What Are You Taking?!!

Every year since I was in eighth grade, the end of school brought the excitement of signing up for new classes. In college and grad school, that excitement doubled, as we had all new classes at the beginning of each semester. Inevitably, for the last few weeks before final exams, if cafeteria conversation wasn't about papers or exams, it was about which classes everyone would be taking in the coming semester or school year.

Because of some of the recent curriculum changes at PTS, my classmates and I didn't really get a change to have that kind of conversation. After all, what's the point of getting your hopes up about a class only to find out later you have a scheduling conflict? Anyway, we didn't begin registration until today...over a month after finals were finished. So, we didn't get to discuss the merits of various classes and compare schedules.

To stave off the sadness that engenders in my little heart, I am going to tell all of you what classes I'm taking.

First, I'm signed up for Christian Ethics and Modern Times with John Bowlin. In this course, we'll be dealing with exciting and difficult questions like: How shall we love our neighbors, show hospitality to strangers, bear the burdens of sinners and enemies, and speak truth to power in these modern times? Are the ideals of neighbor love and prophetic justice compatible with the norms of liberal democracy, with individual freedoms and equal rights, or not? I've heard great things about Bowlin.

Next, there's Religion and Time with Fenn.
This course focuses on the contribution of Judaism and Christianity to the experience of time in Western societies, with special reference to the Sabbath, the fate of the soul, purgatory, millennium, and apocalypse. I can't even imagine what we're going to discuss, but it sounded like the most interesting course to fulfill a requirement.

Third, I'm taking Healing Relationships with Norbert Wetzel. NORBERT!!! This class focuses on family and couples therapy, a field which I'm considering as a career, so an appropriate class. Unfortunately, Dykstra isn't teaching anything first semester, but I do plan to take one of his offerings in the spring.

Finally, I might sneak into Historical Hebrew Grammar with Dr. Seow. I'm the only person enrolled at the moment and I don't know if I'll be able to do it with my three other classes plus field ed plus TAing Hebrew...so, we'll see.

Anyway, all you students out there, whether high school, college or grad school, what are you taking next semester?

7 comments:

Unknown said...

Don't you mean "speak TRUTHINESS to power"?

Kate said...

Nice try, Colbert. I copied and pasted that section and I'm pretty sure Bowlin means "truth." Of course, if you pay me a dollar, I'll ask him.

LittleMary said...

well, it makes me want to be back in school a little bit...but only just a little bit...

Anonymous said...

Song of Songs with Chip
1 Corinthians with Parsenios
Introduction to Christian Education & Formation with Mikoski

I really want to take Historical Hebrew, but it conflicts with 1 Corinthians, which I've wanted to take since Greek with Parsenios.

I might take German over at the university, too - I have to look at their schedule.

Kate said...

Unfortunately, Daniel, HHG will be the first thing to go if I feel too stressed out by field ed and TAing. We'll see, though.

Too bad we're not in any classes together, considering we both love the OT. Are you defecting to the NT, by any chance?

Anonymous said...

Nah, just defecting to GP (George Parsenios) - Song of Songs is still OT! Glad to see you're enjoying the Pacific. I put pictures of Grand Canyon on my facebook site, btw. :-)

Anonymous said...

Ahh...I miss this ritual as well. My favorite was always the high school gym drama...

"What gym do you have?"
"third period."
"OMG me too!!! Do you have Miller?"
"Oh no! I have Smith!"

Travesty of travesties....

Anyway, your courses look interesting, but I, too, have none in common with you. Glad to see you're having fun on the other side of the country. And I'm only paying 20 cents less for gas than you are, so it's not all bad.