Two years before the first wave of COVID-19, I took a special topics history course wherein we studied the history of infectious diseases. I honestly never expected to become part of the history of the topic. Living in the time we are in now; I can more clearly see the value of studying the past and taking this somewhat bizarre special topic class. The class had two study goals: examine the changing functions of biology and the ever-evolving ways in which people in society behave.

As our study aid, students read John Aberth's Plagues in World History, published by Oxford University Press. The class and book started as early as 500 and 400 B.C., with some of the first documented cases of the Black Plague caused by yersinia pestis. The book and class ended with examining various 20th-century diseases, like AIDS and Ebola. If there is to be another edition of the text, I imagine it will also include COVID-19.

Aberth asks a very important question in the beginning sentences of his work, namely, why study infectious diseases? As the book states, the topic is most unpleasant, filled with suffering, loss, and death.

However, as present times have shown us, diseases are incredibly common and still very much here in the present day. This brief overview of this particular special topics class shows the relevance of taking courses that may not be in the mainstream of college life and academic thought. Though these classes may not help you directly in your job search post-college or graduate school applications, they can give students unique perspectives on life in general.

In college, I made it a point to take as many special topic classes or classes that fall into the main research area of the professor teaching it as I could. Sometimes, it is interesting, albeit odd, classes that make way for some good learning experiences. Another reason to take courses like this is to see the passion behind the professors. There was a reason why they spent so much time, money, and effort obtaining advanced degrees. The special topics courses often offered in semesters with a hole in the department schedule to fill are often focused on the professor's specialties. There are times when a professor's specialties are included in the regular course rotation, but for other classes, these may be a once in a college-career opportunity for students to take.

One class, which started out as a special topics course I could take and later turned into a regularly offered part of the schedule, was the History of Witchcraft in the Atlantic World. The course included sections on African spiritualism, Middle American crusades against hallucinogenic mushrooms, and the Salem Witch Trials. Before entering college, I never considered these three topics related, much less did I think I could take courses on the subject. The Salem Witch Trials were particularly relevant, as we closely examined the causes and effects of social panics and witch hunts, which are still prevalent today.

While I was a student, I was blessed with the opportunity to take courses in rhetorical studies (two different classes based on two professors' differing approaches and departments), intercultural communication, astronomy, and more. These were some of the most interesting classes I took as a college student. On top of having satiated my interest in some odd topics, there were also applicability qualities to address. Given the current events in politics and society today, my time studying rhetoric did not go to waste, for example. Or, take the astronomy class I took — I can still go out on a clear night and remember constellations and their historical and cultural significance to Western Society. These are not insignificant items, but some of the most impactful lessons I learned in college, ones I still carry with me.

I credit the History of Infectious Diseases class for opening my eyes to how infectious diseases affect people, both sociologically and biologically, and for helping me shape my reaction to the current pandemic and probably future ones, should there be others. Through my college's distinctive course offerings, education was an adventure, always.