Origami is a relaxing and rewarding hobby. With just a sheet of paper and your imagination, you can create anything from a daisy to a dragon to an ice cream cone. In this course I will briefly talk about the history of the ancient art form before jumping in to some hands-on creating. We will walk through a few tutorials, and by the end of class, each student will have a beautiful collection of folded pieces and a foundation to keep improving upon!

By using images to source inspiration, students in this class will improve upon their imagery and creativity. We will work through a series of photo prompts to develop scenic descriptions, daring plot lines, and fascinating characters.

We will dive into the world of machine elements to see exactly how engineers can pick and choose so precisely between one part and another to make some of the most complex systems. In addition, we may have time to study how some of these parts are fabricated.

In times characterized by an explosion of awareness and language to describe our experiences, there can be a sense of catching up to do, both with the current times and the history informing the changes we’re seeing today. This seminar focuses on the language used to discuss gender and sexuality, the discourses and theory surrounding experiences and how we discuss them, and how we come to understand ourselves in the context of all of this.


Prerequisites
None

Let's get creative together and dip our toes into the genre of poetry! This course is a fun exploration of contemporary poetry, highlighting in particular how liberating it can be to both read and write poetry. As a class, we will discuss a few poems by contemporary authors, learn about the poets' techniques, and then write and share some poetry of our own!

Have you ever wondered how a carpenter from Nazareth from 2,000 years ago managed to change the entire world as we know it?

Did you know that every story of the Bible, from Adam and Eve, to Noah, Moses, David, and everything in between points to one person? One message?

Have you ever thought about how the Old and New Testaments perfectly come together to form one clear story arc, connecting all of human history?

We will explore how the Bible tells the story of humanity, from beginning to end, centered around one person, Jesus Christ. We will explore the images, symbols, metaphors, and connections the Old Testament paints that point to the coming Messiah.

This class is for you if A) you're interested in Christianity and want to get a big picture view of what it's about, what is the Gospel, and how the Bible comes together to present this claim.

or B) You're a Christian looking to learn more about your faith, explore some amazing connections you probably never thought about, and fall in love with the Bible once again.

I'm excited to see you there!


Prerequisites
None!

Have you ever been to a museum and saw a painting which made you think "I could do that!?" Through discussion and close examination of key works of the abstract expressionist movement, we'll learn how to see the meaning in abstract art, even when there appears to be none

What role do our senses play in our perception of the world? Can we be certain that there is a world at all? Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Should we be afraid of death? In this course, we will develop a foundation of the philosophical style of inquiry and explore the philosophical insights of various ancient and modern philosophers.

Cryptography has been in use for thousands of years, from ancient Greece until today. Codes (and codebreaking!) is the backbone of our modern society, powering everything from credit cards and cryptocurrency to the websites you use every day - including Zoom. In this class, you'll learn how to make and break your own codes to send secret messages to your friends!

The Hunger Games was undoubtedly one of the most popular book and film franchises of the 2010's. But what makes it as good and successful in its storytelling? This course explores the themes and motifs of The Hunger Games film franchise. It will go over historical, political, racial, and sociological parallels between the Western world that it is critiquing and the dystopian world it presents. This course will be based mainly on the film adaptations rather than the novels and elements of its production will also be examined to further understand how The Hunger Games comments on the world we live in today and the world that is awaiting us tomorrow. Students will learn to analyze, interpret, and apply sociological methods to popular media.

Do you believe in astrology, tarot cards, palm-reading, or psychics? In the first half of the course, we will explore the historical, philosophical, and cultural significance of various forms of divination, as well as discuss whether there could be some scientific truth behind fortune-telling. In the second half, I will go through the process of performing a real tarot card reading.

We all know who Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven are, but have you heard of composers like Igor Stravinsky, Alban Berg, Bela Bartok, Takashi Yoshimatsu, or Leo Ornstein? In this course, we will explore a handful of influential and interesting 20th/21st century composers from around the world. The class will be split between listening to music and discussions.


