Next spring, SC-126: Infinite and the Void will become an Honors class, allowing it to count towards Honors credit for Honors students. 

This course examines concepts of math through an interdisciplinary lens. Charlie Rodriguez, a senior math major who TA’d for the class, said that people often think that mathematics has no meaningful connection to life. He says this “couldn’t be further from the truth.” 

The class starts out by talking about zero and infinity, “which turn out to be really special ideas [that are] capable of being philosophical, theological, historical, etc.” Charlie said. “I mean it really feels like it can connect to everything all at once!”

The course then talks about how zero came into existence and about “the rejection of 0 by Aristotelian philosophy and Christianity, paradoxes, the meaning of our universe, and so much more,” Charlie said. 

It also asks questions such as “does infinity truly exist in nature, like in black holes? What are the implications of the void and infinity for Christianity? Why is 0, a concept that represents nothing at all (…and everything at the same time), a number?”

This class is co-taught by Professor Diana Schepens, an assistant professor of math, and Reverend/Professor Matthew Bell who is “wearing his theologian hat” during the class, according to Professor Schepens. 

Charlie said one cool thing about the course is that it doesn’t really do any actual math, but rather focuses on discussing mathematics “in a way that doesn’t seem super ‘mathy.’” 

This often involved discussion of how math can connect to other disciplines and invite students from all sorts of majors to engage with the concepts. “How often do you get to explore the humanities of math?” Charlie asked. “[this class] made concrete into my mind that faith, philosophy, and science can all coexist in harmony.”

This course is accessible to any student, no matter what their background is. Professor Schepens said, “The STEM topics we pick are presented in an approachable way and lead to some very interesting conversations where students can share their many different worldviews.”

Students who are interested in new ideas, love unusual conversations, and want to learn about bizarre concepts in math and science can tie into other disciplines. “This class is fun for everyone, not just those majoring in STEM,” according to Professor Schepens. 

Freshman Christopher Strand, who is a computer science major, said he took the course as a way to get a math refresher. He said it is absolutely worth it for any student who might struggle with a college level math course, because this course is “structured for your success.” 

This course was first offered last year, in the Spring of ‘22. It will also be offered in January and Spring of 2024 as an Honors course. 

The course will be switched to an Honors course due to its emphasis on interdisciplinary exploration and collaboration. “This course offers a great chance for first year students to practice this skill in a way that is engaging and challenging while also being a lot of fun,” according to Professor Schepens. 

Charlie said that people interested in this course should just take it. “Dr. Schepens is one of the absolute best professors on campus and helps you understand 0 and infinity in a way that I know for a fact you haven’t thought about before. The class is so short but you will leave it with so much knowledge about so many different aspects of our world (not just math, there’s actually not typical math like formulas and stuff in that class as well) and to me, that is something incredibly worth learning.”