Pro Vita 2013 Catalog

Pro Vita 2013 Course Listing, Visiting Faculty & Excursions ARTS A PERIOD COURSES CREATING COMICS PAUL BANEVICIUS Comic strips have changed since the days of “Calvin and Hobbes” and “Garfield.” Today’s alternative comics, from “Life Is Hell” to “Maakies” to “Underworld,” express uniquely personal and edgy humor. In this class, we will survey the evolution of comic strips from their earliest days to the present, while creating our own multi-­‐ paneled strip. In five days, students will create characters and a setting, develop a narrative, and complete a side-­‐splittingly hilarious comic. No drawing skills necessary!

PRO GLEE-­‐TA! JEAN MAHER AND PIETER MULDER The hit TV show Glee continues to grow its audience each week with cast members riding the crest of fame into even bigger entertainment careers. Come ride that same wave with Mrs. Maher and Mr. Mulder in Pro Glee-­‐ta!

For a change this year, we’re going to plug in, add a few backing instruments to our rock-­‐solid vocals, and build a band that’s ready to rock a three-­‐song set in front of the school on Saturday morning of Pro Vita week. We’ll cover some current hits (think Some Nights by Fun) and have a blast doing it. No prior singing experience is required or assumed. Instead, sign up if you’ve always dreamed of singing with a group and performing live in front of your friends. Will Schuester (Mr. Mulder in sweater vest) and Sue Sylvester (Mrs. Maher in matching track suit) are counting on you!

RADIO FREE BERKSHIRE PODCASTING ED SURJAN AND CLIVE DAVIS Create podcasts that can be played on demand anytime, anywhere online! Discover how to easily produce, record and edit your own shows or programs using audio editing and podcasting apps. Students will learn a variety of audio engineering techniques including the use of fades, compression, EQ, and how to record with a microphone. With specific themes, student groups will create episodic material, focused around Pro Vita but encompassing anything from Berkshire athletics to live class discussions. These podcasts will be aired live on Berkshire’s own WBSL.

B PERIOD COURSES BALLADS DARY DUNHAM Tracing the beginnings of the traditional ballad from its origins as a medieval French dance song to the time of Robin Hood and continuing through the 20th century, students will listen to singers of ballads, research the story of their own favorite ballads, and then write and perform their own version for the class. Will it be another “Tom Dooley,” “Charlie on the MTA,” or Bob Dylan’s “The Hurricane?” A ballad of lost love, cruel murder, or 1

keen adventure? Work on your expressive and creative side as you join one of Berkshire’s best improvisational singers for a week of songs.

DARKROOM PHOTOGRAPHY PAUL BANEVICIUS Learn to take photographs the old-­‐fashioned way! Say goodbye to the digital age and say hello to black & white film, darkrooms and smelly chemicals, as we explore shooting photographs with film and analog cameras.

Students will develop and print their own photos using Berkshire’s darkroom facilities and through the process, gain a better understanding of the underlying principles of photography and an appreciation for patience needed to create a small, unique work of art. Point, click, and develop!

DESIGN TEAM 101: THE ART OF GRAPHIC DESIGN ANNA RUBINO CP ’13 Do you like websites with cool graphics? Ever stopped to consider the graphics on your favorite energy drink can or the logo on a t-­‐shirt? Ever want to design those kinds of things yourself? Explore what it means to be a Professional Graphic Designer/Visual Communicator. You will learn firsthand the way professionals apply design thinking and what it is like to work on a real life design project, generating an original design both solo and in collaboration with a design team. Can’t draw? Not a problem. We’ll create, choose, and organize design elements for a variety of items ranging from t-­‐shirts to a movie website and everything in between!

LEARN TO PLAY THE BAGPIPES MIKE DALTON AND QUINTIN POLLART ’15 Want to learn how to play the iconic musical instrument of the Clans of the Highlands and one of the world’s oldest instruments? This course will introduce participants to the Great Highland Bagpipe, which is known as Piob Mhor. No musical experience required. Participants will need to purchase a practice chanter, which all pipers use to practice their tunes. By the end of the week participants should be able to work through tunes like “Scots Wae Hae” and” Amazing Grace.” During the week students will have the opportunity to handle several types of pipes. Oh, and you don’t actually have to be Irish or Scottish, as bagpipes are played by peoples all over the globe.

UPCYCLED ART LINDA D’ARCO Are you an artist and a “green” thinker? Combine your interests in sustainability with the art world. Many modern artists are making a living by creating art from cast-­‐off materials! Paper, plastic, soda cans, candy wrappers, you name it! We will make a different piece of “upcycled art” each day and take a day trip off campus to a museum or gallery to see some large-­‐scale installation sculptures made from reclaimed materials. Explore inflatable sculptures, woven materials, illuminated art pieces, and installation work. The winner of an in-­‐class creative challenge will see their work come to fruition in the Berkshire Hall atrium.

CULTURE, LITERATURE, AND SOCIETY A & B PERIOD COURSES LET ME IN, LET ME OUT JULIA COHAN AND DEMPSEY QUINN What…why…how? Are criminals truly psychotic, or are they victims of poor choices that will forever change their lives? What motivates an individual to commit a violent crime? Is there hope for non-­‐violent criminals to one 2

day return to their families and live “normal lives?” In an attempt to answer these questions, we will explore the topics of psychopathy and criminal justice through a variety of sources, including face-­‐to-­‐face interviews with incarcerated men and women. We will consider models for lowering recidivism and discuss what can be done to aid in criminals’ return to society. Student enrollment limited to sixth formers.

A PERIOD COURSES

2%: WOMEN AND ADVERTISING RUTH FISH AND ELIZABETH SKOGLUND The average woman is bombarded with 400-­‐600 gender-­‐targeted advertisements on a daily basis. What impact does this have on body image and self-­‐worth in our culture? These messages celebrate youth, beauty, and women as sexual objects. Although these advertisements only emphasize the ideal woman implicitly, the messages are internalized. According to a Dove study, only 2% of women describe themselves as beautiful. 2%!

How can we empower our youth and encourage both men and women to fight back against these archaic ideals? This course will examine the frightening messages we as a society receive on a daily basis, and how to challenge this distorted yet all too common perspective.

AAA SAINTS CLAY SPLAWN This is not a course about the New Orleans Saints. Nor is it about the Siena Saints. It’s about the great saints of medieval times that helped shape Christian theology: St. Augustine, St. Anselm, and St. Thomas Aquinas. Each has made his own distinctive mark on the history of the church, on the history of philosophy, and thus on the history of the world. But this course is not a history course either. It’s a philosophy course where we will use primary texts from these three thinkers to explore such topics as the nature of free will, the origin of the universe, and, of course, the existence of God.

DUELING DIVAS A.J. KOHLHEPP Pop music fans argue passionately about which diva dominates: Katy? T-­‐Swift? Beyonce? Lady Gaga? Ke$ha?

