WINTER STUDY PROGRAM
REMINDERS ABOUT WSP REGISTRATION
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.
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.
99 forms are available online: http://www.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)
AFR 16 Zimbabwean Marimba Music (Same as Music 16)
AFR 30 Senior Project
AMST 15 Contemporary American Songwriting (Same as Music 17)
AMST 25 Asian American Experimental Poets and Artists in New York City
AMST 30 Senior Honors Project
ANSO 10 Meditation-Based Stress Reduction: Adopting a Mindfulness Practice (Same as Religion 10)
ANSO 11 Berkshire Farm Center Internship
ANSO 12 Children and the Courts: Internship in the Crisis in Child Abuse
ANSO 14 Introduction to Go (Same as Psychology 14)
ANTH 31 Senior Thesis
SOC 31 Senior Thesis
ARTH 10 South African Townscapes
ARTH 11 Fictionalizing the Artist: Genius and Gender in Films about Artists (CANCELLED)
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)
ARTH 14 The Philadelphia Tradition in American Art
ARTH 16 Contemporary Architecture in New York and Boston
ARTH 15 Inventing Joan of Arc: The History of a Hero(ine) in Pictures and Film
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)
ARTH 31 Senior Thesis
ARTH 33 Honors Independent Study
ARTS 11 The Animate Image
ARTS 12 Learning from the Art of Outsiders
ARTS 13 Introduction to Video
ARTS 14 Introduction to Sound Composition
ARTS 15 Sustainable Building Design (Same as Environmental Studies 15)
ARTS 16 Glass and Glassblowing (Same as Chemistry 16)
ARTS 17 Figure Painting Workshop
ARTS 18 Literary Collaboration: Word and Image and the Narrative Between (Same as English 18)
ARTS 20 The Digital Darkroom (Same as Geosciences 10)
ARTS 27 Printmaking on Paper Clay (Same as English 27)
ASST 31 Senior Thesis
CHIN S.P. Sustaining Program for Chinese 101-102
CHIN 12 Chinese Painting
CHIN 13 Theory and Practice of Chinese Cooking
CHIN 31 Senior Thesis
JAPN S.P. Sustaining Program for Japanese 101-102
JAPN 10 Japanese Animation (Same as Comparative Literature 10)
JAPN 31 Senior Thesis
ASTR 10 Applied Aerodynamics
ASTR 11 Our Dangerous Universe
ASTR 31 Senior Research
ASPH 31 Senior Research
BIOL 10 Electron Microscopy
BIOL 11 Curing Health Care (Same as Economics 28)
BIOL 12 Pathophysiology of Diseases of the Heart and Blood Vessels
BIOL 13 Evolution Matters: Science Literacy and the Challenge of Intelligent Design
BIOL 14 Mt. Greylock: Our Most Excellent Majesty (Same as Environmental Studies 11)
BIOL 15 Explorations in Biophysics (Same as Chemistry 10 and Physics 11)
BIOL 16 Rhythm Based Conflict Resolution: An Experiential Approach (Same as Chemistry 17, Political Science 16, Psychology 16, and Theatre 16)
BIOL 22 Introduction to Biological Research
BIOL 31 Senior Thesis
CHEM 10 Explorations in Biophysics (Same as Biology 15 and Physics 11)
CHEM 11 Science for Kids (Same as Special 11)
CHEM 15 "You Are Not Listening!"-Exploring Interpersonal Conflict (Same as Leadership Studies 15 and Special 15)
CHEM 16 Glass and Glassblowing (Same as ArtS 16)
CHEM 17 Rhythm Based Conflict Resolution: An Experiential Approach (Same as Biology 16, Political Science 16, Psychology 16, and Theatre 16)
CHEM 18 Introduction to Research in Biochemistry
CHEM 24 Introduction to Research in Physical Chemistry
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)
CHEM 31 Senior Research and Thesis
CLAS 11 Roman Food in Antiquity
CLAS 31 Senior Thesis
COGS 31 Senior Thesis
COMP 10 Japanese Animation (Same as Japanese 10)
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)
