Best classes to join during add/drop period

Spring is here, but that doesn’t mean you’re not still panicking to figure out your schedule. 

Most students may have a heavy workload already and are looking for classes that are more enjoyable rather than tedious. We’ve compiled some classes that are not only worthwhile to take, but won’t feel so burdensome once midterm and final exams season hits. This list should come in handy after UB extended the spring semester add/drop deadline to 11:59 p.m. on Thursday.

MUS 265: Rock Music

Is “Wonderwall” your favorite song? Do you still think Steely Danis a progressive artist? Do you hate modern pop music and wish there were more power chords on the radio?

Don’t worry, UB has the course for you. 

Rock Music, a three-credit course, takes place in Knox 104 this semester. It covers everything from genre influences, subcultures, rock aesthetics and more. The course covers a wide variety of topics from pioneers like Chuck Berry to the fashion of T. Rex and David Bowie. The class acts as a great starting point to get familiar with the wide array of music the genre offers, even for those unfamiliar with rock. Associate professor and music department chair Jonathan Golove teaches the class this semester. It meets Wednesdays from 7 p.m. to 9:40 p.m..

COM 492: Sexual Communication

Marvin Gaye once said, “Let’s get it on.” Now it’s your chance to truly understand what he meant —with COM 492. In what has famously been dubbed by UB students as “sex com,” students are offered a chance to look at how sex is communicated in society. The class looks at a wide range of subjects, from different types of porn to methods people use to communicate sex. The unique subjects help to make a more unique and engaging class. The three-credit course is online this spring and associate professor Lance Rintamaki teaches it.

SOC 211: Sociology of Diversity

If studying how different races, genders, religions and cultures interact sounds interesting to you, look no further. 

SOC 211 discusses material from diversity of thought, gender, race, religion, disability, etc. The class opens the conversation on current diversity issues, while using more modern tools like Ted Talks and music videos. The course goes into an array of topics in an attempt to discuss diversity in a more detailed light. The three-credit class is offered on Mondays and Wednesdays from 5-6:20 p.m. and Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 11-11:50 a.m. Associate professor Brenda Moore and graduate assistant Shiyue Cui are teaching this course.

ENG 381: The Buffalo Film Seminars

If you ever wanted to go to a movie theater, watch a whole movie and somehow earn class credit, this class is for you. The Buffalo Film Seminars have been going strong for over a decade, showing films at the Amherst Theater near South Campus. Distinguished professors Bruce Jackson and Diane Christian teach the three-credit class. The class consists of film accompanied by an opening and closing discussion on the film every Tuesday night at 7 p.m. This semester’s series includes “Elite Squad,” “The Royal Tenenbaums,” “Vagabond” and more. Class members have an admission card for the seminar, with response papers due for each movie throughout the semester. 

DMS 410: Non Fiction Film

Are the superhero movies coming out of Hollywood just not doing it for you anymore? Maybe you should try a class that studies film that comes from everyday life.

DMS 410 offers a strong lineup of documentaries for students to examine in terms of the art form and how social knowledge is shared. The course focuses on films from the 1970s to the present, giving a unique look into how visuals provoke awareness. English professor Daniel Colleran is instructing the four-credit course, which meets Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 12:50 p.m. in the Center for the Arts.

Thomas Zafonte is the senior features editor and can be reached at thomas.zafonte@ubspectrum.com and on Twitter @Thomas_Spectrum

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