Session 11: Fall 2014
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Tuesday
2 September
2014 -
Cleared for Takeoff: Photographing Airplanes at Gravelly Point
It’s like that scene in “Wayne’s World,” but with a camera! Learn how to photograph aircraft up close as they take off and land at Reagan National Airport.
user Instructor: Chris Williams
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Wednesday
3 September -
DIY Wallets
Thin down your wallet — not financially, but by making a really small wallet.
user Instructor: Juliana Rincon
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Czech and Slovak 101 (Includes Swearing)
Make friends with speakers of Czech and/or Slovak, then offend them.
user Instructor: Daniela Vesela
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Anatomy of a Website
Learn the inner workings of a website and how to build your own from a self-taught programming guru. Laptops not necessary.
user Instructor: Robert Thomas
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Mass Incarceration in America
This class will examine our society’s use of the criminal “justice” system as a mechanism for producing mass suffering and prisons as a mechanism of control over certain populations.
user Instructor: Alec Karakatsanis
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Thursday
4 September -
From Idea to Startup
Become a modern entrepreneur or intrapreneur! And learn what “intrapreneur” means.
user Instructor: Maxime Paul
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Cocktail Basics
Impress your friends by playing mixologist at your next party, or step up to your favorite bar and order cocktails like a boss.
user Instructor: Laura Karr
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Unbuilt Washington Bike Tour
Discover the D.C. that could have been. Shock, relief, bemusement, and disappointment will all be felt.
user Instructor: Patrick McMullen
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Saturday
6 September -
Make DC Smile and the Power of Positivity
Meet the organization that exists soley to make the DMV a happier place, then go out and spread the joy.
user Instructor: Massoud Adibpour
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Cleared for Takeoff: Photographing Airplanes at Gravelly Point
It’s like that scene in “Wayne’s World,” but with a camera! Learn how to photograph aircraft up close as they take off and land at Reagan National Airport.
user Instructor: Chris Williams
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Sunday
7 September -
Abandoned Schoolhouses Bike Tour
We all know the D.C. public school system is a mess. Learn about its history through its abandoned infrastructure.
user Instructor: Elena Goukassian
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Monday
8 September -
How to Solve a Rubik’s Cube
Learn the trick to solving the famous 1980s puzzle.
user Instructor: Rikki Irwin
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Tuesday
9 September -
Prisons, Profit, and Human Beings
This follow-up to KCDC’s popular Mass Incarceration in America class delves deeper into the criminal “justice” system by examining profit motives and financial incentives.
user Instructor: Alec Karakatsanis
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Uncross Your Arms, Dammit: The Secrets of Body Language Explained
Find out what your body is really telling the world. And seriously, uncross your arms.
user Instructor: Chasta Piatakovas
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Wednesday
10 September -
Learning Street Portraiture
The goal: Find a subject, ask their permission, and take a great picture.
user Instructor: Jim Darling
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How to Read and Discuss Poetry
Scansion. Does the term give you hives? Calm down — this user-friendly class makes poetry fun and accessible.
user Instructor: Elijah Mendoza
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Knowledge Commons DC Night at Solly’s Trivia
On Wednesday, September 10, Solly’s will donate 10 percent of their Trivia Night proceeds to Knowledge Commons DC. There will be prizes, raffles, and more! Help us raise money to continue to build the best free school in Washington.
user Instructor: KCDC
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Thursday
11 September -
Playwriting: From Brain to Stage
Through the magic of playwriting, realize your idea for a drama, comedy, dramedy, or something that’s not any of those three things.
user Instructor: John Feffer
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Friday
12 September -
Flavors of American Whiskey
Taste whiskey. Learn whiskey. Love whiskey. What else could you want from a class?
user Instructor: Spencer Millsap
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Saturday
13 September -
Pop Art Sculpture
Pop Art is more than soup cans and huge comic strips. It’s also sculptures of giant typewriter erasers.
user Instructors: Claire Howard, Elena Goukassian
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Holocaust History Through a New Lens
Join a U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum educator for a behind-the-scenes look at the exhibit “Some Were Neighbors: Collaboration and Complicity in the Holocaust.”
user Instructor: Sonia Booth
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Make a Camera Obscura
Learn what happens inside a camera by making one big enough that you can put your head inside.