COMP 31 Senior Thesis
LIT 31 Senior Thesis
CSCI 10 Untangling the Web: A Social Analysis of the Internet
CSCI 11 Art and Science of Maya
CSCI 12 Computer Animation Production
CSCI 31 Senior Honor Thesis
CMAJ 31 Senior Thesis
ECON 10 Mechanisms of Arbitrage
ECON 11 Public Speaking
ECON 12 Personal Financial Planning
ECON 13 Green Taxes
ECON 14 Accounting
ECON 15 Stock Market
ECON 17 Business Economics
ECON 18 Introduction to Indian Cinema
ECON 20 Introduction to the Economics, Geography and Appreciation of Wine
ECON 25 Gender, Video, and Social Activism in Senegal (Same as Women's and Gender Studies 25)
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)
ECON 28 Curing Health Care (Same as Biology 11)
ECON 30 Honors Project
ECON 31 Honors Thesis
ECON 51 Tax Policy in Emerging Markets
ECON 52 The Political Economy of Economic Strategy
ENGL 10 Fictions of Domesticity (Same as French 10)
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)
ENGL 13 Writing Non-Fiction
ENGL 14 Jazz and Poetry Workshop (Same as Music 19)
ENGL 15 The Writing of Orhan Pamuk
ENGL 16 Reading Fiction for Pleasure
ENGL 17 Intellectual Property and Its Discontents
ENGL 18 Literary Collaboration: Word and Image and the Narrative Between (Same as ArtS 18)
ENGL 19 Shakespeare's The Tempest (Same as Theatre 19)
ENGL 20 Margaret Atwood's Feminist Fictions (Same as Women's and Gender Studies 20)
ENGL 22 Philosophy in Literature (Same as Philosophy 12)
ENGL 23 Victorian Monsters
ENGL 25 Morocco (Same as Philosophy 25)
ENGL 27 Printmaking on Paper Clay (Same as ArtS 27)
ENGL 29 Peer Writing Tutor Workshop (Same as INTR 29)
ENGL 30 Honors Project: Specialization Route
ENGL 31 Honors Project: Thesis
ENVI 10 The Winter Naturalist's Journal
ENVI 11 Mt. Greylock: Our Most Excellent Majesty (Same as Biology 14)
ENVI 12 Landscape Photography (Same as Geosciences 12)
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)
ENVI 15 Sustainable Building Design (Same as ArtS 15)
ENVI 25 Sustainable Resource Management on Eleuthera Island
ENVI 31 Senior Research and Thesis
GEOS 10 The Digital Darkroom (Same as ARTS 20)
GEOS 12 Landscape Photography (Same as Environmental Studies 12)
GEOS 31 Senior Thesis
GERM S.P. Sustaining Program for German 101-102
GERM 20 Nietzsche and Marx
GERM 25 Berlin (CANCELLED)
GERM 30 Honors Project
GERM 31 Senior Thesis
HIST 10 "The Fatherland in Cleats": Soccer and Identities in the Americas
HIST 11 Samurai in Literature and History
HIST 12 Narrating Africa, Narrating History
HIST 13 The History of Surfing in Literature and Film
HIST 14 Latina and Latino Migration Stories: Dominican Writers (Same as Latina/o Studies 14)
HIST 15 Dances with Stereotypes?: American Indians on Film
HIST 16 American Wars: Directed Independent Reading and Research
HIST 17 The Fight for Free Speech in America
HIST 31 Senior Thesis
INTR 29 Peer Writing Tutor Workshop (Same as English 29)
INST 30 Senior Honors Project
JWST 10 Introduction to Biblical Hebrew
LATS 10 Dance: Approaching the Scholarship and Choreography
LATS 14 Latina and Latino Migration Stories: Dominican Writers (Same as History 14)
LATS 31 Senior Thesis
LEAD 10 Corporate Leadership and Social Responsibility
LEAD 12 The Roosevelt Century
LEAD 13 Political Engagement and the 2008 Election (Same as Political Science 13)
LEAD 15 "You are not listening!"-Exploring Interpersonal Conflict (Same as Chemistry 15 and Special 15)
LEAD 18 Wilderness Leadership
LGST 13 United States Environmental Law: Its Historic Roots, Its Uncertain Future (Same as Environmental Studies 13)
LGST 14 So You Want to be A Lawyer?
