Pro Vita Course Catalog 2022

COURSE CATALOG 2022

PRO VITA MISSION

Pro Vita honors Berkshire’s enduring commitment to “Learning not just for school, but for life.” Students engage in new ideas through innovative teaching, place-based explorations, and evening performances and speakers on campus. Students can also pursue global travel opportunities focused on cultural immersion, service, sustainability, and wilderness adventure. Pro Vita brings together students, faculty, staff, alumni, and parents to share their passions and expertise in a unique community of experiential learning.

A PERIOD Art & Design BOB ROSS FROM BEYOND Brandi Dahari & Justine Lenter Join this engaging experience to learn how to paint like Bob Ross! His wise and gentle spirit and simple techniques have inspired generations of artists and reality television goers. Why settle for watching Bob paint when you can do it yourself? In this class, you will learn how to set up your palette, care for your materials and complete an amazing landscape painting in oil paint guided by Bob Ross (in video, of course)! Check out his videos on YouTube before you sign up–you won’t want to miss this authentic and immersive experience! Students will be charged $20 for supplies that will be used to make their own personal artwork.

GREAT BALLS OF FIRE: A SHORT HISTORY OF ROCK AND ROLL Mari LoNano Rock 'n Roll didn't just fall out of the sky. It developed from the Blues and Spirituals. In this class, we will listen to the Blues and trace that music to the Rolling Stones, The Grateful Dead, Eric Clapton, and many more. We will listen and learn about Buddy Guy, Howlin' Wolf, Lightnin' Hopkins, Bessie Smith, and more which will show us how respect for musicians who came before them had a lasting impact on the exchange of musical integrity. By listening and watching these brilliant musicians who had to deal with racism, poverty, and hardship but rose above and left us their music as gifts, students will learn the value of integrity, respect, and perseverance. We will focus on different musicians in each class and make collages, blogs, and short videos to share with others. Ultimately, the class will create a radio show for the school’s radio station.

HIGH STEAKS GRILLING! Brett Herleikson Ever wanted to learn how to grill the perfect steak, flip the perfect patty, or sear the perfect sausage? This course is for you! While most people throw food on the grill and hope that it comes out okay, we will explore what it truly means to master the craft. There is a lot of science and skill that goes into operating and maintaining a good grill. We will go through the whole process from how to light the grill all the way to taking the perfect bite. You will walk away each day with your mind and your stomach satiated. This is science, this is art! What are you waiting for, grill master? On the final day of class, students will prepare samples of grilled meats for the Berkhsire community to taste at lunch. Students will be charged $30 for meat-based meals that they will prepare for themselves for lunch throughout the week. A signed waiver will be required.

A LIVING CONNECTION TO OUR ANCESTORS - LEARNING FROM THE GULLAH-GEECHEE PEOPLE *Christen Clougherty, *Heather DuCloux and Akilah Edgerton The Gullah-Geechee people are descended from formerly enslaved people from West Africa.

Their culture is distinctive and found only along our southeast coast. In this course, students will learn traditions from descendants that can be traced back to Africa – demonstrating a living connection between the two continents as well as a foundation influence on Black and United States culture. Through a combination of virtual and in person listening sessions and workshops, we will hear about life on the island from the antebellum era to present day, learn indigo fabric dying and Gullah-Geechee cooking. Our listening and critical reflection sessions will focus on the themes of race, slavery, and the preservation of African-American history and culture by exploring the questions, “Who has the power to tell the story?” and “What are the joys and struggles within the Sapelo Island Geechee community?” – of which Ahmaud Arbery was a descendent. Students will be charged $20 each for indigo dying materials to make some personal clothing items. *Christen Clougherty & Heather DuCloux from the Nobis Project, based in Savannah, GA, are excited to virtually bring undertold histories to Berkshire School. The Nobis Project's mission is to inspire purpose, pivot mindset, and activate agency. Through collaboration between students, educators, community partners and scholars, Nobis Project develops community engagement experiences that prepare students to create a more just, sustainable, and equitable world.

IRISH DANCING WITH A TWIST (AND FOOD) Georgia Tuttle Come learn traditional Irish dance with Ms. Tuttle and perform a Ceili dance at the end of the week with an added twist of fun: We will also make some delicious food throughout the week. If you’ve ever dreamed of moving your feet to the tunes of Celtic music (and maybe even some Ed Sheeran), come join this class! Ms. Tuttle is excited to share her 16 years of competitive Irish dancing experience with you. And you, too, can be a part of the signature event at the Pro Vita Assembly! No experience is necessary.

MODELING WITH LEGOS Mike McCabe & Rob Rose Do you remember the days as a child when you would build all sorts of different structures with little plastic blocks? Students will recreate many of those experiences in this class, which will teach some of the basic elements of architecture and design and also allow students to build and explore with Legos. The first days will focus on building replicas, and then the class will shift towards a more creative approach in which students will design and build their own structures.

The class will culminate with students creating a replica of a building on Berkshire’s campus.

WHAT’S IN YOUR STARS?: EXPLORATIONS IN ASTROLOGY John Hyland In this course, students will study and learn about the art and science of astrology by reading, doing their own star charts, journaling, drawing, and discussing. Students will use online resources to design their own star charts and then use other resources to interpret their

meaning. In the middle of the week, the class will take a field trip to the planetarium in West Hartford, Connecticut. Students will be charged $15 each for their visit to the planetarium.

For Life BEARS IN STITCHES: LEARN TO USE THE ULTIMATE POWER TOOL, THE SEWING MACHINE Jen Gaenzle Smith, Martha Williamson and Eva Yuranich Students will hone the meaningful skills of learning how to operate a sewing machine and hand stitching. In addition to gaining an important life skill, students will make a difference in the life of a child. Together they will purchase materials, plan, craft, and sew dresses to be donated to Little Dresses for Africa, a non-profit organization. These dresses will be mailed and distributed to children in orphanages, schools, and churches in a number of African countries to provide comfort and pride. Get ready to get your sew and stitch on! (And save some money by ending trips to the seamstress!)

