramel and Professor Denis Ferhatovic, and Commemoration with Professor Hubert Cook
“Compositional Improvisation- This class allowed me to explore who I am as a mover and grow along with my peers. It provided a safe space to be vulnerable and take artistic risks.
Leather & Glitter- This course dove into queer iconography and was really engaging because a lot of the work involved reading novels, analyzing songs, looking at social media, and applying queer theory to different facets of pop culture.
Commemoration- This course explored how we remember people through literature, specifically how Blackness can be celebrated in texts. What I really appreciated about this course was that Professor Cook encouraged individuality in writing assignments and helped me find my voice as a writer.”
—Susanna Procario-Foley ‘23, Dance major, English and GSIS double minor, Holleran Center for Community Action (PICA)
Intro to Human Development with Professor Michelle Dunlap, and General Chemistry with Professor Stanton Ching
“The Intro HMD class had a major impact on me as now I am considering it for a possible minor. I had really only picked this class as it fit into my schedule nicely and thought it would be interesting. I am interested in the sciences and particularly the premed track so I thought this class would be beneficial in furthering that area of interest in the more social perspective. I very much enjoyed this class especially with Professor Dunlap who would share (and allow others to share) personal anecdotes to help us better understand and relate to the material. For me, it was a class that had a very easy learning environment– as in it did not feel like work and I never dreaded going to class.”
“On the other hand with general chemistry, this also had a major impact but in the opposite way. Even though I am currently taking another chem class this year, gen chem made me realize that I will never major or minor in chemistry. It’s just not my thing and I don’t think it ever will be. But on a more positive note, this class also had an impact on my study habits in college. Not to say that I took it easy in high school, but this class had changed how I was going to need to study– insight to other difficult subjects in college too. This class also made me learn how valuable office hours are and that professors (like Stan) are appreciative of you attending and taking initiative towards your education.”
—Anonymous ‘24, intended biology major, prospective Chinese and human development double minor, Public Health Pathway
Black Poetics with Professor Hubert Cook
“This class pushed me outside of my insular English curriculum. Professor Cook curates and commands a classroom in a way that is challenging and uplifting, and demands us to think deeper and explore further into what lies beneath the surface of our interpretations. His curriculum brought literature outside of its confined academic space and fundamentally shifted the way I move through the world. Cook introduced us to the voices behind incredible pieces of literature, art, and theory – all of which ultimately challenged my desire for a narrative to cohere and for words to take a certain shape.”
—Lucie Englehardt ‘23, Anthropology and English double major
