By The Kayseesan Staff
This article covers what classes and books The Kayseean staff enjoyed from the Spring 2023 semester.
Brandon (Writer & Social Media Manager):
Favorite Class From This Semester
I have had many classes this year that I have enjoyed. It is challenging to narrow it down to one favorite, but if I had to choose, my favorite was my Appalachian literature class. Taught by Dr. Story, this class rekindled my interest in reading. We read many great novels centered around Appalachia. Each book showcased the uniqueness of our region in its way. I was initially not too excited about focusing on literature from Appalachia, but as the semester went on, I began to enjoy it more and more. The class was not just enjoyable because of the novels, though. The small class size of four (including Professor Story) made the class feel more like a book club. With the small class size, we could have deep and meaningful conversations about the novels, and everyone had a chance to share their opinions.
Favorite Book From This Semester
My favorite book from my classes this school year is one many of my fellow students loathed. Inferno by Dante Alighieri was an exciting book for me. This book’s grim and detailed scenery and events are genuinely those of nightmares. I don’t particularly love horror, but Inferno was an entirely different experience than any other book I have read. The experience of reading Inferno was enhanced by the in-class analysis during the QUEST class for which the book was assigned. The complexity of the writing and the dialect forced me to dig deep to understand the language and underlying themes within the book. Dr. Shaw’s lesson plans paired well with the book and helped me get the most out of it. This book may only be for some, but it is an exciting and excellent academic text.
Callie (Editor):
Favorite Book From This Semester
My favorite class this year is Lifespan Human Development. This class is my favorite because Dr. Love teaches it, and I thoroughly enjoy learning from her. The content given in the course is relatively easy to understand, which made it a very engaging class. The material, ranging from birth to death, gave me a different perspective on life and how we see the world. From a psychology standpoint, I see why others love this class. This class allowed me to expand my knowledge of human development and the ability to understand better why human beings are the way they are. The assignments in the class were something I also enjoyed. I was able to learn more about different stages of life, and that is something that has always been interesting to me.
Favorite Book From This Semester
My favorite book was from Dr. Kingsley’s Appalachia in Literature and Film class. The book Cold Mountain was assigned reading for our fourth module on Appalachia in the past. This book follows Inman, who journeys for months to be reunited with his true love, Ada. This book is set during the Civil War, and that setting makes the book even more special because Inman leaves the army to fight for his love. It’s a beautiful book, and everyone should read it. Dr. Kingsley’s Appalachia in Literature and Film class Dr. Kingsley’s Appalachia in Literature and Film class Dr. Kingsley’s Appalachia in Literature and Film class
Nick (Writer):
Favorite Book From This Semester
My favorite class from my first year at King was King 1000. There are multiple reasons for this class is my favorite. However, the biggest reason why King 1000 was my favorite class is that it allowed everyone’s voice to be heard. Since the course revolved around being a seminar, there were class discussions for each topic, and that offered everyone in the class the chance to share their thoughts, offering different opinions along with it. The beauty behind it all is seeing how different everyone is from me while allowing me to become a good listener and hear others’ thoughts on various topics.
Moreover, the assignments given in the class forced you to go out of your comfort zone, another thing I enjoyed. Specifically speaking, there was an assignment where we had to talk to strangers around campus and ask them questions, ultimately leading to a quality conversation. Overall, King 1000 was a fun, exciting class that offered learning experiences I would keep with me for the rest of my life.
Favorite Book From This Semester
I can’t recall any specific readings I had to read in my first-year classes. However, in my theatre class, there were several plays that I had to read and interpret for the course. I enjoyed reading these plays as they were all so different from the others, from skits to Broadway. Each one I had read about was intriguing. While reading, I also learned all about the complexity of the theatre world, including types of theatres, how actors prepare for plays, the different stages, and on-stage terms signaling the action of an actor. I was blown away by how much I enjoyed the class and was initially unhappy that I had to take it. My favorite readings from the theatre were musicals, specifically Hair Spray and Jesus Christ Superstar.
