History, Culture, and The Arts

Contemporary Materialities from a Feminist Perspective

Niurca Marquez

Wed., 2:00P– 3:15P (HYBRID)

Through a feminist perspective, students will have an opportunity to reconsider the ideas and assumptions that have prevailed about the body. The course includes topics such as the impact of disability experience, the material reality of race, the significance of sexual difference and the complex interactions between nature and traumatic events such as Hurricane Katrina.

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History of Colonial Latin America as Experienced Through the Arts

Javier Mendoza

Tues., Thurs., 9:30A-10:45A

This course is a survey of the history of Latin America from 1500-1800 through music written and performed in Latin America, visual art created in Latin America, and Literature/Poetry. Serious classical and liturgical music is covered along with known folk traditions. History is taught through the music, visual art, literature, and social construction.

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Art in Miami

John Bailly

Every other Fri., 10:00A-3:45P

Art in Miami offers students the opportunity to immerse themselves into the contemporary art world of Miami. The class will visit museums, artists collectives, artists’ studios, and galleries. Students will have the opportunity to assist artists on their projects. All class meetings will be off campus; students need to provide their own transportation.

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The Power of Black Music in America: Its History, Language, and Culture from the Past Until Today

Trina Sanders

Online

In this course, we will examine Black music's power and how it has shaped Black History in the past and today.

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Living Forever: Lifetech and the Intersectionality of Life Expansion

Robert Hacker

Tuesday, 9:30A-12:00P

What would happen if we could live forever? Would we achieve the things we thought were impossible because time was our biggest limitation? Would humanity be improved for the better? In this course, we will discuss what it means for humans to be immortal, if it is possible, and the repercussions of immortality on humankind. We will discuss the capacities of technologies, machines and theories that may make immortality an option for humans in the future. We will discuss the impact that immortality might have on our meaning of life and a human's purpose. We will discuss our human nature, biologically, psychologically and culturally, in an attempt to determine if immortality truly is possible and what affects it will have on the way we interact with one another.

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Culture and Expression: Yesterday's Censorship, Suppression and Propaganda

Jason Calloway

Wed., 9:00A - 11:30A

For as long as humankind has gathered in groups, we have sought to express ourselves through various means: music, visual art, dance, speech, and literature.

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Ukraine 101

Malgorzata Durygin

Mon. and Wed., 11:00A– 12:15P

This course will provide students with an opportunity to survey Ukraine, investigating basic issues related to the Ukrainian language and cultural heritage including art, music, literature, and cuisine, and its significant contributors. Ukraine with its past and its current fight for freedom and democracy, as well as the significance of Ukraine as the center of the struggle for international values globally, and the present and future of the rule of law, democracy, and security for the larger world, and, in turn, to develop an ability of multiple viewpoint analysis of the world and become motivated to act and collaborate locally and globally.

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The Conservative Tradition

Ruben Garrote

Tues., Thurs., 12:30P-1:45P

This course will involve readings in Conservative political philosophy, but politics is not all that Conservatism encompasses.

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You Crit Like a Girl: The Unique Role of Women in Gaming, Entertainment, and Media

Connie Viamonte

Tues., 1:00P- 2:15P (HYBRID)

This course will investigate gender through the lens of modern media and entertainment.

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Black Nightmares: Deconstructing Symbolism and Race in Horror Stories

Trina Sanders

Online

This course will explore the themes of racism meets horror stories. This course will use the dark fantasy horror television series “Lovecraft Country” to uncover blackness, queerness, fantasy, and the struggle against racism and imperialism.

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Art Medical History to the Renaissance

Amilcar Castellano Sanchez

Tues., 1:00P– 3:30P

This course encompasses the study of medical world history as it has occurred through time portrayed in different forms of art, i.e. visual, written, performed in a global perspective thus emphasizing certain areas in this review such as: anatomy, physical diagnosis, different types of illness -with a focus on infectious diseases-; a few specialties such as: obstetrics / gynecology, surgery, and psychiatry amongst others also including selected examples of preventive medicine and therapeutic approaches; all from the perspective of the vast historical registry available to us.

