Penn State’s Students Teaching Students (STS) program has introduced eight student-led courses that will launch this spring.

Through STS, undergraduate students teach official courses at Penn State under the supervision of a faculty member. Spring 2022 courses will take a deep dive into musical theatre, menstrual equality, Kid Cudi, and even Formula One racing.

This fall, students were able to take courses ranging from Dutch culture, the social strategy of reality television show “Survivor,” and museum repatriations. Most notably, in spring 2020, STS taught Criticism of Kanye, a course that used Kanye West as the primary case study for an in-depth literary and cultural look into hip-hop music.

Here’s a brief overview of STS’ new spring 2022 courses:

THEA 297: American Musical Theatre: 9/11 To COVID-19

• Instructor — Frederick Miller
• 10:10 to 11 a.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays
• Two credits
• This course will explore conversations surrounding politics, race, gender identity, mental health, and more that shape musical theatre today.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CVMAANmpQ97/

CAS 297: Period Talk: The Impact Of Stigma On The Menstrual Equity Movement

• Instructors — Jess Strait & Kara Miller
• 2:30 to 3:20 p.m. on Mondays
• One credit
• This course will explore period rhetoric in history and the media, menstrual equality, economic impacts and health risks of period poverty, and more.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CVWjphJNKPE/

WMNST 197: Girls On Film

• Instructor — Sarabeth Bowmaster
• 12:20 to 1:10 p.m. on Wednesdays
• One credit
• This course looks at how society constructs stereotypes, how films perpetuate them, and what their impact is.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CVbpGiTNalO/

PHIL 297: Capitalism And Schizophrenia

• Instructor — Harrison Brennan
• 2:30 to 3:20 p.m. on Mondays
• One credit
• This course introduces micropolitics of desire, its relationship to the social-political landscape, and the revolutionary tendency of the unconscious.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CVeAzBzJ5n2/

AFAM 197: Policing Black Wombs: The Fight For Reproductive Justice For Black Women

• Instructor — Nyasia Angevine
• 1:25 to 2:15 p.m. on Mondays
• One credit
• This class will give students an understanding of the impacts of racism on Black women and the dark history of the practice of gynecology.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CVl2QiwNwfR/

AFAM 297: Anti-Blackness In America

• Instructors — Maryah Burney & Janiyah Davis
• 10:35 to 11:50 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays
• Three credits
• This class will explore forms of anti-Black racism and how they’ve affected every individual throughout their lives and the effects of inequality and discrimination.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CVosbUwNLQe/

COMM 197-003: Special Topics: Introduction To Formula One

• Instructors — Chase Adler & Dan Risser
• 4:40 to 5:30 p.m. on Mondays
• One credit
• This course will explore Formula One racing and its impact in the international sporting community and evaluate the importance of alternative sports.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CVrHE1dtFbi/

ENGL 197: Critique And Kid Cudi: Analyzing Hip-Hop

• Instructors — Frank Schoepfer, Brad Scanlon, & Sean Farahani
• 12:20 to 1:10 p.m. on Wednesdays
• One credit
• This course will use Kid Cudi as its primary case study into hip-hop music and culture.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CVwKF8Et48W/

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Students can check out STS’s website for more information on the courses, scheduling, and the program itself.