Program Schedule

For millennia, the greatest thinkers and writers in human history have grappled with the question “what does it mean to ‘live well’?” For Greek and Roman philosophers, the question was centered on the concept of “the good life” or “the examined life.” But what is “goodness”? What needs to be known or practiced to live well, and how does “examining” our lives lead to fulfillment? For some, living well means living with restraint and moderation, seeking to limit bodily pleasure in order to purify the heart and elevate the mind. For others, living well means quite the opposite: getting the most out of our short time on Earth and seeking pleasure wherever it can be found. For secular activists as well as devout practitioners of many world religions, living well requires working actively to improve the lives of others instead of focusing solely on the self. In today’s world, we are often told that “happiness,” “balance,” and “wellness” are central to a life well lived. But what is “wellness” as we use the term today, and how should we process the reality that our physical bodies will inevitably become old, unwell, and broken over the course of our lives? This course explores all of these ideas and more as we seek to define for ourselves what it means to “live well.” 

Instructor: Amity Reading

This course will help students discover their leadership, communication, and problem-solving strengths while learning how to translate those skills onto paper for the college application process. Students will work with admissions counselors to build a strong resume, learn tips and tricks for the college application, and prepare for the college essay. Students will end this course feeling confident when they begin to apply to college with the tips and tools necessary to shine and set themselves apart during the admissions process.

Instructor: Taylor Malayer

Breathing is life. The respiratory system of the human body is incredibly engineered to sustain life amidst a range of activities from sleeping to intense exercise. In this course students will explore many aspects of human respiration from anatomy to function. We will read, watch and discuss scenarios related to pushing the human body to the extreme, as in the case of free diving. Students will have the opportunity to work alone and in small groups with case studies that feature the anatomy of the respiratory system, and how the physical structures of respiration can be pushed to failure. This course will also provide opportunities for students to gain personal experience with their own cycle of respiration through a variety of hands-on activities.

Instructor: Janet Vaglia

This course will engage students in learning about what media literacy is, why it is important and how they can use it in their lives to advance and succeed. They will learn the five elements of media literacy and how it is being taught across the globe.

Instructor: Renee Thomas-Woods

Students will learn how social activism in sports can drive change, and examine equality and inclusion in sport through modern day examples.

Instructor: Stevie Baker-Watson

For millennia, the greatest thinkers and writers in human history have grappled with the question “what does it mean to ‘live well’?” For Greek and Roman philosophers, the question was centered on the concept of “the good life” or “the examined life.” But what is “goodness”? What needs to be known or practiced to live well, and how does “examining” our lives lead to fulfillment? For some, living well means living with restraint and moderation, seeking to limit bodily pleasure in order to purify the heart and elevate the mind. For others, living well means quite the opposite: getting the most out of our short time on Earth and seeking pleasure wherever it can be found. For secular activists as well as devout practitioners of many world religions, living well requires working actively to improve the lives of others instead of focusing solely on the self. In today’s world, we are often told that “happiness,” “balance,” and “wellness” are central to a life well lived. But what is “wellness” as we use the term today, and how should we process the reality that our physical bodies will inevitably become old, unwell, and broken over the course of our lives? This course explores all of these ideas and more as we seek to define for ourselves what it means to “live well.” 

Instructor: Amity Reading

Breathing is life. The respiratory system of the human body is incredibly engineered to sustain life amidst a range of activities from sleeping to intense exercise. In this course students will explore many aspects of human respiration from anatomy to function. We will read, watch and discuss scenarios related to pushing the human body to the extreme, as in the case of free diving. Students will have the opportunity to work alone and in small groups with case studies that feature the anatomy of the respiratory system, and how the physical structures of respiration can be pushed to failure. This course will also provide opportunities for students to gain personal experience with their own cycle of respiration through a variety of hands-on activities. 

Instructor: Janet Vaglia

This course will engage students in learning about what media literacy is, why it is important and how they can use it in their lives to advance and succeed. They will learn the five elements of media literacy and how it is being taught across the globe.

Instructor: Renee Thomas-Woods

This course equips first-year students with essential skills for academic, personal, and professional success, focusing on well-being, time management, career development, financial literacy, communication, global learning, and resilience.

Instructor: Troyanna Jefferson

This course focuses on the theory and practice of video editing, enabling students to master advanced post-production processes from start to finish. Topics include storytelling through editing, sound mixing, and color correction using DaVinci Resolve. Through practical exercises, students will deepen their knowledge of image and audio storytelling while exploring video aesthetics in greater depth.

Instructor: Dahee Yun

Have you ever wondered about the following questions:If you are part of a social network group what would be the most efficient way to spread important information throughout the network. In a similar vein, how can you model a vaccination program to prevent the spread of an epidemic? In this course, you will use graph theory to intuitively model and answer such questions and learn to code these questions to find solutions.

Instructor: Suman Balasubramanian

Students will learn how social activism in sports can drive change, and examine equality and inclusion in sport through modern day examples.

Instructor: Stevie Baker-Watson

This course explores the global phenomenon of Korean pop culture and media by examining its historical and cultural contexts. Through various approaches, including K-pop, K-drama, and film, students will analyze how Korean media has captured global attention. By engaging with new perspectives and critical analyses, students will gain a deeper and more nuanced understanding of this influential cultural phenomenon.

