By: Kelsey Aylor, Staff Writer
For as long as I have been a student at Wofford, the topic of Interim has been continually and widely discussed and debated by students and faculty alike. The discussion revolving around of the month-long term is often, “How can we make these courses more effective and beneficial to the students?” At times though, it boils down to whether Interim (as it stands now or some other version of it) is even necessary to our campus.
From my perspective, it seems that the discussion moves back and forth between various ways of revamping the program or even doing away with it, extending winter break and then beginning spring semester earlier in the year. I myself have conflicting feelings on the topic. However, I can say that in the college search, Wofford’s Interim scheduling was one of the major factors that drew me to this institution. The idea of spending an entire month exploring alternative subjects or perhaps jet setting across the globe had me compelled and fascinated.
But this idea, much like a large amount of my expectations coming into college, was widely idealized and glamorized. I have been fortunate enough to enjoy (for the most part) all three Interims I have participated in. I took a course on cross-cultural photography, a subject which melded two of my biggest high school interests (travelling and art). I roamed through the cities and hills of Ireland for two weeks and, most recently, I watched some of my favorite shows on Netflix for homework, learning how to analyze them and create my own sitcom. This ignited a new possible passion of mine.
Unfortunately, I know others have not been as fortunate, taking Interims that do not interest them because the other options filled up, or arriving to class with high expectations only to be sorely disappointed when their class turns out to be nothing like they were expecting. Then comes the issue of abroad interims – some get to travel abroad for the month multiple times, whereas others cannot even entertain the idea of traveling once. The system is inequitable, disadvantaging various groups of students, such as athletes, those with committed jobs and those who are financially unable to travel.
Oddly enough, these exalted and coveted travel interims, while they may give someone a new profile picture and some great memories, often falter in achieving any true academic goal. My abroad experience was wonderful and informative as I learned about Irish culture and history, with a focus on the contextualization of the 1916 Rebellion. However, so much of the time was spent busing to the next grand location or indulging in our touristic fancies that I doubt we truly acclimated into the culture. Other abroad options have been even less instructional or impactful. It sounds to me that those in Ecuador this past January spent most of their time exploring the most popular bars in the area, rather than actual academic (or – at the very least – meaningful) work.
On the other hand, I have found my most recent interim course, The American Sitcom, which was held on campus, to be the most enjoyable. It was challenging and frustrating at times, but so informative. I learned how to film and edit my own productions, how to think critically about digital media and, in the process, I was even fortunate enough to learn how much I enjoyed writing scripts. The class was truly fun rather than work, although it did teach me about perseverance and diligence, two attributes I can use in my future academic career.
All of this is to say that there is no way to immediately determine whether an Interim course will be beneficial or not. As of right now it’s hit or miss, which would lead me to say that the debate surrounding the topic is warranted. I don’t exactly know how the various options can become more equitable so that every student can enjoy what they’re doing but still develop academically. It’s a tough line to toe, but it is possible. Until this balance is seen campus wide, the interim debate will continue – just as it should.
