When Dr. Dutch Hoggatt expressed interest in teaching a media and culture class on the Beatles, Communications Department Chairman Dr. Jim Miller and communications professor Dr.Jack Shock only had two words to say: "Do it." Hoggatt, a professor of communications, noticed he regularly referenced the Beatles in class and saw an opportunity to teach his students about the band and its impact on modern society. "I found that the students really enjoyed examples of the Beatles," Hoggatt said. "They had heard about the Beatles, but a lot of them didn't know much about the band." To Hoggatt, the Beatles had been a longtime passion and hobby. As a fan of the music and history of the band, he had a wealth of knowledge to share. The class covered everything from the band members' childhoods in London to their dreams of becoming a band in America and revolutionizing American culture through music. Students learned about the progression of music starting in the 20th century. They covered the early blues, gospel and classic country and how they converged in the 1940s to create rock 'n' roll. Hoggatt said he had an overwhelmingly positive response from students. "I had one student who cried at the end of the class," Hoggatt said. "She couldn't believe it was over." Senior broadcast journalism major Katie Clement said she would definitely recommend students take this class because of how much she enjoyed it. "It was a great clas.s to take during intersession because the students could really focus on learning and having fun with the material," Clement said. Sophomore broadcast journalism major Andrew Cicco explained that unlike other classes he had taken, he noticed there were fewer students playing on their phones and more students asking questions to learn all they could. Cicco, who grew up listening to the Beatles, said the class was a "huge eye-opener" for him and encouraged many of his friends to take the course. "I thought I knew a lot going into the class, but there was so much that I didn't know," Cicco said. "You could go into the class just taking it for the credit hours and come out having learned so much about something you had no idea about. You have this whole new appreciation for the world around you." l~TEHSESSIO:"\ 10."i 11 n , r " I I~
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