Winter Study Courses 1998
WINTER STUDY PROGRAM REMINDERS ABOUT WSP REGISTRATION All students who will be on campus during the 1997-98 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 29th. 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 in the Registrar's Office. The deadline for submitting the proposals to faculty sponsors is Thursday, 25 September. AFRICAN AND MIDDLE EASTERN STUDIES AMES 025 From the Classical to the Islamic Worlds in Jordan and Syria (Same as Religion 025) (See under Religion for full description.) AMES 031 Senior Thesis To be taken by candidates for honors by the thesis route in African and Middle Eastern Studies. AFRO-AMERICAN STUDIES AAS 030 Senior Project To be taken by students registered for Afro-American Studies 491 who are candidates for honors. AMERICAN STUDIES AMST 010 American Catholicism in the Novels of Andrew Greeley (Same as History 010) (See under History for full description.) AMST 015 "Look! Up in the Sky!": The Comic Book Superhero in American Popular Culture, 1938-1988 (Same as History 015) (See under History for full description.) AMST 016 "Once Upon a Time:" American History through Historical Fiction (Same as History 016) (See under History for full description.) AMST 017 Singing School: Popular Protestant American Religious Music (Same as Music 017 and Special 017) (See under Special for full description.) AMST 030 Senior Honors Project To be taken by students registered for American Studies 491 or 492. ANTHROPOLOGY AND SOCIOLOGY ANTHROPOLOGY ANTH 031 Senior Thesis To be taken by students registered for Anthropology 493-494. SOCIOLOGY SOC 031 Senior Thesis To be taken by students registered for Sociology 493-494. ART ARTH 010 Chinese Calligraphy: Theory and Practice This course will offer students an opportunity to acquire
an understanding of the theoretical and aesthetic principles of Chinese
calligraphy as one of the highest art forms in China practiced by the
literati. We will also look into the relationship between Chinese painting
and calligraphy from various perspectives: artistic theories, techniques,
and the practice of inscribing painting in China. Technical instruction
will be included in this class. JANG ARTH 011 Exhibitionism: The Naked Truth About Art Exhibitions What exactly is put on public display in an art exhibition?
Is it cultural spectacle or personal polemic? Who is the auteur: the artist
or the curator? These and other issues of exhibition theory and practice
will be discussed in regard to real and hypothetical examples. In addition
to dissecting exhibitions at WCMA and the Clark (and consulting with their
curators), the class will study historically significant events such as
the Impressionist exhibitions and the Armory Show. Two trips to New York
will allow critiques of shows currently on view there and discussions
with New York curators. Projects will include writing reviews and inventing
various types of exhibitions. In addition, the group will propose an actual
exhibition for a small gallery in WCMA. The class will meet two hours,
two or three times a week, plus two day-trips to New York. NANCY MOWLL MATHEWS (Instructor) Nancy Mowll Mathews has organized over fifty art exhibitions and published eight books investigating various aspects of European and American modernism. She has her Ph.D. in art history from NYU's Institute of Fine Arts and was formerly Associate Professor at Randolph-Macon Women's College. She is Eugenie Prendergast Curator in the Williams College Museum of Art and teaches in the Williams College Graduate Program in the History of Art. ARTH 012 Arts in Pharonic Egypt The course is a study of the origins and developments
in Egyptian major arts and architecture from the start of the Pharonic
era until the time of the Romans. Considerable attention will also be
paid to the "minor arts" such as small sculpture, jewelry, and other important
crafts, as independent works and their relationship in style and intent
to the major sculpture and painting of their day. However, unlike many
Egyptian art courses, it will not limit itself to a study of the arts
per sé but will attempt to see them in the larger context of the
culture, country, personages, and beliefs that created and modified them.
