Summer in the City

Four Week Coed Program, Residential and Commuter

Sunday, June 23 – Saturday, July 20, 2013

Students select two courses, a morning class and an afternoon class to be attended Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday for the duration of the four week program. On Wednesdays, students participate in our Life After College Series. 

Summer 2013 Pre-College Courses 

Pick a Topic: 

Pick a Class Time (Morning or Afternoon)

Acting:

ACTING: PROCESS AND PERFORMANCE

Ari Laura Kreith - Morning (9:30am-12pm) 

New York's vibrant theatre scene is in our classroom! Students will hone their acting technique while deepening their understanding of the process of developing plays. We will rehearse and perform monologues and scenes and have the option to write short plays and/or perform songs. These hands-on opportunities will alternate with trips to the theatre, a Broadway backstage tour, and visits from guests artists including actors, directors, and playwrights.

Architecture:

ARCHITECTURAL CULTURE AND NYC DESIGN STUDIO

Marcelo Lopez-Dinardi - Morning (9:30am-12pm) 

Architecture is a key component of our built environment in many ways. Its presence glosses entire cities, but the building, perhaps the main feature of architecture, is not the sole figure within this complex scenario: we live and work in buildings. Architecture is the design that surrounds us, but also the relations between our hand-size design objects and our city-wide aspirations. Architecture is part of a larger cultural apparatus, and it is a character that both interacts and creates a wide mode of social forms of engagement. Architecture is design and simultaneously the dialogue to the culture that is contained within and outside of it. Architecture is both the visible and the invisible that encompasses culture, and the ideas and concepts that produce it. This course will take the form of an architectural studio + site visits, with the fascinating city of New York as its context. We will have our own studio space at Barnard and will visit the city to confirm and test our in-house speculations. NYC will provide the background to develop a small project similar to an architectural studio course, and it will also be the place where we develop our sketchbooks, explore architecture with photography, and where we contest our readings about architecture. No particular skills or previous knowledge is required to dive into the architectural culture and work within a studio environment.

Art History:

MASTERPIECES OF ART IN NEW YORK CITY

Kent Minturn - Morning (9:30am-12pm) 

This course will introduce students  to some of the major works of Western Art currently located in New York. We will begin with the Greek period and conclude with the contemporary art scene in Chelsea. Slide lectures, class discussions, and readings will be supplemented with visits to New York City's world-renowned museums.

NY IN ART AND FILM

Theodore Barrow - Morning (9:30am-12pm) 

From its earliest days as a pre-Hollywood hub of film studios, New York City has played a central role in film in the 20th century, one which corresponds directly to the production of modern art. In this four-week course, comparisons between art-making and film-making will be made, while students will also be introduced to the core literature of modernist writing. Breaking up into four different periods: 1890-The Great Depression, WWII - the early 60's, the 60's and 70's, and finally the post-modern era of art and film, each week will focus on a group of artists or directors (including D.H Griffith, The Ashcan School, Diego Rivera, Sergei Eisenstein, Joseph Cornell, Andy Warhol, Martin Scorsese, and Julian Schnabel) who explore the intersection of art and film, particularly in New York City.

Dance:

THE RIGOR AND ROMANCE OF DANCE

Mindy Aloff - Afternoon (2pm-4:30pm)

So you think you know dance? This non-studio dance course will examine several major dance traditions, among them classical ballet, modern dance, tap, ballroom dance, and dancing for the camera. The class will use Barnard’s excellent Media Services collection and the world-famous Jerome Robbins Dance Division of The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center as we learn to critically analyze, write, and discuss various forms of dance through film, readings and live performances! We will attend relevant performances at theaters in the city and, perhaps, relevant art exhibitions - and if possible, take a class in one kind of social dance at Lincoln Center's Midsummer Night's Swing! There will also be one or two guest lecturers - leading critics and/or historians of dance.

