Spring
Syllabus 2003
Introduction:
We are very excited about our collective upcoming work in spring quarter; your faculty have developed part of the spring quarter schedule with books, seminars, and all-program yoga intact. BUT this represents only about half of your program work. The other half of your work includes further development in a workshop area of your choice, complemented by an independent study project. In other words, your independent work should build on the skills and themes of the workshop(s). But there’s more to it than that: we’re building six weeks of the program (rather than ten) around book-related themes, with the remaining weeks involving work outside the normal classroom schedule and a two-night fieldtrip to Sol Duc Hotsprings (see below). Spring quarter is a chance for us all to do something different. Note: Although we are not including work in the Grass Lake Refuge as a formal or scheduled credit-bearing activity in spring, all students have the option of incorporating continued Grass Lake work into their spring plan. (Please notify Laurie if you are interested in participating in a Grass Lake work group during spring quarter).
Books and
Scheduling:
Students choosing to do work abroad or outside of the
Olympia area must still read all the program texts for Spring Quarter, and send
us your journal excerpts by e-mail. The
program texts are as follows: The Spell
of the Sensuous (Abram), Accordion
Crimes (Proulx), Picturing Culture
(Ruby), Woman Who Watches Over the World
(Hogan), Sacred Mirrors: The Visionary
Art of Alex Grey (Wilbur and McCormick), Maya Deren and the American Avant-Garde (Nichols), and Cultivating Inner Peace (Fleischman). The program schedule will remain the same
for each week as it has been in fall and winter quarters. Mondays 9-11:30 (lectures) and 1-3
(workshops); Tuesdays 9 – 11 (Sarah’s workshop), 9:30-11:30 (Sean and Laurie
seminars), 11:30-1:30 (Sarah’s seminars), 2:30-4:30 (all-program yoga);
Thursdays 10-12 (group meetings, independent project work) and 1-3 or 4 (Sean
and Laurie’s workshops).
Program Fees:
If accepted into this program, you will be
asked to pay a program fee of $80.00, payable to account #218122, sub-code
0140. This fee covers all-program yoga (Tuesday
afternoons only) and camping/hot springs fees, and the fee needs to be paid by
10:00 am on Thursday morning, April 3. To pay the fees, go to the cashier’s
office on the first floor of the library building. You must pay by check or cash and obtain a receipt. Give a COPY of the receipt to Sean Williams. In addition, students accepted into the more
intensive yoga workshop with Sarah Williams will need to pay an extra $80.00 for
yoga instruction into the same account. Students accepted into the film and photography workshop must assume
special expenses (in the range of $50 to $100) associated with film processing and
media supplies for individual projects. There may be a small charge associated with camping and using the
hot springs at Sol Duc.
Field Trips
We plan two field trips for spring: one two-night trip to Sol Duc Hot Springs, and one to Tacoma and Seattle. You will be camping and eating with your peer group. Each peer group will be responsible for its own tents, food, cooking/eating/cleaning equipment, stoves, drinking water, sleeping bags, flashlights (one per person). Bring a brown bag lunch for traveling on Monday. The first group meal will be Monday dinner; you will also need to plan and prepare Tuesday’s meals and Wednesday’s breakfast and lunch. What you prepare, negotiating specific dietary needs and costs, is up to the group. Remember, this is a silent retreat, so you need to negotiate who is cooking at what time, who is cleaning, and who is buying the food in advance of your departure. Peer groups will need to (silently) locate available campsites. Rules: no more than two tents per site, no more than eight people per site. Our intention is for each peer group to create appropriate sleeping arrangements for its members. If you plan to take your own car rather than ride in the vans, you must sign a special field trip waiver form that indicates that you’ve chosen to use a private vehicle. The College has fifteen sleeping bags and even more tents available at no charge on a first-come, first-served basis. You must be on the class list, and you must leave a check deposit for the amount of the equipment that you borrow. They are available through Equipment Check-Out on the first floor of the College Recreation Center (CRC 128). You must be polite to the staff when you request equipment! They are students like you and your courteous attitude is essential in getting what you need from them. The Equipment Check-Out hours are 10-4 on Sunday, and they open at 6 am on Monday. Bring Journal to the Self, The Spell of the Sensuous, and your journal with writing and drawing equipment. Don’t forget to bring your best sturdy walking shoes, sunscreen/raincoat/hat/umbrella, warm clothes, flashlight with fresh batteries (you think we’re joking?), Swiss army knife or equivalent, bathing suits and towels (or you can rent towels at Sol Duc), delicious and sustaining food, and drinking water. To maintain the mineral balance of the hot springs, the required attire is bathing suits; street clothes are not acceptable. If you have any concerns about this, please talk to us individually. Many people were cold last time; consider yourselves forewarned.