This will include some attention to geology, geography, climatology, politics,
historical events, and religion, all necessary to present the arts in
their proper context as highly integrated parts of the civilization and
not standing alone. LENORE CONGDON (Instructor) Lenore Congdon, Ph.D. in Art History from Harvard, has lectured on Egyptian art and culture at Williams as well as other colleges and museums in New England. A member of the International Association of Egyptologists and The American Research Center in Egypt, Dr. Congdon has traveled and photographed extensively in Egypt. ARTH 014 Nearby Campuses Arguably the most complex site designs hereabouts, often
involving many buildings and even hundreds of acres, are those "institutional"
complexes involving education, although in Albany there are, as well,
at least two office campuses (one of the public and the other of the private
sector), and, near Troy, an industrial park campus. The purpose of this
course is to study, during each week, these multi-building sites, both
through one day of classroom discussions on readings and through two days
of site visits, should the weather cooperate. That means, during the three-and-half
week Winter Study Period, we may visit some eight (or so) campuses which
should represent the spectrum of regional examples, among which could
be: a 1960s and a 1980s office as well as industrial campus; a large public
university; boarding schools on a "green field" site and on a converted
estate; a community (commuters') college; a private residential college;
a campus in an older downtown setting; and a campus founded two centuries
ago. The site visits will be directed to how such problems as circulation,
utilities (and new technologies), building interrelationships and functions,
fund-raising campaigns, historic preservation, open space, and interactions
with adjacent environments have been historically solved. We should encounter
engineers, architects, maintenance staff, faculty and students, administrators
such as treasures, and others creating or using these spaces. A final
paper should compare a (distant?) campus of one's own choosing with the
panoply of reading and regional examples proffered in this course. SATTERTHWAITE ART HISTORY ARTH 031 Senior Thesis To be taken by students registered for ArtH 493, 494. ARTH 033 Honors Independent Study To be taken by candidates for honors by the independent study route. ART STUDIO ARTS 010 Icon Painting (Same as Russian 010) (See under Russian for full description.) ARTS 011 Non-Traditional Drawing The definition of what constitutes drawing and how drawing
is made has broadened tremendously in recent history. Many artists today,
such as Donald Sultan, and Nancy Spero use a wide variety of previously
unrecognized methods and materials to create their work. JANE MASTERS (Instructor) Jane Masters is an artist who makes drawings and sculptures. She lives and works between Bennington, VT and New York City. She received her MFA from San Diego, CA, and has exhibited throughout the country. ARTS 013 Site-Specific Art This course will introduce the student to environmental
art and site-specific installations. Topics covered will include the history
and development of environmental work from the Constructivists through
present day artists, performance art in relation to environmental work
including Happenings, basic art making concepts (Including repetition,
direction, biomorphism), and the use of traditional and non-traditional
materials. Discussions will include the place of installation art in the
contemporary art world and in art history. A brief and basic introduction
to methods and materials will lead quickly into a first assignment of
a small classroom installation (1'x1'x1'). Students will spend the remainder
of the time developing a larger scale site-specific project of a personal
nature. RAY NEUFELD '91 (Instructor) Ray Neufeld '91 has exhibited his sculptural installations and drawings at galleries and museums from New York to Oregon. In addition he has worked on scenic and lighting design for theater and television. ARTS 015 The Photo Essay This course is designed to be a "hands on" exploration
of this uniquely photographic narrative form. By way of introduction,
the class will cover the evolution and history of the photo essay in this
century, citing some of the profound social and cultural impacts it has
had. The work of notable photographers such as W. Eugene Smith, Dorothea
Lange, and other will be reviewed for inspiration and technique. JOHN S. SEAKWOOD '71 (Instructor) John Seakwood '71 is a widely published professional photographer with twenty years experience. ARTS 033 Honors Independent Project Independent study to be taken by candidates for honors in Art Studio. ASIAN STUDIES ASST 010 The Path to Bliss (Same as Religion 010) This course introduces students to Buddhist thought
both by comparing various Tibetan works such as The Path to Bliss, a meditation
manual written by His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, and by daily
early morning meditation sessions. Our aim will be to provide a survey
of Buddhist methods that are used to develop detachment, love, compassion
and insight into the nature of reality. JOSHUA and DIANE CUTLER (Instructors) Joshua and Diane Cutler are the Executive Director and the Associate Director of the Tibetan Buddhist Learning Center in Washington, New Jersey. ASST 012 Chinese Popular Culture How do the Chinese celebrate? Through readings, discussions
and practical "hands on" experience we will explore how Chinese have traditionally
celebrated popular holidays and religious festivals. Topics will include
the religious and cultural meanings of the various festivals, regional
differences in how holidays are celebrated, the roles of different members
of the traditional Chinese family, the preparation (and eating!) of festival
foods, calligraphy and taiji exercises. CHEN ASST 026 Poly-Japan: Cultural Diversity in Contemporary Japan (Same as Religion 026) The travel course aims to introduce the students to
the complexity of contemporary Japanese culture beyond stereotypes and
simplification. Complexity will be experienced in four main different
arenas: (i) locality, (ii) cultural production, (iii) lifestyles, and
(iv) intercultural communication. We will sojourn in three well distinct
cultural/geographical areas of Japan: the Tokyo region in western Japan
(11 days), the Kansai region in central Japan (5 days), and Okinawa in
the south (5 days). We will be able to familiarize ourselves with several
aspects of culture and lifestyle in those areas. Particular attention
will be devoted to museums, performing arts, temples and other historical
sites, cuisine, dialectal differences (for the students of Japanese),
political and economic issues. Meetings will be organized with Japanese
university students to exchange ideas and impressions and promote intercultural
understanding. Students will be required to observe carefully the Japanese
cultural reality, formulate questions, and express their impressions in
a journal that will be used for final grading. RAMBELLI ASST 031 Senior Thesis 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 a.m. TENG, YANG 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 a.m. KUWAI ASTRONOMY ASTR 016 Observational Astronomy This course, meant for non-majors, will focus on the
most basic aspects of astronomy and will be observing-intensive, taking
full advantage of various telescopes housed on the Williams College observing
deck. Topics to be covered will include the constellations and night sky
in general, planets, the moon, the sun, stars, and galaxies. Study of
these topics will require a mix of both day and night class sessions during
which students will be required to make observations using binoculars,
telescopes, and the naked eye. Student observations will be recorded in
drawings, notes, and computer printouts and/or photographs. S. Martin (Instructor) Stephan Martin, the Department's Observatory Supervisor/Instructor, received his B.A. in Physics and Astronomy from Colgate in 1989, and his M.A. in Physics from the University of Wyoming in 1993. Prior to coming to Williams, he worked as a Data Analyst at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore. ASPH 031 Senior Research To be taken by students registered for Astrophysics 493, 494. ASTR 031 Senior Research To be taken by students registered for Astronomy 493, 494. BIOLOGY BIOL 010 Polish Cultural Heritage We will examine the identity of the Polish people through
study of their history, cooking, folkart, and literature. Class will begin
with reading and discussion of major events in Polish history. Participants
in the course will then prepare and consume four traditional Polish meals.
