The Webb Schools 2022 Unbounded Days Catalog

DO UNBOUNDED THE WEBB SCHOOLS 2022 UNBOUNDED DAYS COURSE CATALOG

2022 UNBOUNDED DAYS

THE PURPOSE IS CLEAR

COURSE LIST Unbounded Days will take place from March 2-6, 2022. All courses will meet from Wednesday, March 2 through Friday, March 4. Find listed below under 4- or 5-day courses those that will also meet Saturday, March 5 and Sunday, March 6.

Unless otherwise indicated in the course description, there is no additional fee. Students on financial aid will receive some fee relief.

Any questions about fee support can be directed to jpeddy@webb.org or tsmith@webb.org.

Unbounded Days draws upon The Webb Schools’ enduring purpose of inspiring students to boldly reach for a greater sense of who they are and what they can achieve. Through immersive, collaborative, relevant and deeply engaging journeys that connect the classroom and the broader world, students expand their understanding of what it means to think, create and reflect. They learn that their possibilities and their minds are truly unbounded.

When Robert A. Hefner III ’53 made his generous gift to the schools, he made special provisions to enable us to learn directly from extraordinary individuals. In this spirit, Unbounded Days has been created. Unbounded Days has grown not only from Mr. Hefner’s personal thirst for creativity and love of exploration, but also out of his deep admiration for one of his former Webb teachers, Dr. Ray Alf, who first showed him how to think beyond what he could see.

3-Day Courses Arts Adventure Artist Workshop Desert Solitaire: Yoga and Photography Retreat in Joshua Tree Discover Catalina: Catalina Island Marine Institute Exploring Home with New Eyes: Architecture Design in Southern California Exploring Tovaangar and Indigenous California Food for Thought #FreeBritney Galapagos in the Pacific: A Voyage to the Channel Go-Kart 101 The Great Escape Hiking L.A. History Is Happening History of L.A. through Sports “Ir más allá! The Cultural History of the Central California Just Plane Fun L.A. Multicultural Adventure Rockstars SoCal Marine Life Tech Challenge True Crime L.A.: Fact and Fiction

4-5 Day Courses Unbounded Days is supported by the

ROBERT A. HEFNER III ’53 ENDOWMENT FOR EXCELLENCE IN SCIENCE 3 Unbounded Days

Canoeing the Colorado River Climbing through History: An Adventure through Joshua Tree’s Past, Present and Future For the Birds: A Study in Observation, Inspiration and Creation SoCal Skateboarding

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ARTIST

ARTS

ADVENTURE

Faculty: Kristen Brown and Linda Silva (3 days)

5 Unbounded Days

In Arts Adventure, you will explore the connections between nature, urban settings and specialized environments through visual art, movement and music. The experience begins with an arts expedition through the massive boulders in Joshua Tree National Park with guest artist and acclaimed Los Angeles painter Blair Maffris. On day two, you will immerse yourself in music and art at Pomona College, including Prometheus, the mural by prominent Mexican muralist Jose Clement Orozco, known as one of Los Tres Grandes. On day three, you will discover the music industry through a Los Angeles recording studio, seeing and hearing how music is applied to film and television, and you will tour Paramount Studios to observe a working movie lot. By the end of the course, you will have seen, heard, felt and created art, and you will have a greater appreciation for ways to make art part of your life.

WORKSHOP

Faculty: Eric Hansen and Jackie Leishman (3 days)

Calling all visual artists! Join us on a threeday immersive experience consisting of guided creative exercises, studio visits with L.A. artists, lectures and experiences in galleries and museums. The workshop will bring together a diverse group of individuals committed to artmaking and inquiry in a stimulating incubatory environment.

Participants are encouraged to work in a variety of mediums free of the expectations.

The workshop focuses on process and experimentation. Each participant will receive a dedicated space and all supplies.

Expect to arrive at a different understanding of what the work may come to mean. You also will locate personally relevant challenges, questions and inspiration along the path of the Art life. Free yourself from other commitments and distractions and come explore, discover and create.

