<em>Online UFO class is out of this world</em>

by Emmaleigh Clegg & Emily Mosier

Sophomore Nicholas Locklar is from Las Vegas, Nevada, and he said UFOs are regularly seen in his hometown. He even knows people who claim to have been abducted, which is why he was excited to hear that PHI-2215, “Making Sense of UFOs” is being offered as a class in Term Four.

“The dad of one of my friends swears he was abducted,” Locklar said. “He claims that he was stolen from his childhood bedroom by aliens who ran tests on him before returning him safely.”

The class is being taught by Bart Kennedy, an adjunct in the Department of History and Philosophy. Kennedy said the topics include bovine homicides, human abductions, sightings and incidents, landings in schoolyards, and nuclear assets.

“This course was created in order to apply critical reasoning to an anomalous topic,” Kennedy said. “It has the potential to impact the way we see ourselves in the 21st century.”

The course takes the position that UFOs are real and extraterrestrial, but it is unknown where they come from, or how they fly. The course argues in support of three positions: UFOs are extraterrestrial aircraft, some of these crafts have a biological crew, and these crafts often “catch” and “release” humans. 

“Buckle your seat belts,” Kennedy said when asked what he would say to students taking the course. “It’s going to be a wild ride.”

The course comes in a time when UFOs are a hot media topic. CNN reported in January about a report from the Office of The Director of National Intelligence, which said that more than 350 unidentified aerial phenomena have been seen since March of 2021. The report stated half of the sightings are still unexplained. 

“It’s an exciting concept, and I definitely want to hear more about alien catch and release,” Locklar said.

The course, making sense of UFOs (PHI-2215), is currently being offered online during Term Four, and Kennedy said it may be offered again in 2024.