We will try our hands at making intricately decorated Easter eggs, straw
ornaments, and paper cutouts. We will also read and discuss a translation
of one of the pivotal pieces of Polish literature, Pan Tadeusz. Students
are expected to provide their own transportation to my kitchen which is
about 1.5 miles from campus. LASKOWSKI BIOL 011 Organisms with a B.A. Attitude Lions, tigers, and bears, oh my! Or maybe ravens, slugs,
and orchids. Whatever organism you think is the neatest, this is your
chance to sing its praises! This course will celebrate various organisms
featured in a variety of liberal arts disciplines--in literature, film,
history, economics, etc. During the first few weeks as a class we'll look
at a representative or two from each of the following groups: viruses
and bacteria, insects, and plants. Each will be explored from the perspective
of natural science, social science, and the humanities. For example, a
presentation on cockroaches might combine readings from the book The cockroaches
of Stay More by Donald Harington with a discussion of the evolutionary
and social history of cockroaches. We might examine the genetic basis
for kernel color in Indian corn, explore the plant's domestication in
the New World, and cuisines that feature Zea mays. Each student will choose
his/her favorite organism to research, incorporating and integrating all
three liberal arts perspectives into his/her study. The results of that
exploration will be submitted as a 10-page paper. In addition, each student
will produce a piece of original work (for ex., a scientific experiment,
a video project, or a piece of creative writing) centered around their
chosen organism. During the last week of classes each student will share
the major accomplishments of his/her multifaceted organism with the rest
of the class in a brief class presentation. ALTSCHULER BIOL 012 Medical Ethics (Same as Special 012) This course will examine contemporary issues in medical
ethics. The first type of issue that we will discuss regards decisions
that are made in the practice of medicine. For example, a current topic
of great interest in this area is whether physicians should help a terminally
ill patients end their own lives. Another example of this type of issue
is whether a genetic counselor should perform a test to allow parents
to learn the sex of their fetus, knowing that the parents will abort if
the fetus is of a particular sex. A second type of ethical issue that
we will investigate includes larger social issues related to health care.
For example, should we ration the use of expensive medical technologies
so that we can provide some minimal level of basic medical services for
all of our citizens? Also, global problems such as AIDS will be examined;
if expensive protease inhibitors prove to be effective treatment for HIV
infection and AIDS, what are our obligations to the 90% of AIDS patients
who live in developing countries? Finally, future problems such as what
to do about the potential for cloning humans will be examined. In discussing
these and other issues, we will attempt to understand the moral reasons
underlying opposing positions. A major goal of the course is to help participants
not only understand these difficult issues but also to develop their own
reflections whenever possible. MATTHEW ISSAC FOGG (Instructor) Matt Fogg is a third year medical student at New York University where he recently completed the Arthur Zitrin Fellowship in Medical Ethics. BIOL 013 Exercise Physiology, Diet, and Metabolism This course will consider some of the complex interactions
between diet, exercise, and the body's metabolism. A partial list of topics
include: how different types of food are used in the body; how training
influence metabolism; how metabolism influences performance; muscle metabolism
during exercise; and long-term considerations of diet and health. The
student can evaluate his/her exercise performance in the laboratory. S. SWOAP BIOL 014 Evolutionary Medicine While the practice of medicine in the 50s and 60s was
characterized by great optimism, that of the 80s and 90s is becoming increasingly
pessimistic. Many diseases which should have been conquered are on the
rise and frightening new ones keep appearing. Is there a fundamental failure
in our approach to medicine? We will take an evolutionary and ecological
perspective on this problem, considering the origins and potential treatments
for various diseases in this light. The list of diseases we will consider
includes various viral and bacterial infections (e.g. AIDS, Lyme disease,
tuberculosis), skin and breast cancer, autoimmunity, diabetes, malaria,
asthma, and prion based diseases. Class will meet three times per week
and will be a combination of lecture and discussion. This course should
be of interest to both the committed pre-med and the medically curious,
so there is no prerequisite. Basics in evolution, ecology, and biology
will be covered, at the same time that the potential for very sophisticated
analysis of each disease. LEE VENOLIA (Instructor) The instructor is a former Assistant Professor in the Biology Department and is trained in genetics. BIOL 015 Natural History of the Berkshires (Same as Environmental Studies 015) We are fortunate in Williamstown to be surrounded by
a variety of natural areas. In this course we will explore some of these
natural areas, and study the natural history of the plants and animals
that inhabit them. We will take field trips to a variety of sites to gain
an appreciation for the diversity of natural communities that occur near
Williamstown. Students will become familiar with common plants and will
