Campus & Community

A Harvard break for adventure

4 min read

Wintersession rewards the wandering mind

Wintersession, a College-led, 10-day initiative between the fall and spring terms, brings together students, faculty, and alumni to learn new skills and explore their passions inside and outside their fields of academic pursuit.

Along with recreational and STEM-based events, this year’s lineup included a range of arts- and humanities-focused programs, from a clay-flute workshop to programmable kinetic sculpture to classes in creating original theater workshops. A handful of sessions connected students with alumni, including prominent television producers.

In its sixth year, Wintersession also maintained a focus on encouraging students to use the break to grow both personally and academically as they move through their College careers and become citizens of the world.

A clay flute workshop was one course offered as part of Wintersession. In the Peabody Museum, ceramicist Kathi Tighe teaches Marisa Houlahan ’17 (clockwise from left), Jerry Anunrojwong ’18, Fred Lu ’16, Sarah Yeoh-Wang ’17, and Ryan Song ’17. Stephanie Mitchell/Harvard Staff Photographer
Kathi Tighe (from left), Jack Weyen ’16, and Gavin McDowell ’18 create clay flutes. Stephanie Mitchell/Harvard Staff Photographer
Paris Barclay ’79 teaches “Director/Producer Seminar for Film and Television,” at Leverett House with Neal Baer, Ed.M. ’79, A.M. ’82, M.D. ’95. Sophia Hunt ’19 (from left), Silvano D’Agostino ’18, and Mezu Ukah ’18 listen to the class. Stephanie Mitchell/Harvard Staff Photographer
Paris Barclay ’79 (left) shows Connor Doyle ’19 how to direct a scene. Later, Barclay shared a memory of his time as a student in the same Leverett House room, when Stephen Sondheim encouraged students to “write about things that move you.” Stephanie Mitchell/Harvard Staff Photographer
Matthew Munroe ’17 (left) and Alyssa Moore ’16 act in a scene from “ER.” Stephanie Mitchell/Harvard Staff Photographer
Students participate in “Programmable Kinetic Sculpture” at the Science Center, taught by Physics Professor Robert Hart and artist Kim Bernard. Bernard (left) listens to Phoebe Stoye ’18 describe her project idea. Stephanie Mitchell/Harvard Staff Photographer
Kim Bernard (left) and Elaine Reichert ’18 explore the class assignment. Stephanie Mitchell/Harvard Staff Photographer
Whitney Nimitpattana ’16 (pictured) explores the class assignment. Stephanie Mitchell/Harvard Staff Photographer
Rebekah Chun ’19 (from left), Una Choi ’19, and Sherry Gao ’19 work during “iGEM BioDesign Bootcamp,” which helps participants build a solid foundation in essential life-science research techniques through an intensive laboratory and theoretical introduction inside the Northwest lab. Kris Snibbe/Harvard Staff Photographer
At a Wintersession studio-based design workshop, students respond to and remix a large set of photographs from the Harvard Art Museum’s collection. Kris Snibbe/Harvard Staff Photographer
Matthew Battles (from left, grey sweater), Sarah Newman, and metaLab designer Marshall Lambert teach a Wintersession studio-based design workshop. Kris Snibbe/Harvard Staff Photographer
Andy Duehren ’18 takes a class in Kendo, a traditional sword art, at the Malkin Athletic Center. Rose Lincoln/Harvard Staff Photographer
Rebecca Chen ’16 (right) teaches Kendo as, from left, Yasmin Yacoby ’19, Samuel Vasquez ’18, and Anisa Kureishi ’19 watch. Rose Lincoln/Harvard Staff Photographer
Leadership and development coach Margie Zohn (center) leads an exercise in public speaking in Boylston Hall, where students share stories with the group. Rose Lincoln/Harvard Staff Photographer
Patricia Courtney of Harvard Extension School (from left), Olivia Munk ’16, KeeHup Yong ’19, and Grace Ramsey ’19 work together during “Performing Our Experience: Tools for Creating Original Theater” inside the Director’s Studio at the Office for the Arts. Kris Snibbe/Harvard Staff Photographer
Thomas Peterson ’18 (from left), Connor Doyle ’19, and Miriam Huettner ’17 work together during “Performing Our Experience: Tools for Creating Original Theater.” Kris Snibbe/Harvard Staff Photographer
Haley Langan ’18 practices a simulated emergency during a wilderness first responder. Harvard Business School student Michael Zheng ’12 pretends to be injured. Kris Snibbe/Harvard Staff Photographer
Harvard Business School student Michael Zheng ’12 is worked on by teacher Jeff Toorish during a simulated emergency. Kris Snibbe/Harvard Staff Photographer