Emily Muhich is an assistant professor in MSU’s College of Social Science and has been teaching an ISS class on American pop culture for a number of years. When a student petition last fall asked the Center for Integrative Studies to consider creating a class focused on Taylor Swift, Muhich was quickly asked if she was interested.

"I thought it sounded like a great idea," Muhich said. "I am not a Swiftie, although I’m becoming increasingly engaged with her as I’ve been prepping for the class."

Swifties, as Taylor Swift fans are called, were not the only audience that Muhich wanted to cater to. As the "leader of pop culture," Muhich said that Swift is an ideal lens to view our society through, but she wanted to ensure that any student could receive valuable and interesting information in the class regardless of their feelings on the artist. 

"We’re trying to teach skills and give (students) the ability to think about complex ideas," Muhich said. "I think we can pretty clearly do that with Taylor Swift."

The class has three major units: Self-Fashioning, Fandom and Wider Culture, each playing a role in helping students understand identities, interactions between celebrities and fans and impacts on the climate and the economy.

Throughout her extensive career, Swift has remained on top of pop music. Because her influence can be felt in virtually every corner of the entertainment world, Muhich said that students can relate wider social patterns to Swift.

"It makes it easier to talk about the history of American pop culture when we’re talking about somebody who has moved through genres pretty consistently," Muhich said. 

Pre-law junior Alex Guo is the undergraduate learning assistant, or ULA, for the course and one of the students who pushed for its creation. Guo said that many students view ISS and other university required classes as mere obstacles on their degree path, but they can offer important lessons that may not be obtained in their core classes. 

MSU requires two ISS courses, a 200 level and a 300 level. Guo knows that these are the only social science courses that many of her peers take, so she hopes that students will leave equipped with the proper tools to navigate the world around them.

"We’re teaching students how to come up with theories, how to respond to points, we’re making sure that we’re fostering collaborative discussion," Guo said. "You can be any major and still take so much out of this course."

Psychology freshman Taline Caliskan doesn’t describe herself as a Swiftie but still enjoys Swift’s music. Caliskan chose to sign up for the class after her advisor suggested it. 

"I just listen to her music, I like her music," Caliskan said. "I don’t have any opinions on her as a person."

Guo, on the other hand, served as vice president of a Taylor Swift fanclub. But prior knowledge doesn’t make the class boring. The variety of perspectives helps Guo and the students expand their ways of thinking.

"I’ve learned so much in this class just from hearing student opinions," Guo said. "There are so many issues that we talk about that apply to society as a whole."

Caliskan said that most of the lectures are not heavily centered on Swift, though Muhich’s ability to tie Swift into a wide array of topics makes it easier for students to understand the ideas that are discussed. 

"The professor is really good at not just talking about Taylor Swift so the people in that class who don’t like her don’t automatically hate it," Caliskan said. "I’ve learned more about the history and culture around celebrities and music progression."

Naturally, there must be a Taylor Swift lesson every now and then. Caliskan said that her favorite activity was diving deeper into the storylines of "Cardigan," "August" and "Betty."

"Those songs are probably my favorite from the Folklore album, so it was really cool getting a chance to go through the lyrics," Caliskan said. "That is probably the best of her lyricisms, in my opinion."

General education courses don’t have to be boring. If you have to take them, you might as well allow yourself to have some fun. Even if Taylor Swift isn’t your thing, there are many more options out there. 

"I hope students take some time to look into what ISS and IAH classes are offered and to take one they’re excited about, because there are tons of really cool things happening at Michigan State," Muhich said.