BOOCH: THE SCIENCE AND ART OF MAKING KOMBUCHA April Burch and Tess Hardcastle ’06 Fermented beverages are becoming increasingly popular. Kombucha is a fermented tea that is an excellent source of probiotics, antioxidants, and beneficial polyphenols. In this class, students will learn the science behind the beneficial aspects of kombucha, how kombucha is made, and how to make your own safety at home. The symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY) is critical to kombucha production. Students will learn the science behind this microbe community, how the SCOBY is formed, and how it assists in fermentation. They will observe a real live SCOBY and learn how to make their own at home. There will be a demonstration of kombucha production and students will learn about flavor profiles. After this class, students will be able to make delicious flavors of Kombucha at home anytime.

Students will be charged $5 each for their own jar of Kombucha.

FUELING YOUR BRAIN MUSCLES! *Dr. Annie Zimmerli-Haskel ’86 P’20,’22,’25 In this interactive and experiential class, students will discuss, understand, and practice some basic principles of mindfulness. The key to enjoying this course is a willingness to participate and engage on a personal level. We will focus on understanding how and why the brain gets stressed and the mind-body connection. Students will practice mindfulness meditation, how to cope with conflict, and how to manage their emotions and stress and will take home actual techniques to help with relaxation and stress management. Students are encouraged to come ready to chat about life! Students will be charged $10 each for a coloring journal. *Dr. Annie Zimmerli-Haskel ’86 P’20,’22,’25 is a Berkshire grad (married to another Berkshire grad) with two current Berkshire students. She graduated from Tufts University with a combined BA and MA degree in child development, and then completed her education with a doctorate in psychology (PsyD) from the Illinois School of Professional Psychology. Over the last 20+ years, Dr.

Zimmerli-Haskel has worked as a psychologist in private practice, primarily working with kids from elementary school through college, as well as their parents. She recently developed her own mindfulness and meditation practice, initially as a participant and then as the leader of a group program that teaches parents how mindfulness practices can lead to greater inner strength. It is this program that she will bring to Berkshire.

FINANCIAL LITERACY Brian Luts ’90 & Rachid Farhat Understanding and managing personal finances are key to one’s future financial success. This course is based on the National Business Education standards for Personal Finance, and the National Standards in Personal Finance Education created by the Jump$Start Coalition® for Personal Financial Literacy. This course will present essential knowledge and skills to make informed decisions about real-world financial issues. Students will learn how choices influence occupational options and future earning potential. Students will also learn to apply decision-making skills to evaluate career choices and set personal goals. The course content is designed to help the learner make wise spending, saving, and credit decisions and to make effective use of income to achieve personal financial success. Students will leave with a better understanding of their summer job pay stub and how to manage their personal bills in college and beyond with credit cards, student loans, car loans, investments and mortgages. If you want to live within your means and to make good choices as you build a financial foundation, this course will be your currency for future success! *Brian Luts ‘90 co-founded LGG Financial in 2012, and has been providing financial service and advice since 1997. With over 24 years of experience, he has developed an expertise in working with individuals to find customized solutions to the complex financial challenges they face. Brian is a graduate of Bryant University with a Bachelor’s of Science in Business Administration. Brian started in the Financial Industry at Prudential Securities in 1997, and since then, has worked at Smith Barney, Morgan Stanley, and Wells Fargo FINET, which is where he co-formed LGG Financial. Brian’s main responsibilities within LGG Financial are client service and investment management. Brian reviews clients accounts on a regular basis and is the main point of contact when it comes to any changes or adjustments in a client’s investments or profile. Brian is intimately involved in the investment selection and was recently named to Forbes magazine’s top advisors in the state of Maryland for the second year in a row.

FITNESS FOR LIFE *Thomas Regan ’08, Dory Driscoll, and Dan Driscoll The goal of this course is to expose students to a lifetime understanding that overall wellness for your heart and your head is critical FOR LIFE. Thomas Regan and his father will Zoom into the class to help facilitate activities. The Regans are both certified strength and wellness coaches who focus on positive motivation. Throughout the week, students will learn various exercises and strategies that will encourage overall health and wellness and techniques that they will be able to carry with them in life. * Thomas Regan ‘08 is the manager of Motivated Fitness in the Boston area. He is also the founder of Ripped by Regan – a program funded by the South Boston Leadership Initiative and the Boston Centers for Youth and Families Curley Community Center that uses fitness and

nutrition as a means of instilling healthy lifestyles to the kids of South Boston. When he learned that the COVID-19 outbreak would prevent Berkshire School students from returning to campus, he mobilized an online platform to provide daily workouts and wellness advice for the Bears.

FOR FORTNITE, FOR LIFE! Saul Salazar ’23 and Tony Amolo ’13 This course will expose students to a variety of online gaming skills such as teamwork, collaboration, strategic thinking, spatial understanding, and imagination, while having fun!

Students will learn how to build shelters, find resources, avoid bad weather and showcase their favorite emotes. More importantly, we will discuss the ethics of video games, how Fortnite may play a role in the metaverse, and focus on the importance of good communication, providing feedback to one another, and modeling good behaviors while gaming online. No prior experience is needed. It’s recommended that you have an Xbox/Playstation/PC console, but not necessary.

GAMES OF STRATEGY AND CHANCE Maura MacKenzie and Brian Rodriguez ’16 Is it possible to play a friendly and competitive game with your friends even if the wifi is down?

Yes! What kind of games existed before there was Fortnite and FIFA Soccer? In this class, students will spend the week learning to play a number of those board games and card games that are both fun and competitive. In the process of playing, they will develop strategies to help them win at Sorry, Backgammon, Scrabble, and more.