LING 10 Linguistic Typology and the Science of Constructed Languages
LING 12 Preliminary Introduction to American Sign Language (Same as Women's and Gender 12 and Special 12)
MATH 10 Pilates: Fitness, Philosophy, and Physiology
MATH 11 Teaching Mathematics at BArT (Same as Special 17)
MATH 12 Beginning Modern Dance
MATH 13 Modern Dance-Muller Technique (Same as Special 18)
MATH 14 Creating Fractals
MATH 15 Electricity and Magnetism for Mathematicians
MATH 16 The Social History and Craft Form (Same as Special 16)
MATH 17 Tournament Bridge
MATH 18 Introductory Photography: People and Places (Same as Special 23)
MATH 30 Senior Project
MATH 31 Senior Thesis
MUS 10 Symphonic Winds: Music of Louis Andriessen and Stephen Songheim
MUS 11 The Operas of Giuseppe Verdi
MUS 12 Ensembles in Classic American and European Musical Theatre (Same as Theatre 12)
MUS 13 Voice Workshop
MUS 14 Brazilian Music
MUS 15 Music Notation Technology
MUS 16 Zimbabwean Marimba Music (Same as Africana Studies 16)
MUS 17 Contemporary American Songwriting (Same as American Studies 15)
MUS 18 Cuban "Classical" Composers and Their Music
MUS 19 Jazz and Poetry Workshop (Same as English 14)
MUS 21 Individual Vocal and Instrumental Instruction
MUS 31 Senior Thesis
NSCI 31 Senior Thesis
PHIL 10 Formal Logic
PHIL 11 Aikido and Ethics
PHIL 12 Philosophy in Literature (Same as English 22)
PHIL 14 Intersexuality (Same as Women's and Gender Studies 14)
PHIL 25 Morocco (Same as English 25)
PHIL 31 Senior Thesis
PHYS 10 Light and Holography
PHYS 11 Explorations in Biophysics (Same as Biology 15 and Chemistry 10)
PHYS 12 Meet the Right Side of Your Brain: Drawing as a Learnable Skill
PHYS 15 Livres des Artists-The Artist Book
PHYS 22 Research Participation
PHYS 31 Senior Thesis
POEC 31 Honors Thesis
PSCI 10 B-Sides and Rarities in The Great Books Catalogue: Spinoza's Theological-Political Treatise
PSCI 11 The Gospel According to U2
PSCI 12 Civil Rights Law
PSCI 13 Political Engagement and the 2008 Election (Same as Leadership Studies 13)
PSCI 14 Advocating for the Environment (Same as Environmental Studies 14)
PSCI 15 The Third World City
PSCI 16 Rhythm Based Conflict Resolution: An Experiential Approach (Same as Biology 16, Chemistry 17, Psychology 16, and Theatre 16)
PSCI 17 The Political Philosophy of Leo Strauss
PSCI 21 Fieldwork in Public and Private Non-Profits
PSCI 22 Research Design and Methods Minicourse
PSCI 25 Williams in NOLA
PSCI 31 Senior Thesis
PSCI 32 Individual Project
PSYC 11 Children and the Media
PSYC 12 Animal Communication: The Psychology of Human-Animal Relationships
PSYC 13 Get Focused & Step It Up-Climate Change Activism
PSYC 14 Introduction to Go (Same as ANSO 14)
PSYC 15 Ephquilts: An Introduction to Traditional Quiltmaking
PSYC 16 Rhythm Based Conflict Resolution: An Experiential Approach (Same as Biology 16, Chemistry 17, Political Science 16 and Theatre 16)
PSYC 17 Teaching Practicum
PSYC 18 Psychology in Action
PSYC 22 Introduction to Research in Psychology
PSYC 31 Senior Thesis
REL 10 Meditation-Based Stress Reduction: Adopting a Mindfulness Practice (Same as ANSO 10)
