Between student organizations, Greek life, and the ever-popular Uptown, collegiettes at Miami University have no shortage of fun in their lives. However, how many people think of class when asked about their favorite activities here on campus?
Most students are busy trying to squeeze in their major classes or tackle the Miami Plan, but a number of others have discovered hidden treasures tucked away in the course guide that have them excited about getting into the classroom, hitting the ice rink or taking center stage.
The Kinesiology and Health (KNH) department offers many of the nonconventional classes that students are always trying to add to their schedules. Normally, these classes fill up quickly and are hard to secure as an underclassmen, but they are well worth the wait.
If you can get into a KNH class as a freshman, they may help you carry on with an activity that you loved in high school and would like to keep up with. Senior, Colleen Monhart, said that her reason for taking Introduction to Modern Dance (KNH 110) first semester freshman year was because Miami did not offer dance as a major and the class provided “a nice transition after dancing five hours a day (in high school) to not dancing at all”. According to Colleen, the class enrolled people with all levels of experience, from freshman to seniors, which allowed her to meet a ton of new people right away. “We learned the basic moves and techniques for modern style dancing, which helped because some people had never done it before,” said Colleen, “but my favorite part was getting together in groups and doing our own choreography. That way everyone got to show their own creativity.”
For others, the idea of trying something new had them signing up for classes outside of their comfort zone. Junior, Julia Byers, ended up in the sprint course Beginner’s Ice Skating (KNH 130) when she needed a couple more hours. “I knew how to skate before, but they [will] teach you if you didn’t know how,” she said, “I took the intro class, but they also offer Intermediate and Advanced as well.” Students spend their time at the Goggin Ice Arena learning how to skate and finishing the semester being able to jump and skate backwards. Despite being a dreaded 8 AM class, Julia actually said that this time almost worked as an advantage for an active class like this. She said,” I liked getting up and (skating)… it was kind of a nice ‘mini’ morning workout.”
If you are more artistically inclined, Stage Makeup (THE 151) might be the perfect class to break up the monotony of lectures and exams. Junior, Libby Martin, had been looking for something fun and creative that she could add to her schedule and felt that taking a class based on something she already loved would be perfect. “I felt like this would not only teach me new techniques to use in my daily makeup routine, but also techniques in advanced graphic make up,” said Libby. The class involved studying and practicing makeup techniques and application for many different disciplines. This allowed for some creativity beyond the confines of eyeliner and blush. “My favorite project is when we used face molding clay to build new features on our face,” said Libby, “I actually built and applied a new nose!”
For anyone looking for a class that they will enjoy and fulfills a Miami Plan requirement (Business or science majors, anyone?), a good option is “Strength Through Cultural Diversity” (IDS 159). Junior, Brooke Berka, has had a busy schedule for the past 3 years, but said that IDS was one of her favorite classes so far. “We talked a lot about cultural issues and had some really great discussions about topics that I just had never thought about before,” she said. Brooke felt that this class was a refreshing difference in her schedule and also got a requirement out of the way– she recommends that others should try it out too!
When planning your next semester, make sure to think outside the box and try a class that defies conventional learning and pushes you past your comfort zone in exciting, new ways!