Pink? Of course, the question of dominant divas deals with many elements, not simply the issue of who sings the best songs. Wrapped up in the whole notion of pop diva are issues of musical genre & influences; media coverage and marketing appeals; and self-­‐presentation, both personal and virtual. Pick a diva, dig a little deeper, and you will come to recognize that any given superstar is a complicated construction, tying together her own musical talents and instincts; the commercial interests of a vast web of involved parties; and the wants and needs of an amorphous segment of the national, and international, population. Our goal is to compare the different strands of creation, distribution and consumption related to two different divas.

IT’S A BIRD…IT’S A PLANE…IT’S A TEACHER? DANA ANSELMI AND KELLEY BOGARDUS Were you academically prepared for Berkshire? Are schools in America preparing kids for the world beyond?

Have you ever thought about how much politics dictate school reform? How much emphasis should local government place on education? In order to answer these and other questions, students will collaborate to better understand their educational communities in their home towns, in Sheffield, and at Berkshire. After viewing the documentary Waiting for Superman, hearing from local educators, and discussing key issues confronting our schools, students will address the roles teachers can play and the challenges they face.

THE LITERATURE, ART AND LIFE SKILL OF FLY FISHING MICHAEL BJURLIN AND DAN SKOGLUND 3

The greatest American short story ever written, Ernest Hemingway’s “Big Two-­‐Hearted River,” has at its center the sport of fly fishing. This class will investigate the rich literary and artistic traditions of fly fishing in America, balancing a rigorous reading program and classroom discussion with fly casting instruction. In addition to Hemingway’s masterpiece, Norman Maclean’s A River Runs Through It will be an important part of the class’s work. This course promises to be quite a catch!

TED TALK WILL CRONIN Begun in 1984, TED is a non-­‐profit that brings together professionals from the fields of technology, entertainment, and design. They are best known for their TED talks, which are all readily available on the internet. TED’s website says they are “devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading,” and oftentimes those ideas are pertinent to our everyday lives, so what better place to watch, discuss, and make TED videos than in a Pro Vita classroom?! This class will focus on how and why these talks are successful: what does the speaker use for content? What makes an interesting subject? How does a speaker present their information and insight? Why are some more successful than others in communicating their ideas? After pondering these questions and others, we’ll work on our own TED videos, and hopefully share some ideas worth spreading with our community here at Berkshire.

B PERIOD COURSES THE 1980’S THROUGH THE LENS OF DIRECTOR JOHN HUGHES JENNIFER ANDERSON AND DONALD ANSELMI Undoubtedly, there is a reason that one-­‐liners from Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, Pretty in Pink, and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off will all be mainstays in our culture for years to come. Class, gender, family dynamics, teenage angst, and music are the pillars of film director John Hughes appeal. In this course, students will be exposed to the pop culture phenomena of his movies, their effect on American teens and parents of the time, and explore the commonalities and differences in the teen culture of today. We will finish the course creating our own modern interpretation of several of Hughes’ most famous scenes.

ALL IN THE TIMING EVAN CLARY From silent, physical genius of Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin to the brutal and bruising satire of contemporary directors like Armando Iannucci, the Coen brothers, and Trey Parker and Matt Stone, comedy has always been an important cornerstone of Hollywood films. In this course, we will screen classic comic films (and scenes from films) across nearly one hundred years of cinema history. If Henri Bergson was right that “there is no joke but at someone’s expense,” then no jokes are entirely innocent, but to what purpose, and by what techniques, do filmmakers make us laugh? We will explore many of the sub-­‐genres of comedy, engaging our brains as we hold our guts. This course will produce a week of uncontrollable laughter, guaranteed.

CARIBBEAN TOUR 2013 JEAN ERICK JOASSAINT AND A.J. KOHLHEPP After an historical overview, we will consider three different linguistic/cultural heritages in the Caribbean: Spanish, French and English. For each island grouping, we will read selected literary texts; listen to an eclectic musical playlist; watch contemporary videos; and interview local residents with personal connections to these various nations. As a culminating project, we will plan a collaborative “Island Festival,” encompassing music, food and dance of the Caribbean.

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MURDER, MEDIA, AND THE MOCKINGJAY CHRISTINE FITZGERALD AND HEIDI WOODWORTH Why do we kill? In this course, we will use The Hunger Games as a foundation for our study of what drives us to kill and how are we affected by these actions, along with why we are so intrigued by atrocity. To supplement the book and movie, we will take a multimedia approach to relating these themes present in The Hunger Games to both historic and current events. We will explore topics ranging from the gladiators of Ancient Rome to the terrorist attacks of September 11th. At the conclusion of the course, students will no longer see The Hunger Games as simply a bestselling novel and blockbuster film, but also as a greater dialogue about the culture in which we live. Students should be familiar with both the book and movie.

THE NEXT DR. SEUSS BRANDI DAHARI From Grimm’s fairy tales to Dr. Seuss, what books have the ability to captivate a preschooler as well as an adult?

How are these stories developed? This class will take a look at books specifically written for preschool children.

Students will examine the writing process and how reading these stories can make them come to life. They will then write their own picture book and read it to our youngest students on campus at Undermountain Child Care.

SOCIAL MEDIA & MARKETING IN THE DIGITAL AGE NINA BJURLIN AND RUTHIE FISH Facebook, Twitter, You Tube, Spotify, Tumblr, Instagram, Flickr, and on and on indefinitely. Accessible, ubiquitous, and ever evolving, social media is the way we communicate today. With over one billion users, if Facebook were a country, it’d be the third largest in the world. No wonder corporations have spent billions of dollars infiltrating the social media scene. In this class students will use social media including blogs, photography, podcasts and video, to produce an online marketing campaign for a new client: Pro Vita Winter Session. Beginning with the basic principles of marketing, students will discover how these strategies have been adapted to the social media sphere while gaining firsthand experience crafting a mini marketing campaign designed for the digital age.

WRITING FOR TELEVISION 101 CHRISTIAN WILLIAMS and JACOB EPSTEIN Writers drive the creative process in scripted television. This class will provide an introduction to how writers create and pitch their ideas, how those ideas become a pilot script and how a script must be considered as part of a larger whole of a series. Students will come away with a collaborative script and insight into the professional writing process for television. They will learn how to bring a creative idea into a very competitive professional business and learn to work and communicate as a team. The message and the creative process of the writer will be examined through all phases.

HISTORY, POLITICS, AND CURRENT EVENTS A PERIOD COURSES BOOMTOWN ANDREW BOGARDUS AND DAVID OLSON San Francisco. Detroit. Las Vegas. Pittsburgh. Undoubtedly, these are familiar cities, each associated with its own unique identity. What may not be as well known is that each of these cities burst forth because they successfully exploited an incredibly specified financial niche. For every San Francisco, there are ten versions of Berlin, New Hampshire and Graysonia, Arkansas, who failed to maintain their initial success as times changed.

