Course Listings

1st Half Semester This senior capstone course will challenge students with an application of fundamental concepts from earlier coursework to the topic of dyes. From textiles to medicine to cutting-edge experiments using fluorescence, dyes are chemical tools with a long and interdisciplinary history. In-depth exploration will connect overarching themes in the major and provide a powerful launching point for written comprehensive exam preparation. Critical engagement with the primary literature and diverse modes of oral and written presentation will be emphasized. This one-half credit course is required of all chemistry majors and meets twice each week for the first half of the semester.

1st Half Semester Can religious beliefs by adequately analyzed or explained by cognitive science? If so, how and to what extent? If not, why not? These are the questions that this course will address. The relatively new field of cognitive science is the scientific study of the human mind, drawing on fields like psychology, anthropology, archeology, linguistics, and neuroscience. The course has 3 parts. First, we'll read what some cognitive scientists have to say about religion, e.g. Pascal Boyer, Religion Explained: The Evolutionary Origins of Religious Thought. Second, we'll read some philosophical and theological critiques of these ideas. Third, in light of these critiques, we'll consider their adequacy to the task of analyzing or explaining religious beliefs.

1st Half Semester Stage Management will introduce students to the role of the Production Stage Manager. Upon completion of the course students will have an understanding of the Stage Manager's role in facilitating a production team in support of the production. Students will gain experience with the Stage Manager's function, responsibilities, tools, paperwork, the process of calling a show, and the creation of and maintenance of a Production Prompt Book.