New Bracketology course offered this fall

As the college approaches the third week of registration for the fall, about 64 students have made their bid for the new bracketology course.

Bracketology, the practice of making predictions for the NCAA Basketball Tournament, is now available as a final-four credit course starting in fall of this year.

“We’re beginning to understand some of the opportunities available for students to apply bracketology into their careers,” said bracketology adjunct professor George Towne. “There’s a large pool of employers looking for students who are able to make shrewd predictions.”

Units in the course will combine Western Regional Civilization, College Basketball Forum, Advanced Badger-nalism, Seed Horticulture, Long Division I and Villanovalgebra.

“We have some students who will go on to some of these schools in the future, and I think it’s really essential to teach students how to use their bracket properly before they end up blowing their money on a crap school with a pretty mascot,” said Billy Nova, adjunct bracketology professor.

With 26 years filling out brackets in the Menands pub scene, Nova has earned nearly $300 over the course of his run as a bracketologist. Nova’s debt currently exceeds the 2014-15 budget for the liberal arts department.

Although the course has not begun, some students such as Louie Vhil, CIS student, have already considered forming a bracketology club with a request for $500 by the student senate once the club is officially established. The organization, according to Vhil, will not only provide opportunities to educate students about bracketology but also opportunities to pay them back. “We have ten members once this club starts up including myself. I owe about three of them and am a little behind on rent. I’m running low on menthols too.”

The club is not officially recognized by Student Activities but already has mapped out field trips for the future. “Sometimes we’ll go to Stewart’s to get beer and then go to my sister’s place to watch the game,” said Elliot Aight, ECM student.

According to Kenneth Tucky, program coordinator, the course will be available at home as well as at school. “It’s basically just a blog about college basketball with a Hudson Valley logo,” he said.

“We’re hoping this course will be a top pick in the long run,” Tucky said about the new class, which he hopes to fill out as students schedule for next year.