I CALLED 911 … NOW WHAT?!

Marc Wysocki So what happens after you call 911? In this course, students will actively explore different emergency responder resources in Berkshire County and become certified in CPR & AED. The class will travel to the Berkshire County Sheriff’s Department, the Sheffield Police Department, Southern Berkshire Ambulance & EMS, and the Sheffield Fire Department, where students will meet dispatch operators and see how they handle 911 calls. They will learn about the training and education that goes into each discipline and get hands-on experience with things like wearing firefighter gear and learning how to function in it. Get ready to save the day and receive some practical experience that can be used in any situation! Students will be charged $60 to be certified in CPR/AED training.

I REALLY KNEADED THIS! Susan Beattie and Whitney Saunders Baking with a sourdough starter has a history of thousands of years and there’s a reason for its longevity; sourdough bread is delicious, nutritious, and more easily digested. At the start of the course you’ll be given your very own sourdough starter which you’ll learn how to feed and maintain, and may even keep when the course ends. Sourdough is extremely versatile, so during the course, in addition to making your own delicious loaf, you’ll also use your own starter to make bagels, pancakes, and a braided cinnamon babka. For the final day of the course, we’ll visit a local award-winning bakery near Great Barrington and hear from the master baker and founder about his secrets to making remarkable bread.

THE IMPORTANCE OF MANNED SPACEFLIGHT ... FOR LIFE! *Dan DeMars P’21 and Kelley Bogardus “If we could land a man on the moon then why can’t we...?” is a common question. It turns out that landing on the moon—six times—indeed wasn’t that simple … nor was it just about piloting a rocket. In this interactive course taking place more than 50 years after the first lunar landings, students will examine the history (successes and failures) and science (physics of spaceflight, geologic sampling) that NASA discovered along the way. With today’s access to space travel for “non-traditional” astronauts, students will learn about potential career paths regarding the exploration of space. They will also investigate the physics of spaceflight through launching Estes rockets and collect geologic samples (just like the Apollo astronauts did) on the Mountain behind Berkshire Hall, as well as get a close-up look at the moon and stars one cloudless evening in Berkshire’s observatory. Students will be charged $25 for their own space kit that will include a geology handbook, a geology sample bag, and NASA giveaways. * Dan DeMars is best known these days as a Berkshire dad ... you may remember his younger son, Ellis DeMars ’21 who is now at the University of Colorado-Boulder. Dan holds a BS in chemistry from Siena College, an MS in pathology from the University of Vermont, and an MBA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and he enjoyed a 30+ year career in the biomedical sciences. He has taught this Pro Vita course twice before, and he teaches an 8-week version of this subject at Dartmouth College’s Osher Institute. When he’s not on the golf course, skiing, or designing/building guitars, Dan spends his days as a strategy & operations consultant to Heads of School and Boards of Trustees at independent secondary schools around the Northeast.

LIES, BIAS, AND SELF-DECEPTION Clay Splawn Admit it, everyone is a liar. Even you. We are also victims of other liars. Especially you. What does this all mean? Is lying just a normal part of the human condition? Has it gotten worse? Yes and Yes. In this class, we'll talk about lying, liars, and lies. We will also dive into biases of various sorts: mental and cognitive slips, aversions, and preferences that we all experience. And what about self-deception? Don't deceive yourself, that's you, too. Let's learn together about these forces of human nature in order to help us all become better citizens, classmates, colleagues, and human beings.

THE SKY'S THE LIMIT: BUILDING CUSTOM DRONES​​ Andrew Shen ’23 and Corinne Rywalt Have you ever seen a drone overhead and wondered exactly how these drones fly in the air?

Or did you just suddenly want one yourself? This course will take you through the process of building a drone, how each component works, and how each part is installed. Ranging from understanding the specifications of brushless motors, to soldering and calibrating ESCs, to binding receivers, you will be able to build your own budget drones by the end of Pro Vita.

Along the way, you will also pick up the ability to solder and program basic functions in a drone’s flight controller. Get ready to build and fly to new heights!

ZEN BUDDHISM & MEDITATION *Jim Gordon, Sylvia Gappa, and Jason Gappa Life at Berkshire can often be very demanding and focused on accomplishing an endless list of tasks, which can lead to little time to reflect on life and truly know oneself. This course does not promise enlightenment in a week, but it will introduce you to Zen and the major principles of Mahayana Buddhism, specifically the major principles of Rinzai Zen tradition. We will be working with ordained monk Kyonen Jim Gordon who runs the Hardscrabble Zendo in our own Sheffield, Massachusetts. The fundamental practice of Mr. Gordon's temple is zazen (sitting meditation), which hopes to foster spiritual development in individuals. Students will be given the opportunity to practice zazen during our week together and be introduced to breathing techniques designed to help individuals to find their center and ultimately live healthier lives.

Students will be charged $20 each for their own personal kneeling pads for meditation. * Jim Gordon has been a practicing Zen student for over 50 years and a monk for the past 20 of those years. He studied with two Japanese Zen masters, Soen Nakagawa and Joshu Sasaki, and now runs a small Zen temple in Sheffield. Retired in 2002, he was a consultation psychiatrist seeing patients in a general hospital setting for most of his professional life.

Global Studies & Diversity THE BLACK LEGACY PROJECT *Todd Mack, *Trey Carlisle, and A.J. Kohlhepp The Black Legacy Project is a groundbreaking conflict transformation initiative and innovative musical collaboration that celebrates Black history and builds solidarity to advance racial justice, equity, and inclusion. The Black Legacy Project is a national project produced at the local level

by Berkshire County nonprofit, Music in Common. Through film, song, and interactive presentations, this course will explore the rich Black American legacy of the Berkshires, the region’s long history of solidarity between Black and white community members, and how both connect to the Black American experience as a whole. The course culminates with students writing original song lyrics together as a group that reflect the themes discussed throughout the course. * Todd Mack is the founder and director of Music in Common, a nonprofit organization that strengthens, empowers, and connects communities through the universal language of music.

