In this course we will examine the history and culture of the Jews of the Soviet Union, once one of the largest and most diverse Jewish communities in the world. Beginning with the Bolshevik Revolution, we will explore the dramatic transformations of daily life in the world's first socialist state, and investigate the changing contours of Jewish identity in the region through the eras of Stalinism, Stagnation, perestroika and up to the present day. How is Jewishness defined in a state where the practice of Judaism is officially discouraged?

This will be a high intermediate-level class intended for students with two years of training. The focus of the work will be on continuing to refine the kinesiological perception and theoretical understanding of efficient movement in order to increase accuracy, speed and mobile strength. Attention will also be given to developing performance and interpretation skills. Prerequisite: previous study of dance technique. Level will be assessed during the first week of classes.

This is an introductory studio for those students interested in exploring the design fields: architecture, interior design, landscape architecture, and product design. These fields all share a studio based approach to problem solving that is at once spatial, material, conceptual and social. In practice today, this also necessitates considering sustainability issues in the broadest sense from the very beginning of the design process. Over the course of the semester, students will be given a series of projects that will introduce visual and spatial thinking and communication.

This course focuses on American southern old-time string band music, bluegrass, and early country song. We will draw on cultural theory to explore the growth of these musics throughout the 20th century as well as the influences of gender, music revivalism, and African-American musical expression. We will consider old time and bluegrass both from an historical perspective and as vital forms in communities today. There will be an off-campus fieldwork, weekly reading and listening assignments, and regular written assignments.

Group Improvisation: Introduction to Creative Dance: Dance Pioneer Barbara Mettler said, "To create means to make up something new." In this course students explore the elements of dance through a series of creative problems solved through improvisations by individuals and groups. Directed exercises are used to heighten awareness of the body and its movement potential. Studies using the sounds of voice, hands and feet develop skills in accompaniment.

This course is intended as a research- and writing-intensive seminar for first- and second-year students interested in pursuing independent projects in the humanities, broadly conceived, but focusing on the analysis of primary texts (e.g., literature, still and moving images, new media). During the first half of the semester, we will establish a foundation in readings selected from among canonical and recent texts in cultural theory and criticism.

This course presents a cultural history of United States literatures from the post-World War II period to the present. We will traverse a range of literary forms (prose, poetry, essay, drama, comics), trends (e.g., postmodernism, Black Arts), and periods (e.g., the Cold War, the Vietnam era, the post-9/11 period). The goals of the course are 1) to familiarize students with both canonical and counter-canonical literary figures, trends, and texts; and 2) to practice skills of close reading and contextualized analysis.

An introduction to the archaeology, myth, history, art, literature, and religion of ancient Ireland: 4000 BCE to 1200 CE, from the earliest megalithic monuments to the Norman conquest. Consideration will be given, then, to these distinct periods: Pre-Celtic (Neolithic and Bronze Ages--4000 BCE-700 BCE); Pre-Christian Celtic (Late Bronze & Iron Ages--700 BCE-400 CE); and Early Christian Celtic (Irish Golden Ages and Medieval--700-1200 CE). The emphasis throughout will be on the study of primary material, whether artifacts or documents.

This course will be a selective examination of the history of photography in Europe and the U.S., from the earliest daguerreotypes in the 19th century to the digital works of the present. We will consider the evolution of photography in relationship to other art forms, including architecture, literature, painting, collage, video, performance, printmaking, and film. We will treat the photograph as an art historical document, and above all, interrogate the works as aesthetically resonant reflections of specific historical moments.

This course will introduce students to the theory and practice of media studies, an interdisciplinary field of inquiry that analyzes the complex interactions between media, culture, art, politics and ideology. We will use American comedy as a lens through which to focus our study, as well as to develop an understanding of the relationship between media institutions, texts and audiences. In this discussion-based and writing-intensive course, students will read and write analyses of both cultural theory and specific texts, and ultimately produce a final paper on a topic of their own choosing.