Below are WAYS 103 Seminars that will be offered in Fall 2026.
Today’s concert scene is diverse and exciting, but what were concerts at Crane like fifty years ago? Whose music was performed and who were the performers? This class will explore diversity as it has evolved on the concert stage by examining selected concert programs from past and present performances at the Crane School of Music. What music should Crane perform in 2026? 2030? You will finish the semester by designing YOUR idea of a diverse and inclusive concert program.
This course will examine issues of inclusivity and the underlying ethical questions that surround characters in comic books, graphic novels, CGI, games, virtual reality, and multi-media art. Study includes the history of Wonder Woman, the comics code, and the work of contemporary American artists Ian Cheng, Kerry James Marshall, and Alison Bechdel, who use characters in multi-media art and deal in notions of gender and identity providing new perspectives in understanding characters.
Hollywood is often criticized for being too white, too male, too straight, too able-bodied. Do you think that’s true? Was it once true but you think now things have changed? We’re going to look at American films to see how people of color, women, LGBTQIA+ people, and people with disabilities are represented. You will give your speeches on the films as well as having an opportunity to present on at least one film of your choice. No film studies experience is required.
Can the world be changed in 10 seconds? In August 1936, Nazi Germany hosted the world for the 10th Olympic Games, hoping to use the opportunity to showcase Hitler’s 3rd Reich to the 49 nations striving for the gold. Nonetheless, Jesse Owens, an African American athlete, won gold in the 100-meter dash with a time of 10.3 seconds striking a blow against Hitler’s propaganda of Aryan superiority. Owens was one of many diverse athletes competing in the ’36 games who, while facing extraordinary challenges, paved the way for all who followed in their footsteps. Throughout this course, we will examine the stories of diverse American Olympic athletes as they navigated the challenges of training and competition in a charged environment of systemic inequity and discrimination both at home and abroad.
What does it mean to be an inclusive leader? As you begin to take leadership roles, you’ll need to have some important skills: how can you foster inclusion? How can you communicate the value of diversity for groups? Drawing from a range of perspectives and historical moments, you will explore your leadership style across a variety of topics and learn how you can nurture an environment in which people feel comfortable being their authentic selves.
When Harlan Howard called country music “three chords and the truth,” he named an American obsession: authenticity. We prize music that “keeps it real”—even when it’s staged. Why does “realness” matter, and how is it performed? This course explores authenticity as sound, style, and strategy in shaping American identities.
We will examine the contributions made and challenges faced by women in science across generations. Students will engage with the stories of scientific pioneers like Marie Curie and Rosalind Franklin, analyze the work of recent Nobel laureates such as Elizabeth Blackburn and Jennifer Doudna, and explore the challenges faced by early-career researchers. Together, we will consider how gender and representation continue to influence scientific inquiry.