Ericka Henriquez

HIST 169: Early National America

“Let’s talk about cheese.” 

Just last week, I sat in awe as professor Freeman went on a passionate 9 minute 42 second tangent about the Cheshire Mammoth Cheese — a bizarre but behemoth symbol of Thomas Jefferson’s presidency in the early 1800s. 

While the cheese talk was a bit odd, Freeman’s tangents are a norm and the very reason to attend class. You never can predict where the conversation is going to lead: one moment you’re talking about Westward Expansion, and the next, you’re knee-deep into the story of how Jonathan Trumbull’s dead body is buried beneath the Yale Art Gallery.

Lectures could be mundanely titled “The Body Politic” or “A Confederation of States,” but within just three minutes of class, despite the afternoon drowsiness, you’ll be jolted awake by Freeman’s laugh as she quotes Reddit or some 300-year-old tabloid describing Hamilton’s arrogance or guffaws at how Jefferson’s lack of footwear directly affected U.S. foreign policy. 

And then, with just seconds left in class, Freeman will casually drop the wildest lore before wishing everyone goodbye. 

“Yeah, Lin-Manuel Miranda told me once after his show that it broke him to cut out the Whiskey Rebellion from the musical. That’s why ‘One Last Ride’ is ‘One Last Time.’ Have a great day!”

“Early National America” is everything you could want out of a Yale history course: it’s riveting and brilliantly unpredictable. Freeman’s humor and energy breathe life into once-monotonous timelines, transforming historical figures into vivid personalities. It’s a class for every Yalie, whether you’re a history major or just in need of a good laugh twice a week.

• Baala Shakya

ENGL 127: Readings in American Literature  (Professor Joseph Miranda)

From foundational poets of the 19th century to groundbreaking modern novelists, English 127 is a distinctive and comprehensive introduction to American literature. While the class includes “classic” anchor texts, such as “Moby Dick” and Whittman’s poetry, English 127 moves beyond the realms of the totalizing desire that encompasses canonization. Instead, this seminar serves as a provocation, investigating the silencing that occurs when one attempts to generalize diverse and divergent voices under a single American myth.  

Rather than acting as an introductory course to a privileged group of writers, English 127 is profoundly aware of the flaws in viewing a country through the lens of a few select texts. Moving away from binary frameworks that regard works as either American or un-American, the seminar seeks to understand the very role of literature in constituting a nation. 

From a pedagogical perspective, English 127 places great emphasis on conversations with peers, fostering an environment where students learn not only from Professor Miranda but also from each other. The seminar has improved my skills as a writer and challenged me as a thinker. Anyone, regardless of major, who is seeking to investigate the desires and troubles of a national identity falsely rooted in century-old assumptions, MUST register for this class. 

• Michael Duell

CPSC 183: Law, Culture, and Technology

I came for Claire’s gluten-free vegan cupcakes — and left with extensive knowledge of cyberlaw and a new justification for pirating practices. 

It took me four weeks to realize that Brad Rosen’s course, “Law, Culture, and Technology” was, in fact, a computer science course — I completely missed the fact that it was labeled CPSC 183 on CourseTable.

Each lecture has a surprising lead-in. Spending an entire 90 minutes on iconic ‘10s pop-culture references like “hide your kids, hide your wife” and “ain’t nobody got time for that” as a set up for a criticism of digital blackface and personal copyright is not what I expected the second week in, but Brad continues to surprise.

It’s a fine line to walk when discussing copyright law and pop-culture. When the precedent for our current laws surrounding privacy are built on the tragedies of those who wield technology irresponsibly, it’s challenging to integrate the frivolous applications of current laws and standards into one lecture. In “Law, Culture, and Technology,” it’s all about navigating the gray area. You’re encouraged to lean into the messy history of the internet and imagine ways in which you might refine it for the future.

I’m not the first to admit that a page full of hyperlinked articles, Supreme Court cases and book chapters are the easiest readings to tackle twice a week. But when you get a cupcake from Brad for answering a lecture question correctly, the task feels a little less daunting.

This course is a large lecture open to all who find the content interesting; no prior knowledge of law or technology required. CPSC 183 is a must-take during your time at Yale!

