"It seems to me that the action this summer by the Kansas state board of education dropping evolution from the science curriculum, the ongoing battles about prayer in the schools--particularly in places like Alabama--and the struggles in many places including Massachusetts is a pretty clear sign that this is a big-time issue in American society at the beginning of the new century."

Instead of settling into a consistent method of teaching, Fraser alternates between lectures, discussions, and uses case studies to keep the class fresh.

The course is taught in Andover A on Thursday mornings from 8 to 10 a.m.

Juicy Tidbits

If you don't have enough classes on your plate, you can fill it up with John Willoughby's Radcliffe class A103, "Writing About Food."

The course, which will be offered Wednesdays from February 2 to May 10 from 5:15 to 7:15 p.m., will teach students to "explore the various markets in which their work can be published."

While the course may leave some students with heavier stomachs and lighter wallets, the $705 course fee is waived for undergraduates, who cannot take the course for college credit, according to Radcliffe.

Students in "Writing About Food" may want to grill the professor: Willoughby is the author of The Thrill of the Grill and is co-author of License to Grill.