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Adult Topics on Narrative Medicine

Amilcar Castellano-Sanchez

Mon., 1:00P– 3:30P

This course aims to bring forth the unbreakable -- yet not well-valued and sparsely characterized -- connection between the worlds of text (narrative, poetry, short stories, memoirs, interviews, and film adaptations) to the worlds of medical ailments and medical practice.

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Miami in Miami

John Bailly

Every other Wed., 10:00A-3:45P

Miami in Miami is an experiential seminar which examines the historical, social, and cultural identity of Miami. Class meeting will be off campus at a variety of different setting-everything from hiking in the Everglades to walking on Ocean Drive. All class meetings will be off campus; students need to provide their own transportation.

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Tolkien and Imagination

Ruben Garrote

Tues., Thurs., 11:00A-12:15P

In this course students will read and discuss Tolkien’s essays, poems, and stories, tracing the origins of his invented worlds and uncovering the great themes he wove throughout them. Students will learn how Tolkien’s work has been studied and interpreted. Finally, students will engage in interpretation of his work and of its interpretations, and they will apply their own powers invention to the creation of their own imagined world.

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Third World Film: Africa

Elizabeth Hanly

Online

This QM approved fully online course will focus on African film.

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Third World Cinema: The Middle East

Elizabeth Hanly

Online

This course leaves Hollywood film-making behind in the dust. Instead, it explores film from the so-called Third World, focusing in particular on work from Africa and the Middle East.

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Science and the City

Tolga Erbora

Tuesdays and Thursdays, 11:00AM-12:15PM

This course looks to explore the past, present, and future of urban planning and the development of societies through scientific and mathematical approaches. Causal relationships leading to present day city-life will be explored, and probabilistic and risk analysis will be used to approach the dynamics of city politics and business decisions. Miami's storied evolution and unique character will be used as a template to carrying out this study. Students will then be prompted to incorporate their background and discipline to develop innovative visions of a plan for the future based on a certain part of Miami's broad ecosystem, integrating modeling, quantitative tools, and creativity unique to them.

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Player One

Maikel Right

Online

Inspired by courses taught by Emily Wood and neuroscience research conducted by Stuart Brown, this course challenges students to think differently about play and its relevance to human social and biological development.

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The Question of God

Edmund Newborn

Mon., Wed., 6:00P-7:15P

The past several decades have seen a statistical decline in the number of people who claim to believe in God or who choose to participate in a religion. This course will explore the underlying philosophical causes for this shift as well as looking at how people of faith can possibly answer the challenges of modern atheism.

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Why We Dance

Niurca Marquez

Mondays 2:00PM-3:15PM (HYBRID)

Why We Dance explores the historical, cultural, aesthetic, and neurological reasons why we dance. Relying heavily on the fields of dance ethnography and history, as well as the latest research in neuroscience, the course will expose students to the phenomena of organized movement. We will dive deep into the multiple theories of why humans dance and the histories of how we have done so, and the ways in which dance has been entertainment, repository of culture, and even an act of resistance. We will examine several case studies that position dance in relation to society. These will include but are certainly not limited to the Ghost Dance as resistance, Transnational Indian Dance as export commodity, Arará traditional dance in Cuba as repository of religious practice and philosophy, and Flamenco as cultural preservation and reclaiming of power.

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Exploring Culture Through Music and Dance

Wendy Guess

Online

This course explores the transformative power to create, connect and master the understanding of our world through the lens of movement and music.

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Searching Minimalism through Japanese Literature and Play

Masako Kubota

Online

This course will examine minimalism from Japanese literature by Kamo no Chomei and Zeami. We will learn how to create Haiku and will enjoy attending group Haikai, Haiku critique group activities in our class. Multi perspective approaches are used to view “Noh play” to understand Zeami’s artistic simplicity and explore the mountain side of Kyoto by viewing the film, and imagine “Hojyoki” written by Chomei. After we have learned about the ultimate simplicity by great Japanese artists, we will implement these ideas in our daily lives and use them for environmental sustainability.