Prerequisites
Ability to read music will be helpful, but is not required.

Very few people haven't heard of Star Wars, the legendary saga of stories, TV shows, and movies that has captivated audiences the world over. However, what many people don't understand is that Star Wars has much to teach us about our own world. This course seeks to examine the politics of the Star Wars universe in two parts. First, we will cover the fall of the Republic: what issues led to the Clone Wars? Why was the government structure of the Republic so flawed? What role did corruption play? What events in history can we make comparisons to? The second part of the course will cover the governance of the Empire: how did the Empire use fear to maintain order? What forms of repression did the Empire use? Who benefited from the Empire, and why did it ultimately fail? The course will be primarily discussion based, so be prepared to offer your own opinions!


Prerequisites
General knowledge of the Star Wars timeline is a must. This course is particularly well suited to Star Wars fans who have watched the Original Trilogy, the Prequel Trilogy, and the Clone Wars TV series.

What are calories, vitamins, macronutrients? What do the phrases mean on product packaging? Which is the best product out of the multitude of options at the grocery store based on an individual’s goals?

As a food scientist and former professor, Debie Blair has spent the last decade making snacks like OREO, belVita biscuits, protein bars, and energy drinks for the general public. This course aims to expand the knowledge base of everyone on the many options of foods in the grocery stores, both “natural” and “processed”. The more we know about what’s going into our bodies, the better choices we can make and the healthier we can be as individuals and as a society.

Come learn about The Food We Eat!

Travel through immortal mountains, ancient tombs, and mystical islands as we take a look at the vast history of Chinese art!


Prerequisites
None

Okay braniacs! Join us in an exploration of what lies between our ears. In this class, you'll be introduced to neuroscience, the biological study of the brain. You'll learn about the structure of a brain cell, the lobes of the brain, and the parts of the nervous system.

Whether you're new to drawing or a figure drawing master, bring a pencil and some paper to join us for a 1 hour figure drawing session! In this class, we'll learn and practice how to bring life into our drawings of humans. Techniques we'll discuss are contrapposto, line of action, negative space, and more.

This course will explore some of the scariest creatures in the world and why they exist. It will feature a brief discussion about evolution with emphasis on discussion about the world today and climate change. The class will end with an activity encouraging students to imagine how life today will adapt in 100 years.

It turns out that counting things can be quite useful (evidence: *gestures vaguely everywhere). It turns out that counting different things sometimes requires some creative techniques, which opens up into the beautiful field of discrete mathematics. We will discuss a variety of counting techniques and concepts, such as Pascal's rule and stars and bars theorem, and delve into connections in discrete mathematics.


Prerequisites
Some familiarity with algebra (working with variables) is preferred.

Who says math has to be boring? Welcome to Desmos! We will learn the simple ways to graph functions and make them move using sliders. We will explore how to use Desmos from the tasks for your homework to making an awesome project! Class will be taught by an International Desmos Art Finalist.


Prerequisites
Basic understanding of 6th grade math and algebra required. Knowledge of Calculus is optional but will be briefly introduced in the class.

Ever wanted to know how to invest in the stock market? What is a stock? How much can I earn? How do I use Robinhood/trading simulators? This class is designed to give students a basic, objective view to the world of investing.


Prerequisites
n/a

What is a mushroom? What is mycelium? How do plants communicate with each other? How can mold model cities and move mountains? Could collaboration be just as strong of a force as competition? How do (mostly) invisible fungal relationships shape our planet?

Welcome to the exciting world of fungal ecology. If you've taken a liking to lichen or consider yourself a fungal/fungi, there's mushroom for you in this class. We'll dig into this unexplored kingdom and explore what it means to be a human in a fungus's world.


Prerequisites
None! Though some biology may be helpful.

It’s time to show your math teachers who’s boss. Those precious rules that they hold so dearly and that seem so pristine and self-consistent… wouldn’t it be a shame if something were to happen to them? It’s time to make some mathematicians cry by breaking spheres, square roots, and sets! MWAHAHAHA!!!


