All students who will be on campus during the 2007-2008 academic year must register for WSP. Registration will take place in the early part of fall semester. If you are registered for a senior thesis in the fall which must be continued through Winter Study by departmental rules, you will be registered for your Winter Study Project automatically. In every other case, you must complete registration. First-year students are required to participate in a Winter Study that will take place on campus; they are not allowed to do 99's.

Even if you plan to take a 99, or the instructor of your first choice accepts you during the registration period, there are many things that can happen between registration and the beginning of Winter Study to upset your first choice, so you must list five choices. You should try to make one of your choices a project with a larger enrollment, not that it will guarantee you a project, but it will increase your chances.

If you think your time may be restricted in any way (ski meets, interviews, etc.), clear these restrictions with the instructor before signing up for his/her project.

Remember, for cross-listed projects, you should sign up for the subject you want to appear on your record.

For many beginning language courses, you are required to take the WSP Sustaining Program in addition to your regular project. You will be automatically enrolled in this Sustaining Program, so no one should list this as a choice.

The grade of honors is reserved for outstanding or exceptional work. Individual instructors may specify minimum standards for the grade, but normally, fewer than one out of ten students will qualify. A grade of pass means the student has performed satisfactorily. A grade of perfunctory pass signifies that a student's work has been significantly lacking but is just adequate to deserve a pass.

If you have any questions about a project, see the instructor before you register.

Finally, all work for WSP must be completed and submitted to the instructor no later than Friday, January 25th. Only the Dean can grant an extension beyond this date.

Sophomores, juniors and seniors are eligible to propose "99's," independent projects arranged with faculty sponsors, conducted in lieu of regular Winter Study courses. Perhaps you have encountered an interesting idea in one of your courses which you would like to study in more depth, or you may have an interest not covered in the regular curriculum. In recent years students have undertaken in-depth studies of particular literary works, interned in government offices, assisted in foreign and domestic medical clinics, conducted field work in economics in developing countries, and given performances illustrating the history of American dance. Although some 99's involve travel away from campus, there are many opportunities to pursue intellectual or artistic goals here in Williamstown.

99 forms are available online: http://web.williams.edu/Registrar/winterstudy/99direct.html

The deadline for submitting the proposals to faculty sponsors is Thursday, 27 September.

AFR 11 Very Contemporary African Literature (Same as Comparative Literature 11 and English 11)
This course will cover recently published sub-Saharan African literature written in English. Our reading will be guided by a set of critical questions: how does the very contemporary literature look back at the past, the preceding (20th) century? How are we to understand recent texts' representations of the past? What insights do they yield? What do their preoccupations reveal about the present age? The very contemporary nature of this work will serve as an introduction not only to new writers but also to new thematic concerns they offer their publics. This sampling will enable the class to consider current trends that (may) define and perhaps question the contours of the established African Canon, from a reconsideration of realism to a broaching of previously taboo subjects. Course readings—two principal texts along with secondary essays and material—may include some of the following: Adichie's Half of a Yellow Sun (set in the Nigerian civil war), Isegawa's Abyssinian Chronicles (set in Idi Amin's Uganda), Wicomb's David's Story (set in post-apartheid South Africa), readings from Granta's The View from Africa, or other more recently published books.
Evaluation will be based upon regular attendance, class participation, bi-weekly short writing responses and a final book review. Work outside of class will consist of reading, viewing films, and writing.
No prerequisites, but previous literature course preferred. Enrollment limit: 15. Preference will be given to Africana concentrators.
Costs to students: approximately $60 for books and photocopying.
Meeting times: M, Th 10-1
ROBOLIN

To be taken by students registered for Africana Studies 491 who are candidates for honors.

This course will focus on learning how to write and perform songs in a contemporary style. Topics addressed will include song structure, how to create a lyric that communicates, vocal and instrument presentation, performing techniques, publicity for events, and today's music industry. This class will culminate in a public performance of material written during the course.
To successfully pass this course, students are required to create, edit, perform and possibly record two original songs. These songs must be conceived during the course period (in other words, previously written material is not usable.) Students will be guided to create both music and lyrics. They may also be required to participate in a co-write session. One of these songs will be presented during the final performance, preferably by the student. Attendance at classes, feedback sessions, and all officially scheduled events is mandatory and crucial. Also, a short writing assignment will be passed in on the last day of class.
No prerequisites. Students with a musical background and the ability to play and instrument may be given preference, but anyone interested is encouraged to register. (Bernice.Lewis@williams.edu). Enrollment limit: 15.
Cost to student: $75 for books and xeroxing costs.
Meeting time: mornings, TWR, for two-hour sessions.

Bernice Lewis is an accomplished singer and songwriter who has performed her work throughout the country. She lives in Williamstown and has released five recordings of original material.

This course examines the work of Asian American experimental poets and artists who live in New York City. We will contemplate various questions: what is the link between work that pushes formal boundaries (and may not be explicitly ethnically marked) and the social context from which it springs? How do poets learn from the visual arts and how do visual artists learn from poetry? What does it mean to be an Asian American poet or artist working on the East Coast? How has New York City influenced their work? The middle portion of the course (about eight days) will take place in New York City, where students will meet with poets and artists and have the opportunity to ask them questions about their work and see firsthand the material working conditions of the artists' studios. We will also visit various galleries and museums (including P.S. 1, the Studio Museum of Harlem, the Asia Society, the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum) and talk with Asian American curators. We will also explore various Asian American venues in NYC: the Asian American Writers' Workshop, the Museum of Chinese in the Americas, ImaginAsian theater, and Chinatown, among other places. Students will be given the option for their final project of writing a critical paper or writing a series of poems and/or producing a piece of art. They will also be asked to write short response papers during the course.
Enrollment limit: 10.
Cost to students: $1275.

ANSO 10 Meditation-Based Stress Reduction: Adopting a Mindfulness Practice (Same as Religion 10)

This course provides an opportunity to actively participate in your own health and well-being. Students will be introduced to the concept of mindfulness and guided in how to create their own mindfulness practice, one that incorporates meditation and yoga. Mindfulness is a way of relating directly to what is happening in your life, a way of taking charge of your life, a way of doing something for yourself that no one else can do for you-consciously and systematically working with your own stress, pain, illness and the challenges and demands of collegiate life.
We will meet twice per week for 3-hour sessions of meditation, yoga, and inquiry into the interplay of mind and body in health and illness, calm and stress. The origin of meditation and yoga in the Hindu and Buddhist traditions will be explored, with specific emphasis on the influence of Buddhist meditation on this secular stress reduction practice.
Students are required to commit to 45 minutes of mindfulness meditation and yoga practice on a daily basis. Additional assignments will include weekly reading of texts relevant to the course as well as brief presentations of concepts from these texts. You will be evaluated on these presentations, as well as a final paper. Attendance and participation will also be taken into account.
Please note: all queries about this course should be directed to the instructor, who can be reached at 617-642-5165.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 16.
Cost to student: $50 for books and a yoga mat. Meditation cushions will be provided by the instructor.
Meeting time: afternoons.

Peter Bohnert is an ordained lay Zen Buddhist priest and is an assistant teacher at the Zenki Meditation Center of Harvard, MA. Peter is also a software business executive, where he uses stress reduction techniques to maintain a balance between professional success and personal well-being.

A field placement at Berkshire Farm Center and Services for Youth in Canaan, New York. Berkshire Farm Center is a residential treatment facility for troubled, at-risk adolescent boys who have been remanded to the Farm by the Family Court. These youths come primarily from lower socio-economic strata, are very ethnically diverse, and hail from both urban and rural areas throughout New York State. The problems that they bring to Berkshire Farm are multiple. These include: the psychological scars of dysfunctional families, including those of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse; chemical dependency; juvenile delinquency; inability to function in school settings; and various other issues. Residential treatment is a multi-modal approach that includes anger-replacement training, social skills training, and behavioral modification.
Williams students will commute to Berkshire Farm and work under supervision in one of the following areas: school, cottage life, chemical dependency unit, research, recreation, performing arts, or in individual tutoring.
Requirements: students will keep a journal reflecting on their experiences, and a weekly seminar with the instructor will draw on service learning experience. Students will also be required to submit a final 10-page paper at the end of the course.
Prerequisites: YOU MUST HAVE A TELEPHONE INTERVIEW WITH THE INSTRUCTOR who can be reached at 518-781-4567 ext. 121. Enrollment limit: 15. Please note: all queries about this course should be directed to the instructor.
Cost to student: none.
Meeting times to be arranged.

Donelle Hauser is Program Coordinator at the Burnham Youth Safe Center at Berkshire Farm Center and Services for Youth.

The incidence of reported child abuse and neglect has reached epidemic proportions and shows no signs of decreasing. Preventive and prophylactic social programs, court intervention, and legislative mandates have not successfully addressed this crisis. This course allows students to observe the Massachusetts Department of Social Services attorney in courtroom proceedings related to the care and protection of children. Students will have access to Department records for purposes of analysis and will also work with social workers who will provide a clinical perspective on the legal cases under study. The class will meet regularly to discuss court proceedings, assigned readings, and the students' interactions with local human services agencies. Access to an automobile is desirable but not required; some transportation will be provided as part of the course.
Requirements: full participation, a journal, and a 10-page paper to be submitted at the end of the course.
Enrollment limit: 15. Please note: all queries about this course must be directed to the instructor, Judge Locke (phone messages may be left at 458-4833).
Cost to student: $25 for books and photocopies.
Meeting times to be arranged.

Judith Locke is Associate Justice of the Juvenile Court, Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

The town layouts and townscapes of colonial South Africa are based on Dutch and British memories of making towns, which were adapted to local conditions of climate, materials, and social structure. Students will look at the historic town-planning of South Africa from 1652 to 1850, and will examine the parallels with historic American towns. A small research project will be prepared. The ultimate goal of the course is to learn how to read an historic townscape.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 12.
Meeting time: mornings.

Walter Peters is a professor of architecture at the University of Natal, Durban, South Africa.

ARTH 11 Fictionalizing the Artist: Genius and Gender in Films about Artists (CANCELLED)

How do films based on artists' lives shape our impressions of the creative individual? This course will explore this issue, studying films about artists from the Renaissance to the modern period including Michelangelo, Vincent Van Gogh, Camille Claudel, Frida Kahlo, and Jackson Pollock. We will focus on the construction, in these films, of a notion of artistic genius, paying particular attention to the role played by gender. Our discussions will be based on the films themselves as well as comparative material-biographical and art historical readings on the various artists.
Evaluation will be based on class participation, written responses to films, and a 10-page paper.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 12.
Cost to student: none.
Meeting time: Class will meet twice a week for film screenings and discussion. Some films will be viewed outside class hours.

ARTH 12 Looking at Contemporary Documentary Photography) (Same as English 12 and Special 27)

ARTH 13 An American Family and "Reality" Television (Same as Women's and Gender Studies 13)

An American Family was a popular documentary series that featured the Loud family from Santa Barbara, California, whose everyday lives were broadcast on national television. The series generated an enormous amount of attention, commentary, and controversy when it premiered on PBS in 1973. Today, it is regarded as the origin of so-called "Reality TV." In addition to challenging standard rules for television programming, the show challenged social conventions and asked viewers to think seriously about family relations, sexuality, and the "American dream." Documenting the family's life over the course of eight months, the series chronicled the dissolution of the Louds' marriage and broadcast the "coming out" of eldest son Lance Loud, the first star of reality television.
In this class, we will view the An American Family series in its entirety, research the program's historical reception, and analyze its influence on broadcast and film media, particularly on "reality" television.
Format: seminar. Requirements: students will write weekly response papers and prepare annotated research bibliographies that will be used to develop a final research paper.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 10.
Meeting time: mornings.

How is that a city with so unpromising an artistic culture as Quaker Philadelphia produced some of America's most important artists and architects? Among painters, Thomas Eakins, Mary Cassatt, and the Ashcan School are all Philadelphians, as are the architects Frank Furness, Louis Kahn and Robert Venturi. This winter study will be devoted to an examination of the artistic and architectural culture of Philadelphia-its Quaker roots, its nineteenth-century realism and its leadership in post-modernism. During an extended field trip we will visit the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia's Victorian suburbs and the campuses of Bryn Mawr and Haverford Colleges.
Students will prepare a report on a major work or artist, and where possible will present their findings on site. Prerequisite: ArtH 264 or consent of instructor. Enrollment limit: 10.
Meeting time: afternoons.

ARTH 15 Inventing Joan of Arc: The History of a Hero(ine) in Pictures and Film

Joan of Arc (known during her own lifetime most commonly as Jeanne "la Pucelle," or Joan "the Maid") was one of the most dynamic and yet enigmatic personalities of the European Middle Ages. Born into a peasant family in the French border province of Lorraine in 1412, she gained control of an army, won brilliant military victories, crowned a king, and was burnt at the stake as a heretic, all before her twentieth birthday. Triply marginalized by gender, age, and socio-economic status, she nonetheless managed to shake the Church and State establishments to their very core. But who was Joan of Arc? Nationalist martyr? Pioneer feminist? Champion of the people? Instrument of God's grace? Victim of post-traumatic stress disorder? Over the centuries since her death, artists-and not just politicians and scholars-have attempted to answer this question, creating myriad visions of la Pucelle under the influence of an ever-changing lens of contemporary tastes and concerns. Through readings and discussion, this course will survey the history of representations of Joan of Arc in painting, prints, sculpture, and film, from the time of her death to the present.
Requirements: 10-page paper or comparable creative project.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 15.
Meeting time: afternoons.

This course will explore contemporary architectural developments in New York and Boston. There will be a special emphasis on projects that have been recently completed or are currently under development. The class will focus on controversial issues currently debated by architects, historians, urban planners and city officials. Topics may include the renovation of 2 Columbus Circle in New York, the possible demolition of Paul Rudolph’s Blue Cross/Blue Shield tower in Boston and the redevelopment of Ground Zero. This class will include a field trip to each of the respective cities. These trips will allow us to explore the many ways in which architecture and urban planning interact in order to stabilize or alter civic and aesthetic sensibilities in these cities. During the course, students will learn to use and discuss architectural blueprints and will be assigned readings pertinent to class discussions.
Requirements: class participation, reading, field trips, final presentation/research paper.
No Prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 12.
Meeting times : MWF 10:00-12:00p.m. (with special exceptions for field trips)
Lab Fee: $200-$300

CHARLES HOWARD (Instructor)
FILIPCZAK (Sponsor)

ARTH 25 At the Junction of Aesthetics and Commerce-A Close Look at Antique and New Production Rugs and Textiles in the US and Turkey (Same as Chemistry 25 and Economics 26)

After looking at two antique rug collections here in the Berkshires, and perhaps one in Northampton, the group will visit "Woven Legends" in Philadelphia, to discuss with George Jevremovic and his partners their longstanding and successful production of new rugs in Eastern Anatolia, Turkey, and in China. During this first week, we will also organize a seminar to discuss the issue of what is art, what is craft, what is "reproduction", and the relation between the price/availability of "good' reproductions, and the price of "genuine" art/antiques.
At the end of the first week, we fly to Istanbul to explore the antique rug and textile market, several museums, perhaps a private collection, and also visit the most important cultural monuments in the old city. If there is a dye chemist among our group, we may be able to arrange a meeting and possible laboratory project with Harald Boehmer, a leading dye chemist long associated with the DOBAG Project, which re-introduced natural dyes into Turkish village weaving in the 1980s. After about a week in Istanbul, we will take a bus to Izmir to inspect a major rug repair facility, Antique Textile Conservation, run by the Opcin brothers. After proceeding further east by bus/train to Konya, in Central Anatolia, we will see cultural monuments of the Seljuks, as well as traditional felt production, and possibly stay in a remodeled old Turkish house. Weather permitting, we will spend a few days in a mountain village south of Konya. Returning to Konya, we will fly to Erzurum, in Eastern Anatolia, to see the Woven Legends operation in nearby villages. Finally, we will return by air to Istanbul and wind up with several hands-on sessions with local dealers on verbalizing aesthetics, most likely through "good, better, best" exercises among rugs/textiles of the same genre. The final exam will consist of 10 unknown rugs at 10 points each. Two points will be awarded for correct geographical location, and 8 for discussing why that might be so, i.e. what elements-color, design, structure, etc.-were critical to your thinking. Because it is difficult to find quality guides for the cultural monuments we will wish to visit, I will ask students to prepare themselves to be guides for some of them over the Christmas break. I understand that some of the cultural monuments, for example, Ay Sofia, can be visualized online, and there is an abundance of written material on all the ones we will officially visit.
All interested students are asked to sign up for the course in the Registrar's Office by September 27. After signing up, but before October 17, please send a brief email message to the instructor, wrightnh@adelphia.net, describing your educational objectives for the course, and your ability to be flexible in unexpected circumstances. Not open to first-year students.
Cost to student: approximately $3,000.

Dr. Nicholas H. Wright (Williams Class of 1957) is a retired medical epidemiologist with an interest in oriental rugs.

The course will examine visual images and the 'impulse to move.' Through making drawings we will consider the phenomenological experience of an object, and using a variety of tactical strategies, work with those drawings to facilitate the communication of that experience. Experimenting with layering, text, and animation, we will propel, expand, contract, and transform the image. The course will involve studio drawing intensives, stop-motion animation, looking at the impulse to move in artwork including Peter Paul Rubens, Duchamp, the Futurists, William Kentridge, and other contemporary artists, reading text excerpts and writing a short critical paper on a chosen artist, and participating in a collective 'circuitous drawing' project.
Instructor: Julia Morgan-Leamon received her MFA in Visual Arts from Vermont College. She works in drawing, painting, video and installation.
No prerequisite but some drawing experience helpful. Please bring your own digital camera (remote and tripod helpful) if you have one. Enrollment limit: 12.
Cost to student: $50 for materials.
Meeting time: TR, 1-4 p.m.

Julia Morgan is a local artist who works in the education department of the Williams College Museum of Art. She received her B.A. in Studio Art from Mt Holyoke College and studied at the Leo Marchutz School of Painting and Drawing in Aix-en-Provence, France.

Jean Dubuffet believed that true creativity came from individuals who had escaped culture. So what can we, as cultured artists, learn from these people who have made their own direct way creating unique methods and imagery unmediated by social convention? This half-lecture and half-studio art course will study na�ve, folk, art brut, visionary and other artists who do not typically look to art history as a point of reference. Students will explore the various methods used by famous outsiders like Henry Darger, Aloise, Minnie Evans, Adolf Wolfli, and Howard Finster, and will develop their own imagery, experimenting with excess and hopefully turn their interests into obsessions.
Each class session will consist of one hour of lecture and two hours of studio with 15 hours per week of independent work outside of class required. The nature of this course, which focuses on art of untrained individuals, makes it appropriate for students who have never had a fine art course as well as continuing art students. The students will work on the same assignments, but bring their own issues to the work through their individual interests, process and approach.
No prerequisite Enrollment limit: 12.
Meeting time: TBA.

Zizi Raymond is a multifaceted artist using different mediums-collages, painting, and sculpturing. Her art has been in exhibitions at UCLA Hammer Museum and Cleveland center for Contemporary Art and is also found in collections at Berkeley Art Museum and University of California, Davis Art Museum.

This course will explore the range of expressive possibilities of small-format video. Students will acquire a basic knowledge of shooting and editing (Final Cut Pro), as well as strategies for developing ideas. In addition, we will view the works of various filmmakers and artists, including David Lynch, Jean Luc Godard, Sadie Benning, and Charles Kaufman. Students will work individually and collaboratively on a series of small projects leading to a final screening of a video they have produced.
Students must have enthusiasm for storytelling and experimentation. No previous experience in film/video production is necessary. Enrollment limit: 10.
Meeting time: Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning (total 6 hours).

Sung Hwan Kim , an artist/filmmaker/performer residing in New York City , holds a Master of Visual Studies from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and recently received the Prix de Rome (2nd Prize). He has shown his works at such venues as Gwangju Biennale, De Appel, Portland Institute of Contemporary Art, Asia Society, D.U.M.B.O art center, Pacific Film Archive and various international film festivals. He will show his new work in the Berlin Biennale in 2008.

The creation of a sound composition does not require the writing of a traditional musical score. It can be made with physical experimentation with voice and body, with household objects such as kitchenware, with old-fashioned toys, with field recordings made on the streets and grasslands of Williamstown. Recordings can be rustled up with the aid of samplers and computers in a studio setting, or in a live improvisational setting.
This will be a workshop in which students will learn about recording and production equipment with the aim of creating two sound compositions: one with a focus on the possibilities of the human voice, and the other made from field recordings. Emphasis will be placed on computer editing techniques and use of live sampling technology. Composition work will be supplemented by listening sessions. The work on the two composition assignments will take at least 20 hours a week. This includes exercises and listening to relevant music and sound pieces, as well as collecting/recording/composing materials. There may also be some additional listening and screening sessions of relevant material as the need arises.
A final presentation of the students' creative work will be required.
No previous experience in sound or music production is necessary. Work in groups encouraged. Enrollment limit: 12.
Meeting time: three hours on Monday afternoon/evenings and three hours on Tuesday mornings.

David Michael DiGregorio is a musician based in Amsterdam, who holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Visual and Environmental Studies (film/video/electroacoustic music) from Harvard College and a postgraduate diploma from DasArts (De Amsterdamse School/Advanced Research in Theater and Dance Studies). He has screened films and performed concerts in venues such as De Hallen Haarlem, International Film Festival Rotterdam, STEIM Amsterdam, Rencontres Internationales Paris/Berlin, Project Arts Centre Dublin, Gallery 27 Uiwang South Korea.

Working primarily from the figure and still life, students will move toward increasing their facility with basic oil painting skills, while at the same time working to recognize how form creates meaning in their paintings. Students will find a context for their investigations through Art History and Contemporary Art. Class time will be spent working from the model and in discussion and critiques.
Students will work on paintings and complete assignments related to these ideas. There will be a slide presentation and short reading assignments. Lab fee.
This class is intended for students who have experience painting and for beginners alike. Enrollment limit: 15.
Meeting time: afternoons.

Colin Brant is a painter who divides his time between Brooklyn NY and North Bennington VT. He is represented be the Adam Baumgold Gallery in NYC and is the recipient of several awards including two New York Foundation for the Arts grants and a Pollock-Krasner Foundation grant.

ARTS 18 Literary Collaboration: Word and Image and the Narrative Between (Same as English 18)

Students registered for Chinese 101-102 are required to attend and pass the Chinese Sustaining Program. Classes meet Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays from 9:00-9:50.
Prerequisite: Chinese 101.
Evaluation will be based on regular attendance and active participation.
Cost to student: one Xerox packet.

This hands-on course will foster an appreciation and understanding of the aesthetics of Chinese painting and calligraphy. Participants will gain a broad knowledge of Chinese art, as well as the basic skills for further practice. Students will learn how to use gradations of black ink and some limited color, using the brush on rice paper. Participants will learn how to draw the "four gentlemen" series, which stands for the four seasons of the year; plum blossoms, mountain orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum; and learn how to draw mountains, trees, and water in Chinese landscape painting. This course will also cover the use of the seal and Chinese mounting.
Evaluation will be based on class participation and a final presentation.
No prerequisites; no prior background in art is required. Enrollment limit: 12. In case of overenrollment, preference will be given to upper-class students.
Cost to student: approximately $30 for materials.
Meeting time: mornings, TR, 10 a.m.-12:55 p.m.

Yinglei Zhang is an artist who lives in Middlebury, Vermont, where she has taught at various colleges and schools. She has previously taught Chinese painting at Williams several times during Winter Studies, and has also given tea ceremony demonstrations on campus for the Chinese and Japanese programs.

