The Arts

Acting (AM): The focus of this dynamic course is the development and improvement of fundamental acting technique including voice, movement, and improvisation. With an emphasis on group collaboration, students explore scene work and characterization. While no formal training is required, students with experience in the dramatic arts are encouraged to enroll. There is no final project in this course in order to accommodate those students simultaneously enrolled in Theatre Production.

Architectural Design (AM): Architectural design is the expression of ideas in spatial, material, and cultural terms. It can be inspired by a functional need, the structure of a leaf, or a philosophical text alike. The field of architecture blurs boundaries between creative and scientific disciplines and is distinguished by its inherently social and public nature. As we have all been inhabiting architecture through the course of our lives, studying it is really about creatively and critically remembering what we already know. This process is similar to learning a language: it is a two-fold process of absorbing fundamental principles and skills which are akin to grammar while also developing a vocabulary of space, material, and history through which to work. The seminar is taught in a studio format and structured as a series of cumulative projects which engage students in the exploration of ideas for designs that inspire us to see the surrounding world anew.

Creative Writing (AM & PM): Armed with pen and paper, a writer can embark on personal journeys, explore imagined worlds, express heartfelt opinions, or capture the important moments of life. Taught by published writers, this workshop invites students to explore the art of self-expression in a variety of forms. Students share work, give critical evaluations of each other’s offerings, and discuss the work of a range of authors. Students are encouraged to submit their work to the Excel literary magazine. A reading is held toward the end of the program, open to the entire Excel community. As one of the keys to good writing is daily practice, students should expect short but frequent informal writing assignments.

Dance (AM): Our bodies are one of our richest means of communication. Dance explores the expressive potential of the human body in movement, refining this universal language into an artistic medium. This class explores a wide range of approaches, which in the past have included modern dance, jazz, ballet, and other techniques. The strictly limited class size allows for individualized and small-group instruction that responds to participants’ experience and interests in developing performance, improvisation, and composition skills. As a complement to their own efforts, dance students enjoy ample opportunity to see professional dance performances, including a trip to the famous Berkshire dance center, Jacob’s Pillow. The workshop culminates in a dance recital, choreographed and performed by the students and presented to the entire Excel community. Dance experience is helpful, but not required.

Digital Photography (AM): It is no exaggeration to say that the increasing use of digital photography and the digital treatment of images have changed the way we look at the world. A photographer on assignment in a distant country can now snap a picture, retouch it, and send it to the printing press, all within a matter of minutes. This course is a practical introduction to key technical concepts, and to the use of digital cameras and photo editing software. Participants learn shooting techniques and develop an “eye” for the possibilities offered by subsequent digital editing. Students also explore the implications of digital manipulation in an age dominated by the power of the image. This course incorporates a number of projects, including collaborations with other courses, such as Journalism, and culminates in a gallery showing of student work. Students must bring their own digital cameras with a pixel depth of at least 3 megapixels. There is a supplemental fee of $250 for this course.

Drawing and Painting (AM & PM): There is always room for new discoveries, new inspiration, and new directions for an artist. Students in this course develop and refine their artistic vision as they explore a variety of materials and media. Working with acrylics, watercolor, or charcoal, they create pieces based on subjects ranging from the human figure to still life, from landscape to portraiture. Feedback is individualized through regular critiques, during which students are encouraged to evaluate their own and each other’s work. There are frequent visits to area museums (including the Clark Institute and MASS MoCA in Williamstown, and the Mead Museum in Amherst), as well as consultations with accomplished artists. Students prepare a personal portfolio and present selections from their work at a program-wide gallery opening at the end of the session. All art supplies for this course are provided for a mandatory fee of $150.

Fashion Design (PM): In this introductory course, students learn the basic skills of clothing design. They begin by learning to communicate design concepts in clothing with style and expression, as well as to consider the social and cultural implications of fashion. Students then have the opportunity to sketch out the designs of their own clothes, including patterns, colors, and cuts. Students make their designs a reality through a series of sequenced projects which the whole program admires in a culminating fashion show. They will need to commit extra time outside of class time to finish projects. Students are responsible for purchasing extra materials for their designs.

Music Composition and Performance (PM): Music is a language, a form of communication that operates on several levels. As students bring their various talents and abilities together to compose and perform in a group setting, they discover new ways to speak this language. Music from around the world is used to illustrate varying composition and performance styles. Small, manageable composition exercises are gradually expanded and elaborated; these compositions later combine to provide a basis for group performance and a point of departure for improvisation. The course culminates in a recording session and a concert to be performed for the entire Excel community. No composition experience is needed. The ability to read music is helpful, but not required. Those who sing or play a musical instrument at any skill level are encouraged to enroll.

