Hidden gems

Not that I need to remind you, but Duke is an innovative and progressive place. Our academics here are not only world-class but incredibly inventive as well. A variety of disciplines are constantly joining forces to tackle relevant and intriguing problems. Since I just registered for classes this morning, I decided to highlight some of the more captivating courses I have taken so far here at Duke. I hope that this list will help as you frantically search for what to take when all of your preferred courses undoubtedly fill up.

Women's Studies 124/ Robotics 66: Robot Sexuality: What a wealth of information I learned in this class. Even in just the first day I learned that yes, C3PO is gay and that no, this information does not make Star Wars any more interesting.

The final project required each student to construct his or her own robot. Mine could compute a variety of functions and generate complex algorithms. But perhaps most importantly, it could watch, and even enjoy, episodes of Will and Grace. Also, through some highly intricate programming, my robot can actually tell me what not to wear.

Music 75/ Biology 42: Is there something wrong with a little bump and grind? Sure, the class sounds intimidating, but the answer is actually pretty simple: R. Kelly was right. Through a variety of approaches, we all discovered that there is absolutely nothing wrong with a little bump and grind. Students reviewed the significant amount of medical evidence that supports this conclusion. Also covered in the class were the most efficient ways to bring sexy back.

Political Science 268: Game-Spitting Theory: I have to warn you that this is an advanced-level class and should only be taken by the students who are most confident in their ability to attract the opposite sex. Much of the course was dedicated to the art of the pick-up line, from the simple ("So, you come here often?") to the more complex and intricate ("If I said you had a nice body, would you hold it against me?"). Guest lecturers included esteemed linguistics professor Noam Chomsky, celebrated sex therapist Dr. Ruth and veritable tool Spencer Pratt from MTV's The Hills (I really don't like the guy, but you still have to admire his work). Expect challenging tests, rigorous homework and frequently getting drinks thrown in your face.

Psychology 137: Annoying Your Friends: For those of you who love to be alone, this is the class for you. I learned so many effective methods to thoroughly bother my friends, like how to tell my roommate that his hesitation while ordering at The Loop reflects an overall inability to commit, a characteristic that will certainly leave him sad and alone. Also, be sure to remind your friends how their tendency to drink milk reveals an unconscious need for motherly attention that must not have been satisfied when they were young. I got an "A" in the course, mostly because I didn't have any distractions, or company for that matter, during finals. Those of you interested in taking this class should feel especially inclined to take my final, and favorite, class.

English 184: Advanced Pretentiousness: What's that you say, you haven't read Fitzgerald's The Beautiful and the Damned? You can't recite Marvell's "To his Coy Mistress" off the top of your head? Then how do you wake up in the morning? You may be different, but for educated people like me, we simply need literature to get us through life. You may find television or friendship more interesting, and I am not saying that's a bad thing. Wait. I am saying that is a bad thing. I know that I would simply die without a constant sense of reflection, for as a wise man once said, "There is no right or wrong, but thinking makes it so." But you wouldn't know who said that, so I'll tell you. It was Shakespeare. Do you know who he is?

Jordan Axt is a Trinity sophomore. His column runs every other Friday.