Procession
of the Species
On Saturday, April 26, our program will participate
in the annual Procession of the Species in downtown Olympia. Each year in April, all of downtown comes
alive with thousands of people dressed as aspects of nature: birds, fire,
trees, salmon, rain, whales, bugs, coyotes, you name it. There are three rules for the procession: no
advertising, no printed words, and no motorized vehicles. The Procession is divided into four
categories: earth, air, fire, and water.
We will appear in the “air” section because our group will include angklung (moving columns of musical
air). The rich implications for our
program are obvious. Our plan is for
Sean to lead about 20 students playing angklung
with a phalanx of wild geese in V-formation.
This requires those of you not playing angklung to create wild geese costumes and to acquire (or borrow)
yellow rain boots. Sean has costumes
for angklung players. We will be discussing the creation of
costumes later in winter quarter, and we will supply you all with detailed
instructions. We have scheduled two
formal rehearsals (including a full dress rehearsal) on Thursday mornings early
in April.
Credits:
3
– Lectures/seminars (choosing among Environmental Literature, Cross-Cultural Studies,
Gender Studies, Visual Studies, Ethnomusicology)
2
– all program yoga (Yoga as Self-Inquiry)
2
– Journal Writing (Creative Writing, Nature Writing, Self-Inquiry)
4
– Workshop topics (as before; see below)
4
– Independent Study Project by mutual agreement of student and faculty
1
– Performance Practice: Procession of the Species
Spring
Quarter Workshops:
Spring photo/film with Laurie Meeker: Students interested in photography
and filmmaking as an emphasis can continue to develop their skills in this area
through additional workshops and smaller support/critique groups. Students
should develop a proposal that builds on skills we learned in the workshop and
the program. Issues of representation, feminism, gender, re-engaging the
senses, vision and perception, connections to our intimate natures, connections
to the environment, wildlife and nature photography, etc., can be explored
through visual media like still photography and filmmaking. Experimental and
documentary work groups are also possible, with further reading in history and
theory. Further skill development may be possible in the following areas: slide
presentation, black and white darkroom work, Super-8 editing, 16mm
cinematography and editing, digital camcorders and DV linear editing. We will
choose from among these skills and approaches based on student needs in
relation to specific projects. Since the independent study project represents 4
credits (on top of workshop skill development and the rest of the program
elements) projects must be limited in scope. Motion picture production in film
or video needs to be conceptualized as 7-10 minutes in length due to the
complexity of the production process (pre-production, shooting, editing).
Please note: we will not be learning digital non-linear editing programs (like
Final Cut Pro) due to their complexity and because the editing suites are
heavily booked by Mediaworks and other advanced students. New students coming
into the program must demonstrate some basic proficiency with photography, film
or video (indicate academic experience with media on your proposal).
Breathing Bodies: Yoga and Engenderment with Sarah Williams: This workshop will continue to offer students a venue for
exploring and practicing yoga in relationship to breath and engenderment. We will work with two new texts. Alex Grey’s Sacred Mirrors contains gorgeous visualizations of the energetic
body and will be used to inspire revisions of student body maps. Daniel Odier’s Desire describes a Tantric understanding of our intimate nature,
including a critique of dominant western perceptions of pleasure and an
introduction to a non-dualisticand sensual approach to embodiment. Monday yoga classes, which will be lead by
Judith and assisted by Sarah, will focus on asana
within the ashtanga tradition. Tuesday morning class, which will be led by
Sarah and assisted by Judith, will focus on the restoration of the senses
through movement, discussion, and extended sessions of yoga nidra.
