CO-CURRICULARS
SPRING SEMESTER 2014-15
Registration for Co-curricular Offerings will begin at noon on January 21, 2015 and continue through February 2,
2015. Registration for these offerings takes place after course registration and the first day of classes. The intent is
to make sure students have a sense of their academic time commitments prior to taking on more activities with cocurriculars. You can register during the ‘add period’ via the on-line system ‘my.olin’. Use the “course” number and
section listed with the title.
Co-Curricular Etiquette: (1) in order to give all students a reasonable chance to register for co-curriculars, please
limit your choices to no more than two, (2) don’t register unless you are serious about attending, and (3) if you decide
to drop out, notify the staff or faculty sponsor by e-mail.
Co-Curricular
Number, Section
Co-Curricular Title
Staff/Faculty Sponsor(s)
CC167-01
Collaboratory Conversations
Lynn Stein,
Sharon Breitbart
CC168-01
Conference Prep: Acing Your Paper Presentation
Maruta Vitols
CC146-01
Curriculum Innovation Workshop
Jessica Townsend,
Linda Canavan
CC163-01
Do Machine Learning
Paul Ruvolo
CC169-01
E! Future at Olin and Exploring the Boston E! World
Stephen Brand
CC173-01
Fibre Arts
Debbie Chachra
CC92-01
Fundamentals of Public Speaking: The Twenty Words,
Phrases and Utterances to Avoid at All Costs!
Charlie Nolan
CC30-01
Gender and Engineering
Debbie Chachra,Caitrin
Lynch, Lynn Andrea Stein,
Yevgeniya Zastavker
CC124-01
Hands-on Learning for Kids
Benjamin Linder
CC108-01
Olin Composting Project
Nick Tatar
CC67-01
Olin Does the BSO
Diana Dabby
CC170-01
Olin Scrabble
Stephen Brand
CC105-01
Pickles and Jams
Jean Huang
CC77-01
Play with Clay
Mark Somerville
CC20-01
¡Por Supuesto!: Spanish Conversation
Jose Oscar Mur-Miranda
CC171-01
RC Cars Build with Needham High School
Chris Lee
CC172-01
Self Authorship
Gillian Epstein
CC164-01
Representing Myself Part II – A Co-Curricular for Grand
Challenge Scholars and Anyone Else Interested in SelfReflection and Expression
Yevgenia Zastavker,
Gillian Epstein,
Sally Phelps
CC102-01
Sustainable Beekeeping
Benjamin Linder
CC174-01
Technology and Culture Reading Group
Debbie Chachra
CC15-01
Tellling the Olin Story
Rob Martello,
Graham Hooton
CC165-01
What’s Past Is Prologue: Building Your Family History
through Historical Methods and Modern Science
Joanne Pratt
CC99-01
13.1 and Done
Alison Black
CC166-01
2D-3D Open Arts and Design Studio
Sara Hendren
CC167-01
Collaboratory Conversations
Faculty and staff sponsors: Lynn Andrea Stein
and Sharon Breitbart
One of Olin’s Founding Precepts is to be “an
important and constant contributor to the
advancement of engineering education in
America and throughout the world.” The
Collaboratory is how we do that. Join us for a
discussion of the role of students in our external
engagement, with visitors, and as collaborative
partners. Open to all, whether you are currently
involved with Collaboratory efforts or not. We’ll
attempt to meet most Tuesdays for lunch, 12:301:30pm.
CC146-01
Curriculum Innovation Workshop
Faculty and staff sponsors:
Linda Canavan
Jessica Townsend,
Students in this co-curricular will focus on
exploring, creating and piloting opportunities for
direct student involvement in curriculum innovation
at Olin. The actual experiments will be defined
and driven by students in the co-curricular. Linda
Canavan and Jessica Townsend will advise.
We’ll meet Thursdays 12:30-1:30. The first
meeting will be January 22.
CC163-01
Do Machine Learning
Faculty sponsor: Paul Ruvolo
CC168-01
Conference Prep: Acing Your Paper
Presentation
Faculty sponsor: Maruta Vitols
Going to a conference this semester or this
coming summer? Getting ready to present a
paper at a conference, in a class, or for a
potential employer/investor? Already worrying
about speaking in front of strangers with Ph.D.s?
If you answered “yes” to any of the above
questions, then this co-curricular is for you! Join a
group of fellow students to practice for your big
day. Get useful feedback on your presentation
style, as well as content. Perfect that PowerPoint.
Gain confidence standing in front of an audience
and fielding questions. Walk into that
presentation ready to take over the world, you
superhero!
Dates: First meeting Monday, January 26th, 7pm,
location TBA, following meetings TBD at first
meeting.
This is a continuation of the DoML co-curricular
from last semester. Last semester, we focused on
learning basic techniques for machine learning
and applying these techniques to a range of cool
problems. This semester, we will be taking a
project-focused track where teams of students
will work on projects of their choosing within the
machine learning space (think robots, predictive
analytics, natural language processing,
computational biology, computer vision, etc.).