Much more than in the U.S., in China people are always talking about food; as the Chinese saying has it, min yi shi wei tian `the people consider eating as heaven'. This hands-on course will foster an appreciation of the historical and cultural background of Chinese cooking, as well as the development of practical skills in preparing a variety of Chinese dishes. To the extent possible, we will use locally available ingredients (organic if possible) to cook authentic Chinese food, primarily Chinese home cooking. Since climate has had a huge impact on availability of ingredients, the course includes an introduction to the four primary regions, or schools, of Chinese cooking-Northern, Eastern, Western, and Southern. Guest chefs will be invited to class to introduce a number of regional dishes. While we will cook most dishes together, every student will also have the opportunity to cook independently. Students will be expected to complete assigned readings, view films outside of class and write film reviews, shop at an Asian supermarket to learn about the various cooking ingredients, dine at several Chinese restaurants and write food critiques, and interview chefs.
Evaluation will be based on class participation, two short papers/reviews, a final project involving the creation and cooking of original recipes, and one 10-page paper.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 8. In case of overenrollment, preference will be given to upper-class students who have some background in Chinese language.
Cost to student: approximately $75 for Xerox packet and materials.
Meeting time: two three-hour sessions per week, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.

Jerling Kubler has taught Chinese language and culture at various institutions overseas and in the U.S., including Williams College, where she has served several years as Visiting Lecturer in Chinese.

Students registered for Japanese 101-102 are required to attend and pass the Japanese Sustaining Program. Classes meet Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays from 9:00-9:50.
Prerequisite: Japanese 101.
Evaluation will be based on regular attendance and active participation.
Cost to student: one Xerox packet.

Read or Die is the title of a popular Japanese animated series about secret agents in the employ of the world's great libraries. But what does it mean to read in an age and culture so dominated by visual media? This class is an introduction to writing about Japanese animation, or anime: the challenges it poses to traditional ways of reading literature and film, and the often challenging critical work it has inspired. We will screen several animated Japanese feature films and short series, focusing particularly on the work of Oshii Mamoru; we will read the work of literature and media scholars who have tried to come to terms with anime; and we will track the latest work on animation by taking an inside look at the editing process for Mechademia, an annual journal of anme and maga criticism for which the instructor is an editor. We will also look at things from the creators' side by meeting with students and faculty at the Center for Cartoon Studies in White River Junction, Vermont.
Required activities: three 2-hour morning class meetings per week and two 2.5-hour afternoon screenings per week, plus self-scheduled viewings, readings, and a 10-page paper or visual project.
Evaluation will be based on attendance, preparation, participation, and a final project.
No prerequisites. All material is translated or subtitled in English. Enrollment limit:15. Preference given to students with a strong interest in literature and film.
Cost to student: approximately $75 for books.
Meeting time: mornings.

The myth of Icarus illustrates the powerful attraction of flight. Some of us love the very notion of moving through the air with three full spatial degrees of freedom. While many of us do this routinely inside large aluminum tubes, personally flying an aircraft adds another dimension of excitement. Though we will not be flying full-size airplanes, we can do a great deal with miniature aircraft in an indoor setting. The course will be conducted in semi-tutorial fashion, with student presentations, construction sessions, flying sessions, and traditional lectures. We will cover the history and physics of heavier-than-air flight (balloons are boring!). No previous experience or coursework is required-students will learn the necessary fundamentals in class. On the practical side, students will start out building and flying simple gliders. Students will eventually build a remote-controlled aircraft (fixed- or rotary- wing), and learn to fly it. The course will culminate with our own airshow.
Evaluation will be based on completion of projects, student presentations, and a 5-page paper on some aspect of the material.
There are no prerequisites other than enthusiasm for flight and willingness to learn some basic physics. Enrollment limit: 6.
Cost to students: approximately $250 for materials.
Meeting time: 3 mornings each week; outside-class work will include reading and preparation of presentations, construction sessions, and flight instruction and practice.

Our universe can be a very dangerous place. Compared to the destructive power of a single exploding star, the Earth's total nuclear arsenal is a mere firecracker. Asteroids strike planets causing mass extinctions. Even our own Sun will eventually swallow up the Earth. How real and imminent are these threats to humanity? Popular media and literature certainly would have us believe that the end is near! In this course, we will evaluate the likelihood of such impending doom. To understand the risks we face, we must first learn about those things that threaten us. To this end, we will study asteroids, black holes, supernovae and gamma-ray bursts (the most powerful explosions in the universe since the Big Bang itself). We will examine how hazardous these phenomena are to life on Earth and consider the influence these phenomena have on the chances for extra-terrestrial life in the universe.
The course will be taught through a combination of lecture and discussion, including consideration of how these risks are portrayed in popular media (movies, books, etc.)
Evaluation will be based on problems and thought exercises completed outside the classroom; class attendance and participation will also be taken into account. A short final paper or oral presentation will be required.
No previous experience or coursework is required. The level of mathematics will be confined to basic algebra and geometry and will be reviewed during the course as needed. Enrollment limit: 20.
Cost to students: approximately $50 for books/photocopies.
Meeting times: 3 mornings a week for two-hour sessions, with approximately 25 hours of weekly outside-of-class work. Students will also attend three movie screenings.

Bethany Cobb, Williams College '02, is an astronomer who is currently finishing her Ph.D. studies at Yale University. Her research focuses on massive stellar explosions called gamma- ray bursts.

Students will undertake an independent project to investigate a topic of their choice using the transmission and scanning electron microscopes. They will do their own sample preparation, operate the two electron microscopes, and take micrographs of relevant structures. Class time will give a brief overview of the theory and operation of the microscopes and microtomes. In addition, students will learn how to develop and print their film from the TEM, and learn how to manipulate the digital images from the SEM in Adobe Photoshop. (Do you want your erythrocytes red or blue?)
There will be brief reading assignments, a guest speaker and a 10-page paper with 8 well-focused micrographs required.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 8. No preference given.
Cost to student: $40 for text and readings.
Meeting time: afternoons. Class will meet for two hours, three times a week, plus scope time.

Nancy Piatczyc received her B.S. in Biology from Tufts University. She attended the school of Electron Microscopy in Albany, NY. She is a trained electron microscopist who operates and maintains the electron microscope facility at Williams.

For the past several years increases in U.S. health care costs have significantly outpaced both inflation and personal income growth. Many American employers have cut their employee's health care benefits in order to remain profitable. Experts predict that federal health care expenditures will need to double over the next decade to cope with the unprecedented demand on health care created by the graying "baby boomer" generation. On a per capita basis, a major reduction in funds available for health care seems inevitable. A reduction in health care expenditures in the U.S. will create difficult questions. For example, Are all Americans entitled to the same quality of care regardless of ability to pay?; Is consumer-directed health care a good idea?; Should the U.S. adopt a single-payer system?
This course will give students the opportunity to look at health care from various points of view, including economic, medical, social, ethical, and legal perspectives. We will consider recent legislation that requires Massachusetts residents to buy health care insurance. Students will be asked to propose the best strategies for financing health care and to predict the positive and negative impacts of those strategies. Students will have several opportunities to interview experts and to express their own views.
Evaluation will be based on classroom participation, performance in semi-formal team debates, and a 10-page position paper due at the end of the term.
No prerequisites. Enrollment open to all but limited to 18.
Cost to student: none.
Meeting time: MWF, 10-noon, plus each student will need to attend one Thursday meeting.

Jeffrey Thomas received his M.D. and Ph.D. from Indiana University. He has nearly fifteen years of experience in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry where his research has focused on genetics, genomics, computational biology, and drug discovery. Several guests will also lend their expertise to the discussion, including a family coping with a chronic disease, Berkshire are physicians, a hospital administrator, an attorney, and an advocate for universal health care.

Cardiovascular disease remains the major overall cause of mortality in the civilized world. This course is designed to familiarize undergraduates with the anatomy and physiology of the heart and blood vessels, followed by a transition to a discussion of the alterations in structure and function that lead to: coronary artery disease, heat attack, stroke, hypertensive vascular disease, valvular heart disease, congestive heart failure, and cardiomyopathy. Some discussions of diagnosis, treatment, and risk factors for the development of these diseases, are also considered.
Evaluation will be based on class participation, a short paper, and/or a quiz based on material covered in class.
Prerequisites are generally some previous biology and chemistry at the secondary or the college levels. Enrollment limit: 12.
Cost to students: none.
Meeting time: at least two hours, three or four days a week.

Dr. Simon H. Stertzer is Professor of Medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine. Dr. Stertzer performed the first coronary angioplasty in the United States in 1978, and has been pioneering techniques in cardiovascular medicine for almost 40 years. He has been teaching and practicing interventional cardiology at Stanford full time since 1994.

BIOL 13 Evolution Matters: Science Literacy and the Challenge of Intelligent Design

Evolution is a core concept in science, critical to a meaningful understanding of modern biology. Despite its importance, in American public acceptance of the concept is low and has been decreasing over the past twenty years.
In this class we will study history of opposition to evolution, from literalist Biblical creationism to the `Intelligent Design' movement. We will examine the claims made by opponents of evolution and the ways that the controversy has played out in legistlatures, classrooms, and courtrooms. We will also discuss the nature of science and the ways that the Intelligent Design movement would redefine it. Finally, we will discuss why evolution is important for public science literacy, its relevance to practical concerns such as medicine, and ways that classroom lessons on evolution can enhance public understanding of science and related issues.
Evaluation will be based on participation in class discussions and a 10-page paper.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 15.
Cost to student: approximately $25 for course readings.
Meeting time: mornings, 6 hours per week.

Aram Stump received his Ph.D. from the University of Notre Dame in 2005. He is currently a post-doctoral teaching/research fellow in the BiGP Program and is doing research on evolution in the lab of Dr. Jason Wilder.

BIOL 14 Mt. Greylock: Our Most Excellent Majesty (Same as Environmental Studies 11)

The highest peak in southern New England (at 3491 feet above mean sea level) has long attracted the attention of residents, outdoor enthusiasts (Timothy Dwight in 1800), and literati such as Nathaniel Hawthorne and Herman Melville (who coined the term "most excellent majesty" to describe the peak). After his encounter with Mt. Greylock, Henry David Thoreau wrote, "It would be no small advantage if every college were thus located at the base of a mountain..." The landscape, geologic, social, and natural histories of Mt. Greylock have been the subject of centuries of exploration by Williams College faculty, students and alumni, and this course will be a continuation of that tradition.
The purpose of this course is to compile and interpret historical and environmental information such as images, maps, traveller's accounts, and oral histories about Mt. Greylock, and to disseminate the results as a group digital research paper, with each student in the course contributing a chapter to the effort. This paper will then be made available to the public over the World Wide www.
Evaluation: production of a 10- to 15-page chapter and participation in course discussions/field trips.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 10.
Cost to student: approximately $40 for texts.
Meeting times: 3 mornings per week, with 3 all-day fieldtrips.

BIOL 16 Rhythm Based Conflict Resolution: An Experiential Approach (Same as Chemistry 17, Political Science 16, Psychology 16, and Theatre 16)

An experimental research project will be carried out under the supervision of Biology Department faculty. It is expected that the student will spend 20 hours per week in the lab at a minimum, and a 10-page written report is required. This experience is intended for, but not limited to, first-year students and sophomores. Interested students must submit an application form available on the Biology Department webpage: http://web.williams.edu/Biology/Research/Winter/022Application/022application.shtml.
Prerequisites: Biology 101. Enrollment limit: 15.
Cost to student: none.
Meeting time: mornings.

Are you interested in teaching? Do you enjoy working with kids? Do you like to experiment with new things? Here is a chance for you to do all three! The aim of this Winter Study Project is to design a series of hands-on science workshops for elementary school children and their parents. Working in teams of 2-4, students spend the first two and a half weeks of Winter Study planning the workshops. This involves deciding on a focus for each workshop (based on the interests of the students involved) followed by choosing and designing experiments and presentations that will be suitable for fourth-grade children. On the third weekend of Winter Study (January 19, 20) we bring elementary school kids with their parents to Williams to participate in the workshops.
You get a chance to see what goes into planning classroom demonstrations as well as a sense of what it's like to actually give a presentation. You find that kids at this age are great fun to work with because they are interested in just about everything and their enthusiasm is infectious. You also give the kids and their parents a chance to actually do some fun hands-on science experiments that they may not have seen before, and you are able to explain simple scientific concepts to them in a manner that won't be intimidating. It is a rewarding experience for all involved.
Evaluation is based on participation in planning and running the workshops. Each group is expected to prepare a handout with descriptions of the experiments for the kids, parents, and teachers.
No prerequisites: You need not be a science major; all that is needed is enthusiasm. Enrollment limit: 25.
Cost to student: none.
Meeting time: mornings. Classes meet three times a week for approximately three hours each session. The workshop is run on the third weekend of Winter Study (January 19, 20) and attendance from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. is mandatory that weekend. There are also one or two brief meetings held in the fall term for preliminary planning.

Jenna MacIntire is a Laboratory Instructor for both the Biology and Chemistry Departments at Williams.

CHEM 15 "You Are Not Listening!"-Exploring Interpersonal Conflict (Same as Leadership Studies 15 and Special 15)

The aim of this course is to equip you with communication and leadership skills to navigate interpersonal conflicts in a productive manner, whether you find yourself in an uncomfortable situation in professional settings or in relationships with family members or friends. We will discuss models of conflict resolution and examine the structures of these commonly difficult conversations using examples from our own experiences.
Through role-plays, we will practice communication skills important to productive dialogue, learn how to listen for and interpret the significance of what is said and not said. We will also explore how our own immediate reactions may get in the way of achieving what we really want. By analyzing the underlying reasons for disputes from different perspectives, we will look to create outcomes that serve our interests and address the needs of our adversaries. We will experiment with stepping into active leadership in conflicts for the sake of creating the types of relationships we want to have. Though the focus is on interpersonal conflict, the mediation skills taught in this class are an asset in many negotiation settings, including the future workplace.
The class format will be largely group discussions and activities such as role-plays in which you will practice conflict resolution and mediation techniques. Outside-of-class work is an important and integral part of the course, and includes reading, practicing communication and conflict resolution skills, and homework exercises. Evaluation will be based on all class related activities, with an emphasis on participation in class discussions and activities. Attendance of all classes is expected.
No prerequisites. Students should be genuinely interested in learning how to create personal growth from conflicts. The topics of the class and the nature of experiential exercises and follow-up discussions call for some level of self-disclosure and sharing of personal experiences of conflict. Every participant will be asked to keep the content and details of shared personal experiences confidential. Enrollment limit: 18.
Cost to student: approximately $40 for books and photocopying.
Meeting times: TR, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.

Dr. Christopher Goh is a life and leadership coach, and currently also a Visiting Professor in the Department of Chemistry. He was trained as a volunteer community mediator at Foothill College, Mountain View, CA, and through Community Boards in San Francisco, CA. He has completed the life coaching core curriculum and the year-long leadership program at the Coaches Training Institute, San Rafael, CA. Before pursuing his current career, Dr. Goh worked as a senior researcher for a materials research company in Silicon Valley. He has a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Harvard University, and has co-authored multiple journal articles and patents.

This course provides an introduction to both a theoretical consideration of the glassy state of matter and the practical manipulation of glass. We do flameworking with hand torches for at least 12 hours per week. While no previous experience is required, students with patience, good hand-eye coordination, and creative imagination will find the course most rewarding. The class is open to both artistically and scientifically oriented students. Evaluation is based on class participation, exhibition of glass projects, a 10-page paper, and a presentation to the class.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 10. Preference is given to juniors, sophomores, and those who express the most and earliest interest and enthusiasm by e-mail to Professor Thoman.
Cost to student: $75 for supplies.
Meeting time: 9-noon, five days per week.

CHEM 17 Rhythm Based Conflict Resolution: An Experiential Approach (Same as Biology 16, Political Science 16, Psychology 16, and Theatre 16)

An independent experimental project in biochemistry is carried out in collaboration with a member of the Department with expertise in biochemistry. Biochemistry is a branch of chemistry that deals with the molecular details of living systems including the interaction of biologically important molecules. In the Chemistry Department, studies are underway to investigate the structure/function relationship of proteins, the interaction between proteins and RNA and DNA, DNA structure and repair, and the molecular basis of gene regulation.
A 10-page written report is required.
Prerequisite: variable, depending on the project (at least CHEM 151) and permission of the Department. Since projects involve work in faculty research labs, interested students must consult with one or more of the faculty instructors listed below and with the Department Chair before electing this course. Non-science majors are invited to participate. Enrollment limited to space in faculty research lab.
Cost to student: none.
Meeting time: mornings.

An independent experimental project in physical chemistry is carried out in collaboration with a member of the Department with expertise in physical chemistry. Current research projects in the Department include computer modeling of non-linear, chaotic chemical and biochemical systems, molecular modeling of water clusters, laser spectroscopy of chlorofluorocarbon substitutes, and experimental studies of the oxidation of sulfur dioxide on atmospheric aerosols.
A 10-page written report is required.
Prerequisite: variable, depending on the project (at least CHEM 151) and permission of the Department. Since projects involve work in faculty research labs, interested students must consult with one or more of the faculty instructors listed below and with the Department Chair before electing this course. Non-science majors are invited to participate. Enrollment limited to space in faculty research labs.
Cost to student: none.
Meeting time: mornings.

CHEM 25 At the Junction of Aesthetics and Commerce-A Close Look at Antique and New Production Rugs and Textiles in the US and Turkey (Same as ArtH 25 and Economics 26)

What did the ancient Romans eat? How did they view food and the fine art of dining? How did they prepare and cook food? Where did their food supplies come from? How do we know? And how can we translate what we know into today's terms? Through an examination of ancient texts (in translation) and archaeological remains (particularly from Pompeii), students will examine these and other related questions. The course will culminate in the preparation of a Roman meal based on our discoveries.
Requirements: Weekly 1-2 page papers, a final 5-7-page research paper on some aspect of ancient culinary processes, and participation in the preparation of food, including a complete Roman meal at the end of the course.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 12. Preference given to Classics majors.
Cost to student: $75 or less (for reading packet and some food expenses).
Meeting time: mornings, three times a week, with some hours to be arranged for cooking.

Robin Wildfang is a 1986 graduate of Williams College. A Visiting Assistant Professor in 1991 and an adjunct in WSP 2006, she is the author of a book on the Vestal Virgins of Rome and has lived and taught in Denmark for almost ten years.

COMP 11 Very Contemporary African Literature (Same as Africana Studies 11 and English 11)

COMP 20 Breaking Out of the Box-Unleashing Creative Thinking (Same as Special 20)

Do BitTorrent and YouTube violate copyright laws? Should you be held accountable for incriminating pictures that your friends post on Facebook or MySpace? The Internet, which began in the late 1960s as a small government-funded project connecting four computers, now connects billions of computers world-wide. It has undoubtedly become an integral part of our lives, and has provided new ways for people to communicate and share information. Certainly any network with billions of computers requires some centralized control in order to function.
So who controls the Internet? Or more importantly, who should control the Internet? This class will examine the complex public policy issues involved in answering these questions from both a technical and social standpoint, and discuss how the decisions we make today will impact the design of the future Internet. Topics covered will include a brief history of the Internet, net neutrality, Internet governance and control, copyright and patent law, peer- to-peer file sharing legality, privacy and security, spyware and phishing, and the future of the Internet.
Format and evaluation: Class meetings will consist primarily of discussions and debates based on reading assignments. Students will write a short (1 page) summary of the assigned readings before each class, and will take turns leading discussions and serving as scribes during class. Assignments will include creating a simple personal webpage, writing a short (2 page) position paper, and a longer (8-10 page) research paper on a topic of the student's choice. Class attendance and participation will be mandatory to receive a passing grade.
Weekly expectations (time in and out of class): Approximately 6 hours in class, and 20 hours outside of class. Work required outside of class will consist of reading, reading analysis, personal webpage design, and position/final paper preparation.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 20. Preference will be given to seniors.
Cost to student: approximately $20 for books.
Meeting time: mornings, approximately 2 hours per class 3 times per week.

Maya is an important tool for developing realistic models for computer image rendering and animation. This course investigates basic Maya modeling including realistic model building, sculpting, materials, simple character design and control, and animation.
Students will be evaluated based on a half dozen individual and group projects and presentation of a final animated short.
Previous modeling experience is important. Enrollment limit: 10 (expected: 10). Enrollment limited to students who have taken Computer Science 109. Preference based on seniority.
Cost to student: text ($50).
Meeting time: three mornings per week in lab, for two hours. Extensive additional lab time expected.

This course will introduce the stages of computer animation production including design, storyboarding, modeling, texturing, rigging, animation, lighting and compositing. The course will consist of lectures in which the field of computer animation will be explored from an historical context, using videotape examples. In addition, students will participate in actual production projects on an intern level, and learn how software development initiatives are applied to solve real-world production problems.
Format: lecture/internship. Evaluation will be based on active participation in lecture and projects as well as a final paper.
Prerequisites: strong interest in computer animation and graphics. Enrollment limit: 8. Preference will be given to students with background in Computer Science or Studio Art.
Cost to students: $50 for reference books.
Meeting time: mornings, with lab work at various times (approximately 6 hours in class and 20 hours outside class).

Jeff Kleiser is CEO for Synthespian Studios. His pioneering work in the field includes feature films (Tron, Flight of the Navigator, X-Men #1-3, Clear and Present Danger, Fantastic Four, Scary Movie #3-4, and many others), theme park projects (The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man, Corkscrew Hill, Monsters of Grace) and many commercial projects.

Arbitrage is a central concept of economics. This course is an introduction to mechanisms in markets which cause arbitrage to occur in various markets, as well as those which limit arbitrage ,particularly when a mechanisms counteracts others. The emphasis will be on markets in public securities and the firms which may issue them.
Requirements: there will be an average of 100 pages of reading per class and there will be an expectation of a 10-page analytical paper.
Enrollment limited: 25.
Meeting time: MR, afternoons.

Paul Isaac, Williams Class of '72 and a former Watson fellow, is a highly regarded Wall St. expert on hedge funds and more broadly on capital markets. Currently chief investment officer for a noted investment advisory firm, he has 30 years of investment management experience and served as Chair of the Security Industry Association's Capital Rules Committee.

This course will help students become effective and organized public speakers, whether public speaking means giving a class presentation, participating in a debate, or giving a formal speech before a large audience. We will primarily use extemporaneous and prepared class presentations as a means of learning this skill, but we will also study the great American speeches and presidential debates of the twentieth century for further insights into persuasive public speaking techniques. The class will provide a supportive environment to help each student create his or her own public speaking style that is comfortable, confident, and conversational. We will also focus on organizational techniques, handling visual aids effectively, eye contact and body language. Finally, receiving feedback and providing constructive criticism to other students in the class will be an important part of the course.
Requirements: 5-6 oral presentations to the class, most of which will be videotaped and critiqued. Evaluation will be based on in-class presentations, class participation, and a 10-page written critique of the student's own videotaped presentations.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 12. Preference given to juniors and seniors.
Cost to student: approximately $25 for materials.
Meeting time: afternoons.

Have you been buying lottery tickets and charging them to your (or your parents') credit card? At that rate of return (about -68%), you will be living on bread and water! Most people assume responsibility for their personal finances on leaving college, but have little training for the decisions that they will have to make. And changing regulations and the aging of societies is leaving workers and entrepreneurs (e.g., shortly, you) in charge of financing their retirement. Worse still, you will confront an industry-investment advising- that does a great job enriching itself at clients' expense. This course will provide you with some of the basic tools to make financial decisions. It will begin by familiarizing you with Excel, which can help you understand and effectively communicate basic financial and economic concepts. Then we will move on to the time value of money, with applications to savings plans and pension planning; internal rates of return, which help you understand mortgages and leases (for cars or housing), and student loans; and pain free budgeting and how you might become a millionaire (sic!), one step at a time. Finally, we will cover how you can protect yourself from being fooled by randomness and Ponzi finance.
Evaluation: creation of a financial plan.
Prerequisites: basic high school algebra. Enrollment limit: 12. Preference to upper classmen.
Cost to student: you will need to purchase Benninga's Finance with Excel, and Nassim Taleb's Fooled by Randomness.
Meeting time: afternoons. Outside of class, students will be reading, working with Excel and doing practice exercises.

