Vacation is wonderful. Weeks upon weeks with nothing to do besides watch Nick at Nite marathons, eat junk food, hang out with the family and let one's mind atrophy. Eventually, though, many students are desperate for something to do - anything.
In response to a column by Joshua Lerner '07 that appeared in The Herald in January, which called winter break "a wasteland in the midst of formal academic pursuit," the Undergraduate Council of Students formed a committee to research opportunities for students to spend that time productively. The committee looked into winter break sessions at other schools - often called J-terms, or January terms - as well as existing programs at Brown.
David Beckoff '08, chair of the J-term committee, said the committee's goals for this year include creating a structure and gathering all information about winter programs onto one Web site. This site will be a starting point for students who want to participate in break opportunities.
Beckoff, who also chairs the UCS Academic and Administrative Affairs Committee, said the Web site will include links to applications and contact information for the projects. The immediate J-term plan does not include on-campus courses, Beckoff said.
According to David Greene, vice president for campus life and student services, the J-term options available in the short term would fit into four main areas: internships and career exploration; research; study abroad; and community service through the Swearer Center.
The winter break opportunities should augment a student's regular semester, Greene said. Many students who have exciting experiences over winter break come back for the second semester motivated and more focused on their concentration and career planning, he said.
J-term offerings will build on programs already offered by Brown, Greene said. For example, students can look for internships through the Maddock Alumni Center.
Swearer Center breaks projects have been in place for over 20 years. But Alan Flam P'05, breaks project coordinator and senior associate University chaplain, said he hopes the J-term committee's work will enhance the projects and heighten student awareness.
These projects are weeklong intensive community learning projects. The students participate in community service and also explore complex issues of economic security, Flam said.
In preparing for the projects, about 35 students explore different topics in groups of five or six, coming together to eat and have discussions. The purpose of these projects is to build ongoing relationships with the Providence community.
Although many schools have programs during the winter break, no one school inspired Brown's J-term offerings, Beckoff said. "We wanted to be uniquely Brown," Beckoff said.
The J-term should provide students creative opportunities to explore whatever they want, Beckoff said.
The future J-term Web site might include a forum for students to post their own ideas and projects. For example, a student could organize a road trip, Beckoff said. Also, students who want to study independently can visit the Center for Independent Learning to find book recommendations from Brown faculty, which will be available soon in Rhode Island Hall for perusal, he said.
Beckoff envisions a program that, in five years, would include study abroad opportunities, programs in Providence that might complement a spring semester course and three-week minicourses on campus. Students and alums as well as faculty could teach the minicourses. The J-term committee has already received student ideas for courses that range from "History of American Gangster Mythology" to "How to Build a Computer." However, such minicourses would likely never be available for credit, Beckoff said.
Greene said he prefers the term "intersession" for the new program, as "J-term" implies regular courses for credit.
Greene also was less confident than Beckoff that J-term programs would include on-campus courses. He said that energy costs, campus safety, staffing patterns and heating are all issues that the administration would have to consider before bringing programs on campus.
But the money the University currently saves on heat and electricity during winter break is about the same as that spent on additional security for unoccupied campus buildings, Peter Heywood, professor of biology and chair of the committee responsible for creating the current academic calendar, told The Herald in January.
A Spring 2005 UCS WebCT poll showed that more students supported the creation of a J-term than supported allowing kegs on campus, Beckoff said. Results from last week's WebCT poll showed mixed student interest, with 44.3 percent of respondents answering that they would participate in a Brown-sponsored winter break program and 48.3 percent saying they would not.
Many students feel ready to come back to Brown by the end of break. "Usually I'm definitely ready to go back. Winter break is very long and starts later than most other schools, so most of my friends are already back by the end," said Alison Hale '06. Hale supported the J-term but was concerned about housing opportunities for students over the break.
Interested students can ex-plore opportunities for the 2005-2006 break through the Web site, e-mail UCS members on the committee, or visit the Curricular Resource Center in Rhode Island Hall and talk to staff members briefed by the J-term committee on the opportunities.