Photography (Introductory) (AM): Even in this digital day and age, operating a 5mm camera, processing black & white film, and printing photographs are all essential skills for an aspiring photographer. Students in this introductory course learn basic shooting and developing techniques and begin to shape their own photographic style, focusing on people, nature, landscapes, still-life, and architecture. The course culminates in a display of student work at a final gallery opening. Due to the nature of darkroom processing, students need to commit extra time outside of class to finish projects. Students must provide their own 35mm cameras. All photography supplies are provided for a mandatory fee of $150.

Photography (Advanced) (PM): If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a roll of film is a tale waiting to be told. This course helps more advanced photography students explore their storytelling potential as they prepare an independent photo series project. Seminar time is dedicated to critiques, instruction in the use of flash and tripod, and advanced camera and darkroom techniques. The majority of each student’s work takes place in the field, researching and snapping shots for his or her portfolio, which is displayed at a final gallery opening. Due to the nature of darkroom processing, students need to commit extra time outside of class to finish projects. Students must provide their own 35mm cameras. All photography supplies are provided for a mandatory fee of $150. Prerequisite: students should know how to use a manual camera and how to develop and print black & white film.

Scriptwriting (PM): Today’s plays, movies, and television shows incorporate the work of a wide-ranging team of artists, actors, directors, producers, casting agents, and technicians. But the script is the engine that drives a quality production and provides its underlying foundation. Broadway plays, Hollywood blockbusters, MTV, sitcoms, and the nightly news are all scripted well before they are produced. Using a workshop format, students develop their own scripts for a play, an episode of a television series, or a short film. They also have the opportunity to watch plays and films by Alfred Hitchcock, David Mamet, Martin Scorsese, and others, paying special attention to the way they are written. This seminar is open to any student regardless of writing experience. Students watch some films that are “R” rated.

Theatre Production (PM): Students become part of a working theatre ensemble, culminating in a theatre production attended by the entire Excel community. While exploring the energy of an ensemble through group work, improvisation, text, and a variety of theatre techniques, the course engages students’ creativity through collaboration as they develop material and a style all their own. As a complement to their own work, ensemble members attend plays presented at the Williamstown Theatre Festival and other professional theatres in the area. Workshops and rehearsals are held each afternoon, and during the second half of the program the rehearsal schedule extends into late afternoons and evenings. This course is ideal for students of all levels of experience who are excited about theatre and ready to challenge themselves in a supportive and energizing environment. Because of the rehearsal schedule, students choosing this course should not sign up for an afternoon sports clinic.

Video Production (PM): Making a video may seem as simple as pointing a camera and pressing a button, but it is, in fact, an involved and rewarding process. In this production-oriented workshop, students get a hands-on introduction to video. They practice storyboarding, camera operation, sound recording, lighting, direction, and non-linear editing as they collaborate on a series of video projects. The seminar also explores the hidden language of cinema by looking at a variety of films, from documentaries to experimental shorts. As a final project, students apply their scripting and directing expertise to the production of a series of short videos, which they present at a campus-wide film screening. Students should plan on putting in extra hours for editing, and will watch some films that are “R” rated. There is a supplemental fee of $250 for this course.

The Humanities

Ethics (AM): Ethics is one of the most venerated and challenging fields of study in human history. For as long as people have been living in community with each other, questions of “how to act” and “what to do” have provided the infrastructure for civil society. And yet, after studying the central questions of ethics for thousands of years there are still very few “right” answers. What is the definition of virtue? What makes a person “good” and is there even a reason to be “good”? Is morality relative to culture, or is it universal? In addition to these questions, students explore the ethical dimensions of modern controversies in the fields of business, medicine, the media, the environment, and others. Short readings from moral philosophers like Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, St. Augustine, John Stuart Mill, and Immanuel Kant, as well as informal debates and occasional films, help stimulate group discussion.

Film Studies (AM): The development of any art form is a restless search for new forms of expression. A great innovation may break with past “rules,” only to be adopted later into conventional forms. Today’s cinematic language has been influenced by a combination of artistic, scientific, and economic developments over the past 100 years. This seminar examines the visual language we take for granted when we watch movies. What are the “rules” that make a believable reality on screen? What are the artistic and technological innovations that have expanded the language of cinema? How will the art of moving pictures change with the ever expanding world of new digital technologies? Students watch some films that are “R” rated.

History of War (AM): The current world political order has been shaped by major international conflicts such as the World Wars, the Korean and Vietnam Wars, and on-going strife in the Middle East. This course examines the struggle for land, power, or resources that drives nations into battle, and investigates the political and social ramifications of war. Using role-playing, debate, games, movies, and field trips, students explore military strategies used in major wars and discuss the impact of war on individuals and nations. Visits to local historic battlefields help link past to present and reveal how technology has affected warfare. Finally, students look at current conflicts in the Middle East and discuss their implications for the future.

