Advisers might pave the best path for students to follow their major, but where’s the fun in that? Prerequisite courses like WRT 105: ‘Studio 1 Academic Writing’ are great and all, but rarely are they useful for students’ loftier ambitions. Instead of thinking about what might meet requirements or fill up electives, these classes help students fill the shoes of today’s top icons in the sports, entertainment and, yes, even the crime-fighting industries.

ECN 101: ‘Introductory Microeconomics’ + MEE 416: ‘Mechanical Engineering Laboratory’ = Iron Man

So your thirst for justice is only rivaled by your mechanical prowess? Try out the mechanical engineering lab, where the fundamental principles behind armor construction are established. Sure, the lab only starts with students building refrigerators and air-conditioning systems, but all future superheroes have to start at square one. Of course, armored avenging is not cheap these days, so be sure to rake in as much money as possible. To gain the entrepreneurial savvy of Tony Stark, take the introduction to microeconomics. While the most basic level of business and marketing won’t leave students ready to be chief executive officer of Stark Industries, they will be equipped with the tools to create their own fledgling enterprises and resources.

— Compiled by Flash Steinbeiser, feature editor, ansteinb@syr.edu

RTN 205: ‘Discovering the News’ + TRF 422: ‘Comedy Writing’ = Jon Stewart

Being a news anchor is one job, but being a funny news anchor is another beast entirely. For understanding the fundamentals of broadcast journalism, enroll in RTN 205: ‘Discovering the News.’ Students step out of their comfort zone with a hands-on approach, said Josh Schneider-Weiler, a sophomore broadcast journalism major. ‘We went to a spaghetti supper at this Catholic school and the teacher was like, ‘Here you are, go interact and mingle with the politicians,” Schneider-Weiler said. ‘You had to be outgoing, otherwise you were going to just stand there.’ Once that pesky news is out of the way, students can have fun with the comedy writing class. Students find their inner hilarity through round-table writing. ‘You’re honing your abilities to build comedic elements into a story, find the humor in situations, carve out lean and funny jokes,’ said Evan Smith, who teaches comedy writing. ‘It’s all useful.’

— Compiled by Flash Steinbeiser, feature editor, ansteinb@syr.edu

PED 261: ‘Golf’ + CFS 388: ‘Human Sexuality’ = Tiger Woods

Quite possibly the only thing golfing and human sexuality have in common is a liking by Tiger Woods. All aspiring golfers need to know some essentials before hitting the green … and the little black book. PED 261: ‘Golf’ literally puts students in the field as students practice their golf swings, along with other basic golfing techniques. ‘We went over to the range at the Drumlins,’ said Bill Mich, a senior broadcast journalism major. ‘You’re there to work on your swing for an hour … and after a while, you definitely saw improvement.’ Naturally, one can’t be a successful athlete without being sexually apt as well. For all things promiscuous, ‘Human Sexuality’ entertains and informs students with the basics on how ‘sex, love, relationships and lust fit into their lives,’ said Joseph Fanelli, the class’s professor. Sex rehab not included.

— Compiled by Flash Steinbeiser, feature editor, ansteinb@syr.edu

ANT 141: ‘Introduction to Archaeology and Prehistory’ + DRA 220: ‘Introduction to Scene Study’ = Indiana Jones

So you think you can pull off a bullwhip and fedora hat? Then maybe you should take ANT 141: ‘Introduction to Archaeology and Prehistory.’ Taught by SU’s own Dr. Henry Jones, Dr. Christopher DeCorse’s class normally has field trips to museums and sometimes even mock archeological digs. ‘I see the field trips as a way of exposing people to archaeology in a way that you can’t experience in the classroom,’ he said.

For any actor, Harrison Ford included, the most essential part of being on film includes understanding what goes on inside a character’s head. ‘It’s cool to learn how to embody the character learning all the fundamentals of it,’ said Lizzy Palmer, a junior musical theater major. The class is built on giving a budding actor the fundamentals to both modern and classical drama. ‘By the end of a speech or monologue, a character has to change in some way,’ Palmer said.

— Compiled by Andy Swab, asst. feature editor, ajswab@syr.edu
      

HST 341/PSC 329: ‘Modern American Presidency’ + PRL 325: ‘Public Relations Campaigns’ = Barack Obama

There’s no class preparation for riding Air Force One, encountering gate-crashing guests or inviting the prime minister of India to the White House. Instead, HST 341: ‘Modern American Presidency’ is a class that deeply analyzes every president since Franklin D. Roosevelt. The most interesting part of the course deals with unexpected political events, said Margaret Thompson, the course instructor. The class details the rise and fall of presidents and ‘everything from scandals to a national tragedy,’ she said.
     
