Williams College Registrar's Office

All students who will be on campus during the 2005-2006 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 Thursday, January 26th. Only the Dean can grant an extension beyond this date.

WINTER STUDY 99'S

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.

The deadline for submitting the proposals to faculty sponsors is Thursday, 29 September.

Winter Study Course Offerings

HIST 11 The Great Kahoona: The Surfer in the Modern Popular Imagination (CANCELLED!)

JWST 13 In the Beginning: Fundamentals of Hebrew (Same as Special 13) (CANCELLED!)

RLFR 10 Asterix the Gaul: French Culture through the Prism of the Comic (CANCELLED!)

RLSP 12 Cooking with Don Quixote: The History and Culture of Spanish Food (CANCELLED!)

SPEC 13 In the Beginning: Fundamentals of Hebrew (Same as Jewish Studies 13) (CANCELLED!)

AFRICAN-AMERICAN STUDIES

To be taken by students registered for Afro-American Studies 491 who are candidates for honors.

AMERICAN STUDIES

AMST 11 Arabs on Atlantic Avenue: Arab-American Communities, Literature and Art (Same as English 24 and French 11)

AMST 12 Asian Pacific American Creative Writing: From Yarn Wigs to Persimmons

Begin your year with a creative jump-start. We will look at the broad tapestry to which the label "Asian Pacific American poetry" is applied and read from a wide range of writings, from the raucous, colloquial works of Lois-Ann Yamanaka to the spare, devotional poems of Li-Young Lee. Using the readings as springboards, we will challenge ourselves with writing assignments, in class and out. We will look both to the page and (via audio, video, and, schedules permitting, live presentations by visiting poets) stage. We will write furiously and, with any luck, fearlessly. No prior cultural or creative experience necessary.
Students will be required to submit both critical and creative responses (totalling 8 pages) to the readings, present a poem from memory, and participate in class discussions.
Enrollment limit: 15.
Cost to student: approximately $40 for materials.
Meeting time: Tuesday and Thursday, 1-3:50 p.m.

Barbara Tran, author of In the Mynah Bird's Own Words and coeditor of Watermark: Vietnamese American Poetry and Prose, is a Pushcart Prize-winning poet. She received her M.F.A. from Columbia University.

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,Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 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.

ANTHROPOLOGY AND SOCIOLOGY

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. 322. 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.

Lari Brandstein is Director of Volunteer Services 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 time: TBA.

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

How can history and identity be represented in film? By watching and analyzing films of different genres, time periods, and cinematographic traditions, the students learn not only to relate the film to its cultural context, but also to assess visual and narrative devices that the film employs. This course focuses specifically on Eastern European films, where the questions of ideological representation dominated the agenda, while rules of the market hardly mattered. The students are invited to explore different modes of historical representations, as well as the compositional, narrative and visual devices, including the questions of genre conventions and different generational and national (regional) identities of the film makers, including early Soviet avant-garde, Czech new wave, Balkan cinema.
Along with films, the readings related to the topic will be assigned to accompany the discussion. As there is no single textbook which would fit the objectives of the course, the reading package with selected articles and extracts from monographs will be offered to students. The tapes will be placed on reserve in the college library for additional viewing. The readings come from the field of history, cultural studies, film studies, etc. and provide both methodological and factual information about the problems posed. Along with short extracts on the historical films the students will view the following full films: October (Soviet Union, Sergie Eisenstein, 1927), Ashes and Diamonds (Poland, Andrzej Wajda, 1958), Fireman's Ball (Czechoslovakia, Milos Forman, 1967), My 20th Century (Hungary, Ildiko Enyedi, 1989), The Color of Pomegranites (Soviet Union/Armenia, Paradjanov, 1970), and Underground (Yugoslavia, Emir Kusturica, 1995).
Evaluation will be based on class participation and a final 10-page essay, elaborating the relationship between film and history, referring to the material and themes discussed in the class.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 20.
Cost to student: nominal fee for reading packet.
Meeting time: mornings, Tuesday and Thursday, 10 a.m.-12:50 p.m.

Oksana Sarkisova holds a Ph.D. in History from Central European University. She is currently working as a Visual Archivist at the Open Society Archives at Central European University in Budapest, and a Program Director for Version/Verzió, The Human Rights Documentary Film Festival.

ART

ARTH 10 Inventing Joan of Arc: The History of a Heroine 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.
Enrollment limit: 15.
Cost to student : $40.
Meeting time: afternoons.

ARTH 15 Materials of the Artist: Uncovering Fakes and Forgeries (Same as ArtS 15 and Chemistry 15)

This course focuses on a major exhibition, "Sarah Bernhardt: The Art of High Drama," that will be on view at The Jewish Museum (92nd/5th) in New York City from December 2, 2005 to April 2, 2006. This multi-media exhibition of 250 objects (paintings, sculpture, drawings, vintage photographs and posters, costumes, jewelry, film, sound recordings), curated by Carol Ockman and Kenneth E. Silver, Chair and Professor of Art History at New York University, focuses on Bernhardt as the first celebrity actress. In fact, it demonstrates that she established the template for all stars to come. The exhibition brings attention to Bernhardt's involvement with new forms of popular entertainment (boulevard theaters, vaudeville, etc.) and new technologies (photography, film, and sound recording), thus modifying the standard interpretation of Bernhardt as principally a great, classical tragedienne.
"Sarah Bernhardt in New York" constitutes an unprecedented opportunity to learn about an exhibition from soup to nuts: to study the objects, installation, and catalogue, as well as to experience related programming. In addition, students will visit important temporary exhibitions and permanent collections around the city with an eye to assessing how they create narratives through the choice of objects and their installation.
In consultation with the instructor, each student will choose a particular exhibition or collection about which to research and write a 10-page paper.
The course will be offered in New York City where students will reside at the Williams Club from January 3 to January 26.
Enrollment limit: 4.
Cost per student: $1300 (includes lodging and full breakfast; $20 per diem; metro card for in-city transportation; evening at theatre; museum admission when accompanied by instructor, and required text). This course is not defined as a "trip" for financial aid purposes. The maximum reimbursement to financial aid students is $500. Not open to first-year students.