Filmmaking:

INTRODUCTION TO SCREENWRITING: THE SHORT FORM

Helen Kaplan - Morning (9:30am-12pm) 

From film festivals to cell phones, short films are everywhere. This workshop will demystify the art of screenwriting and give you the tools you need to write a great short script. You will learn how to grab viewers by their collective shirt collar and more importantly, hold their attention until the final credits roll. Emphasis will be placed on visual storytelling, the classic three-act structure, plot, character development, conflict, and dialogue. Through writing exercises, script analyses, and film screenings, students will learn the craft of screenwriting. By the end of the course, each student will have written three short screenplays as well as revised one of these scripts.

FILMMAKING: FROM SCRIPT TO SCREEN

Helen Kaplan - Afternoon (2pm-4:30pm)

This immersive filmmaking course will give you the tools you need to make a great short film. You will dream up screen stories and get your ideas down on the page during pre-production. During production, you will shoot and direct your cast, bringing your words and images to life. And finally, you will edit your footage into an original short film during post-production. Since film is a collaborative medium, students will crew, act, produce, and shoot each other’s projects in order to experience all aspects of filmmaking. Using New York as both a set and a source of inspiration, students will also attend film screenings and visit organizations that promote and produce cinema. Previous experience shooting and editing is highly recommended.

History:

A BRIEF HISTORY OF EVIL

Todd Berzon - Morning (9:30am-12pm) 

From the Hebrew Bible to True Blood, how have people imagined the forces of evil in Western history? This course investigates representations of evil (demons, monsters, gods and goddesses, vampires, etc.) in the history of Western literature, art, film, and theatre. Students will study how the language of evil is marshaled in religious, political, and cultural conversations, both past and present. In its capacity to bind communities together and yet rip them apart, evil occupies a paradoxically destructive yet unifying power within society. With close attention to artistic and textual examples, students will consider the complex and confounding language deployed in discussions of evil.

OUR TOWN: WOMEN IN NEW YORK CITY HISTORY

Julie Bleha - Afternoon (2pm-4:30pm)

This course delves into the fascinating world of women’s history in New York City. We will investigate the role of women as shapers and players in New York history, starting with pre-colonial, colonial, and post-colonial New York, continuing into Revolutionary and early 19th c. New York. If then shifts focus to 19th and 20th century history, leading into the 21st century to consider our (students' and teachers') place in the historical spectrum.  The class will use a history text such as Reitano's Restless City and/or Burrow & Wallace's Gotham. Students will hone their analytical skills and rhetorical skills through in-class and at-home assignments.

NY IN ART AND FILM

Theodore Barrow - Morning (9:30am-12pm) 

From its earliest days as a pre-Hollywood hub of film studios, New York City has played a central role in film in the 20th century, one which corresponds directly to the production of modern art. In this four-week course, comparisons between art-making and film-making will be made, while students will also be introduced to the core literature of modernist writing. Breaking up into four different periods: 1890-The Great Depression, WWII - the early 60's, the 60's and 70's, and finally the post-modern era of art and film, each week will focus on a group of artists or directors (including D.H Griffith, The Ashcan School, Diego Rivera, Sergei Eisenstein, Joseph Cornell, Andy Warhol, Martin Scorsese, and Julian Schnabel) who explore the intersection of art and film, particularly in New York City.

AMERICA IN THE WORLD: UNDERSTANDING THE POLITICS AND HISTORY OF A UNIQUE NATION

Raymond Smith - Afternoon (2pm-4:30pm)

"The First New Nation." "Global Superpower." "The American Exception." "The Indispensable Nation." All of these, and many other terms, have been used to describe the place of the United States in the world today. In this engaging and interactive course, we will explore many dimensions of the place of the United States in the world, both the ways in which it is unique and the ways in which it is part of a larger family of nations. The course will draw upon the short textbook written by the instructor entitled The American Anomaly (Routledge, 2010), which was based in part on the author's experience teaching political science at Barnard College and is used in colleges around the country. The course will include field trips, including to the United Nations and to Federal hall in Lower Manhattan, one of the birthplaces of American democracy. Additionally, the class will introduce students to all four of the major subfields of political science in the United States -- comparative politics, international relations, political theory, and American politics -- making it ideal for potential future college political science majors. 

