‘Monsters’ both fictional and real examined in Alfred University honors class
A group of Alfred University students are learning about the existence of monsters—fictional and real—in an Honors Program class taught by Andy Eklund, professor of chemistry.
Eklund is teaching the class, “Honors 159: Monsters from Folklore to Reality,” for a 10th year. According to the course description, participants in the class “examine the influence of religion, culture, and science on monsters throughout history” and “looks at how we respond to the presence of monsters, whether in the form of alpha predators or other creatures stemming from folklore or reality.”
The course doesn’t simply focus on fictional monsters, per se, but rather anything that can instill fear, “or cause real damage to society,” explained Eklund who is teaching the class for a 10th year. “Monsters can relate to politics, alpha predators in nature, and the weather. We discuss the psychology of fear, and why it is so popular.”
Among the monster-related topics of discussion are genetic engineering, artificial intelligence, epidemics, and invasive species. Course objectives include gaining a historical perspective on monsters through literature and multimedia as they relate to science, religions, and cultures; looking at societal issues of discrimination—ranging from racism and gender issues to immigration and those with disabilities—using monsters and monster media such as movies, television shows, etc.; discussing scientific and environmental issues and concerns as they relate to monsters; and gaining a newfound respect of the supernatural and develop a better understanding as to why humans are the scariest of them all.
One of the students in Eklund’s Monster’s class is Fynn Wood, a first-year art major from Wyalusing, PA, and a self-described horror fanatic. One of the things Wood likes about the class is that it examines more than the traditional horror-related content found in books and movies.
“I love that every week we delve into something about monsters and folklore that’s connected, but different,” she said. “I love everything horror, which means I know a lot. This class teaches me a lot of what I don’t know. I like to learn about things I don’t know in relation to things I like.”
Students in Eklund’s class are required to give group presentations on monster-related topics of their choice. Wood said she and two classmates will give a presentation on serial killers and dictators on Wednesday, Oct. 30. Wood will discuss H.H. Holmes, considered the first known serial killer in the United States, and Charles Manson, a cult leader who in the late 1960s orchestrated a series of brutal murders in southern California.
Eklund takes students on field trips to places like Gettysburg National Military Park and the Rolling Hills Asylum in East Bethany, NY. Site of one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War, Gettysburg is considered by paranormal enthusiasts to be one of the most haunted locations in the United States. This year’s day trip to Gettysburg will be on Saturday, Nov. 2. The group will do a walking tour of the town, visit the park, and take an evening ghost tour before heading back to Alfred.
“I love ghost tours, anything supernatural,” said Eklund, who recently took his honors class students to the haunted house in neighboring Andover, which is offered each weekend in October. Wood, who before coming to Alfred volunteered at a haunted house attraction in Towanda, PA, was among students in Eklund’s class to visit the Andover Haunted House.
Samantha Smit, a junior environmental studies major enrolled in the honors class on Monsters at Alfred University, carves a pumpkin as part of a class activity Wednesday, Oct. 23.
The class meets once a week in the evening, sometimes taking in a spooky movie at Eklund’s home in Hornell. Students spent time carving jack-o’-lanterns Wednesday evening, Oct. 23, and will be treated to a Halloween party, with potluck dinner, on Wednesday, Oct. 30.