Back at the turn into the last century, Vienna was one of the primary centers for ground-breaking innovations in art, architecture and music ( and also the time and place where Freud defined psychoanalysis.) Using the rich repositories of that culture in the museums and concert halls of present-day Vienna, we will explore the artists who introduced "modernism" and analyze the particular qualities that set them apart from the norm. Our course will begin with a visit to Vienna's major museum of fine art, the Kunsthistorisches Museum, to view a special exhibition of the great 19th-century Spanish artist, Goya. The exhibition, called "Goya: The Prophet of the Modern," will be our starting point in discussing the concept of "Modernism" as it was defined in the early 20th century. What was "modern" about Goya and do these qualities apply to the ways avant-garde Austrian artists reenvisioned painting and restructured music? In particular we want to study the works of Schoenberg, Berg and Webern in music; Kokoshka, Schiele, and Klimt in painting; Hofmann and Moser in design; and Otto Wagner and Adolf Loos in architecture.
The class will visit the sites of modern murals, paintings and decorative arts (The Museum für Angewandte Kunst; The Belvedere Palace; The Secession building; The Leopold Museum). For the music, we will study scores and recordings at the Schoenberg Center in Vienna, the repository of all the composer's manuscripts and recordings, as well as those of his pupils, Berg and Webern (and, additionally, the Center is the place where we can study Schoenberg's Expressionist paintings, so important that Kandinsky included them in a seminal exhibition of German Expressionist art in 1910.)
In various excursions to villas and churches and walks around town, we'll explore the contributions to architecture made by Otto Wagner and the audacious Adolf Loos. Comparing the confectionary architecture of the Habsburg Palace to the Loos "House without Eyebrows" across from it, might alone give you the essence of the revolutionary quality of the Viennese avant-garde.
Each student will be expected to develop enough expertise about a given artist that they can lead the class when we visit galleries and architectural sites.
Proposed budget: about $2250.
Enrollment limit: 10.

Professor Yossi Gutmann is the artistic director of the Vienna Chamber Music Society and the founder of the Stradivari Sextet. He plays the Gibson Stradivarius viola and teaches viola at the Haydn Conservatory in Eisenstadt, Austria and is Professor of Chamber Music at the Academy of Art and Music in Graz, Austria.

This class will be a hands-on exploration of the possibilities of oil paint on stretched canvas. Working primarily on medium size formats, students will develop necessary skills such as color, value, surface and texture. The course work will be divided into three thematic units, black and white studies of nature, color studies of nature and figure painting. The workshop will be intense and require a lot of work.

Meeting time: two afternoons a week with the remainder of the time spent on painting

Drawing live things is different than drawing dead things since live things tend to move. Together, we will use charcoal, pencil and ink to draw live models, clothed and nude, plants and animals and shoppers in action at the Berkshire Mall. "Drawing Life" will meet for nine hours a week in the Spencer Studio art building and occasionally wander out into the campus and community with sketchbooks. Beginning and advanced students are welcome, since the small class size allows for personalized instruction.
Evaluation is based on successful in-class projects and weekly homework.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 12. Since most drawing classes give priority to first years, this class will reverse the order and accept seniors first, then juniors, sophomores and first years.
Meeting times : Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons.
Lab fee: $100.

This is a studio seminar exploring various approaches to Video Art. Students will investigate and interrogate some of the theoretical, aesthetic, and practical issues of Video Art. This is primarily a studio workshop that will focus on vocabulary building in the studio and with software, with screenings and some supplemental reading, but most of our effort will be put toward each student making two final pieces to show at the end of Winter Study.
Evaluation will be based on participation and assignments.
Prerequisites are either one art course, some experience with video production, or excitement about working with video art. Enrollment limit: 10.
Cost will be $50 lab fee, plus other minor costs depending on specifics of project.
Meeting time: three mornings a week for 2 hours with field trips and extra lab time scheduled as necessary.

David Lachman is an artist exploring questions of consciousness, and the role of the artist and viewer in creating meaning. He has a B.A. from Oberlin College and an M.F.A. from Northwestern University.

