By By Adam LoBelia
Summer is the time for students to enjoy the warm sun and breezy beaches, but the University’s unique summer session courses are coaxing many students back into the classroom.
From May 31 to Aug. 26, undergraduate and graduate students can take advantage of courses not available during the academic year or at other universities.
The various areas of contemporary society will be explored in classes such as “Italian Americans in Popular Culture,” which will include a study of “The Sopranos” and Madonna. The English Department is also offering a course on how “The Simpsons” have parodied works of American literature.
Honors college is offering three courses on examining reality television: “Media and the Village,” “Romancing the Real Reality and Media” and “Getting Real on TV.” These courses will include guest lectures by the executive producer of “The Real World,” Jonathan Murray; and Marc Miller, professor of media at New York University.
A major attraction for some students is the exclusive class in archeological field methods, taught by Professor Chris Matthews.
This class is a continuation from last year, where Matthews’ class worked on an excavation at the Rufus King Manor in Jamaica, Queens.
This course provides a hands-on experience for archeology students who have the opportunity to explore the site’s history and its relevance to the issue of slavery in old New York.
New York City is the focus of several interesting courses, including an architecture class that will allow students to stroll around the city examining its designs. There will also be studies on exhibits in the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art.
The University also offers its renowned summer writing workshops, which are in their 32nd year.
“The professors who are selected are specialists in their fields,” Janet Kaplan, director of the workshops, said. “Either [in] poetry or fiction or novels.”
Unlike regular semester writing workshops,the program offers students greater interaction with professors and the chance to work in a “professional writing experience.”
Aside from those special offerings, the summer sessions allow students to pursue most of the courses available in the spring and fall semesters, including core classes and entry level classes, Karin Spencer, dean of advisement, said.