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CANOEING

THE COLORADO RIVER

Faculty: Brian Caldwell and Rick Duque Course Fee: $150 (4 days)

7 Unbounded Days

Try this amazing canoeing experience on the lower Colorado River. This four-day/ three-night trip is for people who appreciate the great outdoors. This is no glamping trip.

You will paddle about eight miles each day, stopping for lunch along the way. The section of the river you will paddle through is moving flatwater with no rapids – just beautiful aqua flow. Each night we will prepare our meals and sleep near the river. In addition to strengthening your outdoor skills, along the way you will learn about different ecosystems, star gaze and “wade through” the economic impact the river has on the region. Join us for Canoeing the Colorado River.

CLIMBING THROUGH HISTORY:

AN ADVENTURE THROUGH JOSHUA TREE’S PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE Faculty: Howie Kalter and Lisa Nacionales Course Fee: $100 (5 Days)

Join us in a rock-climbing adventure that will give you a unique perspective of Joshua Tree National Park. But how do we climb, hike, camp and enjoy the outdoors in a way that respects the land and the people to whom it is sacred?

This course takes place in one of the most beautiful desertscapes in the country! Our five-day course will challenge you physically and broaden your knowledge of the people who have inhabited this land for centuries and who still call it home. Throughout our stay at Ryan Campground, we will explore rockclimbing crags and learn techniques, including top roping and bouldering. It’s impossible to disconnect nature from the people who live there, so we will also learn about the Serrano, Cahuilla, Chemehuevi and Mojave tribes whose historic territories overlap within the park.

From a planned visit with a park ranger to our own exploration of petroglyph art, there will be opportunities to learn about the fascinating and resilient people who lived in this harsh and beautiful environment. There is no prior climbing experience necessary. This trip welcomes climbers of all abilities.

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DESERT SOLITAIRE:

YOGA AND PHOTOGRAPHY

RETREAT IN JOSHUA TREE Faculty: Sonsoles Cardalliaguet and Luke Chen Course Fee: $100 (3 days)

9 Unbounded Days

“What draws us to the desert is the search for something intimate in the remote.” Like many others before and after him, environmental writer Edward Abbey found the desert to be profound – a place where “the tangible and mythical become the same.” In this course, you will follow in Abbey’s footsteps and retreat to the desert to seek, connect and create. Through workshops in yoga and photography, as well as guided explorations in the park of sites recognized for their spiritual and transcendental significance, you will be challenged to see in new ways and to trust your senses and inner voice. Let the mysteries of the desert light the way. You may never be the same. All experience levels in yoga and photography welcome.

DISCOVER CATALINA:

CATALINA ISLAND MARINE INSTITUTE Faculty: Andrew Hamilton and Sarah Lantz Course Fee: $150 (3 days)

Twenty-two miles off the coast of California sits Catalina Island, a travel destination known for its rich history and beautiful natural environment.

Working with the Catalina Island Marine Institute, this three-day course takes you on a marine science expedition. You will cross the ocean channel while looking for dolphins and whales, explore the underwater world off the shoreline while snorkeling, investigate the unique geology and biology of the island and rediscover the night sky. We will stay at the beautiful Fox Landing camp, a quiet beach on the Catalina coastline, near Long Point (Catalina Island) State Marine Reserve, with access to Catalina’s marine diversity, undeveloped interior where bison roam and dark skies for stargazing. This is the perfect unbounded experience for anyone who wants to learn more about the science of marine life on the California coast.

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EXPLORING HOME WITH NEW EYES:

ARCHITECTURE DESIGN IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA Faculty: Melanie Bauman and Joseph Vincent (3 days)

11 Unbounded Days

Southern California is synonymous with style, design and creativity. That creativity goes beyond fashion and film, beach houses and boardwalks. In fact, Southern California has been one the country’s most dynamic regions for architectural innovation. In this course, you’ll explore some of the unique elements that make up Southern California’s architectural and design traditions and participate in the creation of new trends.