Philosophy (PM): Philosophy is a discipline concerned with big questions: ideas of good and evil, problems of knowledge, the existence of a God, free will, and the roles of art, leadership, personal identity, truth, and justice. While the sciences might attempt to expand knowledge of a specific subject matter, philosophy inquires into the nature of knowledge and reality itself. In this seminar, students use discussion, argument, and debate to develop an understanding of some of the classic problems of philosophy. The course draws parallels between the ideas of some of the great philosophers–including Plato, Nietzsche, Sartre, and Emerson–and the questions students face in their own lives. Short articles complement and inform frequent discussions.

World Religions (AM): What is the difference between a Shia and a Sunni? Why is Ireland divided into two countries? How can Buddhism be a religion if they don’t believe in God? What makes a religion different from a philosophy? Despite Nietzsche’s assertion that “God is dead,” religion hasn’t disappeared in the 21st century. All over the world, fiercely committed individuals are ready to die, even to kill, in the name of faith. We cannot deny the massive social, political, and cultural role that religion plays in our world. By studying and comparing the texts, beliefs, and rituals of Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Judaism and Christianity; and through active field trips to places such as Amherst’s Peace Pagoda, or attending a Hatha Yoga class, students consider the ways in which these beliefs have had an effect on history and the ways in which they affect the contemporary world - politically, artistically, and personally.

Language and Rhetoric

Journalism (Feature Writing) (PM): While news reporting distills a story to its most basic elements, feature writing takes the reader a step further by examining a situation in all its complexity. Feature articles allow journalists to combine sophisticated writing techniques with straightforward reporting. In this course, students read and analyze contemporary magazines and newspapers, paying special attention to the fine art of feature writing. They then prepare their own feature stories using interviews and observation to explore aspects of contemporary life or to profile members of the community, athletes, politicians, or notable figures in the arts. Students work together to critique, edit, and discuss each other’s stories. The final project is the publication of a news magazine featuring students’ work.

Public Speaking & Debate (PM): Speaking in front of crowds is a terrifying prospect for many people, yet few skills are more important in everyday life. Students in this course take the first steps toward becoming effective public speakers as they overcome their fear of speaking in front of small and large groups and learn techniques for engaging their audience. Students discuss and practice formal and informal debating techniques, as they learn about the uses (and misuses) of rhetoric. Over the course of the class they prepare and present several speeches on topics of their choosing using John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Jr., and others as examples.

Spanish Conversation (AM): In addition to being the world’s second most commonly spoken language, Spanish is a rich and passionate tongue, key to exploring and understanding some of the world’s most interesting and vibrant cultures. This lively immersion course seeks to build students’ skills and fluency in spoken Spanish as they approach college. Students prepare and lead class discussions that cover meaningful cultural and historical topics; research and prepare Spanish meals; view Spanish films, television news, and entertainment programs and discuss them in class. Class activities are supplemented by readings of literature and magazine and newspaper articles, which form the basis for in-class discussions of contemporary issues. The many active conversational exercises provide the basis for individualized grammatical work and vocabulary building. At least two years of high school Spanish is required.

French Conversation (PM): This course seeks to build students’ confidence with conversation. Similar to Spanish Conversation, this course is designed to help students communicate effectively in French in a variety of contexts. At least two years of high school French is required.

English as a Second Language (ESL) (AM): This course is open to foreign students wishing to acquire English fluency by living and learning in an English-speaking environment. Through a specially designed series of fun and active conversational exercises and games, students learn to communicate effectively with their American counterparts and to participate fully in the life of the program.

Social Sciences

Business and Economics (AM): In the fast-paced modern world, business is a pervasive influence on daily life. As the global economy becomes more integrated, businesses can hold as much sway as governments. Small and medium-sized businesses are also key players, providing a growing number of jobs around the world. This hands-on course begins by explaining the economic playing field where firms operate, discussing supply and demand, regulations and free trade, international trade, and currency flows. Through role-playing, discussions, and occasional lectures, the course then considers the practical aspects of business, including accounting, finance, marketing, advertising, public relations, the organization of the firm, corporate leadership and culture, and business ethics. Finally, working together as a team, students have a unique opportunity to put what they have learned into practice by researching, developing, and operating their own small business.

Criminal Law & Social Justice (AM): Do dramatic television images of highly-paid lawyers defending high-profile clients distort the true nature of our legal system? This course separates myth from reality, exposing students to the inner workings of the criminal justice system. They become familiar with the nuts and bolts of criminal procedure through case studies and interaction with legal professionals such as judges, public defenders, prosecutors, court personnel, and correctional workers. By close observation of the process, students gain greater understanding of issues such as the scope of search and seizure, self-incrimination, deterrence versus rehabilitation as the rationale for imprisonment, and differential treatment of juvenile offenders. In addition to the “what” of the court system, students also examine the “why:” the philosophical and cultural basis for the rules that guide our government and shape our personal lives. The course culminates in a mock trial courtroom simulation, based on an actual case, which is open to the entire Excel community.

