Have you ever been to a concert or live production? Have you ever watched the performance and saw crazy things happening with lights and effects and wondered how they work? Well this class will teach you the technology behind all of those things.
By the end of the class you will be able to understand the basic principles on how to program these kind of effects and how to use the equipment that makes all of this possible.


Prerequisites
Basic Understanding of How computers functions.

Love rap/hip-hop music? This course will uncover rap music from the artists such as Tupac, J. Cole, Kendrick Lamar, and Chance the Rapper along with a few other exclusives. The class will be centered around discussion as we all talk about the social issues and meaning that is actually in rap. Be prepared for a fun class (no rap knowledge required, just enthusiasm)!

Why do so many pop and rock songs sound so similar? Why are some songs so catchy, and what makes a hit song so successful? In this two-hour course, we will explore basic music theory to better understand how pop and rock music is written. Specifically, we will cover the major scale, how to identify and create chords therein, how to create certain note/chord progressions that sound especially good, and what effects various progressions evoke.


Prerequisites
This class is open to all students; no prior knowledge of music or an instrument is necessary.

Everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked! The modern classic nickelodeon show is famous for its rich world building, complex characters, and its main plot point, the Fire Nation's war. Propaganda, altering history, corruption, the common citizen's indifference to foreign affairs and moral ambiguity on both sides of war are all very real issues of warfare and are addressed very well for a show about a tattooed teen traveling the world on a flying cow. In this class, we will eat popcorn, watch clips, and discuss the parallels between the show and real instances of war including WW2 and modern warfare. This course will develop analytic skills to understand underlying messages and themes, as well as impart a better understanding of the nuances of warfare and its historical impact.


Prerequisites
Basic knowledge of the plot of Avatar the Last Airbender.

Everyone loves Harry Potter, but are you aware of the extensive Latin roots and ancient mythology behind the favorite kids books? J.K. Rowling got her degree in Classics, and this is evident in her famous series. This course will discuss the many hidden shout-outs to Classical times, including spells that come from Latin roots, characters' names that evoke mythical meanings, names of places that have ancient connotations, and even the Hogwarts official motto: Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus!


Prerequisites
Students should be familiar with the plot and characters of the Harry Potter books

This course will teach the mechanics of poetry. It will discuss famous poems and attempt to mark their stresses and syllables in order to develop a more comprehensive meaning and significance of the text. It will teach about rhythm, the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in a line, and meter, the number of feet in a line. Focuses will be on specific vocabulary (iambic hexameter, trochaic pentameter, anapest, dactyls, spondees etc.) and the practical application of differentiating between stressed and unstressed syllables, including feminine and masculine endings.

If someone were to come up to you and ask you the question "Who are you?", what would your response be? Well, I guess the natural first reaction is to quip back, "Well, who the heck are you?" But really, have you ever stopped to think what it *really* is that makes you, well, you? What would have to change for you to stop being yourself? Is there any way to revert those changes?

In this class, we will talk about some existing theories of identity and try to wrap our heads around some thought experiments which challenge our preexisting notions. Students will be encouraged to provide their own thoughts and ideas on the matter as well.

This class will overview the top public health crises – what is happening today, and what is happening in the near future. After going over what exactly “public health” is, we will discuss the challenges that face public health workers and ordinary citizens alike across the globe, and how we can all jump in to prevent or deescalate these issues. Class has a discussion component. Students should come in with an open mind about current global issues.


Prerequisites
None

Most people have heard of the Godfather – but how much do they know about the man who made it so iconic? This class explores Marlon Brando’s career; it will focus on his acting, his activism, and the way he changed cinema – and acting – forever.

The course will look into three of Marlon Brando’s most iconic roles: Stanley Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire, Terry Malloy in On the Waterfront, and Don Vito Corleone in the Godfather.

(If you're a film lover, taking this class is an offer you can't refuse!)

President-elect Trump criticized Janet Yellen, the current chair of the Federal Reserve, during one of the debates for keeping interest rates low. If you asked yourself if this was an accurate comment or not, then this class is for you.

We will answer a variety of questions, such as; who is Janet Yellen and what does she do? What is the Federal Reserve, and what impact does it have on the economy? What are do interest rates do and how do they move?


Prerequisites
Algebra

While many students today are familiar with Darwin’s theory of evolution, most are less familiar with his personal life. Darwin completed his research and had the ideas formulated for his theory long before he published them in On the Origin of Species. There were several personal reasons that he took so long to publish his theory, including his struggle with the implications his theory had on religion, his debilitating health issues, and his sufferings when his daughter Annie died at the age of 10.

This class will look into these emotional struggles due to the implications of his theory and how we might personally identify with or relate to them in general by watching and discussing the film "Creation" (2009).


Prerequisites
The only requirement for the class is a willingness to have open discussion of one’s religious beliefs and views on death.

A basic introduction to algorithms and data structures. Will only go over material in a theoretical manner.

