What is the best class you’ve taken at the Mount?
Jordan Chila, 31, Professional Writing, Editor-in-Chief:
I have two that I’ve really enjoyed since being at MWCC. The first is the Journalism 1 class that I took with Professor Fuller. My second class that I really liked—which I didn’t think I was going to, to be quite honest—was my Speech class that I took with Professor Steele.
Elysian Alder, 27, Professional Writing, Editor-in-Chief:
I think that the class that has had the biggest impact on me as a whole was also Professor Fuller’s Journalism 1, and 2, and 3 class, but especially Journalism 1. But I think one of the best organized classes I’ve taken was last spring, and it was Professor Roche’s Massachusetts Poets class. I also really liked Women’s Literature, with Professor Pitkiewicz.
Princess Yeboah, 19, Professional Writing, Assistant Editor:
I have to agree with both of you when you both said Journalism 1. That has to be one of my favorite classes I’ve taken at the Mount. And another favorite is one I’m taking right now, and it’s Professor Valois’ Creative Writing class.
Vana Mangiarelli, 29, Professional Writing, Assistant Editor:
I agree with you on Creative Writing, Princess. I think Professor Valois’ class gets the organization award for me, but another class that I really liked, in terms of those that made an impact on me, was Environmental Science with Professor Conn.
Why?
Jordan Chila, 31, Professional Writing, Editor-in-Chief:
I enjoyed learning a whole new aspect and background of writing that I didn’t really think about before. Professor Fuller did a great job teaching the class, and I think that she does really well relating to her students and listening to their needs.
Elysian Alder, 27, Professional Writing, Editor-in-Chief:
For sure. I think a lot of the feedback and support that she constantly gave me and the confidence that she had—and still has—in me and my writing…it was like nothing else. It’s so crazy for someone to have as much faith in me as she does. It made a huge difference in the class experience for me, plus—not to be cheesy—I think it’s just generally been life-changing.
Princess Yeboah, 19, Professional Writing, Assistant Editor:
Same. I love Katie [Fuller] so much. She has this way of pushing you—if she sees you have a great story idea or even just the beginning of one, or something you’re interested in, she’ll literally track you down and encourage you to pursue it. She’s passionate.
Jordan Chila, 31, Professional Writing, Editor-in-Chief:
Passionate…exactly. I think the way to determine if a class is good is your professor and the people you’re taking it with. If you find like-minded people in your class, you’re going to really enjoy it. For me, Journalism 1 had both.
Elysian Alder, 27, Professional Writing, Editor-in-Chief:
I’m curious, Jordan, why Speech, too?
Jordan Chila, 31, Professional Writing, Editor-in-Chief:
I didn’t think I was going to enjoy it, to be quite honest. But Professor Steele was a great teacher—very laid back, but her expectations were clear. It was another new learning process for writing, and since that’s my major, I really enjoyed learning that aspect and gaining the confidence to give those kinds of speeches when I probably wouldn’t have been as comfortable doing it before.
Princess Yeboah, 19, Professional Writing, Assistant Editor:
That’s kind of how I felt about Journalism. The more I started getting involved in it, the more it really stepped me out of my comfort zone because I had to go out and talk to people. But you also just get to do your own thing, which I think is really cool.
Vana Mangiarelli, 29, Professional Writing, Assistant Editor:
I’m taking Journalism next semester, so now I’m excited to see how it is.
Elysian Alder, 27, Professional Writing, Editor-in-Chief:
Humble Katie is totally going to hate reading all of these nice things we’ve said about her and her class, I can tell you that much. But you said Environmental Science with Professor Conn was your pick, right?
Vana Mangiarelli, 29, Professional Writing, Assistant Editor:
Yep! It was a rigorous course that involved a lot of video watching and article reading, but I think that’s a very good way to approach environmental concepts. Professor Conn gives you these really good avenues that you get to dig into and research with. I feel like it’s also had one of the biggest impacts on me of any course that I’ve taken at this college.
Elysian Alder, 27, Professional Writing, Editor-in-Chief:
Would you say that that’s like a personal life impact?
Vana Mangiarelli, 29, Professional Writing, Assistant Editor:
Oh, yeah. I just feel like so much of what we learned stuck with me in a way that other courses maybe haven’t. The material sticks, but with history, you learn about something that happened a billion years ago, but with environmental science, it’s ongoing. It’s something I can actually contribute to. And I was astonished by how little I knew. You think you know, ‘Okay, don’t use plastic,’ but then you learn about microplastics in the water, the impact of PFAs, and even the chemicals in scented candles and air fresheners. The depth of knowledge that should be right there but isn’t—it’s crazy.
Any honorable mentions?
Elysian Alder, 27, Professional Writing, Editor-in-Chief:
Going back to the Massachusetts Poets class with Professor Roche last spring…I thought that she did such an amazing job organizing it, researching it, and making it as engaging as possible. Poetry isn’t usually my thing, but I came away from that class with a changed perspective on it. That’ll probably be one of the most memorable classes for me.
Jordan Chila, 31, Professional Writing, Editor-in-Chief:
I think it’s super important, especially with online learning, that everything needs to be really organized and put together and thought out. Otherwise, students just don’t know what to do. There’s so much controversy on using Blackboard because it’s so hard to use. So having something that’s really organized and helpful makes everything so much easier.
Vana Mangiarelli, 29, Professional Writing, Assistant Editor:
Definitely. Like Creative Writing is best organized for me. [Professor Valois’] teaching style and the way she organizes things on Blackboard really target the obstacles for creatives. She gives time in class to write, but also provides space for people to post whatever they’re working on, even if it’s not the assignment. She meets with us [for the independent study] weekly, and she requires discussion in addition to what we do in class. And she gives poignant, thoughtful feedback.
Princess Yeboah, 19, Professional Writing, Assistant Editor:
I love the way Michelle [Valois] teaches and always helps to improve our work. You can write your own stuff, and she gives you time to just sit and do it. It’s crazy how much creativity you can have in just a few minutes. The things I’ve written — sometimes I just think, ‘Wow, did I really write that?’
Elysian Alder, 27, Professional Writing, Editor-in-Chief:
Yeah, this Creative Writing class is probably going to be the one that impacts me the most as a creative person, in my personal writing career.
Jordan Chila, 31, Professional Writing, Editor-in-Chief:
I also ended up liking History of the United States I, with Professor Morris. It was kind of tedious, but I liked it. We had to read the textbook from start to finish, and it was the first time I’ve ever done that. It was kind of an accomplishment in itself, because I’m like, ‘Holy crap. I’ve never even done that. Who does that?’
Jordan Chila, 31, Professional Writing, Editor-in-Chief:
I feel like I’ve taken so many things here, and I can pinpoint certain things I really got from each one. Like, ‘Oh, I like this’ or ‘I like that,’ or ‘This course did this, and I’ll never do that again.’ It’s really interesting to look back.
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