learn to identify them in winter. We will not neglect animals, although
they are harder to observe. Students will learn to identify animal tracks
and will look for overwintering insects. In addition, some field trips
will be devoted to learning about birds. We will also consider how the
climate, topography, and human uses of each site have shaped the ecological
community, and discuss the adaptations that allow local animals and plants
to survive New England's winters. The course will consist primarily of
field trips, so students should be prepared to spend time outside. Snowshoes
will be used if necessary. MEYER BIOL 016 Moon Farm Video (Same as Environmental Studies 016) The New England landscape is an ever-changing tapestry
that is the product of physical, biological, and historical factors. One
representative bit of this mosaic is the 60-acre Moon Lot nestled in the
center of the Hopkins Memorial Forest. A subsistence farm from the Eighteenth
Century until the mid-1950s, the Moon Farm was the subject of a 12-minute
16mm black-and-white film made by a WSP course in January, 1973. Since
that time, the Moon Barn has been relocated to the entrance of the Hopkins
Forest, woodlands have reclaimed much of the site, and media technology
has undergone important changes. The objective of this course is to analyze
and document the changes that have occurred on the site over the past
quarter-century. The original film will be transferred to sVHS video format
and new video footage will be taken and edited to produce a half-hour
video interpreting the continued changes in the land as exemplified by
the Moon Lot. ART BIOL 017 Outbreak: Viruses and Culture The popular press would have us believe that the AIDS
pandemic is a unique example of a viral pathogen causing cultural, political,
and behavioral changes in society. In fact, infectious diseases and viral
epidemics have impacted society throughout recorded history. This course
will examine the intersection of infectious disease and society. The basic
biology of viruses will be covered in context of examining the impact
of viruses on human history and politics. The current interest in emerging
viruses will also be examined with a focus on the social, economic, ecological,
and cultural factors which induce episodes of novels to see how the representation
of infectious diseases has evolved. How viruses have been portrayed by
the entertainment industry, in both the print and film media, will be
considered for their accuracy and intent. Roseman BIOL 031 Senior Thesis To be taken by students registered for Biology 493, 494. CHEMISTRY CHEM 010 Structure Determination with Advanced Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Techniques This course will introduce intermediate-level students
of chemistry to advanced techniques in Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR)
spectrometer operation that are employed in modern molecular structure
analysis. Topics covered in the course will include basic spectrometer
architecture, the fundamentals of NMR theory, spin-spin coupling interactions,
simple decoupling experiments, simple multinuclear applications, and multipulse
sequence experiments. Special emphasis will be placed on powerful "one-dimensional"
and "two-dimensional" analysis techniques, including (1D): Distortionless
Enhancement by Polarization Transfer (DEPT) and Nuclear Overhauser (NOE)
difference spectra and (2D): H,H Correlation Spectroscopy ("H,H, COSY")
and H,C COSY and C,C COSY ("2D INADEQUATE"). Class members will be trained
in the operation of the Chemistry Department's new NMR console and data
station and problem sets and the final class project will be carried out
on this instrumentation. A command of introductory organic chemistry will
be required. RICHARDSON CHEM 011 Science for Kids (Same as Environmental Studies 011 and Special 011) (See under Special for full description.) CHEM 012 Applying the Scientific Method to Archaeology and Paleoanthropology Archaeological studies, which consider the human impact
on the environment, can include materials as recent as nineteenth-century
glass, or as old as stone tools from hundreds of thousands of years ago.
And paleoanthropology, the study of early human remains, covers materials
that are millions of years old. Natural science can answer a wide variety
of questions for researchers in the field, not just how old an object
is, but also where, how, and sometimes why an object was made. These answers
in turn tell us about patterns of human development and settlement, and
also help us distinguish forgeries from genuine artifacts. ANNE SKINNER (Instructor) Anne Skinner is a Senior Lecturer in Chemistry at Williams. CHEM 013 Genetics and Disease: the Biology, Psychology, and Ethics of Genetic Testing (Same as Psychology 013 and Special 013) How much of a role do your genes play in disease? What
is genetic testing? What are the social and public policy issues surrounding
genetic testing? This course will provide current information on how disease-related
genes are identified, the availability and reliability of genetic tests,
and the actual testing methods in current use. We will consider the contribution
of genetic predisposition toward illness compared with other known risk
factors, including behavior, personality, and stress. We will also discuss
the myriad ethical, moral and economic issues that surround genetic testing
and counseling. With the completion of the Human Genome Project in 2005,
decisions regarding who will be tested and who will have access to this
information will be addressed by both judicial and legislative bodies.
