CAMBRIDGE, MA – At 7 pm last Monday, Gov 1359: The Road to the White House opened its doors for the first time in four years to a crowd of more than 500 students. This class on the American political process, which meets for only three hours a week and includes a “campaign memo” assignment worth as much as the midterm, instantly became a hit with anyone looking for a “gem” this semester.
While the syllabus promises to teach students “to value the importance of active and responsible participation in public life,” James Stevenson ’19 hopes to get something else out of the class. He explains, “Anyone who’s anyone is taking Road to the White House. Hopefully if I make some really insightful comments in section I can get punched by the Owl.”
Other students, however, are critical of the way the class is run. Sarah Parsons ’16 laments, “I tried to bring my friend Jonathan to the class and they said that they have a strict no-auditor policy, but then they let my friend Emma in later.” Word of this exclusive environment has also reached the ears of Crimson staff writers, who have been seen outside the Office of the Registrar trying to compile a list of exactly who is taking Gov 1359.
This exclusivity also sparked concerns that membership in this class would give some students an unfair advantage in the job application process, but it has been firmly established that it will not help students in any way.
At press time, the class claims to be “at capacity,” although freshman female students at Boston University have been invited to cross-register.