The environment of the world is declining. Problems abound including global warming, natural resource depletion and profligate use of land, among others. Also, although countless billions have been spent over the last century to eliminate poverty, poverty is still endemic. The gap between the rich and the poor continues to grow.
This course will study the intimate and vital relationship between these problems and taxation. We will come to understand that with the right mix of taxes, Green Taxes, we can reduce global warming, encourage the saving of natural resources and land.
Many writers today have written about the use of Green Taxes to ameliorate these problems. We will read and study the works of these writers. There will also be guest speakers who have real-world experience with these problems and the proposed solutions.
Evaluation will be based on attendance and the completion of a ten page paper.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 20.
Cost to student: $10 for books.
Meeting times: TWR, 10-noon.

Albert Hartheimer is an Architect who has studied taxation for forty years. He works to encourage the use of Green Taxes by city and state governments. He is a member of the board of The Henry George Foundation of America. He is Vice-president of The Center for the Study of Economics. He is a past member of the board of The Robert Schalkenbach Foundation.

The project will examine the theoretical and practical aspects of financial accounting. Although the beginning of the course will explore the mechanics of the information gathering and dissemination process, the course will be oriented mainly towards users, rather than preparers, of accounting information. The project will include discussion of the principles involved in accounting for current assets, plant assets, leases, intangible assets, current liabilities, stockholders' equity, the income statement and the statement of cash flows. Students will be expected to interpret and analyze actual financial statements. The nature of, and career opportunities in, the field of accounting will also be discussed. The project is a "mini course." The number of topics discussed will be close to that of a full semester introductory accounting course. The project will, thus, require a considerable commitment of time by the student including regular attendance. Each student is expected to spend a reasonable amount of time, outside of class, reading web-text material, completing homework cases and problems, preparing for several quizzes and working, as part of a group, to complete a written report presenting an analysis of a company's annual report.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 30.
Cost to student: none.
Meeting time: Other than the first day of class, the class will meet from 10 a.m. until noon. The class is currently scheduled to meet on the following dates: January 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 17, 21, 22, and 24.

Leo McMenimen has taught in the Winter Study Program at Williams College since 1980. He recently retired as a professor from the School of Business, Montclair State University.

Elementary description and analysis of the stock market. Emphasis will be on the roles of the market in our economy, including evaluation of business firms and the success of particular capital investments, allocating savings to different types of investment, and providing liquid and marketable financial investments for individual savers.
The course will focus on the description of mechanics of trading on various exchanges and other markets, stock market indexes or "averages" (Dow-Jones, S&P, 500, etc.), how to read the financial news, historical rates of return on stocks and portfolios, role of mutual funds, beta coefficients, and "random walk" theory. The course will also involve a brief introduction to financial reports of firms and analysis of financial ratios.
Each student will participate in discussions, and spend a reasonable amount of time, outside of class, completing several written homework assignments preparing for several quizzes and, as part of a team, preparing for two class presentations and writing a 10-page report analyzing the wisdom or folly of having chosen a particular investment portfolio. The project grade will be determined on the basis of performance on several quizzes and the written investment portfolio report.
No prerequisites. Not intended for students who already know much about the stock market. Enrollment limit: 30.
Cost to student: none.
Meeting time: Other than the first day of class, the class will meet from 12:50 p.m. until 2:50 p.m. The class is currently scheduled to meet on the following dates: January 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 17, 21, 22, and 24.

Leo McMenimen has taught in the Winter Study Program at Williams College since 1980. He recently retired as a professor from the School of Business, Montclair State University.

The goal of this course is to explain how the economy works and how it interacts with financial markets. To accomplish this, the class will carry out a real-time forecast of the U.S. economy and explore its implications for the bond and stock markets. The course will build upon principles of both macro and microeconomics. It will provide an introduction to the work done by business economists and the techniques they use. An economic database, chart-generating software and a statistical analysis program will be available to each student on the Jessup computers.
The first week will focus on becoming familiar with the database, looking for relationships between key economic variables, and studying movements in interest rates over the period 1960-2005. Early in the first week, the class will be divided into teams of 2 or 3 students with each team choosing a particular aspect of the economy to forecast.
During the second and third weeks, the class will prepare forecasts of the key components of gross domestic product and will study other key issues. In the past students have chosen to focus on such areas as: Globalization, the Outlook for Oil Prices, the impact of China, and the consumer savings rate. We will also have several invited guests from the Wall Street investment world speaking on various aspects of the stock market. The fourth week will feature a formal presentation of the economic forecast with invited guests from the Williams College faculty among others.
The class will meet 3-4 times per week in the morning. During the first week there will be two afternoons of workshops lasting approximately 30 minutes with hands on instruction for each team.
Each student should expect to spend a reasonable amount of time on homework, to participate in short presentations of their analyses as the work progresses as well as in the formal presentation during the last week. There will also be a 3-page paper summarizing the result of the forecast project or the special topic chosen by each team.
To put the forecasting exercise in context, there will be class discussions of business cycles, credit cycles, long waves in inflation and interest rates and past stock-market bubbles.
Prerequisites: Economics 110 or another semester course in Economics is strongly recommended. Enrollment limit: 15.
Cost to student: about $25 for text and other materials.
Meeting time: mornings with afternoon labs. Because essential concepts and tools are covered during the first week, all students are expected to attend the first class.

Thomas Synnott `58 is Chief Economist, Emeritus, U.S. Trust Company of New York

Though the Indian film industry is the world's most prolific, American audiences have little exposure to it. This course provides an introduction, focusing on Hindi cinema, and showing how its themes have evolved in response to changes in Indian society. In particular, we will examine ways in which Hindi films reflect the threats perceived by the nation, and the resolutions attempted. We will also compare Hindi cinema's norms and conventions to those used by Hollywood.
We will meet twice a week to watch the films (a total of seven) and twice a week for discussion. Students will write a 2-page response to each film. Reading will consist of articles from film journals like Screen and Jump Cut.
Enrollment limit: 10.
Cost to students: $25 for readings.
Meeting time: afternoons.

This course provides an introduction to the economics, geography and appreciation of wine. We will be studying the economics and geography of wine production, and will also learn to identify, understand and appreciate the major wine types of the world. The course will involve lectures, outside readings, and in-class wine tastings. We will focus primarily on the Old World wine styles and regions in France, Germany, Italy, Austria, Hungary, Spain and Portugal, but will occasionally make comparisons to analogous New World style wines. The primary text for the course is The World Atlas of Wine, by Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson.
Evaluations will be based on short quizzes, including blind tastings, and either an oral presentation or 10-page paper at the conclusion of the course. For this final project, students will select a wine type that was not covered during the course, and present historical, geographic and economic background on the wine.
Enrollment limit: 10. Since the course will include wine tastings, it will also be restricted to those who are of legal age for wine consumption by the date of the first class meeting. In the event that demand exceeds the maximum limit for the course, students will be selected on the basis of their academic record and on the basis of forming a diverse and heterogeneous group of interested students.
Cost to student: $175 for the cost of wine purchases for the course.
Meeting time: Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 7-10 p.m.

ECON 25 Gender, Video, and Social Activism in Senegal (Same as Women's and Gender Studies 25)

This course builds on the foundation of the Winter Study Course run in January 2006, as well as this January's group WSP99 collaborative video project in Uganda. This year we propose to introduce (a new group of) students to the work of non-governmental and grassroots health and social organizations in Senegal, in French West Africa. We also plan to go further, by engaging with some of those organizations in an extended conversation about the importance of gender structures in our respective cultures, and how they shape vulnerability to HIV, and producing collaborative videos to engage with those issues. In Senegal as elsewhere, local and national groups have sprung up in response to concerns about poverty, unemployment, disease, and other pressing issues. Particularly inspiring are a number of AIDS education and awareness groups that women have started up to halt the spread of the disease in their communities and to offer support to those living with it. Students in this course will get to meet and learn from social and health education activists, such as the DEGGO organization in Mbour, a fishing port south of Dakar; Xel ak Xalaat, based in Rufisque, nearer the capital; and AWA, in Dakar.
In addition to gaining an understanding of the breadth, purpose and genesis of social activism in Senegal, students will learn of the mixed effect of Western commerce and tourism on the country. Non-governmental groups (NGOs), both those run by Senegalese and those directed by foreigners, grapple with the legacy of French colonial structures and the present- day reality of market capitalism in an impoverished country. These circumstances create a politically complex backdrop against which NGOs struggle to achieve their goals. As such, part of the work of our Williams group will be to understand the challenges and practical impediments these NGOs face against a background of pervasive North-South power dynamics and inequality.
Articulated with that analysis will be an analysis of Senegalese gender systems, and their interaction with the political economy and with HIV. Gender has been widely recognized as a crucial component in the African AIDS pandemic; but it is vital to go beyond generalizations about patriarchal African culture to an understanding of the contestation over gender within a specific locale. Senegal is a particularly rich case study as a Muslim country where women play a central role in anti-poverty and AIDS activism.
The winter study will start with 4 days in Williamstown, reading, training in video editing, and preparing background for the experience. After a day of traveling, we will spend 4 days in Dakar being hosted by ACI (Africa Consultants International, a local NGO), who will provide the students with cultural introductions, basic Wolof classes, and background lectures on the landscape of HIV and grassroots activism in Senegal. They will also organize homestays with Senegalese families. Professor Lewis will then conduct an intensive 3-day gender training for a class comprised of our group and a group of Senegalese NGO workers, both male and female. Finally we will break into two groups to spend 5 days working on collaborative video projects to be made by our students working with Senegalese collaborators. We will end the trip with a day of debriefing before returning to the US.
Course requirements: Students will submit a paper discussing the role of gender structures in HIV prevention in Senegal, and are encouraged to keep a journal of their reflections whilst in Senegal.
Course prerequisites: The course is open to sophomores, juniors and seniors. Basic, conversational French strongly recommended and preference will go to students with some French. Those students who have no French at all are encouraged to enroll in a French language course in fall 2007 if at all possible. Video editing skills will also be recommended.
Enrollment limit: 12. Not open to first-year students.
Cost to students: approximately $3,188.

Jill Lewis, Professor of Literature and Gender Studies, Hampshire College, has extensive experience running trainings on gender and HIV in settings ranging from Latvia, to Sierra Leone, to Northern Uganda.

ECON 26 At the Junction of Aesthetics and Commerce-A Close Look at Antique and New Production Rugs and Textiles in the US and Turkey (Same as ArtH 25 and Chemistry 25)

The "Specialization Route" to the degree with Honors in Economics requires that each candidate take an Honors Winter Study Project in January of their senior year. Students who wish to begin their honors work in January should submit a detailed proposal. Decisions on admission to the Honors WSP will be made in the fall. Information on the procedures will be mailed to senior majors in economics early in the fall semester.
Seniors who wish to apply for admission to the Honors WSP and thereby to the Honors Program should register for this WSP as their first choice.
Some seniors will have begun honors work in the fall and wish to complete it in the WSP. They will be admitted to the WSP if they have made satisfactory progress. They should register for this WSP as their first choice.

To be taken by students participating in year-long thesis research (ECON 493-W31-494).

Developing and transition economies provide a number of challenges to the implementation of good tax policy. Good tax policy strives to raise adequate revenues for public expenditures via a tax system that promotes efficiency (or, at least, minimizes distortions) and distributes the tax burden fairly within the economy. Moreover, good tax policy needs to be concerned with the administrative feasibility of the tax system. Even under ideal conditions, these goals are difficult to achieve. Administrative issues, including measuring the tax base and tax evasion, are especially challenging in the emerging markets context. Since tax revenues are often one-quarter of the economic activity in these countries, implementing good tax policy is critical for raising their standards of living and promoting economic growth. We will explore three topics in this course. First, we will examine the choice between various tax bases-consumption, income, and wealth-in the emerging market context; this analysis will include the possibility of choosing a mixture of these taxes. Second, case studies of specific tax reforms in developing countries will illustrate the practical problems of applying general rules to specific situations. Third, since international capital flows play a role in economic development, we will study the taxation of these flows from the perspective of both the source and destination countries; this analysis will include the tax treatment of multinational corporations.
Students will be evaluated based on a 10-page research paper, some shorter written assignments, and an oral presentation.
Prerequisites: one public economics or tax policy course (Economics 503, 205 or 351), and one empirical methods course (Economics 253, 255, 510, 511, or Statistics 346). Enrollment limit: 19. This course is intended for CDE students and is open to undergraduates only with permission of instructor.
Cost to student: approximately $25 for reading packets.
Meeting time: mornings.

Achieving economic growth and development requires more than just good policies-success depends on a country's economic strategy working effectively in an integrated manner. The demands of competent policy-making require balancing competing interests, and policy frameworks need to address difficult trade-offs and enlist the political support of key stakeholders.
This course will explore the political dimension underlying economic policies-with a focus on how policies fit together into broader strategies. The course will tackle three challenging areas for economic policy-climate change, industrial strategy and social protection. The course will first address each topic individually, from both an economic and political perspective. Then the course will explore the strategic linkages that potentially integrate the policy choices-and examine how a more comprehensive framework can better enlist political support and improve the chances of policy success.
This course will reinforce skills for evaluating policy frameworks, exploring the coherence and interdependence of the economic strategy and its likelihood to achieve public objectives.
Evaluation will be based on class participation, policy papers and a final presentation.
No prerequisites. This course is intended for CDE students and is open to undergraduates only with permission of instructor.
Cost to student: none.

We visit an author's home in search of a connection to the origin of their writing: here's the site from which a novel or poem sprang. Museums dedicated to authors' homes feed this fantasy, that in looking at Melville's desk (complete with glasses) or at the room where Dickinson dwelt we are even closer to them than in their words. However, as we will explore in the course, far from an unmediated visit to the source of genius, museums of author's homes construct narratives of their own about authorship, art, even about the value of daily life. Moreover, the writers themselves shaped conceptions of domestic space in ways that do not always correspond to the tales told by the museums made of their homes. We will visit the homes of, and read works by, Herman Melville, Emily Dickinson, Mark Twain, and Harriet Beecher Stowe.
Students will produce a final project that engages in the critical issues of the course. This project may be a ten-page page paper focused on the readings, on analysis of the museum spaces themselves, or may even use visual media to comment upon the constructions of domestic space and authorship.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 10.
Cost to student: $60 (for transportation and museum admission).
Meeting times: mornings.

ENGL 11 Very Contemporary African Literature (Same as Africana Studies 11 and Comparative Literature 11)

ENGL 12 Looking at Contemporary Documentary Photography (Same as ArtH 12 and Special 27)

This course explores the evolution of modern documentary photography. We will start with Robert Frank's The Americans, and how Frank's singular vision deeply shaped the next generation of photographers working the American streets and landscape. Diane Arbus, Bruce Davidson, Lee Freidlander, William Klein, Danny Lyon, Gary Winogrand are some of the photographers whose work we will get to know well . Discussions will include the new wave of independent and Magnum photojournalists (Phillip Jones Griffiths, Josef Koudleka, Susan Meiselas, Gilles Peress, James Nachtwey, Alex Webb, Ron Haviv and Tyler Hicks) and the wars from Vietnam to Bosnia to Iraq they cover as well as the personal visions they explore. Insight into the diverse currents of documentary photography will be covered through the work of Bill Burke, Larry Clark, Larry Fink, Nan Goldin, Emmet Gowin, Sally Mann, Mary Ellen Mark, Nicholas Nixon , Richard Misrach, Joel Sternfeld, Birney Imes, Regan Louie, Edward Burtynsky, Laura Letinsky and Simon Norfolk.
The class will meet three mornings a week for two hours. Slide presentations will occupy half of the first meetings and give way to discussion of issues in documentary photography. Students will be encouraged to work on individual projects of their own choice. Each student will be required to make a brief presentation to the class on a documentary topic of their choice. A final paper expanding on this documentary topic will be due at the end of the course. Students will be evaluated on their classroom presentation, general participation and their written work. A field trip to New York will let us see first hand works from the collections at the Museum of Modern Art, Whitney Museum of American Art and the International Center of Photography.
Enrollment limit: 12. Priority to upper class students.
Cost to students: $30 (for NYC fieldtrip personal expenses).
Meeting time: TWR, 10-noon.

Kevin Bubriski has received photography fellowships from the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts. His photographs are in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. His books include Portrait of Nepal (Chronicle Books 1993) and Pilgrimage: Looking at Ground Zero (powerHouse 2002).

This is a course for students interested in writing a long, non-fiction essay. We shall begin by reading together the work of some contemporary practitioners such as David Foster Wallace, Adam Gopnik and Janet Malcolm and by considering the distinctive styles of several general-interest magazines including Harper's, Rolling Stone and The New Yorker. Throughout the course, students will work independently on their essays, which should run between 2,500 and 3,000 words and reflect extensive research or reporting. Students will be expected to have selected a topic before the first class meeting.
Requirements: completion of a long, researched, non-fiction essay.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 14. Priority to English majors.
Cost to student: $25-$50.
Meeting time: afternoons, three times a week for two hours.

Jazz and Poetry have shared a mind in the arts since at least Langston Hughes spoke the language of the Harlem Renaissance, embracing the grandeur of Ellington and Lunceford and the irony of the blues on the street. Since then many poets and musicians with many voices, cultural backgrounds and original ideas have brought together the elements of written and improvised words with written and improvised music.
In this course we will explore diverse examples of this multidisciplinary art form. We will read, listen to, and discuss work by Jack Kerouac, Robert Creeley, Allen Ginsberg, Langston Hughes, Amiri Baraka, Jayne Cortez, Charles Mingus, Kenneth Patchen and current artists. The course will run as a discussion/workshop: students will learn, analyze and perform several classic pieces from several different eras, as well as have the opportunity to develop their own pieces.
Students should expect to meet most afternoons, either as a class or working in groups on assignments. All students are expected to participate in workshops, as musicians (improvisational experience is welcome but not necessary), poets, or performers of poetry. Evaluation based on analysis assignments, ensemble participation, and final performance.
No prerequisites, but preference to musicians and poets. Enrollment limit: 12.
Cost to students: under $50.
Meeting time: afternoons.

Erik Lawrence has performed as saxophonist/flutist with cultural musical legends Levon Helm (The Band), Chico Hamilton (chamber jazz pioneer), Sonny Sharrock (avant garde guitar patriarch), Steven Bernstein (current Grammy nominee, NY downtown jazz trendsetter), Buddy Miles (Jimi Hendrix's drummer/vocalist), David Amram (eclectic Renaissance man of the 20th century) and many others. In addition he has worked with performance poets Anne Waldman, Barry Wallenstein, M.L. Leibler, Frank Messina, Jane LeCroy, Donald Lev, Eric Mingus and others. He currently co-leads the groundbreaking poetry/music ensemble MERGE with Cassandra Cleghorn, which recently was featured at the Jack Keroauc Festival at Naropa University in Boulder, CO.

Orhan Pamuk, winner of the 2006 Nobel Prize for Literature, is a Turkish novelist whose writing makes allusions to Eastern and Western culture at once. Often his novels read like postmodern mystery stories or postmodern thrillers-violent reality turns into text and text into violent reality-but the thrill and the mystery have finally to do with the confrontation or communion of Europe and Asia. We'll read (in translation) his non-fiction essay on his native city, Istanbul, and three of the following novels: The White Castle, The Black Book, Snow, The New Life, My Name is Red. We shall also read around in interviews, reviews, and literary background.
Requirements: 10-page final paper. Active participation in class discussions.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 15.
Cost to student: $50.
Meeting time: mornings.

In practice, different readers find different pleasures in reading fiction. We will examine these by considering a range of short stories and a few essays, often contradictory and judgmental, on how we should read. Along the way, we will try to become better readers in the belief that careful readers regularly encounter unexpected, even surprising, sources of enjoyment. Zadie Smith puts it this way: "Reading, done properly, is every bit as tough as writing." The accurate analogy is that of the amateur musician placing her sheet music on the stand and preparing to play. She must use her own, hard-won, skills to play this piece of music. The greater the skill, the greater the gift she gives the composer and the composer gives her." Our texts will be tales by Chekhov, Tolstoy, R. L. Stevenson, Joyce, Borges, Faulkner, A. A. Milne, W. Cather, Thomas Mann, Salinger, Nabokov, A. S. Byatt, T. C. Bambara, and J. Lahiri, among others. Several of these authors write also on the aims of fiction; and we will consider Robert Alter on biblical translation, the editing practices of the Grimm brothers, and Freudian dream analysis as forms of deconstructed story telling. Forceful expressions of concurrence, disagreement, even outrage, will be encouraged from class members.
Evaluation will be on the basis of class participation, and a tutorial presentation of an annotated commentary.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 12.
Meeting time: mornings, MWF, for two hours.

Since retirement Dr. Drescher, a practicing and academic pediatrician turned psychiatrist, drives Haflinger horses for pleasure and has written on the stories of V. Nabokov.

Familiar ideas about intellectual property are proving inadequate to make sense of our current moment, which might be described as a battleground between increasingly powerful forms of reproduction, and ever more expansive notions of what materials can be protected through copyright, patenting, trademark, and so on. We will consider what's at stake in this battle by considering recent fights over such issues as academic plagiarism; literary and artistic sampling; posthumous performance rights; the erosion of the cultural commons; the rise of genetically engineered life forms; and the claims of some indigenous peoples to proprietary rights over tribal knowledge of various kinds.
Can ideas or concepts be owned? How does the extension of rights to fictive legal bodies ("corporations") affect the lives of persons in real bodies? What is the relation between a particular bit of intellectual property (computer code, seed corn, term paper) and the enabling matrix from which it emerged? For answers to these questions, we'll look to philosophy, anthropology, literary theory, and aesthetics, as well as to current legal practice.
Requirements for the course include attendance and participation (in class and on the field trips); two short writing exercises; and a final case study on a subject of the student's choice, analyzing a current controversy over intellectual property.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 15. Preference given to juniors and seniors.
Cost to students: approximately $75 for books and other course materials.
Meeting time: In addition to regular class meetings (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday mornings), there may be one or two Wednesday field trips to local museums.

ENGL 18 Literary Collaboration: Word and Image and the Narrative Between (Same as ArtS 18)

Words can be used to tell a story one way; images possess a different type of narrative potential. Together, they present a broader range of possibilities than either one alone. The combination of word and image is often associated with children's books, comics, and graphic novels-contexts in which words and pictures work in tandem to tell a single story, the images often subordinate to the written narrative. This course will push this dynamic, exploring the possibilities of merging words and pictures in a literary context by giving equal weight to both or by seeing what happens when the authority of words is subverted by image.
Creative work will be conducted with an emphasis on collaboration. The space between two minds and two aesthetics yields a tension that can contribute to the humor, depth, and resonance of a work. The class of ten will be broken into five writer/visual artist pairings; each pair will complete (and physically produce) an illustrated book. The course will culminate in a group reading/presentation of finished works open to the Williamstown community.
Following a few introductory readings, exercises, and discussions, the course will be workshop-based, with time devoted to pair and group interaction as well as to weekly tutorial- style discussion with the instructors.
The class will also focus on the technical details of bookmaking: planning, pacing, layout, and production. Familiarity with the Adobe Creative Suite will be helpful but not required.
Enrollment limit: 10. Interested students must submit writing or visual art/illustration samples (5 pages of writing or 5 jpegs) to matthew@idiotsbooks.com by October 19, 2007. Feel free to email with questions before submitting and/or registering. Five writers and five visual artists will be selected on the basis of quality, style, and imagination of work.
Cost to student: $50 for materials.
Meeting time: afternoons for a total of six hours per week in class and one hour per week in tutorial session with instructors; substantial work will be required outside of class, both on creative development and physical production of books; students will be required to participate in the public reading/presentation.