Traditional Performance Practice: Gamelan with Sean Williams: This
workshop has several performances scheduled (including at the Northwest
Folklife Festival over Memorial Day weekend), so students must be prepared to practice outside the regularly-scheduled
gamelan session times, and come to gamelan class ready to play. [Sean will expect documentation of practice
time as well as real-life musical proof that you have been working on your
playing.] Students who do not plan to
work seriously and intensively on their musicianship (both as instrumentalists
and as singers) should not be a part of this workshop. Sean’s expectation of you is that you learn
more about ethnomusicology theory and practice, that you read a handful of
articles and be able to comment on them in seminar, and that you use your
independent study project as an opportunity to enhance or expand on a
particular musical interest. For
example, students who already specialize in one musical style (classical, rock,
blues, folk) should consider expanding into a different genre (e.g., classical
piano to blues, violin to Cajun or Irish fiddle; rock guitar to classical
guitar, etc.). If you can’t play an
instrument, consider using spring quarter as a chance to dive intensively into
the one you’ve always wanted to study.
All
of you will be expected to document and discuss your learning process.
The Independent Study Project:
Fill out an independent study contract as an in-house document. You can pick up a copy of the contract form
from Academic Advising. DO NOT turn
this form in to academic advising; it is a binding contract between you and the
faculty member among the three of us who is most closely tied to that kind of
work. This is the basis of articulation
for what you will be learning; it also determines what we will be awarding
credit for. If your contract involves
independent study abroad, you must also fill out a Travel Waiver. Note: If you are planning to do your project
out of town, you must still meet with us at the beginning and the end of the
quarter. The Independent Study Project must
meet the following criteria:
1.
It must have a research
component, which will inform your independent work
2.
It must build on
workshop skills from fall, winter and spring (in music, film/photography, and
yoga/bodywork).
Laurie Meeker,
Com 308F, 867-6613, meekerl@evergreen.edu
Sarah Williams,
Seminar Bldg 4161, 867-6561, williasa@evergreen.edu
Sean Williams,
Com 304B, 867-6623, williams@evergreen.edu
Vicki Arrington, Com 301,
867-6605, arringtv@evergreen.edu (program secretary)
Office Hours: Tuesdays 1:30-2:30 (Laurie and Sean); Monday
3:00-4:00 (Sarah)
BEGIN
READING The Spell of the Sensuous
prior to week one!!
We will use
this for our field trip during week three.
Week One:
3/31 9:00 -11:00 Welcome, reorientation, field trip information (Recital
Hall)
1:00 – 3:00 workshops (Sarah/CRC116, Laurie/L1308, Sean/Com 341)
4/1 9:00 – 11:00 workshop (Sarah – CRC 116)
9:30 – 11:30 seminars (ind. projects) (Laurie/Com 323, Sean/Com 310)
12:00 – 2:00 seminar (ind. projects) (Sarah – CRC 116)
2:30 – 4:30 yoga workshop (all program – CRC 116/117)
4/3 1:00 – 4:00 workshops (Laurie/Com 308, Sean/Com 341)
Assignment for
next week: Read Sacred Mirrors.
Week Two:
4/7 9:00 -11:00 Sacred Mirroring (Sarah) (Recital Hall)
1:00 – 3:00 workshops (Sarah/CRC116, Laurie/L1308, Sean/Com 341)
4/8 9:00 – 11:00 workshop (Sarah – CRC 116)
9:30 – 11:30 seminars (Laurie/Com 323, Sean/Com 310)
12:00 – 2:00 seminar (Sarah – CRC 116)
2:30 – 4:30 yoga workshop – Robert Provosoli (all program – CRC 116/117)
4/10 1:00 – 4:00 workshops (Laurie/Com 308, Sean/Com 341)
Assignment for
next week: Read the rest of The Spell of the Sensuous in preparation
for the field trip next week.
Week Three:
4/14 all day Field trip to Sol
Duc Hotsprings (leave 9 am)
4/15 all day Field trip to Sol Duc Hotsprings
(leave 9 am)
4/16 all day Field trip to Sol Duc Hotsprings
(leave 9 am)
4/17 10:00 – 12:00 Procession of the Species rehearsal (Com 308)
1:00 – 4:00 workshops (Laurie/Com 308, Sean/Com 341)
Assignment for
next week: Finalize work on your
costumes for the Procession of the Species.
Bring your costumes (don’t forget your yellow rainboots!) on Thursday
morning, and clear your schedule for Saturday night, April 24. Read Accordion
Crimes.
