The Brendan Kutler Center for Interdisciplinary Studies and Independent Research will offer three new classes next year, department chair Larry Klein said.

“Unconventional Leadership,” a course that will be taught by Director of Student Affairs Jordan Church and Dean Pete Silberman, will focus on the development of leadership skills through simulations and guest speakers as well as improvisational comedy and public speaking exercises. Students in the course will read texts from authors including Malcolm Gladwell, Niccolo Machiavelli, Robert Evans and others. Seniors who serve on Community Council will be required to take this course.

Math teacher Bill Thill will offer a course called “Statistics and Sports,” which will introduce the fundamental skills of statistics. Students in the class will choose to study a topic in either sports or sports medicine and will partake in a year-long study, collecting and analyzing data, reading existing studies on their subjects, and presenting their results at the end of the year.

English teacher Arianna Kelly will teach “World Religions,” in which students will examine the nature of religion as well as spirituality and morality as they relate to religion. This semester-long course will cover the practices and historical contexts of various religions including Islam, Judaism, Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism and Taoism.