Freelance writer Matthew Swanson '97 and freelance illustrator Robbi Behr '97 are the founders of and primary contributors to Idiots'Books (www.idiotsbooks.com), a small press that produces illustrated literature.

This course investigates Shakespeare's last and perennially popular play, The Tempest. We will combine critical inquiry and theatrical explorations, to consider the range of interpretative possibilities in both theory and stage practice. Though this is not a production course, and students are not necessarily expected to have acting experience, students will be required to take part enthusiastically in some workshop presentations of speeches and scenes to illuminate Shakespeare's dramatic art.
Evaluation will be based upon participation in regular discussions, brief written reports, and a final critical and/or creative project.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 15.
Cost to student: approximately $25 for books and handouts.
Meeting time: mornings.

ENGL 20 Margaret Atwood's Feminist Fictions (Same as Women's and Gender Studies 20)

We will read several novels or collections of short stories by Atwood that take up feminist topics such as reproductive rights and birth control, body image, the representation of women in art, motherhood, female friendship and villainy romantic love, and abusive relationships with men. Texts may include Surfacing, The Handmaid's Tale, The Penelopiad, Cat's Eye, The Robber Bride, Lady Oracle, Alias Grace and selected stories from Moral Disorder.
Students should expect to read 400-500 pages per week. In addition, students will have the option of writing 3 short papers (3-4 pages) on assigned topics over the course of the semester, or writing one long paper (10-12 pages) on a topic of their own and due on the last day of class. We will meet twice a week in seminar-length sessions to discuss Atwood's work.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 15. Preference to Women's and Gender Studies majors and seniors.
Cost to student: $50.
Meeting time: afternoons.

Victorian fiction conjured many of the monsters that still haunt our cultural imagination: Frankenstein, Jekyll and Hyde, and Dracula. This course will focus on the original novels and stories from which these mythic figures emerged: Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, Robert Louis Stevenson's "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde," and Bram Stoker's Dracula considering their engagement with the dominant cultural anxieties of their day and the grounds of their enduring appeal. We will also discuss a few of the myriad film permutations of these stories, and students will do independent projects that focus on the evolution of one of these figures in popular culture.
Requirements: one presentation and a final project.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 15.
Cost to students: approximately $50 for books.
Meeting time: mornings.

Students in this course will spend winter study in Morocco. Morocco presents a compelling blend of historical influences and modern world currents. Threads of Islam, Arab traditions, and the heritage of the native Berber people are woven into a distinctive cultural tapestry, while traces of French colonialism can still be seen in the political and social structure. Morocco is at the intersection of the West, the Middle East, and Africa. Travel there is therefore a powerful way to introduce intellectual themes that require and reward a subtle blending of insight from history, political science, religion, and philosophy.
We will take the first steps in engaging some of these challenging topics in order to enable independent study facilitated by serious and multifaceted exposure to the country. For the first two weeks, students will study at the Center for Cross Cultural Learning (CCCL) in Rabat, taking Arabic lessons (classical or Moroccan dialect) each morning and then gathering for lectures by local university faculty in the afternoon. During this span students will live with Moroccan families in the Rabat medina. In the third week of the course students will travel in the interior of Morocco, exploring Fez and Marrakech, riding camels in the desert, and hiking to Berber villages in the Atlas Mountains.
Students will be expected to attend all seminars, lead a group presentation, and complete a substantial research paper (10-15 pages). The presentation and research paper will be occasions to explore a special topic in depth including, for instance, justice and gender, art, literature, colonial studies, or Islam.
No prerequisites. Arabic is the official spoken language of Morocco, and French is spoken very widely. While desirable, neither is required. Enrollment limited to 15. Preference: Student interest is more important than class year or academic major. Final participants will be chosen on the basis of interviews regarding student goals and intellectual interests. Not open to first-year students.
Cost to students: approximately $3500.

This course introduces the technical and creative possibilities of printmaking on ceramic paperclay without the use of a press. Students will learn how to make their own paperclay and will explore monoprinting, relief printing, and offset printing. Historical examples of printmaking on clay will be introduced and explored through lectures, examples and assignments. Students will receive feedback on their work through supervised group critiques and open studio sessions. They will be evaluated based on completion of assignments with attention to content, detail, and development of their work. Attendance and participation are required along with an exhibition of final work on the last day of Winter Study.
We will meet three times a week for three hour sessions the first two weeks, twice a week the last two weeks with extra open studio time available. A field trip trip to the Instructor's studio is planned.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 12.
Cost to student: $75.
Meeting time: MTR, 10-noon.

Diane Sullivan is a ceramic artist who works and lives in the Eclipse Mill Artists lofts in North Adams. She has taught and exhibited her work in the U.S. and abroad.

The purpose of this course is to train peer writing tutors to be more effective reviewers and editors of student work. Format: workshop/discussion. Students will read and discuss literature on the teaching of writing; they will also do analytical writing assignments, which they will then bring into the workshop.
Evaluation based on workshop participation.
Prerequisite: admission to peer writing tutor program. Students who complete this training will be eligible for assignment as tutors for selected Williams classes. Enrollment limit: 10.
Cost to student: under $50.
Meeting time: TBA

Julie Schutzman has had experience teaching writing at Brown University, University of Pennsylvania, and in secondary schools.

Required during Winter Study of all seniors admitted to candidacy for honors via the specialization route.

Required during Winter Study of all seniors admitted to candidacy for honors via the thesis route.

This course will explore the tools for studying the natural world through various uses of writing, literature, and drawing. Students will spend time outdoors learning the ecosystem of the Williamstown area and time indoors doing observational drawing, reflective writing, and reading and discussions of nature literature. The writing component of the journal will be the equivalent of a 10-page paper. The drawing part will consist of ongoing entries contained in a nature journal, to be displayed and discussed as part of the final project. Designed for students with interests in environmental studies, natural history writing, and drawing.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 12.
Cost to student: $50 for books and art supplies.
Meeting time: mornings.

Christian McEwen is the editor of Jo's Girls: Tomboy Tales of High Adventure, True Grit & Real Life, and co-editor of The Alphabet of the Trees: A Guide to Nature Writing. She divides her time between teaching in the USA and Scotland. Clare Walker Leslie has taught this Winter Term Course since l993. She is the author/illustrator of 8 books on drawing and observing nature, including: Nature Drawing: A Tool For Learning and Keeping A Naturalist's Journal. Clare is a nationally recognized educator, author, artist, and naturalist living in Cambridge, MA and Granville, VT.

ENVI 13 United States Environmental Law: Its Historic Roots, Its Uncertain Future (Same as Legal Studies 13)

~~ENVI 14 Advocating for the Environment (Same as Political Science 14)~~ CA NCELLED!

Today, buildings account for nearly half of the energy consumed by developed countries. Awareness, understanding, and demand for sustainable design is critical for the mitigation of this untenable situation. This course will review the recent green building movement, examine passive and active design strategies, and consider design guides and rating tools. The course will include case studies of existing and planned local green buildings (e.g., Williamstown's "Zero Carbon House" and the Cable Mills project) and an ongoing class project to develop a master green plan for Williams College. The class will also take a field trip to Cambridge, Massachusetts, to tour the Genzyme Building and other significant green buildings in the area.
Evaluation will be based on attendance, class participation, and a 10-page paper based on a case study.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 9.
Cost to student: approximately $50.
Meeting time: mornings.

Thomas Berentes is a LEED-certified local architect who has practiced in the design and building trades for over 25 years.

The main focus of the course is environmental sustainability. While living and studying at an environmental research facility, the Cape Eleuthera Institute, students will learn sustainable methods of resource management using the Bahamas as a classroom. We will consider how the island can become self-sustaining while protecting its fragile natural resource base. This will include learning methods of: permaculture and traditional farming, food cultivation in infertile soil and arid climates, rainwater catchment, green building and environmental landscape design, renewable energy production, protection of depleted fisheries and damaged coral reefs, and preservation of open space and natural resources, such as drinking water. The overarching educational goal is to understand the social, political and economic dynamics that are impoverishing the natural resources and the people of Eleuthera and to find solutions that will help to create a self-sustaining resource-based island economy while also developing an environmentally sensitive tourist economy.
Students will divide their time between the classroom, independent project work, field trips (which will include meeting local farmers, fisherpeople, entrepreneurs, government officials, and representatives of non-governmental organizations), and working in the garden and orchard and caring for the pigs and chickens and the aquaculture (fish farm) system. Classes and projects will be taught and led by Sarah Gardner in conjunction with the CEI research staff members, who specialize in these topic areas.
Evaluation: Students will be evaluated on their class work, independent projects, and participation in all activities on Eleuthera. They will also prepare and present a group presentation to the Williams community scheduled for February 2008.
Enrollment limit: 10. Not open to first-year students.
Cost to student: approximately $2425.

Sarah Gardner is Associate Director of the Center for Environmental Studies and Lecturer in Environmental Studies.

The camera is an imperfect tool. Film and digital sensors record only a fraction of the range of tones and colours the human eye can perceive, and today's monitors and printers can display only a small portion of the information present in a well-exposed photograph. Digital processing is about optimizing the basic image for electronic display or print.
The digital darkroom allows the photographer complete control over his or her images. This course will demystify its principles and practices by teaching the basics of digital image manipulation and optimization.
Students will learn what makes a digital image, and how the tools they use affect the image data itself. They will learn about digital file formats and how to use their camera's histogram to ensure that they capture the maximum amount of information from the scene in their viewfinder. They will also learn how to scan 35 mm slides and negatives for digital post-processing.
Using Photoshop, students will learn how to bring out the best in their images. This can range from simple tone and colour adjustments to complex layering and masking to bring out hidden detail or to maximize the aesthetic nature of the print. They will learn how to remove dust and blemishes from their images. The basics of digital printing and colour management will also be taught.
The students will produce a series of image pairs-processed images and their raw photo counterparts-which will be mounted on a class web page. Each student will keep a journal recording the processes they applied and the results achieved.
Evaluation will be based on attendance, participation and journal quality and completeness.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 15.
Cost to students: $30 for books. A digital camera (with RAW capture mode) is suggested, but students may use a 35-mm film camera, and bring prints or negatives for digital processing, if they do not have a digital camera.
Meeting time: mornings for two hours, four times a week

Peter Cox is a professional landscape photographer in Ireland. He makes fine art prints from digital images, and runs regular workshops on digital photography.

This class will broaden students' appreciation for the appearance and history of the landscape and teach the skills of making a successful photograph.
Williamstown, situated in a valley between the Green and Taconic Mountains and bisected by the Green and Hoosic Rivers, is a place of great natural beauty. The local landscape is a subject that inspires both professional and amateur photographers alike. While Williamstown will be the subject of most of our work, we will use it to learn principles of universal application. Students will discover the importance of light in making a photograph. They will also learn camera skills and the mechanics of photography to make slides, which will be reviewed at biweekly class meetings.
In addition to photographing and critiquing slides, the class will visit collections at the Clark Art Institute and WCMA to see original work and examine and discuss books on reserve at Sawyer Library. An overview of the history of landscape photography will be provided with an emphasis on American workers such as Carlton Watkins, William Henry Jackson, Edward Weston, Ansel Adams, and Alvin Langdon Cobern. We will also demonstrate examples of different cameras such as medium format, view cameras, and panorama cameras.
Students will produce a body of successful photographs/slides, which will be presented in a class web page.
Evaluation will be based on attendance, the student's photography and their presentation.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 15. Priority given to first and second-year students.
Students will need a 35mm camera.
Cost to student: approximately $60 for film and materials.
Meeting time: three mornings a week for the first two weeks and twice a week after that; short field trips will supplement the morning meetings.

Nicholas Whitman is a professional photographer and the former Curator of Photography at the New Bedford Whaling Museum. A 1977 graduate of the Rochester Institute of Technology, he has honed his craft to make landscape and photographs of power and depth.

Something new and different for students enrolled in German 101-102. Practice in the use of German for everyday purposes; creation and performance of short dramatic sketches through group collaboration; games; songs; storytelling; reading. No homework.
Requirements: active participation and regular attendance earn a "Pass" grade.
Prerequisites: German 101 or equivalent. Limited to German 101-102 students.
Cost to student: approximately $5 for photocopied materials.
Meeting time: mornings, three times a week 9-9:50 a.m.

Though radically opposed in their basic world views, Karl Marx (1818-83) and Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) exhibited striking similarities in their critiques of modern bourgeois society as it was emerging in the nineteenth century. Their analyses of the religious, economic, political, sexual and linguistic predilections of the rising middle-class continue to exert enormous influence, even as the middle class reigns triumphant. We will compare and contrast their ideas in the context of German society from the final defeat of Napoleon (1815) to the start of the First World War (1914). We will also consider whether their relevance today extends beyond the academic sphere. Among works to be read: by Marx, Early Writings, The Communist Manifesto, Capital (selections), and by Nietzsche, On the Use and Abuse of History, The Gay Science (selections), and Twilight of the Idols.
Evaluation will be based on participation and two 5-page papers.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 15.
Cost to students: $60 for books.
Meeting time: mornings, three times a week for 2-hour sessions.

This course follows up on GERM 202 (S) Berlin: Multicultural Metropolis, but is open to German-speaking students who have completed German 104. Students will spend two weeks in Berlin, researching individual projects guided by the instructor.
In week one, we will walk around the city's historic neighborhoods and visit several Berlin- specific museums, such as, the Jewish Museum, the Film Museum, the Berlin Mitte (district history) Museum, the synagoge at Oranienburger Str., the "Story of Berlin" exhibit, and explore the portrayal of turn-of-the-century working class life in the works of Heinrich Zille and K�the Kollwitz. We will also travel through the city from West to East on the famous bus line 100, and visit the Turkish-German district in Kreuzberg. We will study Berlin dialect on location in several scenic, not as heavily touristed locations in the former East, and trace the remnants of the Berlin Wall.
In week two, we will choose individual aspects of city history or present-day culture. We will explore Berlin-specific tenement architecture and Hinterh�fe, investigate Jewish life in Berlin before the Nazis and in the present, Berlin as the city of film making in the twenties, Berlin in the Third Reich, Cold War Berlin, The Berlin Wall, and post-unification Berlin.
Students will write a journal of their daily findings and experiences.
On our return to campus, students will present their research project to other German students in the WSP sustaining program.
Enrollment limit: 8. Not open to first-year students.
Cost to students: approximately $1800.

This course will examine the historical and cultural meanings of futebol/f�tbol/soccer in inter-American contexts. Across the Americas people have used this sport to define themselves, their regions, and even their national civilizations. Looking at both the darker tendencies (especially violence) and the aesthetically pleasing products (such as Brazilian "football- art" or "the beautiful game") of soccer, we will discuss the boundaries involved in such definitions-between Latin American countries and the United States, between men and women, between macho and non-macho men, between racial and ethnic groups. Among the questions we will address are: Why do nations develop allegedly distinct styles of play? Why has futebol achieved wide popular while soccer languishes in relative obscurity? Will the rise of women's teams challenge futebol machismo?
Evaluation will be based on class participation, a presentation, and a 10-page paper.
No prerequisites, but preference will be given to history majors and students with strong backgrounds in soccer.
Enrollment limit: 20.
Cost to student: about $50 for books and course packet.
Meeting time: mornings, twice per week, three hours per session.

The samurai of myth has captured imaginations for centuries as a paragon of loyalty, honor, courage, self-sacrifice, and martial skill. In this course, we will explore how various images of the samurai have been constructed and how these popular conceptions relate to the history of the warrior in Japan. Most of our attention will be focused on the period from the late 1100s through the 1800s. We will consider questions of how literature can be used as historical sources, and how historical contexts shape the production of literature. Readings will include war tales, samurai manuals, and plays as well as essays on the history of the samurai. Film clips will also be shown to illustrate how the samurai myth has been reconstructed in the recent past. Specific topics will include the culture and conduct of war, religion and the samurai, ideas of loyalty and treachery, and samurai legacies for the modern period.
Evaluation will be based on class participation and short response papers.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 20.
Cost to student: $30 for books and photocopies.
Meeting time: mornings; 2-3 sessions per week.

This course will examine issues of narration, representation, and content in recent gripping narrative histories of Africa published largely by trade presses and geared for a "larger" audience. These books, some of them sensationalized histories of colonial atrocities, the slave trade and slavery, peasant lives, etc., raise several questions about how we do history. How might a focus on narrative distort people's experience? In what ways might such a focus compromise historical analysis? How do these narrative histories relate content and form, story and method? How does everyday experience look when it is collapsed, expanded, and arranged into narratives? In other words, how does narrative shape its material and our understanding of it? The course will expand our understanding of the kinds of histories possible, and the choices we make in representing the past.
Full class participation mandatory; one 10- to 15-page paper.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 20.
Cost to student: approximately $60 for books.
Meeting times: 2-3 mornings a week.

In his 1784 Voyage to the Pacific Ocean, Captain James Cook became the first westerner to describe the ancient Polynesian sport of surfing. Observing a wave-rider in Tahiti, Cook wrote, "I could not help concluding that this man felt the most supreme pleasure while he was driven on so fast and so smoothly by the sea." Since then, the sport of surfing has fascinated the modern imagination for its graceful beauty, communion with the sea, laid-back life-style, and intense athleticism. This winter study explores the history of surfing and its popular image in American literature and cinema. We will read several classic works of surf literature including Daniel Duane's Caught Inside, Kem Nunn's Dogs of Winter, and Allan C. Weisbecker's In Search of Captain Zero, and we will watch some of the most influential surf movies including Gidget, Endless Summer, Dogtown and Z-Boys, and Riding Giants. The goal of this winter study is to instill students with an appreciation of surfing's colorful history and culture.
Evaluation will be based on attendance, participation, and a 10-page paper.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 30.
Cost to student: $60 for books.
Meeting time: TW, 1-3:50 p.m., with a film presentation every Tuesday evening, 7-10 p.m.

HIST 14 Latina and Latino Migration Stories: Dominican Writers (Same as Latina/o Studies 14)

Cinematic representations of American Indians have seemingly abandoned the negative stereotypes of early Westerns. In the last thirty years, film makers have increasingly professed their concern for historical accuracy and cultural sensibility in representing Indian subjects. In this course, we will test these claims by examining old and new representations of Indians in mainstream American films and by comparing these representations with those found in foreign films and films directed and produced by American Indians. How and why have images of Indians in mainstream American films changed? To what extent have they remained the same? To what extent are foreign and American Indian films proposing alternative ways of representing Indian history and culture? To answer these questions, we will not only watch a number of movies but also read short essays on American Indian history, film history, and movie reviews.
Evaluation will be based on class participation and a 10-page paper comparing two or more movies. Films we will see include: Broken Arrow; Little Big Man; How Tasaty was My Little Frenchman; The Mission; Powwow Highways; Dances with Wolves; Black Robe; Smoke Signals.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 25.
Cost to student: $40 for books and photocopies.
Meeting time: mornings; 2-3 sessions per week.

An independent reading and research course on American wars from colonial times to the present. All participants will share a few common readings, but there will be no formal classes. Instead, each participant will meet individually with the instructor to develop a unique reading list on a topic of their choice. Once their topic is decided, they will spend the rest of the Winter Study researching and writing a substantial paper (at least 25 pages) on their topic.
No prerequisites except interest in American military history. Enrollment limit: 20.
Cost to students: $40 for books.
Meeting time: no formal classes.

There is nothing free about free speech. Although the First Amendment to the Constitution guarantees freedom of speech and freedom of the press, these rights exist only to the extent that people are willing to fight for them. The war on terrorism and the USA Patriot Act pose the greatest threat to free speech since the Red Scare of the 1950s. But the censors are active in many other areas of American life: they challenge books in the public schools and seek to restrict the content of radio, television and the Internet. To understand the current debate over free expression, this course will examine how free speech has grown over the course of the last century: how it became a political issue; the tactics used by civil libertarians to protect offensive political ideas and shocking artistic speech; and the growth of legal protections for free speech.
Requirements: regular attendance, class participation and two 5-page papers.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 15.
Cost to student: $30 for book and duplicating.
Meeting time: late mornings, twice a week for three hours.

Christopher Finan is president of the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression, and is the author of several books, including From the Palmer Raids to the PATRIOT Act: A History of the Fight for Free Speech in America.

This intensive course will give students the capacity to begin to access the Hebrew Bible, through a study and exploration of the language, grammar, and vocabulary of Biblical Hebrew. The course will culminate in students being asked to translate and interpret brief passages of text from Genesis, with an emphasis on the theme of covenant. No prior knowledge of Hebrew is necessary.
Meeting Time: Mornings, TWR

RABBI JOSHUA BOETTIGER (Instructor)
Sponsor: FOX (Sponsor)

Dance is a critical and meaningful cultural practice. This course is an introduction to a diverse range of dance practices. We will study scholarship that analyzes movement cross-culturally and in relation to knowledge, sexuality, the gaze, history and freedom. Each week, students will write a 1- to 2-page analysis of the readings and select visual materials to discuss in class. For your final project, students will select a piece of choreography, write a 7- to 8-page analysis, and do a presentation in class. We will also have one field trip to New York City for a dance performance.
Evaluation will also be based on attendance and participation.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 15. Preference to Latina/o Studies concentrators and Performance Studies students.
Cost to students: $50 for books and reading packet.
Meeting time: afternoons, twice a week for 3-hour sessions.

LATS 14 Latina and Latino Migration Stories: Dominican Writers (Same as History 14)

Migration is often understood in the aggregate, as the mass movements of people. Yet migration is also an intensely personal experience. This course will explore how Latinas and Latinos have told their migration stories. After a brief historical overview of a particular group's migration history, we will read fictional and autobiographical accounts to address what life was like in the home country, the experience of the journey, and the challenges of adjusting to life in the United States.
Evaluation will be based on class participation and presentations, and a 10 page final essay.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 20.
Cost to students: approximately $40 for books and photocopies.
Meeting time: mornings, twice a week for 3-hour sessions.

This course considers the responsibilities of leadership in corporate life through the perspectives of visiting alumni who hold leadership positions in American corporations. It examines the social obligations created by success in business, with special emphasis on the social and environmental duties of contemporary business. We will also explore the organizational, professional, social, and personal dilemmas faced by leading figures in modern corporations and institutions. Readings will include material from organizational sociology and economics, as well as relevant biography and autobiography.
Evaluation will be based on attendance and participation in class discussions, and a final 10-page paper.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit:20.
Meeting time: mornings.
Cost to student: approximately $30 for reading materials.

How did three members of a wealthy New York "Knickerbocker" family rise above the narrow, elitist interests of their social class to become the great political and moral leaders of the twentieth century? In this course we will focus on the political careers and lives of Theodore Roosevelt, his niece Eleanor, and his fifth-cousin Franklin. Theodore and Franklin both graduated from Harvard to become lawyers, assistant secretaries of the Navy, governors of New York, and American presidents of unusual ability and accomplishments. Eleanor Roosevelt, a tireless advocate for the rights of working men and women of all races, led in the drafting of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The three Roosevelts were committed to an inclusive, egalitarian, and progressive democracy. Through readings, documentary films, guest lectures, and class discussions, we will explore the intertwining lives and ideas of the Roosevelts.
Requirements: There will be three class meetings a week; students will give several oral reports and write one 15-page research paper.
Enrollment limit: 12.
Cost to students: books.
Meeting time: afternoons.

