May Term

“Speech is my hammer, / bang the world into shape / Now let it fall.” 
— Mos Def, “Hip Hop”How can words bang the world into shape? From Beowulf to Hamilton, artists have performed their words on a variety of occasions and in many contexts to describe the world they see and what they would like to change. Whether spoken word, the relationship between gospel and hip hop, or Broadway musicals, the common denominator between these genres is the impact on the audience. This course will explore the impact that performative writing has had on the way we learn, narrate, and empathize with the writers’ experience.  

Anime refers specifically to animation from Japan or a Japanese-disseminated animation style that has won increasing recognition as a major art form, capable of addressing complex social issues in a compelling manner. Recent theatrical releases have attracted larger audiences than first-run Japanese and American films, and have been recognized at prestigious international film festivals. This course will explore the historical background of anime, its soft power significance in shaping perceptions of Japan, and how it both reflects and shapes aspects of Japanese society that may seem foreign from a Western perspective. This course will involve film screenings; documentaries that will highlight motifs and themes; discussion of both the anime films themselves and their suitability as primary documents to illustrate less commonly known aspects of Japanese society; and journal-writing to document the students’ increasingly sophisticated understanding of both Japanese society and the wider significance of anime in an increasingly interconnected world.

Learn the most popular strategy game in the world from a professionally trained player! Go or Weiqi (围悀) is an abstract strategy board game for two players in which the goal is to occupy more territory than the opponent. Invented in China over 2,500 years ago, Go is believed to be the oldest board game played to the present day and also one of the four essential arts of cultured aristocratic Chinese scholars. The rules of Go are considerably simpler than those of chess, but playing it well takes some practice as Go is extremely complex. We will start by learning the basic five in a row game, and then playing on 9x9 and 13 x13 boards, and finally moving on to play a 19x19 full board. We will end by watching and discussing a documentary movie about how Deep Mind’s AlphaGo beat the world Go champion from South Korea.  

Asian cooking doesn’t need to be intimidating, but then again, what exactly is Asian cooking? Egg Foo Yung is definitely not it, and neither is the Sweet and Sour Chicken served in Chinese American restaurants. We’ll start with the basics of rice, dough, spices and xiar (fillings) and work with simple ingredients to create something that is, hopefully, easy enough to replicate at home. Even though this may seem easy, there will be some research needed to truly understand the ingredients we’re working with. Along the way, we will learn about Chinese culture and the language surrounding the dishes. If time allows, we may visit a local grocery store to sample and explore some familiar and not so familiar ingredients. 

This course is designed for the francophile in all of us and is open to all students regardless of which language they speak. In this hands-on course, you will be whipping up traditional dishes, while tackling and using practical, basic French vocabulary, and learning about the history, geography, and regional diversity of France through its cuisine. Come and discover why France is the culinary capital of the world! You’ll have that certain “je ne sais quoi” before you can say “déjà vu”!

Tune into your muse and connect to your artist within. How? First, by disconnecting from your phone, and then by doing a ton of fun creative exercises that will involve everything from keeping a journal of dreams, musings, stories, poetry, doodles, and drawings, to taking artist’s walks, playing with art materials, listening to music, and just being. The end result will be a tangible expression of your explorations. This could be any combination of art and writing, from a hand-made book, to a photo documentary, to a ’zine, to a Joseph Cornell-style shadow box — or, as far as your newly freed imagination can fly! Whatever form this takes, this process will give you tools to tap into your inner creativity, a skill that will remain with you for a lifetime.

Are you curious about Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies? Would you like to know how blockchain technology works? Do you know what DeFi stands for? If those questions sparked your interest, then this may be the course for you. We’ll do a deep dive into the world of cryptocurrencies for you to be able to separate fact from fiction in what you read or hear about them. We will pay special attention to the ways in which cryptocurrencies are shaping the financial industry.  You will learn about Bitcoin, Ethereum, smart contracts, and many other innovations that have been made possible for blockchain technology.

Have you noticed all the new live-action Disney movies that are coming out? Between The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and Cinderella, lately it seems that almost every “classic” is getting an updated adaptation. Students will study and unpack various Disney animated films alongside their contemporary “adaptations” and deconstruct the meanings and messages behind the stories. Students will also question and analyze what exactly an adaptation is and what the release of these contemporary films seems to suggest about our cultural moment.

This will be an experiential learning course on being in the outdoors. As we explore the wild places around GFA and across Connecticut, we will learn through doing. Skills we will practice may include hiking, map-reading and orienteering, trail clearing and maintenance, and outdoor cooking; in everything we do, we will learn how to work together effectively as a team. As we interact with and learn how to make our way in the natural world, we will ask ourselves: what does it mean to live competently and responsibly outside of the urban environments to which we are accustomed? What can the outdoors offer us? What are our responsibilities to the outdoors? And how can we live well as a collective, share the responsibilities of leadership, and learn to function as a team?