REL 11 Greek and Roman Cults and the Rise of Christianity (Same as Classics 10)
REL 12 Building Your Yoga Practice: Dipping in to a Long and Living Tradition
REL 24 The Reformation in Europe
REL 25 Explorations in Solidarity: A Meeting of Minds and Hearts in Nicaragua
REL 31 Senior Thesis
RLFR S.P. Sustaining Program for French 101-102
RLFR 10 Fictions of Domesticity (Same as English 10)
RLFR 30 Honors Essay
RLFR 31 Senior Thesis
RLIT S.P. Sustaining Program for Italian 101-102
RLSP S.P. Sustaining Program for Spanish 101-102
RLSP 10 Percussion for Non-Percussionists
RLSP 30 Honors Essay
RLSP 31 Senior Thesis
RUSS S.P. Sustaining Program for Russian 101-102
RUSS 10 Chekhov's Table
RUSS 23 Gaudino Winter Study Fellows Program
RUSS 24 Resettling Refugees in Maine
RUSS 25 Williams in Georgia (Same as Special 25)
RUSS 30 Honors Project
RUSS 31 Senior Thesis
THEA 10 William by Williams: Shakespeare Speeches
THEA 12 Ensembles in Classic American and European Musical Theatre (Same as Music 12)
THEA 16 Rhythm Based Conflict Resolution: An Experiential Approach (Same as Biology 16, Chemistry 17, Political Science 16 and Psychology 16)
THEA 19 Shakespeare's The Tempest (Same as English 19)
THEA 31 Senior Project
THEA 32 Senior Honors Thesis
WGST 12 Preliminary Introduction to American Sign Language (Same as Linguistics 12 and Special 12)
WGST 13 An American Family and "Reality" Television (Same as ArtH 13)
WGST 14 Intersexuality (Same as Philosophy 14)
WGST 20 Margaret Atwood's Feminist Fictions (Same as English 20)
WGST 25 Gender, Video, and Social Activism in Senegal (Same as Economics 25)
WGST 30 Honors Project
SPEC 10 Quest for College: Early Awareness in Berkshire County Schools
SPEC 11 Science for Kids (Same as Chemistry 11)
SPEC 12 Preliminary Introduction to American Sign Language (Same as Linguistics 12 and Women's and Gender 12)
SPEC 13 Bodies in Motion: Modern Dance Technique in Historic Context
SPEC 14 Emergency Medical Technician-Basic
SPEC 15 "You are not listening!"-Exploring Interpersonal Conflict (Same as Chemistry 15 and Leadership Studies 15)
SPEC 16 The Social History and Craft Form (Same as Mathematics 16)
SPEC 17 Teaching Mathematics at BArT (Same as Mathematics 11)
SPEC 18 Modern Dance-Muller Technique (Same as Mathematics 13)
SPEC 19 Medical Apprenticeship
SPEC 20 Breaking Out of the Box-Unleashing Creative Thinking (Same as Comparative Literature 20)
SPEC 21 The Psychology of the Workplace, A Field Study
SPEC 23 Introductory Photography: People and Places (Same as Mathematics 18)
SPEC 24 Eye care and Culture on the Atlantic Coast of Nicaragua
SPEC 25 Williams in Georgia (Same as Russian 25)
SPEC 27 Looking at Contemporary Documentary Photography) (Same as ArtH 12 and English 12)
SPEC 28 Teaching Practicums in New York City Schools
SPEC 35 Making Pottery on the Potter's Wheel
SPEC 39 "Composing a Life:" Finding Success and Balance in Life After Williams
AFRICANA STUDIES
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
AFR 16 Zimbabwean Marimba Music (Same as Music 16)
(See under MUS 16 for full description.)
