Over the past year or two, I’ve wistfully watched as colleges across the country — and even around the world — added courses about Taylor Swift to their university bulletins. From Ghent University in Belgium to NYU and Stanford, it became clear that Swift’s cultural impact had finally hit the academic sphere.

As a Penn Stater, I could only watch.

When Penn State Berks announced the newest addition to its fall 2024 course list, “Taylor Swift, Gender, and Communication,” you can imagine the rollercoaster of emotions I felt. Surprise, excitement, hope, and, ultimately, disappointment. After all, the class is only being offered at the Berks campus, and as a second-semester senior, my time has run out.

While all hope is lost for me to take a Taylor Swift class during my college career, all is not lost for those who will come after me.

If any school should embrace the Swiftie spirit, it’s Penn State. Sure, the course being taught in Swift’s hometown of Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, makes for a pretty thematic classroom environment, but the superstar has her fair share of general Penn State connections, too.

In 2009, Swift brought her Fearless Tour to the Bryce Jordan Center and played to a sold-out crowd of Penn Staters. In 2023, the Penn State Blue Band honored Swift in a halftime show featuring tracks from her album “1989.”

Clearly, Swift loves Penn State and we love her right back. With nearly 46,000 students attending the University Park campus, the population of fans willing to take the course is probably astronomical. Why not spread the Swiftie-ism a little bit further?

For many people, Swift’s music unlocks various emotions and interests, whether it be an affinity for writing, a love of music, or simply the comfort needed during a hard time. I know for me, Swift’s lyricism is the entire reason I fell in love with writing and ultimately became an English major at Penn State. Since I started on that path at Penn State, Swift’s global impact has only heightened.

Michele Ramsey, associate professor of communication arts and sciences and women’s, gender, and sexuality studies at Penn State Berks, developed the course with this cultural influence in mind.

“When you watch social media posts of the concerts or ‘Eras Tour’ movie screenings, you see so many important things happening,” Ramsey said. “You see legions of women — grandmothers, moms, young women, teens, tweens, younger girls and those who don’t fit into our strict social constructions of gender and sex identity — daring to take up space to enjoy something they love together.” 

The phenomenon of Swift’s talent, critical acclaim, and celebration of womanhood is palpable amid a grueling college lifestyle, so a little happiness goes a long way. This course would do more than help students “Shake It Off” after a long day. It would encourage them to find a deeper meaning, analyze the influence of the media, and speak their minds.

All Penn Staters deserve the chance to learn from the turbulent career Swift has endured, whether they’re fans or not. While it’s too late for Penn State and its “White Horse” to come around for me, it’s not too late for everyone else.

You never want to be the person saying, “Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve,” right?