You’ll ask questions such as: how does architecture reflect and reinforce the broader culture? What do architectural design styles tell us about how our city developed over time? From midcentury modern structures to Victorian homes and art deco skyscrapers, Southern California boasts diverse architectural styling, and the development of our campus and the city of Claremont is no different! Over this three-day journey through Claremont, downtown Los Angeles and Palm Springs, we will gain a better understanding of how these aesthetic choices were made and have shaped our home today.

EXPLORING

TOVAANGAR AND INDIGENOUS CALIFORNIA Faculty: John Choi and James Huerta (3 days)

Webb’s location on the historic homeland of the Tongva people provides us the opportunity and responsibility to honor indigenous people and their homelands.

On this course, you will learn about how indigenous people in present-day California maintain traditions and how they have adapted to the changing landscape. Together, we will explore sites of significance to native peoples and learn about native place names, traditional uses of land and current efforts to reclaim and/or repurpose traditional homelands.

The primary goal of this course is to offer students an indigenous point of view of the state in which we live in the hopes of providing a greater understanding of the dynamic history of the land and what the future holds. This experience will foster student connection to their own identities and connection to the land, while providing knowledge to bring back and share with the larger Webb community.

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FOOD FOR

THOUGHT

Faculty: Mike Hoe and Ken Rosenfeld (3 days)

13 Unbounded Days

With the rise of UberEats, celebrity chefs, genetically modified organisms and allyou-can-eat restaurants, food has evolved from simple fuel to sustain our existence into entertainment. One consequence of this culinary renaissance is the shift from prioritizing health and environmental sustainability to prioritizing flavor, convenience and the “Instagramable.” This course challenges you to interrogate American culture’s approach to food. You will explore how food serves as a cultural ambassador; how it can mediate or aggravate inflammation, stress and mood regulation; and how it impacts our carbon footprint. Through guided and independent food adventures through Los Angeles food hubs, lessons from experts in the nutrition and health fields and working with the Webb Dining Hall staff, students will gain a greater understanding of the role the food they put on their plate plays in their health and its impact on the environment. Additionally, students will gain insight and perspective into menu creation and food preparation, delve into the gut-brain axis and create their own L.A. Food Guide to share with the Webb community.

FOR THE BIRDS: A STUDY IN

OBSERVATION, INSPIRATION AND CREATION Faculty: Elizabeth Cantwell and Lauren Hartle (4 days)

Join us on a four-day adventure during which we will learn how to identify birds by sound and sight, venture out into desert oases and coastal areas to practice watching and listening for birds, reflect quietly on our experiences by slowing down and engaging with Southern Californian habitats and produce art that can help our inner selves take flight. Our course will include a day trip to the Big Morongo Canyon Preserve, an internationally recognized birding site, where we will explore a desert oasis with over 260 recorded species of birds. We also will take a day trip to Bolsa Chica Ecological Preserve, a coastal estuary harboring more than 200 species of birds and important nesting sites for seabirds, where we will participate in a guided tour and engage in some hands-on restoration work in the wetlands. We will also take part in a special, even spooky, evening owl hunt. Finally, we will take the inspiration from our birdwatching activities and use it to produce works of art that speak to us. Our course will culminate in a celebratory open house, where we will invite other students and teachers to experience the winged world alongside us.

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#FREEBRITNEY

GALAPAGOS IN THE PACIFIC: A VOYAGE TO THE

CHANNEL ISLANDS Faculty: Tamar Salibian and Michael Szanyi (3 days)

15 Unbounded Days

If you’ve ever wondered about the intersections of pop culture, media literacy and social justice, then this is the course for you. Explore fame, celebrity, fandom and media engagement to figure out how YOU can make a difference. Using the #FreeBritney movement as a starting point, you will examine the way the Britney Spears’ conservatorship case uncovered a landscape in which consumers of culture are claiming agency, learning how media functions and reshaping the terrain where entertainment and real life coexist. With film screenings, trips to Hollywood, meetings with key players in the local #FreeBritney movement, you will strategize ways to engage in online and in-person activism as scholars and fans.

