Ranna rants about Rustici...

I had totally forgotten how much I loved my Econ courses while I was in France.  The moment I stepped into my first course on Monday I was filled with excitement.  It was reaffirmed once more when my my class, "Topics of Economic History," with Professor Thomas Rustici began.  Let me tell you why. 

My second semester at George Mason I was at a loss.  I had no idea what I wanted to study, what I wanted to do, how I was supposed to continue.  My plan had always been to finish my schooling at Parson's School of Design.  A uni like Mason was totally not in the cards...until it was.  So.  Registration time came around and there I was wondering what I should sign up for.  Art History?  Maybe.  Philosophy?  Sounds good.  English?  Definitely.  I swaggered along the path of liberal arts and stayed away from everything else.  

I remember so clearly one night, getting into my mom's bed while she was reading, the course catalog in my hand, and telling her, "just tell me what to do!!!"  

She took the catalog from my hand and said, "Why don't you take an Economics class?"

"Eww Economics is all about math, why would I do something like that?"

"No, Ranna, just try it out, you might end up liking it."  Then she told me what other classes to sign up for.  I remember them so well too.  It was the best semester ever...

Intro to Microeconomics, Intro Conf/Resolution, some environmental science theories class (no lab), an English class, and French, of course (this is the first semester since 7th grade I haven't had French in my schedule...it's weird). 

People.  I learned so much random bullshit that semester.  I mean, if my Conflict class wasn't bullshit enough, my Environmental Science professor standing in front of us babbling, "so, does global warming actually exist?  I don't know.  You tell me," was sort of the cherry on the ice cream.  Learned a lot about malaria though...bed nets, gotta love 'em. 

BUT.  Wow.  This was all pretense to my original story about THOMAS RUSTICI!!!! I LOVE HIM!!!!  I remember sitting in my first Econ class, he stood up on the stage and told us the story of the pencil.  The pencil.  Not mechanical.  Just a normal yellow pencil.  Something you don't think about that often...but did you know how much work goes into making that pencil?  So much.  And he went back, step by step, and explained how the pencil was created.  

And he said, and that's Economics.  Open your eyes.  Look over and beyond what you might see at first glance.  And I did..and it was amazing... 

Supply and Demand?  I mean.  I can't even begin to tell you the feelings  I feel for that graph.  I love it.  

SPONTANEOUS ORDER???  No one ever thinks about these things.  But spontaneous order just explains everything.  

So anyways.  I owe it all to him.  

And I'm taking his class again this semester.  I'm really excited.  Not because I agree with what he says, these days.  I know better now.  But, he instills a sense of excitement in the field, that I think is really important for any class.  I think that all of our teachers should strive to do that.  Anyone can stand in front of a class and read off of their lecture notes, it takes a truly dedicated professor to make the students excited about what they're learning, to make us want to go and learn more about the Industrial Revolution, Carl Menger, the Robber Barons...

Anywho... I'm probably going to be blogging a lot about what I learn in class for a while.  I'm taking some pretty interesting classes... it's going to be good, I think.  

In other news, I'm reading, "The Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath."  Raha first told me about it, and 'The Bell Jar," had really grabbed my attention, so I thought I'd give this a try.  Man, you don't see too many broads like her these days.