This course will combine film studies and video production to investigate film noir and its legacies. The course will begin with the study of crime movies of the 1940's and 50's like The Maltese Falcon, Detour, Double Indemnity, Kiss Me Deadly, Sunset Boulevard, The Third Man, Out of the Past, The Hitch-hiker, No Way Out, Gilda, The Postman Always Rings Twice, The Big Sleep, Gun Crazy, Night of the Hunter, Touch of Evil, and other films, and will explore their impact in more recent contributions to the genre, ranging from Chinatown and Serpico to LA Confidential, Mulholland Drive, Bound, Devil in a Blue Dress, Pulp Fiction, The Usual Suspects, Femme Fatale, and The Deep End. Readings in film history and criticism will help us to consider the films using a range of methods: How do the films emerge in a historical period from a genre of pulp fiction? How do the films use language and visual style to produce their fictional world? What are the narrative functions of the obsessions, repressions, alienations, and femmes fatales that lurk in the criminal underbelly of the nation, and how might these stories be seen to stage certain crises of masculinity? How do the films produce and reproduce ideas about urban (and sometimes non-urban) spaces? How do the films reproduce and/or shift American thinking about racial and ethnic cultures, particularly in films like Touch of Evil, Miller's Crossing, Caught, Devil in a Blue Dress, and Pulp Fiction? How do stars function in the films, ranging from Barbara Stanwick or Robert Mitchum to Tilda Swinton or Denzel Washington?
In response to these inquiries, students will produce two one-minute videos, two 1-page papers, two short scripts, and one final 5-minute video. Each assignment will be a response to issues, themes, visual forms, and narrative strategies raised by the films and critical readings.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 12.
Lab fee: $125.
Meeting time: 1-4 p.m., Tuesday and Wednesday, plus 3-8 hours/week of scheduled screenings and 2 1/2 hour scheduled individual editing lab sections.

ARTS 15 Materials of the Artist: Uncovering Fakes and Forgeries (Same as ArtH 15 and Chemistry 15)

This course will use the imagery of landscape, mythology and the natural world associated with ancient Greece as a source for painting. Students will research an area of interest or topic related to ancient Greece and compile and gather images and ideas that will be incorporated into a painting or series of paintings.
Students will be evaluated on the basis of regular attendance and completion of their work. Students will be expected to spend considerable time outside of class researching their subject and gathering imagery. Students will also find it necessary to spend additional studio time, outside of scheduled class time, in order to explore, experiment and create strong work. Technical aspects of painting will be addressed as needed.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 15.
Cost to student: $150 for materials.
Meeting time: mornings.

John Recco lives and works in Hoosick, NY. and has exhibited in New York, Boston and throughout the Northeast and is currently represented by the Katharina Rich Perlow Gallery in New York. He has taught at Bennington College, Marlboro College and Williams College and has been a visiting artist at a number of institutions. In 2004 he received a Fulbright to conduct research and paint at various temple sites throughout Greece.

This is a home design course. Each student will design a house to be built within a 6-meter cube (20 feet). There will be several exercises in which the students will present solutions restricted to the 6 meter limits as well as solutions which could use limited outward expansions for balconies, bay windows or actual second floor room enlargements.
The students will design the entire living space, including all furniture (volume, size, functionality). The main design purpose is to get away from the limitations of a floor plan, a two-dimensional-projection approach to design. The conception of the living spaces will focus on multi-level occupancy, highly ergonomic built-in furniture and differences of ceiling heights. Special emphasis will be given to tri-dimensional layer-occupancy design, as it is done in airplane restrooms (and customarily in product design, as can be seen inside the CPU cabinet of a personal computer).
Due to the familiarity of the themes involved (living in enclosed spaces, personal spatial needs, human behavior) and to specific exercises, the students will develop their own data sheets with information on human dimensions, furniture sizes, hand reaching curves, shelving heights.
Final presentation will be a 1:20 scale model of the house, assembled in such a way as to permit internal viewing. Drawings, sketches and partial (cut) models can also be included.
This is not a course limited to students in pre-architecture programs or even restricted to art majors. The exploration exercises will give each student enough information to produce a good design solution. Although previous studio training and personal drawing talent will help students with their final presentation, the lack of either (or even both) will not be an impairment to good course performance. This is a CONCEPT DESIGN course. Presentation model and drawings are just the means of presenting the concepts and solutions. There will be no emphasis on the artistic expression or graphic qualities of those items.
Enrollment limit: 15.
Cost to student : $80.
Meeting time: mornings, three hours (depending on class size) on a daily basis. It is expected that each students will work an average of 100 hours, including class time.

Raul Martins is an architect based in Salvador, Brazil whose work includes high-density low-rise, low-income housing complexes. He is presently working in new housing developments. Other professional interests include urban policy, architecture history and preservation. He presently serves as Secretary General for the Instituto dos Arquitetos do Brasil, Departamento da Bahia-the Brazilian equivalent of the AIA).

Pinhole Photography offers to the beginner and the seasoned photographer alike an entry way into a unique way of viewing the world. Ordinary colors and shapes are transformed. The cameras themselves can be anything from a shoe box to a paint bucket. The sky is the limit as to where pinhole photography can take you.
Students will be evaluated on their efforts with building their own pinhole camera. They will be given instruction as to how to drill a pin hole to the correct size as dictated by their container. They will also learn the darkroom process for they will be making their own prints, which will be displayed at the end of winter study
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 10.
Lab fee: $50 to cover materials.
Meeting time: mornings, twice a week for 3 hours with optional labs in the afternoon.

Anthony Salazar is an artist who uses photography as his medium. He earned his B.A. and his M.F.A. from Hunter College in New York City. He taught at Hamilton College before coming to Williams, where he is the Photo technician for the department.

Students registered for Chinese 101-102 and Chinese 111-112 are required to attend and pass the Chinese Sustaining Program. Classes meet Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays from 9:00-9:50.
Prerequisite: Chinese 101 or Chinese 111.
Requirements: regular attendance and active class participation.
Cost to student: one Xerox packet.

