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Dual Credit Rhetoric

Endorsement Stories

Stay up to date with the latest stories about academics! From student projects to student successes, see what's going on with our academic department. 
Dual Credit Rhetoric

It might be remembered by the veterans of this program that the original name for the Humanities endorsement program was the Rhetoric endorsement program. Ah, simpler times in 2019. The original intention was to link the program to the third stage of the classical trivium–Grammar, Logic, and Rhetoric. We changed the name because most people do not know what the term Rhetoric means or what the classical trivium is and, to be perfectly honest, Rhetoric generally has a negative connotation for those who do know the meaning! Part of the mission of this program is to restore the art of Rhetoric to its rightful place. Depending on which classical figure you turn to for a definition, you might get the following: Rhetoric is the “art of enchanting the soul” (Plato); “the faculty of discovering in any particular case all of the available means of persuasion” (Aristotle); “a good man speaking well” (Quintilian); “the study of misunderstandings and their remedies” (I.A. Richards). Concerning this program, Rhetoric is nothing more than persuasive speech (and writing). Quintilian’s definition is our personal favorite, blending as it does persuasive speech with moral character. That we could help form orators and writers of this mold–persuasive and moral–is the chief end of this course. We are excited to offer it to students in the program during their junior year.

More Endorsement Stories

Monkey in a tree

The Ecuador and Galapagos Discovery trip this past summer is an excellent example of how Discovery experiences extend our students' learning into the real world. When talking about Ecology in Biology class, students learn how ecologists study ecosystems and the challenges they face in preserving our natural world. Are certain species endangered? Do they need particular conservation action? How are we impacting them? However, none of these questions can be answered until we know the types and population levels of species that exist there. This is a challenging but essential job that our students were able to participate in! 

Read More about Galapagos Island Discovery Experience
Two students teaching at the front of a first grade class with students on the ground and one raising her hand

Mrs. Herscovici's Entrepreneurship class finished their unit on "Exploring Opportunities" by researching famous entrepreneurs. In small groups, students researched an entrepreneur of their choice and were made aware of how many times these entrepreneurs had to fail before their ideas became successful. In the midst of this research, we have been discussing the importance of being able to explain our learning. Essentially, “If you can't explain it to a six-year-old, you don't understand it well enough yourself.” ― Albert Einstein.

Read More about “If you can't explain it to a six-year-old, you don't understand it well enough yourself.” 
A student holding a speed gun during a Calculus class

If you travel 40 miles per 60 minutes, what’s your average speed per hour, or what’s your average rate of change (the change in distance over the change in time)? Are they different? Students in AP Calculus played cops and speeders last week in class. Students had the opportunity to use real radar guns and math to try and see if they could catch their classmates speeding along Fairview.

Read More about Calculus Speed Trap
A boy in a collared shirt on a white backdrop smiling

The Humanities program honored its first class of graduating students this past May 2023 during Valor’s commencement ceremony. We want to regularly include comments from graduates to help give a sense of how the Humanities program prepared them for the next phase of their lives. For our first alumni check-in, we asked Ben Leikam to reflect on how his time in the Humanities program prepared him for college. Here are his thoughts...

Read More about Humanities Alumni Update
Spectators looking at the different STEM projects

STEM Night was a great success, as students showcased their work through capstone projects, clubs, and competitions. Over 30 projects and interactive demos were highlighted during the evening. In addition, select students received awards for their innovation, creativity, and service through STEM. 

Read More about STEM Night 2023