Students actually take on a public relations campaign from Syracuse-based clients in PRL 325: ‘Public Relations Campaigns.’ Future alumni could even create the next ‘Obama for America’ campaign. ‘Students take what they’re learning and actually apply it to a real-life situation,’ said Brenda Wrigley, department chair of public relations.

— Compiled by Andy Swab, asst. feature editor, ajswab@syr.edu

ADV 200: ‘The Best Ads’ + HPM 422: ‘Beer & Wine Appreciation’ = Don Draper of ‘Mad Men’

Madison Avenue during the 1960s is glamorized on the hit AMC show ‘Mad Men.’ In ADV 200: ‘The Best Ads,’ potential executives looking to take three martini breaks with beautiful secretaries have found the right place. James Tsao, chair of the advertising department at SU, said this class is devoted to ‘the history, the strategy, the success, the failure’ of advertising.

For students still set on midday drinking, ‘HPM 422: Beer & Wine Appreciation’ teaches the finer points of how to distinguish a sweet Riesling from a dry Chardonnay.  ‘Basically, you get to go to class and drink, which is awesome,’ said April Hirsch, a senior advertising design major. Happy hour is every hour in this class, as students learn about the flavor, variances and techniques of wine- and beer-making. ‘My friends made sure I sat down on the end of the row so I could get extra samples,’ Hirsch said.

— Compiled by Andy Swab, asst. feature editor, ajswab@syr.edu

HNR 340: ‘Myth and the Modern Epic: Star Wars, Wagner and Tolkien’ + TRF 255: ‘Introduction to Writing and Producing’ = George Lucas

Learning about the Galactic Republic, Ewoks, elves and all-important rings might seem like the class to take with friends while playing ‘World of Warcraft.’ Instead of just ‘geeking out,’ the course is about deconstructing important works of literature. ‘I want to look at them with the seriousness that I believe they deserve,’ said Stephen Meyer, the professor of the course, in an e-mail.

After Lucas created his vision for a ‘Star Wars’ film, the actual production had to start somewhere. That somewhere could have been TRF 255: ‘Introduction to Writing and Producing.’ If future filmmakers want to shoot scenes of the Millennium Falcon entering hyperspace or want to write epic dialogue, this is the class to take. ‘It gives me a lot of room to be very creative because it gets rid of a lot of restrictions,’ said Jillian Mizner, a sophomore television, radio and film major.

— Compiled by Andy Swab, asst. feature editor, ajswab@syr.edu

     
EEE 370: ‘Introduction to Entrepreneurship’ + MAR 255: ‘Principles of Marketing’ = Jamie Dimon

The EEE program at SU is ranked sixth in the country, so Alexander McKelvie, an assistant professor of entrepreneurship and emerging enterprises, said students can expect to learn a lot from professors who are experienced in the subject. Students may even learn enough to wind up being the next CEO of JPMorgan Chase & Co. Robert Probert, an adjunct professor of entrepreneurship, said the course prepares students for the reality of life. Students can expect to learn the process of developing a business for themselves and the creative aspects of realizing their passions. ‘It’s not something you may use right away,’ Probert said. ‘It may be later in life that you use the kind of skills we teach.’

In ‘Principles of Marketing,’ students can learn about marketing analysis and how to determine different factors that complete a successful marketing plan. ‘I would definitely recommend the class,’ said Emily Ralph, a sophomore marketing major. ‘It always keeps my interest.’

— Compiled by Rebecca Toback, asst. feature editor, rltoback@syr.edu
     
     
IST 195: ‘Information Technologies’ + CRS 225: ‘Public Advocacy’ = Steve Jobs

With Apple making waves in the technology industry, now is the time to start creating sleek and innovative gadgets. Teaching a different topic each week, Jeffrey Rubin, an assistant professor of practice and information technologies, said students will learn enough to understand the basics of computer hardware, software, databases, networking, security and Web design in the class. ‘This is a course really for everybody,’ Rubin said. ‘We’re in the information age, and every student coming out of college today needs to understand fundamentals of information technology.’

After a student creates the next iPad, they need two things: a black turtleneck sweater and presentational skills. Luckily, CRS 225: ‘Public Advocacy’ may help with the latter. The class comes with a heavy course load, but the grading is pretty easy, said Jon Harris, a freshman magazine journalism and political science major.

— Compiled by Rebecca Toback, asst. feature editor, rltoback@syr.edu

Published on April 5, 2010 at 12:00 pm