What was the most memorable class that you took just for fun?
“Ballroom dancing. I loved learning the tango!”—Denise Estes Mitchell (Col class of ’79)
“A course called something like Personal Adjustment. The course was about how life adjustments in areas such as exercise, diet and communication can make us happier and healthier. That class has had more of an impact on who I am, on how I function and on the books I write than many of the classes required for my major.”—Meg Jay (Col class of ’92)
Several alumni also mentioned History of the Circus with LaVahn Hoh. “It was amazing! Stupendous! The greatest course on Grounds!” writes Tom Baker (Col class of ’89). “After a semester of learning the logistics of traveling shows, we had to write a biography of a performer. I set my sights on a star so big that his name has entered the dictionary: Jumbo. Scrolling through microfilm reels of 19th-century newspapers, I found so many irresistible tidbits about the majestic pachyderm—such as his fondness for whiskey—that my paper swelled to quadruple the assigned length. And now, in my job with a newspaper in Japan, I have been able to instantly identify a Marinelli bend while covering Cirque du Soleil, and to ask deep questions about big-toed shoes when interviewing a Kinoshita Circus clown. It goes to show that all knowledge has value, even if learned just for fun. And that’s no humbug.” Sarah McInnes (Col class of ’02) recalls a backstage tour with Ringling Bros. in Richmond and guest lecturers such as the head of clown alley and the man who shot out of the cannon. “The class was a lot of fun and a class that built a lot of community among students.”
“Archaeology of Virginia! Saturday field trips around Albemarle, native sites, learning to identify bones!”—S. Michael Evans (Arch class of ’72)
“Introduction to Stars, Galaxies, and the Universe with Matthew Pryal.”—Gabriel Angelus Nelson (Batten class of ’25)
“Music Theory III with Professor Michael Puri, a brilliant and dynamic lecturer who had the rare ability to be open-minded while still telling us when we were completely wrong about something. I’ll never forget when he dissected the first song of Schumann’s Kinderszenen in a way that I never had understood, despite having played it before.” —Justin J. Kim (Col class of ’11, Med class of ’15)
“French literature. I was certain that I would never read these French authors unless ‘forced,’ so I was exposed to French literature for the sake of simply enjoying reading French literature in English, of course.” —Stan Lefco (Col class of ’68)
“Professor Stephen Cushman’s class on the Bible. As an engineer, the opportunity to learn about history, culture and literature through this lens was an unparalleled experience.”—Caroline McNichols (Engr class of ’19)
The class mentioned by the most alumni—spanning the 1980s to the 2000s—was History of Jazz with Scott DeVeaux. Doug Evans (Col class of ’95, Darden class of ’06) says it is still enriching his life 30-plus years later. Jasmine Hall Ratliff (Col class of ’99) says: “My dad and grandfather are huge jazz fans, so I grew up listening to the music, and taking the class was a lot of fun. I got to learn some tidbits to take home and wow them with this new knowledge. I wish I’d kept the CD collection we used for class!”
“Criminology.”—Sarah Hobbs (Col class of ’01)
“The Tyranny of Fashion. It addressed how clothing was used to suppress women’s power throughout history and in various cultures. We discussed Chinese foot binding, genital mutilation, corsets, long skirts and other attire that practically restricted women’s physical movement. One of my most vivid memories was the Barbie class where we talked about the fact that the doll’s proportions were impossible to attain/sustain in human form. And this of course led to commentary about the standardized ideal of beauty in the U.S. and how flawed that was. A woman was so incensed that she actually got up and yelled ‘F#$% YOU BARBIE!’ and ran out of the class. I’ll never forget that!”—Arlova Jackson Vonhm (Col class of ’96)
“Fall of the Roman Republic. When Professor Meyer announced that weekly fake Roman elections would be held for a full-letter-grade boost on the final, the bribing and betrayal began. By the time our study sessions devolved into re-creations of the Ides of March, it had become a truly unique experience!”—Annie von Dohlen (Col class of ’27)
“The Dracula J-Term class was one of the most fascinating classes that I took at UVA. The professor, Stanley Stepanic, is larger than life and lives and breathes Slavic folklore and all things Dracula. He even has a collection of vampire-related kitsch, such as Count Chocula packaging, that he liked to show us during class. I think back to it often, and it’s made me want to visit Transylvania in Romania to see Bran Castle in real life.”—Caroline Stratos (Col class of ’21)
“The History of Sex! I’ll never forget that the graham crackers we know and still love today were named after a Minister Graham who invented them to quell lusty urges and masturbation.” —Emily Bittner (née Russell) (Col class of ’08)
“A film class: Love & Dating in the ’90s. My favorite thing about it was the introduction to older movies. The class watched and compared movies like When Harry Met Sally and An Affair to Remember, which I’d never seen. I was quite moved by it. Today, as a poet, author and English professor, I marvel at the diversity of courses that were available to me as a student at UVA in the early ’90s.”—Latorial Faison (Col class of ’95)
“Zen Buddhism. I remember coming into the lecture hall one day and the professor turning the lights low and playing ‘Shambala’ by the Beastie Boys. I thought it was so cool that this older professor would play a song from one of my favorite bands and albums at the time!”—Clarice Zusky (Col class of ’04, Arch class of ’10)
“Arts of the Buddhist World. Professor Ehnbom was amazing. Lots of my prior exposure to art history had been pretty squarely focused on the Western canon. Eastern cultures are rarely mentioned. So the Buddhist art history class was eye-opening, learning about the super-rich histories of all these different nations that had Buddhism as a major presence over many centuries.”—Rob Edwards (Col class of ’16)
“Symbolic logic, a philosophy course that really taught logical thought and analysis. These skills have been useful in all aspects of my life!”—Jeff McGowin (Col class of ’79)
“Introduction to Mindfulness with Sam Green. The class was ahead of its time with mindfulness, relaxation and meditation techniques. I still remember (and use) the body scan technique. And of course I can’t forget the ‘mindful eating’ class, taking 20 minutes to eat a single almond!”—Luke Secosky (Com class of ’12)
“Intermediate Cinematography.”—Shuqi Jiang (Engr class of ’24)
