KEARNEY, Neb. (KSNB) – Taylor Swift fans at the University of Nebraska-Kearney have something to look forward to this fall.
The UNK student newspaper The Antelope is reporting that the school’s English department is going to offer an eight-week online course on Taylor Swift. Department Chair Michelle Beissel Heath suggested the topic and English professor Amanda Sladek will teach the course.
Sladek told the paper the course would include the history of Swift’s career, as well as issues related to gender, privacy, copyright and culture. Sladek said topics will also include how fans see Swift and how the media covers her.
“I am a Swiftie,” Sladek said. “I don’t think she’s perfect, nobody is. There is room for criticism as there is with everything. I think we can love somebody and have room for critique, but yes I am a Swiftie.”
UNK student Brianna White said, “I am beyond excited to take this class in the fall. Taylor Swift is not just a huge inspiration to me, but to a lot of people, and getting to learn about her for credit is even better. It’s like merging a passion of mine with academics in the best possible way.”
Sladek said one student may take the course because he’s a Kansas City Chiefs fan.
The paper reported the goal for the course is to go beyond typical literature topics such as books and poetry and dive into a more casual subject that Generation Z students are more likely to enjoy.
