For those of you who have just tuned in, I'm taking General Theory of Literature and Classical Studies (Greek focus), at TAU. Many new impressions, and I don't have time to work them into something ordered and insightful, so I'll just have at it, and if you're really curious, you can read all about it.
- there are lots and lots of people here. 27,000 students, in fact!
- My Beginner Greek class actually has a double-digit number of people in it! (some will drop out, I know)
- You do a lot of walking on campus. And both my majors are taught at the same building -- others must have it worse.
- The teachers are nice. The lessons are interesting.
- I'm not impressed with most of the students. Most are way too ignorant (in general, not necessarily in their chosen discipline). I feel a lot better equipped to handle my studies than most of the people I see around me.
- Due to a cruel twist of fate, I will be taking the mandatory English Reading Comprehension class with the Gender Studies group, meaning I'll be reading a lot of Gender Studies
drivelarticles. Can't wait. - Prof. Ziva Ben-Porat is cool. She made us read Cohen's Story of Isaac to illustrate the concept of intertextual "footprints", as she calls them. And a funny little poem by Dan Almagor (whom I'm growing to appreciate more and more every time I read something of his) which gives a version of the Romeo and Juliet story, while skillfully paying additional homage to the Bard with a stanza that echoes Sonnet CXXX. Delectable.
- Prof. Menakhem Perry, despite negative feedback I've received about him and his course ("Introduction to Prose"), is an interesting speaker with a challenging pace. The course is not as bland as its name suggests, but rather introduces "The Tel-Aviv School" of literary criticism, which Perry co-founded. I've only had one lesson in his course so far, but the theory and the course seem promising, and I very much enjoyed even this first lesson.
- Mr. Eyal Nissani is a good speaker who's fun to listen to -- that four-hour lesson of Introduction to Greek Literature would be hell if he weren't.
- Prof. Ze'ev Rubin is erudite and quaint -- he speaks veeery slowly, but has a keen sense of irony. I think his Society, Regime, and Culture in Ancient Rome class would be fun.