Flyby Exclusive: Monday's Hottest Classes

You've probably heard about most of these classes by now, but chances are you couldn't personally make it to each. Have no fear—we at Flyby made the rounds on this hectic first day of Shopping Week. We're here to give you details from some of Monday's most crowded lecture halls. So much for Pre-Term Planning!

United States in the World 26: "Sex and the Citizen: Race, Gender, and Belonging in the United States"

This Gen Ed may have had up to 200 students attend the first lecture, according to Caroline Light, who teaches the course and is also the director of studies for Women, Gender, and Sexuality.

Many students could not fit into the classroom, and after class all 200 syllabi had been picked up, despite the fact that Pre-Term Planning data had indicated that around 140 were interested in the course, Light said. Light doesn't plan to lottery the course, so all interested students should be able to enroll.

History of Science 125: "'Moneyball' Nation: Science and the Making of Modern America"

Adam M. Butensky '13 is a pre-med student and club baseball player. He said his interests found their match with this course, which explores how mathematical models have been used to make decisions and evaluations—such as in baseball.

Butensky was impressed by the first lecture, which he said had too many students to sit in chairs. He estimated that about 100 students had come to the first lecture of the course.

Government 10: "Foundations of Political Theory"

Eric Beerbohm, Frederick S. Danziger Associate Professor of Government and of Social Studies, estimated that his introductory government class had about 120 attendees at the first lecture. Last spring, only 23 students took the course.

Beerbohm, who has taught the course for four years now, will not be teaching it next spring, as he will be on sabbatical. He speculated that the high interest in the class Monday might be a result of students becoming more interested in political theory because of the current American political climate.

English 170a: "High and Low in Postwar America"

English professor Louis Menand's course on fictional literature is new this year, and its debut was marked with a full classroom—and interested students spilling into the hallway. Pre-Term Planning data had suggested that about 35 students were interested in taking the course, Menand said, but over 100 showed up on Monday.