Our goal for this course is to supply you with sufficient scientific information
and theoretical perspective that you will be able to make significant
contributions to the coming public discussion of these complex issues. FRIEDMAN and WEISS CHEM 014 EMT Training Course A course designed to prepare students for the Massachusetts
EMT exam and to provide training to become MA-certified Emergency Medical
Technicians. This is a time-intensive course involving 100 hours of class
plus 10 hours of emergency room and ambulance work. Students will learn,
among other skills, basic life support techniques, patient assessment
techniques, safe transportation and mobilization skills, as well as the
treatment of various medical emergencies, including shock, bleeding, soft-tissue
injuries, and child birth. KEVIN GARVEY (Instructor) Kevin Garvey is a Massachusetts state and nationally approved EMT-I (Intermediate) and an EMT-IC (Instructor-coordinator). He has been involved with Emergency Medical Service for 15-20 years. Mr. Garvey currently works as an EMT-I at Village Ambulance, Williamstown, and is also an EMT training instructor at Greenfield Community College. CHEM 018 How to Brew Beer (Same as Special 018) An introduction to the basics of brewing beer, this
course is designed to increase your appreciation of the art of brewing.
Equipment, ingredients, and methodology will be discussed in detail and
used in practice. Students will learn clean brewing techniques and brew
one small batch of beer. Other topics covered in the course will include
the history, chemistry, and politics of brewing beer. In addition to brewing,
we will spend time learning to evaluate critically some of the major varieties
of beer. MARK NUTCHER and DAVID BACKUS (Instructors) Mark Nutcher has a B.S. from the University of Oregon and an M.A. from the University of Colorado. David Backus has a B.A. from Haverford College and expects his Ph.D. in Summer 1997 from the University of Washington, Seattle. CHEM 022 Introduction to Scientific Research An experimental project will be carried out under the
supervision of a member of the Department in fields such as biochemistry,
inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, or physical chemistry. LOVETT CHEM 031 Senior Research and Thesis To be taken by students registered for Chemistry 493, 494. CLASSICS CLAS 010 Ovid's Metamorphoses One of the most delightful and influential of all the
authors of Classical Antiquity was Ovid. His vast compendium of classical
mythology, the Metamorphoses, contains the versions of Greek and Roman
myths that are the most familiar to us. And when we look at a painting
or sculpture of a mythological scene a primary source is almost invariably
Ovid. Shakespeare knew his Ovid well, and until the Romantic Era Ovid
was regarded among the most important classical authors. The Metamorphoses
was read for the sheer joy of its pagan wit and narrative skill, as an
allegory of Christian virtues, and even as foreshadowing the New Testament. FUQUA CLAS 013 Biblical Hebrew in a Month (Same as Religion 013) This course will enable students to read the Bible in
the original Hebrew in a fast, fun, and focused way. Topics include the
difference between BeGeD-KeFeT, BuMaF, K'MiNPaTS, and the Throaty Five.
Meet sentences without verbs, the extra pronoun, and word pairs. Discover
a word's three letter root and explore the mysteries of the Shwa and Dagesh.
Learn the seven `buildings' of the Hebrew verb and find the missing letters.
In addition to this intensive study of Hebrew vocabulary and grammar,
attention will also be given to the polyvalence of biblical discourse.
The paratactic and terse character of the TaNaKH produce narratives tantalizingly
`fraught with background' that virtually cry out to the reader `interpret
me'. Thus by the end of the course students will have read the Book of
Ruth with an understanding of both biblical language and biblical style. KRAUS CLAS 031 Senior Thesis May be taken by students registered for Classics 493, 494. COMPUTER SCIENCE CSCI 010 Introduction to Computer Music and Sound Generation This course is an introduction to the fundamentals of
digital sound generation and manipulation, specifically techniques used
in music. The lectures will provide an overview of the physics and psychophysics
of sound, its digital representation, and mathematical manipulation. Following
this, we will examine various techniques for processing and synthesizing
sound, and see how these techniques have actually been implemented in
"state of the art" synthesizers over the past 20 years. Sachs CSCI 012 How to Solve it: The Mathematics of Puzzles and Games (Same as Mathematics 012) (See under Mathematics for full description.) CSCI 020 Computer Animation 1998 In this course, students will learn the fundamental
issues facing animators in the fast lane of today's high-end special effects
field through hands-on experience under the direction of some of the most
talented animators in the business, the Kleiser-Walczak Construction Co.,
a computer graphics firm specializing in high-end database construction
and human figure animation. They developed and own a system for the creation
of computer generated actors called "Synthespians" which has been demonstrated
in experimental films "Nestor Sextone for President" (1988) and "Don't
Touch Me" (1990). They have also worked for PBS and CBS and their feature
film work includes "Honey I Blew Up the Kids," "The Pickle," "Stargate,"
"Clear and Present Danger" and "Judge Dredd." They have also worked on
special effects attractions for the Luxor Hotel and for Disney Theme Parks. Jeff Kleiser (Instructor) Jeff Kleiser is co-founder of Kleiser-Walczak Construction Co., a computer graphics firm specializing in high-end database construction and human figure animation. His work has appeared in many feature films and in numerous broadcast and commercial projects. Recent examples include work on the films Judge Dredd and Stargate, animated sequences in the PBS series The Astronomers and special effects attractions for the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas. CSCI 030 Senior Project To be taken by candidates for honors in Computer Science via a route other than the thesis route. CSCI 031 Senior Honor Thesis To be taken by students registered for Computer Science 493-494. CONTRACT MAJOR CMAJ 031 Senior Thesis To be taken by students registered for Contract Major 493, 494. ECONOMICS ECON 010 Agriculture and Sustainable Development This is a graduate WSP offered at the Center for Development
Economics. Agriculture policy makers in many developing countries face
numerous dilemmas as they seek to meet the goals of producing food, earning