We will have periodic lightning talks on topics
related to machine learning delivered by
members of the co-curricular. While we will not
be specifically targeting lessons to beginners,
beginners are encouraged to come! We will
provide all the necessary resources for beginners
to get up to speed on machine learning, and then
learn the basics through observing (and then
hopefully contributing to) one of the DoML
projects. Please come join us to learn more about
this exciting and interdisciplinary field!
This co-curricular will meet Tuesdays 6-8 p.m. in
AC 417.
CC169-01
E! Future at Olin and Exploring the Boston
E! World
Faculty sponsor: Stephen Brand
Enrollment limited to 15 students.
During the fall of 2014, 6 students from E!
Capstone have conducted 30+ interviews with
students, faculty, administrators, alumni, local
entrepreneurs, Babson administrators, etc. They
presented their findings in a report and strategy
document during finals week. This co-curricular
will provide students a chance to expand on this
work, refine the strategy, learn more about what
it takes to become an entrepreneur and
prototype some elements of what E! could be at
Olin - some are course oriented, but most are
extracurricular on campus and even exploring
entrepreneurship in Boston and virtually . . .
Participants will continue to research, ideate and
strategize for the future. Some participants will
go to Boston on a number of trips to explore
partnerships, attend entrepreneurship networking
events and see what we can bring back to
campus. The outcomes of this co-curricular could
have long term and lasting impact on the lives of
many Olin students and alumni as they move on in
their careers and lives.
The activities of the co-curricular will be
determined by attendees and could include
discussions with faculty, administration, Babson
community members, outside entrepreneurs, Olin
President’s Council members, etc., and could focus
on any aspects of increasing the Olin community’s
passion and activity around entrepreneurship and
new venture creation in business, social
enterprise, corporate or even academic settings.
CC173-01
Fibre Arts
Faculty sponsor: Debbie Chachra
This co-curricular is about working on and sharing
your practice in the fibre arts (including
knitting/crochet, embroidery, weaving, sewing,
and whatever else you can think of doing). Some
funding will be available for materials and
books, with an emphasis on learning new
techniques to expand your skills. Beginners
welcome.
CC92-01
Fundamentals of Public Speaking: The
Twenty Words, Phrases and Utterances to
Avoid at All Costs!
Staff sponsor: Charlie Nolan
Limited to 15 students.
Meetings will be on Wednesdays from 7 to 8
p.m.
One of the most important skills in one’s
professional life (personal life, too!) is the ability
to communicate clearly and persuasively to more
than a handful of people at the same time.
Learn stage presence and how to reduce or
eliminate the 20 (at least) overused and empty
phrases that detract from first-rate public
speaking. Participants will make two four-minute
speeches and an optional 4-6 minute
presentation on Olin to an audience that knows
little or nothing about Olin. This Co-Curricular
Offering will meet every week from January 21April 15 (with the exceptions of March 18 and
25) for 60 minutes.
CC30-01
Gender and Engineering
Faculty sponsors: Debbie Chachra, Caitrin Lynch,
Lynn Andrea Stein, Yevgeniya Zastavker
What is it like to be an engineer? What is it like
to be an engineering student? Does this change
as the definition of engineering -- or the nature
of engineering education -- changes? How do we
experience these identity questions differently
depending on our own sense of ourselves? Does
gender play a role? If so, how and why? If not,
why not?
This Co-Curricular offering focuses on broad
questions of engineering, of gender, and of real
and perceived connections between them. At the
beginning of the session, all participants will
share their expertise and what they are
interested in learning about, and we’ll set up a
program that incorporates both. If you’ve
participated before, we encourage you to return!
In addition to the Co-Curricular Offering sessions
themselves, one of our goals for this semester is to
create a set of materials we can disseminate to
students and faculty at other institutions.
We will meet from 3:15-4:15 on Tuesdays.
Students may be expected to read a brief article
or to watch a video prior to a meeting, but no
more than a total of two hours/week will be
expected for both in- and out-of-meeting time.
Note that the relationship of gender and
engineering affects everyone in engineering, and
all are welcome to participate.
CC124-01
Hands-on Learning for Kids
Faculty sponsor: Benjamin Linder
Develop hands-on materials for inquiry and
learning in science and engineering for children
living in poverty around the world. Participants
work with organizations like the Agastya
Foundation in India and Science Club for Girls in
Ghana to prototype learning projects,
experiments, and demonstrations for potential
use by kids in their programs. Projects are driven
by partner needs. Materials are designed and
developed at Olin and then tested locally and
with partners. Participants can contribute
significant product design and engineering
expertise to projects. Multi-semester participation
is encouraged. Participants are required to
attend 8 or more sessions per semester. Open to
students, faculty and staff.
