This program will employ futuristic inquiry in the study of trends and beliefs about human families and homes. Futurism, originally an art movement in the early 20th century, attempted to abandon conventional forms and to focus on the motion inherent in shifting planes and multiple observation points in order to consider the future. For our contemporary purposes, futurism can help us imagine and invent new terms for the age-old practices of family and home. Our inquiry will consider present technological, economic and social trends in an attempt to predict the future of family and home.

Are family and home growing and changing concepts, or are they universally solid establishments that ground us across time and culture? This program will explore that question in an interdisciplinary mode of inquiry that will employ literature and the fine arts: photography, film, and movement improvisation. Program readings and films will tell us stories about families and homes. Art will help us image them. Family study research, seminars and writing activities will structure our analyses. Futurism's consideration of the dynamic motion of space and time (inspired by the industrial machine age) will be translated into movement studio work in the program. Studio work will include stretching, moving to music, improvisation and choreography in order to expand our conceptual understanding. Further, we will be involved in conceptualizing the idea of family and home through visual representation work. Ethnographic work in the form of interviews and visual documentation will also aid our efforts to verify changing attitudes on family and home across generations.

We must consider family and home in the context of environmental, political, and social/cultural concerns. This program will include inquiry about lifestyle choices, relationship development, personal dwellings and health needs. Writing through the curriculum will help to articulate our conceptualization and re-conceptualization of family and home.

This program offers an overview of the contentious and problematic constructions of gender and women's lived experiences, both locally and globally. Drawing on environmental studies, cultural studies and gender studies, we will examine issues of women's bodies, health, population, development and women's involvement in social justice movements. We will also examine the many approaches to feminism, the methods for studying women's lives, within contemporary global structures of power-including economic and cultural globalization, militarization and environmental degradation.

Beginning with colonialist representations, we will examine the ways women have been aligned with the natural world in ethnography, literature and film. These representations of gender, sexuality, class, culture and national identity lay the foundation for the eroticization of inequality and the devaluing of women's reproductive health and daily labors. We will work to disentangle woman-centered practices around the globe from culturally appropriated forms that use women symbolically and limit their power. The continuity of stereotypical images in the mass media and in public discourse often form the basis for both domestic and foreign policies in population control, women's health and labor practices. Significantly, such policies have often fostered global networks of resistance, which will be a central focus of this program.

Our work will therefore focus on women's involvement and leadership in movements around environmental, social, and economic justice, cultural sovereignty, population, reproductive rights and development. Much of public policy and international relations are gendered in many ways, sometimes because women are the target of population policy or more subtly because gender is an important filter for ideas and resources in development. We will explore how gender and gendered models shape policy and how these patterns have become the focus of discussion, action and resistance in communities around the world.

We will also investigate how, across distance and difference, women are exploring their relationship to environment and development (access to natural resources, environmental health risks, creation of sustainable alternatives) and building international ties and solidarity efforts. Our examination will feature women working across borders to create and sustain movements for social justice; these case studies will likely include women's resistance to sweatshops in free trade zones, struggles for environmental health in the face of industrial hazards and campaigns for safe pharmaceuticals. A central focus will be on women's opposition to militarization in the United States and the Middle East, in the context of global militarism and its impacts on women's lives, work and health.

Our analysis and experience will be developed as we study various analytic texts, oral histories and literature. We will work on developing skills in interviewing, expository and creative writing, policy analysis and public interest journalism. We will consult with regional analysts and activists to better understand the potential for advocacy that links a diversity of communities. We will also be analyze the role of the United Nations, governments, corporations, the network of non-governmental organizations and cross-border projects as we work to understand the conditions for and barriers to women's well-being. Students will be involved in projects connecting them to regional networks and resources.

Over geologic time the Earth has experienced wide fluctuations in climate, such as ice ages. Earth is currently experiencing a rapid warming trend. A major factor determining global climate is the intensity of the Sun’s energy reaching the Earth. However, climate changes cannot be explained by variations in solar radiation alone. Climate changes involve complex interactions between astronomical and Earth-bound processes.