The Tang dynasty (618-906) has traditionally been considered the golden age of Chinese poetry. Poems from the Tang continue to be enjoyed by millions of people and memorized by school children in mainland China and Taiwan down to the present day. In this class we will learn the basics of reading Tang poetry in the original literary Chinese in which it was written. We will look at a small number of poems very closely and examine such topics as rhyme, imagery, allusion, and structure. We will also look closely at commentaries and annotations of the poems in both modern Chinese and English. This class requires knowledge of Chinese at least at the level of Chinese 201, but does NOT assume any knowledge of literary or "Classical" Chinese. The language of instruction will be English.
Evaluation will be based on preparation for class, class participation, a presentation, and a final exam based on the material covered in class. Students will be expected to prepare assignments outside of class (including memorizing some short poems). During class we will refine our translations and discuss the poems and their historical context. We will also drink tea.
Enrollment limit: 15.
Cost to student: small Xeroxing fee.
Meeting time: afternoons, 2-3:50 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

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 blossom, 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 required. Enrollment limit: 12 (in case of overenrollment, upper-class students will receive preference).
Cost to student: approximately $30 for materials.
Meeting time: mornings, 10 a.m.-12:55 p.m., Tuesday and Thursday.

Ying-lei 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 during Winter Studies, and has also given tea ceremony demonstrations on campus for the Chinese and Japanese programs.

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.
Requirements: regular attendance and active class participation.
Cost to student: one Xerox packet.

Okichi unwillingly became the mistress of the first American consul (1856-1862), Townsend Harris, at the age of seventeen. Her traumatic story is well known to Japanese and the various ways it has been told exemplify a cultural fascination with those living in the margins. In this course, we will examine Okichi's and other border stories that are told in multiple media narratives, from personal diaries to television dramas. The latter part of the course will be devoted to creating and developing a project on a subject of each participant's choosing. Projects may take the shape of an ethnographic paper, an audio recording, a mini-documentary film, or even a live performance, according to the particular skills and interests of each participant.
Evaluation is based on class participation, regular journaling, and the project. We will meet in the morning as a group an average of three times per week, with allowances made for one-on-one meetings, a few films showings outside the regular class hours, and for those exigencies that develop around the final projects.
No prerequisites. Materials and discussions will be in English, though the projects may be bilingual where appropriate. Enrollment limit: 12.
Cost to student: approximately $50.
Meeting time: mornings, 10-noon, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

Performance has outgrown its theatrical meaning and has come to serve as a paradigm for the means by which we participate in our culture and in our world. That sea change necessitates a rethinking of what we mean by `learning' and `training'. "Performative Learning" describes the interplay between the intellect and the viscera necessary to engage in any number of endeavors such as martial arts, dance, music, theatre, etc. The goals of this course are far-reaching, but the methods of studio activity will be much more focused: the instructor will draw primarily from experiences training with artists of the Japanese butoh dance movement, and from teaching movement in an acting conservatory setting to create an intensive course of training in physical theatre performance. Exercises provide pointed challenges to both body and imagination, and pose the question: "How do we go about learning, when the body is at the center of the equation?" They will include carefully structured improvisations and partnered limb and joint mobilizations, designed to increase proprioceptive awareness and sensitivity to kinesiology, space, and interplay with others.
Evaluation is based on daily participation, regular journaling, written summaries, and active participation in discussions on reading assignments. A performance of selections from the coursework will take place at or near the end of the term.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 12.
Cost to student: approximately $45.Meeting time: mornings, 10-noon, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

Thomas O'Connor is a performer, performance teacher, and movement artist based in the Berkshires.

ASTR 10 Adventures Under The Dome: Communicating Astronomy (Same as English 10)

This course will combine an exploration of astronomy with a study of effective ways to communicate astronomy to the public. It will cover the presentation of astronomy and related topics, ranging from print media to multi-media live and taped presentations. We will open by examining how astronomy is presented in various forms of media, with particular emphasis on language and audience assumptions. These will prepare us for several sessions that will focus on planetarium show production and the show producer's multi-disciplinary media background. Some sessions will be held in the new Williams College planetarium, with its new Zeiss and digital projectors. There will also be a short (1-day with possible overnight) field trip to a working production dome in Nashua, NH, to see shows in fulldome format and talk to artists and designers involved in creating the newest generation of fulldome video programs for planetarium facilities.
Evaluation will be based on class discussion participation and preparation of a short planetarium presentation or suitable equivalent in other media. If overenrolled, students will be selected on the basis of a paragraph describing their interest.
This course is open to students with an interest in and/or aptitude in writing for media and production. No formal background in astronomy is required, although some knowledge will be extremely helpful. Enrollment limit: 12.Cost to student: $100 for field trip.
Meeting time: three afternoons per week

Carolyn Collins Petersen is an established science writer specializing in astronomy-related books, articles, and documentary scripts for planetarium and science center use.

BIOLOGY

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.

BIOL 11 Images of Greylock: Interpreting Landscape Change (Same as Environmental Studies 11 and INTR 11) (CANCELLED!)

The art for picture books ranges from black and white line art to explosions of color literally lifting off the page. In this course the instructor will demonstrate and show examples of illustrated picture books, including non-fiction and fables. Students will experiment with several illustration techniques including three-dimensional sculpted watercolor art. Each student will create a 3-D painting of one of Aesop's Fables for display at the end of Winter Study.
Students will be evaluated on the basis of class participation and effort. This course is open to all levels of artistic ability.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 12.
Cost to student: $50.
Meeting times: mornings, twice a week for three hours. Field trips are planned to The Eric Carle Museum and to The Normal Rockwell Museum.

