This semester, Grinnellians who long to juggle, learn how to cook or study Poi spinning have an outlet for their curiosity--Grinnell's Experimental College (ExCo). ExCo is a program that allows students to teach classes on topics of their choice to fellow students, faculty and members of the community.

Suzanne Polivy '09, ExCo co-organizer, attributes the program's popularity to a new, less reigorous application process for teachers and a more casual enrollment process for students, which makes it easier for students to sign up for classes.

ExCo was floundering at the beginning of the 2006-07 school year, with a significantly diminished number of both classes and participants. That year, the program came under new leadership, and thanks to a revised application process and more aggressive publicity, its popularity has steadily grown ever since.

The program is funded with an allocation of the SGA budget, and because of this year's popularity, the program's budget has grown to $2,000. Funds are allocated to teachers depending on the size of each class.

This year, ExCo offers classes both on traditionally academic and non-academic subjects. Rachel Walberg '09 is teaching "Knitting: Basics and Beyond," which will teach students basic knit and purl stitches and allow students to learn more advanced techniques of their choice, such as shaping, lace and cabling.

This is Walberg's third semester teaching an ExCo class, and she has been knitting for about four years. She says that the craft is "something that a lot of people think is a lot harder than it is." This semester, students will start the class by making a basic scarf with white wool which they will then be able to dye according to their tastes.

Jeff Sinick '09 will teach a course entitled "Basic Wine and Food," in which he will teach students about different types of grapes used for wine, regions of the world in which wine is produced and the pairing of wine with food. Sinick also taught the course last semester, but said that the enrollment for this year is significantly higher. "Probably three times as many people signed up as last semester," he said. In addition to his class sessions, Sinick also hopes to include a field trip to a local vineyard in the semester's activities.

Both Sinick and Walberg praised the casual atmosphere of ExCo for its ability to attract a wide range of students who might have a casual interest in a subject but not enough time to study it in depth.

Walberg said she feels "really good about providing something non-academic," and is even considering applying for a Watson fellowship to study how extracurricular and craft activities foster a more positive state of mind in our rapid-fire culture.

Sinick said ExCo is a good diversion from Grinnell's usually rigorous academics and helps students relax. The ExCo classes, he said, are "kind of a way to relax, and to learn about things you can't get the college to teach."

If ExCo's popularity this semester is any indication, Grinnellians are embracing an opportunity to unwind and exercise their creativity. Polivy said that she was pleasantly surprised by the participation this year and hoped it would continue in the future. "ExCo's a really great program," she said. "We're excited that people are embracing it so much this year."