This course will use the history of specific cities as case studies, examine the connection between geography and 5

economy, and define sustainability in terms of cities and economies, leaving each student with the tools to make informed decisions in the governance and direction of his or her own community.

CHINA: THE ROARING DRAGON LU XU As the world’s second largest economy, China wields incredible influence in the global marketplace. How did this come to be? Through a study of its history, culture, and political system, students will gain an appreciation and understanding of this country’s storied development. After discussing the issues facing China today and its unique relationship with the United States, students will practice Chinese calligraphy and preparing traditional Chinese food. The class will culminate with student presentations of a research project on a topic of interest.

CONFRONTING GENOCIDE JENNIFER ANDERSON AND DONALD ANSELMI The word genocide evokes some of history’s most tragic and significant events; The Holocaust and Hutu and Tutsi conflict in Rwanda are just two of the more infamous incidents. Using Brown University's Choices Program, students will discuss and establish a definition of genocide, examine historical genocides, explore more recent cases and analyze the U.S. government’s response to each of these. In addition, we will discuss current politicians’ differing approaches to the issue of genocide and, through a summit, address how best to stop these atrocities from occurring again.

DON’T VOTE FOR HIM: HE HATES PUPPIES CORY ANDERSON We will use the 2012 presidential campaign as primary source material to discuss modern political advertisements, both negative and positive, and their effect on elections. After a thorough analysis, students will work in groups to produce their own political advertisement. Throughout the process, students will gain a better sense of the modern political communication environment, why campaigns communicate with us in the way they do, and get a sense of how to create, produce and complete a modern political ad. By the end of this course, students will watch political advertisements with a more critical eye and have a better sense of the entire political environment when they go in to cast their ballot.

THE FORGOTTEN WAR R.G. MEADE Called “the forgotten war” by some, this course will focus on the Pacific Theater of World War II. Noted by author Hugh Ambrose for its “savage fighting, racial hatred, and a challenging natural environment unlike anything seen on the European front,” we will examine the concept of the “good war,” the rules of war, and how the Pacific Theater was portrayed on the home front. We will study sections of the historically accurate HBO miniseries The Pacific and read excerpts from several firsthand accounts to initiate our discussions.

JOGA BONITO JON MOODEY Why has soccer, a simple game of modest origins, become such a dominant and influential force around the globe? By viewing segments of a six-­‐part documentary series called History of Soccer: The Beautiful Game and reading portions of Franklin Foer’s How Soccer Explains the World, students in this course will explore the history, evolution, and impact of the game of soccer around the globe. Students will have an opportunity each day to play futsal, a version of soccer in which creativity, improvisation, and technique are emphasized. Made popular on the streets of Brazil, futsal gave birth to a new and beautiful style of play, one which Pelé would later coin joga bonito.

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THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BADGE BILL GULOTTA Each of us may have to depend on a firefighter or police officer in a moment of crisis in our life. What goes through the emergency responder’s mind in a moment of crisis? This course will introduce you to the training and psyche of these brave professionals. A graduate of Framingham State Police Academy and the Baltimore Police Academy, Mr. Gulotta will present an overview of the skills necessary to become an officer. After initial training, you will explore real-­‐life emergency situations and will undoubtedly renew your appreciation for the great service emergency responders provide our communities.

SPORTS AND POLITICS BRAD D’ARCO Jesse Owens, Jackie Robinson, Joe Louis, and the Miracle on Ice: What do these major athletic figures and events teach us about the social and political climate of their time? In this course we will examine various periods of U.S. history through the lens of major athletic events. Joe Louis’ victory over the German, Max Schmeling, in a turbulent pre-­‐WWII era; Jesse Owens’ Olympic triumph in Hitler’s 1936 Berlin Olympics; the defeat of the Russians by the U.S. men’s hockey team at the height of the Cold War. These events, and others, provide unique insight into our nation’s history.

B PERIOD COURSES BAD GUYS OF THE 20TH CENTURY PAUL MACKENZIE Throughout the 20th century, the world witnessed the rise, and eventual fall, of several notoriously bad men: Stalin, Hitler, Mao, Pol Pot, Idi Amin, Ayatollah Kohmeini. Each of these men had a significant impact on their own societies, as well as on the world beyond their direct power. What conditions enabled these individuals to rise to power? Why did they pursue such evil policies? Who was the most malicious? Will the 21st century suffer from the presence of their like? This class will investigate the rise of these men, as well as consider their individual “achievements” in a comparative context.

FIVE GREEK HEROES NORM MERRILL What is a hero? What does it take to become a hero? Achilles, Hercules, Odysseus, Oedipus and Perseus were five of the mightiest Greek heroes, effectively ancient versions of Superman. Each of these heroes offers us a different look at the human condition. In this class we will look not only at their lives and mighty deeds, their loves and their significance in the context of Greek culture, but also how these iconic figures have influenced western European culture from antiquity. As we discuss these characters, we will examine how they have been represented in art and the impact they have had on other aspects of our culture.

HOLLYWOOD AND THE COLD WAR BRIAN SULLIVAN Over the course of the last several decades, the Cold War has permeated myriad forms of mass media: music, books, and movies among them. In this class students will be introduced to the Cold War and its political and social impact on the United States. Through the use of movie clips from Rambo, Rambo III, Rocky IV, and Red Dawn, the class will explore how heroes and villains are created and destroyed on the big screen. By the end of 7

the week, students will come away with a firm understanding of how Hollywood can influence people’s attitudes and political views, and shape their understanding of a country or a group of people.

MODEL UN: THE SECURITY COUNCIL LISSA MCGOVERN AND GWYNETH CONNELL The UN was formed in response to a recognized need for effective international cooperation and discourse. The most pressing work of the UN is addressed in the UN Security Council. Over the last year, the Security Council responded to many peacekeeping and peacemaking efforts, the on-­‐going crises in Mali, the Sudan, Syria, the Golan Heights, and counter terrorism efforts around the world. As Security Council delegates, students in this course will have the opportunity to learn about individual member nations, their response to a current issue before the Security Council, and the procedures of one of the most important international organizations. This course is designed for students interested in “Model UN”-­‐style activities as well as for students who are interested in researching global issues, engaging in discussion and debate about finding solutions for current challenges, and learning about diverse perspectives through the lens of the UN Security Council.

PHOTOGRAPHS THAT CHANGED THE WORLD BEBE BULLOCK ’86 AND BILL BULLOCK Determining which photographs changed the world has been open to debate since the first Daguerreotype was released in 1839. This class will provide a historical perspective on photography from the 19th to the 21st century and supply each student with an informed view on the notion of truth and reality in photography. We will also discuss the historical and social implications of this art form, and determine the top ten photos of your lifetime. In addition, students will shoot and select the most iconic and representative photo of Berkshire School to be presented during Saturday morning’s assembly.

