Some students chose to take mahjong, a class about the ancient Chinese game, while others learned to play the Irish tin whistle.
The two classes were among the many choices offered for students during January.
Music professor Hillary Watter taught the mahjong class, while Dave Cooke, a math and computer science professor, taught the tin whistle class.
Watter learned how to play the strategic tile game about four years ago. She started teaching the class three years ago. She said she was at a Super Bowl party, and the men at the party went to watch the game. One of the women said, “Let’s go, ladies. We’re going to learn how to play mahjong.”
She’s been playing ever since.
Watter said she likes teaching during J-Term because it allows students and faculty to try new things and have fun. Nineteen people are in the class, which she said fills up fast.
“I needed something new,” Watter said about having a break during J-Term and teaching the game.
Mahjong usually is played with four or five people. The object of the game is to get the most points by creating certain patterns from the game tiles. The game has many rules and pattern possibilities to win.
“Most people think it’s the matching game that you see on the computer,” Watter said. She said the game is more complicated than that.
Zach Inman, a junior economics and business administration major, learned how to play mahjong in the class. He said his mom’s mom used to play the game, so he had heard of it before but never knew how to play.
Inman said a typical game can take about 20 minutes, depending on with whom you play.
“It’s a quick game that you can play with anyone after they learn it, which takes a while,” Inman said.
What most surprised him, Inman said, was the amount of strategy the game requires. Players try to get their pattern before other players but can be defensive and keep others from getting the tiles they need to complete their patterns.
Across the sidewalk in another building, Cooke helped eight students play the Irish tin whistle.
Shant Cunningham, a sophomore sociology major, had never taken a music class before. She said she wanted to try something new, especially since her last J-Term was difficult. Cunningham had always wanted to play an instrument, so she signed up for the open class.
“I didn’t think I was going to make as much progress as I have,” Cunningham said.
The tin whistle is a small and inexpensive flute with a shape similar to a recorder. This is the second year Cooke has taught the class.
About seven years ago, Cooke’s family bought him an Irish flute. Cooke has Irish heritage and had wanted to learn how to play. The instrument is also more portable for him to carry around, compared to the bassoon he played in high school. The tin whistle cost the students about $15.
In class, Cooke tries to incorporate Irish culture. The students have watched a couple of Irish films to understand different classes of people and culture within Ireland. They also listen for the music in the films, Cooke said.
Cunningham added that sometimes she and her classmates practice their Irish accents, which are pretty rusty.
“It’s horrible,” Cunningham said.
She said the toughest thing about the class, besides reading music, is picking up the tempo. The group played “Danny Boy,” which is a well-known Irish song. Though some haven’t read music at all before, Cooke said every student is doing really well.
Cooke said the class doesn’t pose many challenges, just fun. He said the whole point is for the students to be comfortable and learn something new.
He said the best part about teaching the class is watching the students grow, especially because none of them probably knew how to play the tin whistle before.
“I can tell when they played it and enjoyed it,” Cooke said.