LEAD 13 Political Engagement and the 2008 Election (Same as Political Science 13)

This course will engage students in the practice and possibilities of political involvement. Designed for both the student who has yet to explore the political realm as well as politically active students, the goal will be to have each student develop a `tool box' of skills that can be used to forward their own interests and ideals through political activism. In the midst of the early primary activity for the 2008 Presidential election, we will use current events to establish a framework for better understanding how leadership, community involvement and academic knowledge in political science can be leveraged and applied to the political process and why that should matter to Williams' students. Each student will engage with a current political cause or candidate. Students will develop the ability to be objective and critical readers of the media coverage of political campaigns and events, will be introduced- through guest speakers and readings-to the perspectives of those on the frontlines of the most significant political movements and campaigns in the U.S., and will master some of the mechanics and practices of political campaigns and movements.
Method of evaluation: end of course research project: 15-page campaign plan (80%) and class participation (20%).
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 10. Preference given to Leadership Studies concentrators.
Cost to students: $75.
Meeting time: afternoons.

LEAD 15 "You are not listening!"-Exploring Interpersonal Conflict (Same as Chemistry 15 and Special 15)

This Winter Study project is for students who would like to participate in an off-campus experiential education opportunity. Students will be required to research an appropriate accredited program i.e. National Outdoor Leadership School, Outward Bound etc., that will provide a suitable learning environment and be at least 22 days in length. The Director of the Williams Outing Club will assist students in their search if necessary. Upon choosing a program and being accepted, students will meet with the Director in a pre-program meeting in December to create a framework for observing group dynamics and studying a variety of leadership styles. A required 10-page paper based on their journals will be required immediately after their return to campus for the start of third quarter. There will also be a follow up class to debrief the experience in the first week of February. All programs must meet with the approval of the Outing Club Director.
In addition to off-campus opportunities, there will be a Wilderness First Responder Emergency Care course that will take place on campus. Contact Scott Lewis for details.
Requirements: course approval by WOC Director, daily journal writing with focus on leadership and group dynamics, 10-page paper and 2 class meetings pre and post trip. Student assessment will be based on ten page paper and class discussions.
No prerequisites. Not open to first-year students. Interested sophomores, juniors and seniors must consult with WOC Director before registration. Enrollment limit: 20.
Cost to student will vary depending on the program selected-range is generally from $1,500-3,000.

LGST 13 United States Environmental Law: Its Historic Roots, Its Uncertain Future (Same as Environmental Studies 13)

Taught from the perspective of an experienced trial attorney, this course will examine the role environmental law plays in the United States today in light of how that role has developed during the nearly forty years since the modern era of environmental law began. As a preface, we will consider the significantly more limited influence of environmental law in our national affairs before 1970 and some of the historical and political reasons for that situation, in particular how the law's early application in the first half of the 20th century almost exclusively to conservation and the preservation of natural resources somehow took on in the second half a markedly different approach, one emphasizing pollution control and all but ignoring resource conservation.
This course will begin by tracing the development of an American consciousness towards the environment through an examination of our law and our literature. The term "law" includes state and federal judicial decisions and legislation, particularly during the presidency of Theodore Roosevelt and during the decades which followed the year 1970 when much of the legal basis for the American environmental protection movement was established. The term "literature" includes not just the written word (the first book we look at is "The Lorax" by your favorite childhood author, Dr. Seuss) but also painting, sculpture, and music. Nothing too heavy! We will examine the historical and legal choices we as Americans have made which have put our environment on trial. What has occurred in our development as a people that explains this quintessentially American phenomenon? Our journey begins with the Puritans of New England and the planters of Virginia and their predecessors in the New World and then moves swiftly to the beginning of the modern era in environmental law and to its now uncertain future.
In light of this historical situation students will examine state and federal legislative and judicial attempts to address environmental problems and then try to reach informed, rational conclusions as to whether those attempts were successful. What were the political, social and economic issues involved and, ultimately, how did their context affect the legal solution imposed. Cases decided at the appellate level will be introduced and examined through their trial court memoranda opinions in order to observe how the legal system actually works and how frequently the reasoning behind the trial judge's decision changes as the case works its way through the appellate process.
This course will be presented from a litigator's point of view, that is to say, both the practical and the theoretical, emphasizing what is possible to achieve in the litigator's real world as informed by what the academician would present from the security of the classroom. Evaluation will be based on attendance and classroom participation. Students will prepare several short papers, which will present one or more sides of an issue and form the basis for classroom discussion. They will be asked to defend or reject the conclusions reached or approaches taken by our courts and legislatures and by our literature, as broadly defined, on environmental issues.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 16. This course is appropriate for students eager to explore the material presented and prepared to argue assigned positions on important legal, literary and historical issues.
Cost to students: approximately $60 for books and materials.
Meeting time: mornings. 3 two-hour sessions a week.

Philip R. McKnight '65 is a trial and appellate attorney. At Williams he completed the honors program for both American History and Literature and European History. He earned his law degree from The University of Chicago Law School and then practiced in the state and federal courts of New York and Connecticut, as well as in Europe.

The course, a class participation seminar, is an introduction to the legal analysis of judicial decisions, as well as a brief survey of some of the principal types of law practice. Work outside of class will consist of reading and analyzing court decisions set forth in the written materials provided to the students. The students will be required to orally brief each case for presentation and to participate fully in class discussion and analysis of the issues raised by it.
The form and content of the course will replicate the pattern of first year law school class work. Accordingly, students will read, summarize, analyze, and evaluate legal opinions in several areas of the law, including torts, property, contracts, criminal, and constitutional law. The students will consider and discuss the role of judicial precedents, including instances in which precedents are binding, when they are not binding, and how courts are able to distinguish precedents rather than disregarding them. They will be introduced to the structure of the state and federal court systems, the differences between trial level courts and appellate courts, and the ways in which cases that are initiated in state courts can wind up before a federal court. The students will also learn how courts deal with statutory law, including the relationship between statutory law and the common law, and the difficult issues of statutory interpretation with which courts are faced every day. Matters such as judicial philosophy, the influence of societal practices and expectations, and the "craft" of the law will also be considered.
Evaluation of the student will be based primarily on thoroughness of preparation and class participation and secondarily on the quality of at least one analytical paper.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 20. Preference given to students completing the Legal studies Program, then, in order, juniors, seniors, sophomores, freshman.
Cost to student: photocopying 100-300 pages.
Meeting time: TWR, 1-3 p.m.

JOSEPH A. WHEELOCK, JR. '60 and LAURENCE D. CHERKIS (Instructors)
KAPLAN (Sponsor)

Mr. Wheelock practiced law for over 30 years in business, both commercial and corporate, litigation. He specialized in complex financial issues, particularly securities litigation representing auditors, issuers, underwriters, and corporate directors and officers. Mr. Cherkis practiced law for over 30 years specializing in the areas of real estate and real estate finance law, creditors' rights law, and corporate transactions. He taught at St. John's University School of Law in the Bankruptcy Law Program.

Saluton! Qapla'! Suilad! Coi! From Esperanto to Klingon, from Quenya to Lojban, linguaphiles have long been driven to duplicate and manipulate the properties of natural language to construct new languages for use in works of fiction, for facilitating international communication, or for the pure fun of intellectual stimulation. In this course, students will develop their own constructed languages, guided by study of the cross-linguistic typology of patterns in phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and language change to help make their invented languages more realistic-or if appropriate, more realistically unrealistic! Students will also apply their knowledge of linguistic typology to critically assess the design of existing constructed languages such as Esperanto and Klingon.
Evaluation will be based upon class participation, performance on regular homework assignments, presentation of selected readings, and the quality and thoroughness of the final project, which will be a formal description and typological evaluation of the grammar of the student's constructed language.
Prerequisite: Linguistics 100, Linguistics 210, or permission of the instructor. Enrollment limit: 20. Preference will be given based on demonstrated interest in the course material and in linguistics generally. Interested students should contact the instructor in the fall with a brief expression of intent.
Cost to student: about $15-25 for texts.
Meeting time: afternoons, two 3-hour sessions.

LING 12 Preliminary Introduction to American Sign Language (Same as Women's and Gender 12 and Special 12)

This course introduces students to basic knowledge about American Sign Language and deaf people. Emphasis in this preliminary introduction to ASL is on developing rudimentary receptive, expressive, and interactive skills through an intensive immersion in ASL. Students will also be introduced to deaf history, culture, and politics. This course is designed to help nonsigners develop rudimentary skills, to introduce them to the complexity of ASL, and to cultivate interest in further study of the language.
Evaluation will be based on attendance, participation, quizzes, and student produced videotapes of their own expressive skills. Students will also be expected to spend an hour outside of class each week viewing native ASL signers.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 15 (expected: 15).
Cost to student: $40.
Meeting time: afternoons, three two-hour meetings per week.

Laurie Benjamin is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts in multicultural and international education. Ms. Benjamin has taught deaf students at the secondary level. She is a nationally certified ASL interpreter with extensive experience in a wide range of interpreter settings including mental health, legal, and performance interpreting. In addition to working as a free-lance interpreter for the deaf, she is currently teaching ASL to students at Williamstown Elementary School.

Pilates is a series of strengthening and conditioning exercises created by Joseph H. Pilates. Often referred to as the first physical therapist, Pilates was dissatisfied with existing approaches to exercise at the turn of the last century. He studied both Eastern methods of exercise such as yoga, which focused on relaxation and breathing, and Western methods that concentrated on building strength and endurance. He combined different qualities of both methods in an attempt to create an ideal form of physical training. Pilates exercises focus on the "core muscles": the abdominals and the back. Even when working the arms or legs, the core muscles initiate the movement.
In this course, we will study the Pilates mat exercises in detail, including performance, physiology, breathing, muscular emphasis, and modifications. We will also look at recent research studies on Pilates and related exercises, and discuss Pilates' original motivation, goals, and philosophy behind the exercises. Evaluation will be based on weekly quizzes, participation in class, and a final project that includes a class presentation and paper. Attendance is critical; students must attend every class.
No prerequisites. Students will be selected based on a questionnaire about interest in the course. This course is intended for those with little to no previous experience with Pilates, but with some dance or fitness background/experience.
Cost to student: approximately $100 for books and equipment.
Meeting times: afternoons, 6 hours per week (Pilates class plus lecture/discussion). Enrollment Limit: 10.

Pacelli is an Assistant Professor of Mathematics in addition to being a certified instructor of Pilates, Kickboxing, Step Aerobics, and Spinning. She is also an Examiner for the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America.

Do you have an interest in inspiring others to enjoy the intellectual triumphs of mathematical ideas? Is education one of your passions? Do you want to learn the finer points of teaching while working with your own group of middle school students? This winter study course will offer you insights into the art of teaching and will provide practical teaching experience in which you will be able to find your own voice in the classroom. In this experiential course, you will be assigned to a group of middle school students from Berkshire Arts & Technology Charter Public School in Adams, Massachusetts (BArT) with whom you will teach during January. You will meet with your students several times a week and will teach both the curriculum at hand as well as offer mathematical enrichment. If you are drawn to the opportunity to teach real students and are willing to commit to this serious responsibility, this is the winter study for you. Teaching is truly "the toughest job you'll ever love."
In addition to regular class meetings here on campus, Williams students will be responsible for meeting BArT students on their assigned days and times. Transportation to and from Adams, MA will be provided. In addition to their middle school teaching, Williams students will keep a Teaching Journal and produce a Teaching Portfolio.
Evaluation will be based on mandatory attendance, quality of teaching, and written materials including the Teaching Journal and the Teaching Portfolio.
Prerequisite: This course is open to all Williams students having a solid knowledge of calculus. Enrollment limit: 10.
No cost to students.
Meeting time: TBA (in consultation with BArT). As with all other Winter Study courses, there will be 6 hours of class and 20 hours of work outside of class per week.

This course is an introduction to modern dance for those who have never taken a modern dance or ballet class, but who want to give it a try. (Those with more experience might consider MATH 13 Modern Dance-Muller Technique). The technique for the course is based on a combination of styles from the companies that Dick De Veaux worked with while he toured as a professional dancer. The course includes both flexibility and strength training as well as dance instruction. We will work on the basics of movement through space and the different efforts and shapes that are used to propel us.
Requirements for the course will include participation in the class, short essays on assigned videos and readings, and participation in an end of term lecture demonstration that we will present to the public.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 25.
No cost to student.
Meeting time: TBA. The class will meet six to eight hours per week.

This dance class will be based on the modern dance technique developed by Jennifer Muller, with whom I danced professionally for 5 years in New York City and in Europe. Jennifer Muller was a soloist in the dance company of Jos� Lim�n before she started her own company in 1974. She has added her own style of movement to the Lim�n technique, creating an expansive, free-flowing dance that is wonderful to do and to watch.
The class will be multi-leveled and open to both men and women alike. Previous dance experience preferred.
Students will have the opportunity to choreograph a short piece either as a soloist or in small groups.
We will finish the course with a short lecture-demonstration illustrating what we have learned.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 24.
Cost to student: under $20.
Meeting time: MTRF, 10-noon.

Sylvia Logan received her B.A. in Slavic Literature from Stanford University. She danced professionally with the Jennifer Muller Dance Company, a modern company based in New York City for five years.

In this class we will explore three aspects of fractals: their mathematical origins, writing computer programs (in Matlab) to generate them, and creating high quality, large, print hard copies of them. The particular type of fractals we will be dealing with were first discussed by geometer Felix Klein. Throughout the class, as the mathematics and the computational techniques are being established, participants will also be developing their personal artistic ideas (themes, colors, textures, etc.), culminating in the production of an original piece of fractal artwork by each student.
Evaluation will be based on homework, participation in class, and a final project consisting of the full production of your own fractal-based artwork.
Prerequisites: Interest in math and some experience with computer programming. Enrollment limit: 18.
Cost to students: approximately $60 for textbook (Indra's Pearls: The Vision of Felix Klein) and materials.
Meeting time: afternoons, 6 hours per week.

David Craft was a visiting professor of math and stats at Williams last year. He is currently a researcher at Massachusetts General Hospital in the radiation oncology laboratory. He applies mathematical optimization methods to cancer radiation treatment planning.

Maxwell's equations are four simple formulas, linking electricity and magnetism, that are among the most profound equations ever discovered. These equations led to the prediction of radio waves, to the realization that a description of light is also contained in these equations and to the discovery of the special theory of relativity. In fact, almost all current descriptions of the fundamental laws of the universe are deep generalizations of Maxwell's equations. Perhaps even more surprising is that these equations and their generalizations have led to some of the most important mathematical discoveries (where there is no obvious physics) of the last 25 years. For example, much of the math world was shocked at how these physics generalizations became one of the main tools in geometry from the 1980s until today. It seems that the mathematics behind Maxwell is endless. This will be an introduction to Maxwell's equations, from the perspective of a mathematician.
Evaluation will be based on problem sets and/or a ten page paper.
Prerequisite: Mathematics 105 or Mathematics 106. No physics background is required. This course is aimed for people who want to get a feel for some current mathematics. No enrollment limit.
Cost to student: approximately $20 for texts.
Meeting time: mornings.

Creating fabric out of interlocking loops can be traced back to the Neolithic period, and knitted artifacts 1600 to over 2000 years old have been found in Egypt, Peru, and Sweden. Knitting requires little machinery and can be done almost anywhere yet requires a significant amount of learned skill. Knitting techniques have been handed down through generations, shared in small groups, and transferred between cultures as trade routes emerged. The social history of knitting in America is a rich reflection of our history of culture. We will examine the social history of knitting through a sequence of readings, lectures, and discussions, and explore knitting technique through a series of projects. Our textbook is No Idle Hands: The History of American Knitting, by Anne L. MacDonald, and additional readings will be handed out in class. We will engage a series of project samples designed to introduce and improve skills of beginning knitters, starting with simple washcloths, a knitted cap, and culminating in a final project of a felted mittens. Students will also be required to select and research some aspect of knitting and write a 10-page research paper. Topics will need pre-approval of the instructor.
Evaluation will be based on participation, projects and a final 10-page research paper.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 15. Enrollment is restricted to beginning knitters and preference will be given to first-year students.
Cost to student: approximately $90 for materials kit and $25 for textbooks.
Meeting time: three days per week from 4-6 p.m.

Mary Johnson, M. Ed., is highly experienced and has worked as a professional knitter for NYC designers KnitWits, Lane Borgesia, and Storey Publishing. Mrs. Johnson is a third grade teacher at Williamstown Elementary School.

We'll study, prepare, and play in as many bridge tournaments in the area as possible, coupled with analysis, reading, and writing.
Tournament play followed by analysis and the writing up of lessons learned is an essential part of the study of bridge. At this level, it is much more than a "game": it is an intense intellectual and academic activity. There are regular duplicate games Monday and Thursday evenings and Wednesday noon in Pittsfield and other tourneys in the region, including weekends. Reading list: Commonsense Bidding by William Root; How to Play a Bridge Hand by William Root; How to Defend a Bridge Hand by William Root; Modern Bridge Conventions by Root and Pavlicek; 5 Weeks to Winning Bridge by Alfred Sheinwold.
Evaluation: based on participation in all activities and the writing.
Prerequisite: You have to know how to play bridge. Enrollment limit: 15. Selection criteria: bridge playing experience.
Cost to student: $100 for entry fees and one or two overnights. (And you provide your own food on the road.) Meeting time: Tournament time averaging about 15 hours per week plus the occasional longer roadtrips, other class time about 6 hours per week, homework about 3 hours per week.

MATH 18 Introductory Photography: People and Places (Same as Special 23)

This is an introductory course in photography, with an emphasis on color photography and using the digital camera. The main themes will be portraiture and the landscape. No previous knowledge is assumed, but students are expected to have access to a 35 mm (or equivalent) digital camera, preferably with manual override or aperture priority. The topics covered will include composition, exposure, camera use, direction and properties of light, and digital imaging. Students will develop their eye through the study of the work of well-known photographers and the critical analysis of their own work. We will discuss the work of contemporary photographers such as Mary Ellen Mark, Joel Meyerowitz, Constantine Manos, and Eugene Richards. Students will be expected to spend a considerable amount of time practicing their own photography outside of class. There will be one required local half-day field trip. Students will also be introduced to the program Photoshop, and will work on their own pictures with this program. Evaluation will be based on class participation, an in-class quiz and a final project.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 10.
Cost to the student: $50 for the purchase of a text.
Meetings time: Mornings

C. SILVA

Students enrolled in Symphonic Winds will rehearse and prepare music in preparation for two concerts, one during the last week of winter study, and one in February 2008. Students will participate in a variety of performance settings from full ensemble to various chamber ensemble settings (both conducted and unconducted). Students will be responsible for attending all rehearsals and composer lectures to which they are assigned by the instructor, and leading occasional sectionals; while specific, detailed schedule will be constructed once the repertoire is determined, rehearsals/lectures will most likely be scheduled on Monday- Thursday afternoons and Sunday evenings. Students should expect to be in rehearsal for approximately 6-10 hours each week. Outside of class, students are expected to spend approximately 20 hours each week preparing for rehearsals by both practicing individual parts and completing required listening/reading assignments. Evaluation will be based on individual performance and preparation, and, as necessary, written assignments.
Repertoire will be selected based on enrollment. Repertoire to be studied during Winter Study will include music of Louis Andriessen (De Materie, La Passione, and Writing to Vermeer), and possibly music by composers including John Adams, Cornelis de Bondt, John Corigliano, Michael Gordon, and Judd Greenstein. In addition and in conjunction with Keith Kibler's winter study musical theater course, the Symphonic Winds will serve as the pit orchestra for the selected show (tentatively Sondheim's Sweeney Todd).
Symphonic Winds is open to students of all musical abilities, including wind, brass, and percussion players, as well as vocalists, string players, and pianists. Instructor permission is necessary to enroll in this winter study course. Enrollment limit: 30. Preference is given to students who have performed in Symphonic Winds previously.
Cost to student: none.
Meeting time: afternoons.

Since 2000, Steven Bodner has been the music director of the Symphonic Winds at Williams College, where he also teaches classical saxophone and music theory, and performs regularly with the Williams Chamber Players. He earned a B.A. in philosophy and B. Mus. in saxophone performance and Miami (OH) University in 1997, an M.M. in wind ensemble conducting with academic honors and distinction in performance from New England Conservatory in 1999, and he is pursuing his Ph.D. in Music Education at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

The operas of Giuseppe Verdi have long captivated audiences with their soaring melodies, dramatic intensity, patriotic sentiments, and spectacular effects. With works such as Nabucco, La traviata, Rigoletto, Aida, and Otello, Verdi brought the 19th-century Italian operatic tradition established by Rossini, Bellini, and Donizetti to new aesthetic heights. Through lectures, discussion, and guided listening, this course explores Verdi's contribution to the field of opera by tracing the development of the Italian bel canto style and emergence of romantic naturalism in his some of his greatest masterworks.
Evaluation will be based on two tests and class participation. Outside-of-class work will include reading, listening, and film viewing. Attendance is mandatory.
No prerequisites. An ability to read music is not required.
If possible, we will take a field trip to see a performance of a Verdi opera.
Enrollment limit: 15. Preference given to freshmen and students with a demonstrated interest in music.
Cost to student: $75.
Meeting time: TWF, 10-noon; film viewings on MTR evenings.

MUS 12 Ensembles in Classic American and European Musical Theatre (Same as Theatre 12)

Singers of all levels of experience will increase their skills in vocal technique, interpretation and performance. In a combination of private voice lessons, coaching with an accompanist, and a performance/discussion workshop session, students will immerse themselves in repertoire towards the goal of a concert at the end of Winter Study.
Preference will be given to students currently studying voice or with some vocal or musical background. Pianists interested in accompanying singers are also welcome. Enrollment limit: 12.
Meeting time to be determined.

Kerry Ryer-Parke is known as a skilled and intuitive performer of many musical styles. She is a frequent soprano soloist, the Director of the Bennington Children's Chorus, and maintains a private teaching studio as well as serving as an Adjunct Instructor of Voice at Williams.

Students will have the opportunity to participate in an ensemble course devoted to studying and playing the music of Brazil, focusing on Bossa Novas and Sambas. Class participants will study and learn the music of composers/singers Antonio Carlos Jobim, Elis Regina, Milton Nascimento, Ivan Lins, Gilberto Gil, Astrud and Joao Gilberto. The course will explore how the Bossa Nova craze was brought to the U.S. and introduced to the rest of the world by American jazz musicians in the early 1960s. We will also look into the musical couple Flora Purim and Airto Moreira and their fame with the renowned jazz pianist Chick Corea. Guest speaker will be well-known guitarist Romero Lubambo of the popular group Trio De Paz.
The students will experience playing (and singing) this stimulating music in an ensemble setting. The course is open to all interested vocalists and instrumentalists (percussion, guitar, piano, bass, drums, horns). The class will be limited to 16 students. Interested students are welcome to contact the instructor before registration by email: teriroiger@earthlink.net or phone (845-331-9835).
Students will be evaluated by their overall attentiveness and comprehension of the material presented in the course, as well as their participation in a live performance of the music, prepared in the class, during the final week of winter study. Students will be expected to practice the material outside of class.
The class will meet three times a week for two hours a day (TWR 1-3 p.m.). Outside listening assignments and preparation of individual parts will also be required.