THE STAR WARS LEGACY KEVAN BOWLER AND STUART MILLER ’97 The Star Wars saga is the third highest grossing film series ever. What began in 1977 as a simple tale of good versus evil eventually became a world-­‐wide phenomenon. The idea for these movies was conceived by George Lucas in the 1970s, a time of political upheaval and social unrest related to high oil prices, the Vietnam War, drug use, and the Nixon resignation. This class will study Star Wars: Episodes IV, V, and VI and compare the movies to themes found in literature, mythology, religion, politics and history.

MATH AND SCIENCE A PERIOD COURSES ALICE AND THE GAME OF PROGRAMMING CHRISTINE FITZGERALD Located in cellphones, microwaves, refrigerators, cars, dams, solar fields, and even prosthetic limbs, computers have become ubiquitous. Have you ever wondered how a machine using just ones and zeros is capable of doing all of these tasks? Using Carnegie Mellon University’s 3-­‐D programming environment, Alice, we’ll explore the world of computer programming and learn about the human design behind these technological masterpieces.

By the end of the course, you will be able to manipulate 3-­‐D objects in your own digital world and code an interactive game. Although only an introduction to computer science, this course will provide the tools to further your own study and to understand the computer as a tool, not just a magical box.

MAKING, BRANDING, AND THE SCIENCE BEHIND MINERAL COSMETICS 8

APRIL BURCH Organic, gluten-­‐free, low-­‐calorie, all natural. We spend so much time contemplating what we put in our bodies, yet most of us, spend very little time what we put on our skin, the largest organ of the human body. Educating yourself about the purpose and composition of products applied to the skin can help you preserve your natural beauty, avoid acne or allergic reactions, and save money. All-­‐natural mineral cosmetics have exploded into popular culture and are used by millions of people world-­‐wide. What are they all about? By the end of this class, you will know all about mineral cosmetics, mineral make-­‐up composition and the basics of formulating your own custom mineral cosmetics.

MIND, BODY, AND SCHEDULE KRISTINA SPLAWN Why do we have study hall from 8-­‐10 pm and sports from 3-­‐5 pm? Are mid-­‐year and end-­‐of-­‐the-­‐year assessments necessary? Is summer vacation a benefit or a hindrance to your learning? Recent studies have highlighted multiple concerns regarding the traditional American high school schedule. Students will take a comprehensive look at the development of the adolescent mind using MRI images and brain models. We will also discuss the physical transformation of your brain from the age of 13 to 25. After gaining an understanding of the phases of development, students will break into small groups to design more appropriate schedules to nurture the growth of the teenage mind.

NATURE VS. NURTURE: ANIMAL BEHAVIOR JESÚS IBÁÑEZ Ample research has shown that animals are rational beings and that they also share with us many other traits that were once thought to be uniquely human, including manufacturing and using tools, having culture, having a sense of self, using complex systems of communication, producing art, and having rich and deep emotional lives.

This course will study the interesting behavior of some species of animals, and whether these behaviors are learned or innate. We will learn about music appreciation in animals, complex hunting techniques in chimpanzees, practical sheep behavior, the “emotional” lives of cows, and other intriguing aspects of animal behavior.

RUBE GOLDBERG ANDREW D’AMBROSIO AND PETER QUILTY Defined as a comically involved, complicated invention, laboriously contrived to perform a simple operation, Rube Goldberg contraptions satirize the numerous machines around us. This class will make the simple complex and the mundane exciting as students work collaboratively to create a machine that will perform an easy task in as many steps as possible.

TANGRAMS, RUBIK’S CUBES, AND MATH TIMOTHY LANCE While you might not always realize it, there is so much more to mathematics than proofs and problems. We will explore a number of fun applications of math using 2-­‐D games such as tangrams and 3-­‐D puzzles like the Rubik’s Cube. We will also examine the intersection of mathematics and art using the golden ratio and fractal geometry. Finally, we’ll explore how math has been used to cheat the system in ways like counting cards. Math really is everywhere, and we will explore some of its many uses and the beauty it creates.

TOUR DE SOL: SOLAR POWER ANITA LOOSE-­‐BROWN How does a solar panel transform a ray of sunlight into the electricity cooling your common room’s fridge?

What determines how effective a solar panel is at producing that electricity? Using Berkshire’s own 8.5-­‐acre solar array on East Campus, we will examine these questions and more, build scale models, and meet with local 9

experts in the field. After learning the fundamentals of a simple circuit, students will design and build a model race car powered by solar cells. On the last day of class, students will test out their racer designs in a solar-­‐ powered race.

B PERIOD COURSES ANDROID APPS DAN SPEAR Mobile apps are becoming more and more relevant with each passing day. Have an interest? Search and you will most likely find numerous apps related to that interest. Not only for fun and games, apps are now used in education, medicine, and even public safety. This course will introduce students to the very basics of app development using Google’s App Inventor for Android. The program presents users with a visual representation of their app as they build it, and the programming end is done by snapping bits of code together like puzzle pieces. This is a great way to learn some of the basics of application development, which could then be used to develop more sophisticated programs. Although an Android phone or tablet would be beneficial, it is not necessary because the program has a built-­‐in emulator that can be used to test and debug.

CRYPTOGRAPHY RICHARD GILES C any; our E. ADT his?... From the days of Caesar’s empire to current “secure” credit card transactions, encryption has enabled only permitted individuals to understand encoded messages. Yet encryption can be deciphered. The Allies were able to intercept and decode Enigma machine messages from the Third Reich during the Second World War. More recently, over 100 million credit card numbers were “skimmed” from a data processing center without anyone’s knowledge. Using mathematics, pattern recognition, and elemental ciphers, students will learn more about cryptography and its rich history, and finish the week generating and attempting to crack their own codes.

HOW THINGS WORK! LINDA BELLIZZI Maybe you’ve never asked yourself how the zipper on your parka works…until it gets stuck. Or you’ve wondered why you remain pressed to your seat in a roller coaster even when you’re upside down. If you are curious about everyday physics, English teacher Mrs. Bellizzi will explore and help you answer some of your questions. We’ll tap into a massive Online Open Classroom course for inspiration, and we’ll use both Louis Bloomfield’s How Things Work: The Physics of Everyday Life and David Macaulay’s New How Things Work to set up our own experiments. We’ll tinker, test, and discover and share our budding knowledge with classmates and teachers.

LEARNING THROUGH PLAY: AN EXPLORATION OF CHILD DEVELOPMENT SYLVIA GAPPA Berkshire’s campus is home to a vast and ever-­‐expanding number of kids. How do they learn? What are they capable of at different ages? Students in this class will learn about child care and development with a focus on child interaction through play. They will learn developmental milestones in the areas of speech and language, fine and gross motor skills, socialization, and play. They will observe children and be expected to create developmentally appropriate activities for infants, toddlers, and preschool-­‐aged children. Led by a Berkshire mom, this class promises to be a joy for participants and subjects alike.