user Instructor: Diana Sanchez
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Sunday
14 September -
Cancelled
A Lifetime in Rosewood: Living in an Institution and Disability Rights
Michael Taylor, an individual with an intellectual and developmental disability, lived in Baltimore’s Rosewood Institution for more than 30 years. Hear his story.
user Instructors: Michael Taylor, Ryan Wirth
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Deck Out Your Apartment Without Stepping Foot in IKEA
Be the envy of all your peers with a home full of unique, inexpensive, second-hand finds.
user Instructor: Holley Simmons
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Monday
15 September -
Discovering and Writing the Spiritual Memoir
Pour your soul onto the page.
user Instructor: Becky Zartman
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Tuesday
16 September -
Learning Street Portraiture
The goal: Find a subject, ask their permission, and take a great picture.
user Instructor: Jim Darling
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Cymraeg Cyntaf: Beginning Welsh I
Knowing even a little of this complex Celtic tongue will impress speakers of boring old Germanic and Romance languages.
user Instructor: Adam Roush
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Wednesday
17 September -
Medical Spanish
Are you a medical professional yearning to communicate better with your Spanish-speaking patients? Guess which KCDC class is for you.
user Instructor: Katherine Dean
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What Wine Should I Bring?
Don’t be intimidated by the wine aisle. Dig deep into the vines and varietals in this class on the classiest drink of all.
user Instructor: Anna Jinkerson
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Thursday
18 September -
Security 101: Simple Online Security Tips
You don’t have to be a hardcore hacker to keep your digital privacy intact.
user Instructor: Patrick Lucey
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Fundamentals of Human Figure Drawing
Pick up a No. 2 pencil and render the human body in all its glory and imperfection.
user Instructor: Sam Huang
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Saturday
20 September -
How to Capture “Fleeting Reality”: A Street Photography Primer
Search out Henri Cartier-Bresson’s “decisive moment” in this introduction to street photography.
user Instructor: Gerry Suchy
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Making Places: A Bike Tour of Typography and Vintage Signs in D.C.
Explore DC’s history though historic and modern signs!
user Instructor: David Ramos
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Exploring Transformation: An Expressive Writing Workshop
Learn ways to reduce stress and maintain positive well-being through writing. It’s cheaper than yoga classes!
user Instructor: Patrice Carolyn Forrester
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Sunday
21 September -
Bánh Mì and Vietnamese Cuisine 101
Eat what happens when a French baguette meets the flavors of Vietnam.
user Instructor: Stephanie Nguyen
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Coffee: Origins, Roasting, Blending, and Brewing
Join the founders of Café Los Sueños, a D.C.-based specialty coffee roastery, for an introduction to all things coffee. You’ll learn:
user Instructors: Carlos Payes, Elizabeth Ryan
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A People’s History of Madonna
The story of how our world became Madonna’s dance floor.
user Instructor: Neal Fersko
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Monday
22 September -
Design Your Own No-Fuss Boot Camp
No gym membership? No equipment? No Richard Simmons? No problem!
user Instructor: Gitanjali Borkar
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Career Happiness Is Within Reach
Some people like, even love, their jobs. If you’re not one of them, there may be hope.
user Instructor: Denise Riebman
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Hatha Yoga
No previous yoga experience needed.
user Instructor: Dexter Sumner
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Tuesday
23 September -
Ail-Gymraeg: Beginning Welsh II
Knowing EVEN MORE of this complex Celtic tongue will impress speakers of boring old Germanic and Romance languages. Maybe even Basque speakers!
user Instructor: Adam Roush
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Wednesday
24 September -
Personal Digital Archiving
Will word.docx files open in 2030? Is your phone a good place to store a thousand baby pictures? How do you rescue your 1992 college essays? FIND OUT.
user Instructor: Katharina Hering
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The Future Is in Your Palms!
