Whether it's learning about the true definition of money or paso basico, steps from the Argentinian style of tango, Burst the Bubble classes provide extra fun and educational opportunities during Winter Term. This year, there are 10 classes on topics such as government, dance, language, geek, dork and nerd culture and knitting.
"I got the email about Burst the Bubble and looked at the list of courses people did last year," sophomore Ryan Griggs said. "There was a lot of dance and music stuff, but not a lot of intellectually-challenging courses."
Griggs' class, "Anarchists, Libertarians and the Austrian School: Why the Government is the Problem," looks at the opposite of Keynesian economics, Austrian economics, using commentary, research and video. The true definition of money was the topic of one class discussion and after viewing a YouTube video titled "Gold remains the ideal form of money," the class learned the U.S. dollar doesn't fit all five of Aristotle's characteristics of good money: durable, divisible, valuable, consistent and convenient.
The hardwood floor in Campus Recreation Studio 5 is graced with fancy footwork Mondays and Wednesdays from 7:30-8:30 p.m. where junior Tara Corbett and senior Patrick Ma teach Argentine tango.
"I studied abroad in Argentina in the fall and fell in love with the tango," Corbett said. "I was determined to learn it. For about three of my five months there I was taking four classes a week. I was obsessed. I wanted to continue with it here at Elon so when I got the email about the Burst the Bubble classes, I thought it would be perfect. I had a feeling a lot of students would be interested."
Corbett teamed up with Ma, a member of Elon's ballroom dance club. In a class of about 25, the two reviewed the paso bàsico, a basic tango step, and ochos, figure eights that can be danced forwards or backwards. Corbett and Ma went on to teach three different salidas, ways to get into a step. A lot of laughing and smiling went on as people partnered up and practiced. Some wore heels and ballroom dance shoes, but many just slid their socked-feet into the steps.
"I love the class," sophomore Kyla Sokoll-Ward said. "The instructors are helpful and there are beginners like me and ballroom dancers. It's a good mix of people."
For the other dance class offered, students can jump from Argentina to Ireland. First-year students Kerry Kurkjian and Catherine Falvey have been competitive Irish dancers for 11 and 12 years, respectively.
"We both have competed in solo competitions and team competitions regionally, nationally and internationally," Kurkjian said. "Competitive Irish dance takes a lot of dedication and commitment, but it's so much fun. We miss dancing everyday like we used to back at our own studios, so we decided to teach this Irish dance basics class here at Elon to keep us dancing."
Kurkjian and Falvey have received positive feedback from students enthusiastic about learning Irish dance, who are considering taking Irish dance beyond their Burst the Bubble class.
For the language lovers, the Arabic Language Organization teaches Middle Eastern culture and Arabic, while first- year student Kathryn Schefer teaches what can be learned about grammar on the Internet in her class, "Trolling is an Art."
Another organization that is having a Burst the Bubble class is SPARKS.
"SPARKS decided to participate this year because we are stronger as a group than we ever have been and we are trying to revamp our image and show Elon students that we are a positive, important group on campus," said SPARKS president, senior Kelly Little.
SPARKS discusses different leadership styles and workshops on self-care in the class, "We Want You to Be a Peer Educator."
"Because so many of us are leaders, we have a tendency to over-commit and stress ourselves," Little said. "SPARKS believes that it is important to talk about and implement strategies that can help reduce stress and improve quality of life."