Todd has released seven albums since his 1989 debut and has produced dozens of album projects by independent artists of all genres. He has toured extensively throughout the United States and abroad as a soloist, with his band, and with Music in Common. * Trey Carlisle is the Senior Fellow for Music in Common and the Co-Director of the Black Legacy Project. He has a deep well of experience as an artivist (artist + activist). A recent graduate from Soka University of America, Trey is passionate about advancing peace, social justice, and the healing of cultural divides through music, dance, and storytelling.

CUCINANDO A ITALIANO! Mike Dalton and Katie Dalton Rose ’02 Students will spend the week making some classic Italian dishes, from homemade pasta to gnocchi, pizza, and cannolis as well as sauces for some of these dishes. Each day, students will learn about culinary regions of Italy, while reviewing and preparing recipes from these world-famous areas. The class will end with a sampling of the day’s fare before heading back to campus. Students will leave with a better appreciation for cooking and eating homemade foods rather than opening boxes and cans, and on the final day of class, they will prepare samples for the Berkshire community to taste at lunch. Students will be charged $20 for meals that they will prepare for themselves for lunch throughout the week.

INDIAN CULTURE AT YOUR FINGERTIPS Sanjna Srinivasan ’22 and John Palmer What do you know about India? What do you not know about India? With diversity in region, language, food, clothing, festivals, traditions, states, religion, and everything in between, Indian culture will serve as the basis for exploration of the arts, history, and mythology in this class. You will learn to make your own traditional Indian paintings and textiles, unique diyas, and learn greetings and introductions in Hindi, among many others. You will also explore parts of Indian history and analyze the impact it has had on the world. Come with an open mind, and you will leave with a comprehensive understanding of Indian culture!

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMICS: THE ECONOMIC GIANTS & THEIR RELATIONSHIPS Pape Seye During the late 20th century, four countries hoisted themselves to the top economically-ranked countries in the world: Brazil, Russia, India, and China. Also called the BRIC countries, these nations developed great economic structures, opening up to the world and becoming producer nations, rather than consumer ones. These “emerging economies” are dominant world suppliers of goods, services, and raw materials. But where do they stand with the United States and the European block? In this course, students will aim to answer that question and better understand the dynamics of the relationship between the world's powers. They will also meet key players in these relationships including Martin Spolc, the Head of the Capital Markets Union Unit of the European Union, and Nick Wolley, an economist at the World Bank.

Sense of Place HISPANIC/CHICANO(A)/LATINO(A)/LATINX: WHICH ONE IS IT? LEARNING ABOUT LATINX IDENTITY IN THE U.S. *Sam Sattin Torres, Diana Fiori, and Victor Lucio We will critically examine the history of Latinx people in the U.S. through videos and texts.

Students will have an opportunity to converse and reflect on Latinx literature and identities. We will be addressing questions from Dr. Gholdy Muhammad’s Cultivating Genius and asking students who they are and how they fit in community. Some questions will be: Who are you?

Who do you say you are? Who do others say you are (how are you portrayed in the media)?

Who do you desire to be? Open to any student that is curious about this topic. * Sam Sattin Torres is the Student Life and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Coordinator at Stoneleigh-Burnham School. In addition to coordinating the Student Life program, Sam coordinates the clubs program, advises the Students of Color affinity group, is the head coach of the Varsity Softball team, and organizes the school's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion work and initiatives. Sam loves working with students, families, and alumnae in her various roles on campus.

LEADERSHIP ACADEMY *Heidi Kasevich, Michael Bjurlin, and John West At the gcLi Leadership Academy, we envision schools where each student has the leadership capacity to ignite the power of diverse teams for the benefit of all. Leadership Academy participants engage in: self-awareness activities; team challenges; feedback exercises; storytelling workshops; and skill-building sessions designed to help expand their problem-solving ability. Experientially, they discover the importance of creating safety on their teams. You’ll leave this class with an Action Plan to effect positive change in your community. *Dr. Kasevich is Director of the gcLi Leadership Academy, a revolutionary program for schools, students, and faculty. A national keynote speaker, she founded Kase Leadership to guide school communities to create inclusive cultures where people of diverse leadership styles can thrive. She also serves as Vice Chair at ECofOC, which offers no-cost coaching to the OC nonprofit community. Former Educational Director at Quiet Revolution, where she created a professional development program in temperament-diversity for a national cohort of educators, Dr. Kasevich’s proficiency is grounded in over 20 years of experience as history chair and leadership educator at several secondary schools and universities in New York City. She is the co-author of “The Introverted Actor: Practical Approaches” and her book “Heard: Understanding How Introverted Students Learn and Lead” is forthcoming in 2022.

NO PROCESS HERE: THE LOCAL WORLD OF FARM TO FORK Heidi Woodworth and Chris Perkins What has become of the farm-to-fork movement over the last 10 years? Is it just another marketing ploy to get more customers through the door? Does the pedigree of the ingredients matter more now than their taste? In this class, students will dive deep into the world of farm-to-fork by spending time with the owners and chefs of some of the well known

farm-to-fork restaurants located in Berkshire County. Students will also spend time with local farmers who provide these restaurants with the staples to their exceptional menu offerings. The week will culminate with a 3-course dinner at a local restaurant on Friday night. Students will be charged $45 each for their meal on Friday.

TRAILS, TREES AND TRACKS: WINTER MAGIC ON THE MOUNTAIN Anita Loose-Brown How well do you know our mountain? Do you know an oak tree from a hemlock? Can you tell what birds and animals we share our mountain with by looking at the tracks they leave behind?

