0 0 12B - The Michigan Daily - Thursday, April 14, 2005 0 S 0 The Michigan [ Best Class|English 225: Creative Expression English 225 makes the grade, Stats fails shakennotstirred with. Ellen McGarrity THE PLACE LL MISS MOST By Amanda Shapin Daily Arts Writer With another semester coming to a close and registration underway, students will undoubtedly be asked by countless peers which classes were their favorites and which made them fall asleep the minute they sat down. One class at the University, Eng- lish 225: Argumentative Writing, which combines creativity, free expression and a comfortable atmo- sphere, will undoubtedly be passed through the lips of knowing stu- dents. English 225 instructors and students alike agree that what makes argumentative writing so interesting is that the material is all personal. Because there are many differ- ent sections to the course, students are able to write and argue what they care about, whether itl Supreme Court decisions4 marriage. Additionally, the group of students attracted be sex, or gay diverse to this class is a plus. "English 225 draws the most diverse student body in every respect - from their age to their major - which makes it a truly dynamic classroom," said English 225 instructor Peggy Adler, who has been leading the class for the past five years. While the course is required for some majors - such as sports man- agement and business - students from English, theater and other humanity majors are also drawn to the class. "Through research and writing, my student's understanding of what they care about deepens, which keeps things interesting for all of us," Adler added. Students who have taken English 225 in past semesters appear to have nothing but positive feedback on the class and its instructors. "Aric Knuth, my teacher for 225, has a fascinating way of letting people know how they are doing at accomplishing the task at hand," said LSA junior Lindsey Mossman. "His inspiration could be seen in all students' papers, and he helped our class to be more creative with our topic choices and specific argu- ments we made." Instructors each have a differ- ent style of keeping students inter- ested throughout the semester in the course. "I assign a wide variety of read- ings from newspapers, nonfiction books and magazines and also dis- cuss very current and controversial TOMMASO GOMEZ/Daily LSA freshman Doug Hurt falls asleep in Statistics 350. topics such as No Child Left Behind, Affirmative Action or the Middle East conflict," said two-year English 225 instructor Sharon Pomerantz. UiivuIsi'n O Mi CHIGAXl Jackson Role, Wyoming k~ii~m Earn Crdi..Thi.S.mmer GS1E~ nto G~,lgy ~ reei4 G$51 Evirn mrW~I Si~n~: cr~i9 ' E34Hit it f tex oke~ r~ ax'dvs'uiheu ww+oI+.uic,~ "(English 225) was probably voted the best class because of the flexibility in assignments and room for creative expression. I've taken a couple of classes that I like just as much as I like English 225," LSA junior Shauna Waino said. Worst class Although some students enjoy courses based on theories and set numbers, many find Statistics 350 and its topic tedious and simply take it to fulfill the Literature, Science and the Arts quantitative reasoning requirement or as a requirement for their majors. While the course may not be very popular, Prof. Brenda Gunderson has been given high ratings for this class (an average of 4.16 out of 5, based on The University of Michigan Office of Evaluations and Examinations Teaching Questionnaire from fall 2004). And of course, like any knowl- edgeable statistician, Gunderson has acknowledged that every survey has its faults. And while Statistics 350 may have received the vote for worst class according to Daily staffers, this might not be the true feelings of the University community. However, some students do agree with the result. "Stats 350 is all busy work and very time-consuming - not only in class time, but also time spent doing the weekly homework assignment,'' Waino said. When I graduate from this campus in just 16 short days, the thing I will miss most is the Diag and the maze of paths that lead to it. I love when I'm walking through and I come to a place where three or four paths meet and students are coming from all different directions. Some are riding a bike, some are speed-walking to their next class, and some take a slower gait while they chat with a friend. For a split second, I think it's inevitable that two of us are going to collide as we pass that meeting point - each of us at our different pace and some of us with our minds clogged with what's on the exam we're heading to - but no one ever does collide. I mean, I'm sure it happens, but not often. I love crossing the Diag early in the morning in wintertime after it has just snowed. The trees look like someone poured vanilla syrup through their branches and only a few footsteps have started to ruin the fresh snow that covers the ground. I am all bundled up with my Uggs, my Patagonia coat, my earmuffs, my scarf, my gloves - all but my face, which is exposed to the cold. I breathe in deep and the icy air hits my lungs and I almost feel like I'm choking. But then I look up at the flagpole, to the Graduate Library, then toward Rackham and the Bell Tower. I feel like all this beauty must surely have been made just for me. I love approaching the Diag at noon or late at night and discovering what campus group is there that day. Freshmen year it was Festifall with the tables covering every inch of those paths - students smiling and wanting me to choose their group to be a part of for the next four years. As a sophomore, I remember going with my Singaporean roommate for a late-night Chinese New Year cel- ebration. We feasted on moon cakes and were given pretty paper lan- terns as souvenirs. Then there are the fraternities and sororities for Greek Week - teeter-tottering for hours to raise money for some good cause. There's Goodness Day when they pass out candy and you can jump around in a ball pit like you're a kid again. And just last weekend, I passed at dusk, and a Take Back the Night rally was going on. A tear rolled down my cheek as I stopped to listen before heading on my way. I love in March when that first hot spring day hits. It might only be 60 degrees, but everyone comes out all the same. Girls in short skirts and tank tops and sandals, boys barefoot and in just khakis: some play Frisbee and some lay out to jumpstart their tan. Entire discussion sections will form circles on the lawn while they half-heartedly try to focus on the lesson for the day and whole-heart- edly enjoy the outdoors. It is truly a celebration - one that can only occur in cold places like Michigan where people learn not to take a nice warm day for granted. The Diag is the heart of this cam- pus. The students are the blood pumping through it day in and day out. We have a rhythm, an ebb and flow. Like a tide, we emerge from our classes on the hour and crash through all her pathways. Then we subside again into the buildings for more classes and the whole process begins again. It's actually extraordi- nary - this campus of students that are brought together for moments in time as they pass through the Diag. My moments are up. But I am thank- ful that if only for a brief time, I added my spirit to the flow. Ellen thanks everyone who took a moment to read her columns and hopes students will continue to pass through the Diag and enjoy its rhythm. She can be reached at emcgarri@umich.edu. WEEKEND MAGAZINE NEEDS NEW COLUMNISTS FOR NEXT SEMESTER. 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