Shopping Day

With a predictability that deeply embarrasses me, I started today with a clear sense of what classes I was going to take this semester and, by the end, I was flummoxed. This is all thanks to "Shopping Day," which at Fletcher consists of a full day of professors given brief (25-30 minute) synopsis of their courses. It's an interesting idea, and helpful, but you're a fool if choose your classes before seeing the professor's teaching style and hearing his or her vision of the course. Based on these two factors alone, U.S. Public Diplomacy was out and The Rise of China in the 21st Century was almost (almost!) in. However, sober reflection led me to...

The Final Line-Up:

The International Legal Order

Law & Development

Compliance and Exceptionalism in International Treaty Behavior

European Union Foreign Policy: Theory and Practice

Why these? Int'l Legal Order and Treaty Compliance are fairly standard choices for international law sorts. European Foreign Policy and Law and Development cater to one of my particular interests--strengthening the States Transatlantic and North American ties (militarily, economically, etc.).

The funniest moment of the day? I spoke with my advisor this afternoon about course selection and, in describing the courses I was considering taking, let slip that the professor for the European Union Foreign Policy course had some chair or other. I was quickly corrected. Although Prof. Yannis is currently the Constantine Karamanlis Associate Professor of Hellenic and Southeastern European Studies, the chair, properly speaking, belongs to Constantine Karamanlis.

Indeed.