Or maybe not. Learn the basics of palmistry and decide for yourself.
user Instructor: Katherine Jessup
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Thursday
25 September -
How to Teach a KCDC Class
Do you teach for KCDC, or are you curious about proposing a class? Just interested in becoming a better instructor? This class will give you a background in learning styles and teaching techniques.
user Instructor: Knowledge Commons DC
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Saturday
27 September -
How to Capture “Fleeting Reality”: A Street Photography Primer
Search out Henri Cartier-Bresson’s “decisive moment” in this introduction to street photography.
user Instructor: Gerry Suchy
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Cancelled
Basic Foot Care for Diabetics: Preventing Ulcers and Amputations
Part of diabetes management is taking good care of your feet, thus avoiding severe, difficult-to-treat foot ulcers.
user Instructor: Brandy Schobey
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Geocaching: The Hidden World Around You
You could be standing on or near a geocache RIGHT NOW. Find out why you should care.
user Instructor: Rodney Phelps
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Sunday
28 September -
Group Meditation
Join like-minded KCDCers and meditate as one.
user Instructor: Dawn Quintanilla
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Uyghur for Foodies
Who are the Uyghurs? And what do they eat? And how do you pronounce “Uyghur”? Find out!
user Instructor: Ashley Thompson
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To the Point: The Basics of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine
Very important: There will be no needle-sticking involved.
user Instructor: Seth Shamon
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Monday
29 September -
Dance Like a Fool and Love It
Learn some sweet moves, and immunize yourself against the judgments of others.
user Instructor: Victoria Rocha
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Conflict Resolution With a Difficult Person
Learn how to deal with that coworker/relative/roommate who pushes all of your buttons at once. And not with a passive-aggressive note. Or arsenic.
user Instructor: Chris Geyer
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Making Minicomics and Zines
Paper, pens, creativity and a photocopier: That’s all you need. And maybe scissors, if you want to get crazy.
user Instructor: Josh Kramer
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Tuesday
30 September -
Anesthesia Through the Ages
You will be SO GLAD you live in the 21st century after this class.
user Instructor: Jason Fehr
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Thursday
9 October -
3D Printing From Idea to Creation: A Two-Class Workshop
At the end of the second class, you will hold in your hand proof that the future is now.
user Instructor: Adam Schaeffer
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Saturday
11 October -
This Isn’t Your Grandma’s Roller Derby!
Especially since your grandma probably didn’t do roller derby. If she did — you go, Gran!
user Instructor: DC Rollergirls
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Cleared for Takeoff: Photographing Airplanes at Gravelly Point
It’s like that scene in “Wayne’s World,” but with a camera! Learn how to photograph aircraft up close as they take off and land at Reagan National Airport.
user Instructor: Chris Williams
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Thursday
23 October -
Me Oh My, Basic Computing With My Raspberry Pi
A Raspberry Pi is a teeny tiny computer. By configuring one, you’ll learn how computers work in general.
user Instructor: Adam Schaeffer
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Sunday
16 November -
A Feast for the Eyes: Food Photography
Shooting food isn’t easy, especially in dim restaurant settings.
user Instructor: Kristen Finn
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Monday
17 November -
Exposed DC / KCDC Happy Hour
Meet local photographers and learn about Exposed DC, our photography intersession partner.
user Instructor: Knowledge Commons DC
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Tuesday
18 November -
A Brief History of Photography
Eadweard Muybridge’s studies of horse gaits (above), Cindy Sherman’s bizarre self-portraits, and the horrifyingly toxic chemicals used in early photography are all stops along the way.
user Instructor: Diana Sanchez
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Wednesday
19 November -
The Details in the Dark: Low-Light Photography
Use a flash in a dark setting, and everyone looks like a ghost, a shadow, or a red-eyed demon. So go without.
user Instructor: Kerrin Nishimura
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Thursday
20 November -
Be Your Own Best Critic: Judging Your Photography
What makes a good photograph? Have you been taking good photos? If not, join us to improve.
user Instructor: Yonas Hassen
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Friday
21 November -
Make a Camera Obscura
Learn what happens inside a camera by making one big enough that you can put your head inside.
user Instructor: Diana Sanchez
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Saturday
22 November -
Make Your Vacation Look Better Than It Actually Was, Through Photography
Learn how to take such awesome pictures that your Facebook friends will be jealous even of your trip to Des Moines!
user Instructor: Michael Temchine
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Wednesday
10 December -
YULE-O Party: Get Your Ugly Sweater On with KCDC
Come out in your best ugly sweater for KCDC’s YULE-O Party.
user Instructor: Knowledge Commons DC