by Christopher Sanchez
Daily Lobo
UNM student Nas Manole wants to be a doctor, but is taking an honors course on Godzilla to keep himself interested in school.
"Sure chemistry is interesting, but it is not as interesting as something you would find in an honors course," he said.
Manole is one of 18 students enrolled in a 200-level University Honors Program class that focuses on analyzing the Godzilla film series and how the films correlate with today's pop culture.
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Manole said there is a lot to learn from the course.
"The class goes beyond Godzilla," he said. "There is a lot behind him. He's not just some monster running around."
Juliette Cunico, instructor of Guardian Monsters: the Godzilla Phenomenon, said the purpose of the course is to look at Godzilla and discover why the films have had such a long run. She said Godzilla is the longest-running film series in history.
"Godzilla has come to symbolize many things," she said. "He has come to symbolize a defender or a guardian, specifically in Japan."
Godzilla has also been seen as an enemy force, Cunico said. She said when the suffix "zilla" is used in a name, it usually refers to something large, destructive, out of control and single-minded.
She said it is not really possible to characterize Godzilla as one thing, because he has been portrayed differently in the 29 films.
Through watching Godzilla films, she said, it is possible to study what was going on politically, economically, intellectually and culturally in America and Japan at the times the films were made.
Analyzing Godzilla films is not the whole curriculum, Cunico said. The class will also be looking at Japanese mythology to help explore other areas, she said.
Cunico said she has been a fan of Godzilla since she saw her first Godzilla film in the late 1950s.
"I had always been a closet Godzilla fan, and when I became a public Godzilla fan, it occurred to me that there was a lot to be learned from grade-B monster films," she said.
Manole said Cunico is knowledgeable on the topic.
"She knows what she is talking about, and she is really enthusiastic about it," he said. "She knows everything about Godzilla."
Cunico said it is not possible to learn everything about Godzilla in one semester, but she hopes students will leave the class with a greater understanding of the issues that separate Eastern culture from Western culture.
"We are in the United States, and essentially, we don't know an awful lot about Eastern cultures," she said. "This is certainly one way to get some knowledge and have some fun while doing it."
Cunico said she proposed the course a few years ago but not enough students registered. This year, the course is two students over the capacity limit.
Cunico said the University needs more nontraditional classes because they provide valuable learning experiences for students.
"I do believe that nontraditional classes must be as carefully thought out and as well planned as the more traditional classes," she said.
Student Brian Hunt said he took the class because it was a deviation from traditional core classes.
"It's not only an escape, but it's a class to occupy my mind," he said.
Hunt said he hopes the class will make him more of a well-rounded person.
"Life is more than chemistry and biology," he said.