Food and Culture (PM): “Tell me what you eat and I’ll tell you who you are.” Food, as much as politics, literature, or music is an expression of our identity as a society. It shows what we value, and how we relate to each other. This course looks at the history and evolution of food culture in America and around the world. Topics discussed range from fast food to the Slow Food and localvore movements, from changes in farming techniques and the rise of the supermarket to debates about GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms) and what it means to be “organic.” Throughout the course, students are challenged to actively think about one of the most automatic instincts in life: the impulse to feed ourselves. While this is not a cooking class, there will be several excursions to meet local farmers, chefs, and food producers, and students will have an opportunity to get “dirt under their fingernails” through work with a local food bank farm. A willingness to try new tastes and to investigate the underpinnings of our culinary heritage is a must. There is a $150 supplemental fee for this course.

International Relations (PM): This course aims to understand and put in context many social and political themes operating within the global community. These include: economic and cultural globalization, nuclear proliferation, international terrorism, human rights, the environment, and global health. Activities are geared to giving students the tools to develop and defend their own views while expanding their base of knowledge. By looking at case scenarios from current events and hot news topics, the course serves as a survey seminar combining role-playing, various media sources, individual and group research, and lively debate to better understand the world in which we live.

Social Psychology (PM): Why do we obey figures of authority in some situations but not in others? Why do we help desperate strangers on one day and ignore them the next? This course explores the influence of social situations on thought, feeling, and behavior, explaining why we act differently when we are alone than when we are in a group. Specific topics include how we develop and change our attitudes, conformity, obedience, prejudice, aggression, social decision-making, interpersonal attraction, altruism, and group dynamics. Students examine a variety of classic psychology theories, readings, and experiments and apply these concepts to their own lives while observing actual social interactions. A final collaborative project on a social psychology topic is presented to the entire Excel community.

Psychology, Personality, and Behavior (AM): What do you love? Fear? Worry about? Dream of ? How much of who you are is determined by your family? Your friends? Your inner drives and desires? Your personality traits? Which human behaviors are considered adaptive, and which cause difficulties? How do the mind and body affect one another? In this course students examine different psychological theories that attempt to explain various aspects of personality and behavior. We look at psychodynamic, behavioral, family, trait, and multicultural theories, among others, and examine them in the context of students’ own experiences. Readings, discussions, films, experiments, and group activities give students opportunities to explore psychological concepts and evaluate their relevance to their own lives.

Science in the News (PM): Imagine a U.S. citizen at the turn of the 19th century reading a newspaper from today. Concepts such as quantum relativity, antibiotic-resistant flu strains, and global warming would seem all but incomprehensible, and yet they have become heavily used (and in many cases, misused) both in literal terms and as metaphors for the world around us. And while at first glance, science may seem to have little to do with questions of politics, philosophy, or ethics - it is quickly apparent that nothing (not even science) exists in a vacuum. Should we increase funding to the space program? Are the “fruits” of technology, such as the Internet, or the nuclear bomb, ever completely under their creator’s control? Through discussion, debate, readings, and excursions, this course seeks to establish a common modern “scientific literacy,” and then tackle issues such as cloning, pandemics, bioethics, CO2 emissions regulations, alternative energy solutions, and the evolving role human science and technology play in shaping the planet.

Specialized Courses

SAT Preparation: Kaplan (AM & PM): This course is organized and taught by Kaplan, Inc. It concentrates on verbal and mathematical skills, as well as test-taking techniques students need to perform at a high level on the PSAT and SAT-I exams. Materials provided for each student include: Course Lesson Book, Reference and Additional Practice Home Handbook, Vocabulary and Math Flashcards, Diagnostic Skills Testing, and Integrated Online Workshops. The course consists of daily classes and three full-length SAT practice tests. Each student receives an individualized study plan, based on the student’s diagnostic testing and information about the student’s study style and goals. As part of the class, Excel students may continue to study with Kaplan beyond their summer program. Kaplan offers free ongoing national student support at its Centers throughout North America which include libraries and resource rooms for extra practice testing and review. Students are also welcome to attend Center-based classes to make up any missed classes or to review desired sessions, and to use Kaplan’s online resources, until their fall SAT test date. There is a $550 supplemental fee for this course.

Structured Writing (AM): This course is designed for students who have difficulty organizing their ideas and creating logically constructed, coherent, and effective writing. Using innovative, hands-on, active methods for constructing written work, students learn specific strategies to help them organize their ideas, structure their presentations, edit their writing, and produce more effective work. Students focus on the process of writing, not on the mechanics of grammar. Constant interaction with the instructor and feedback on short writings completed during class are key to students’ progress. Enrollment is limited to 8 students. The instructor is a highly trained and experienced specialist in writing instruction. There is a $525 supplemental fee for this course.