Dance 1A: Ballet, Jazz, and Social Dance (Special Section)
DANCE 1A is a special section of the introductory survey course designed for dancers with at least one year of prior dance training in any style. DANCE 1A will include physical practice in the techniques of ballet, jazz dance, and social dance, with a greater focus on technical proficiency and performance skills. Students will study dance history, dance composition, and improvisational techniques. Through written work and class discussions, students will learn to analyze dance performance as an art form through a critical, informed, and appreciative lens. Students will work collaboratively to explore dance elements and perform choreography both in class and in public performance. To be approved for the special section of DANCE 1A, students must audition in person or by video. Contact the Dance Director for more information on audition requirements.
Religious Studies 102: History of Covenant
What does it mean to “Find God in All Things”? This class is an exploration into the complexity and depth of the religious imagination as modeled by St. Ignatius. The course proposes “covenant” as a historical thread that has followed Abrahamic religions throughout their histories as students are introduced to religious studies through the examples of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Students will apply a framework of belief, ritual, morality, and community in learning about how religions gain historical traction and relevance, and how culture and moral vision endure in many covenantal contexts today. Animated by the Catholic belief in the sacramentality of all creation, students will be challenged to reflect on the history, rituals, and symbols that charge their own lives with meaning. Special focus will be on forming students to do a faith that does justice, exploring questions of inclusion, conscience, culture and identity.
Religious Studies 103: Literature of Covenant
How do stories reveal to us who we are? How does our literature create our shared values and community? This course seeks to create a basic foundation of understanding the Hebrew Bible. In investigating the many types of literature within the Hebrew Bible, students will better understand the various ways to read texts and apply shared narratives to their own individual and communal experiences. As a lasting record of “covenant,” students will understand the Bible as constitutive for how different faith communities have come to understand themselves and their identities, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Students will conclude the course examining the relational and sexual dimension of human experience, probing covenantal wisdom for guidance in discerning the healing and liberative nature of human relationship.
Robotics A
During this course, students will cover the fundamentals of problem solving, program design, algorithms, and programming using a high-level language (Java). Students will build and program robots in laboratory sessions, and develop skills in mechanical computer-assisted design (CAD) as they work in teams to build simple and complex robotic devices. Students will apply concepts learned in physical science and physics classes to mechanical devices using a variety of hands-on activities culminating with their participation in the global FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition during the second semester. The class will also explore usage of robotics in modern business and industry and examine how robotic devices are affecting our lives and shaping our culture. No previous computer programming or electronics experience is necessary.
Religious Studies 475: Sports and Spirituality
Students in this semester-long course explore spirituality through the analogy of sports. Students will determine how human beings encounter the Holy in the midst of everyday life with emphasis on athletic experiences as an athlete and/or as a fan (of specific athletes, teams, and/or sporting events). Students will also examine the relationship between competitive, organized athletics and elements of communal religious practice and purpose. Included is a study of embedded meaning associated with the movement of the human body, an analysis of ritual practice, a survey of major events where sports and religious practice intersect, and a differentiation between religious practice and personal spirituality. Ultimately, students will come to know more deeply the ways in which one relates to the Holy or the Transcendent in the course of their own faith journey, and how personal faith contributes to communal practice and celebration of what is Holy and Transcendent.
Religious Studies 201: Christology
At a pivotal moment in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus asks his disciples “Who do you say that I am?” The confusion that ensues among his followers is emblematic of the struggle that Christians and non-Christians alike have had throughout history to answer that very question. In this course, students will be challenged to offer their own unique contributions to the discourse on the identity of Jesus. They will grapple directly with the question Jesus posed to his disciples by developing responses based on multiple and intersecting paradigms: the personal, the historical, the theological, and the anthropological to name just a few. Effectively engaging with the course will lead to greater skills in the areas of critical thinking, cultural competency, and religious imagination, among others.
Physical Education 316: Foundations in Kinesiology 2
Foundations of Kinesiology is a course that introduces students to the field of Kinesiology and its overall relationship with exercise science, sports performance, and sports psychology. This UC/CSU approved College Prep Elective (“G”) course will be taught in two one-semester courses allowing maximum flexibility in scheduling. Students do not have to take Foundations of Kinesiology 1 to take Foundations of Kinesiology 2.
While each course will share common threads in training, nutrition, sports, psychology, and basic human anatomy, each course offers a slightly different approach to discovering the keys that improve performance. Both courses will involve some physical activity.
Foundations of Kinesiology 2 will concentrate on “why” the body moves by understanding the relationship between fitness principles of exercise and how to improve sports performance. Foundations 2 will also introduce to students the vocations/careers associated with the field of Kinesiology.
*This class will be offered pending staffing availability and adequate enrollment.
Physical Education 315: Foundation in Kinesiology 1
Foundations of Kinesiology is a course that introduces students to the field of Kinesiology and its overall relationship with exercise science, sports performance, and sports psychology. This UC/CSU approved College Prep Elective (“G”) course will be taught in two one-semester courses allowing maximum flexibility in scheduling. Students do not have to take Foundations of Kinesiology 1 to take Foundations of Kinesiology 2.
While each course will share common threads in training, nutrition, sports, psychology, and basic human anatomy, each course offers a slightly different approach to discovering the keys that improve performance. Both courses will involve some physical activity.
Foundations of Kinesiology 1 will concentrate on “how” the body moves by investigating human movement and understanding the benefits of kinesiology. Foundations 1 will explore the purpose of exercise and sports nutrition.
*This class will be offered pending staffing availability and adequate enrollment.
Multimedia Design 1B
This class further develops skills learned in Multimedia Design 1A with a focus on utilizing 2D and 3D graphics, sound and video-editing software such as Photoshop, Illustrator, Procreate, Logic, FL Studio, Soundtrap, Final Cut Pro, Premiere, OnShape, Blender, and game design in Roblox and Unity. The development of effective narrative structures will be emphasized so that students learn to use the various media to create intentional works with meaning. Particular attention will be paid to the design process and students’ conscious development of their own creative process. Sample projects include stop motions, animations, music videos, special effects, student documentary films, and the creation of video games. Student work will culminate with a digital portfolio.