Teri Roiger is an Adjunct Teacher of Jazz Voice at Williams College, and a professional singer, pianist, composer, lyricist and recording artist. She also teaches the History of Jazz and directs Vocal Jazz Ensembles at SUNY New Paltz. She has recently won 3rd prize in the jazz category in the prestigious 2006 International Songwriting Competition (ISC) for her Bossa Nova flavored composition entitled Still Life.
For more info go to her WebSite at: www.teriroiger.com; to hear her music go to: www.cdbaby.com/teriroiger

This course will offer in-depth training on a state-of-the-art piece of music notation software: Finale 2007. (If a later version of this program is available, then this upgrade will be used. At present, Williams College has the 2007 version installed on the computers in the Bernhard Music Center Macintosh lab).
Finale is the pre�minent music notation software-the equivalent of Microsoft Word for word processing, Quark Express or Adobe Illustrator for graphics design or page layout and Photoshop for digital photography/art/image manipulation. Finale's utility as a desktop music-publishing package is matched by its flexibility in preparing score and parts from solo works to full orchestra and chorus.
This course will be tailored to fill the needs of music majors as well as interested non-major singers and instrumentalists. Composition students are strongly advised to take this course. The skills acquired in this course will make the preparation and understanding of music theory and orchestration assignments in these courses, offered in the regular academic year, much more effective.
Students will gain in-depth exposure to this program through assigned work, as well as from work on original compositions and-for non-composers-arrangements of existing repertoire. By the end of the course, students will have developed an advanced level of use, which will aid them in preparing publishing-quality scores, and they will have developed a skill set of sophisticated computer/composition tools and techniques, which will greatly enhance and expand their conceptual processes of composition and arranging.
Both group and individual notation projects will be assigned every class meeting. The level of difficulty will vary according to the degree of mastery of the software each student brings to this course. Students should expect, whether beginner or advanced Finale users, to spend a minimum of three hours daily, or 21 hours per week, outside of class, in the lab, working on and completing assigned projects. Completed assignments will be graded based on the accuracy and detail of the music inputted and printed.
Prerequisites and student selection criteria: The ability to read music fluently in treble and bass clefs; at least one year of music theory; familiarity with the Macintosh computer and the OS X operating system. Enrollment limit: 10.
Cost to students: approximately $50 for backup media (CD-R discs and/or a flash drive); a sheaf or book (50 pages) of music manuscript paper and pencils (preferably mechanical, with 0.9 lead).
Meeting times: MWF, 10-noon in the Bernhard Music Center Macintosh computer lab.

Created in the 1960s to provide a means of teaching African music in schools and instill pride without privileging the music of either of Zimbabwe's main ethnic groups, the Shona and the Ndebele, the Zimbabwean marimba tradition shows how ethnic relationships can be negotiated and how African nationalism can be represented through music. Today after 40 years of having marimba music taught in schools, this music is a vital part of Zimbabwe's music culture. This music is also performed by more than two dozen marimba bands in the United States.
Students in this intensive course will learn to play marimba music and assess its impact in Zimbabwe and other countries. The course will be taught by Professor Ernest Brown, Director of the Zambezi Marimba Band, and Mr. Alport Mhlanga, a composer, teacher, and marimba virtuoso who helped develop the Zimbabwean marimba and has toured internationally with his own marimba bands. Mr. Mhlanga taught marimba music for many years in Zimbabwe at Kwanongoma College, composed many well-known songs, and currently teaches marimba at Maru a Pula School in Botswana.
Evaluation: one 5-page paper, topic to be arranged. Regular participation in lessons and rehearsals and progress as a marimba musician.
Required activities: This is an intensive course which meets Mondays-Fridays 2-4 p.m. Students are required to practice individually an hour a day and to come to group lessons prepared to play the material taught in the last lesson. This course will culminate in a performance at 7 p.m. on January 23, 2008. Additional musical, technical, or dress rehearsals may be required (after 4 p.m.) during the week before the performance, the weekend before the performance, or the week of the performance. Normally, students may not miss group lessons, pre-performance rehearsals, or the final performance and pass this course. Medical emergencies must be documented. Students who are not present for the first class will be dropped from the class and may not be allowed to re-enroll. Readings, listening, and video viewings will be assigned.
No prerequisites. Students should email Professor Brown, indicating in one paragraph, the level of their musical skills, their interest in the course, and their class year.
Student selection criteria: musical ability, but enthusiastic beginners are welcome to apply and will be admitted if possible. Enrollment limit: 7.
Cost to students: approximately $50 for reading packet and recordings.
Meeting time: see above.

This course covers some of the relevant "classical" composers of Cuban Music history. We will study the composer's life and work through the analysis of some of their relevant compositions. Class discussion will include the relationship of these works with elements borrowed from Cuban popular music and how the composer incorporates these elements into his/her own artistic expression. We will also discuss the influence of the European and Afro- Cuban traditions on this repertoire.
Evaluation will be based on class attendance and participation; and a 10 page paper and presentation of this paper during the final week of Winter Study. The performance of one of the works studied in class is not required but it is encouraged and can be taken into consideration as part of the final presentation. Possibilities for performance include short piano pieces by Manuel Saumel, Ignacio Cervantes, or Lecuona, guitar pieces by Leo Brouwer, and a percussion ensemble piece by Amadeo Toldan.
Prerequisites: the ability to read music and to follow music scores. Enrollment limit: 15.
Cost to student: $30 for reading packet.
Meeting times: TWR (6 hours per week, afternoons. Students are also required to listen to additional pieces not discussed in class during the mornings and to watch a film focused on Cuban Culture.

Can only be taken IN ADDITION to a regular WSP course. CONTACT THE MUSIC DEPARTMENT ABOUT SIGNING UP FOR THIS COURSE!!!
Intended for students who are continuing Music 251-258 lessons taken during fall semester. Must be taken in addition to a regular WSP course. Individual lessons in voice, keyboard, and most orchestral and jazz instruments, offered during Winter Study. Four lessons, given at approximately one week intervals (TBA). Student is expected to practice at least two hours per day. All individual instruction involves an extra fee which is partially subsidized by the department. Contact the Music Office for contract/permission forms which must be submitted in order to take this course.
Prerequisites: permission of Department Chair and Instructor, completion of Music 251 or higher during the previous semester.

This course will introduce students to sentential and predicate logic. Its major goal is to give them the ability to understand the kinds of formalization used in ordinary works of philosophy, i.e., texts that are not intended primarily for specialists in logic. Depending upon the interests and rates of progression of the students, there may be some consideration of more advanced topics, such as modal and tense logic.
Requirements: there will be readings for each class meeting, and usually problem sets.
Method of evaluation: problem sets, some to be completed in class.
Prerequisites: students who have taken courses in logic should not take this course without consulting with the instructor. Math majors are unlikely to be challenged, but are welcome, particularly if they are willing to try to help those in the class with less formal sophistication (including the instructor, who is far from an expert and anticipates honing his relatively modest skills by "teaching" this course). Enrollment limit: 15. Preference to actual and possible philosophy majors; non-majors who are considering declaring or adding the major in philosophy should so inform the instructor by email.
Cost to student: maximum of $50 (but probably less); for photocopies and/or books.
Meeting times: MTWR, 10:30-noon.

Aikido is a Japanese martial tradition that combines the samurai arts of sword and grappling with the philosophical desire to manifest harmony in the face of conflict. As such, it addresses situations of conflict that manifest themselves physically, but also offers insight into how to prevent or redirect the energies-social, political, or psychological-that might otherwise become conflict in one or another aspect of our lives. By integrating physical and intellectual components, the course seeks to forge in each student a more coherent perspective on the difficult questions, broadly formulated as "How should I live?", that the study of Ethics puts before us. The course also seeks to provide an opportunity for students to live, for one intensive month, as if they were 21st Century Samurai.
The physical training (10-12 each morning in the wrestling room) will improve each student's strength, balance, posture, and flexibility. Everyone will also learn how to throw their friends across the room. About 25% of training time will be devoted to sword and staff techniques. Intellectually, students will learn what constitutes philosophical rigor, and then take turns leading class discussions on ethical topics they choose from a list grouped into 4 major categories-Power, War, Life, and Money. While this is not intended to be strictly confined as an "Ethics of Aikido" course, the ethics discussions will be consistently and constructively flavored by our Aikido training.
Candidates need to understand that this course entails more class time each week than most Winter Study options. There is simply no other way to transmit and integrate the course's physical and intellectual components. Students will be expected to want to immerse themselves in experiencing life as a (peaceful) warrior. Assuming the course is fully subscribed, the Ethics classes will divide into 2 sections of 10 students. Two of the three Ethics classes each week will be held in the early evenings, and one session each week will be over lunch. Additional relevant experiences, such as meditation practice, misogi, and Samurai films, will be an integral part of the course.
Students will be evaluated on the quality of their participation in both physical and intellectual course components, a class presentation, and a final 10-page paper or project which entails a significant investigation of a topic emerging from the course experience.
Students interested in the course should visit http://www.aikidokids.com/philosophy11.htm before registration begins.
Prerequisites: same physician's approval on file as the school requires to participate on sports teams. Students do not have to be especially athletic, and in Aikido women train as equals with men. Enrollment limit : 20.
Cost to student : $100 for uniform and wooden training weapons. $35 for books.
Meeting time: mornings M-F, one lunch and two evenings/week.

Robert Kent '84 spent 3 years in Kyoto, Japan earning his Sho Dan (first degree black belt), directly after majoring in both Philosophy and Religion at Williams. He currently holds a San Dan rank (third degree black belt) and runs the youth program at Aikido West in Redwood City, CA. He also runs the website AikidoKids.com, and is founding coordinator for The PeaceCamp Initiative (a scholarship program that seeks to use Aikido principles to heal the Israeli/Palestinian conflict 20 kids at a time). He earned a Masters degree in Philosophy at Claremont Graduate School in 1993, writing his thesis on the Ethics of Authenticity. This will be the third time he has offered this course.

What is it for a novel, a story or a play to be a philosophical novel, story or play? It is not enough for it merely to be about a character who happens to be a philosopher; nor is it just that philosophical theories are reviewed in the narrative, as in Gaarder's Sophie's World. Milan Kundera tried to answer this question by saying that a good philosophical novel does not serve philosophy but, on the contrary, tries to "get hold of a domain that (...) philosophy had kept for itself. There are metaphysical problems, problems of human existence, that philosophy has never known how to grasp in all their concreteness and that only the novel can seize." If Kundera is right, literature at its best does the philosophical work that philosophy cannot do for itself. What kind of work is that, and how is it accomplished? Why can't argumentative prose-philosophers' preferred form of expression-clearly say, and moreover prove, what literature illustrates, shows and displays? One possible answer which we will examine is that, while many philosophers recognize that there are intimate connections between what we believe, feel and do, philosophical argumentation by its very nature appeals to belief alone; literature, by contrast, can simultaneously engage our reason, emotions, imagination and will, thus resulting not only in deeper understanding, but also in transformation of the self.
The class will require close readings of a (necessarily small) sample of philosophical novels, stories and plays, and a selection of theoretical works on the nature of the relationship between philosophy and literature. We will start with Voltaire's Candide, a straightforward illustration and dramatization of conflicting philosophical systems, and proceed to discuss the works in which literature and philosophy interact in more complex and more interesting ways. We will read Shakespeare's Hamlet, Kafka's Metamorphosis, Sartre's No Exit, de Beauvoir's She Came to Stay, several stories by J.L. Borges, Chekhov's Uncle Vanya and, time permitting, Ecco's The Name of the Rose.
Format: seminar. Requirements: class participation, weekly short assignments and a longer final paper.
Enrollment limit: 15 (expected: 10). Preference given to students with strong background or interest in both philosophy and literature.
Cost to the student: approximately $60 for books.
Meeting time: early afternoons.

This winter study course examines the ethical and social-political issues raised by intersexuality. Once called "hermaphrodites" or "pseudo-hermaphrodites," intersexed persons are individuals whose chromosomal-gonadal-genital configuration differs from the XX or XY norm. Over the past 50 years, it has been common medical practice to "normalize" intersexed infants through genital surgery, hormones, and other interventions.
In this course we will discuss questions such as: Are genital surgeries on intersexed infants ethical? Should they be illegal? Are these surgeries akin to male circumcision, which has long been legal in the U.S.? Or are these surgeries akin to FGS (female genital surgery), which has been banned in the U.S.? Should parents be legally required to "choose" a sex for their intersexed child? Should intersexed people be permitted to not legally declare a sex or gender? What do intersexed cases tell us about the social institutions of sex and gender?
Evaluation will be based on attendance, active participation, and a final essay of 7-9 pages, with a required draft submitted for comments.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 12.
Meeting time: mornings.

Students in this course will spend winter study in Morocco. Morocco presents a compelling blend of historical influences and modern world currents. Threads of Islam, Arab traditions, and the heritage of the native Berber people are woven into a distinctive cultural tapestry, while traces of French colonialism can still be seen in the political and social structure. Morocco is at the intersection of the West, the Middle East, and Africa. Travel there is therefore a powerful way to introduce intellectual themes that require and reward a subtle blending of insight from history, political science, religion, and philosophy.
We will take the first steps in engaging some of these challenging topics in order to enable independent study facilitated by serious and multifaceted exposure to the country. For the first two weeks, students will study at the Center for Cross Cultural Learning (CCCL) in Rabat, taking Arabic lessons (classical or Moroccan dialect) each morning and then gathering for lectures by local university faculty in the afternoon. During this span students will live with Moroccan families in the Rabat medina. In the third week of the course students will travel in the interior of Morocco, exploring Fez and Marrakech, riding camels in the desert, and hiking to Berber villages in the Atlas Mountains.
Students will be expected to attend all seminars, lead a group presentation, and complete a substantial research paper (10-15 pages). The presentation and research paper will be occasions to explore a special topic in depth including, for instance, justice and gender, art, literature, colonial studies, or Islam.
No prerequisites. Arabic is the official spoken language of Morocco, and French is spoken very widely. While desirable, neither is required. Enrollment limit: 15. Preference: Student interest is more important than class year or academic major. Final participants will be chosen on the basis of interviews regarding student goals and intellectual interests. Not open to first-year students.
Cost to students: approximately $3500.

This course will examine the art and science of holography. It will introduce modern optics at a level appropriate for a non-science major, giving the necessary theoretical background in lectures and discussion. Demonstrations will be presented and students will make several kinds of holograms in the lab. Thanks to a grant from the National Science Foundation, we have 7 well-equipped holography darkrooms available for student use. At the beginning of WSP, the class will meet for lecture and discussion three mornings a week and for lab 2 afternoons a week. Later classes will be mainly laboratory.
Students will be evaluated on the basis of regular attendance, completion of 4 laboratory exercises, and a holography laboratory project or a 10-page paper. Attendance at all classes and labs is required for a passing grade.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 30. Preference will be given to students with no previous college course in physics more advanced than Physics 100.
Cost to student: about $50 for holographic film, chemicals, and photocopies.

Biophysics is that branch of knowledge that applies the principles of physics and chemistry and the methods of mathematical analysis and computer modeling to understand how biological systems work. This exciting and rapidly evolving field is revolutionizing how we study life. This course will expose students to topics where the techniques of physics and chemistry inspire a deeper understanding of biological questions. Possible subject matter includes: polymer physics, DNA dynamics, protein dynamics, diffusion, cellular crowding, laser tweezers, single molecule techniques, molecular rulers, ion channels, and molecular motors. The goal will be to both instruct the student in biophysical methods and demonstrate the power of interdisciplinary research. The first part of the course will use class time to teach the necessary physical and biological concepts. The latter part of the course will be used to guide students through the experiments we have described in the coursework. Because grant writing is the primary method of acquiring scientific funding, the students will be instructed on writing a grant proposal that explores a relevant topic of interest to the student.
Evaluation will be based on take home problems, mock grant proposal (10 pages), class, and lab participation.
Prerequisites: Mathematics 209, Physics 142, Biology 101; or equivalent, or by permission of instructors. Enrollment limit: 12. Preference given to juniors and seniors.
Meeting time: TR, 1-4 p.m. plus lab time. Students should expect to spend at least 20-30 hours per week on the homework and labs in preparation for their mock grant proposal. The lab time has no set meeting time, and the students will be given access to the available lab resources they need to complete their work.

Nathan Hodas '04 is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in Physics at the California Institute of Technology. He is studying single-molecule dynamics of proteins and nucleic acids. He is the winner of the 2004 Leroy Apker Award.
Jennifer Hodas graduated from Yale University in 2004 with a B.S. in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry and a B.A. in Psychology. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Biochemistry at the California Institute of Technology. She is studying dynamic plasticity and local protein translation in neurons.

Representational drawing is not merely a gift of birth or a magical ability, but a learnable skill. If you ever wanted to draw, but doubted you had the ability or believed you could not learn, then this course is for you. This intensive course utilizes discoveries in brain research to teach representational drawing. By using simple techniques and extensive exercises you will discover and develop the perceptual shift from your symbol based left hemisphere to your visually based right hemisphere. This cognitive shift enables you to accurately see and realistically represent the physical world. You will learn to draw a convincing portrait, self-portrait, and still life. This course is designed to develop your powers of observation and enhance your innate creative problem solving abilities, which are applicable in any field. Students need no previous artistic experience, just the willingness and desire to learn a new skill. Students will be expected to attend and participate in all sessions. They will also be required to keep a sketchbook recording their progress and complete a final project.
Evaluation will be based on participation, effort, and development. The class will meet two times per week with substantial additional independent student work. There will be an exhibition of coursework on the final day of Winter Study.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 18, with preference given to juniors and seniors.
Cost to student: cost of text and (approximately) $15 for drawing materials.
Meeting time: mornings.

Stella Ehrich holds an M.F.A. in painting from Bennington College. She has taught drawing at Bennington College, the Lyme Academy School of Fine Arts and other local colleges. She has exhibited in the United States and Europe and executes portraits for clients around the world.

Explore and explode the boundaries that define the ancient art of bookmaking. Step outside of traditional assumptions and preconceived ideas to explore a mode of expression that is creative, graphic, sculptural and very personal. During the first half of the course, learn basic bookmaking and binding techniques, including the many variations on the accordion, codex, tunnel, carousel and inventive.
Practice paper decoration, printmaking (including monoprint, stamping, photocopy transfers and transfer drawings), collage and creative writing in order to develop a plan for the creation of a collaborative project and an individual artist's book, to be designed and executed in the last half of the class.
Students will be evaluated on class participation, a collaborative project and a final project which will be displayed at the end of Winter Study. Attendance is mandatory.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 12.
Cost to student: $60 plus another $50 dependent on the types of supplies/paper/books that students end up making.
Meeting time: Students will meet three days a week in a studio/workshop like setting. Expect to spend a minimum of 6 hours per day, outside of class, on daily assignments and final project.
Field trips to Chapin Library, the Clark Art Institute, and the Smith College Museum of Art will be required and scheduled according to class needs, potentially outside of the official meeting times.

Melanie Mowinski holds an M.F.A. in Book Arts and Printmaking from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia and a M.A. in Religion and the Visual Arts from Yale University. Her work has been exhibited both nationally and abroad, most recently in San Francisco, Pittsfield and Venice. She currently coordinates Public Programs at the Berkshire Museum.

Several members of the department will have student projects available dealing with their own research or that of current senior thesis students. Approximately 35 hours per week of study and actual research participation will be expected from each student.
Students will be required to keep a notebook and write a five-page paper summarizing their work. Those interested should consult with members of the department as early as possible in the registration period or before to determine details of projects then expected to be available.
Prerequisites: permission of instructor. Enrollment limit: 1 or 2 per project.
Cost to student: none.
Meeting time: to be arranged with instructor.

PSCI 10 B-Sides and Rarities in The Great Books Catalogue: Spinoza's Theological-Political Treatise

Baruch Spinoza's Theological-Political Treatise, published anonymously in 1670, sparked significant controversy in its time. In contesting prevailing orthodoxies about Scripture, outlining a theory of state power, and presenting a radical reinterpretation of the relation between religion and politics, the Theological-Political Treatise marks a significant intervention in the political struggles of a young Dutch Republic and a pivotal moment in the history of political philosophy. Yet, until recently, this text stood as Spinoza's minor work, a prelude to his monumental Ethics, and largely neglected by students of politics and philosophy. The recent "rediscovery" of Spinoza's political thought should come as little surprise, as questions of religion, the state, and violence circulate at the very center of present political conflict and struggle. In this course, we will undertake an intensive reading of Spinoza's Theological-Political Treatise, attuned to its rhetorical style and its philosophical arguments. We will consider Spinoza's views on the relation of faith to reason, the relation of rights to power, religious difference and toleration, the foundation of the state, and the connection between political philosophy and theology. Our investigation of the Treatise will prompt some consideration of the contemporary purchase of Spinoza's political, philosophical, and theological arguments.
Format: seminar. Requirements: regular attendance, careful and consistent reading both inside and outside of class, active and informed participation in discussion, and several short response papers (totaling 10-12 pages of writing)
Enrollment limit: 15.
Cost to student: about $20 for the book.
Meeting time: TWR, 10-noon.

It has been said that U2 is the "world's greatest rock band"-but is it also (unknown to most) the world's greatest-and most unusual-Christian rock band? This course explores the theology, spirituality and politics of U2 expressed through the group's songs, stage performances and human rights campaigns. We will listen to a lot of U2, watch some videos and tour footage-but it's not all fun and games. We will also read serious theological and philosophical tracts on U2 lyrics and explore the band's complicated interweaving of faith, sexuality, grace, fame, doubt, justice, and the meaning of America in a way which makes them a surprisingly popular and poignant spiritual voice in our superficial and materialistic age. We will also delve into the group's human rights and global social justice work, from Band Aid in the 1980s to Project Red today, and in particular explore Bono's Christian social justice moorings.
Evaluation based on class attendance, discussion and a 10- to 12-page paper.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 25.
Cost to student: price of books (approx. $50).
Meeting time: mornings.

This course will examine contemporary civil rights law including application of constitutional and statutory law to modern civil liberties issues. The course will address discrimination, employment, privacy, sexual harassment, ethnic profiling and police misconduct issues. The course will emphasize analysis of cases, statutes and related legal materials. Most of the class time will be devoted to discussion of the cases and statutes. Outside of class time will involve reading the cases and materials. A model civil rights case will likely be analyzed to demonstrate application of the law to a civil rights dispute. The class will begin with an introduction to legal research principles including traditional and electronic legal research. Students will analyze appellate court decisions and related materials, primarily U.S. Supreme Court decisions and select federal statutes including the Americans With Disabilities Act and the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This class is recommended for students contemplating law school.
Requirements: A 10-page research paper addressing a civil rights topic to be decided by student and instructor. Evaluation will be based on the analysis of a student paper and class participation.
No prerequisites, although an interest in civil rights issues is recommended. Enrollment limit: 20.
Cost to student: $75 for course materials.
Meeting time: mornings.

Mr. McGuinness has litigated civil rights cases for over twenty years including before the United States Supreme Court. He has taught civil rights law at the college and law school levels including two prior winter terms at Williams.

PSCI 13 Political Engagement and the 2008 Election (Same as Leadership Studies 13)

~~PSCI 14 Advocating for the Environment (Same as Environmental Studies 14)~~ CANCELLED!

In 2007, the world became majority urban. But most of these urbanites live not in places like New York or Tokyo but rather in places like Lagos or Mumbai, dwelling in shantytowns and working in petty commerce. Their cities' path of urbanization diverges from the "normal" one accompanying industrialization in the West and East Asia. We consider this phenomenon and its interpretation by various filmmakers and writers, and by the residents themselves. Writers include Mike Davis, Rem Koolhaas, Sukhetu Mehta, and Robert Neuwirth.
Evaluation will be based on class participation and a 10-page paper.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 20. Preference to Political Science majors.
Cost to students: none.
Meeting time: afternoons.

PSCI 16 Rhythm Based Conflict Resolution: An Experiential Approach (Same as Biology 16, Chemistry 17, Psychology 16, and Theatre 16)

Leo Strauss is one of the foremost political philosophers of the 20th century, and is especially influential for his ideas about how to read other political philosophers. He has become quite controversial of late due to his putative influence on neo-conservative thought. This course will read several of his main books and discuss them.
Requirements: 10+ page paper and class discussion.
Enrollment limit: 12.
Cost to student: about $50 for books
Meeting time: MWF, 10-noon.