This program will examine some of these interactions. Specifically, we will examine how the Sun’s output has varied over geologic time. We will also examine how the oceans impact global climate by redistributing the Sun’s energy and affecting the composition of the atmosphere. We will discuss how changes in ocean circulation may explain climatic changes over geologic time. We will also study how marine microorganisms play a major role in the cycling of gases that affect climate. Finally, we will discuss contemporary global warming, examining the contribution of human activities and fluctuations in solar output. We will critique proposed schemes to engineer solutions to global warming such as the sequestration of anthropogenic carbon into the deep sea.

Our study will examine various physical, chemical, geological and biological processes. This requires a basic understanding of biology and chemistry as well as facility with algebra and an ability to learn pre-calculus. The material will be presented through lectures, workshops, laboratories and seminars. We will draw on the primary literature whenever possible for a rigorous scientific treatment of this topic. Students will do significant teamwork and will research in depth questions of particular interest. We will have weekly online assignments, so students should be comfortable using computers and the Internet.

Artist Cay Lang suggests that the history of two-dimensional art is similar to a conversation among artists over the centuries and across cultures. Artists of the Renaissance struggled to develop a science for depicting the illusion of space on a two-dimensional plane. Artists of Byzantium, Japan and Native American communities have considered pictorial space in different ways. In the Modern era, Jackson Pollock and others rejected the canvas as a “window on another world,” resisted illusionistic space and emphasized the flatness of painting. Throughout history, artists have explored a variety of media and techniques to create images by carving, brushing, printing, rubbing, drawing, erasing, layering, gluing and staining flat surfaces to make pictures. In this program, students will join this centuries-long conversation about two-dimensional images by contributing their own artistic voices to the ongoing dialogue.

Flat Art is a two-quarter immersion in artistic practice that will involve readings, research and most important: making art. Lots of it. Entering the dialogue requires discipline, curiosity and above all, having something to say. Students who already have college-level training in drawing from observation, basic printmaking and/or basic painting are invited. Over the two quarters, they will hone their drawing skills, expand their knowledge of print and paint and focus on developing an artistic inquiry that derives from their interests or experiences that will prepare them for future independent studio art work.

In the fall, students will explore a number of artistic skills in drawing, printmaking and painting through demonstrations and assignments. They will also begin to develop a body of independent work in a two-dimensional medium of their choosing (drawing, printmaking or painting). The winter quarter will be focused on the generation of a major body of work and portfolio development skills.

In both quarters, students will undertake art historical research as well as visual research to support artistic inquiry. Seminar readings will enrich our understanding of art history and aesthetics, and we’ll read about ways other artists resolved creative challenges in their own work. Students should expect to work at least 40 hours a week on assignments, readings and their own flat art.

Why are some foods nutritionally better either cooked or raw? What is the chemistry behind leavening agents such as baking powder? How has the quest for salt dominated trade for centuries?

Throughout history, food has not only been essential for human sustenance, but has long played a central role in the economic and cultural life of civilizations. This program will provide an interdisciplinary exploration of food, focusing primarily on the biology and chemistry of food, and also including political, historical and anthropological perspectives. In all these cases, students will directly apply concepts in laboratory experiments and the practice of cooking.

The fall quarter will focus on how we produce and preserve food. We will explore the biochemistry of food, beginning with basic chemical concepts and moving to understanding complex molecules like carbohydrates and proteins. We will consider the genetic principles of animal and plant breeding, including a careful examination of such issues as genetically modified organisms and the use of pesticides. We will examine the chemistry and microbiology of ancient food preservation and processing methods, such as cured ham, salted cod, fruit jams and cheese.

