Northern Illinois University may have found the secret to getting students to put down the plastic solo cups and pick up their dusty school books--if only for an hour or so. A new course was added to the university's extensive catalogue called "Game of Thrones, Television and Medieval History."
Although the HBO fantasy series attracted students in herds, its dives past the entertainment industry and into a full history lesson. Professor Valerie Garver uses the wacky storylines and intense characters to better explain life during the Middle Ages.
"It represents aspects of the Middle Ages much more realistically than other media depictions that purport to be more accurate," Garver said, reports E! News . "It stands out because it comments on the human condition in a way that seems real to people. It's a really good example of a piece of modern culture that draws on how the past impacts the present."
The course spotlights the extreme drama series as a part of NIU's honors program, allowing students to watch the show, read the books crafted by George R.R. Martin and make the connection between Game of Thrones, world history and current events, notes Fox News. The class that exchanges college credit for watching TV filled up in less than an hour but will be readily available to take next spring semester.
"The themes of the show are reality-based themes, where good doesn't always beat evil," said Accounting major Alex Weier, reports Fox News. "It keeps you on your toes."
Watch Daernerys, the Lannisters, Starks and the latest characters in Westeros fight for the throne Sundays on HBO.