Week Four:
4/21 9:00 -11:00 Accordions, Violins, and Class Issues (Sean) (Recital
Hall)
1:00 – 3:00 workshops (Sarah/CRC116, Laurie/L1308, Sean/Com 341)
4/22 12:00 – 2:00 Film: “The Red Violin” (Com 326) [no seminars]
2:30 – 4:30 yoga workshop (all program – CRC 116/117)
4/24 10:00 – 12:00 Procession of the Species full dress rehearsal (Com 308)
1:00 – 3:00 Film: “Songcatcher” (Com 326)
Assignment for
next week: Attend the Procession of the Species Celebration in downtown Olympia
on Saturday, April 26. Three rules: no
written words, no motorized vehicles, and no pets. Check out the website: www.procession.org. Read Woman
Who Watches Over the World.
Week Five:
4/28 9:00 -11:00 Guest speaker TBA (Recital Hall)
1:00 – 3:00 workshops (Sarah/CRC116, Laurie/L1308, Sean/Com 341)
4/29 9:00 – 11:00 workshop (Sarah – CRC 116)
9:30 – 11:30 seminars (Laurie/Com 323, Sean/Com 310)
12:00 – 2:00 seminar (Sarah – CRC 116)
2:30 – 4:30 yoga workshop (all program – CRC 116/117)
5/1 all day Field trip to
Tacoma and Seattle (leave at 9 am from Parking Lot C)
Assignment for
next week: Read Picturing Culture.
Week Six:
5/5 9:00 -11:00 Picturing Culture (Laurie) (Recital Hall)
1:00 – 3:00 workshops (Sarah/CRC116, Laurie/L1308, Sean/Com 341)
5/6 9:00 – 11:00 workshop (Sarah – CRC 116)
9:30 – 11:30 seminars (Laurie/Com 323, Sean/Com 310)
12:00 – 2:00 seminar (Sarah – CRC 116)
2:30 – 4:30 yoga workshop (all program – CRC 116/117)
5/8 10:00 – 12:00 peer group meetings (Com 308)
1:00 – 4:00 workshops (Laurie/Com 308, Sean/Com 341)
Assignment for
next week: Independent research work in
consultation with your faculty sponsor.
Assignment for
next week: Read Maya Deren and the American Avant-Garde.
Week Eight:
5/19 9:00 -11:00 Films by Maya Deren with faculty responses (Recital Hall)
1:00 – 3:00 workshops (Sarah/CRC116, Laurie/L1308, Sean/Com 341)
5/20 9:00 – 11:00 workshop (Sarah – CRC 116)
9:30 – 11:30 seminars (Laurie/Com 323, Sean/Com 310)
12:00 – 2:00 seminar (Sarah – CRC 116)
2:30 – 4:30 yoga workshop (all program – CRC 116/117)
5/21 no classes finish your integrative essay, meet with your peer groups, and
turn in the essay by 1 pm on Friday, May 22.
Assignment for
next week: attend the Northwest Folklife Festival at the Seattle Center. The festival runs for four straight days,
and features traditional and contemporary performers and styles from all over
the world. It’s FREE! Your gamelan-playing
colleagues will be performing on Sunday between 3 and 6 pm. Read the first part of Cultivating Inner Peace.
Week Nine:
5/26 all day Memorial
Day (no classes)
5/27 9:00 – 11:00 workshop (Sarah – CRC 116)
9:30 – 11:30 seminars [essay discussion](Laurie/Com 323, Sean/Com 310)
12:00 – 2:00 seminar [essay discussion] (Sarah – CRC 116)
2:30 – 4:30 yoga workshop (all program – CRC 116/117)
5/29 10:00 – 12:00 peer group meetings to discuss your co-authored evaluations
1:00 – 3:00 Grass Lake Potluck Picnic and Trail Walk: meet at Parking Lot C at
1 pm for rides, or at Grass Lake itself
at 1:30 if you have a car.
Assignment for
next week: Read the rest of Cultivating
Inner Peace. Finish your
co-authored evaluations and e-mail them (in rich text format) to your faculty
by 1 pm on Monday, June 2.
Week Ten:
6/2 9:00 -11:00 video presentations (Recital Hall)
1:00 – 3:00 workshops (Sarah/CRC116, Laurie/L1308, Sean/Com 341)
6/3 9:00 – 11:00 workshop (Sarah – CRC 116)
9:30 – 11:30 seminars (Laurie/Com 323, Sean/Com 310)
12:00 – 2:00 seminar (Sarah – CRC 116)
2:30 – 4:30 yoga workshop (all program – CRC 116/117)
6/5 1:00 – 4:00 workshops (Laurie/Com 308, Sean/Com 341)