Robin Brickman received her Bachelor's degree in graphic arts and botany from Bennington College. She is an award-winning illustrator known for the unique three-dimensional watercolor art she developed. Her picture book client list includes: Charlesbridge, Simon & Schuster, HarperCollins, The Millbrook Press, Rodale Press, and Boyd's Mills Press.

We will take a comprehensive and multidisciplinary look at the topic of food. Food is the only thing we need to survive, although it is something that most of us take for granted. The food industry is the largest industry in the world, affecting every aspect of our lives. We'll examine how contemporary society is impacted by our food systems. We'll explore both global and local issues, using a variety of disciplines: economics, politics, public health, and environmental studies, to name a few. Students will be encouraged to bring their own interests and approaches to this topic. The research project can be literature-based or experiential, practical application or theoretical in nature. Topics to be addressed include: population growth, the U.S. agricultural system, biotechnology, food safety, organic farming, eating locally/seasonally, the "externalization" vs. "internalization" of costs, food aid and trade policy. Readings: articles from various publications will be assigned.
The class will be highly participatory; students will discuss current issues presented in the assigned readings and documentary films.
Evaluation will be based on contribution and participation, 2-page response papers to the readings for 5 of the 12 classes as well as a 5-page research paper accompanied by a short presentation on your topic to the class on the last day.
Cost to student: $40 for reading packet.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 15.
Meeting: mornings, 2 hours per class 3 days a week.

Johanna Kolodny graduated from Williams in '01 with a B.A. in Anthropology and has a M.A. degree in Food Studies from NYU.

Intrinsic timepieces within all organisms control a wide variety of biological processes, from the cellular to the behavioral. Through readings and discussions, we will learn how biological clocks function in all organisms. We will also attempt to determine how biological clocks are involved in humans in establishing sleep and activity cycles; in determining jet lag and seasonal affective disorder; and in influencing athletic performance, cognitive performance, and susceptibility to cancer and other diseases. As part of the course, students will set their biological clocks to a defined rhythm based upon a rigid schedule of sleep and light exposure; they will then shift their clocks to a new rhythm and attempt to determine its effect on athletic performance, cognition or some other measurable parameter. In addition, students will write a 5-page paper based upon their self-experimentation (if it is successful) or on some other aspect of biological rhythms and deliver a short presentation to the class.
Evaluation will be based on class attendance and participation, design and execution of experimental protocol, a 5-page paper, and a short presentation to the class.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 15. First year students will be given preference.
Cost to student: $30 for a textbook.
Meeting times: mornings, 2-3 sessions per week.

Students Teaching AIDS to Students is a Winter Study project that aims to bring trained Williams students into local schools as facilitators and educators about topics relating to HIV and AIDS. During the first two weeks of Winter Study, students learn how to teach and work together to develop lesson plans about HIV and its implications. In addition to learning the science of HIV, students will have the opportunity to hear from guest speakers about the prevalence of HIV in the Berkshires and the support services available to community members living with HIV/AIDS. During the final two weeks, Williams students will travel to area middle schools to present their lesson plans and then return in the fourth week to wrap-up their lessons and address middle school student questions solicited after the first classroom session.
Evaluation will be based on attendance, participation, development and implementation of lesson plans, and a final paper.
No prerequisite. Enrollment limit: 15.
Cost to student: approximately $40 for course materials.
Class will meet in the morning during the first two weeks. Students will be in local classrooms during weeks three and four, with a final group wrap-up meeting after the teaching sessions are complete.

Erin Morrissette '00 and Caitlin Carr '01 are former Biology majors at Williams. Both are currently fourth-year medical students at the University of Pennsylvania.

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://www.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 21, 22) 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 21, 22) 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 12 Epidemiology, Public Health and Leadership in the Health Professions (Same as Leadership Studies 12)

Epidemiology, the study of disease and disability in human populations, has been called the basic science of public health and preventive medicine. Epidemiology has made substantial contributions to the advancement of health and improved illness care through a sharper understanding of the natural history of disease, the multiple "causes" of disease, and the control of epidemics of both infectious and (later) non-infectious disease. Epidemiological approaches are used constantly to test new medicines and guide treatment and prevention strategies.
Making use of epidemic exercises, selected original papers from the medical and public health literature, and a basic text, this course starts by reviewing the history, logic and approaches of epidemiology. We then turn to discussions of scientific and social leadership in the health professions. With the help of guest lecturers/discussion leaders, we explore aspects of leadership in at least three of the following areas: clinical medicine and patient care, international health, basic science discovery and/or applied research, ethics, and health care evaluation.
Evaluation is based on active student participation and a paper on selected aspects of leadership in health or epidemiologic analysis based on analysis of original literature concerning a topic of personal interest.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 12.
Cost to student: $150 for books and reading materials.
Meeting time: afternoons; three days per week, for approximately 6 hours per week. There may be some evening meetings, depending on the schedules of visiting instructors.

Dr. Nicholas H. Wright '57, a medical epidemiologist with a longstanding interest in family planning/population and international health issues, recently retired from the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Jersey, and now lives in Williamstown.

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: 12 November, 13 November, 10 December, and 11 December. 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.

