The Justice

NOT SOMETHING YOU LEARN EVERY DAY: David Guerette '08, instructor of the Communiversity class "Electronic Music Production," demonstrates how to use a unique music software.

"Star Fleet officers do not bribe other Star Fleet officers. They just don't do that," says Jared Fujii '11, while teaching "The Ethics and Social Commentary of Star Trek," one of 23 Communiversity classes the Student Union is offering this semester.

Only one pupil has shown up to today's weekly, hourlong session on Star Trek, hosted in a basement classroom in Schwartz, and Fujii screens an episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine for most of the class time.

Yet Fujii's dedication to his subject does not suffer for lack of an audience.

"How familiar are you with the Dominion War?" he asks his lone listener. A prospective history major, Fujii draws a comparison between the diplomatic strategies depicted in the episode and World War II's Non-Aggression Pact.

Even though this philosophically based Star Wars class may not be the typical Communiversity offering in many regards, it does speak to at least two common threads in many programs offered: a relaxed atmosphere and a small class size. These two qualities, many students say, are exactly what make Communiversity work.

Although 318 students are currently signed up for Communiversity courses, many registered participants never actually attend the classes.

While 18 students enrolled in "Time Management for Dummies," taught by Jordan Rothman '09, about 13 have never showed up. Only six or seven of the 13 students signed up for Juggling 101, taught by Daniel Weisz '09, appeared at the first class; Weisz says attendance has dwindled even further since then. Weisz taught the class in 2006 as well and says attendance that year was higher and more consistent.

Still, those who do attend Communiversity classes appreciate the small turnouts, which make for intimate, laid-back settings.

"It's fun because it's really informal," says Emilie Schuler '11 who attends the "Knitting 101" class. Despite being an experienced knitter, Schuler goes because she enjoys the communal atmosphere. The five knitters present at one session chat about campus movie screenings and the upcoming housing lottery as they practice their purl stitches in Hassenfeld Conference Center.

Continued...

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