MHC JANUARY TERM OFFERS STUDENTS OPPORTUNITY TO 'EXPLORE, RESTORE,
CREATE, AND ENJOY'

SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. – "Passport to Reality," the popular series designed to help seniors prepare for the realities of life after college, returns as part of Mount Holyoke College's January Term from January 3-21.

J-Term offers a refreshing change of pace and an opportunity to explore new interests, with an array of courses, trips, and activities. Associate director of student programs Beth Gibney Boulden, who coordinates the noncredit courses, activities, and “Passport to Reality” series, is excited about this year's program. "We have more offerings than ever before, approximately 36 credit and 30 noncredit courses. Our aim was to create a broad palette of experiences for the students."

"We believe it's important to do something different, which may mean taking a new class, learning a new hobby, or taking care of yourself with rest, exercise, and rejuvenation," Gibney Boulden said. This year's theme is "explore, restore, create, and enjoy."

Popular perennial noncredit offerings include making stained glass and juggling, and "The Sky for a Winter Night," a stargazing course at the College's observatory. Students seeking academic credit may enroll in a wide variety of classes, including an introduction to architectural design, water politics of the Nile basin, reflections of war, and introduction to modern Hebrew. Back by popular demand are "Gods and Monsters," an examination of how science fiction movies depict science, taught by Donnie Cotter, associate professor and chair of chemistry, and athletic director Laurie Priest's weeklong course on snowshoeing and dogsledding.

Through the "Passport to Reality" series, students will learn how to handle their personal finances, what "business casual" really means, what not to order when conducting a job interview over lunch, what the difference between a 401k/403b and an ESOP is, and how to stock a kitchen with something other than takeout menus.

The workshops are:

Cooking Like Chef Jeff Mount Holyoke's own "Chef Jeff" Sadowski, manager of the kitchen at Blanchard Campus Center for the past eight years, will explain the basics of healthy, budget-minded food shopping and cooking. Jeff will provide lists for the first trip to the grocery store and staple items to keep in stock. He will also cook up a simple meal using ingredients that can be transformed into four or five varieties with a dash of creativity. "I'd like to take the mystique out of it a little bit," said Sadowski. "It's not like a cooking show, where so much detail is cut out along the way. I want the students to say, 'Hey, this isn't so hard.' "

Personal Finance Fundamentals: The Right Start for Financial Fitness The essentials of personal finance for women will be covered in this two-day workshop. Participants will learn about the critical need for young women to exercise financial planning, money "personalities," the basics of budgeting and saving, the story on credit cards and credit history, different ways to invest and read the stock market, and how to maximize savings for special events and retirement. The instructor is an MHC alumna who knows that financial fitness is vitally important for women and has chosen to present this workshop to give MHC students the lead they need for financial success.

Living on Your Own: Budgeting, Benefits, and Understanding Your Salary Participants will gain an understanding of their financial responsibilities to successfully live on their own. Retirement plans, profit sharing, the variety of benefits among employers, and the regional effects on salary and negotiation will be among the subjects covered. Participants need not have a job offer or graduate program lined up to attend. The presenter will be David Machowski, director of recruiting and employer relations at MHC's Career Development Center.

Dressing Smart in the Workplace This interactive workshop is designed to address questions regarding acceptable attire within the workplace. Discussion will focus on the preferred style of dress within certain industries, including how much participants can expect to spend on a professional wardrobe. Other topics include: what to wear during the interview and on the first day of work, what is really considered to be business casual, what to wear at professional events and outings, and how your personal style of dress fits into the culture of the organization. The presenter will be Azanda Seymour, assistant director of internships at MHC's Career Development Center.

A Touch of Class: Dining Etiquette This workshop will cover the essentials of proper etiquette during intimidating job interviews or formal occasions. Wise meal and beverage choices, which fork to use, and why pasta sauce should be shunned are all on the menu. This "practice session" will leave participants ready to make a great impression during mealtime interviews. The presenters will be Jesse Lytle, assistant to the president and secretary of the College, and David Machowski, director of recruiting and employer relations at MHC's Career Development Center.

--- 30 ---