And of course, hands-on experience with the star’s choreographic prowess is a must!

Through your unbounded journey, you will emerge with a keener eye toward media literacy, the culture industry, documentary filmmaking practices, and the nuts and bolts of fan activism. And you’ll have done it all with a fantastically fun soundtrack of pop music and visual media!

Faculty: Rae Brookshire and Carissa DeRanek Course Fee: $100 (3 days)

Come set sail to Channel Island National Park. The five islands in the park’s archipelago provide an ideal site to explore the intersection of history, conservation and marine life. Over half of the park’s 249,354 acres are under water, and humans have occupied these lands for over 13,000 years.

On our journey to these remote islands, we will take a two-hour ferry ride, looking for marine life and sea caves. We will camp on the island for two nights, hike along the vast trail network, and visit an outdoor museum on the island. Along the way, we will learn about the history and present of the Chumash people who lived here for centuries and the ongoing restoration efforts in this delicate natural environment. As you build a relationship and understanding of the land, you will build relationships and understanding with each other in our camp community, with in-camp culinary exploits and outdoor games. Join us in testing out the immortal words of Andre Gide, “Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.”

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GO-KART 101 Faculty: Andy Farke and Brian Kays (3 days)

17 Unbounded Days

Calling all aspiring mechanics. Do you have a need for speed? Have you always wanted to know when to use a monkey wrench or opt for the impact wrench? Do you want to hone your skills in automobile repair and the basics of engineering? This course will challenge and empower you to understand the basics of car repair and design through a hands-on building experience. Get a feel for the vehicle through your own go-kart racing experience. Consult with professional drivers and mechanics. Grab a set of tools and learn how to use them.

Working as a team, by the end of this course you will have built you very own, drivable go-kart. Next stop, the Indy 500?

We certainly won’t try to stop you.

THE

GREAT ESCAPE Faculty: Andrew Neyer and Eric Vos (3 days)

You and your teammates are trapped in a room and only have 60 minutes to escape.

All around you are clues that will lead you one step closer to the exit. Left only to your wits, creativity and teamwork, will you have what it takes to solve the puzzles and make your way out of the escape room before time runs out? This course will push your problem-solving skills to the limit! You will work together in teams to tackle several escape rooms around Los Angeles. Taking what you’ve learned from the experience, you will flex your own creative and analytical muscles to design and build an escape room of your own here on the Webb campus. If you enjoy problem solving, collaborative teamwork, design and a little competition, then this is the course for you!

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HIKING L.A. Faculty: Don Lofgren and Nicole Windmon (3 days)

19 Unbounded Days

No one walks in L.A.? We beg to differ.

Synonymous with car culture, greater L.A. has long been an automobile mecca with over 515 miles of freeway. However, L.A. County also hosts hundreds of miles of hiking trails, scenic routes and city strolls. In reality, L.A. is both these things – a concrete jungle AND an iconic western city where breathtaking and stark landscapes and geological and zoological grandeur coexist, not always peacefully. This course takes you into those contradictions by exploring L.A. in a novel way – on foot. Over the last 18 months, L.A. has witnessed a pedestrian renaissance as walkers have taken back the streets, making stars out of popular hiking routes, renovating once well-trodden paths and pioneering new routes. We will trek up a peak in the San Gabriel Mountains, traverse to iconic landmarks only accessible by foot and stroll along beautiful coastal trails that link the city to the sea.

You’ll see the city in a new way and at a slower pace than you’re used to (though not slower than the traffic on the 5). Lace up your sneakers and prepare to get your steps in while carrying out rich discussions of how city developments have impacted the environment and how Angelinos have integrated nature in their urban life.

HISTORY IS HAPPENING Faculty: Stef Plumley and Theresa Smith (3 days)

“Hamilton” isn’t the only theatrical piece to challenge our historical understandings.