To be taken by students registered for Africana Studies 491 who are candidates for honors.
AMERICAN STUDIES
AMST 15 Contemporary American Songwriting (Same as Music 17)
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 (Instructor)
WONG (Sponsor)
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.
AMST 25 Asian American Experimental Poets and Artists in New York City
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.
WANG
To be taken by students registered for American Studies 491 or 492.
ANTHROPOLOGY AND SOCIOLOGY
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 (Instructor)
FOIAS (Sponsor)
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.
ANSO 11 Berkshire Farm Center Internship
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 (Instructor)
NOLAN (Sponsor)
Donelle Hauser is Program Coordinator at the Burnham Youth Safe Center at Berkshire Farm Center and Services for Youth.
ANSO 12 Children and the Courts: Internship in the Crisis in Child Abuse
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 (Instructor)
FOIAS (Sponsor)
Judith Locke is Associate Justice of the Juvenile Court, Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
ANSO 14 Introduction to Go (Same as Psychology 14)
(See under PSYC 14 for full description.)
ANTHROPOLOGY
To be taken by students registered for Anthropology 493-494.
SOCIOLOGY
To be taken by students registered for Sociology 493-494.
ART
ART HISTORY
ARTH 10 South African Townscapes
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 (Instructor)
M. LEWIS (Sponsor)
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.
SOLUM
ARTH 12 Looking at Contemporary Documentary Photography) (Same as English 12 and Special 27)
(See under ENGL 12 for full description.)
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.
CHAVOYA
ARTH 14 The Philadelphia Tradition in American Art
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.
LEWIS
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.
LOW
ARTH 16 Contemporary Architecture in New York and Boston
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.
NICHOLAS H. WRIGHT '57 (Instructor)
FILIPCZAK (Sponsor)
Dr. Nicholas H. Wright (Williams Class of 1957) is a retired medical epidemiologist with an interest in oriental rugs.
To be taken by students registered for ArtH 493, 494.
ARTH 33 Honors Independent Study
To be taken by candidates for honors by the independent study route.
ART STUDIO
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-LEAMON (Instructor)
L. JOHNSON (Sponsor)
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.
ARTS 12 Learning from the Art of Outsiders
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 naďve, 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 (Instructor)
PODMORE (Sponsor)
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 (Instructor)
GRUDIN (Sponsor)
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.
ARTS 14 Introduction to Sound Composition
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 DIGREGORIO (Instructor)
GRUDIN (Sponsor)
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.
ARTS 15 Sustainable Building Design (Same as Environmental Studies 15)
(See under ENVI 15 for full description.)
ARTS 16 Glass and Glassblowing (Same as Chemistry 16)
(See under CHEM 16 for full description.)
ARTS 17 Figure Painting Workshop
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 BRANDT (Instructor)
JACKSON (Sponsor)
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)
(See under ENGL 18 for full description.)
ARTS 20 The Digital Darkroom (Same as Geosciences 10)
(See under GEOS 10 for full description.)
ARTS 27 Printmaking on Paper Clay (Same as English 27)
(See under ENGL 27 for full description.)
ASIAN STUDIES
To be taken by all students who are candidates for honors in Asian Studies.
CHINESE
CHIN S.P. Sustaining Program for Chinese 101-102
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.
LANGUAGE FELLOWS
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.
YING-LEI ZHANG (Instructor)
C. KUBLER (Sponsor)
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.
CHIN 13 Theory and Practice of Chinese Cooking
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 (Instructor)
C. KUBLER (Sponsor)
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.
To be taken by all students who are candidates for honors in Chinese.
JAPANESE
JAPN S.P. Sustaining Program for Japanese 101-102
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.
LANGUAGE FELLOWS
JAPN 10 Japanese Animation (Same as Comparative Literature 10)
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.