CHEM 15 Materials of the Artist: Uncovering Fakes and Forgeries (Same as ArtH 15 and ArtS 15)

Many artists' materials (in the form of support, pigments, coatings, and binding media) existed in very specific times throughout history. Knowing this, we can create a timeline and begin to date art objects by examining their material and how each object was manufactured. In this class, we choose an object of questionable authenticity and immerse ourselves in it. For example, a painting of questionable authenticity will have the pigments analyzed, the media analyzed, an x-ray will be taken, showing the paint strokes and method of application. In some cases, a technique called an infrared reflectography will be utilized to view the underdrawing-the artist (or forgers) original sketches. Visual examinations combined with sophisticated analytical instrumentation will be used to identify the materials of the object and its method of manufacture. Instruments may include: x-ray fluorescence analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectrometer, x-ray diffraction, gas chromatography, and scanning electron microscope. All classes will be held at either the Williamstown Conservation Center under the direction of the analytical chemist and conservator, or in the Bronfman Science Center.
Evaluation is based upon class participation and a 10-page final paper.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 9.
Cost to student: $20 for reading materials.
Meeting time: mornings; twice a week for three hours and two hours/person/week beyond class time.

Kate Duffy is Department Head of Analytical Services at the Williamstown Art Conservation Center.

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 early e-mail to Professor Thoman.
Cost to student: $75 for supplies.
Meeting time: 9:00 a.m. to noon, five days per week.

An independent experimental project in archaeological science is carried out in collaboration with Dr. Skinner whose research involves two types of studies: dating fossil material and establishing the sources of ancient artifacts.
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 a faculty research lab, interested students must consult Dr. Skinner 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 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.

CHEM 19 Introduction to Research in Environmental Science (Same as Environmental Studies 19)

An independent experimental project in environmental science is carried out in collaboration with a member of the Department with expertise in environmental science. Current research projects include studies of atmospheric chemistry related to global warming and acid deposition, heavy metals in the local environment, and further development of laboratory techniques for ENVI 102 (Introduction to Environmental Science).
A 10-page written report is required.
Prerequisite: a one-semester science course 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 inorganic chemistry is carried out in collaboration with a member of the Department with expertise in inorganic chemistry. Opportunities for research in inorganic chemistry at Williams include the study of transition metals in biological systems (enzymes, proteins), and as building blocks for new materials with interesting electronic (magnetic, conducting) and optical properties. Students working in this area will gain expertise in the synthesis of new compounds and their characterization by modern spectroscopic techniques.
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.

An independent experimental project in organic chemistry is carried out in collaboration with a member of the Department with expertise in organic chemistry. One representative project involves isolation of the bioactive constituents of Southeast Asian dart poisons from their natural sources and the elucidation of their three-dimensional structures. Another line of investigation probes new and efficient methods for the creation of molecules of medicinal interest. Some targets include the kavalactones-the active principles of the herbal extract KAVA KAVA which is promoted as an alternative anti-anxiety remedy, and octalactin A-an interesting 8-membered ring compound isolated from marine microorganisms that has shown significant toxicity toward human cancer cells.
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.

J. Hodge Markgraf, Professor of Chemistry emeritus, taught organic chemistry at Williams for four decades. He has previously taught a WSP course on the science of chocolate and combinatorial chemistry.

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.

CLAS 11 The Religions of the Roman Empire and Christianity (Same as Religion 11)

This course will survey some of the many religions that existed within the boundaries of the Roman empire in the two centuries before and after the birth of Jesus. Taking into account the particular interests of students who register for this course, it will consider not only the "traditional" state and domestic cults of Rome but also the imperial cult, various mystery religions, and early Christianity. We will begin by briefly examining how the Romans themselves defined their religion and its purpose(s) and consider how this definition contrasted with that of participants in the mystery cults and that of early Christians. We will also examine how the Roman authorities used various cults/religions as political tools to secure the empire. Finally, through our answers to these questions, we will explore the Roman authorities' reaction to Christianity.
Each student will be expected to write two papers (10-20 pages total). In a shorter paper students will try to put themselves in the position of a "traditional" Roman and write about either what they would believe about their own gods or their resistance to one of the new mystery cults. The longer paper will be on a topic of each student's choice (after consultation with the instructor), and each student will also present an oral report on the topic of this paper.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 15. Preference given to majors in Classics and Religion.
Cost to student: less than $15.
Meeting time: mornings, three times a week.

Professor Wildfang is a 1986 graduate of Williams College and taught as Visiting Assistant Professor at Williams in 1991.

Ovid's Metamorphoses, a rich and varied poem unified by the theme of physical transformation, was unmatched as a source of inspiration for Renaissance artists working across a variety of media. We will explore the ways Ovid's poem figures in artistic works from the Renaissance, including drama, poetry, painting, sculpture, and music. We will begin by reading the Metamorphoses with a view toward appreciating the stories, themes, and narrative techniques that have long made his work so appealing. We will then explore the ways figures such as Shakespeare, Spenser, Marlowe, Titian, Bernini, and Monteverdi incorporate and re-imagine Ovid's poem in their own work. We will consider Ovid's influence on later artists, the contribution of later works to our understanding of Ovid, and the relationships between various kinds of art.
Requirements: several presentations and a final 10-page paper.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 15.
Cost to students: none.
Meeting time: mornings.

