As my computer gently melts...

Crimety it's hot down here! And here I was all happy to get the upper-classmen dorms, none of which have AC or good ventilation. Blargh.
In any case, finally got the time and inclination to write something! So here you go, my thoughts on classes this semester.

First off in the morning (at 8:00 and 8:35) is Spanish. This class is going to be tough. The professor, though a really interesting woman, speaks very quickly and with very few pauses, leaving most of us scrambling just to get the gist of our assignments. It's the first class I got homework in, and none of it has been very easy. We'll have a few papers and presentations to do, but nothing too out of the ordinary. It makes me glad that this will be the last of my language requirement classes.

Next up is Bioethics, taught by my new adviser Prof. Ann Davis. She's really quite a character, very smart but always kind of addled and disorganized. I wasn't exactly sure what this class was going to be about, but a look at the books and the syllabus answered that pretty quickly. The focus is going to be on problems in the medical biology field, particularly those associated with pharmaceuticals, testing, genetic manipulation (particularly of unborn children), and profit vs. public health. The Prof. has taught some medical seminar-type courses before, and seems to be very well versed in these problems.It's pretty reading/writing intensive, but should be very interesting.

Next was Microeconomics, which I was worried about. I had heard some negative reviews of the instructor, Professor Likens, and the lack of a syllabus had me worried right off the bat. He has this kind of odd, raspy voice, and his handwriting is even worse than mine. However, about 10 minutes into the 50 minute class I was more than interested, I was hooked. We got into this great discussion/lecture about the reasons behind the difference in salary size between men and women for the same job, and he outlined all of these different categories that our reasons fell under, like biological, social 'sickness', and even unconscious. He explained this one as being the uncontrollable parts of one's life affecting one's thoughts without them knowing, like one's upbringing and environment. He made one last interesting point on this: a conservative mind will learn more than a liberal mind in a liberal arts school because their views and upbringing will be challenged and modified rather than reinforced. I'm looking forward to seeing where this class will go.

Next, after lunch and a 20 minute walk/search on the Pitzer campus was Philosophy of Science: Historical Survey. This class was a little harder to gauge than the others. It looks like we are going to examine science at its roots, like what exactly makes a scientist a scientist and how this has changed over time. Like, what makes the moonshine brewer different from the University chemist, and why? We'll look into the basis of the Scientific Method and read several different views on the 'correct' way to go about research, study, writing, and scientific process in general. Professor Keely definitely knows what he is talking about, and the class is pretty full. The unfortunate thing is that it's right in that block of time (right after lunch) where it's very tough for me to stay awake; depending on the amount of lecturing vs. discussing, I may have to start drinking tea at lunch or something. We'll see.

Last is Wellness and Fitness, a PE class. The instructor is a very nice, outgoing woman who used to be a professional tennis player and now coaches on the Pomona staff. I thought this would just be about working out and eating right, but it looks like it'll be much more than that. We'll discuss all aspects of being physically, mentally, emotionally, and even socially. We'll cover all kinds different exercises and effects, and design and follow our own workout program that takes into account our particular needs. This sounded a wee bit daunting at first, but with the way the Prof acts and from what she told us, it will be very laid-back. We'll even have guest speakers come in to talk on specific subjects of health. Hopefully I'll be able to develop somegood habits in eating and exercising here.

Aaaand that's everything! . Now, I'm going to go jump in the shower before I combust from the heat or suffocate on the smoke. Cheers!