Can you find your way to the Russell Shelter? The Res and the Falls? If you take this course, you’ll be able to answer Yes! to all of those questions. Using photos, your own sketches and some simple guidebooks, you will learn to identify winter trees by their bark and birds and animals by their tracks as we meander along our trails. You’ll finish the week with your own sketchbook of our finds and a deeper understanding of the mountain we all love. Students will be charged $30 each for tree and track finder guidebooks and a sketchbook to document their discoveries.

B PERIOD Art & Design 22 KARATE ICONS: EASY PHOTO-BASED SELF-PORTRAITS *KK Kozik P’22 Long ago, Irish monks and Persian and Mughal courtiers learned how to marry paint, gold leaf, and pattern to create highly decorative works of art. In 2021, the process is foolproof: Print a photo from your phone and step-by-step turn it into a multimedia self-portrait using 22-karat gold leaf, paint, and collaged paper. Perfect for artists and non-artists alike! Students will be charged $45 each for materials to create their personal artwork. *KK Kozik P’22 has taught art at Penn State, University of Connecticut, and Hofstra University.

Her work has been shown extensively in solo and group exhibitions and has been reviewed in publications such as The New York Times, New Yorker magazine and Artforum. Awards and commissions include a Smithsonian Artist Research Fellowship Nomination, a State of Connecticut Artist Fellowship in Painting, a Marie Walsh Sharpe Foundation Grant, and a New York City MTA Arts for Transit project at the Rockaway Park/Beach 116th St. subway station in Queens.

BEADING BEARS! Mary Alindato, Tasia Wu, and Grace Monahan ’23 Learn how to create beautiful and unique fashion jewelry for yourself or your friends in this craft class. Crafting materials will include beads, laser-cut wood pieces uniquely created for our class, sea glass, and much more to create earrings, bracelets, necklaces, anklets, and rings. You’ll learn to use essential jewelry-making tools to take this hobby home with you.

Students will be charged $15 each for a jewelry-making kit to make their personal items.

CIGAR BOX GUITARS Clive Davis and Dom Sayler Students will build a three-stringed, fretted guitar using a cigar box as the body. Each cigar box guitar will be outfitted with an acoustic/electric pickup. The goal of the class is to learn about American folk instruments by building and playing a handmade guitar. Students will learn the history of the cigar box guitar, the various parts of the instrument, and how to play blues progressions. Students will be charged $75 each for a cigar box guitar kit. A signed waiver will be required.

FINDING YOUR VOICE THROUGH ART ACTIVISM Wakaba Aihara ’22, Kieun Song, and Sam Ortega Have you ever heard of the guerilla artist Banksy? Have you ever experienced being a part of the social movement? Have you ever liked an Instagram post advocating for social change?

Then this class is perfect for you! Visual art is used not only to grab the audience’s attention, but also to convey a strong message. After an introduction to “what is art activism,” you will select a topic you are interested in or passionate about. After brief research, you will then create an art piece that conveys a unique message and translate your piece into digital format.

You will then be ready to use your artwork as a vehicle for activism! No art experience required–everyone is welcome! Students will be charged $20 for supplies to make their own personal artwork.

FIRE ON THE MOUNTAIN: HOW THE DEAD SURVIVED Kevan Bowler and Stuart Miller ’97 From the 1960s until the 1995 death of guitarist and band founder Jerry Garcia, the Grateful Dead played roughly 2,300 concerts. Even Garcia’s death could not stop the band from touring and its legendary “Deadheads” from following their favorite music. This course will explore the history, music, and culture that surrounded the Grateful Dead. Special attention will be given to the effects that the band had on the cultural scene of the United States and how their music influenced and evolved rock and roll, country, blues, and folk music. The class will also study what has enabled the Dead to be such a lasting force even today. Finally, students will have the opportunity to research and prepare their own setlists to play on WBSL 91.7 FM. MAGIC THE GATHERING: THE WORLD’S GREATEST STRATEGY CARD GAME *Matt Spaniol ’16 and Jesse Howard Students will learn the gameplay of the world’s greatest strategy card game, Magic the Gathering. With over 25 years of development, Magic is the world leader in fantasy-based card battling. Students will begin with simple, premade decks to learn the rules and develop a sense

of flow within the structure of the game. From there, they will be challenged to build their own decks under strict building limitations, constrained by the most recent expansion of cards.

Finally, they will use their newfound knowledge of deckbuilding to combine their new cards with their original decks to come up with a creation of their own and battle each other for prizes and pride. Students will be charged $20 each for their own set of Magic playing cards. * Matthew Spaniol ’16 graduated from Champlain College where he studied cyber security and networking and where he continued to grow his interest in the world of tabletop games, playing hockey, and working with computers. Previously, he was the head of the Berkshire Games Club after learning to play Magic: The Gathering during Pro Vita himself! Matthew is excited to be back on campus and taking some time off of working as a network engineer for a local bookselling company.

WRITE ONE SONG Leo Yang ’22 and A.J. Kohlhepp Ever wondered whether you can write a song? Well, we’ve got the answer for you, and it’s a resounding YES. This course is inspired by Jeff Tweedy’s book of a similar title, in which the Wilco front man provides his readers multiple strategies to compose their first (or 1001st) song.

You will learn the basic elements of contemporary country / folk / rock songs; explore how songs are written / recorded / performed; and use co-writing techniques to write and perform an original song. Special guests will include singers and songwriters, agents and artists, and engineers and producers working in the music business today.