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Westworld

Rhona Trauvitch

Wednesday, 11:00A-12:15P(Hybrid)

This course is an interdisciplinary adventure in Westworld. Our core material is the first season of the television series created by Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy (2016), a tapestry of science fiction, philosophy, narratology, and machine learning. Our course’s overarching question is What is the difference between the park’s hosts (androids) and guests (humans)? Over the course of the semester we hope students will come to realize that this difference is not nearly as large, solid, or obvious as may appear. Since we are indeed comparing, the theme of the course is fungibility and to learn about this theme we will study the philosophy of analogy.

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Banquet with the Bards

Erica del Riego

Tuesdays 6:25PM-7:40PM (HYBRID)

Shakespeare is known for his captivating language, dazzling or infuriating characters, and expert craftsmanship in storytelling. Yet, within many of his most renowned plays lies an intriguing commentary on meals, the danger of mixing food and revenge, and the importance of good company. Indeed, throughout Shakespeare’s works, food serves as more than just a basic necessity for sustenance, instead food is often used symbolically, metaphorically, or as a dramatic device to convey deeper meanings and themes. This course takes a unique look into select Shakespearean plays from the lens of food, culture, history, and Renaissance English society. Plays covered in this class will include Titus Andronicus, Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, The Taming of the Shrew, Twelfth Night, and Coriolanus.

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Food and Culture: History, Traditions, and Health

Monica Smith

Online

In this course, students will expand their culinary horizons and learn about new and exciting dishes and beverages that they may not have otherwise encountered. We will delve into the rich culinary traditions of Italy, Thailand, India, the Middle East, Japan, China, and Mexico, examine the unique ingredients, flavors, and techniques that define each country's cuisine. We will also consider the historical, cultural and religious influences that shape food and beverage choices in these regions, as well as the role of consumables in shaping and reflecting social norms and values, politics, as well as health and well-being.

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The Pursuit of Perfection

Jennifer Houston

Tues., 2:00P - 4:30P

This course we will look at perfectionism through the lens of religious practices, sociocultural norms, and business expectations at both the organizational and employee level. We will discuss and discover our own definitions of perfection as we move through the different modules and topics designed to aid in the understanding of how perfectionism is experienced on a global level. We will also examine the impact that the pursuit of perfection can have on the physiological, psychological, and interpersonal wellbeing of individuals.

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AI, Tech, and the Law

Andrej Milic

Mondays 11:00AM - 1:30PM

This course delves into a diverse array of legal and policy challenges stemming from artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and other emerging technologies. The legal framework in the areas under consideration is often either nonexistent or in its early stages. Consequently, students will have ample opportunities to contemplate how current laws can be adapted to address the regulatory and policy requirements pertinent to these advancing technologies.

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Beyond Entertainment: The Influential Power of Music in Society

Ernesto Fernandez

Online

Music plays an important role in our daily lives and in shaping society. It accompanies us in our daily activities and as an outlet for our feelings. This omnipresence of music raises several questions: how does music affect our lives?

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Song of Life

Adam Gorelick

Tues.,Thurs., 9:30AM - 10:45AM

This is a course about poetic forms, but mostly it’s about writing poetry. Students will read, research, and attempt several poetic forms including epic, sonnet, free verse, haiku, elegy, limerick, sestina, and others. The key feature of the course will involve workshopping together original poetry and providing constructive feedback.

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Creative Non-Fiction: Personal Essays

Elizabeth Hanly

Tues., 2:00P-3:15P (Online Live)

This is a course in storytelling, in writing and reading creative nonfiction.

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Every Species is a Masterpiece

Gretchen Scharnagl

Tues., Thurs., 3:00PM - 4:15PM

This class considers how we look at ourselves, and how we look at animals, plants, and fungi, and how this influences how we think of all. What are our varying relationships? We will discover how ancient, ubiquitous, and complicated - the truths, abstractions, and symbology - of our fellow earth dwellers can be.

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The Tao of Sports

Joseph Lichter

Mon., Wed., 12:30P–1:45P

In the “The Tao of Sports”, students analyze the unique and popular human experience called sports particularly by examining them through a lens of physical and social sciences.

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Graphic Voices

Gretchen Scharnagl

Tues., Thurs., 1:00PM - 2:15 PM

We will read and discuss graphic works ranging from the graphic novel, to outsider artist comics, and including coloring books, to discover the potential of this language to disseminate important stories and historic, social, psychological, artistic or scientific content.

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