hard currency through exports, generating income for the rural poor, and
protecting land, water, forest, and wildlife resources. This class will
examine the ways in which the goals of agricultural policy can coincide
and conflict. We will pay special attention to the relationship between
agricultural production and environmental protection. When and why does
agricultural production lead to land clearing, diversion of water resources,
and overuse of chemicals? When does agricultural development lead to improved
use of resources? What role can and should policy makers play in influencing
the course of agricultural development? Do markets lead to the most efficient
and most desirable outcomes? GOLLIN ECON 012 From Farm to Table: The Economics of Food This course explores how changing economic patterns
at the farm, distribution, retail, and consumer level affect food consumption
patterns in the U.S. We will explore these economic relationships as we
see how food moves from the farm to our tables. Initially, we will meet
with local farmers to discuss the economic forces that are shaping their
farming decisions. In many cases, the distinctions between production
and processing are blurred, as more farmers move into contract farming,
especially in the mid-west and south, and as many small farmers seek to
create their own market niches and begin to market and sell their own
specialty products. The food distribution system involves both local retailers,
such as co-ops and large vertically integrated chains. We will meet with
people involved with the distribution and retailing of food. Finally,
we will look at how changing social and economic factors affect the choices
that consumers make about food. DOSS ECON 013 American Business Cycles, 1929-1997 This Winter Study course is intended to provide an opportunity
for students to investigate important macroeconomic episodes in the United
States from the Great Depression to the present. Such episodes are frequently
referred to in both introductory and intermediate macroeconomics courses,
but such courses never afford the time to study them in detail. The particular
episodes to be addressed are the Great Depression itself, the Kennedy-Johnson
boom, the supply shocks of the seventies, the Reagonomics. Time permitting,
the performance of the economy during the Bush-Clinton administrations
will be evaluated against this background. The emphasis will be to try
to understand the forces that triggered major swings in U.S. macroeconomic
performance during this period, both in the direction of upswings as well
as downswings, by relying on the direct examination of data, the application
of intermediate-level macroeconomic models, and critical evaluation of
alternative interpretations offered by informed observers. MONTIEL ECON 014 Accounting 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 and long-term debt, 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. LEO McMENIMEN (Instructor) Leo McMenimen is returning to Williams this January from the School of Business, Montclair State College. ECON 015 Stock Market 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. LEO MCMENIMEN (Instructor) Leo McMenimen is returning to Williams this January from the School of Business, Montclair State College. ECON 018 Maps (Same as Environmental Studies 018) A study of maps as ways to represent ideas and data.
Principles of "thematic cartography," including role of projections, scale,
symbols, color, and shading. Examples of maps from a wide variety of fields
(journalism, historical narrative, physical sciences, economics, political
science, advertising, propaganda) and subjects (e.g., politics, profitable
business location, efficient public facility location, poverty, military
campaigns and battles, environmental conditions, lass of forest cover,
flood risk, ethnic populations, and migration). Introduction to aerial
photographs and satellite images. The instructors' examples will be primarily
from the U.S., Canada, and Latin America, but students may work independently
on other regions. Note: This is not primarily a course in "geographical
information systems" (GIS), although there will be an introduction to
that subject. R. BOLTON and CONNING ECON 025 Spotted Owls and Pink Salmon This Travel WSP will explore the complex and divisive
issues confronting the Pacific Northwest, a region highly depended on
resource extraction industries that have become threatened by excessive
harvesting, environmental degradation, technological change, government
policy, and economic growth. A central goal of the course is to see, first-hand,
the nature of the problems, to talk with those who are affected and to
gain an appreciation for the many points of view which have made the issues
so difficult to reconcile. The course will focus on understanding the
causes of these resource problems and looking at a range of policies and
other potential solutions. Students will have opportunities to talk with
industry representatives, community leaders, native Americans, staff from
State and Federal Government, environmental groups, and academics. W. JAEGER ECON 026 South Africa's Transition: The Challenge of Redistribution and Growth This 22-day travel course will investigate the complex
problem of South Africa's economic transformation, examining the role
of public policy in mobilizing social investment that fuels revitalized
growth while bolstering higher wages and increased employment. Since South
Africa's first democratic elections three years ago, the country has implemented
a remarkable political transformation. Socio-economic progress, however,
has been much more difficult. This project will explore the challenges
posed by the objectives of redistribution and economic growth, focusing
on the role of government in providing social investment like housing,
health care, education, and job creation. SAMSON ECON 030 Honors Project The "Specialization Route" to the degree with Honors
in Economics requires that each candidate take an Honors Winter Study
Project in January of the senior year. Students who wish to begin their
honors work in January should submit a detailed proposal. Decisions on
admission to the Honors WSP will be made in the fall. Information on the
procedures will be mailed to senior majors in economics early in the fall
semester. BRAINERD ECON 031 Honors Thesis To be taken by students participating in year-long thesis research (ECON 493-W031-494). ENGLISH ENGL 010 Films of Lubitsch and Sturges We will study the work of two of Hollywood's most original
comic minds and distinguished directors: Ernst Lubitsch and Preston Sturges.