In this course, we will consider how and why creative mediums and performance illuminate history in new ways. We will explore how to utilize creative practices to foster dynamic storytelling. We will learn (and practice!) the basics of improvisational comedy, look at filmed musicals, study scripts and see live performances based on modern historical events. The course will culminate in the creation and staging of a story you’d like to tell. No prior performance experience needed!

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HISTORY OF

L.A. THROUGH SPORTS Faculty: Mark Lauer and Malick Mbengue (3 days)

21 Unbounded Days

The Ducks, the Angels, the Chargers, the Clippers, the Dodgers, LAFC, L.A. Galaxy, the Kings, the Lakers, the Sparks, the Rams and the Angel City FC. If Los Angeles is the entertainment capital of the world, then sports is a key component in the spectacle. L.A. has already hosted a World Cup final (1994), and the summer Olympics twice (1932, 1984). All five major American sports leagues have teams (sometimes multiple teams in the same league) in the Los Angeles metropolitan area.

The Lakers and the Dodgers have won 21 titles between them. But beyond the glamour, L.A. sports tell unique stories about the rich history and culture of the city, the people who support them and the neighborhoods they call home.

Students will walk through time as we learn about the history of the city through the L.A. sports landscape. Come explore L.A. with a completely new lens – we will look at the past and future as the city plays host to this year’s Super Bowl and 2028 Olympic games and consider everyday Angelinos whose lives are impacted by sports, whether they like it or not.

“IR MÁS ALLÁ!”

THE CULTURAL HISTORY OF

CENTRAL CALIFORNIA Faculty: Elle Brosh and Morgan Kapp Course Fee: $100 (3 days)

Take a journey up California’s coastline to Santa Barbara. While most travelers come to the region as a major vacation destination known for its sublime natural landscapes, diverse aquatic wildlife and mouth-watering Mexican food, Santa Barbara is much more than just a tourist stop. It is a place shaped by its geography, by empire and by migration. Through your own exploration, you will learn to ask critical, contextual questions about this beautiful and popular site, namely, what goes into making place and at what cost? Your journey will begin by witnessing Santa Barbara’s natural topography, including its mountains and beaches. From there you will practice looking below the surface, interacting with the relationship that the indigenous peoples of Santa Barbara, the Chumash, have with the natural landscape. Then, you will travel in time, delving deeper into the area’s cultural landscape by learning about the area’s colonization by the Spanish and the construction of the missions, as well as the Franciscan and Ranchero periods of Santa Barbara’s history. Finally, you will spend some time thinking about how this small city impacts the contemporary world through its agriculture and food systems. Let the past and present collide, and travel in a completely new way, through California’s Central Coast.

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JUST PLANE FUN

L.A. MULTICULTURAL ADVENTURE Faculty: Jim Dahler and Michael Kozden (3 days)

23 Unbounded Days

Pack your bags for a whirlwind cultural and culinary tour around Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Mexican and Korean Los Angeles. The City of Angels is a vast metropolis, famous worldwide for its cultural diversity and ethnic neighborhoods. Traveling by public transport, you will experience these cultures firsthand by exploring local neighborhoods such as Little Tokyo, Olvera Street, Diamond Bar, the “626” Chinese community and Chino Hills’ amazing Hindu temple. Possible activities may include: learning Chinese calligraphy and painting with experts; practicing the ancient martial arts of Tai Chi and Tae Kwon Do; playing traditional Asian games, including mahjong, Chinese chess, Go; and cooking your own meal based on what you’ve observed. Come tour L.A., one of America’s most diverse cities!

Faculty: Brendan Beikmann and Viviana Nicolosi (3 days)

Alis grave nil. Nothing is heavy to those who have wings. Have you ever dreamed of taking flight? Have you wondered what it would be like to explore the world from above? Have you ever wanted to know more about the mechanics of aeronautics? Join us and find out. Over the course of three days, you will have the opportunity to work individually and collaboratively to learn about the incredible field of aviation. You will be doing the work of a pilot: learning how to read charts and prepare a flight plan, deepening your understanding of the physics and science behind flight and practicing your own take offs and landings.

