Hello everyone! With registration coming up, I want to reflect upon my time here regarding the classes I’ve taken so far.  Like I touched on in my last post, I have studied so many subjects at MU; it was hard to create a short list of favorites. I know I’ll garner more in the future, but below are my favorite classes at Manchester (so far) and the reasons behind their rank. I encourage each of you to check them out! The professors are wonderful, the topics are fascinating, and I learned so much in a short semester. Plus, you can get CORE credit for each. 😊

4. HIST-204: Modern Europe with Dr. Angelos

My favorite history class so far! I much prefer modern history to ancient, so I was definitely excited to take a modern course! My particular area of interest is in European history from the 20^th century on, so this class was right up my alley; it covered major events from the French Revolution to the Brexit. Plus, Dr. Angelos is a great professor – there’s never a dull moment during his lectures.

3. REL-120: Introduction to Religious Studies with Dr. Eisenbise Crell

 “Even if religion makes no sense to you, you need to make sense of religion to make sense of the world.” This Stephen Prothero quote was printed on the front of our syllabus, and I couldn’t agree with it more. REL-120 is a class I think everyone should take! In it we were introduced to major world religions, how those religions addressed the fundamental problems humans face, and how religious beliefs influence society. And, Dr. EC is an amazing professor – she’s one of my favorite people to talk to!

2. SOC-101: Introduction to Sociology with Dr. Pettit

This class was incredibly difficult, but so worth it! The material was so unfamiliar to me – I learned about systemic oppression, privilege, life chances. These were all new ideas to me; I would often walk out of class astonished by Dr. Pettit’s lectures. Out of all my classes here, SOC-101 has left the most profound effect on me. Things I learned helped shape many of my political and personal views. I am grateful to have been a part of Dr. Pettit’s last class! (Dr. Brooks now teaches this class, and she’s great too!)

1. REL-131: The Jewish Faith, Culture and People with Dr. Planer

Hands down my favorite class! Dr. Planer was so engaged with our class, and we knew he truly cared about each of us. One day, he brought in a shofar (a Jewish musical horn made from a ram’s horn) and blew it incredibly loudly… at 8:00 AM. We were all kind of in shock, but it was just one of many moments where he showed how excited he was about the content of the class!  Dr. Planer is one of the most vivacious people I have ever come across, and he’s brilliant. He’s retired from teaching at Manchester (he’s a professor emeritus of music), but he audits classes and is often on campus. REL-131 is what spurred my interest in Judaic studies (what I plan to focus on in my senior thesis for history), and it was such a fun class. It was difficult (as all Planer classes are), but an awesome experience.

I’m grateful for the academic opportunities I have here. The list above is just a sample of the great classes I’ve taken and the incredible faculty members I’ve studied under. I encourage you all to explore your interests and really dive into your classes – you have so much to learn!  

Thanks for reading!

Maddy

Maddy Minehart '19 is a history and religious studies double major. A member of the women's basketball team and heavily involved on campus, her dream job is to be a history professor.