“What’s the Argument?” Philosophy and the Art of Critical Thinking

Taught by Fernando Alvear

What makes an argument compelling? How do we determine what we know—or if we can know anything at all? This course takes you on a journey through the foundations of ethical, epistemological, and metaphysical arguments, using engaging readings, lively discussions, and thought-provoking activities. You’ll uncover the tools philosophers use to dissect complex issues and apply them to real-world scenarios. Along the way, you’ll explore how philosophical reasoning shapes our understanding of truth, morality, and existence, while developing skills to evaluate ideas, construct persuasive arguments, and tackle challenging questions with clarity and confidence.

The Symbiosis of Art and Science

Taught by Joseph Barnett

Scientific and artistic disciplines are more interdependent than most realize. This is especially true when it comes to the communication piece of scientific phenomena to the general public! Come dissect diverse pieces of art (e.g. visual art, music, and novels) and contemplate how they have, are, and/or could be relevant to the communication of monumental scientific phenomena.

Heroic Humans and Glorious Gods: Myths from Around the World

Taught by Ben Batzer

This class welcomes anyone who enjoys a great story—reading one, telling one, or even performing one! From video games to blockbuster films to children’s literature, myths persist in popular culture, helping us make sense of love, loss, adventure, hope, adversity, and relationships. Why are myths so important to humans? What is the relationship between storytelling and human nature? Why do we keep telling—and even adapting—stories that are thousands of years old? What counts as a myth, and what role do myths play for the people who tell or believe them? Come with an open mind, and we will explore these questions together as we study the globe’s mythic traditions. 

Murder, Mystery, and Methods: Exploring Forensics with Sherlock Holmes

Taught by Jenny Blank

Step into the world of Sherlock Holmes and unlock the secrets of deductive reasoning and forensic science! In this interactive course, we’ll explore the power of critical thinking by examining the methods of Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous detective. Scholars will engage in a hands-on exploration of forensic techniques like fingerprinting, blood spatter analysis, and crime scene investigation. These skills, pioneered by Holmes, laid the groundwork for modern forensic science.

Hacker School:  Basic Training

Taught by Daniel Braithwaite

We are surrounded by and dependent on a digital infrastructure, an intricate invisible parallel world, assembled over the last half century.  Let’s survey it from top to bottom to understand where we are and how we got here.  We will learn basic skills in Linux and Python, techniques of data analysis, the architecture of a computer, elements of information theory and computing theory, some basics of the national power grid, the network protocols that connect machines, the many paths wired and wireless communications may travel, the many ways data is encoded, and more.  Activities will include problem solving, coding, sleuthing challenges, and independent research.  Instead of viewing ourselves as consumers of digital products, we will aim to become informed users of digital tools.

Wake Me Up: Exploring Ways to Help Others with Service and Creativity

Taught by Tina Casagrand

If you’re eager to channel energy into causes you care about (or even into simply *figuring out* what causes you care about) — and want to meet other folks with the same sort of drive — join Wake Me Up! Although we won’t have time in this class to do hands-on volunteering (save that for MSA’s afternoon activities!), we will learn enough about nonprofit work and entrepreneurship to be conversational in these sectors. Local leaders will share not only how they help communities thrive, but also how they sustain their passions without burning out. We’ll also create our own conceptual products or organizations through design thinking: a fun, insightful, and human-centered innovation process that creatively develops solutions to all kinds of problems. 

Math Imitates Art

Taught by Frank Corley

Or does art imitate math? What do the two disciplines have in common, and how are they different?  What is art, anyway?  What is math?  How does the work of an artist embody mathematical ideas?  What is the human setting for the work of mathematics? We will look at historical movements in art and see how artists represented space within those movements.  We will read poetry, consider non-euclidean geometry, and create several pieces of art of our own.  You don’t have to be a talented artist, nor do you have to be a crackerjack mathematician.  Just bring patience with yourself and curiosity for new ideas.