MORE THAN A MAGIC BOX: EXPLORING THE CAPABILITIES OF THE TI-­‐89 10

PAT BUSH It factors! It solves! It differentiates! It integrates! It may not be as user-­‐friendly or intuitive as the TI-­‐84 you’ve been using for years, but it can do amazing (and time-­‐saving) things if you know what to ask it to do and how to ask it to do it. Our time together will be spent collaboratively and entirely with calculator in hand so that at week’s end, you will have a far greater level of ease and confidence with using the calculator – and a great packet of materials to show for your time. Limited to students who are currently enrolled in courses for which the TI-­‐89 is required.

POKER AND POWER FRANK BARROS Poker is a game that requires strategy, an understanding of probability and some insights into human nature.

According to Harvard Law School Professor Charles Nesson, “poker can be a superior means of teaching critical life skills including negotiation, resource management, risk assessment and numeracy.” This course will explore probability and its value in problem solving, the power of position in strategic decision making and the value of patience. Students will learn from true poker scenarios, analyzing decisions made and whether they will maximize reward in the short run or the long run. No previous knowledge of the game is necessary.

THE REPLICATOR: 3-­‐D DESIGN AND PRINTING KURT SCHLEUNES AND APRIL BURCH Black and white? Color? Laser? Now 3-­‐D? The world of 3-­‐D printing has come to Berkshire. Using Google Sketchup, students will learn to design an object in three dimensions and then print it out on Berkshire’s very own 3-­‐D printer. Not just for math and science students, this course will explore the possibilities of printing 3-­‐D art and discuss the impact of this transformative machine on our world. Students will also tour The Chamberlian Group, a local manufacturing company that uses 3-­‐D printing in the design and creation of anatomically accurate models for medical training.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT A PERIOD COURSES CRÉOLE IMMERSION JEAN ERICK JOASSAINT Haïti, Martinique, Guadeloupe, Guyane française, Sainte-­‐Lucie, Dominique, Île Maurice, Île de la Réunion, Saint Barth, Les Seychelles, and Lousiana: What do these places have in common? The Créole language and culture, of course! There are millions of Créole speakers worldwide, yet only a few colleges and universities in the U.S. teach Créole as a foreign language. In this course, we will explore the linguistic origins of Créole to understand the differences between the Créole spoken in Louisiana and the one spoken in Haiti or Cuba. We will then look at the language as a cultural and historical vehicle. From that point on, the immersion begins and only Créole will be spoken using conversation drills and role plays.

PRO VITA LEGAL POTPOURRI JANE CABOT CP ’13 This course will cover a range of common legal issues students are likely to experience directly (or indirectly) as they transition from living at home to college. Contracts, leases, credit cards, small claims, Intellectual Property 11

(trademarks, copyright and patents), online privacy, online rights, law school, legal research and more. Using a mixed format including lectures, guest speakers, short case studies, light reading, interactive client representation moot (practice) court, videos, role playing and lots of Q&A, you’ll pick up tips sure to save you time, money and avoid unnecessary emotional distress in the future. Plain language, no legal experience required.

A SPIRITUAL JOURNEY PETER KINNE The Sweat Lodge Ceremony is an adaptation of the sweat bath common to many ethnic cultures found in North and South America, Asia, Eastern and Western Europe, and Africa. Some say it is a tradition that is thousands of years old. The Sweat Lodge is a place of spiritual refuge and mental and physical healing, a place to get answers and guidance by asking spiritual entities, totem helpers, the Creator and Mother Earth for needed wisdom and power. Spend the week learning about the various types of lodges and the rituals involved. The week will culminate with an actual sweat in a Cheyenne Little Boy Lodge. Come delve into the spirit world!

THE TOUGHEST JOB YOU’LL EVER LOVE ANNA ROMANO The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization believes that 925 million people are undernourished in the world.

According to the World Health Organization, 1.8 million deaths a year can be attributed to a lack of a sanitary water supply. These are preventable issues that the Peace Corps is addressing using American volunteers.

Using Peace Corps’ Webquest Program, students will choose a development topic ranging from closing the gender gap to improving environmental sustainability, perform guided research and analysis, generate their own suggestions for the Peace Corps, and present their findings to the class. Students will also follow a current Peace Corp volunteer’s blog throughout the week. By the end of the course, students will understand the mission of the Peace Corps, have a good understanding of what often appear to be intractable issues, and may have already prepared an application to join the effort to help humanity.

THE VIEW FROM THE PARTHENON NORM MERRILL Our school motto, in fact our Pro Vita week, is hotly contested in both translation and pronunciation. Come to Dr. Merrill’s introduction to Ancient Greek class and learn components of this 2-­‐millennia-­‐old language. In addition, the course will combine the study of Greek with a look at some important cultural elements of the ancient Greek world that have had a profound impact on Western culture, including art, architecture, and literature. Each class will include a brief lesson in basic Classical Greek and the balance of the class will focus on Greek culture and its influence. Pro Wita?

B PERIOD COURSES BEYOND TAPE AND ICE BRIAN LEWTON AND MARC WYSOCKI Want to know what athletic trainers really do? This course will give students a better appreciation of how athletic trainers diagnose injuries, establish rehabilitation programs and handle emergency situations on the playing fields. Get to know the educational background and courses required of athletic trainers while receiving hands-­‐on experience with all the modalities (whirlpools and electric stimulation units), as well as emergency and rehabilitation equipment.

ENTER THE DRAGON JASON GAPPA 12

The martial art of Aikido, translated loosely as "way of combining forces," provides its followers with a way to defend without doing great harm to an attacker. However, more than just self-­‐defense, the practice is based on specific ethical principles and was considered an expression of universal peace and reconciliation by its founder. Students in the class will discuss these principles, compare them to their own, and learn some Aikido technique from Sensei Sato in Great Barrington. The course will be your first step in your quest for oneness with "ki" or the cosmic power. Students will also compare Aikido's style to Korea's Tae Kwon Do, which emphasizes the use of leg kick and has its roots in traditional Korean martial arts. Master Brown in Great Barrington will introduce the class to the philosophical pillars of the practice. Beginners and suitors of "ki" are welcome.

YOUR ETHICS OR MINE? LYNETTE PRESCOTT ’81, CP ’14, ‘16 A 70 year-­‐old Nobel Prize-­‐winning physicist and a 19 year-­‐old electrician are brought to an emergency room with critical injuries following a car crash in a remote rural town. In both cases, without immediate surgery, the patient will die. The small hospital has one surgeon and one operating room. Who receives the life-­‐saving surgery? How do we make such challenging decisions? What makes something morally right or wrong? Is stealing food to feed a starving child ethical? Have you ever wondered what makes a good person? The aim of this course is to hone your ethical awareness and try your hand at debating the large and small moral conundrums of the day.