For Life ART OF THE DEAL Jason Keefer Card games have been around for centuries, and the social skills gained through card play are critical in school, in the workplace, in social settings, and in the communities in which we live. By examining games like the Korean card game Hwatu and considering card cultures closer to home like Las Vegas, Bridge tournaments, The World Series of Poker, and President Clinton’s fascination with Oh Hell, we will look at the similarities and differences between card games and gain insight into the nuances of the cultures they create. Through game play, participants will gain card sense, learn rules for dealing and table etiquette, and develop the skills needed to compete as an individual and as a partner, all while honing their social and communication skills.

CASTING CALL! AUDITIONING FOR TV AND FILM *Richard Thieriot and Tyler Smith This experiential course will be focusing on acting "within the frame," memorization techniques, close readings of text and trusting one's plan under the pressure of performing. This transformative experience will also take students through some of the realities of acting as a

profession (casting directors, sides, agents, managers, survival jobs, and the countless rejections that are part of even the most successful acting careers). Students will get a chance to perform a mock audition and then watch their work. They’ll come out with skills that can be used not only for auditioning, but for some of life’s most important moments like job interviews! * Richard Thieriot fell in love with acting at St Paul’s School in Concord, NH. He went on to major in theater at UC Santa Cruz, earn a certificate degree at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts, and receive his Masters of Fine Arts from the National Theater Conservatory. He acts professionally around the country, Off-Broadway, and on Broadway where he debuted in Clybourne Park (Tony Award for best play 2012). He worked as a reader for Telsey Casting in New York City from 2013 to 2019. His work as a playwright has been seen at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Ars Nova and All For One Theater. His play “Mrs Juarez’ Profession” was a Semi-Finalist at the National Playwrights Conference in 2020. He has coached actors in NYC and taught acting at the Denver Center Academy and University of Colorado Boulder.

CARE & FEEDING OF ME–PRACTICAL SKILLS FOR DAILY LIFE Lissa McGovern Want to iron out the wrinkles in your favorite shirt? Get the stain out? Make the perfect egg sandwich? This class will teach you how to iron a shirt, sew a button, cook a simple meal, and more. A practical, hands-on class, you will have the opportunity to learn and practice some old time daily skills. Ironing a shirt is miraculous! Honest!

CHILL OUT: DOES HOT WATER COOL DOWN FASTER THAN WARM WATER? Robert Jing In your Morgan-Bellas-Dixon experiences, have you ever thought much about if hot water cools down faster than warm water? How do you know? How do you measure the rate of cooling?

Let’s do a lab to figure it out quantitatively! In this course, you will have firsthand experience in learning about cooling rates, and at the same time summarize what you have learned into a paper to submit to The AP Annual Conference! You don’t need to have advanced math skills for this class, but you do need to have a passion for math and science!

DO YOU DACQUOISE? FRENCH PATISSERIE BAKING 101 Sandy Perot Dream of being able to create your own eclairs, macarons, and Madeleines? Find yourself salivating over French treats whose names you may or may not be able to pronounce? This course will do a deep dive into understanding the basics of French Patisserie baking as we learn baking and cooking techniques and produce some exceptionally delicious French treats.

Students will learn how to make puff pastry from scratch, bake a variety of French cookies from sables and palmiers to macarons and Madeleines, make delicious desserts dependent on chocolate and cream like eclairs, mousse, and homemade chocolate bark; perfect pastry skills by rolling out a variety of fruity tarts, making homemade jams, and even baking and decorating a (Dacquoise) cake or two! Come with an appetite to learn and indulge, and enjoy the camaraderie of your classmates as you create and share during a highly entertaining and caloric week of French baking! This class is NOT allergen-free and heavily relies on eggs, dairy, nuts, gluten/flour.

ESG INVESTMENT CHALLENGE *James Demmert ’82 P’25 Students will learn about investing in general and the risks and rewards of stocks and the stock market. Most importantly, they will come to better understand the monetary and humanitarian benefits of focusing on companies that are environmentally, socially, and governance (ESG) conscious. The class will break out into teams to participate in an “ESG investment challenge.”

Each team will make investments and build their own real-time stock portfolio using a real-time simulator–winners will be selected based on best stock portfolio performance and highest ESG scores. There will be various other contests for teams such as a “true or false” regarding which well known companies are best in regard to ESG. Prizes will be awarded to those that can meet the challenges. Each student will receive a copy of James’ newest 2nd edition book, The Journey To Wealth, which will serve as a learning guide during the week. The class might also include a tour of Harney Tea Company’s factory in nearby Millerton, NY where students can see a sustainable local and global business in action! * James Demmert ’82 has been managing investment portfolios for foundations and families for over 30 years. He has experience in all aspects of investment management including equity and fixed income research and trading and portfolio management. A devoted philanthropist, Demmert was awarded the 2018-19 Citizen of the Year award for his dedication to giving back to both the local and global community. He is a member of Forbes Finance Council, Foundation Source, The CFA Institute, and the Financial Planning Association.

FOR LIFE TOOLS Cal Osterberger ’22 and George Stetson Students will learn basic tools meant to enhance their overall lives, as well as better equip them to pursue goals such as becoming a college athlete, starting a business, or graduating at the top of their class. Topics such as meditation/mindfulness, breathwork, mentality/sports psychology, exercise/recovery, sleep, and nutrition will be introduced, practiced, and discussed. A typical day might include reading excerpts from a book, watching videos, and hearing presentations about one of the topics above. Next, students will practice and discuss techniques related to the topic focussed on that day. After five days, students will leave better equipped to realize their potential in sports, school, and life beyond Berkshire. Students will be charged $15 each for a book that they will be given on the last day of class.

I LOVE MY BODY - A TICKET TO UNDERSTANDING BODY POSITIVITY IN A WORLD WITH STEREOTYPES AND EXPECTATIONS Aidan Pesce ’23, Cynthia LaPier, and Georgia Tuttle In this class, we will have meaningful conversations about body image. We will discuss gender roles and how they impact body expectations. We will look at the media and how it can affect body image from such a young age. A lot of this class will be held on a field or outside with engaging activities to provoke real conversations about bodies. This is a class about our life in our bodies. Students will leave with extreme body positivity and with enough knowledge to inspire others and to call out any body image discrimination in their future.