Journalism:

MEDIA AND SOCIETY TODAY: FROM PRINT TO FACEBOOK

Ruth Palmer - Afternoon (2pm-4:30pm)

We all find ourselves ridiculing “The Media” from time to time. Put some academic clout behind your arguments! This course introduces students to the basic methods, concepts, and theoretical approaches central to the study of mediated communication. We will look at factors that influence media production with visits to New York City-based television studios, print newsrooms, and digital media companies, and we will discuss how the media influences our own values and behavior. Our goal is to become more informed, articulate, and savvy critics of the media that surrounds us today.

GLOBAL NEWS MEDIA IN THE DIGITAL AGE

Soomin Seo - Afternoon (2pm-4:30pm)

How do journalists bring us news from the world? How do news organizations differ worldwide? What is "foreign" news in an era when more people get their news from the Internet that knows no national boundaries? This course explores these issues from the world's news capital of New York City. This course is intended as an introductory course for students interested in journalism and media studies, as well as related fields such as international policy, development, and media policy. 

Literature:

SHAKESPEARE AND PERFORMANCE

Emily Madison - Afternoon (2pm-4:30pm)

Like no other playwright, Shakespeare straddles worlds of literature and theater. This course explores the development of his duel reputation from Renaissance London to the contemporary day. We will look at major trends in how Shakespeare's plays have been produced on stage and conceived as literature versus theater in criticism. The specific plays we study will be determined by the offerings at Shakespeare in the Park and other summer Shakespeare venues. We will approach the plays fro several angles: seeing them, performing them, and writing about them. Through an understanding of the complicated relationship between drama and performance, we will become more astute readers and audience members. This course will provide excellent preparation for students considering studying English and/or Theatre in college.

PLAYING BOHEMIAN GREENWICH VILLAGE 1913: A REACTING TO THE PAST EXPERIENCE

Laurie Postlewate - Afternoon (2pm-4:30pm) 

Learn about Bohemian Greenwich Village by enacting the role of one of the historical characters of the time in the context of a strategy game! Reacting to the Past is an innovative learning experience created at Barnard College which calls on to students to embody and react to history, all the while developing public speaking skills. Our game is set in New York City at a time when avant-garde writers, journalists, artists, and musicians flocked to the Village to rub elbows and liberate themselves from the constraints of conventional society. It is here that they meet two other groups advocating social change: the suffrage movement and the labor movement. Which of these groups will convince the Bohemians that their cause is the most urgent? You will decide as you take on the roles of the boisterous and fascinating characters. Several visits to the Village and the Lower East Side will be part of our class activities. 

Political Science:

CRIME AND SOCIETY

Roz Myers - Morning (9:30am-12pm) 

The law permeates every aspect of our public life and some aspects of our private lives. Law guides human behavior, so every action, from buying a newspaper at the newsstand, to the way you interact with your peers on campus, to the way you protect your home from intruders at night, is affected by statutory laws, regulations, and the U.S. Constitution. One need not violate the law to be part of the justice system. This class will explore the various dimensions of the law as a social institution, looking specifically at the criminal justice system as an expression of societal values, norms, and expectations. Such an exploration necessarily involves the examination of law's relationship to other social institutions and the overarching historical and cultural influences that shape criminal law. It also requires an understanding of the roles and relationships among the people who are participants in a given case, as well as the observers in the media, in political spheres, and in the general public. We will use national and international comparisons to explore alternative responses to crime. Together, we will struggle with the question of whether the outcomes in the justice system align with its purported goals. Active class discussion, critical thinking, and the oral and written expression of ideas will be emphasized. Whatever perspective(s) you bring to the class, expect to be challenged regularly. Although your personal experience will inform your views in every class discussion, please remember that our class discussions are not personal. You might disagree with the opinions being offered in the class, but we can acknowledge and respectful discuss all points of view.

AMERICA IN THE WORLD: UNDERSTANDING THE POLITICS AND HISTORY OF A UNIQUE NATION

Raymond Smith - Afternoon (2pm-4:30pm)

"The First New Nation." "Global Superpower." "The American Exception." "The Indispensable Nation." All of these, and many other terms, have been used to describe the place of the United States in the world today. In this engaging and interactive course, we will explore many dimensions of the place of the United States in the world, both the ways in which it is unique and the ways in which it is part of a larger family of nations. The course will draw upon the short textbook written by the instructor entitled The American Anomaly (Routledge, 2010), which was based in part on the author's experience teaching political science at Barnard College and is used in colleges around the country. The course will include field trips, including to the United Nations and to Federal hall in Lower Manhattan, one of the birthplaces of American democracy. Additionally, the class will introduce students to all four of the major subfields of political science in the United States -- comparative politics, international relations, political theory, and American politics -- making it ideal for potential future college political science majors.