MINDFUL SELF COMPASSION Deborah Barnett-­‐Brandt CP ’14 How do you respond to stress, social challenges or physical injury? Do you usually blame yourself when things go wrong? Using a powerful blend of Western psychology and Eastern meditation, and drawing on the research of leading psychologists, students will explore the concept of ‘self-­‐compassion’, and learn new ways of responding to challenging moments. This experiential interdisciplinary class will ask you to re-­‐examine your view of happiness and teach you how to motivate with kindness rather than self-­‐criticism. The result will transform your relationships. No prerequisites required other than an open mind.

C PERIOD COURSES ACOUSTIC GUITAR FOLK BLUES RICHARD GILES Students will be introduced to the iconic artists behind North American regional folk blues through the life and playing styles of Huddie Ledbetter, better known as Lead Belly, and Sonny Terry. We will study their specific techniques and learn to copy their energetic blues-­‐style with our own instruments. Students will need an acoustic guitar for each class.

THE ART OF THE BUILD MIKE DALTON Interested in carpentry? Ever want to build a building? This Pro Vita offering might just be for you. Working from a set of plans, we’ll construct a “moldering” latrine. That’s right… a privy… an outhouse. It’s one of those little buildings with a crescent moon on the door that people used to visit before the days of indoor plumbing.

Our outhouse design will be based on those currently used by the Appalachian Trail Conference and the Appalachian Mountain Club and will be situated up at the Russell Shelter so that campers will have all the comforts of home. Construction will take place at Chevalier Lodge and the building will be assembled and then disassembled for a short journey up the mountain. In one week’s time we’ll go from drawings on paper and a pile of wood to a working, environmentally-­‐friendly outhouse. No carpentry skills required.

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THE ART OF CARD DEALING DARY DUNHAM AND R.G. MEADE What can one do with a pack of cards? Learn the intricacies of Texas Hold ’em, Omaha, Cribbage, Hearts, and Oh, Hell. These are lifelong skills sure to serve you well if ever stranded in a snowy cabin in the mountains. Did you know that President Clinton loves Oh, Hell, as does Oscar de la Renta? Harry Truman loved poker. Learn the rules and grasp the nuances of five important card games. You will walk away with an appreciation of the amazing range of what a deck of cards can do for entertainment and social gatherings.

THE BIG CHEESE EVAN CLARY If the stinking, gooey wonders of spoiling milk equate to your idea of gastronomic bliss, then this is the class for you. We will not only sample literally dozens of cheeses but also visit local cheesemongers and cheesemakers as well as make our own fresh cheese. By examining the biological processes which make cheese possible, we will master the techniques of purchasing, serving, and storing it. Become an aficionado in the history and international political intrigue— really—of this strange, delectable food. (Not for the lactose intolerant.)

BLADES OF GLORY DAN DRISCOLL AND SYLVIA GAPPA Have you always wanted to glide effortlessly across the ice? Come learn the basics of ice-­‐skating from the head boys and girls varsity hockey coaches. Designed for students with no prior skating experience, student will learn how to start, stop, turn, and most importantly, have fun on the ice. Come learn how to navigate your way around the rink in the Jack!

BUILD YOUR OWN BAT JASON GAPPA Swing batter, swing! Starting with a block of ash wood, students will visit a wood turner and use a lathe to shape their block into a bat of their own design. We’ll center the bat, sand the handle, determine its center of balance, and stamp it. By the end of the course, students should have a functional bat that they can take to batting practice this spring.

CANDYMAKING AND CHEMISTRY FRANK BARROS Candy making began when sweets were first produced by physicians to hide the taste of medicine. In chemistry, the properties of simple sucrose and glucose allow candy to take on various shapes. Students will get the opportunity to make a variety of different candies, learn about their chemical properties through entertaining demonstrations, and simply enjoy candy's tasty physical properties.

CHESS OPENINGS AND END GAMES KURT SCHLEUNES This course is open to students who are already familiar with the basic moves in chess. We will study famous sequences of opening moves such as the Ruy Lopez and the Sicilian. We will also work on end games—the final moves of a game which occur when one player has an advantage. Boards and pieces will be provided. In addition, time will be allotted for students to play games with one another for speed and to determine Berkshire’s Grandmaster.

COOKING UP A REVOLUTION 14

MICHAEL RAMELLA In a 2010 TED presentation, Chef Jamie Oliver announced his hope that “every single American child leaves high school knowing how to cook 10 recipes.” Because many chronic diseases can be prevented by proper nutrition, this became his platform for the Food Revolution. With an emphasis on this “revolution” we will deconstruct and prepare 10 basic recipes that can be made at home, in a professional kitchen, or a dorm room. Getting ready for a first apartment or even a first date? Be prepared with some basic skills in the kitchen.

CROCHET AND CHARITY ANNA ROMANO In this class, you will learn to crochet, a lifelong skill, while making baby blankets to be donated to the Ronald McDonald House on Gracious Living Day. Using provided patterns, students will learn to use crochet hooks and yarn to master the basics. Students will create a generous gift to share with babies in need.

THE CULTURE OF TEA CHENG-­‐CHIA WU AND CLIVE DAVIS This course examines the importance of tea in Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Thai, and English culture. We will focus on one culture per day, discussing tea selection, brewing, aroma, and tasting of tea. We will supplement the lecture and demonstrations with readings, videos and other materials. Tea will be made each day and a trip to Harney & Sons Tea Company in Millerton, NY will cap off the week.

DISCOVERING THE MOUNTAIN KEVAN BOWLER AND STUART MILLER Designed for outdoor novices and experts alike, this course revives Berkshire’s Mountain Passport Program.

Originally created by the Ritt Kellogg Mountain Program as a guide to aid students exploring the mountain, the passport will lead us to South Pinnacle, Black Rock, the Appalachian Trail, the Telephone Trail, and the Reservoir, all in an effort to visit as many different and perhaps undiscovered sites on the mountain as possible. You should have sturdy hiking boots for this course.

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL GAMES ANDREW D’AMBROSIO Come let us take you back to the days before Facebook and video chat when the highlight of the day was the recess game of SPUD or freeze tag. You’re never too old for a game of Four Square or Dodgeball. Mastering these skills is not only necessary for success on the playground, it will also serve you well in life.

FÚTBOL Y TAPAS JESÚS IBÁÑEZ Futbol and tapas are two of the most ingrained Spanish traditions and though Americans aren’t always aware, the two go hand-­‐in-­‐hand in Spain. Students will take a look at the lively atmosphere surrounding soccer matches by recreating the experience at Berkshire. Before viewing some of the best European matches in recent memory, we will prepare a typical tapas recipe to be consumed during the game. Come ready to cook, eat, and cheer!