Experience career exploration, hands-on experimentation, and flight simulation. Are you ready to earn your Webb Wings?

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SOCAL

ROCKSTARS Faculty: Will Allan and Geoff Owers (3 days)

25 Unbounded Days

Enjoy and study the scientific wonders of Death Valley. This unique national park offers the clearest, most stunning views of the night sky as well as some of the most interesting geologic features on the planet, not to mention an annual exhibition of natural wildflowers. Explore the largest vertical range that science can offer in this part of the world – you will study the geology of Badwater Basin, which lies at an elevation of 278 feet below sea level, as well as the wonders of the cosmos thousands of light years away. Our adventure will feature telescopic viewing of the stars, photographic opportunities that can be embraced nowhere else and short hikes to local features such as Natural Bridge, Artists’ Palette, Zabriskie Point or Dante’s View.

MARINE LIFE

Faculty: Stephen Caddy, Nika Haleftiras and Maureen O’Brien (3 days)

Take three deep breaths – every third breath you take comes from oxygen generated by the ocean. Your food, makeup, shampoo, salad dressing and more come from products of our oceans. And, in Southern California, the ocean is right at our back door. Come explore the most biodiverse ecosystem on our planet.

Grab your snorkels and wetsuits and travel with us to iconic beach towns and snorkel areas to experience the vibrant marine life of Southern California. We will learn about the importance of preserving this ecosystem and what marine conservation looks like for each of us. In addition to exploring the world below the waves, we will enjoy all the things the ocean brings: awesome bodyboarding in the surf and films that dive into the ocean and surf culture.

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SOCAL

SKATEBOARDING Faculty: Mark Dzula and Ardina Greco (5 days)

27 Unbounded Days

From Dogtown to the Bones Brigade, skateboarding runs deep in Southern California. Delve into the artistry, culture and commerce of skateboarding. Shape, design and paint a deck. Take a lesson and skate at a park. Explore intersections of style, culture and commerce. Make a skateboarding video.

Make a vinyl sticker. Watch a documentary about SoCal skateboarding culture.

Participants will discuss leisure spaces, like skate parks, and explore the role of recreation in teens’ lives. Hey skaters: this course is open to all skill levels. Even if you have never skated before, you will be able to enjoy this course and skate safely.

TECH

CHALLENGE

Faculty: Tim Coates and the Tech Team (3 days)

Learn to be a tech ninja. The only prerequisite is that you love solving problems and coming up with creative solutions. You won’t be sitting at a computer all day. You will be actively building, searching, creating and solving tech challenges as part of the ultimate Cicada 3301-like scavenger hunt. In the morning, you could be creating electronic musical instruments and, in the afternoon, building a network from the ground up for a LAN party. The workshop will cover electronics, networking, cryptography, coding and microcontrollers. Each topic will be introduced through challenges such as building and writing code to run animatronics.

Challenge yourself to build and create in a way you never thought possible.

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TRUE CRIME L.A.:

FACT AND FICTION

Faculty: Meg Horejsi and Wendy Maxon (3 days)

29 Unbounded Days

Often noted as a city where dreams come true and where anyone can reinvent themselves, the City of Angels has also been a setting for noir fiction, cult activity, serial killers and other infamous crimes. With the goal of humanizing victims and improving criminal justice, this course seeks to take an in-depth look at several highly publicized true crime cases in Los Angeles. In taking this course, students will analyze the ethics of the media coverage in such cases as the Manson Family, Nightstalker and Black Dahlia murders and compare it to fictionalized representations of crime in L.A. Students will learn about the FBI’s development of criminal profiling and DNA extraction and discuss the pros and cons of their application in law enforcement. We’ll play Hunt a Killer and Clue to practice methodically solving puzzles. Do you have what it takes to be a “detective on the case?”

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1175 West Baseline Road Claremont, CA 91711–2199 909.482.5214 webb.org