The Beginning of the End!

We begin our spring semester here at Harvard tomorrow! YAY!!! This will be the first day of my final semester here at this crazy, whack job place!

Among the weird things Harvard does differently, because, well, it's Harvard, is we don't actually choose our classes until after classes begin. I know, this sounds crazy...and it is. The idea is that you get to go to a variety of classes the first week (which is called Shopping Period) and learn about them, the requirements, etc. (I could go on a tirade about American Capitalist Consumer Culture, but that would make me sound like a Harvard student...and we can't have that!).

The idea of a Shopping Period sounds good in theory (article: Shopping Frenzy: An Honored Tradition). The problem, though, is that professors begin teaching on the first day of classes. The Shopping Period implies that if there are, say, two classes you are interested in that meet on Monday & Wednesday at 11 you should be able to attend one class on Monday and the other on Tuesday and then make an informed decision...sounds good, right? Well, in actuality, the professors begin teaching from day one...so that means you either miss day one of Class 2 or day two of Class 1 before you figure out which one you want. The system, IMHO, sounds great in theory but falls woefully short in reality.

Anyway, I've already mentioned I'm taking a class at Weston Jesuit School of Theology called Theology of Culture. At Harvard, I'm planning on taking a class on museums called Exhibiting Cultures, which promises trips to museums in New York and Boston (YAY! field trips in grad school!), and then I need two more classes and I'm split between three classes:

• History of Harvard and Its Presidents (which is taught by Rev. Peter Gomes who is a friggin' Rock Star!)
• African American Religious History-Part II (I took the first part last semester and really like the professor, Wallace Best)
• Religion in America from 1865 to the 1970s (which is taught by Robert Orsi who've I've heard nothing but good stuff about)

So, all three of these classes meet tomorrow--amazingly at different times, so I'll actually be able to do the whole shopping thing--which means I should know which two of the three I'll be taking by tomorrow night.

But, by far, the best part of the new semester is that it is my last semester here!

F R E E D O M ! ! ! !

Thanks Be to God and Boomer Sooner
Feast of St. Hyacintha of Mariscotti

The coolest thing...

I've got one more final due tomorrow...YAY!!! I have about 6-7 more pages to go on it and then I'll be finished with the fall semester here.

But, there's no rest for the wicked holy (HA!)...while HDS doesn't start classes again until Jan. 31 I'm taking a class over at Weston Jesuit School of Theology and it starts on Monday. I guess I'm just a glutton for punishment. The class looks really interesting though:

ST 374~~Theology of Culture
Professor: Dominic Doyle
How does the study of culture, which integrates the various branches of inquiry into human meaning, challenge and invigorate theological reflection? Through lecture and discussion, this course explores how the rise of cultural studies transforms the nature and purpose of theology. Readings from authors such as: H. R. Niebuhr, Kathryn Tanner, Charles Taylor, Jon Sobrino, Aloysius Pieris, Benezet Bujo, Nicholas Boyle, William Cavanaugh, Robert Schreiter, and Judith Perkins.
~~~
In other cool news: I noticed this cool add on that lets you hover over a link on your blog and it brings a small window up that lets you see a preview of the site being linked to. After seeing it on several blogs I read I finally found the instructions for it here:

Mulier Fortis
Oh wow! I commented on the fact that several blogs hosted by Wordpress had the really snazzy ability to "see" another webpage by hovering the cursor over the link.

The Dúnadan has obviously been exploring, because he discovered how to do it too... and he was kind enough to put up the information for the rest of us (and gave me a mention in the process!)

The code can be found on the Snap.com website (and they tell you where it goes as well, so you don't need to be afraid of the big bad html beastie that lurks behind every template!!)I promise you, it's easy as pie... try hovering over some of my links, just to prove it!

Totally free, and oh so cool!

Thanks Be to God and Boomer Sooner!
Feast of St. Charles of Sezze