Last year's terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., sparked an interest among UNM students in the history and politics of the Middle East.
Some professors realized this interest and have decided to offer courses addressing issues surrounding the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
One of those classes, Middle Eastern Politics, is overflowing with students.
"Students are particularly interested in understanding why Sept. 11 occurred and what their response should be," Cynthia Melugin, the classes' professor, said.
Melugin, an adjunct professor, said that the class has a waiting list for next semester.
"I hope to gain a better understanding of why it's such a conflict with their way of life and ours," economics major Jamie Roark said.
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Students in the class began the semester studying the history of the Middle East and will eventually move on to the Arab-Israeli conflict. The course will also include discussions on Islam, the resources of the Middle East and the legacy of Saddam Hussein.
Melugin said it was surprisingly hard to find good texts on the Middle East, so she put together a course package of magazine and news articles.
Melugin became fascinated with the Middle East after visiting the area as a teenager. Her doctoral dissertation was on the Arab-Israeli conflict.
"This is a side effect of a terrible tragedy that got people interested in a region of the world that I believe is so fascinating," Melugin said. "They're forced to care."
Melugin, who previously taught a similar course, said she is glad to be teaching this subject and particular course at UNM.
"It's a good class to have to gain intelligence," said Tim Parker, junior political science major. "It should be part of the regular curriculum to enlighten people on the Middle East."
Tim Canova, a UNM law professor, didn't change the curriculum of his course, but altered the contents of his final exam last fall to include aspects of Sept. 11. He included a section on Argenbright Security, the corporation responsible for security at airports where some of the hijacked airliners departed.
"The anniversary of Sept. 11 will open up different avenues for discussion," Canova said. "Now people can differentiate and decide who they should really be upset with."
With so much interest in the Middle East, some students think a course in Middle Eastern politics is an appropriate way to better understand what is going on in the world.
"I think there's a better way to deal with it," sophomore Aisha Uwais-Savage Concha, international affairs major, said. "There's no need to hurt more innocent people. As a country we should learn from our mistakes."
Melugin said she thinks the course will be a good way for UNM students to better understand their place in the world.
"My goal is to educate the students to understand the region better," Melugin said. 'I want them to be involved in debates concerning their futures and go out feeling informed."
