Many students trudge hesitantly to class, counting the days until the end of courses that they consider 10-week afflictions. It could be chemistry for non-majors or, for others, Mythology of Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia.

But in three Ohio State courses, students learn about topics that don’t drive them to drop out of college and seek employment at the nearest 7-Eleven. These classes, which students described as “eye-opening” and “a blast,” involve three subjects students don’t usually have the opportunity to discuss in an academic setting: sex, drugs and hip-hop.

 

PSYCH 333.02 — Human Behavioral Problems: Sexual

Sexual issues are taboo in many everyday conversations, but this course encourages students to be open about them, said Megan Bracher, a third-year in psychology who took the class.

“You get to talk about sex the whole time,” she said.

Lisa Cravens-Brown, the professor of psychology who teaches the course, said she isn’t surprised students enjoy the class discussions.

“Who doesn’t want to talk about sex?” she said. “It’s not something students generally get to talk about freely in an academic setting.”

Cravens-Brown said her class covers sexually related psychological issues, ranging from abortion and miscarriage to pornography and prostitution.

Because the topics are controversial, Cravens-Brown said she tries to create a comfortable environment for her students.

“Each time students come to class, I strive to have them have fun and to have laughed, even during the more serious issues,” she said. “I think humor is a great way to cope.”

Zaneta Street, a third-year in psychology who is in the class, said Cravens-Brown’s teaching methods are her favorite part of the course.

“Her teaching style is really laid-back and comfortable,” Street said. “She makes a comfortable environment to talk about these issues.”

Cravens-Brown tries to break the ice early in the quarter so students participate in discussions from the beginning.

“On the first day of class, we went through all the common names you call men and women, like c—,” Bracher said.

The class had to chant such expletives to turn them into terms of empowerment rather than hostility, Bracher said.

The course is part of the core curriculum in the sex studies minor and it’s an elective that counts toward the psychology major.

Bracher and Street said they would recommend the class to other students.

Cravens-Brown said the course is as much of a pleasure for her to teach as students say it is for them to take.

“I learn as much every quarter from the students as they do from me,” she said. “I love it”

 

ECON 597.01 — Issues of the Underground Economy

Drug deals, prostitution and other illicit transactions are discussed in this course, said Bruce Bellner, the professor of economics who teaches it.

“The main areas that we’ve gone over include the three most profitable areas of the underground: the drug trade, the arms trade and human trafficking,” Bellner said.

The course puts an interesting spin on an otherwise uninteresting topic, said Maya Lugasy, a third-year in Middle Eastern studies and Hebrew who is in the class.

“We just watched this movie called ‘Cocaine Cowboys,’ all about the start of the cocaine trade in America,” Lugasy said.

The class also recently read and discussed a piece called “An Empirical Analysis of Street-Level Prostitution,” by Steven Levitt, co-author of “Freakonomics,” and Sudhir Alladi Venkatesh.

Conversations on topics such as the economics of prostitution and the cocaine trade often lead students to investigate other economic areas, including the underground economy on Craigslist and local gangs in Columbus, Bellner said.

“It’s cool for me to get a pulse for what they’re interested in,” Bellner said. “We can go and develop other areas based on student interest.”

The class satisfies a general education requirement — issues of the contemporary world — making it appealing to non-economics majors, Bellner said.

“I’m not an economics major … but (Bellner) is really helpful if we ever have any problems,” Lugasy said. “I’d definitely recommend it as far as GECs go.”

The course fills up quickly, so students should sign up as early as possible, Bellner said. The course used to be offered once or twice per year but is now offered every quarter because of student demand, he said.

Bellner makes one thing clear: “The class does not condone drug use.”

 

DANCE 201.06 — Introduction to Dance I: Hip-hop Dance

This class takes students through “the progression of hip-hop, from funk to contemporary pop,” said Abigail Zbikowski, a dance instructor for the class.

“Throughout the years, hip-hop has become more acceptable in pop culture,” she said. “Now hip-hop affects dance and life in many different ways.”

Jackie Pittman, a third-year in chemical engineering who took the class two years ago, said the course “was a blast.”

“It’s something anyone could do,” she said. “It’s a good way to get moving during the week rather than just sitting in class.”

Anna Leichter, a fourth-year in health sciences who took the course two years ago, agreed.

“I loved it. I just like to dance, so it was fun to actually learn some real moves,” she said. “It’s like a break from school.”

The class starts with the basics and builds throughout the quarter, Pittman said

“Eventually there was some self-choreography where you could be creative and make up a dance performance with a group,” she said.

Because it’s an introductory course, Leichter said students don’t need experience to enjoy it.

“I looked like an idiot, but it was just a really fun class,” she said. “There was no pressure to be good.”

Zbikowski said she tailors the choreography to the skill levels of her students.

“I’d give an easy way to do something and then make it progressively harder,” she said. “I let the students choose which way they want to execute the activity.”

Although the course focuses primarily on learning to dance, “it also teaches about the history and culture of dance,” Zbikowski said.

“I’m trying to teach the historical aspect to give students a new way to connect with the material,” she said.

Leichter and Pittman said they would recommend the course to anyone.

“If you can take it with friends, it’s really fun,” Pittman said, adding that she took the course with her brother, sister and friends.

Multiple sections of hip-hop dance are available every quarter, Zbikowski said. The class fills up fast, so students should sign up early, she said.

“I encourage everyone to sign up because it’s a class that appeals to all levels and experiences, and it’s a lot of fun,” Zbikowski said. “It’s a lot of fun and a good way to stay in shape and get cultured at the same time.”