English class teaches students about health

In an attempt to spice up the University of Miami’s core language curriculum, a new kind of English class is now being offered to students.

English 106, a first-year required language class, is offered in sections that emphasize health and wellness. Topics included in this class are smoking, healthy eating and scientific and personal points of view to health.

Professor Katherine Komis teaches several sections of the course. She likes to emphasize that this class teaches you various life skills outside of traditional literary analysis.

“The idea is to show students that things in English composition do not have to stay in English composition,” she said.

This class takes dorm life into consideration. The recipes and projects are made with the notion that students have little access to full cooking materials.

Course literature includes Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser and Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Polla, in addition to weekly readings that are posted on Blackboard.

Professor Komis is also assisted by Ashley Falcon, an assistant director from the Wellness Center.

“Ashley has given students real-life applications that go with those texts,” Komis said. “She invited students to the Wellness kitchen where she taught us how to prepare healthy food in the dorms.”

Additionally, students are required to submit written responses to these texts, keep food logs of what they eat throughout their day, prepare healthier food options for themselves, and develop a campus survey related to smoking.

The course also provides guest speakers for its students.

There are about 60 students taking this course in three separate sections.