Seniors choose electives for their last semester

Seniors registered for their final semester as undergraduates on Nov. 6 with enviable pick times and, for some, the ability to choose electives for their last hoorah at the university.

While some selected electives that align with their majors, others picked courses that simply piqued their interests. Many have saved that one elective they have always wanted to take for their very last semester, and so they end up in courses like Pottery I, Music in Film, or Writing and Reading Animals.

Here’s where you will find some of St. Joe’s seniors next semester.

PSY 128: Psychology and Architecture

Caroline Mulligan ’19, a marketing major, used her free elective as an opportunity to gain a different perspective in a field that interests her.

Mulligan enrolled in Psychology and Architecture.

“It focuses on how psychological theory can relate to urban planning,” Mulligan said. “I chose to take this course mainly because I enjoy learning psych content when it strays from abnormal psychology, or what people typically think of when they think of psych.”

Mulligan said she is looking forward to learning how the psychology of the person can affect the whole of society through their role as an architect.

Sara Girotto, Ph.D., professor of psychology, who is both an architect and a psychologist, will be teaching the course.

“I believe that spaces cannot be planned without taking people into consideration,” Girotto said. “Who better than psychologists to help architects and urban planners do that?”

Girotto said her favorite aspect of the course is the in-class discussions.

“It’s great to see how students get engaged in the conversations and look at spaces from a completely different perspective,” Girotto said. “They come up with very creative ways to create and improve spaces for people. I learn a lot from my students.”

MKT 354: The Business of Baseball

Domenic Godshall ’19, a sports marketing major, will bring his love for baseball into the classroom when he takes The Business of Baseball in the spring.

“I heard great things about the class and Dr. Lord, who teaches it,” Godshall said. “Baseball was the first sport I fell in love with and the movie ‘Moneyball’ is one of my favorites of all time.”

Godshall said he is interested in learning more about what goes on behind the scenes in baseball.

John Lord, Ph.D., professor of sports marketing, who developed the popular course, said he enjoys teaching students about the sport he loves.

Lord said students will learn the history of baseball and how the sport has evolved to become the $10 billion business it is today. The class will also dive into how baseball functions “off the field” from a business standpoint.

“I like having the opportunity to host really excellent guest speakers who are executives for the Phillies and Trenton Thunder, and to tell a lot of stories about my 64-year history with the game as fan and follower, player, coach, administrator, teacher and author,” Lord said.

PSY 125: Forensic Psychology

Samantha Santomauro ’19, an English major, will channel her love for crime shows when she takes Forensic Psychology in the spring.

“It’s basically about the ways psychology can be applied in practices of law, such as how mental illness is assessed and evaluated in criminal cases,” Santomauro said.

Santomauro said she looks forward to seeing how this process really works.

“I think it’s really interesting because it mixes two subjects in a unique way,” Santomauro said. “I love crime shows, and taking a class on this is like getting the actual facts of how this stuff works and learning the ins and outs of it all.”

MAT 132: Math of Games and Politics

Jack Coleman ’19, a computer science major, has had an elective up his sleeve since his first year at St. Joe’s.

Coleman created what he believes is the perfect schedule for his last semester. He will be taking four computer science courses and the elective he has been waiting for: Math of Games and Politics.

“The class is mostly things like game theory, which is applicable to a lot of tabletop games that I like to play,” Coleman said. “And the kicker? No early classes and no Friday classes.”

ENG 241: Creative Writing

Nina Cavallaro ’19 enrolled in an elective that she hopes will aid her in the future, even if it is not directly related to her interdisciplinary health services major.

Cavallaro signed up for a creative writing course.

“I’ve always loved to write, and I took a creative writing course in high school,” Cavallaro said. “Recently I’ve been contemplating leaning more into a creative field such as broadcasting, journalism or copywriting, and I wanted to further develop my skills.”

MTF 142: History of Rock and Pop

Faith Kenville ’19, a finance major, is taking the History of Rock and Pop because it looked fun.

According to the university’s course catalog, the course examines the history of popular music in the English-speaking world from the mid-twentieth century to the present day.

“I like music, so that’s why it seemed interesting to me,” Kenville said. “I’m looking to learn something and have fun with it.”