Countdown
Course Descriptions
All students (humanities and visual & performing arts) take one of the following classes which meet weekday afternoons and Saturday mornings.
| ID # | Course Title | Instructor(s) |
| I-01 | Tome Sweet Tome Have “Great Expectations” for Governor’s School? Like Harry Potter at Hogwart’s, we will journey through the Chamber of Secrets and unearth the treasure that lies among and within books. Take a chance and enter into a world where the walls are made of books, with every dream at your fingertips. As we explore this world, we will investigate what roles libraries and bookstores play in the life of a book and its readers, why books are cherished or banned, and why different versions of the same book exist. Through discussion, student presentations, debate, and the creation of your own book, we will attempt to discover just what comprises a “book.” Gotta Hobbit? Get it here. |
David Sennett & Michele Riley |
| I-02 | Subtext and Doublespeak in American
Culture: Getting Inside the Giant’s Head What do you mean? Did you mean what you meant when you said that you said what you meant to say, and smiled that way? Language, sound, color, light, metaphor, and body language are all used by people, businesses, and government to communicate, influence, and sometimes misdirect. In this class we will investigate, explode and play with film, literature, and the visual and performing arts as we discover the secret (and not so secret) meanings all around us. |
John Bland, Katy Strand & Lynn Payne |
| I-03 | Dragon of a Thousand Tales Narrative storytelling is the method by which ideas and events are infused with meaning and symbol to make sense of life. Through our personal narratives we share our stories with the world. Through our cultural narratives we attempt to explain the world around us. From Beowulf to Eragon, the archetypical hero battles and befriends the inner and outer dragon. From hearing the call to action to passing through the mantle into the land of enchantment, heroes journey from the underworld to the upperworld, with friend and foe, to secure the treasure and bring it home. This course examines epic storytelling from around the world drawing on universal themes, plots, symbols, and characters that transcend time and space to unite all humanity. Every life is a story, how do you tell yours? |
Craig Klugman & Laine Satterfield |
| I-04 | The Culture of Fear: The Goliath Syndrome What are you afraid of? Are your fears rational or irrational? How does fear change who we are? Are our fears used as weapons against us? If so, what can we do about it? Through group discussions, introspective journaling, group projects, and guest speakers, this course will explore the physiological, psychological, and cultural aspects of fear. Through film, music, literature, and modern political/cultural thought, we will attempt to analyze how fear can dominate and control our daily lives. From personal fright to cultural phobias, join us as we experience the horror of it all . . . you may never be the same! |
Dwayne Wasson & Ed Motley |
| I-05 | Leomism The great spirit of continual learning and creativity, along with the spirits of making, inquiry, and perpetuation have begun to reveal themselves to a select few, and they expect great works produced and dedicated to them. Only those with the strongest desire to produce (music, visual art, dance, poetry, fiction, sung stories, photographs, or any other kind of creation they wish) are touched and moved by these powerful spirits. If you are among the few, you’ll know it. You’re the one who feels things that can’t be expressed in mere talk. You’re the one who creates art, literature, or music that the masses do not understand. Be assured that these newly revealed spirits DO understand and appreciate your talents and work. They want to make you safe. They want to set you free. Heed the call. Learn to create. Create to learn. |
Grant Johnson & Matt Forester |
| I-06 | What’s so Precious about Paper? Our perception of paper is going through a radical transformation. As our world grows ever more digital and environmentally conscious, what is the place of paper in our modern day lives? Paper was once a valuable commodity and the medium of intellectual and artistic expression. Today, our most universal experience with paper is relegated to the bathroom. It wipes our hands, faces, and butts before being flushed out of sight forever. Even as paper recedes from our daily existence, it remains the supreme repository of creative communication. We will examine and celebrate the role of paper through hands on activities, including postcard art, collage, handmade papers, printmaking, and book binding. No previous experience in art required, though a willingness to play in the studio is. |
Barry Gabay & Tracie Dunn |