In the winter quarter, we will concentrate on cooking and eating. We will examine what the process of cooking does at the biochemical level. We will consider how our bodies break down and recover nutrients from food by studying the process of metabolism and cellular respiration. We will look at how vitamins and antioxidants work. The enjoyment of food relies on our ability to taste and smell. We will examine the neurobiology of these processes and study how some foods, like chili peppers and chocolate, can alter mood. Finally, we will investigate the relationship between diet, disease and genetics. In the spring quarter, students will pursue independent projects, investigating an aspect of food or cooking, that may involve experiments in the field or in the laboratory.

Why is crime such a central focus in modern American society? How is a crime scene analyzed? How are crimes solved? How can we prevent violent crime and murder? This program will integrate sociological and forensic science perspectives to investigate crime and societal responses to it. We will explore how social and cultural factors including race, class and gender are associated with crime and criminal behavior. In addition, we will consider several theories of criminology and deviant behavior, and will discuss the current social and cultural factors that have contributed to the rise in popularity of forensics studies. Through our forensics investigations, we will examine subjects including biology, chemistry, geology, odontology, osteology, pathology and physics. We will study evidentiary techniques for crime scene analysis, fingerprints, DNA, blood spatter, fibers, glass fractures and fragments, hairs, ballistics, teeth, bones and body remains.

This program will use hands-on laboratory and field approaches to the scientific methods used in crime scene investigation. Students will learn to apply analytical, quantitative and qualitative skills to collect and interpret evidence. In addition to weekly writing and quantitative assignments, students will engage in research writing and conduct team projects in crime scene investigation.

The archetypal characteristics of Pacific Northwest old-growth forests are considered to be long-term stasis, stability and uniformity. However, our forest ecosystems are highly dynamic at multiple spatial and temporal scales because of natural and human influences. They constitute a highly variable mosaic of genetic diversity, which has implications in both natural and managed states. We will learn a variety of approaches to understand how forest communities are structured, how they function, and how they change in space and time. Topics will include forest structure, energy capture and transfer, nutrient storage and cycling; riparian vegetation; fire history; salmon/forest interactions; and the potential effects of global warming on forests of the Pacific Northwest. We will apply what we learn about forest ecology to better understand how our forest resources can be managed in sustainable ways. Field trips and workshops will allow us to observe and experience tree nursery operations, field research on forest dynamics, traditional and innovative tree harvesting operations and timber and paper processing plants.

Communication skills will be emphasized, particularly reading scientific articles and writing for scientific audiences. We will also practice skills for communicating to non-scientists and aim to submit non-fictional writing pieces intended for real-life journals.

Dance reveals attention to gesture, rhythm and the body. Theater revels in sequence whether continuous (plot oriented) or discontinuous (idea oriented). Music creates an environment experienced sensually, absent of signifying content, parallel to dance in rhythm, parallel to theater in attention to continuity. All three take the potential of human discourse and narrative, and submit it to the will and desire of human imagination.

Students and faculty will address the combined fields of music, dance and theater through workshops, lectures, seminars and student projects. In addition, we will go to professional performances in the region to see and hear visiting artists and performers. There will be technical and historical study, as well as creative projects involving groups of students.

We will examine program questions such as: What do the arts of Brazil, the African sub-continent, India and western Europe have to teach us about “rhythm” and “time” in the arts? What do historical examples of avant-garde experimentation still have to teach us about the collaborations between John Cage and Merce Cunningham, George Balanchine and Stravinsky, Bertolt Brecht and Hanns Eisler, Martha Graham and the American composers of the 1930s and 40s? What must contemporary popular art forms do to resist the cultural homogeneity of commercial absorption? How can we, as creative individuals, address examples of socially-progressive movements, such as the government of Venezuela, or the World Social Forum, and others in our work? How can our artwork address potential future political issues, such as the privatization of water, without eliciting dismissive, “been there, seen that” shrugs from the audience? How can the desperate need we have for happiness and joy not ignore the foundation of socialized misery on which we now barely survive?

This program offers an intensive introduction to the making of two-dimensional art forms, in conjunction with the study of aesthetics and art history. It functions as a community of working artists, learning together and sharing ideas through intensive in-studio work.