From the peak of imperialism to its decline, what were the myths, observations, and prejudices that informed the European view of the colonial enterprise? How is the relationship between colonialists and the colonized expressed in literature and film? This course will examine what happens to the novel when it explicitly confronts issues of race, class and ideology, oppression and resistance, the individual and the mass, the meeting of two radically different cultures and systems of belief. Do men and women narrate the colonialist experience differently? The texts will include some fiction by postcolonial writers. Fiction by Conrad, Flaubert, Kipling, Foster, Dineson. Films include adaptations of Foster's Kipling's, and Dineson's works, and the documentary about Sara Baartman, "the Hottentot Venus."
Class will meet for discussion for two hours, twice a week in the morning, plus two hours of film screenings. A passing grade requires active class participation, a brief oral presentation, and a 10-page paper.
Cost to student: $30.00.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 15.

COMP 12 Contemporary Queer Cinema in France (Same as French 12 and Women's and Gender Studies 11)

This course is an introduction to the Microsoft Excel spreadsheet software, with applications to economics, finance, business, and public policy analysis. A variety of Excel commands and tools will be introduced, and then applied to examples such as analyzing an investment project, modeling the determination of stock prices, finding data and evaluating evidence on a question of public policy, and effectively communicating information with a graph or table. These are all invaluable skills for many of the kinds of jobs Williams students commonly pursue after graduation. Readings will include The Visual Display of Quantitative Information by Edward Tufte, as well as a guidebook for using Excel for financial modeling, and some accessible articles on the substantive aspects of economics, finance, or public policy involved in each application.
Evaluation will be based on a number of hands-on problem sets.
No prerequisites. Preference will be given to students with no prior experience with Finance and with Excel, and to freshmen and sophomores. Students who have taken Economics 317 (Finance and Capital Markets) will not be admitted. Enrollment limit: 20.
Cost to student: approximately $60 for books.
Meeting time: afternoons, twice a week for 3 hours each (half of which is "lecture-time," and the other half is "lab-time").

In the post-Enron, Worldcom, Adelphia etc. capital market the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 has substantially altered the legal framework of the Federal securities laws. Those laws, in the name of preserving "transparency" and with it investor confidence, impose substantial restrictions on how and who may use information about a public corporation. In addition, Regulation FD ("Fair Disclosure") adopted by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in August 2000, when Arthur Levitt, Jr. '52 was its Chair, attempts to insure that any release of information is made available to all, not just some investors. Breaking these rules can result in giving up any profit made, substantial fines or even imprisonment. Yet some information is different from other information. How do we know what is "inside" information and an asset of the business and what is not? Does the theoretical basis for these legally mandated policies on disclosing information, the so-called "efficient" market hypotheses, make sense? And is there a problem of information overload? What ought a corporate manager do? And does speaking of "ought" raise issues of ethics and personal standards that transcend legal norms?
Evaluation will be based on class participation and an essay examination requiring analysis of a given fact pattern. Independent reading and in class reports will be considered for additional credit.
No prerequisites. Some familiarity with business developments from TV, newspapers or magazines may prove helpful.Enrollment limit: 25.
Costs to students: $25-$50 for reading materials (excerpts from court decisions, Sec law and regulations, newspaper and journal articles, etc.).
Meeting times: afternoons, three times a week for two hours each.

Peter Hutcheon '65 practices law primarily in the areas of corporate governance, commercial transactions, securities, banking and finance. Peter was a director and former chair of the New Jersey State Bar, Corporate and Business Law Section for 22 years and, also, the former chairman (1989-2001) of the New Jersey Corporate and Business Law Study Commission where he provided reports and suggestions on business law developments to the New Jersey Legislature and the Governor. Peter chaired the New Jersey Securities Advisory Committee appointed by the Attorney General since 1995-2001 and has served as the American Bar Association's Liaison to the New Jersey Bureau of Securities for almost 25 years. He has also served as Chair of the ABA's Section of Science and Technology and as Editor of its quarterly journal, Jurimetrics. Additionally, he has authored numerous articles on various business-related law topics including limited liability companies, securities, and directors and officers liability.

The ability to disseminate intellectual and creative works has traditionally been a scarce resource. In addition to facilitating the creation of intellectual and creative works, information technology, and the Internet in particular, has enabled many creators to widely disseminate their works without relying on traditional intermediaries such as newspapers, magazines, software firms, publishing houses, radio and television stations, and music labels. In this course, we shall look at these technological innovations and consider their impacts on what gets created, how it gets disseminated, and who, if anybody, pays for it.
Students will be required to produce intellectual or creative content and distribute it to the world via the Internet. Dissemination may be by blog, iPodcast, or other agreed-upon means. Exhibition of this project on the last day of Winter Study is required. Attendance and participation will also be taken into account.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 15.
Cost to student: $50 for books and readings.
Meeting time: afternoons, 1-3:50 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday.

Art and economics are two disciplines that might seem incongruent. Economics is sometimes portrayed as being all about the money while art may just be for art's sake. Even if the art itself transcends many of the worldly issues of economics, it cannot escape the standard forces of economics. For example, artists must sell their work (unless, of course, they want to be starving artists). How is art sold? Some art is sold at auction, some through dealers, and some artists work through commissions. Why are different types of art sold through these different mechanisms? What determines the price of art? Collectors buy art for its enjoyment (or consumption) value as well as its investment potential. How can one use economics to measure the success of buying art as an investment? In addition to collectors, institutions such as museums also buy art. What are the economics of an art museum? What is the role for private donations, public subsidies, and entrance fees in sustaining museums? What is an appropriate role for government in the economics of art? Should the government subsidize art? If so, should the subsidies focus on the creation of art or the preservation and exhibition of art? How should the government decide what art to subsidize? These are some of the questions that this class will explore.
Students will prepare a 10-page project based on one of the major themes of the course.
No prerequisites. While the course will use some economic concepts that are covered in Economics 110, the goal of the course is to be a self-contained coverage of how economic analysis can be used to think about art and art markets. Students who are not economics majors are encouraged to take the class.
Enrollment limit: 15.
Cost to student: $25 for text.
Meetings: 3 mornings per week.