C. BOLTON
To be taken by all students who are candidates for honors in Japanese.
ASTRONOMY
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.
SOUZA
ASTR 11 Our Dangerous Universe
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 '02 (Instructor)
PASACHOFF (Sponsor)
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.
To be taken by students registered for Astronomy 493, 494.
ASTROPHYSICS
To be taken by students registered for Astrophysics 493, 494.
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 (Instructor)
ZOTTOLI (Sponsor)
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 Curing Health Care (Same as Economics 28)
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 (Instructor)
ZOTTOLI (Sponsor)
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.
BIOL 12 Pathophysiology of Diseases of the Heart and Blood Vessels
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 (Instructor)
ZOTTOLI (Sponsor)
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 (Instructor)
ZOTTOLI (Sponsor)
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 Web.
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.
ART
BIOL 15 Explorations in Biophysics (Same as Chemistry 10 and Physics 11)
(See under PHYS 11 for full description.)
BIOL 16 Rhythm Based Conflict Resolution: An Experiential Approach (Same as Chemistry 17, Political Science 16, Psychology 16, and Theatre 16)
(See under PSYC 16 for full description.)
BIOL 22 Introduction to Biological Research
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.
STAFF
To be taken by students registered for Biology 493, 494.
CHEMISTRY
CHEM 10 Explorations in Biophysics (Same as Biology 15 and Physics 11)
(See under PHYS 11 for full description.)
CHEM 11 Science for Kids (Same as Special 11)
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 (Instructor)
PEACOCK-LÓPEZ (Sponsor)
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.
CHRISTOPHER GOH (Instructor)
PEACOCK-LÓPEZ (Sponsor)
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.
CHEM 16 Glass and Glassblowing (Same as ArtS 16)
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.
THOMAN
CHEM 17 Rhythm Based Conflict Resolution: An Experiential Approach (Same as Biology 16, Political Science 16, Psychology 16, and Theatre 16)
(See under PSYC 16 for full description.)
CHEM 18 Introduction to Research in Biochemistry
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.
LOVETT
CHEM 24 Introduction to Research in Physical 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.
PEACOCK-LÓPEZ
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)
(See under ARTH 25 for full description.)
CHEM 31 Senior Research and Thesis
To be taken by students registered for Chemistry 493, 494.
CLASSICS
CLAS 11 Roman Food in Antiquity
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 LORSCH WILDFANG (Instructor)
HOPPIN (Sponsor)
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.
May be taken by students registered for Classics 493, 494.
COGNITIVE SCIENCE
May be taken by students registered for Cognitive Science 494.
COMPARATIVE LITERATURE
COMP 10 Japanese Animation (Same as Japanese 10)
(See under JAPN 10 for full description.)
COMP 11 Very Contemporary African Literature (Same as Africana Studies 11 and English 11)
(See under AFR 11 for full description.)
COMP 20 Breaking Out of the Box-Unleashing Creative Thinking (Same as Special 20)
(See under SPEC 20 for full description.)
To be taken by students registered for Comparative Literature 493, 494.
To be taken by students registered for Literary Studies 493, 494.
COMPUTER SCIENCE
CSCI 10 Untangling the Web: A Social Analysis of the Internet
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.
ALBRECHT
CSCI 11 Art and Science of Maya
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.
BAILEY
CSCI 12 Computer Animation Production
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 (Instructor)
DANYLUK (Sponsor)
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.
To be taken by students registered for Computer Science 493-494.
CONTRACT MAJOR
To be taken by students registered for Contract Major 493, 494.
ECONOMICS
ECON 10 Mechanisms of Arbitrage
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 '72 (Instructor)
CAPRIO (Sponsor)
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.
BRAINERD and SHORE-SHEPPARD
ECON 12 Personal Financial Planning
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.
CAPRIO
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 (Instructor)
SHEPPARD (Sponsor)
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 (Instructor)
SHEPPARD (Sponsor)
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 (Instructor)
SHEPPARD (Sponsor)
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 aftern