Blame it on the Algorithm…Exploring the world of AI and Data Science

Taught by Kristofferson Culmer

Why is this on my timeline…? It’s the AI (Artificial Intelligence); blame it on the algorithm. How does my Rumba robot know where to go…? It’s machine Learning (ML); blame it on the…machine? Why is this app behaving like this…? It’s more AI; blame it on the algorithm. We hear about AI, ML, Data science, and algorithms all the time, but what are these algorithms, and how does they work? Algorithms are everywhere, and AI, ML, and Data science are becoming more pervasive in our society everyday. In this course, students will learn about AI, ML, Data science and the algorithms that make them work. We will explore some simple algorithms and some more complex ones. Students will also gain experience creating AI and ML programs with the Python programming language. Students taking this minor do not need to know Python but should have some basic programming experience.

James Bond in Literature and Film

Taught by Stephanie Hasty

During this course students will explore the world (myth and lore) of James Bond both through the novels and films to learn about 20th/21st century history and modern-day literature. The class will be discussion based and your participation through discussion questions is vital as we explore the movies, parodies, books and articles analyzing and interpreting James Bond and his relation to topics covered in class.

The Blues, Jazz, and the American Experience: Thriving on a Riff

Taught by Jordan Henson

“Jazz is not just music, it’s a way of life, it’s a way of being, a way of thinking.” – Nina Simone.

The blues and jazz were the first musical forms to emerge exclusively on American soil. Their emergence from the unique cultural blending of late 19th and early 20th century New Orleans mirrors the great “melting pot” of America, and their history is implicitly tied to the history of its country. The blues and jazz quickly jumped out of the musical staff and into literature, art, and even philosophy. Students in this minor will study and listen to the blues and jazz, tracing their history and influences among other artistic disciplines, discussing how they differ from other musical forms, and investigating how jazz performance and improvisation can help one navigate the notes, high, low, blue, and everywhere in between, of life’s grand melody. No prior musical experience required! 

Comics and Our World

Taught by Mike Kersulov

Superheroes, zombies, and talking mice. The face of literature is changing, and we are finding new ways to write short stories: comic books! This course will explore storytelling with comic books and graphic novels and how they have influenced other forms – even our culture as a whole. We will cover the foundations of sequential art that help create the combination of the verbal and visual text, reading some of the most highly praised works in the field. This course also explores literary theory, creative writing, and traditional analysis that employs visual narratives. We will visit comics shops, special collection libraries, and speak to professionals in the field as we attempt to understand the unique medium, how it has impacted our culture, and shown us new ways to convey and process communication. We hope to see you all in class as we will look at a variety of comics, including superheroes, manga, webtoons, zines, picto-essays, travel diaries, and memoirs. While there we will write our own comics, apply new theories, and by the end you might even find yourself dressed as a superhero.

DESTROY ALL BUILDINGS: Why and How America Demolishes its Cities

Taught by RJ Koscielniak

“Nice building you got there. It would be a real shame if something happened to it.”

Well, that’s usually what happens! In this minor, we’ll turn our attention to an important but misunderstood part of urban and neighborhood change: demolition. Whether spectacular or surgical, demolition is an ordinary feature of communities and how leaders deliver on promises of change. Bulldozers barrel through obsolete buildings and new structures pop up in their place. In the United States, we usually call this clearance a form of progress. Whether Detroit, MI or Jacksonville, FL, cities use demolition to achieve their goals and reinvent themselves. But what does it mean if we’re always transforming our neighborhoods and cities through wrecking and removal? Why do we need to remove things in the first place? We’ll discuss the technical and engineering aspects of demolition but we’ll also examine how demolition became something of an American tradition. Knocking down buildings is easy, managing the consequences for people and communities is typically way more difficult. Who is most affected by demolition? Does demolition always culminate in new development? Is it really the best solution to any problems? Over the course of this minor, we’ll explore who supports demolition and who opposes demolition, as well as the short-term and long-term consequences of destroying buildings and neighborhoods. We’ll build some model houses together and decide what it means when we choose to tear them down. Ready, set, wreck!

Science in Action

Taught by Megan Lilien

Science is more than just procedures and lab textbooks; it is a creative, innovative, and dynamic global process deeply intertwined with society. When tackling global challenges, scientists don’t follow pre-written instructions—they engage in discovery to expand knowledge and understand the natural world.