In fall quarter, students will focus on two-dimensional work in drawing, progressing into painting and printmaking in winter quarter. In conjunction with studio work, students will study the history of art, gaining exposure to both Western and non-western traditions. Students will write analytic papers and take exams on topics in art history and issues in contemporary art, as well as develop the ability to discuss and analyze their own artwork. Students will be expected to be in class and work in the studio at least 40 hours per week. Through studio and art history work, students will develop a visual vocabulary, seeing skills and an understanding of 2-D and 3-D composition. Students will complete weekly studio projects and have the opportunity to explore individual themes through work in series.

This program is designed for students who have a passion for art, the ability to take risks, stamina and patience to work hard for long hours, openness to new ideas and a willingness to share their work and support others’ learning.

This program is primarily for students who wish to explore ways of working and thinking in three dimensions, while continuing to develop personal thematic work in the visual arts. The program will function as a learning community. Students should plan to commit themselves to at least forty hours of work a week in class and in the studio with their peers.

Students will address studio projects using a variety of materials including clay, plaster, wood, metal, plastics and found objects. Emphasis will be on strong drawing skills as tools for visualizing and developing ideas for sculpture and functional objects. Students will continue their personal thematic work, addressing issues of presentation, levels of finish, contemporary aesthetics and criticism, community and environment. The art history study will focus primarily on research relevant to each student’s own studio work.

Work discussions, readings, seminars and writing assignments will address issues around contemporary sculpture and functional objects and the challenges of making three-dimensional work. Students will be asked to prepare a comprehensive portfolio of their work at the end of the quarter and regularly engage in critical assessment of their own work and that of their peers.

In the beginning, the American philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson urged: “Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string.” Can we find out what he meant by that? Second, the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, Emerson’s disciple and with him a co-founder of modern thought, gave himself to the “the incarnate wish for being otherwise, being elsewhere,” as he investigated the spiritualization of cruelty—his term for morals, culture, civilization. We will study the Nietzsche-Emerson connection. Third, the American philosopher William James, a soul-nephew of Emerson, believed that “reality, life, experience, concreteness, immediacy, use what word you will, exceeds our logic, overflows and surrounds it.” Was he right to exalt experience and temperament over reason and logic? Fourth, the contemporary German philosopher Odo Marquard bids farewell to matters of principle, declares that people no longer grow up, and argues that the best thing for us would be to go on a meaning diet. Sense or meaning, says this skeptic, “is always the nonsense one lets go.”

Self-trust, cruelty and culture, experience and meaning, the tyranny of making sense: each of these comes with a question mark and starts an investigation in Four Philosophers.

Four Philosophers is for the intellectually curious student who is capable of at least forty hours of hard study a week for six months. Though centered on these four thinkers, shadowing the four will be several others whose work we will also study: Henry David Thoreau, Herman Melville, Emily Dickinson, Charles Sanders Peirce, Susanne Langer and Jonathan Swift. The master goal of Four Philosophers is the perfection of your own arguments.

Plants capture solar energy and convert it to chemical energy that fuels almost all organisms, including humans. Through this process, plants also capture numerous nutrients and minerals and convert them to forms that other organisms can use. At the other end of the plant lifecycle are the fungi which break down organic matter and release minerals and nutrients for reuse. While many of us are familiar with the plants that surround us, few people are aware of the myriad of fungi that are ubiquitous in our daily environment, especially here in the Pacific Northwest.

The central questions in this program will focus on understanding these unique and pivotal organisms. Where are they? How do they get their energy? What roles do they play in ecosystems? How do they grow? What do they taste like?

Students will gain proficiency in and/or knowledge of mushroom and lichen taxonomy, their ecology and biology, lab techniques for culturing them, as well as be engaged in technical writing, library research, critical thinking and developing their oral presentation skills. There will be an emphasis on work in the laboratory learning to classify lichens and mushrooms using chemical and microscopic techniques. Students will work with a wide variety of taxonomic keys to accurately identify mushrooms and lichens. In addition to lecture and laboratory activities, there will be numerous field trips and a student research project.