Instructor: Dahee Yun

How to clothe a character creatively within the world they exist is the essence of costume design whether it is for a character in a film, a play, a video game, or other media. This course focuses on the design process in costume design and basic costume construction techniques, and include many hands-on projects. Students will learn how to sketch their designs using templates, create a fabric swatch palette, generate a research image portfolio, some basic sewing techniques, and how to create a costume ensemble by pulling from stock items. 

Instructor: Caroline Good

Create a 3D sculpture of a symmetrical form!

Instructor: Dessa Frank

This course will help students discover their leadership, communication, and problem-solving strengths while learning how to translate those skills onto paper for the college application process. Students will work with admissions counselors to build a strong resume, learn tips and tricks for the college application, and prepare for the college essay. Students will end this course feeling confident when they begin to apply to college with the tips and tools necessary to shine and set themselves apart during the admissions process.

Instructor: Taylor Malayer

This course equips first-year students with essential skills for academic, personal, and professional success, focusing on well-being, time management, career development, financial literacy, communication, global learning, and resilience.

Instructor: Troyanna Jefferson

Which is bigger the sun or the moon? How big is our solar system? Where are we in the universe? In this course we will take some time to uncover where we fit in the cosmos through hands-on discovery. We will create a scale model of the planets and the solar system on DePauw’s campus. Students will have the opportunity to discover how astronomers can measure distances across the universe and how we can tell what is inside a star on the far side of the Milky Way or in the outer reaches of the observable universe. These ideas (amongst many others) help us to understand our place in the stars.

Instructor: Avery Archer

Have you ever wondered about the following questions:If you are part of a social network group what would be the most efficient way to spread important information throughout the network. In a similar vein, how can you model a vaccination program to prevent the spread of an epidemic? In this course, you will use graph theory to intuitively model and answer such questions and learn to code these questions to find solutions.

Instructor: Suman Balasubramanian

Songwriting is a craft that makes use of simple but poetic language set to music. You don't have to be a musical genius to write good songs, but you should enjoy music and love playing around with language. Your song lyrics may be deadly serious or plain silly, or anything in between. In this two-day songwriting workshop, you will create rough drafts of lyrics to at least two songs, and learn something about how lyrics may be set to music.

Instructor: Ron Dye

How to clothe a character creatively within the world they exist is the essence of costume design whether it is for a character in a film, a play, a video game, or other media. This course focuses on the design process in costume design and basic costume construction techniques, and include many hands-on projects. Students will learn how to sketch their designs using templates, create a fabric swatch palette, generate a research image portfolio, some basic sewing techniques, and how to create a costume ensemble by pulling from stock items. 

Instructor: Caroline Good

In this course, students will embark on an immersive journey into the exciting world of business ownership. We will work from the business idea generation stage to marketing the product or service and, finally, the investor pitch stage (as seen on Shark Tank). This course will equip aspiring entrepreneurs with the skills and knowledge to bring their innovative ideas to life. By engaging in hands-on activities and group discussions, students will learn to identify and evaluate market opportunities, conduct market research, customer segmentation, value proposition creation, and, if time allows, develop a comprehensive business plan. They will explore the intricacies of defining their unique value proposition and creating a compelling brand. They will also delve into branding and marketing, learning to create a strong brand identity, craft compelling marketing messages, and select the most appropriate channels to reach their target audience. To effectively promote their offerings, they will explore various marketing strategies and tactics, such as social media marketing, content creation, and influencer partnerships. We will also dive into the financial aspects of starting a business, including creating financial projections, understanding basic accounting principles, and exploring various funding options. They will also learn the art of pitching their ideas to potential investors and stakeholders, focusing on persuasive communication and storytelling techniques. Upon completing the course, students will have a solid foundation in entrepreneurship and the confidence to pursue their startup dreams. They will leave with a well-developed business plan, a network of supportive peers, and the skills necessary to navigate the exciting journey of turning their ideas into reality.

Instructor: Amy Eremionkhale

Which is bigger the sun or the moon? How big is our solar system? Where are we in the universe? In this course we will take some time to uncover where we fit in the cosmos through hands-on discovery. We will create a scale model of the planets and the solar system on DePauw’s campus. Students will have the opportunity to discover how astronomers can measure distances across the universe and how we can tell what is inside a star on the far side of the Milky Way or in the outer reaches of the observable universe. These ideas (amongst many others) help us to understand our place in the stars.

Instructor: Avery Archer

Songwriting is a craft that makes use of simple but poetic language set to music. You don't have to be a musical genius to write good songs, but you should enjoy music and love playing around with language. Your song lyrics may be deadly serious or plain silly, or anything in between. In this two-day songwriting workshop, you will create rough drafts of lyrics to at least two songs, and learn something about how lyrics may be set to music.

Instructor: Ron Dye

Have you ever been doing a hands-on project and get frustrated because the tools you had available weren't doing a good job and you thought, "If I could only change this" or "If I had something that could do ..., then this would work so much better!"  Most everyone, at some point in their life, gets an idea of making some useful object to solve a problem BUT most people don't see themselves as the ones to actually make the object.  With 3D printing and other modern manufacturing tools that are more commonly available in our homes and schools, you and those around you CAN be the one to bring your manufacturable solution to life!  In this class you will learn how to turn product ideas into physical prototypes, developing a problem solving mindset as you do.  This will include learning how to increase your curiosity and creativity, effectively use 3D modeling software, confidently use 3D printers, and effectively test and prove your solution.    

 Instructor: Jacob Hale