Our 7 days together will culminate in a required overnight camping experience in one of Connecticut’s beautiful state parks. To make the most of our time outside, we will leave campus promptly at 8 a.m. each day. 

For millennia, humans have engaged in various types of meditative practices to learn more about themselves and about the world around them. In this course, we will study and practice various traditions of meditation and let that study and practice lead us into deeper inquiries about our and others’ lives. The content of the course will necessarily be determined in part by student interest and the arrival of inspiration. Students can expect to learn about different traditions of meditation; practice guided meditation; visit local organizations and places of worship to observe others’ lived experience; and give form to their reflections in writing, art, or conversation. By the end of the course, students will have practiced integrating meditation and reflection into their daily lives with the goal of quieting the noise to pay more attention to the beautiful things in and around us.

Through the viewing of a series of films, including documentaries, students will gain insight into the creative process, especially as it relates to the intimate encounters the artist has with his or her immediate surroundings.  We will explore the ways in which the director/writer captures the essential talents and shortcomings of the artist in question. Potential viewing list: Girl with the Pearl Earring, Dreams, Pollock, Basquiat, and Exit through the Gift Shop. 

This course is designed to introduce students to a number of mathematical concepts, using magic as a backdrop. Through a wide selection of tricks, students will explore the fields of number theory, combinatorics, probability, algebra, geometry, and topology (among others), while learning a bit about the successful presentation of magic. No advanced level of mathematics or experience with magic is required but enrolled students should have an interest in mathematics and have successfully completed Algebra 200 or 250, or beyond.

This course begins with a brief survey of the History of Fashion and includes a trip to visit The Met Museum in NYC for the annual Costume Institute Exhibition. Participants will be learning basic techniques of design, sketching, dying, printing, draping, and sewing to explore their creativity and personal style. The class will spend time researching designs and making mood boards from the images they collected. Then, students will be constructing wearable art and designs out of fabric and recycled materials. The class will culminate in a fashion show where students will present their finished pieces to the GFA community.

Gather ingredients: 

5-7 good films from around the world that feature food as a crucial motif

2 enthusiastic teachers

4-10 students hungry for film, food, and cultural understanding

1 fully equipped kitchen

1) Roll out a film every morning.

2) Mix in a pinch of cultural background.

3) Combine with dynamic discussion.

4) Cook up a film inspired recipe in the afternoon.

5) Savor the dishes we recreate, seasoned with cinematic, emotional, and cultural significance.

How do humans make language? How do sounds and words work to make language happen?  How do languages change over time? Where do accents come from? Rather than study vocabulary and grammar, linguists are interested in the integrated systems that produce human language and how humans acquire language.  This is not a course for anyone who is interested in proper grammar, spelling, reading, or writing! The course will involve studying the brain and other parts of the body that we use to make sounds and how these sounds make language.

Are you fascinated by true crime? Do you wonder if criminals are born or made? Do you want to know how criminals are caught and convicted? Join us as we learn the biology and psychology behind some of the world’s most notorious criminals and their crimes. Learn how their crimes were solved with the use of forensic psychology, criminal profiling, DNA testing, and brain imaging. Apply your knowledge of forensic psychology, criminal profiling, and science to solve a heinous crime and catch the murderer before they strike again.

Luminescent organisms are often outshone by man-made light sources and yet their natural beauty continues to fascinate us. In this course, we will consider bioluminescence and fluorescence through the lens of chemistry and physics. We will use hands-on activities, advanced equipment,  and demonstrations to explore the physics of lasers and light, the biochemistry of fluorescent proteins, and the chemical reactions behind chemiluminescence and bioluminescence. Our culminating project will involve research into the biology and applications of “living light”. If possible, we hope to include outside expert speakers and a field trip to help us develop an authentic understanding of these topics. 

Innocent or guilty?  Accidental death?  Suicide?  Insurance fraud?  This May Term course will introduce students to the use of legal reasoning and argument in the context of trial advocacy.  The course will walk students through preparation for a mock trial of a fictional civil or criminal case.  You will learn about the various aspects of a legal procedure and will prepare short briefs, and perform the oral arguments, culminating in a trial at the end of the week.  Students will have the opportunity to play the roles of both attorney and witness.  Our work to understand the court system will include meeting with currently practicing professionals.

Take a journey from the early days of electroshock therapy to reparative therapy, from Women’s Music to Lilith Fair, from the AIDS epidemic to the iconic AIDS quilt, from the landmark Obergefell v. Hodges Supreme Court decision, to transgender rights and issues. Come hear from the people who were there and fought on the front lines of LGBTQ+ civil rights. Take a field trip (weather-permitting) to the historic Stonewall Inn and get a sense of history. Following the inspiration of those who came before, devise a means of social protest that will have an impact on the school, the local community, the country and, hopefully, the world. 