This course is a participant-observation experience in which students work full-time for a governmental agency, nongovernmental (including voluntary, activist, and grassroots) organization, or for a political campaign. Students may find placements in government and nonprofit organizations in which their work involves significant involvement with public issues. Examples include: town government offices; state or federal administrative offices (e.g., environmental agencies, housing authorities); interest groups that lobby government (e.g., ACLU, NRA); nonprofit organizations such as service providers or think tanks (e.g., Habitat for Humanity; Cato Institute); and grassroots, activist or community development organizations (e.g., Greenpeace or neighborhood associations). In 2008, students are especially encouraged to seek fieldwork with political campaigns. The instructors will work with each student to arrange a placement; such arrangements must be made in advance of the Winter Term. Students should first make their own contacts with an institution or agency. The instructor and members of the Political Science department are available to help students find placements, if necessary. Each student's fieldwork mentor shall send a confirmation letter to the instructor verifying the placement and describing the nature of the work to be performed by the student. Students will read a few short articles distributed at the beginning of Winter Term and must agree to keep a journal, maintain weekly contact with the instructor, and write a final paper summarizing and reflecting upon the experience. A group meeting of all students will occur after winter study to discuss the experiences.
Requirements: 90 hours of fieldwork; satisfactory evaluation from the institutional sponsor; 10-page final paper or equivalent; participation in final meeting.
At the time of registration, interested students should send a resume and letter of interest to Paula Consolini.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 30.
Cost to student: approximately $15 for readings, student covers transportation costs to and from internship site.

In social science research, clear rules govern how to choose cases, how to infer causation, and how to recognize and assess disconfirming evidence. This course teaches those rules. Every class, students learn, apply, and evaluate a research technique. We discuss how to state a researchable question and how to determine what counts as an answer to that question. We consider what constitutes valid evidence, how to identify and evaluate alternative explanations for the same event, and how to separate coincidence from cause. Students do interviews, surveys, archival research, case studies and field studies. The course assumes no statistics although students will have to (gasp) multiply; instead, our focus is on the issues involved in conceiving and executing a research project in the social sciences.
Format: lab. Requirement: homeworks applying each method or research problem to a topic, then one larger report.
Enrollment limit: 15.
Cost to student: one textbook.
Meeting time: mornings.

This winter study will give students a first-hand, community level understanding of New Orleans culture and the impact of Hurricane Katrina, framed by an academic understanding of the same. Students will be in New Orleans for the first two weeks of the Winter Study period. During that time, they will be involved in rebuilding projects in New Orleans through Common Ground (a grass-roots recovery organization), Tulane's Semester in NOLA program, or possibly Habitat for Humanity. Projects may involve demolition, rough carpentry, painting, landscaping, or other manual labor in residential areas, or assisting in restoration of city facilities such as libraries, museums, schools, etc.
Concurrent with the rebuilding/restoration projects, students will also participate in interdisciplinary studies (coordinated through Tulane's Semester in NOLA) looking at New Orleans' culture, heritage, and geography, the evolution of the city's pre-Katrina configuration, the events of Katrina's onslaught and its aftermath, and the political, economic, and social impact of Katrina.
In addition to the exposure through their own work, students will have a tour/lecture on the construction and geology of the levee system, and how and where it failed, and a tour of some of the area outside New Orleans proper, where the storm alone (as opposed to levee failure) was responsible for the damage. Students will be given readings from Breach of Faith by Jed Horne, One Dead in Attic by Chris Rose, and Rising Tide by John Barry, and possibly other references, as well as viewings of Spike Lee's documentary "When the Levees Broke." Speakers will include faculty from Tulane, a state representative from New Orleans, and residents of New Orleans, including the Lower Ninth Ward.
Students will also have the opportunity to have discussions, both amongst themselves and facilitated by faculty, about their experiences. When students return to Williams for the third of winter study, they will continue these discussions and some students will do presentations for the class.
Written requirements and grading: Students will be expected to keep a journal during their stay in New Orleans, reflecting on and (ideally) integrating their readings and their experiences. If appropriate, students may also choose to develop a presentation to be offered to the Williams community early in the second semester.
Enrollment limit: 15. Not open to first-year students.
Cost to student: $1000.

James Samenfeld-Specht graduated from Williams in 1974 and was one of 17 participants in Williams at Home in 1972. He is now a child psychiatrist, currently practicing and living in Maine.

The media's influence on child development is pervasive. American children ages 2 through 17 watch television an average of 25 hours per week, with 20% of children viewing more than 44 hours per week. Eighty-three percent of children ages 8 to 18 own video game systems and 45% of American households have internet access. This course examines the effects of the media on child development, from infancy through late adolescence. Theory and research that examines the mechanisms of influence by which media exposure impacts development will be discussed. Outside of class time students will become consumers of media marketed to children and conduct brief systematic analyses about the impact of such media on various domains of child development. These analyses will then be presented and discussed in class. Students will also complete an intensive independent investigation of one media genre of their choice, which may include television, film, video games, computer games, internet forums (e.g., My Space and Face Book) or music by becoming extensive consumers themselves (25 hours per week during the 3rd week of winter study) and writing a report which synthesizes their experiences with this genre and the psychological literature into an integrative analysis. Oral presentation of this report will be presented to the class during final day of winter study.
No prerequisite. Enrollment limit: 15. Preference given to seniors.
Cost to student: approximately $75 for books.
Meeting time: afternoons.

Many of us have enjoyed the unconditional love of a pet. Such a close bond with a special animal can be incredibly rewarding and fulfilling. But what goes into building such relationships? How does that relationship differ if "Fido" is actually a 1200 lb horse or a 600 lb tiger? Are animals really telepathic communicators, or are they simply responding instinctively to stimuli? In this course, we will try to unravel the mystery of how animals and humans communicate with each other. We will learn about basic psychological and biological principles of behavior, communication, and learning. We will speak with veterinarians and trainers about their experiences and opinions, and observe a "Horse Whisperer". Reading list includes: The Body Language of Horses by T. Ainslie; Does a Seal Smile? by F. Ehrlich; and If Wishes Were Horses: The Education of a Veterinarian by L. Gage & N. Gage. Guest speakers: Lisa De Mayo, a horse trainer and riding instructor in Williamstown for over 20 years, currently the coach of the Williams College Equestrian Team; Dr. Carlin Jones, an equine veterinarian with Upstate Equine Medical; Lisa Boshetti, an animal trainer at the Berkshire Humane Society.
Evaluation will be based on class presentations and a final 10-page paper.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 15.
Cost to student: $50 for course materials and books.
Meeting time: mornings, three times a week for two hour meetings. This will include any field trips or demonstrations.

Tracey Van Kempen '05 is the Junior Essel Fellow in Neuroscience at Williams College. In addition to her research with Professor Zimmerberg in Behavioral Neuroscience, she has been involved with equestrian sports and training for eight years as a rider, instructor, and groom.

Students will learn about and participate in grassroots activism addressing global climate change. We will read in-depth about the range of grassroots efforts-from local to national and international-to stop climate change and mitigate its impacts. Emphasis will be given to Focus the Nation, the campus-based national discussion of climate change that will culminate in educational forums taking place at Williams and across the country on January 31, 2008. Grassroots organizing and activism have been critical in the U.S. given the lack of governmental leadership on this issue to date. Students will be asked to think critically about which grassroots organizing efforts are most effective, and to participate in a form of activism that they will study in-depth. Examples of a final project include staging a rally or educational event, creating a public service announcement or public information campaign, or conducting a small research project (e.g., an observational study, survey, or questionnaire) and using it as the basis for an educational project such as a brochure, video, or website. These projects can be done in conjunction with the Focus the Nation events at Williams.
Requirements: class participation and a 10-page final paper.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 20.
Cost to student: approximately $50 for reading materials.
Meeting time: two-three mornings a week and some field trips.

Wendy Penner received her Ph.D. in organizational psychology from the University of Michigan in 1992. Her graduate student research dealt with how organizations respond to environmental issues. Since leaving graduate school, she has done a variety of work for non-profit organizations including the Center for Ecological Technology. She has also taught courses in the Psychology Department at Williams College.

Ms. Penner is a member of the Williamstown COOL (CO2 lowering) committee. Williamstown is a member of Cities for Climate Protection and has made a commitment to reduce carbon levels to 10% below 2000 levels by 2010. The COOL committee has conducted, or will conduct in the coming year, campaigns to register 6 percent of Williamstown residents for green energy, install 15,000 energy saving compact fluorescent bulbs throughout the community, introduce an anti-idling campaign, and create a recognition program for "green" businesses, and it has participated locally in national grassroots climate change events such as Step It Up 2007.

The game of Go is one of the oldest continuously-played strategy games in the world and is played by millions in China, Korea, and Japan. Its popularity no doubt has arisen from an ideal combination of intense intellectual challenge and the meditative beauty of playing. The goal of Go is not to destroy a force (as in chess) or to run a race (as in backgammon). Instead, two players alternate in placing black and white stones on a wooden 19x19 grid with the aim of surrounding the most territory. Go is unique because its large board and minimally restrictive rules allow for complex strategy and expression of each players' personality. But Go is also more than a game. It is a cultural phenomenon with deep roots in Eastern history and an art form with intriguing implications for artificial intelligence and the nature of problem solving. In this course we will learn, study, and play a lot of Go, culminating in a class tournament. In addition, play will be supported by game analyses, novels, articles, and films. Expectations: 6 hours in class activities; 20 hours of work outside of class (reading, playing with other students and on-line, game problems, commentaries and analyses). Evaluation will be based on attendance (prompt attendance at all classes is mandatory), problem sets, game commentaries, and participation in discussions.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 16. Preference to first-year students and sophomores.
Cost to student: approximately $125 for books and supplies.
Meeting time: three 2-hour morning periods each week.

This course will lead the student through various piecing, appliqu� and quilting styles and techniques, with some non-traditional methods thrown in also. Samples will be made of techniques learned, culminating in the completion of a sizeable project of the student's choosing (wall quilt or throw-size quilt). There will be an exhibit of all work (Ephquilts), at the end of winter study. "Woven" into the classes will be discussions of the history of quilting, the controversy of "art" quilts vs. "traditional" quilts, machine vs. hand-quilting and the growing quilting market. Reading list: Pieces of the Past by Nancy J. Martin; Stitching Memories: African-American Story Quilts by Eva Ungar Grudin; Sunshine and Shadow: The Amish and Their Quilts by Phyllis Haders; A People and Their Quilts by John Rice Irwin; Treasury of American Quilts by Cyril Nelson and Carter Houck; The Quilt: New Directions for an American Tradition, Nancy Roe, Editor.
Requirements: attendance of all classes (two field trips inc), a love of fabric, design and color, an enthusiasm for handwork, participation in exhibit. Extensive time will be spent outside of class working on assigned projects.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 10.
Cost to student: $150 for materials and supplies.
Meeting times: 2-4 p.m., three days each week.

Debra Rogers-Gillig, one of the top quilters in New England, has been quilting for 30 years, and teaching classes and coordinating shows and exhibits for 25 years. She has received numerous prizes and awards from quilt shows in New York and New England and been published in quilt magazines.

PSYC 16 Rhythm Based Conflict Resolution: An Experiential Approach (Same as Biology 16, Chemistry 17, Political Science 16 and Theatre 16)

This course will explore the theoretical and practical intersections of rhythm-based communication, conflict studies, and conflict resolution. Students will study the foundations of each discipline and practice the tools, techniques, and strategies associated with drum circles and mediation, such as mindful listening, reflective inquiry, and facilitation. This course will culminate in an original curricular design project and students will be encouraged to pilot their projects with local school-aged youth in order to realize the emerging potential for future educational applications of rhythm based conflict resolution.
No prerequisites. Beginning and experienced drummers welcomed. Enrollment limit: 16. In the event of over-subscription, students will be asked to write a brief interest statement to determine eligibility.
Cost to student: $75 for drums and materials.
Meeting time: afternoons.

Otha Day leads drum and rhythm circles for pre-schools, elementary and high schools, colleges, libraries, private family gatherings, wellness centers, spiritual and religious events, and corporate functions. Otha is a trained teacher and professional musician who has been operating a successful private piano teaching studio for more than 25 years teaching Classical and Jazz piano to students of all ages and levels from pre-school through university piano performance majors.

Amy Beth Kessinger is an educator, mediator, and conflict specialist whose work with individuals, couples, families, schools and other organizations includes assessment, consultation, coaching, advocacy, facilitation, systems design, and evaluation.

Students interested in teaching may submit applications for a Winter Study assignment as a teacher's aide at Mt. Greylock Regional High School or at the Williamstown Elementary School. Those accepted will work under the supervision of a regular member of the teaching staff and submit a report on their work at the end of the Winter Study Period. This project involves a four-week commitment to full-time affiliation with the school. Interested students should consult before winter study registration with Professor Kavanaugh, Bronfman 375. He will assist in arranging placements and monitor students' progress during the four- week period. Criteria for pass include full time affiliation with the school and a final 10-page report. The final report should summarize the student's experiences and reflections as drawn from a daily journal.
Prerequisite: Approval of Professor Kavanaugh is required. Enrollment limit: number of places available at the two participating schools.
Cost to student: none.

This course gives students the opportunity do to a full-time (30-35 hours) placement during winter study in a hospital, mental health or social service agency, legal firm, industry, consulting, or research setting in which work of a psychological nature is done. During the fall semester, students are responsible for locating their own potential placements and consulting with the course instructor about the suitability of the placement before the winter study registration period. Students should provide the course instructor with a brief description of the proposed placement, noting its relevance to psychology, and the name of the agency supervisor. Before Thanksgiving break, the student must provide a letter from the agency supervisor which describes the agency, and the student's role and responsibilities during winter study.
Requirements for a passing grade are satisfactory evaluation from the agency sponsor, a reflective journal, and a 10-page minimum final paper describing and analyzing the experience from a psychological perspective.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 20.
Cost to student: none.

This course provides a research opportunity for students who want to understand how psychologists ask compelling questions and find answers about behavior. Several faculty members, whose subfields include behavioral neuroscience, cognitive psychology, social psychology clinical psychology, developmental psychology, and the psychology of education, will have student projects available. Since projects involve faculty research, interested students must consult with members of the Psychology Department before electing this course.
Evaluation will be based on the quality of research participation, student's lab journal and either an oral presentation or a written 10 page report of the research project.
Required Activities: A minimum of 20 hours per week of research participation will be expected of each student.
Prerequisite: permission of instructor
Enrollment limit: space available in faculty research labs.
Student selection criteria: Decision will be based on evaluation of departmental application and number of faculty available as mentors.
Meeting time: mornings.
Cost to student: none.

REL 10 Meditation-Based Stress Reduction: Adopting a Mindfulness Practice (Same as ANSO 10)

REL 12 Building Your Yoga Practice: Dipping in to a Long and Living Tradition

This class provides an orientation to yoga and builds a foundation for an effective and rewarding yoga practice by integrating textual studies and personal practice. Analysis and comparison of classic yoga texts from India provides a historical, cultural, and philosophical background for yoga. As well as discussion of key yogic concepts and how they relate to contemporary life, class meetings experientially explore how philosophical themes play out in the physical practice. In any one class, poses may include standing poses, inversions, abdominals, hip-openers, backbends, twists, forward bends, and restoratives. Participants learn a set of universal principles of alignment, which facilitates skillful sequencing to create your own effective home practice and gain familiarity with the basics of human anatomy. Throughout class, you receive individualized attention on how to work with your particular body and needs. Interacting with the yoga tradition can promote greater physical accomplishment and ease, prompt explorations of ethical dilemmas and philosophical questions, and uncover ways to reduce stress and optimize your energy. This class aims to provide an overview of the yoga tradition, and to empower each participant to creatively draw upon this tradition, and to empower each participant to creatively draw upon this tradition for your personal intentions.
Required texts: Pantanjali's Yoga Sutras, The Bhagavad Gita, Hatha Yoga Illustrated, and related articles.
Evaluation is based on attendance and participation in all classes and sessions, a personal practice journal demonstrating particular intentions for practice and appropriate poses and sequencing to support those intentions, and 15 pages of writing including textual analysis as well as personal reflections on the nature of yoga.
No prerequisites. Preference give to those with some previous exposure to yoga asana or philosophy. Apply by email with a brief explanation of your interest in the class (selection based on this application). Enrollment limit: 16.
Cost to student: approximately $50 for three books and yoga mat, plus about $50 if an appropriate field trip to a nearby yoga workshop is available.
Meeting time: late mornings, three two-hour sessions/week.

Natasha Judson, M.Ed. RYT, has taught yoga for the Williams College Physical Education Program since 2003. She has practiced yoga for over twenty years and meditation for fifteen. She trained in Iyengar and Anusara yoga and is an Affiliated Anusara yoga teacher. She began teaching yoga in 1999 and offers classes through her business Sunflower Yoga in Williamstown, and in Bennington at the Southwest Vermont Supervisory Union school district and Southwestern Vermont Medical Center.

Georges Dreyfus is Professor of Religion at Williams College where he teaches Buddhism.

This course explores the roots of the Reformation in early-modern Europe through its immediate repercussions. As a travel course, we will explore the key places where the Reformation took place, beginning in Wittenburg (now appropriately named Lutherstadt Wittenburg), Muenster (The "Radical Reformation"), Munich, and ending in Vechta (Lower Saxony). We will spend seventeen days in Germany and France, beginning with Muenster, where we will tour the "Freidensaele," or the "Halls of Peace," where the treaties ending the thirty years war were promulgated. After orienting ourselves over a two-day period, we will travel on by train to Lutherstadt Wittenburg, where we will visit Luther's former monastery and home, and well as the Melancthon and Lucas Cranach the Elder houses. During this time our sightseeing will be interspersed with brief lectures on the roots of the Protestant Reformation. After three days we will travel to Erlangen, where we will will tour items of Reformation interest and spend some class time wrapping up loose ends with Luther and continuing on to Calvin. We will have lectures and read Calvin as we travel. We will then travel to Vechta in Lower Saxony.
Upon our return to Williamstown, we will reassess our experience. Students will be expected to write a 10- to 12-page page paper on selected themes.
No German language experience is expected or required. Enrollment limit: 8. Not open to first-year students.
Cost to students: approximately $2500.

REL 25 Explorations in Solidarity: A Meeting of Minds and Hearts in Nicaragua

This course will explore the lived realities of the hemisphere's second most impoverished nation, and the relevance of faith and religious community to the struggle for social justice. Students will reflect on these realities and struggles in the company of subsistence farmers, urban factory laborers, and leaders of grassroots organizations working for progressive social change. The effects, particularly on the poor, of free trade policies (CAFTA and FTAA) in an increasingly globalized economy, natural disasters, and the changeable attentions of the developed world will be explored, using some of the methods of popular education and oral history. Significant attention will also be given to the efficacy of liberation theology and the base Christian community movement, as well as other influences-Christian, Marxist and neo-Liberal-on the material and spiritual well-being of Nicaraguan people.
Nicaragua offers a unique lens through which to view the culture and influence of the U.S., as well as the daily struggles, the dignity, and the hope of some of the hemisphere's most marginalized citizens. The experience of the course will include approximately ten days of living (with minimal amenities) with families in a subsistence farming community. Students will also attend a number of Christian religious services. (The course is open to students of any religious background or no affiliation.) And for a portion of the course we may be joined by Nicaraguan peers who are involved in youth empowerment movements or in the midst of university education. Travels in Nicaragua will be organized by the staff of the Asociaci�n Kairos para la Formaci�n, an NGO that facilitates educational programs and fosters faith-based partnerships for communities and groups in North America and Nicaragua, working toward the goal of permanent transformative relationships. Throughout, students will be invited to accompany our Nicaraguan hosts as they live their daily lives, and to reflect on their own identities and assumptions as North Americans. The goal is to explore the relevance of religious community to the possibilities for restorative justice, and to discover what it would mean to shape a relationship with the people of Nicaragua according to a paradigm of solidarity-in contrast to the more familiar paradigms of charity and national self-interest.
The course will begin in Williamstown with several days of background reading (Nicaraguan history and the current political, economic and religious situation), writing, and orientation. Once in Nicaragua there will be daily reflection sessions, in preparation for which students will keep a detailed personal journal. Other requirements include attendance at two orientation sessions during the latter weeks of the fall semester; participation in a group oral presentation to the Williams community upon return; and a final 10-page paper.
Conversational knowledge of Spanish is, of course, helpful; but we will be accompanied by several translators who will help to to make the experience accessible to non-Spanish speakers as well. Willingness to live in physically demanding situations is essential. The cost of the trip to the student, including all food, lodging, round-trip travel between Williamstown and Managua, all in-country transportation and fees, will be no more than $2,650 (depending on airfares at the time of booking). Students are individually responsible for the cost of travel to Williamstown at the beginning of WSP.
Enrollment limit: 15. Not open to first-year students.
Cost to students: approximately $2,650.

Students registered for 101-102 are required to attend and pass the sustaining program during the Winter Study period. There are three 50-minute meetings per week.
Meeting time: mornings; 9-9:50 a.m.

Students registered for 101-102 are required to attend and pass the sustaining program during the Winter Study Period. Three 50-minute meetings per week.
Meeting time: mornings; 9-9:50 a.m.

Do you play drums or percussion, or have you always wanted to? Students enrolled in this class will learn through hands-on instruction the basics of playing percussion instruments including snare drum, timpani, hand drums, drum set, and mallet percussion. Members of the class will form a percussion ensemble that will rehearse a wide variety of music written especially for percussion instruments, culminating in a performance. Through study and playing, the class will explore the history of percussion instruments and the musical contexts in which they are heard, both in Western music and in the music of many of the world's cultures. Class meetings will include instruction, listening, presentations, and rehearsal.
Previous musical experience and the ability to read music are required. Selection for the class will be based on a written description of the student's musical background and goals, which can be emailed to the instructor during Winter Study enrollment. Students will be expected to participate fully in every class meeting and to prepare outside of class through individual practice.
Evaluation will be based on participation in class and rehearsals and on a presentation given by each student.
Enrollment limit: 10.
Cost to student: $30 for sticks, mallets, course pack.
Meeting time: mornings (total 6 hours per week).

Matthew Gold is a member of the percussion trio TimeTable, the Glass Farm Ensemble, and the multi-media chamber group Sequitur. An advocate of new music, he has performed frequently with the New York New Music Ensemble, New Juilliard Ensemble, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, the Mark Morris Dance Group, the Argento Chamber Ensemble, and has been a member of the Aspen Contemporary Ensemble. He is the principal percussionist of the Berkshire Symphony and was the percussionist for the Lincoln Center Theater production, The Light in the Piazza. Mr. Gold is an instructor at Williams College where he also directs the Williams Percussion Ensemble.

Required of all students enrolled in Russian 101-102. Three meetings per week, 50 minutes per session. Practice in speaking and comprehension based on material already covered as well as some new vocabulary and constructions. Designed to maintain and enhance what was acquired during fall semester, using new approaches in a relaxed atmosphere. No homework.
Regular attendance and active participation required to earn a "Pass." Open to all.
Meeting time: mornings; 9-9:50 a.m.

This course is an introduction to the world of Anton Chekhov through one of that world’s most prominent tropes – food. The late 19th-century world of the Imperial Russian landed gentry (and of their estate peasants and household servants) was dominated by rituals surrounding the production, storage, preservation, preparation, and consumption of food. The course combines theoretical and practical approaches: we will study Chekhov’s fiction, paying special attention to his treatment of food/eating as drama, power struggle, religious observance, and expression of social identity; we will read about the enormous financial and human resources dedicated to providing the food that was the stage for this drama, and the regulation of the everyday ritual of eating imposed by observation of the Russian Orthodox calendar of fast days; and we will use authentic contemporary recipes from the classic Imperial Russian cookbook A Gift to Young Housewives to recreate, as closely as possible, the dining experiences Chekhov describes (although we will probably not attempt the baba cake with 90 eggs making a batter that is beaten by hand for one hour). Menus will range from foods eaten during religious fasts (no animal products, dairy, or fats) to everyday foods (bliny, which resemble crepes, pirozhki or filled pies, and soups) to foods typical of name-day and Easter celebrations (cakes, aspics, egg dishes, and main courses with game).