What is the best move to make? How do you know? Want to learn a new game? Through basic principles of probability, statistics, and game theory, we will explore how to make the best decision in any game. Specifically, we will utilize the hit board game Settlers of Catan to better understand these principles and their application. In the first half of the class, students will learn how to play the game, then be introduced to mathematical concepts that will aid them in their quest for victory; in the second half, students will apply what they’ve learned as they play Catan with their teachers and classmates.


Prerequisites
Basic math skills

Why can catapults/trebuchets throw objects so far? How can just two people operate such huge machinery? We will introduce siege weaponry from a physics lens. This course includes a demonstration with a counterweight trebuchet capable of throwing objects over 150 feet!


Prerequisites
High school algebra. Some precalculus is preferred but not necessary.

Every student out of elementary school knows that oxygen is necessary for life, but few people know that pure oxygen would kill you faster than no oxygen. This is due to the production of free radicals and reactive oxygen species, which will subsequently destroy important macromolecules in your body’s cells.
This class will look into how your body uses oxygen, the production of free radicals and how they attack macromolecules, and finally how the body fights against reactive oxygen species. A very basic knowledge of chemistry and biology is required for this class.
This course is designed to allow for questions at any time. A chalkboard is required, while a projector would be nice.


Prerequisites
Basic chemistry and biology knowledge required.

Newton realized that the force that makes an apple fall from a tree is the same force that makes the moon orbit the Earth. But why doesn't the moon come crashing down? In this class, we'll explore how asking questions about space allowed the first physicists to answer questions about the everyday world. We'll also put Newton's laws to the test with an interactive lab.


Prerequisites
High school algebra

There's a single law of physics that keeps chalk on a chalkboard, holds magnets to a fridge, and lets a lamp illuminate the room. How do all these effects tie together? In this class we'll explore electricity and magnetism, and discover how they are united in light. We'll then discuss some of the interesting physics of light, including invisibility cloaks.


Prerequisites
High school algebra; basic mechanics

For most of history, it was believed that a single immovable coordinate grid could cover the universe, and that all physics could be described in terms of it. Likewise, it was believed that a single clock could measure the uniform passage of time. Einstein shocked the world by announcing that space and time are inextricably linked. In this class we'll explore what exactly ``spacetime'' is, what ``relativity'' means, and look at some of the most interesting predictions of Einstein's theory.


Prerequisites
High school algebra; basic mechanics

In 1964, Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson heard a noise in their radio receiver that wouldn't go away, no matter where they pointed their antenna. They soon realized that they were listening to the beginning of the universe. Penzias and Wilson are now credited with discovering one of the best pieces of evidence for the Big Bang. In this class we'll look at the modern understanding of the Big Bang and examine the implications of Einstein's theory of gravity. We'll finish by discussing theories for how the universe may end.


Prerequisites
High school algebra

The ultraviolet spectrum of a lightbulb doesn't quite match up with what classical physics predicts. Starting from this innocent discrepancy, physicists of the early 20th century discovered that our entire conception of reality is mistaken. Particles are waves, waves are particles, and nothing is certain. In this class we'll examine what it means for a system to be quantized, and look at some of the most striking examples of ``quantum weirdness.''


Prerequisites
High school algebra

When enough carbon atoms come together, they can form a diamond. Or, if they come together another way, they can form the graphite in your pencil. With a little care, they can be made to form graphene, an exciting new material. In this class, we'll explore how quantum effects on a small scale can influence the properties of materials on a large scale. Specifically, we'll look at semiconductors and solar cells, ferromagnets, and superconductors.


Prerequisites
High school algebra

Einstein's development of the general theory of relativity was one of the most important events in physics in the 20th century. But he desired more; he wanted to unite gravity and electromagnetism into a single theory of nature. Today, we know of two more forces, the strong and weak nuclear forces. Einstein's theory of relativity describes gravity, and an extension of quantum mechanics called quantum field theory describes the other three. We still don't know how to unite them into a single physical theory, the so-called ``theory of everything.'' In this class, we'll explore the concepts of general relativity and quantum field theory, understand the challenges of bridging them, and see how modern physicists are progressing towards this ultimate triumph.


Prerequisites
High school algebra

Beautiful, tall trees need strong root systems in order to obtain the nutrients they need. Similarly, people need strong mental health to lead their best lives. This class is about the most important lessons that school won’t teach you. In a culture that pays little attention to mental health, most people severely neglect a crucial part of self-care—building a healthy mind. Come to this class if you want to learn a few practical strategies for making your life more fulfilling.

In 33 seasons of CBS’s hit reality show Survivor, winners have come from different races, genders, sexual orientations, and religions—no two winners have been exactly alike. Indeed, the game itself is never quite the same two seasons in a row; what gets someone far in one season may get them voted out early in another. We will trace the evolution of the Survivor to understand what does and does not work in the game today, focusing on past winners and their strategies, as well as monumental, game-changing shifts throughout the show’s history.


Prerequisites
This class is open to all students, but students who watch or have watched the show regularly will be especially equipped for discussion.