INTRODUCTION TO THE OLYMPIC SPORT OF ICE CURLING Erin Lyman Have you ever wanted to try curling? This is your chance! Members of the Norfolk Curling Club, along with Ms. Lyman, will lead a group of students in an introductory week of curling. Students will travel to Norfolk Curling Club each afternoon for 1.5-2 hours of instruction and play. During the week, students will be given an introductory curling class, play in competitive matches, and finish the week with an abbreviated tournament. Please join us in discovering what it really means to be a skipper! Students will be charged $100 each for five full days of professional-level coaching and facility use.

KIDIZENSHIP: CREATE YOUR CAMPAIGN FOR HEALTHY BODIES AND MINDS AT BERKSHIRE Coco Vaughn ’23 and Katherine Simmons This class is about youth empowerment and our ability to advocate for ourselves when it comes to having healthy bodies and minds at Berkshire. Utilizing the toolkits taught through kidizenship, a platform that “merges civics education with creative self-expression and community action”1 for teens and tweens, students will create a campaign to initiate in the spring 2022 that promotes body positivity, holistic health, and informed decision-making when it comes to nutrition and food choices. This course’s inspiration comes from Amanda Little, professor of Journalism and Science Writing at Vanderbilt University, Founder and Director of kidizenship, and author of the critically acclaimed book “The Fate of Food: What We’ll Eat in a Bigger, Hotter, Smarter World.” Coco Vaughn and Ms. Simmons are excited to support Berkshire students who want to enact positive change in the community. Just because you don’t possess the power doesn’t mean your voice isn’t powerful!

PADDLE AWAY (BUT NOT IN A CANOE!) Elizabeth Perkins and Erica Cohn Berkshire has a new way to have fun in the winter: by using The Shaw Family Paddle Tennis Courts located near Chevalier Senior Lodge. Paddle is a racket sport that can best be described as a cross between tennis and squash. It is a fast-paced, social sport that is easy to learn and suitable for all ages. The great advantage of the increasingly popular sport of paddle is that it is not dependent on strength and serving competency. Paddle is more about strategy and cooperation between you and your partner, rather than power. Paddle courts are designed for four players and have walls, so shots can be played off them, like in squash. In addition, the balls do not bounce as much as tennis balls, and they're slightly smaller. Paddle is also played with 'bats' instead of 'rackets' which are stringless and shorter than tennis rackets. Join this class to learn how to play this fast-moving sport, understand the rules, and have some fun! No experience or gear necessary.

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https://www.kidizenship.com/about

RUBE GOLDBERG & GROUP DYNAMICS Dan Cooper What makes a dream team? After conducting over 200 interviews and reviewing the attributes of team members from over 150 different groups, Google analyst Julia Rozovsky was surprised to learn that simply finding the right mix of individuals based on set attributes, i.e. a rocket scientist, data engineer, sociologist, and Rhodes scholar, does not always lead to the best outcome. Using a contrived contraption, the Rube Goldberg Machine, students will explore their own personalities, test group dynamics theory, and use self and group reflection to build the most outlandish apparatus possible to squeeze toothpaste onto a toothbrush. Come explore how the creation of the whole can be greater than the sum of its individual parts.

SPEAK UP: THE PRACTICE OF PUBLIC SPEAKING Brooke Depelteau The fear of public speaking is the most common phobia–more common than the fear of spiders or heights! This Pro Vita class will look at both “for school” and “for life” as students work together to overcome the nerves that creep in at the thought of public speaking. Students will practice mindfulness and learn strategies to center themselves when faced with public speaking. Through practice centered on diction, stage presence, and body language, students will become more confident, skilled public speakers.

HOW TO MAKE PEOPLE LOVE YOU: A CRASH COURSE ON RESUMES & INTERVIEWS *Luciana Miranda P’21, *Brian O'Callaghan P’22, Pieter Mulder and Jean Maher In this interactive course, students will learn the basics of resume building and interview skills through workshops and speaking with professionals in a number of industries. Students will learn skills to apply for jobs and colleges while having fun interacting with each other in the process. This experience will have external speakers via Zoom and in person who will share their career and life advice on “how to make people love you in the real world.” You will leave this class feeling more prepared for some of life's most important moments as you think about advancing your career and passions! *Luciana has been a Managing Director at Bank of America, Deutsche Bank and Goldman Sachs.

She attended the London School of Business and then her M.B.A. at Fundação Getulio Vargas in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. *Brian O’Callaghan founded and manages CPI, focusing on recruiting and entrepreneurship, in 1996. He works with successful investment firms and their portfolio companies, helping them hire talent and manage the intricacies of managing, empowering and inspiring teams. Prior to founding CPI, Brian was a Vice President with Jones Lang LaSalle and an Analyst with Morgan Stanley in the Investment Banking Real Estate Group. Brian has been involved with several entrepreneurial ventures acting as a founder, investor and advisor including, most recently, the Autism Impact Fund. Brian is a graduate of The Lawrenceville School and Denison University. He is a member of the Board of Berkshire School and King School.

Global Studies & Diversity DEEP DIVE INTO CHOCOLATE: HISTORY, SUSTAINABILITY, DESSERTS *Susie Norris ’79 and Nancy Lyon We will dive into the history of chocolate and explore issues related to environmental and economic sustainability as well as its international roots and development. Did you know chocolate is one of the top three commodities on the market? Did you know chocolate’s growing regions include West Africa and Costa Rica? That Italians figure in chocolate’s history?