Meeting times: Three sessions weekly on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. On Mondays and Wednesdays, we’ll have two 1 ½ hour meetings from 10:30 am to noon to discuss the readings, followed by a short cooking session of about 1 ½ hours to prepare one or two dishes. On Thursdays we will have one long cooking session of 2-4 hours beginning at 10:30 am to prepare a full meal. Some Wednesday prep time for Thursday cooking sessions might be required. First class meeting at 10:30 am Monday, Jan. 7, at which we will discuss previously distributed readings.
No knowledge of Russian required. Enrollment limit: 12. Interested students with dietary restrictions should contact the instructor before enrolling (anne.fisher@williams.edu or ext. 4723).
Requirements: Two 2-page papers due on Thursday, Jan. 10, and Thursday, Jan. 17; a final 5-7-page research paper on some aspect of Imperial Russian culinary practice due Thursday, Jan. 24; participation in discussions and food preparation.
Cost to student: approx. $50-70 for books and photocopies.

FISHER (Instructor)
CASSIDAY (Sponsor)

RUSS 23 Gaudino Winter Study Fellows Program

The Gaudino Winter Study Fellow designation is available to up to fifteen students who create their own independent projects that involve critical, reflective, and experiential learning during Winter Study. Each student works independently under the direction of a faculty sponsor, who will help shape and monitor the project. The project must receive approval from the Winter Study Committee, as well as from the Gaudino Scholar and Gaudino Board of Trustees. The Gaudino Board is looking for projects that address specific intellectual problems through direct experience, undertaken preferably in a social milieu that is previously unfamiliar or even uncomfortable to the applicant. Projects must be academically rigorous and worked out carefully with faculty sponsors. Projects should also entail systematic self-reflection on how the experiences affect students personally, and students may be asked to discuss their project with the Gaudino Board after it is completed. The Gaudino Scholar will meet with students as a group before and after Winter Study. All students whose projects are approved will receive the Gaudino Fellow designation. In addition, students on Financial Aid will receive Gaudino funding from a minimum of 50% to a maximum of 90% of the budget for the project up to $2,500, as determined by the Financial Aid office. No additional funding for students' projects will be provided by the College. Students selecting this course will register for Russian XX. More information about the Gaudino Fellows Winter Study Program and guidelines for applying can be found at: http://web.williams.edu/resources/gaudino/overview.php.

Sponsored by the Gaudino Scholar and the Gaudino Fund, this Winter Study travel course will allow a small group of students to live in Portland, Maine for the month of January, where they will explore the impact of over thirty years of refugee resettlement in the 'whitest' of the United States. Students will live with a refugee family from one of the over two dozen countries represented by the refugee community of Portland, and during their home stay they will encounter first-hand the issues confronting recent immigrants to the United States from Southeast Asia, Africa, Eastern Europe or Latin America. Students will keep a daily journal to record their experiences working with their refugee family and the organizations that serve them. Students will be challenged to examine issues including class, race, ethnicity, and national identity; the interplay of public and private values; the wide variety of educational, health, governmental, and religious agencies and providers serving refugee families; and how these services are perceived and received by family members. Each student will meet weekly with the course instructor to evaluate her or his experience, and once or twice during their stay in Maine students and their host families will have the opportunity to meet as a group for a meal and discussions. Students as a group will also have time in Maine at the beginning of the program for orientation sessions, and at the conclusion to share experiences and write a short paper.
No prerequisites. If student interest exceeds the enrollment limit, preference will be given to those students who demonstrate, in a short conversation with and essay submitted to the instructor, their interest in experiential learning generally and the problems confronting recent immigrants to the United States specifically.
Enrollment limit: 10. Not open to first-year students.
Cost to students: all costs for this WSP travel course will be paid by the Gaudino Fund.

Jeff Thaler '74 participated in Williams-at-Home with Professor Robert Gaudino in 1971-72. After Professor Gaudino's death in 1974, Jeff and some other alumni developed an initiative that eventually became the Gaudino Memorial Fund. Jeff served on the Board of the Fund for many years, including service as its Chair. Since 1974, Jeff graduated from Yale Law School in 1977, worked as a public defender in New York City from 1977-79, and has lived in Maine since 1979, where he has worked as a trial and environmental attorney. He has taught environmental law as an adjunct professor at the Maine Law School, as well as family law as an adjunct professor at Bowdoin College. Jeff served for many years on the Board of KIDS Consortium, a group promoting service learning initiatives in Maine schools; has worked as a mentor for a Sudanese student attending Portland High School; and has worked as a group facilitator for the past six years at the Center for Grieving Children in Portland.

Williams has a unique program in the Republic of Georgia, which offers students the opportunity to engage in internships in their chosen field of interest in a country that is undergoing the transition to a market economy and democracy. Past students have worked in the Georgian Parliament, helped in humanitarian relief organizations like Save the Children, interned in journalism at The Georgian Times, taught unemployed women computer skills at The Rustavi Project, documented wildlife, studied with a Georgian sculptor, done rounds at the Institute of Cardiology, and learned about transitional economies at the Georgian National Bank. Students experience Georgian culture through museum visits, concerts, lectures, meetings with Georgian students, and excursions. Visit the sacred eleventh-century Cathedral of Sveti-tskhoveli and the twentieth-century Stalin Museum, take the ancient Georgian Military Highway to ski in the Caucasus Range, see the birthplace of the wine grape in Kakheti and the region where Jason sought the Golden Fleece. Participants are housed in pairs with English-speaking families in Tbilisi, Georgia's capital city. At the end of the course students will write a 10-page paper assessing their internship experience.
Knowledge of Russian or Georgian is not required.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 8. Not open to first-year students.
Cost to student: approximately $2000.

This course will provide a chance to analyze, rehearse, and perform some of the greatest speeches from plays written by Williams Shakespeare. Students will explore the depth and intensity of stage characters, and challenge theirs skills with Elizabethan language. It will be an occasion to explore the subject of human nature through universal Shakespearean vision, primarily by examining the text, finding modern context, and concluding the research and training with a staged presentation. Each student will work individually on one speech, and subsequently will perform selected text accompanied by original music.
Enrollment limit: 12. Preference given to theatre majors.
Prerequisite: permission of instructor.
Cost to students: none.
Meeting time: TWR, afternoons. Additional time will be spent outside of class working on the final theatre presentation.

THEA 12 Ensembles in Classic American and European Musical Theatre (Same as Music 12)

This Winter Study will give participants an opportunity to study and perform numbers for one or more singers in great American musicals and European light operas. You have sung a solo, you have sung in chorus-now practice the exacting art of singing a solo or in an ensemble on stage. Music from Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd will be the central focus. The course will culminate with a performance of ensembles, solos, and duets from a variety of musical theater shows. Other ensembles from European models such as Franz Lehar's The Merry Widow may also be included.
Evaluation: A student may fulfill the requirements of the course by performing, directing, accompanying, or writing a short paper, or some combination of the above, approved by the teacher.
Singers, actors, and pianists are all welcome to participate. Enrollment limit: 15.
Cost to student: none.
Meeting time: MW, afternoons; individual rehearsals to be scheduled.

Keith Kibler has performed under some of the finest directors currently working including David Alden, Peter Sellars, Galina Vishnevskaya. He sang a major role in Kurt Weill's "Die Kleine Mahagonny" under Alvin Epstein with the American Repertory Theatre. He has been a featured soloist with the Boston Pops in American theater music. Keith Kibler is an adjunct teacher of singing at Williams College. He can be reached at kibler@verizon.net.

THEA 16 Rhythm Based Conflict Resolution: An Experiential Approach (Same as Biology 16, Chemistry 17, Political Science 16 and Psychology 16)

May be taken to augment Theatre 401/402, depending on the scope of the project. Permission of the Department Chair required.

WGST 12 Preliminary Introduction to American Sign Language (Same as Linguistics 12 and Special 12)

WGST 25 Gender, Video, and Social Activism in Senegal (Same as Economics 25)

Today's extremely competitive higher education market places significant pressure on students nationwide to start planning for college at an increasingly early age while simultaneously demanding ever-higher standards of excellence for admission to top schools. "Early Awareness" initiatives aim to educate middle school students as to what lies ahead on the college horizon, empowering them to make sound academic and extracurricular choices that will keep open a maximum of options. The first week of this course will be spent in the classroom, exploring and discussing problems and issues germane to the national trends towards greater (and earlier) college-related pressures. Students will respond to a series of readings dealing with such issues as tracking, paid test preparation and untimed testing, early decision, parental and peer pressures, special interests, misrepresentation of information, independent counseling, and others. Class time will also be devoted to familiarizing students with both the nuances of the college admission process and the administration of the early awareness game, Quest for College. Students will spend the next two weeks visiting 10-12 Berkshire County middle schools, administering the game and inviting students to the culminating College Day. All 8 students will then work together to plan and run College Day activities for students and their parents. This day will include a) campus tours, b) general higher education info sessions, and c) financial aid/scholarship info for the parents. If student and community interest is sufficient, the course may culminate in a public presentation and open forum early second semester.
Evaluation will be based on completion of field work (school visits), organization and execution of project to bring local middle school students to the Williams Campus for a day of early- awareness related activities and a final paper (approximately 10 pages) reflecting on a course- related issue of the student's choosing.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 8. Preference given to a) students with prior education/admission experience, b) students with access to transportation c) juniors and seniors. Interested students must consult with instructors prior to registration.
Cost to student: transportation to field work sites and purchase of text.
Meeting time: afternoons.

Gina Coleman `90, is Associate Director of Admission, Director of Multicultural Recruitment, and in her fifth year as women's rugby coach. Coleman, who holds an M.A. in education from MCLA, designed the game, Quest for College.

SPEC 12 Preliminary Introduction to American Sign Language (Same as Linguistics 12 and Women's and Gender 12)

Because so many modern dancers study Graham Technique today, it is tempting to believe that her dance theory sprang, phoenix-like, from the very first steps she took as a solo artist in 1926. In fact, (her) training method evolved from sixty-five years of working with dancers and actors, as well as through her life-long work of making new dances." -Marian Horosko
This course will be an introduction to the principles of the Martha Graham Technique as a basis for dramatic movement in any form. Each class will include floor work, standing work and traveling work, and students will be challenged based on their individual level of dance training and experience. No previous dance experience required. Live musical accompaniment will enhance students' experience of rhythm, dynamic shifts and dramatic intent.
Students will explore the development of Graham Technique through readings about Graham's life, essays by noted Graham dancers over the generations, and screenings of films of Graham repertory as well as rare early technique films.
The class will attend a live dance performance if an appropriate event is happening in January, on campus or at a nearby venue such as MASSMoCA.
Students will be evaluated based upon participation in all classes, discussions, and final showing. In addition, a weekly journal, and a 7-page research paper will be required. The final class meeting will be an open studio showing.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 20. Priority given to students with prior interest and study in a form of dance.
Cost to students: approximately $50.
Meeting time: MWF, 10-noon: technique class; Mondays 7-8:30 p.m.: screenings and discussion.

Erica Dankmeyer, Williams Class of '91, is a modern dancer, choreographer and teacher. She has been a member of the renown Martha Graham Dance Company since 1996 and is the Artistic director of Dankmeyer Dance Company.She has been an Artist in Residence at Williams College, Marymount College Manhattan and the Graham School in New York City.

A course designed to prepare students for the Massachusetts EMT exam and to provide training to become certified as an Emergency Medical Technician. The course teaches the new national standard curriculum which makes reciprocity with many other states possible. This is a time-intensive course involving approximately 130 hours of class time plus optional emergency room observation and ambulance work. Students learn, among other skills, basic life support techniques, patient assessment techniques, defibrillation, how to use an epi-pen, safe transportation and immobilization skills, as well as the treatment of various medical emergencies including shock, bleeding, soft-tissue injuries, and child birth. In order to reduce the number of class meetings required during Winter Study Period, the course holds a few meetings beginning in the fall semester. These class meetings, which are mandatory, with the following schedule: 14 October (orientation), 28 October, 29 October, 11 November, and 12 November. Any questions regarding this course should be directed to the instructor, Kevin Garvey, via email (pece@netscape.com).
Evaluation is based on class participation and performance on class exams, quizzes and practical exercises.
Prerequisite: It is recommended that students have American Heart Association Level C BLS Provider CPR Cards or American Red Cross BLS provider CPR cards before entering the EMT Class. A CPR class will be offered in October for those students wishing to take the EMT class who don't already have CPR cards. Enrollment limit: 24.
Cost to student: $350/student plus approximately $75 for textbook.
Meeting time: mornings and afternoons; schedule TBA in October.

Kevin Garvey is a Massachusetts state and nationally approved EMT-I (Intermediate) and an EMT-IC (Instructor/Coordinator). He had been involved with Emergency Medical Services for 15-20 years. Mr. Garvey currently works for Baystate Health Systems as an RN (registered nurse) and EMT-I and also works as an EMT-I for Village Ambulance in Williamstown. Mr. Garvey is also an EMT training instructor at Greenfield Community College.

SPEC 15 "You are not listening!"-Exploring Interpersonal Conflict (Same as Chemistry 15 and Leadership Studies 15)

Firsthand experience is a critical component of the decision to enter the health professions. Through this apprenticeship, students can clarify their understanding of the rewards and challenges that accompany the practice of all types of medicine. Apprenticeships are arranged in two distinct ways: some students live on campus and are matched with a local practitioner, while others make independent arrangements to shadow a distant professional. The expectation is that each student will observe some aspect of medicine for the better part of the day, five days per week. In recent years, students have shadowed physicians, veterinarians, dentists, nurses, and public health experts.
In addition to observation in clinical settings, there will be discussion sessions and optional evening events on campus which give participants further opportunity to reflect upon their experiences.
A 10-page reflective paper is required.
Prerequisites: Interested students must attend an information meeting in early October.
Local enrollment is limited by the number of available practitioners. Preference for placements will be given on the basis of seniority and demonstrated interest in the health professions.
Cost to student: Local apprenticeships-vaccinations and local transportation. Distant apprenticeships-costs will vary based upon location.

SPEC 20 Breaking Out of the Box-Unleashing Creative Thinking (Same as Comparative Literature 20)

How can we think "out of the box" if we don't know what the box is, how it functions, or how we unconsciously cling to it? The goal of this course is to familiarize you with the entire creative process-how it operates, how it is nurtured, and how it is stifled. We will look at some general principals: the nature of the creative mind, a breakdown of the creative process, and the exploration of meaning. We'll also explore specific skills necessary for creative thinking: finding meaning in our work, understanding and managing our unruly minds, understanding how to recognize and manage anxiety, exploring creative energy, committing to goals and plans, learning to embrace mistakes and to disidentify from our work, and how to support our creative endeavors while leading a life of deadlines and chaos. Each student will be expected to engage in a self-chosen project for the duration of the course, working approximately 20 hours per week on the project, exclusive of class time. The class format will involve the presentation of material, group discussions, and in-class exercises. We will meet three times per week for 2 hour sessions. One-on-one meetings will be arranged as needed.
Evaluation will be based on preparation for and participation in class discussions and activities, homework exercises-including the keeping of a journal, the development of the creative project, and a public showing/presentation of the project on the last day of Winter Study. Attendance at all classes is expected.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 15.
Cost to students: approximately $40 for books and photocopying.
Meeting time: TWR, 10-noon.

John MacDonald, a local freelance illustrator and painter, holds a BFA from Washington University in St. Louis and an MA from Purdue University. He is also pursing certification as a Creativity Coach through the Creativity Coaches Association of America.

Field experience is a critical component of the decision to enter a profession. Through this field study, students can clarify their understanding of the rewards and challenges that accompany the practice of many different aspects within a profession, and understand the psychology of the workplace. Field placements are arranged in two distinct ways: some students live on campus and are matched with a local professional, while others make independent arrangements to work with a distant professional. The expectation is that each student will observe some aspect of the profession for the better part of the day, five days per week. It is also expected that the teaching associate will assign a specific project to be completed within the three-and-a-half week duration of the course depending upon appropriateness.
Participation in this winter study will require the student to quickly assess the work environment, make inferences about corporate culture, performance norms and expectations, and to take initiative not only to learn from this experience, but also to contribute where and when appropriate. Understanding the dynamics within a work environment is critical to success in any organization and this hands-on experience will illuminate lessons learned in the classroom. Upon completion of the winter study, it is expected that the student write a thorough report evaluating and interpreting the experience.
Method of evaluation: It is expected that students will complete assigned readings, keep a daily journal, and write a 5-page expository review and evaluation that will become public record as a resource for other students. Finally, the student will be expected to create a 20-minute Powerpoint presentation on his/her experience due at the end of Winter Study. If possible the student will make a presentation to fellow students at some time during the spring semester.
Required activities and meeting times: The expectation is that each student will be in the field to observe some aspect of the profession for the better part of the day, five days per week. In addition to observation there may be an opportunity to work on distinct projects generated by the instructor depending upon appropriateness.
Prerequisites: interested students must attend an information meeting in early October, and meet individually with John Noble to go over the details of their placements. Preference for placements will be given on the basis of seniority and demonstrated interest in the profession of interest.
Enrollment is limited by the number of available teaching associates (maximum 20). Preference for placements will be given on the basis of seniority and demonstrated interest in the profession of interest.
Meeting time: each student will be in the field to observe some aspect of the profession five days per week, at least 6 hours per day.
Cost to students: Local apprenticeships-local transportation. Distant apprenticeships-costs will vary based upon location, but are the responsibility of the student.

Teaching Associates (instructors): Williams College alumni and parents of current Williams students will be recruited to become instructors for this course. A broad range of professions will be represented as the course develops. It is expected that the course will begin as a pilot program, involving only a small number of students in its first year and then will grow as appropriate. Alumni and parents will receive a training packet and individual orientations with the course director in person or via telephone conference.

Continuing the model of recent eye care winter studies in Nicaragua, the trip will follow a similar protocol. In cooperation with Ray Hooker, President of FADCANIC (The Foundation for the Autonomy and Development of the Caribbean Coast of Nicaragua) who has assisted us in all of our previous course and certain professors of the New England College of Optometry (specifically Dr. Bruce Moore, Dr. Nicole Quinn and Dr. Elise Harb) who have previously trained our students in the prescription of reading and distance glasses and have accompanied our trips, we are proposing a follow up course continuing our work of prescribing glasses and also the training of local medical personnel to prescribe and distribute glasses as a sustaining project. In preparation for this proposed trip, at the conclusion of our 2007 trip, we left approximately 2500 pairs of glasses and other materials and supplies in Pearl Lagoon for future work.
After a partial week of classes on campus on the culture and politics of Nicaragua and a weekend of training in the prescribing of glasses we would travel to Managua for a day of cultural visits (national museum, Masaya Volcano, Huembes market). We would then travel to Bluefields to continue our work of clinics as well as training local health care workers to prescribe and distribute reading and distance glasses. We would train and conduct clinics around Bluefields as well as in Pearl Lagoon.
Finally we would travel to Corn Island and possibly Little Corn Island to conduct some clinics as well as some training of health care workers. We would then return to Managua to spend the night and then return to the U.S. the next day.
The course would conclude with the sharing of specific incidents and insights that were important learning about ourselves and the developing world.
Enrollment limit: 14. Not open to first-year students.
Cost to student: $2500.

Dr. Robert Peck, retired Director of Athletics at Williams (1971-2001), is a 24-year visitor and observer of Nicaraguan politics.

SPEC 27 Looking at Contemporary Documentary Photography) (Same as ArtH 12 and English 12)

Open to sophomores, juniors and seniors who are interested in working in public schools or charter schools in New York City. Participants will be expected to pursue a full day's program of observing, teaching, tutoring and mentoring in their choice of more than 20 different school situations in NYC from elementary through high school. Each of the participating schools will have a resident supervisor who will meet with the January interns to arrange individual schedules and to provide mentoring during the month.
There will be weekly meetings of all the interns, who are expected to keep a journal and to write a 5 page paper reflecting on their month's experience.
Orientation meetings prior to January will enable students to select which subject areas and which participating school might be best for him or her.
Housing will be provided for those needing it and some assistance with transportation and food costs-estimated at about $400. for the month. Further assistance available for financial aid students.

Each class will begin with a lecture-demonstration, followed by practice on the potter's wheel. Each student will have the use of a potter's wheel for each class. We will work on mugs, bowls, pitchers, plates, jars, lids, vases, and bottles, and will finish these shapes as required by trimming and adding handles, lugs, lids, spouts, and knobs. We will also work on several different handbuilding projects. After the tenth class session, all class work will be biscuit-fired. The eleventh class will be devoted to glazing the biscuited pieces. Glazing techniques will include pouring, dipping, layering, brushing, and stamping, and using wax resist and other masking techniques to develop pattern and design. The completed work will then be glaze-fired. The last meeting will be devoted to a "final project" gallery show of your best work at a location on the Williams College campus. Woven into lecture-demonstrations will be presentations on various topics relating to the science and history of pottery making. A 2-hour slide lecture will be scheduled by mutual agreement early in the Winter Study session at a campus location.
Requirements: attendance at all class sessions and enthusiasm for learning the craft of pottery making.
No prerequisites or potterymaking experience necessary. Enrollment limit: 9.
Cost to student: $200 lab fee, plus makeup class fees ($37.50 per class) if applicable.
Meeting time: mornings.

Ray Bub is a ceramic artist and teacher at Oak Bluffs Cottage Pottery in Pownal, Vermont, 10 minutes north of the Williams College campus. All classes except the final project exhibition take place at Oak Bluffs Cottage Pottery.

SPEC 39 "Composing a Life:" Finding Success and Balance in Life After Williams

To be at Williams you have learned to be a successful student, but how do you learn to be successful in life? How will you define success in both your career and in your personal life? How will you achieve balance between the two? In short, what will constitute the "good life" for you? We borrow the concept of "composing a life" from Mary Catherine Bateson, as an apt metaphor for the ongoing process of defining success and balance in life. This course is designed: (1) To offer college students an opportunity to examine and define their beliefs, values, and assumptions about their future personal and professional lives before entering the "real" world; (2) To encourage students to gain a better understanding of how culture, ideology, and opportunity affect their life choices; (3) To provide an opportunity for students to consider different models of success and balance through "living cases" (in the form of guests from various professions and lifestyles); and (4) To aid students in contemplating their career options through individual advising and introducing various career and life planning resources. Using selected readings, cases, and guest speakers, we will explore both the public context of the workplace as well as the private context of individuals and their personal relationships in determining life choices.
Requirements: regular attendance, class participation, field interview, and a 10-page final paper. Outside-of-class work includes reading, field interview, and various contemplative assignments.
No prerequisites. Questions about the course: please contact Michele Moeller Chandler at 458-8106 (michele.chandler2@verizon.net). Enrollment limit: 15.
Cost to student: approximately $35 for case/reading materials .
Meeting time: mornings-three 2-hour classes weekly.

Michele Moeller Chandler ('73) and Chip Chandler ('72) have taught this Winter Study course for the past eleven years. They have been both personally and professionally engaged in the course topic. Michele's career has been in college administration, and she has an M.A. from Columbia, and a Ph.D. from Northwestern. Her Ph.D. dissertation focused upon professional women who altered their careers because of family obligations. Chip spent 25 years at McKinsey & Company, where he was a senior partner, and he has an MBA from Harvard. He currently teaches in the Leadership Studies Program.

Students interested in exploring one or more of the following courses related to teaching and/or working with children and adolescents should contact Susan Engel, Director of Education Programs, who will be able to help you choose one that best suits your educational goals.

LING 12 Preliminary Introduction to American Sign Language (Same as Women's and Gender Studies 12 and Special 12)

An interdisciplinary one-semester program co-sponsored by Williams College and Mystic Seaport which includes credit for one winter study. Classes in maritime history, literature of the sea, marine ecology, oceanography, and marine policy are supplemented by field seminars: offshore sailing, Pacific Coast and Nantucket Island. For details, see "Williams-Mystic Maritime Studies Program" or our website: www.williamsmystic.org.