• Asia Anderson

E&EB 035: The Ecology of Food

If you are a first-year student who wishes to relive the thrills of AP Environmental Science while also exploring the science behind food, then “Ecology of Food” is a perfect class for you. With weekly field trips that take you outside the New Haven area and introduce you to the wilderness of Connecticut, this class shows you real-life examples of the concepts learned in the lecture.

The Yale Farm, secluded behind Science Hill, is a hidden gem on Yale’s campus and a frequent field trip location for our class visits. I think Jeremy, who is the manager of field academics and manages the Yale Farm, is another hidden gem. His energetic personality and undeniable love for the environment and food production are contagious, and you can’t help but feel passion for all the steps needed to harvest a single stalk of wheat. 

As a native Los Angeleno who had rarely spent any time in the wilderness before taking this class, I can say I have a newfound appreciation for nature, our ecosystems and the people who produce the foods we eat every day. I’ve met professionals who specialize in oyster farming, and have seen every step that goes into harvesting these molluscs. 

Throughout our ecologically diverse field trips, we’ve explored topics of pollination while visiting an apple orchard and learning about species diversity by visiting the Richards Property. 

Professor Puth eases students into their first semester of classes and is a source of indispensable support. No other class would have given me these experiences or the opportunity to meet such inspirational people within the food production industry. Even though “Ecology of Food” isn’t offered next semester, I highly recommend taking her class “Plants and People.” 

• Cameron Davis

ENGL 120: Reading and Writing the Modern Essay

In the frenzy of Fall course registration, especially for first years, course selection can  seem intimidating and incredibly unclear. As for me, I was flying completely blind on our trusty friend CourseTable, with only one course I knew for certain I wanted to take: English 120. Thank God for English 120. Several upperclassmen had suggested I take the class, so I took their word for it, and now I will be that upperclassman in future years, urging the timid, confused first-years to enroll in the course. 

The class is centered around reading modern short-form pieces by essayists such as Joan Didion, George Orwell and yes, even Stephen King, learning from their literary techniques; then, we write five short essays of our own, on topics such as places, activities and cultural criticism. The opportunities for essay topics within the general umbrella of assignments are endless, with one student even writing quite a compelling essay about doing laundry. 

While the reading assignments themselves can feel boring and repetitive, depending on the professor’s interests, the workload is incredibly light. There are no quizzes or exams, so the only thing you have to worry about is writing your 1,250-1,500 word essay every two or three weeks. I’m not saying that the worth of a class lies in how little effort you can put into it while maintaining at least an A-, but it is an added bonus when you’re in Econ 115 during midterm season. The class also provides a lot of practice writing and expanding the horizons of what academic writing can look like, which is something that I have really appreciated. Pretty much what I’m saying is: if you’re reading this and you haven’t taken English 120, put it on your CourseTable and thank me later. 

• Pippa Key

ECON 159: Game Theory

Let’s play a game. 

Suppose there are two players, player A and player B. I’ll be player A — because I’m Anna — and you’ll be player B — because you are a Beloved WKND Reader. 

I have the first move. My strategies are either to write this piece or to not write this piece. If I don’t write, we each get a payoff of -10 — obviously, because that would be an extremely negative outcome for the both of us. If I do write, then it’s your move. You can either choose to take my advice or not. If you take my advice at the end, then we both get a payoff of +10, and if you don’t, we each get zero. 

While it may sound like it’s all fun and games — and it is, sometimes — “Game Theory” is one of the most practical and useful classes I have taken at Yale. For me, “Game Theory” is a “must-take” — it transcends choosing a course merely to satisfy a major or distributional requirement. The course would benefit you no matter what your future plans are — it could even help you decide your future plans. 

Yes, you will learn the proper strategies to play rock-paper-scissors, but also you will learn strategies for really important “games” you will come across in life, like bargaining deals and maximizing firm profits — but let’s not kid ourselves, rock-paper-scissors is also a very important game.

I’ll admit, the assessments can be difficult, but figuring out how to solve a problem on a p-set or midterm is such a rewarding experience. And, the lessons you learn in class are valuable beyond the walls of Marsh Lecture Hall and beyond your time at Yale. Because, at the end of the day, that’s the name of the game — applying the skills you’ve acquired in school to novel situations. 

Now, since I’ve already written the piece, it’s your move: take my advice or leave it. Your best response would be to take my advice and put “Game Theory” on your registration worksheet next semester. Trust me, the payoff will be far greater than you could imagine. 

• Anna Papakirk