Weber State University to offer class on Taylor Swift this fall

OGDEN, Utah — Weber State University has a new course offering and it’s all about Taylor Swift. The elective class started this spring and students wasted no time signing up.

“I probably need therapy for how much I love her. So there, there’s that,” said Tess Johnson, a student at WSU.

WSU isn’t the first, second, third, or even fourth college to offer a Taylor Swift class. Schools across the country, including Brigham Young University have added similar courses to their catalogs.

Classes focusing on the singer-songwriter started cropping up around the beginning of 2022, fresh off the release of Swift’s re-recording of her album titled “Red.”

Since then, Swift has released a new album and two more re-recordings. She launched her worldwide Eras Tour and the subsequent Eras Tour movie. Most recently, Swift announced another new album, “The Tortured Poets Department.” The album is slated for release on April 19.

What exactly does the Taylor Swift class teach?

The class is offered through WSU’s Department of English and is currently in session. According to a press release from WSU, elective classes like the Swift class can encourage students to study things they otherwise wouldn’t choose.

“Maybe other people don’t get what I’m feeling or what I’m going through. I, I always know that there’s a Taylor song out there that means that to me and that can connect me to something I’m going through,” said Summer Garlick, a WSU student.

Associate Professor Emily January, who teaches the course, said that the goal is to help students explore things like rhetorical theory, cultural analysis, and simply how to research and write well.

“If we’re giving them this with something they’re already familiar with, then we give them the power to learn and educate themselves about the deeper issues that surround those beloved topics,” January said. “We are not only getting students to enroll in the course, but we’re getting students to engage.”

According to WSU, the class focuses on a new theme, like feminism and politics, each week. Students have class readings, discussions, and final projects like any other class.

“It’s been really gratifying to experience, to see how excited students are to engage in conversation,” said January in a statement.

WSU will offer the class again in the fall.

“I want to go every single day to this class,” Follett said. “I want to always show up and it encourages me to go to my other classes.”

Contributing: Mary Culbertson