Lubitsch, arguably the most prestigious Hollywood director of the 1930s,
was unmatched for the elegance and cleverness of his visual style and
for the deft and urbane acting he elicited. In such charming and worldly
comic masterpieces as Trouble in Paradise, The Shop Around the Corner,
and Ninotchka, he analyzed American and European attitudes toward sex
and money with a distinctive blend of cheerfully cynical satire and indulgent
wit. His screwball comedy about the Nazi occupation of Poland, To Be or
Not to Be, is one of the most remarkable political films ever made. Sturges
enjoyed a meteoric rise in the early 1940s as a director of wild and off-beat
comedies. Films such as The Great McGinty, The Lady Eve, The Palm Beach
Story, and The Miracle of Morgan's Creek are conceived as brilliant satires
of American politics, sex, motherhood, class, money, and advertizing,
but are almost unhinged by the madcap energies of Sturges' penchant for
farce and for weird disruptions of convention. Tifft ENGL 011 Dream Work This course will explore the relation between dream
and representation-dreaming as a mode of representation, but also representations
of dreams in a variety of cultural avatars-literature, film, advertizing.
The first portion of the course will focus on The Interpretation of Dreams,
Freud's seminal work on the unconscious and a fascinating narrative in
its own right. We will then consider a variety of literary and film works
that focus on dream life, from The Book of the Duchess to Through the
Looking Glass, from Cocteau's "Beauty and the Beast" to "Videodrome."
We will end with reflections on the relation between dreams and commodity
culture-how does dream representation do its work in that sphere? how
are we brought to dream of buying dreams, including the dream that we
might, for once, "just do it"? Pye ENGL 012 Constructing Elizabeth I Renowned as the Virgin Queen and one of England's greatest
monarchs, Elizabeth I spent the first half of her reign wooing her subjects,
negotiating marriages with the various crowded heads of Europe, and defending
her right to rule the country herself, whether or not she married. This
course will compare the ways in which Elizabeth I constructed herself
(poetry, public speeches, proclamations, political negotiations, pageantry,
print, portraiture, and gossip) with the ways in which her speech and
writing have been represented by biographers and historians. I. Bell ENGL 013 A Century of Shakespeare on Screen (Same as Spanish 013) (See under Romance Languages for full description.) ENGL 014 Feminist Science Fiction This course will focus on the development of feminist
and lesbian science fiction, fantasy and utopian fiction, beginning with
Charlotte Perkins Gilman's Herland (1915), a utopian novel about an all-female
world, and including the science fiction of Ursula LeGuin, Margaret Atwood,
Joanna Russ, and Sheri Tepper, among others. We will consider the function
and value of "feminist" writing in what is often seen as an "escapist"
genre, and explore the range of attitudes these novels embody toward male
and female culture and identity, sexuality, the uses and dangers of technology,
and the role of violence in human culture. The first part of the course
will focus on the development of feminist science fiction as a distinct
genre, and the second part will focus on the range of, and fault lines
among, writers currently working within it. Students will have an opportunity
to pursue particular authors or types of fiction that interest them, and
the course will also offer some opportunity to meet with contemporary
writers in the field. Case ENGL 015 Ghost Stories What are the particular pleasures of a good ghost story?
