The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, April 19, 1995, Page 8, Image 8
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College Press Service
Amherst College junior Jim Scharff didn't have any reservations
about taking professor Austin Sarat's class this semester, despite the ofv
fact that everyone told him it was murder.
The role of murder in society is exactly what Sarat is teaching. Cou
"Murder is basically a hook for teaching great books, very complex
legal ideas and popular culture to students who might not have had ^
an opportunity to be exposed to it," said Sarat, a professor in the newly
developed department of law, jurisprudence and social thought.
"I'm taking my students on a journey trom tne laminar to tne
strange," Sarat said. "I'm showing them that you can't understand me
O.J. until you read Dostoyevsky." wit
Although Sarat envisioned the material would interest students
studying law, students from all areas of study are taking "Murder,"
which is being offered this spring for the first time. In fact, more than ^
270 students enrolled in the class, making it one of the most popular
courses in Amherst history.
"The content definitely drew me to the course," Scharff said, a biology
major. "You see and hear about murder all the time, but you
rarely get to examine it. I wanted to view murder in a different perspective."
wh
Required reading for the class includes "Crime and Punishment" ing
and other literary classics, as well as dozens of law cases. In addition, ^
students have watched films by Alfred Hitchcock, videos by Snoop me
Doggy Dogg and episodes of "Geraldo."
"Everything we read or watch in the class is great," Scharff, 21,
said. "It's outstanding material."
But weather if s the case of Macbeth or the Menedez brothers, stu- tifj
dents find that defining what is or isn't murder can be - well, a killer, mo
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"When you look at all this material, you realize the line between
at is and isn't murder is constantly blurred," ScharfF said. "A lot
vhat we do in class looks at those distinction."
Instead of lecturing students, Sarat lets class discussions run their
irse.
"The students are very active, so that makes the discussions flow
rly easily," Sarat said. "They confront the reality that murder is
important theme in the 1990s."
Yet despite constant reminders of death and destruction in the
dia, Sarat realizes that the students aren't always comfortable
h the course's content.
"It's a difficult subject to have to cover twice a week," Sarat said,
s not a pretty picture. There's really nothing uplifting or reassur;
about it."
Alicia Kahn, a freshman enrolled in Sarat's class, acknowledges
it the material can be difficult to take time, but is able to keep it
in perspective.
"This is something that we have to deal with," Kahn said. "The
ole notion of murder is upsetting, especially to women, consider;
the battering cases we have studied. But it's important to exam.
Just because something might make you uncomfortable doesn't
an you should avoid it."
Schraff agrees. "Murder definitely makes me feel uncomfortable,"
said. "What makes it the most frightening is that you could idenr
yourself with the victim or the murderer. That's not something
st classes pull out of you."
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Chaplains
y2sJ / Corner
Heart to Heart ^
"Installation- PALM
ADMIT Campus Ministry
Body & Soul
OV? Dinner and program:
qJU "What is Feminist
- Theology Anyway?"
ay April 20,1995 7:00pm with Ms. Monica Lane
-f BAPTIST Wednesday at 5:30 pm
lj STUDENT Worship & Dinner Sunday 5:30 pm
byy" Qy Partnership Among Lutherans & Methodists
ckens Street 799-3854 728 Pickens Street* 799-7363
a r ANTFRMTRY D'niler & Pr0gram
* Community TuesdayEveni"g6:00pm
e Episcopal Church Wednesday Bible
on Campus ~. , . %_
ionday night Study at 7 pm
ible Study at 6pm
115 Marion Street
Iks. N. of Horseshoe) J m % Presbyterian
m: 0 . ? S?= S Student?Center
Rich Biega Chaplain * Illfr - n02 Greene St.
e4Fi^lY?h?Ureh - 799-0212
St. Thomas More Catholic Center
Mass Sunday 11am, 6 pm; Mon.-Thurs. 12:15 pm
Confession
Sat. 2-3 pm or by appt.
Newman Club
Evening Prayer - 6:45pm
Meetings: Tues. 7 pm
>no6^-:\7VWre-> Rev. Michael F. McCafferty, Chaplain
ireene Street 799-5870 * (across from the School of Nursing)