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Feeling Distracted?

Our ability to pay attention is a core human capacity.

Dr. Andrew Hebard (English)

What does it mean to "pay attention" in our current historical moment? How do we attend to what matters in a world where our attention is fracked by technological and media environments — captured, extracted, and sold on the open market?

In this Humanities Lab, students will experiment with practices of attention and design interventions that help them attend to what they choose — not just as individuals, but also as a community. The course opens with a workshop led by the Strother School for Radical Attention. Students will then design and implement original events and installations across campus to foster a richer ecology of attention.

The lab includes a budget for student-designed events and a flexible meeting schedule. This course counts as an "Experiential Learning" course.

Course/Lab (Fall 2026):

  • HUM 320: Humanities Lab

Students sitting in a classroom with one girl in the foreground looking at her phone.