"It should give you the creeps," Roald Dahl writes, "and disturb your
thoughts." Beyond the requisite chill and shudder, how might our thoughts
be disturbed? And to what end? In this course we will read a number of
supernatural tales, including classics of the genre by Algernon Blackwood,
Ambrose Bierce, M. R. James, and Edgar Allan Poe, and modern variations
by, among others, Jorge Luis Borges, Franz Kafka, Vladimir Nabokov, Elizabeth
Bowen, and John Cheever. We will also discuss two short novels-The Turn
of the Screw by Henry James, and The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley
Jackson-and two films adapted from these books (The Innocents and The
Haunting). Raab ENGL 016 Fantasy Novels of C.S. Lewis and Charles Williams (Same as Mathematics 016) (See under Mathematics for full description.) ENGL 017 Henry James Henry James writes about what it meant for American
and European societies to be mutually exposed to and by one another around
the turn of this century. In so doing he raises questions about what it
means to be civilized, to be smart, and to be rich. We will consider how
the drama of consciousness is played out in his characters' struggles
with love and conscience, and in his own preoccupation with capturing
stylistically the narrative logic of the passions. We will read three
novellas-"The Beast in the Jungle," "The Pupil," and "The Aspern Papers"-as
well as the novels The Ambassadors and The Golden Bowl. Sokolsky ENGL 018 Modern Irish Drama The first portion of this course will focus on the Irish
"Revival" period (1890s to 1920s), including drama by Yeats, Shaw, Synge,
and Lady Gregory, with supporting representative readings in short fiction
and non-fiction prose of the period. Our readings will address, in particular,
the following key issues: the recuperation and promotion of an independent
Irish literary tradition during the Revival, and the uneasy relationship
of this new literary tradition to the English literary mainstream; the
assigned writers' negotiations with the cultural politics of their time,
and in particular with the contested idea of "Irishness" itself; and the
place of gender in the construction of national and literary identity.
The remainder of the course will focus on the impact of Irish independence
and the shadow cast by the Revival writers on subsequent Irish dramatists,
including O'Casey, Behan, and Friel. We will conclude with a screening
and discussion of The Crying Game, and consider how the paradigms of political
action, gender, and national identity established in the Irish tradition
during the first half of this century continue to resonate powerfully
in contemporary literary and cultural texts. James Pethica (Instructor) James Pethica teaches Modern British and Irish Literature at the University of Richmond. He is on leave in 1997-98, completing a book on Yeats and Lady Gregory. ENGL 019 Toni Morrison A close reading of Toni Morrison's six published novels:
The Bluest Eye, Sula, Song of Solomon, Tar Baby, Beloved, and Jazz. Our
aim will be to experience, as intensely as possible, the way Morrison
sees things and says things-the angle of her vision and the rhythm of
her language, and the way both of those things have changed over time.
In the process of developing that kind of complex familiarity with Morrison's
work, we will find what a rich occasion for thought it is. By way of Morrison,
we should be able to rediscover as questions such things as memory, race,
nuclear families, and black women's talk. Geoff Sanborn (Instructor) Geoff Sanborn is Assistant Professor of English at Fairfield University, where he teaches courses in American literature and culture. He is the author of The Sign of the Cannibal: Melville and the Spectacle of Savagery, and is working on a collection of essays on race, trauma, and memory. ENGL 020 Journalism In this introduction to journalism, students will learn
reporting, writing, and editing skills through written assignments and
in-class exercises. We will examine how different styles of writing serve
different needs, and the practical and legal limits within which journalists
work. Assignments will include writing a news story, a feature article,
a review, and an editorial. Students also will practice the essential
art of rewriting. Sally White (Instructor) Sally White worked at Time Inc. magazines in New York and Washington for thirteen years. She is now a freelance writer. ENGL 023 Parody Workshop In this course we will be reading and analyzing (or
at least discussing superficially and vaguely) famous parodies of famous
authors. But the bulk of our energy will be spent writing. For each class,
students will prepare a short parody of an assigned writer, some of which
we'll read aloud. Class time will be spent trying to figure our what works
and what doesn't, what's funny and what's lame. In addition, students
will have the entire Winter Study period to prepare a longer parody of
a writer of their choice (due in the last class). Paul Park (Instructor) Paul Park is the author of five novels and a small but meager body of short fiction. ENGL 024 Kipling and India: Encountering the Other While Disney cannibalizes and vulgarizes Kipling's Jungle
Books, N. C. Chaudhuri calls Kim "one of the greatest of English novels."
Edward Said, writing on culture and imperialism, admits Kim to "the world's
greatest literature." Salman Rushdie reads Kipling's Indian stories with
the incompatible emotions of "anger and delight." Why, after a near century
of invisibility on college syllabuses, is this Nobel Prize-winning and
internationally popular author now being read, studied, and admired by
exactly those whom we might expect to be too angered to be delighted?
Shall we join them? We shall read as much as we can of Kipling's Indian
fiction, and consider whether it is time to open the academic canon to
what Said calls Kipling's "extraordinary genius." C. Park (Instructor) Clara Park is Senior Lecturer in English emerita at Williams. ENGL 030 Honors Project: Specialization Route Required during Winter Study of all seniors admitted to candidacy for honors via the specialization route. ENGL 031 Honors Project: Thesis Required during Winter Study of all seniors admitted to candidacy for honors via the thesis route. ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES ENVI 010 Writing and Drawing-The Naturalist's Journal This course will explore the tools for studying the natural world through various uses of writing, literature, and drawing. Students will spend time outdoors learning the ecosystem of the Williamstown area and time indoors |