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." It will present a substantial body of material and will require a considerable commitment of time by the student, including regular attendance and participation in discussion and homework cases and problems.
The course grade will be determined on the basis of several quizzes and a written group report presenting an analysis of a company's annual report.
Enrollment limit:30.
Cost to student: none.
Meeting time: mornings.

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, do some homework assignments and, as part of a team, give two presentations and write 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.
Not intended for students who already know much about the stock market; students who have had Economics 317 not admitted.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit:30.
Cost to student: none.
Meeting time: afternoons.

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.

Robotics has been an exciting topic for decades. Current technology allows students to design, build, and program their own robots using the Lego Mindstorms system. It is straightforward to build the robots, as they are very similar to Legos toys. Programming the robots may be done using the graphical software that comes with the Mindstors kits, or one may use more sophisticated, JAVA based software. During the first part of the course, students will familiarize themselves with the tools and software by creating robots that fulfill a relatively simple set of tasks, such as measuring distance, following a maze, and drawing letters. The first project will be done using both the graphical software and the JAVA based system to ensure programming mastery. After a basic competency in the tools is reached, the students will propose a more complex project. After instructor approval, the students will design, build, and program their final project. It may be possible to provide mentoring for local children interested in robotics by allowing them to come and interact with the class.
Students will be evaluated on completing the initial projects, as well as on their design and implementation of their final project. There will also be an exhibition of the project at the end of Winter Study.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 14.
Cost to student: approximately $10.
Meeting times: afternoons.

In this course, 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 micro-economics. 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 1960-2004. 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 such as: Globalization, Energy Policy and the Outlook for Oil Prices. 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 to 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 the impact of the Internet on the economy and the stock market.
Prerequisites: Economics 120 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, 3-4 sessions per week. There will be two afternoons of workshops lasting approximately 30 minutes with hands-on instruction for each team. 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

The "American Dream"-the idea of achieving prosperity through hard work-contains home ownership as a central feature. In advertising and the popular press home ownership is sometimes considered the defining characteristic of the American Dream. In this course we will explore-through film, literature, and economics-the role that home ownership plays in defining the economic aspirations and identities of individuals in the United States and elsewhere. We will view and discuss three films (Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House, House of Sand and Fog, and The Castle) that present the pathetic, comic and tragic aspects of pursuing this dream. We will read and discuss A House for Mr. Biswas by V. S. Naipaul, and consider the symbolic and economic significance of home ownership. In addition to developing an appreciation for its importance, you will hear brief discussions of how an economist might model the pursuit of home ownership and its significance for the economy, and learn why so few Swiss own their own homes, and why a larger share of Irish, Spanish and Greeks achieve the "American" dream than do the Americans themselves.
Evaluation will be based on participation in class discussions, two-page critical essays for each film, plus a paper of at least 5 pages in length exploring themes from the book and class discussion.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 19, with preference (in the event of over-enrollment) given to first-years and sophomores.
Cost to student: $10 (for the book).
Meeting time: afternoons, four times per week.

ECON 19 Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) (Same as Women's and Gender Studies 19)

This course examines tax policy towards low-income families in the United States, and has the following three objectives: 1) For students to understand the shift of redistributive policy in the United States from income support through the transfer system (Aid to Families with Dependent Children/Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) towards support of working individuals through the tax system (primarily the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)); 2) For students to understand the challenges that low income individuals have "making ends meet" and to understand the role that the EITC has played in increasing the standard of living of the working poor; and 3) To enable students to understand the tax code well enough to prepare simple income tax returns, including those for filers claiming the EITC. Students will be trained by the IRS to prepare income tax returns for low-income individuals and families. At the end of the term, students will use their newly acquired expertise to help individuals and families in Berkshire County prepare and file their returns.
Students must complete IRS VITA training; staff one session of tax preparation assistance during the final week of winter term; and write a ten-page analytical and reflective essay.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 14.
Cost to student: $100 for texts and coursepack.
Meeting times will depend on availability of IRS trainers, but will be announced before registration for WSP begins.

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, Hungry, Spain and Portugal, but will occasionally make comparisons to analogous New World style wines.
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.
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.
Although this course will be no doubt fun and interesting, it is also a serious course in which students are expected to learn the materials and skills presented in the lectures and wine tastings.
Cost to student: $150.
Meeting time: Monday evening with additional meetings to be determined.

A common tool for applied policy work is the Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model. These models are used extensively by various NGO's when deciding aid and policy recommendations. Advanced undergraduates or masters students can attain a basic understanding of these models in a relatively short time frame. The great advantage of these models is that they capture the general equilibrium feedback effects of policy proposals on various sectors of the economy. This is of great importance to applied work, as this allows the identification of the winners and losers from potential policies. The class will begin with a general overview of CGE models, followed by a detailed construction of a simple model for the US. During the latter part of the course, students will create a CGE model for a country of their choice (preferably their home country). This exercise will provide them with a basic model to use to examine the possible effects of various changes in national policy. Interested students could continue this project as a potential thesis topic.
Students will be evaluated using problem sets and their country-specific model.
Enrollment/prerequisites: 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

Winter Study 2006

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