Global Studies

Warning: If you are one of those people who hate it when people blog about how fantastic their kids are, DO NOT read this entry. Global Studies on SAS is the one course all students have on their schedules. All faculty and staff are expected to attend the course as well. Because of the nature of his job, Wade watches Global Studies in the Field Office while working, but Emma and I grabbed a seat in the piano lounge to view today’s lecture. I know you’re thinking, “you watched a lecture on the TV screen in the piano lounge?” Yes, we did. Because there are 740 college students on board, the lecture, which is delivered to a large number of folks in the Union, is piped throughout the ship to various classrooms and Classroom #3 is adjacent to the piano lounge. Emma had to sit in my lap because only one seat was open by the time we got to class (ten minutes early!) All the lectures in Global Studies will deal with history, culture, religion, geography, etc. of the Mediterranean and North Africa. This morning the instructor opened by retelling the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur. As he began the story, Emma whispered to me, “Mom, it’s the story of the birth of the Minotaur.” Then, she stayed a sentence or two ahead of him for that myth and the story of Iccarus. Much of what he had to say about ancient Greece she already knew. Then he began to talk about the Crusades, and she didn’t know as much then , but she paid close attention and asked me a couple of questions. Finally, when he discussed the defeat of the Ottomans she whispered, “and then the erected only couches from that point on.” The kid isn’t just smart, she’s also witty! There is a kids’ space during Global Studies where the children can color, etc. instead of listening to the lectures, and we’ve given Emma that option, but for now she wants to go with me to Global Studies. *sigh*