A Secret Society or a Class? You Decide.

I have been told many times I should take this Creative Thinking course next semester.  It has come highly recommended and meets one of my degree requirements.  You have to get instructor permission before you sign up so I e-mailed the professor.  I am posting the professor's reply e-mail for you to decide if this is a class or a secret society of some sort.  

This was his response:

ERIN

   The 404 class is a different kind of course than you’re probably used to. It’ll

help you look inside yourself to find out how you think, how you feel  and what 

your ideas are. It looks to the future, not the past.

    To help you understand the direction of this class, I’m attaching an article

Amy Huddleston wrote last November about this course for TODAY@IDAHO.

    I’d also encourage you to talk with people who’ve taken this class either

this past Fall or now. (And Vicki is a good resource as well).

    After you’ve discovered the nature of the course a little more, then answer

some of the questions below. (I usually ask these of people I don’t know).

    About registering.

   1. I need your student ID to do the override if I give you a seat in the class.

    2. I want to read your response to my questions before I decide. HOWEVER.

            This class will not fill up. Nor will there be a waiting list.

            I control who gets a seat and who doesn’t. And, it’ll be filled when I

        say it is filled.

            I’d rather take a bit more time to find out about your thinking—and 

        make sure you understand what this class is. And isn’t. I’m concerned that

        you don’t have a good understanding of the course and I’d much prefer

        you did.

            So I’ll hold a seat for you till I decide. OK?

    Here are the questions.

       1. Why—specifically-- do you want to take the class? (If you do

        2. Do you consider yourself “creative?” If so...how do you define

            “creative?” And why do you consider yourself creative?

                If you don’t, why don’t you?

        3. What’s your perception of your “creative” skills, vision and talents. And

                weaknesses?

        4. Do you have a completely “open” mind to discovering and learning stuff

       —so you can use those discoveries to generate all kinds of new ideas? 

        Or are there some obstacles or fears you need to conquer? Or are there

        any ideas that have locked a particular door in your mind—so you won’t

        consider any different ways of thinking?

4. How much do you play (if you do) with ideas? Words? Phrases? Pictures?

        How do you define “play?

5. What do you hope to get out of this course? (As you now understand

        the nature of the course.)

6. Does the idea of becoming “dangerous”--or “deadly” bother you?

Appeal to you? Scare you? Challenge you? Intrigue you?  or scare you? 

7. The class meets once a week—on Tuesday evenings from 5:30-8 or so. 

        Does that fit into your schedule?

8. Have you talked with anyone about the class (aside from Vicki)? (If not, do so).

               Let me know who you talked to and what was said. I’m not

                being nosy. It’s just that I get a good idea about students

                by knowing the people who recommend/talk about the class.

                    9. Anything else you’d like to add?

            So give those some thought. Then, send me your responses. We’ll go on from there, OK?

    **Name omitted to protect the innocent

PS. I give admission priority to seniors. Providing they fit the “chemistry” of the class.

            (One reason I control enrollment is to make sure the class “chemistry” works.)