Solving puzzles is like mental yoga — both challenging and relaxing at the same time. Best of all, it’s a lot of fun!  In this course, you’ll sharpen your mental flexibility as we work together to tackle a wide variety of logic puzzles, ciphers, crosswords, rebuses, sudokus, and perhaps a field trip to an escape room!  We’ll even learn to create our own puzzles. Come join us and embark on a  lifelong journey of puzzling.  No previous experience is required.  We will provide appropriate levels of challenge for all participants. You surely will enjoy this stress-relieving course.  (After all, they say that one out of five people are too tense.) Let’s get solving!  

This course will begin by studying the roots and history of the fantasy literature genre, sharing favorite excerpts that capture representative elements. We shall then experience fantasy through adventures in role-playing games. Immersing ourselves in our characters and guiding them through dark peril, life, and possibly death, the lived narrative will provide the basis for short pieces of creative writing or art to share with the group. These projects will be brought together to form a collection that chronicles our journey there and back again.

Sorry kids, but adulting is coming your way quickly! We are here to help. This May Term course will dive into real-world skills preparing you for life beyond GFA. The course will cover everything from personal finance to health and safety on campus and beyond. Topics may include how to create a budget, why your credit score is important, the basics of auto care, banking, safe travel, working, cooking, and more… We hope to include hands-on activities, outside speakers, and connections to resources and experts in our community.

In this course students will learn the basics of rocketry including design, construction, launch, and recovery. Our main focus is to have fun launching rockets and their payloads into space (almost!). Students will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of different geometric designs, learn the basics of aerodynamics structures, and get acquainted with the engineering design process: planning, prototyping, testing, and iterating.

In this hands-on, experiential class, we will research, imagine, design, dig, and plant a Shakespeare Garden, while learning about and developing a creative means of showcasing many of Shakespeare’s 175 botanical references.  We will also meet with and learn from a horticulturist or botanist, gardener or conservationist, Shakespearean actor or specialist, and we will spend a day visiting a celebrated Shakespeare Garden.  We will have the wonderful experience of reveling in the theatre of nature and the nature of theatre, and, with our spades and shovels in hand, greening our thumbs for the GFA community of the future.

This course will be a participatory seminar in songwriting, with emphasis on the forms and styles of songwriting from 1900 to the present: simple 12-bar blues, songs with verses and refrains, AABA form, and freeform songs. The course will begin with a brief survey of European art songs of the 19th century, but the primary emphasis will be on Broadway and movie songs, folksong writers of the mid-20th century and beyond: Bob Dylan, Gordon Lightfoot, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Joni Mitchell, Carole King, and many others. The goal of the course is to produce recordings of student-written songs utilizing our recording studio. Ideally, the songwriters will be able to accompany themselves on guitar or piano, and may also enlist other student musicians on drums, bass, and other instruments as desired.

How do we create and experience sound? How can we better understand who we are and our place in the world through the sounds we create?  In this course, we will build musical devices and explore the concepts of sound and music.  Hands-on activities will range from building drums and other instruments to making digitally produced sound with flex sensors, buttons, motors, piezo buzzers, and potentiometers.  We will consult with musicians, experts, and other resources in the field to deepen our understanding of sound. And we will prototype auditory installations and soundscapes around campus. Although this course might sound technical, there is room for all to play!

We are fortunate to live and learn within view of Long Island Sound. In this interdisciplinary, experiential, place-based course, students will conduct field research and use writing, photography, and video to document the Copps Island Oyster operation, a vital part of the living history of Long Island Sound. Students will meet, interview, write about, and photograph oyster farmers, commercial fishermen, and scientists. Much of the work will take place near GFA and may include trips to some of the Sound’s islands, salt marshes, and local institutions. Spend a day out on an oyster boat or working side-by-side with shuckers and sorters; record oral histories of people like the Long Island Soundkeeper, Norm Bloom (the founder of Copps Island Oysters), and “Lobster Mike,” the last lobsterman in the western Sound; study the intersection of local ecology and history. Throughout, our focus will be on finding, gathering, and presenting the vivid natural and human stories of our remarkable body of water.

Immersing ourselves in the three ecosystems and the garden we share at GFA,  this course will integrate science and indigenous perspectives into our connection with nature and the outdoors. Students will seek to understand components of these ecosystems along with the history of the land we reside on, acknowledging the story of this place, then, now, and in the future. The course draws inspiration from books including Braiding Sweetgrass by Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer and will have students out in the three ecosystems on a daily basis, working cross-divisionally and collaboratively with students from other May Term courses.