Prerequisites
It would be good to understand conceptually what a negative number is!

By exploring different ways that artists represent dynamism in art — sequential photography, foldable sculptures, figure drawing, geometry, interactive installations — students in this class will expand their creativity by incorporating movement in their own art making. We will experiment with drawing and paper sculpture making in response to a series of video prompts including movement of dancers and creatures.


Prerequisites
Anyone who is interested in exploring new ways of making art.

A boiling Jupiter $$6\times$$ hotter than Venus… A torturous world where it rains glass sideways… And a safe haven that others like us might call home… Exoplanets are worlds that orbit other stars, and they are stranger and more beautiful than you can even imagine! But how do we find these worlds? What are they like? And is it possible that there really are little green women and men who we might one day visit? Join us, and we will answer these questions and more!


Prerequisites
Curiosity about space and a sense of adventure!

Ever wondered what you would sound like as an adult? As someone of a different gender? Want to sound like Batman or SpongeBob?

I will be showing you how to set up the world's most realistic voice changer. You will be using the REAPER digital audio workstation, a software used by professional audio engineers and music producers. Along the way, you will learn the fascinating science behind the human voice.

Once your voice changer is set up, you can use it in future Zoom meetings.


Prerequisites
Install REAPER here: https://www.reaper.fm/ Install VB-CABLE here: https://vb-audio.com/Cable/ Earbuds or headphones are helpful, but not required.

Come learn about the forgotten magic molecule RNA, its structure and function, how all of life may have started with RNA, and how RNA vaccines and therapeutics may one day stop antibiotic resistance and cure cure COVID-19!


Prerequisites
No prerequisites but prior biology experience will always help!

Together, we'll delve into the immersive world of creative writing and explore the fundamentals of writing a short story. We'll start with the basics—narrative, plot, character development, and dialogue—and write in response to a few related prompts. At the end, we'll begin drafting a short story based on the techniques we learned and share some of our work aloud!

Do you struggle to find the words to comfort your friend after they've gone through a bad breakup? Maybe how to resolve an argument with your parents? Or something as simple as understanding why you sometimes feel sad or lonely? This is the class for YOU, and for anyone who has a desire to improve themselves. "How to Boost Your Emotional Intelligence" is an exciting, tangible, and jam-packed course focused on empathy, communication, and networking. We'll be unpacking real-life case studies that cover fundamental ideas in emotion, discussing how to handle common social situations, and providing you with mental strategies to enrich your social interactions. At the end of this course, we guarantee that you'll understand yourself and other people better, and hopefully you'll find a bit of happiness along the way too.

Why is a playwright who died hundreds of years ago still so celebrated today? Why should we make the journey through his difficult language? In short, what makes Shakespeare so meaningful? This course aims to answer these questions. It introduces students to the enduring impact Shakespeare has on the modern world and can have on each of us. We will go through a quick presentation on who Shakespeare was, go over a sonnet or two, and perform a scene together!

In this course, students will be introduced to the basics of oral argument at the Supreme Court. They will learn about the role of oral argument in the Court's decision-making and basic argument-writing techniques. Finally, the lesson will conclude with students writing and delivering short arguments of their own on fun, not necessarily law-related topics of their choice.

**Can be taken multiple times: each time will cover a different infectious disease**

Disease is a natural part of human life. As is known today, there are one trillion different species of bacteria, at least 320,000 different types of viruses, and many more different types of infectious specimens that mankind hasn't even put a name to yet. These mysterious beings have interacted with humanity for centuries, sometimes providing good results, other times causing a variety of diseases and infections.

This class discusses the fundamentals of infectious materials, outlining their structures as well as their mechanisms of spreading from individual to individual. The first part of each class will focus on learning about each type of infection, and the second part will involve a close examination of different case-studies surrounding the topic of interest.


Prerequisites
Some biology would be helpful, but absolutely not needed