Psychology:

PSYCH 101

Jamie Krenn - Morning (9:30am-12pm) 

Psychology can be defined as the scientific study of mental processes and behavior. While psychology is most often associated with clinical issues (i.e.. abnormal, personality), this makes up only a small portion of the field. This is a broad survey course covering topics such as physiological, social, organizational, and developmental psychology. The course will develop one’s understanding of seeing psychology as a science of human thought and behavior. Topics covered will be a helpful tool for most university introductory psychology courses.

PSYCHOLOGY OF MEDIA

Jamie Krenn - Afternoon (2pm-4:30pm)

Explore the psychology behind media and how it affects you, your peers and the public at large. If this sounds right up your blog - our course will examine the internet, mobile media, video games and how learning and media go hand in hand to facilitate understanding and decision-making. You will be introduced to psychological theories and research, as well as the cognitive processes of media development. Guest speakers will include writers from Nick, Jr., MTV and others.

Sociology:

CRIME AND SOCIETY

Roz Myers - Morning (9:30am-12pm) 

The law permeates every aspect of our public life and some aspects of our private lives. Law guides human behavior, so every action, from buying a newspaper at the newsstand, to the way you interact with your peers on campus, to the way you protect your home from intruders at night, is affected by statutory laws, regulations, and the U.S. Constitution. One need not violate the law to be part of the justice system. This class will explore the various dimensions of the law as a social institution, looking specifically at the criminal justice system as an expression of societal values, norms, and expectations. Such an exploration necessarily involves the examination of law's relationship to other social institutions and the overarching historical and cultural influences that shape criminal law. It also requires an understanding of the roles and relationships among the people who are participants in a given case, as well as the observers in the media, in political spheres, and in the general public. We will use national and international comparisons to explore alternative responses to crime. Together, we will struggle with the question of whether the outcomes in the justice system align with its purported goals. Active class discussion, critical thinking, and the oral and written expression of ideas will be emphasized. Whatever perspective(s) you bring to the class, expect to be challenged regularly. Although your personal experience will inform your views in every class discussion, please remember that our class discussions are not personal. You might disagree with the opinions being offered in the class, but we can acknowledge and respectful discuss all points of view.

Religion:

A BRIEF HISTORY OF EVIL

Todd Berzon - Morning (9:30am-12pm) 

From the Hebrew Bible to True Blood, how have people imagined the forces of evil in Western history? This course investigates representations of evil (demons, monsters, gods and goddesses, vampires, etc.) in the history of Western literature, art, film, and theatre. Students will study how the language of evil is marshaled in religious, political, and cultural conversations, both past and present. In its capacity to bind communities together and yet rip them apart, evil occupies a paradoxically destructive yet unifying power within society. With close attention to artistic and textual examples, students will consider the complex and confounding language deployed in discussions of evil.

Studio Art:

Making Contemporary Art NYC

Julia Westerbeke - Afternoon (2pm-4:30pm)

New York City has one of the largest and most influential art communities in the world, which is why it can be an incredibly inspiring and productive place for a young artist.  Through trips to contemporary art galleries and museums, visits with working artists, creative workshops, readings and in-depth discussions, students will gain an understanding of the art world and what it is like to make work within this diverse and creative community. Students will execute their own creative projects based on ideas that we have discussed and experienced during the course. Fundamental techniques for drawing will be paired with more experimental art projects (including collage, mixed-media and sculpture).  An emphasis will be placed on contemporary art happening in the city today and how it relates to historic art movements of the 20^th century, among them Surrealism, Abstract Expressionism, Appropriation Art, Earth Art and Pop Art. 

