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	Photo by Sam Yu Len Latkovski, chairman of the Hood College history and political science department, teaches a class on the history of intelligence and espionage on Friday morning.

Carper, a Hood College sophomore, said over the years, her father's enthusiasm for cloak and dagger films, along with his career at the National Security Agency, sparked her own interest in matters of national security.

So when she saw a new class on the topic was being offered this semester at Hood, Carper, who is considering a career in national security, jumped at the chance.

The history of intelligence and espionage, according to the Hood College website, examines the methods and use of spying in the 20th century.

Len Latkovski, chairman of Hood's history and political science department, developed the course and is its instructor. He said discovering that many Hood alums were working in national security was an impetus to offer it to undergrads.

Intelligence gathering, which has expanded significantly in the past 10 years, is one of the largest preoccupations of world governments, Latkovski said.

Learning from the past mistakes of the major intelligence agencies, such as discarding protocol when sending clandestine messages, or being hampered by cultural prejudices when interpreting messages, will help inform students of world history, he said. Also, wrestling with questions of how democratic nations balance the need for secrecy with the need to inform the public are timely and vital.

In class Friday, Latkovski explained that the field of espionage concerns itself with being able to obtain, decipher and act on the right information gathered from a mountain of sources.

Not taking such information for granted, going directly to the source to see if the facts in any situation are accurate, are skills Latkovski said would aid students in their studies and in their future careers, whether they involve working for the national security apparatus or not.

"The important thing is to rationally commit yourself," he told the class.

Harrison Bliss, a sophomore history major, said he signed up for the class in part because of the unusual subject matter.

"I didn't know what to expect, but I think it's very interesting," Bliss said. "You don't have to force yourself to do the readings."

Michael Reilly, a Hood junior, said he enjoys learning about government spying exercises, such as the NSA's Project SHAMROCK, which intercepted international telegrams during the Cold War.

"It's the secrecy, that's what I like about it," Reilly said.