January, Iterterm, or, locally, Winter Study terms were all in vogue in the '70's when the price of oil was high and it was expensive to keep colleges open. Starting the Spring term later allowed the institution to reduce its fossil fuel footprint by not requiring students to return to campus in January. Williams is one of a handful of schools that actually require students to take a for-credit course during this period. Younger students typically sample a full spectrum of choices, while research students are found in the library or lab.
It's also the time when the fitness center population reaches its peak. And it's when broomball and curling are practiced.
Williams boasts a few teams that are competitive at the national level, and some compete on snow. During the first months of the year, skiers chase the Winter Carnival circuit around the country. It's a lot like the aurora borealis—mostly north of here, colorful, and always on the move. Winter Carnival arrives in Williamstown near Valentine's Day, right as the semester gets going. Friday classes are canceled. In recent years, as the snowline has pushed north, the athletes actually leave town to find deeper trails while the rest of us, with a desire to carve snow sculptures, reminisce about days like today when the snow packs well.
Last night students created a number of snowmen around the Tree of Science, perhaps optimistically honing their skills for February. One, on the memorial table for chemist Hodge Markgraf (715 Molecules by Jenny Holzer), caught my eye—a snowbride?
Speaking of brides, my eldest child, Megan, stopped by on her way through town, presumably to make sure that her parents were earning their keep. Megan is a Williams grad (*sigh*), having majored in Chemistry and Art History. Her research and coursework at Williams typically found her in one of these two buildings: Chemistry, on the left, and Biology on the right.
Axiom C. Your children are your best work.