In this course, you’ll explore how science integrates into society by examining topics such as ethics of scientific research, science in global policy making, and what defines good scientific practices. You’ll engage in hands-on lab experiences, debates, art, games, and reflections. Through these activities and discussions of current scientific issues and challenges, you’ll develop the critical thinking and creativity needed to approach the world like a scientist.

The History, Myth, and Reality of the Mafia

Taught by Michael Limmer

“I’m going to make him an offer he can’t refuse.”

Spoken by Vito Corleone in Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather (1972), these iconic and ominous words are forever embedded in our cultural imagination and understanding of the Mafia. Film and literature alike have popularized, romanticized, and mystified the Mafia and its realities. The idea of the Mafia conjures up a wealth of images that have been shaped by popular culture but are also drawn from deep-rooted 19th century stereotypes of Italians and Italian Americans, as quick-tempered, passionate, knife-wielding, cunning gangsters. Utilizing film, literature, and other primary sources, this course attempts to dissect fact from fiction as we investigate the history of the Mafia through a study of Modern Italy, particularly the impact of the rise of the nation-state, fascism, and postwar reconstruction. From the streets of Sicily to New York, we will look at the Mafia’s expansion and how it became a global criminal organization through transnational migration and globalization. As we peel back the layers of organized crime, we will expose the dark dimensions of the Mafia and its impact on individuals and societies. Join us as we investigate the myths and realities of the world’s most infamous criminal enterprise! Like the Mafia, this is a class you can’t refuse! 

Math Without Numbers

Taught by Matthew Matheney

We will explore topics of mathematics that are full of challenging thought but sparse in … numbers. Counting may be the most we do with numbers, but the variety of mathematical ideas still available may astound you. We will tackle new problems each day using the more visual side of mathematics, until we reach the limits of our visual reasoning.

Tiny Sparks

Taught by Sabrina Michael

Get ready to spark creativity and dive into the world of electronics! In this hands-on class, scholars will learn the art of soldering as they assemble small electronics like radio kits and amplifiers. Along the way, they’ll explore how components like capacitors, resistors, and diodes work together to power their creations. Whether you’re a future engineer, scientist, or just love creating, this class will light up your curiosity and your soldering iron!

Say What? Flash Fiction, Vignettes, Prose Poems, & Hybrid Forms

Taught by Caitlin Palmer

Life is messy. Sometimes the truest way to get at the mess is to mimic it. In this course, we will get away from perfect, artful forms, and learn about (and lean into) the experimental: poems that don’t rhyme, short scenes that don’t have an ending, and “the hermit crab” – making a thing disguised as another thing. We’ll look at work by Victoria Chang, who writes memory as a series of obituaries – for language, her first car, teeth, among others. We’ll read Anne Carson, and practice, like her, finding the most powerful moment in a piece and stop at it, refusing to explain. We might use images in text or erasure of text. We’ll question what “meaning” we expect to find when someone tries to share an experience through writing, and question the necessity of resolution. We may even get a little better at observation and critical thinking while we’re at it. At the end, we will briefly discuss publishing. We’ll make things that are hard to describe, but more powerful for it.

SCI/CSI

Taught by Sam Rayburn

In this minor, we’ll use principles of biology, chemistry, and forensic science to unravel exciting mysteries! Through hands-on activities and real-world case studies, we’ll explore techniques like crime scene analysis, DNA profiling, blood spatter interpretation, and fingerprint identification. With each new mystery, we’ll discover how science is used in criminal investigations and how those principles apply to bigger scientific questions. Experience the thrill of discovery as you find clues and see firsthand how science drives the pursuit of truth and justice.

Who Am I? Selves and Society

Taught by Doug Valentine

What makes you who you are? Where do you come from? How were you raised? How do you interact with the world and how does it interact with you? Does any of it matter or would you be the same person if you grew up elsewhere or with other people? If you’ve ever wondered what makes you who you are, join us in exploring various social and behavioral science theories of personal identity! We we draw from sociology, psychology, anthropology, philosophy, and more to answer these questions. We will tackle challenging questions related to gender, race, socioeconomic class, and other important aspects of the self. We will interrogate the influences of the social institutions we interact with every day, including the family, education, religion, government, and pop culture. Through all of these discussions, we will return to our central question: who am I?