| I-07 | Moving Pictures Movies love things that move, so if you’re interested in tying your creative juices to dreaming up all sorts of movement pieces from wacky to serious whilst learning how to capture them on video, that’s what we’re about. Dan helps you widen your world of motion. Rick teaches you to shoot, edit, and “movie-tize” your movement. This stuff is intense. Bring lots of focus and energy. |
Dan Joyce & Rick Seyford |
| I-08 | Standing on Tradition: Memory and Meaning Why is it common practice to remove one’s hat when the National Anthem is sung? Why does one say, “Break a leg,” to an actor prior to a performance? Why does a bride wear something old, new, borrowed, and blue? Why do a baseball pitcher’s teammates not speak to him when he’s pitching a no-hitter? These are all examples of rituals. Rituals connect us to our collective memory, serve to give order and meaning to our present, and provide a foundation for our future. In this course we will study individual, civic, religious, and social rituals of various world cultures, examining the origins, symbolism, and implications of such practices. We will incorporate movement, literature, film, social observations, and the arts into our daily investigations. What rituals will you discover, create, and pass on? |
David Howell & Jolie Long |
| I-09 | Say What?!? We’ve got e-mail, IM, iTunes, and Blackberries, but whatever happened to letters, conversation, calling cards, and mix tapes? This course will examine the historical, cultural, and scientific elements of communication through reflection, journaling, discussion, and artistic exploration. Topics may include music, language, visual art, vocal inflection, fashion, sound, food, slang, design, theater, film, and the body. What are YOU sayin? |
Harvey Stone & Sarah Tomasewski |
| I-10 | Sing the Body Electric How do our bodies differ? What influences our perception of bodies? How do we define disability? How can we free the body for creative purposes? We will seek to answer these questions through body maps, monologues, portraits, poems, and physical interactive exercises. Drawing on film, theatre, literature, music, art, and personal experiences, we will look to understand the body as an expressive tool for the self. We will also explore potentials within each human’s “being” through acting exercises, movement/dance, and creative writing. Students will challenge their comfort zones by finding new ways to communicate with various artistic forms. Wear comfortable and loose fitting clothes and please bring your body to class . . . and see what happens. |
Adrienne Klemme & Jenn Collison |
| I-11 | Protest, Politics, Propaganda and the
Not So Subtle Art of Persuasion Does the rhythm of a song make you want to get up and do something about a cause? Are you moved by the vision of desperate children? Does the humorous portrayal of a political leader get you motivated? In this class you will have a chance to get passionate about politics in a personal and creative way. Through the investigation and creation of political cartoons, multi-media projects or commercials, songs, print ads and more, this class will try to discover what makes successful protests and propaganda. We will look at what worked in the past decades and what was not effective. Bring your imagination and causes with you. Be prepared to start a revolution! |
Jeff MacGuinness & Michelle Gulick |
| I-12 | F*O*R*B*I*D*D*E*N! Color outside the lines! Run with scissors! Cross the street against the light! Examine all things forbidden in the past and present: forbidden places, issues, language, music, media, and more. Why are North Korea and Cuba forbidden places? Why did Ricky and Lucy sleep in separate beds? Why did the caged bird sing? What is forbidden in your life? Don’t just follow the rules but challenge, explore, create and enter the world of the F*O*R*B*I*D*D*E*N! |
Katie Goins & Lisa Bratton |
| I-13 | Out of Order: The Art of the Story,
or the Story of the Art Once upon a time, there was a nice little story with a beginning, middle, and an end. The little story wanted to come alive, and did so through digital images, animation, and sound effects. Suddenly, the little story realized that his life would be so much more exciting if he mixed things up a bit. What if the end was on page two? What if he began with happily ever after? The little story began to take herself apart, a little at a time. She transformed into a work of art with bits and pieces all over the place. She realized what it meant to be alive. In this class we will investigate narrative through traditional means, dive into digital storytelling, and then blow our stories into bits and pieces of found art objects. We will mix up the once upon a times and the happily ever afters of our lives. We will find out what happens to stories when they let go of the rules. |
Belinda Haikes & Jesse Hernandez |