That the Aztec invented hot chocolate? That Spanish settlers in the New World determined the ultimate combo: chocolate and sugar!? We will taste our way through this exploration by making chocolate croissants and truffles as well as a few classic dishes from the regions of chocolate’s influence. On the final day of class, students will prepare samples of chocolates for the Berkhsire community to taste at lunch. Students will be charged $15 each for artisanal and couverture chocolate that they will be able to take with them. * Susie Norris ’79 is a cookbook author and pastry chef. She taught baking at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts, and recently worked at Berkshire in the Advancement Office. She loves the farm-to-table food scene of the Berkshires.

FOOD – A SYMBOL OF LOVE AND IDENTITY Peter Quilty and Cheryl Geerhold In addition to sustaining us, food can be a language of love and a statement of who we are as people. In the Middle East, as in many cultures, family, friends, and even strangers are generously fed with food that proudly reflects the offerings and traditions of the region.

In this course, students will prepare some culinary essentials of the Levant, with a particular focus on Palestinian cuisine. Students will make pita bread and hummus, which are served at nearly every meal, along with other offerings such as Ma’amoul cookies, and Maqluba–which means “upside down,” in Arabic. On the final day of class, students will prepare samples for the Berkhsire community to taste at lunch.

INDIGINOUS FOODWAYS, MUSIC & MEDIA Autumn Coard ’22 and Patrick Donovan Most communities in America include a variety of culturally based restaurants including Italian, Chinese, French, Greek, Thai, Japanese, and many more. However, there are very few places that offer food from the First Nations and indigenous peoples of this land. Chef Sean Sherman and Beth Dooley of the organization “The Sioux Chef,” Sachem Robert Hawkstorm Burch of the Schaghticoke First Nations, and many other native and indigenous people are presently working to change this by “revitalizing Native American Cuisine” and food pathways. This class will cook recipes from “The Sioux Chef's Indigenous Kitchen,” while also engaging native music and media to deepen our understanding of the ongoing impacts of settler-colonization, and of our

relationship to this land and its history. Through the week we will actively look for ways that we can support the revitalization of Native American Cuisine and foodways.

SON OF MAN: WHO DID JESUS THINK HE WAS? Caleb Pérez and Andrea Bowler Throughout the Christian Bible, Jesus is referred to by many names and titles. It might surprise you to learn that Jesus consistently refers to himself not as the Messiah, or the Son of God, but rather as the “Son of Man.” Practitioners and scholars of Christianity have been puzzling over this phrase for thousands of years. What does it mean to be the “Son of Man?” Specifically, what did it mean in the time and place in which Jesus claimed this title? We will explore this question, and along the way get an introduction to what the academic study of religion looks like.

WELCOME TO THE ARABIC WORLD & CULTURE! Mohammed Hetraf and Jesús Ibáñez This Pro Vita experience is dedicated to learning about Arabic culture in a distinct way. You will learn more about the Arab world through dancing, cooking, eating, playing board games, and diving into class discussions. You will learn basic Arabic language skills, and the class will also learn about Arabic culture and civilization. It will be a good opportunity for you to break through the Berkshire bubble and learn more about the world that surrounds us. No experience is required and this course is highly recommended for freshmen and sophomores who are thinking about taking the Arabic elective as an upperclassman.

WOMEN DRIVING CHANGE: CIVIL RIGHTS IN MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA *Christen Clougherty, *Heather DuCloux, and Jennifer Tuleja While the history of the Civil Rights Movement focuses on its male leaders, over 50% of the activists were women and young people. Students will look at the role of women in the Civil Rights Movement by exploring significant events in one city that includes the stories of Rosa Parks, the Montgomery Bus Boycott, and the Freedom Riders. Hear these stories from the children, relatives, and subject matter experts on the phenomenal women who led, fed, and fueled the Movement. Through a combination of virtual and in-person workshops, students will trace the footsteps of these historical giants and also engage in a service-learning project by working to track down archival images to add to a historical site’s museum collection. * Christen Clougherty & Heather DuCloux from the Nobis Project, based in Savannah, GA, are excited to virtually bring undertold histories to Berkshire School. The Nobis Project's mission is to inspire purpose, pivot mindset, and activate agency. Through collaboration between students, educators, community partners and scholars, Nobis Project develops community engagement experiences that prepare students to create a more just, sustainable, and equitable world.

Sense of Place BERKSHIRE AND WORLD WAR II Paul MacKenzie and Bebe Bullock ’86 Did you know that the Geier Library building was originally intended to be a memorial for World War II? Using the Berkshire School Archives and various on-campus resources, students will explore the experience of Berkshire students and alumni in World War II and the war's impact on the campus and school community. This class will study the experiences of individual Berkshire students, consider the role that memorials play on campus, and research possible World War II memorials. Students will gain hands-on experience in the Archives learning how to track down resources and analyze different types of texts including journals, letters, and official documents. They will be moving around campus making the connection between archival documents and physical sites and structures around them.

MEANING ON THE MOUNTAIN *Greta Dorsey ’14 and Jim Norton This course aims to present students with different ways to find themselves in the world around them to maintain balance and avoid burnout. Through hiking, physical movement, breath, meditation, stillness, gardening, and other outdoor pursuits, students can explore what works for them. Then we can find ways to bring the outside in through the practice of keeping plants and propagation. Each day of Pro Vita will have a different theme and skill for self-exploration and finding meaning under the Mountain and beyond. No matter who you are or where you are on life’s journey, your physical ability or experience in the outdoors, you are welcome in this course! * Greta Dorsey ’14 is currently getting a Master of Divinity from Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, Calif. After being exposed to many outdoor adventures in her childhood, she cultivated a passion for the environment at Berkshire and went on to major in women’s studies and minor in environmental studies at Colby College. Spending time in nature, caring for the environment, and having houseplants are practices passed down through generations in her family. She has personally experienced the benefits of these practices and wants to share them with others.