HEALTHY COLLEGE COOKING TIMOTHY LANCE Soon enough, all Berkshire students will be responsible for feeding themselves. All too often, the college diet consists mostly of Ramen noodles, pizza and chicken wings. While tasty, these food sources have little to no nutritional value, are not cost effective and are of no benefit to the future of the planet. This course will cover smart food shopping and creating meals that are easy, tasty and nutritious.

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INTRODUCTION TO FOOTBALL BRIAN SULLIVAN AND WILL CRONIN This class will introduce the terminology, rules and strategy of the game of football to students. We will teach students offensive formations, play calling, running attacks and passing attacks. Defensively, students will learn about stunts and blitzes, pass coverage and run defense. Students will be broken up into teams and will play flag football games throughout the week.

iPIANO – INTRODUCTION TO PLAYING THE PIANO BEBE BULLOCK Have you always wanted to learn to play piano but never had the opportunity? Thought you were too tone-­‐ deaf? Lamented your clumsy fingers? Wrote it off as too hard? Didn't have access to a baby grand? Now is your chance! This is piano for the very beginner. Using iPads, we will learn to read notes and understand the basic techniques of playing the piano. By the end of the week, we will be able to perform a collection of simple songs. “Mary Had a Little Lamb” and “Amazing Grace,” here we come!

IT’S TO DYE FOR! MAURA MACKENZIE Have you ever noticed Ms. Morgan’s carefully decorated lab coat? In this afternoon class, we will explore several different techniques for tie-­‐dying shirts and other articles of clothing. We will also experiment with other dye art forms such as Batiking, Shibori, and Hausa. Students will have to provide their own articles of clothing to dye or purchase one for minimal cost.

KNITTING FOR EVERYONE ANITA LOOSE-­‐BROWN Enjoy the camaraderie of hanging out with yarn, needles and other like-­‐minded souls. If you know how to knit, you can help others learn. If you don’t know how to knit, you’ll find out it’s not all that tough. We’ll knit a baby blanket composed of individual squares and then donate it to a local organization.

LEARN TO COOK AUTHENTIC CHINESE FOOD LU XU Did you know American Chinese restaurants are opening branches in China as a foreign food? If you’ve never been to China, you haven’t experienced Chinese food. Learn how to prepare and cook authentic food from Northern China including fried rice, bun, wonton, and dumplings. Beyond enjoying our daily feast together, you’ll get the opportunity to try your hand at some traditional Chinese cooking methods.

MAGIC: THE GATHERING JESSE HOWARD Magic is a collectible card game created by Seattle mathematics professor Richard Garfield in 1993. With approximately six million players worldwide in over seventy countries, Magic has become the world’s most played trading card game. The premise of the game is straightforward: play cards that represent spells, tricks, creatures and artifacts to get your opponent’s life total down to zero before getting killed yourself. The catch?

Each player designs his or her own deck from the thousands of cards that have been printed through the years.

The course will cover the basics of this complex and multi-­‐layered game and culminate in a tournament.

MYSPACE: WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A LOCAL PETER KINNE 16

Hit the road and meet some of our neighbors, all natives of the Berkshires: three police chiefs who grew up locally; two fire chiefs who help protect our homes and schools; several local business people working as lawyers and bankers; and the proprietors of the Sunrise Diner and other local establishments. What is it about this area that made them choose to stay? Do you feel the same way about your hometown? What do you sacrifice when you go, and when you stay?

OUTSIDE THE BOX BRANDI DAHARI Board games have come a long way since Monopoly first hit the shelves in the 1930’s. Eurogames, or German-­‐ style board games, emphasize strategy and theme and downplay luck and player elimination. A variety of creative mechanisms are used, and familiar mechanics like dice-­‐rolling and moving are avoided. If a game has a board, the board is usually irregular rather than uniform or symmetric and often contains random elements. In this course, you will be exposed to and sample several famous Eurogames, most notably: Settlers of Catan, Carcassonne, Bohnanza, Citadels & Ticket to Ride.

PADDLE TENNIS MICHAEL BJURLIN AND ANDREA BOWLER Ever driven through a country club or sports complex and seen a shrunken tennis court surround by chicken wire? Well, that mini-­‐court is home to a fantastic sport called paddle tennis. Played for over a century, the game is adapted from tennis though it features a different ball, hard racquets, a smaller court, and a lower net. All of these factors combine to create a fast and reaction-­‐based game. Join us as we travel to surrounding schools to play for an hour each afternoon.

PHYSICS OF TABLE TENNIS DAN SPEAR Matthew Syed’s popular book Bounce highlights the author’s quest for greatness on the World Table Tennis circuit. He attributes his skill not to talent but to practice and knowledge. This course will take an in-­‐depth look at the physics involved in table tennis. Each day a different aspect of the game, such as speed, spin, serves, returns, and offense will be studied from a physics standpoint. After discussing the physical concepts, students will be given the opportunity to practice what they have learned by challenging one another on the table. Who knows, you may be honing your skills to become the next great Table Tennis champion!

PRO VITA…NO REALLY! HEIDI WOODWORTH AND DAVE OLSON A classroom education will carry a person far in life, but what happens when classroom skills and life skills don’t overlap? This course aims to close that gap by examining the everyday skills involved in the art of life. What happens when you get a flat tire in the middle of nowhere? Power’s out and you’re wondering how to use that majestic looking fireplace for the first time? Invited to a gala that could advance your career, but don’t know what black tie means? Wondering why you can’t seem to save any money even with that great job you have?

This course will give you the hands on experience to help you solve these important everyday questions.

THE QUILTING BEE SUE DELMOLINO IVES AND GUESTS Quilters everywhere make charity quilts (often called comfort quilts) for all sorts of causes. Working together with members of the Berkshire Quilters’ Guild, students will construct baby/children’s quilts to be distributed to two Massachusetts’s non-­‐profit organizations; the Children’s Health Program in Great Barrington and the Shriner’s Hospital in Springfield. Students will learn about quilting as a method of artistic expression, the history of quilting as an American tradition, how to select colors and fabrics, and the design process.

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RAW CLARITY MARTINA MOODEY In this course we will examine the health benefits of keeping a raw food-­‐based diet. Perhaps it can help us look at life with a clearer perspective, and guide us to maintain a healthy body from the inside out. We will supplement the lecture with readings, a viewing of the documentary Food Matters, and by preparing delicious and nutritious raw food and treats. We will cap off the week with a visit to the Riverbend Café in Great Barrington, for a tonic juice.

