Artsy courses offered this spring semester
Another course registration period has come upon us, but no worries: To help you consider your options, the Thresher has compiled a list of new, unique courses offered this spring semester.
COLL 157: Explicable Fanomena: An Examination of Fandom with Sarah Motteler
From The Beatles to Genshin Impact, COLL 157 raises the question, “How does analyzing fandom enhance one’s engagement with these communities?” Students will explore the emerging field of fandom studies and examine how fan communities can be both positive and inflammatory. The course will culminate in producing a fan work informed by discussions of “fanomena,” or fandom phenomena.
COLL 157 will be offered from 8 to 8:50 p.m. on Thursdays.
ARTS 238; 002: Poetics of Science with Ella Rosenblatt
ARTS 238; 002 is an interdisciplinary course that places the seemingly disparate fields of art and science in direct conversation. Students will explore how creative practices can be informed by science, through creative writing, language art, digital media and beyond.
ARTS 238 002 fulfills a Science and Technology Studies minor credit and will be offered from 4 to 5:15 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays.
AAAS/HIST 349: Black Life Behind the Iron Curtain with Nana Osei-Opare
For centuries, Black people have been a part of Central and Eastern European societies, with figures like Alexander Pushkin — widely regarded as Russia’s greatest poet — tracing their roots to African ancestry. AAAS/HIST 349 examines the lives and experiences of Black communities behind the “Iron Curtain,” exploring why they migrated to this region, their contributions within these societies and the challenges they faced.
AAAS/HIST 349 will be offered from 2:30 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
JAPA 238: Japanese Voices on the Margins: Japanese Language in Community, Media, and Art with Mamiko Suzuki
Who belongs and who does not? Language often holds an answer. JAPA 238 examines how practices of inclusion and exclusion are shaped by the Japanese language. Students will explore how language reflects and reshapes social boundaries, creating in-groups and out-groups.
JAPA 238 will be offered from 4 to 5:15 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays.
ASIA/MDHM 216: Quacks and Wonder Drugs: A History of Medicine in China with Chang Xu
From herbal remedies and acupuncture to quackery and ritual healing, ASIA/MDHM 216 examines how diverse healing practices have shaped China’s medical landscape throughout history. Students will learn to think outside the pill bottle as they reconsider “medicine.”
ASIA/MDHM 216 fulfills a Distribution I and Medical Humanities minor credit and will be offered from 1 to 1:50 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
ANTH 350: Bad Language and Semiotic Crimes with Ilana Gershon
Words can offend, break laws and even lead to war — why? In ANTH 350, students will explore why certain ways of speaking are considered “bad language,” from insults to obscenities to slang. Through a cross-cultural lens, students will examine the ways in which these “semiotic crimes” emerge and are policed.
ANTH 350 fulfills a Distribution II credit and will be offered from 10:50 a.m. to 12:05 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
More from The Rice Thresher
Rice accepts 13% of record-setting ED applications
Rice accepted 13.2% of Early Decision applicants in its first round of admissions for the class of 2029, said Yvonne Romero da Silva, vice president for enrollment. With 2,970 total applicants, this year saw yet another record-high; a 3% increase from last year’s previous high of 2,886. An additional 100 students gained admission through the Questbridge National College Match program, an uptick from last year’s 77.
Students reject divestment proposals
The student body voted to pass S.REF 01, which asks the Rice Management Company to disclose all of its holdings investments, but rejected the remaining divestment proposals. While every ballot measure gained a majority of votes in favor, the remaining three did not achieve the two-thirds majority required to pass.
Student organizations form coalition to support SA referenda
Four Student Association referenda open for the general student body vote today at noon. The referenda call for disclosure of Rice Management Company holdings and divestment from entities that profit off the Israel-Hamas war. The referenda also ask that Rice release a statement condemning genocide and materially support anti-colonial scholarship. Voting will close Dec. 11 at noon and the results will be published the next day. For the referenda to pass, a two-thirds majority with a 20% student body turnout is needed.
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