Ever thought you could get a credit for watching and discussing TV?  Thanks to Lost fans sophomores Emelio DiSabato and Colin Raffel, this fantasy is an Oberlin reality. The popular class meets every Thursday night at 7 p.m. in King 306 to view the latest episode, toss around theories and argue heatedly in defense of a favorite character or wild idea.

Inspiration struck DiSabato last winter break, when his sister got him hooked on the show. When he returned to Oberlin for Winter Term, he brainstormed with fellow Lost junkie Raffel and introduced his friends to the addictive show. In his words, “It was love from then on.”

Raffel is proud of the team for pulling through on their idea:

“Everyone says, ‘Oh, we should make an ExCo about this or that’ [but never do it]. Emelio and I realized we were serious. So we made an ExCo.”

And serious they are: Both leaders watch the show the night before class, research for discussions in online forums, and consult their trusty guide, Clues for Unlocking Lost.

“We’re nerds,” DiSabato said.

In class, the two screen the episode without commercials.  

“It gives it more of a movie feel,” says DiSabato. “Then we discuss it, and talk about all the metaphors and allusions we noticed. We also apply what we’ve learned from Season One and Two to this [current] season. It’s an experiment in progress.”

The 30 students enrolled love the ExCo. During the class, the leaders facilitated well, responding encouragingly to the students’ ideas with “Oooo, I like that theory!” and reining in an out-of-control tiff with “Woah, time out.”

“Frequently, a student from the class will come up to me [outside of class] and ask, ‘What did you think of this?’” said Raffel.

 “It’s fun that they come to us with questions about the show,” agreed DiSabato. “They know we do a lot of research. We try to present new ways to go about looking at the show, ways they might not have thought of. A lot of people come to the class who aren’t enrolled, too.”

The only rule implemented is that you must be caught up in watching.

“If you haven’t seen Lost, you have to start at season one, episode one. You can’t start in the middle. That’s just wrong,” said DiSabato.

The teachers have recently assigned some reading: Flan O’Brien’s The Third Policeman, an allusion in the show that may help unlock some of its mysteries.

This coming semester, the two are unsure whether they want the group to remain an ExCo or to become a club, which Raffel describes as “a similar format, but without the required work.”

When asked why someone should watch Lost, the teachers fought over who could answer first.

“It’s character-driven,” said DiSabato. “These characters are great actors, and it’s so well written. They also have a huge mythology surrounding the show. Also, it’s like, ‘Oh my god, look at this plot turn!’ You can’t just sit on a couch and watch Lost. You have to constantly ask yourself what’s going on.”

“I don’t watch any other show on TV,” said Raffel. “It’s such a unique show in a number of ways. It keeps you so engrossed, and there’s a huge character base that you can relate to.”

“It’s more than a TV show,” said DiSabato. “It’s a way of life.”