WHEN RADIO RULED THE AIRWAVES BILL GULOTTA Prior to TV, history was heard. FDR’s fireside chats, Winston Churchill’s rousing World War II speeches, the Hindenburg disaster, and Pearl Harbor were all conveyed through airwaves and the medium of radio. We will study famous radio transmissions in history and choose an historical broadcast to recreate in the WBSL studio.

WORLD VEGETARIAN COOKING LISSA MCGOVERN AND LINDA BELLIZZI Travel with us as we visit vegetarian cuisines from diverse cultures. You will learn how to plan meals, purchase recipe items and prepare some delicious foods as we cook and bake our way around the globe. No cooking experience is necessary. This course will offer you the opportunity to acquire skills not just in the kitchen, but in the grocery store, too. Believe it or not, soon you will be cooking up your very own delectable vegetarian delights!

YOGA: FROM WARRIOR ONE TO DOWNWARD DOG LINDA D’ARCO AND ELIZABETH SKOGLUND Led by a Kripalu-­‐certified local yoga teacher, this course will serve as an introduction to the practice of yoga.

Each day will focus on a different part of the body or yogic philosophy including breath, gaze, mindfulness, and meditation. The classes will be physically challenging but appropriate for beginners and experienced yogis alike.

Ommmmmmm!

Visiting Faculty

Deborah Barnett-­‐Brandt CP ’14 MINDFUL SELF COMPASSION Educated at Hamilton College and New York’s School of Visual Arts, Deborah worked at MacMillan and Scholastic before launching her own graphic design firm. She has pursued creativity on many levels, recently becoming certified as a yoga teacher. A long time yoga and meditation practitioner, she is a student of Mindful Self Compassion and Jon Kabot Zinn’s Mindful Based Stress Reduction and is in the process of becoming certified as a Mindful Self Compassion instructor.

Jane Cabot CP ’13 18

PRO VITA LEGAL POTPOURRI Attorney Jane Cabot is a member of the legal bar in several northeast states as well as numerous State and Federal Courts, including the United States Supreme Court. Originally a sole practitioner representing a wide range of business and domestic clients, she is now in-­‐house counsel for a national bank specializing in corporate banking and health law. She will be joined by several legal colleagues.

Jacob Epstein WRITING FOR TELEVISION 101 Jacob Epstein joined Steven Bochco’s Hill Street Blues as a staff writer and became a writer/producer for L. A. Law. He worked on many dramatic television series including Without a Trace, Shark, and was the writer and Executive Producer of the award-­‐winning Showtime film on the election of Justice Clarence Thomas, Strange Justice. He is currently at work on a series for Showtime with literary memoirist and Syracuse Professor Mary Karr. He is married to Susie Norris ‘79, Development Officer at Berkshire.

Lynette Prescott ’81, CP ’14 & ‘16 YOUR ETHICS OR MINE? After studying Russian language, politics and literature at Princeton University, Lynette Prescott spent several years trading high yield securities in the financial industry. She left the financial world to earn a master’s in developmental psychology from Teachers’ College at Columbia University. While raising her children, she facilitated school-­‐wide parenting discussions on child development. Most recently, she has been teaching in an independent elementary school designing project-­‐based curriculum and models for transparency in teaching.

Anna Rubino CP ’13 DESIGN TEAM 101: THE ART OF GRAPHIC DESIGN A nationally and internationally recognized design professional, Anna Rubino has been part of the advertising and branding world for almost three decades. In addition to her role at BIC corporation working on packaging, Rubino has worked pro bono with startups and nonprofit organizations in her local community. She’s assisted in designing and leading the development of consumer goods, packaging, print and web advertising, and brand identity.

Christian Williams WRITING FOR TELEVISION 101 Christian Williams was an editor and reporter for The Washington Post before moving west to write for Hill Street Blues in 1987. With David Milch, he created the series Capital News for ABC, and for Universal Studios the phenomenal worldwide success Hercules. After writing and producing numerous one-­‐hour dramas, he retired from television as co-­‐executive producer of HBO's celebrated Six Feet Under. He is an essayist, commentator and editor of the quarterly journal of Town Hall Los Angeles.

Excursions

Enrollment for these courses will be determined prior to the normal Pro Vita registration period.

Hiking Katahdin Nathaniel Blauss and Evan Nielsen Katahdin –‘The Greatest Mountain” in the local Abenaki language -­‐ in Maine’s Baxter State Park is one of the most spectacular and challenging peaks in the eastern United States. Famous as the Northern Terminus of the Appalachian Trail, and as one of Thoreau’s haunts during his journey in the Maine woods, students will spend the week traveling through real back country, meeting the challenges of hard work and cold, as well as pushing 19

their own comfort level. The chance to see the stars in one of the darkest corners of New England in winter, as well as the spectacular view from the summit – reportedly the home of a huge eagle-­‐winged wind god – should make those challenges well worth the effort. This trip is a chance for students to push themselves to do things they’ve never done before in order to see and experience a place they would never otherwise get the chance to visit.

The Island School, Cape Eleuthera, Bahamas Amanda Morgan and John West Founded in 1998, the Island School is dedicated to immersing students in marine ecology and sustainability through experiential education. Students will spend a week at the school working on several projects including restoring natural habitat, tagging and tracking local marine life populations, and establishing aquaponic gardens.

All programs will be run by Island School faculty and staff. Current scientific projects include conch stock assessment, ocean pH level changes due to climate change, mangrove creek restoration and management, and reporting data for a larger study of coastal and habitat conservation. In addition, students will have an opportunity to snorkel at nearby coral reefs, explore the island by foot, and interact with local Bahamian students.

Global Citizenship in a Monkey Sanctuary – Pura Vida, Pro Vita!

Jackie O’Rourke and Devon O’Rourke ‘02 Students will travel to Nosara, Costa Rica, to explore the native culture, habitat, ecological practices, and education system. Students will work closely each day with the SIBU Sanctuary (http://www.sibujungalows.com/sibu_sanctuary.html). The group will be assisted throughout the trip by Jack Goff (father of Berkshire faculty member Jackie O’Rourke) and Steve and Vicki Coan of SIBU. Students will have some time each morning, should they choose to get up early, for swimming, surfing, beach walks, etc., before the daily breakfast at the hotel. The group will be on-­‐hand most afternoons to assist with turtle hatchings and partake in the local tradition of protecting hatchlings from the sun and vultures as the turtles move from their nests to the water.

Flight Training in Florida Michael Lee and Peggy Loeffler Students on this trip will be going to a fully credentialed and FAA-­‐certified flight school based in Lakeland, Florida. They will undergo initial flight training for Private Pilot and will complete approximately 8 to 10 hours of flight training and 15 hours of ground school training during the week. The group will be accompanied and supervised by Michael Lee (Program Coordinator and leader of Berkshire's Aviation Science Program, Commercial Pilot, Flight Instructor, and father of three Berkshire grads) and Peggy Loeffler (Chief Flight Instructor from Great Barrington Airport).

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