We will learn basic techniques for composing music in the classical style, discover how these conventions appear in modern music, and apply what we learn to compose our own short pieces!

Nowadays, lots of people lack the ability to think critically. Don't be like them! Come learn how to think better.


Prerequisites
None

We will discuss the history of the Manhattan Project, how Albert Einstein and Leo Szilard convinced FDR to build atomic bombs, and the legacy of the legendary WWII research project.

On September 2, 2015, the lifeless body of three-year-old Syrian refugee Aylan Kurdi washed ashore on the Turkish coast, becoming a symbol of the world’s largest humanitarian emergency of our era: the Syrian Refugee Crisis. With over 13.5 million refugees left searching for a safe haven, the international community has failed to provide sanctuary to those fleeing the deleterious ramifications of the Assad regime. In this class, we will explore and analyze the origins of the Crisis, proxy-war actors, United Nations intervention, resettlement conflicts, and required action. By the end of the class, you will not only have a better understanding of the aforementioned factors, but of the international community and Middle Eastern politics as well.

How can we tell a story in the smallest possible space? In this class we will explore classic forms of tiny fiction, including the Six-Word Story and Flash Fiction. We will discuss how these forms cross between fiction and poetry and then write a bunch of our own! Notebooks and pencils will be provided.

In this course we will look at the geographical foundations for the development of nations. Which ways the landscape of the physical world shaped the political and why the understanding of these influences are not fully developed. Similar approach to history as in "Guns, Germs, and Steel" by Jared Diamond.

In this hour-long session, we will be discussing ontology, i.e. what we think exist and whatnot. No pre-req at all. We will be using donuts as examples to discuss whether holes exist. If so, in what form does it exist? Is the hole in a donut as real as a donut hole? If not, are we saying anything when we point out the hole in a donut? Also, this is a super legitimate reason for us to take a box of donuts from the lobby and just eat them all during the session.

Have you every wanted to learn a bit of German? This is the class for you! We'll be learning some basic conversation skills that you can show off to all your friends and even some German slang. You'll also get to listen to some German music and eat delicious food to learn more about German culture.

Superheroes have undoubtedly claimed their leading importance in popular culture. They are studied by various scholars and schools around the world, and it is impossible to teach popular culture and literature without discussing the role that superheroes play outside of the screen and books.. In this session, we will discuss what the evolution of superheroes reflects about our society, and what kinds of impact did they have on generations of Americans.

We'll be discussing famous serial killers and society's disturbing obsession with them. If you like any of those cop/fbi shows or just want to learn about some funky and twisted minds (serial killers and ours), you'll have fun with this class.

Come learn about functional programming in Haskell and how it's different from traditional languages.

This course will teach students about the basics of the Java programming language, also giving the students a better sense of Object-Oriented Programming. Then, students will apply this knowledge into making various graphical designs/animations via Java Applet to run locally on the computer.

What is emotion, and where does it come from? Come learn about psychological theories of emotion and why feelings are so important!

Did you know that in 2011, a scientific study found evidence that people have the ability to see into the future? Did you know that studies have shown that tea either lowers, increases, or has no effect on cancer?
Science is sometimes held on a pedestal, and we often equate science with the truth. However, as I'll show you, scientists can be just as dirty as regular people to get the result they want. In this course, I will teach you how to spot bad science and laugh at a few scientific studies along the way.

Want to have your mind blown? You are at the right place! From paramnesia (Déjà Vu) to Purkinje Lights to 3D street art and more, come and learn how psychology aims to understand these remarkable phenomena.

Interested in learning about some of the toughest organisms on the planet? Curious about how life copes in the most extreme habitats on Earth? Can't sleep because you're wondering how life got here to begin with? If so, this course is for you! We will introduce microbes that can withstand extreme conditions, explain why they are important in the origin of life, and explore the role 'extemophiles' play in society.

Let's shine some light on that monster under everyone's bed. What is cancer really, and what does it do to the human body? Why is it 2019 and we still haven't found a "cure"? This course is a quick dive into different types and stages of cancer, the underlying causes, the available treatments, and the state of research today.


Prerequisites
Introductory to AP level Biology

Explore everything from the Big Bang to the eventual end of the Universe in this class that covers topics like the life cycle of stars, dark energy and dark matter, and the question of the multiverse.

Evolution is an extremely slow process, while our society progresses so quickly. For example, a baby's responses to a snake is fear, while to a gun is curiosity. It is important to overcome our evolutionary traits in order to keep up with our changing world.

From small bamboo explosions in ancient China to the iconic displays of today: how have fireworks developed and how do they produce the colorful displays we know and love? This course will attempt to answer those questions through an exploration of both the history and science of fireworks. Students will learn the major advances in the field of fireworks and investigate what chemicals make each color possible.

The Earth is ~4.6 billion years old and if you compressed all that time into 1 year, humans would only come into the picture at the last 30 minutes of the last day of the year. How do we know about the rest of Earth history then? Rocks are our history books to understand the crazy beginning of Earth, origin of life, and all the other volcanic explosions, mass extinctions, and climate change that has occurred along the way. Come spend 50 minutes learning how to read Earth's history books.

Learn and practice basic gymnastics skills and stunts. Come try something new-- no prior experience needed!

Learn how to make a simple fried rice