Theatre:

SHAKESPEARE AND PERFORMANCE

Emily Madison - Afternoon (2pm-4:30pm)

Like no other playwright, Shakespeare straddles worlds of literature and theater. This course explores the development of his duel reputation from Renaissance London to the contemporary day. We will look at major trends in how Shakespeare's plays have been produced on stage and conceived as literature versus theater in criticism. The specific plays we study will be determined by the offerings at Shakespeare in the Park and other summer Shakespeare venues. We will approach the plays fro several angles: seeing them, performing them, and writing about them. Through an understanding of the complicated relationship between drama and performance, we will become more astute readers and audience members. This course will provide excellent preparation for students considering studying English and/or Theatre in college.

Writing:

FICTION INTENSIVE: WRITING WORKSHOP

Sarah Labarge - Morning (9:30am-12pm) 

This class is intended for those who have already written fiction in their high school classes or in their spare time, and who are interested in focusing on the practice of writing and revision through an intensive writing workshop. The core of this course is a writing workshop in which students will read and discuss stories their peers have written over the summer. Students will receive detailed feedback on their stories from their peers, as well as from the instructor, and will then revise and polish these stories by the end of the course. Leading up to this workshop, we will examine published work to see how writers develop characters, plots, and settings, and we will take trips around the city to inspire creativity and to open students' eyes to new ways of writing. We will also attend a reading by a published author. 

WRITING PLACE: HOME AND THE CITY

Mary Helen Kolisnyk - Morning (9:30am-12pm) 

What makes New York the city we know, or believe, it to be? This course offers students opportunities to make observations about unique locations in New York City, and to use those observations as prompts for creative non-fiction writing. Our goal is to look into ourselves, and into the variety of ways in which people find a home in this city; as we do so, we will become more adept writers by deepening our thinking about both the notion of home, and the city. Most weeks, the class will consider a different aspect of what it means to find and have a home, and draw on a variety of textual sources - fictional, non-fictional, film, personal experience - to draft and revise short essays that present our individual and shared reflections on what constitutes hominess as an urban experience. The course will appeal to students who consider themselves writers, and those who do not. 

WRITING OUR LIVES: WRITING MEMOIR AND PERSONAL NARRATIVE

Jill DiDonato - Afternoon (2pm-4:30pm)

The writer Anais Nin once wrote, “And then the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” As the high school student prepares to make the transition from high school to college, she or he is faced with many challenges. One of these challenges is finding a personal voice and telling a unique story. This is a course designed to help young writers take on the risks of writing memoir and personal narrative. Using the writing and revision process as a way to overcome perfection-striving, a collaborative learning model to dispel competition, and reading the work of luminary writers, students in this course will find power in their experiences, build community among their peers, and gain a sense of academic ownership. As a course designed for the young student coming of age, "Writing Our Lives" offers students the opportunity of a public reading at a New York venue. By the end of the course, each student will have written, workshopped, and revised a personal narrative. In addition, each student will have the chance to share his/her narrative in a public space. 

INTRODUCTION TO SCREENWRITING: THE SHORT FORM

Helen Kaplan - Morning (9:30am-12pm) 

From film festivals to cell phones, short films are everywhere. This workshop will demystify the art of screenwriting and give you the tools you need to write a great short script. You will learn how to grab viewers by their collective shirt collar and more importantly, hold their attention until the final credits roll. Emphasis will be placed on visual storytelling, the classic three-act structure, plot, character development, conflict, and dialogue. Through writing exercises, script analyses, and film screenings, students will learn the craft of screenwriting. By the end of the course, each student will have written three short screenplays as well as revised one of these scripts.

Women's Studies:

OUR TOWN: WOMEN IN NEW YORK CITY HISTORY

Julie Bleha - Afternoon (2pm-4:30pm)

This course delves into the fascinating world of women’s history in New York City. We will investigate the role of women as shapers and players in New York history, starting with pre-colonial, colonial, and post-colonial New York, continuing into Revolutionary and early 19th c. New York. If then shifts focus to 19th and 20th century history, leading into the 21st century to consider our (students' and teachers') place in the historical spectrum.  The class will use a history text such as Reitano's Restless City and/or Burrow & Wallace's Gotham. Students will hone their analytical skills and rhetorical skills through in-class and at-home assignments.

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