This course will focus on small excerpts from the book "On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous" by author Ocean Vuong. We will focus on a close reading of passages that specifically focus on the themes of war, memory, and freedom from the book. Our hope is that students will gain skills in close reading and literary analysis. We also hope students get a sense of how an author can convey memories through their text.

This course will give some historical context on the rise of mass incarceration. It will talk about the current carceral state in the United States, as it incarcerates far more individuals than any other country. We will be thinking through excerpts of different fundamental texts in prison abolition as we decide whether or not this is a feasible option the in the 21st century.

An introduction to the ideas and practices of restorative justice as a transformative tool for social justice

Why does Trump want to "build a wall"? What does it mean for a person to be "illegal" in the United States? In order to understand the current debates over immigration, it is important to understand the long history of undocumented immigrants in the United States. In this class we will discuss the construction of the "illegal immigrant" throughout United States history and discuss the current day debates surrounding DACA, deportations and sanctuary cities.