CC108-01
Olin Composting Project
Staff sponsor: Nick Tatar
Limited to 12 students
Want to help make Olin more green and enjoy
getting your hands dirty? This spring we’ll need
twelve dedicated souls to help keep 3,000 lbs of
food waste out of the landfill by composting food
prep waste from the Dining Hall. Last year we
composted two tons of food waste and saved
Olin some $2,000 in waste management fees, all
while supporting Olin’s vegetable and herb
garden. In this Co-Curricular Offering you’ll
carry compost from the Dining Hall to our
composting bins in Parcel B, collect data about
what we’re composting, and work the compost
pile over until it breaks down into dirt. If you like
manual labor and working in the garden, this is
the Co-Curricular Offering for you! Time
commitment: ~30 minutes, one day a week.
CC67-01
Olin Does the BSO
Faculty sponsor: Diana Dabby
Limited to 3 students to accompany Professor
Dabby
Here’s your chance to hear the Boston Symphony
Orchestra live at Symphony Hall on the following
evenings:
Friday, February 13, 2015 at 8pm
Vladimir Jurowski, conductor
Pierre-Laurent Aimard, piano
LIADOV Baba-Yaga, Kikimora, From the
Apocalypse,and Nenie
BIRTWISTLE Responses: Of sweet disorder and the
carefully careless, for piano and orchestra
(American premiere; BSO co-commission)
STRAVINSKY The Firebird (Complete)
Saturday, March 28, 2015 at 8pm
Andris Nelsons, conductor
Olivier Latry, organ
GANDOLFI New work for organ and orchestra
(world premiere; BSO commission)
MAHLER Symphony No. 6
Friday, April 10, 2015 at 8pm
Andris Nelsons, conductor
Richard Goode, piano
SCHULLER Dreamscape
MOZART Piano Concerto No. 27 in
B-flat, K.595
STRAUSS Ein Heldenleben
CC170-01
Olin Scrabble
Faculty sponsor: Stephen Brand
Faculty member Stephen Brand has been playing
Scrabble in Scrabble clubs in Ohio where he used
to live and in Northampton and Lexington, MA.
There is a small (thousands) but dedicated
national network of Scrabble players who
participate in friendly competitions each week in
local clubs and even go to the National Scrabble
Championship, which welcomes novice and more
advanced players.
This one-evening-a-week co-curricular will
include: friendly one-on-one Scrabble games (35 per person each night); learning some of the
tips and tricks to become a better Scrabble
player; using timers while playing which all
competitive Scrabble players do; learning the
official rules; watching word wars http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0390632/ - a
movie about the folks who live Scrabble every
day; and some of us may go on a field trip to
play in other Scrabble game nights around the
Boston area.
semester. Participants can have any level of
fluency and we make every effort to be inclusive.
Although conversation topics are not guided, we
aim to enhance cultural exchange and diversity
by sharing experiences from different
backgrounds in a friendly and supportive
atmosphere. We like to tell jokes, laugh, and
share life at Olin.
CC171-01
RC Cars Build with Needham High School
Faculty sponsor: Chris Lee
CC105-01
Pickles and Jams
Faculty sponsor: Jean Huang
Limited to 15 students
Do you have a penchant for pickles? If so, join us for this
co-curricular where we will make our own naturally
fermented foods. We will test, sample and tweak a
variety of recipes for dill pickles, sauerkraut, mustard,
kimchee, jams and pickled fruits and vegetables. We will
learn techniques of safe canning to save the foods we
make through the cold New England winter! This cocurricular will conclude with a Pickle Party.
Last semester REVO partnered with Needham
High school and ran a pilot program teaching
high school students how to build their own RC
cars! Now we are going to launch a full scale
class and are looking for YOU to be part of the
project! No experience in electric vehicles is
necessary; just a passion for teaching and
learning. The plan is to have the Needham High
students come to Olin on Friday afternoons after
classes.
CC172-01
Self Authorship
Faculty sponsor: Gillian Epstein
CC77-01
Play with Clay
Faculty sponsor: Mark Somerville
Limited to 8 students.
If anything is "do-learn", and "hands-on", it's
pottery. Mark will host a very laid-back pottery
"class" at Babson's pottery studio. Whether
you've done pottery before, or you'd like to
learn, this is an opportunity to get your hands
muddy while you produce anything from a pencil
holder to a teapot. We will meet on
Tuesdays, from about 6:30-8:30 p.m.
There is a studio fee of about $85 per person,
which covers all the materials and firings.
CC20-01
¡Por supuesto! – Spanish Conversation
Faculty sponsor: Jose Oscar Mur-Miranda
This Co-Curricular Offering aims to maintain or
increase fluency in Spanish through informal
conversations during lunch or dinner. We usually
meet twice per week in the Dining Hall. Specific
times are determined at the beginning of the
This co-curricular on writing may span any of the
following genres, based on student interest:
 Blogging
 Fiction
 Poetry
 Journalism
 Personal Narrative
Some or all of the following activities may be
included:
 Workshopping
 Targeted reading
 Online publishing/feedback
 Field trips to author readings and/or poetry
slams
We will meet twice a month during the lunch
block, day TBD.
CC164-01
Representing Myself Part II – A CoCurricular for Grand Challenge Scholars
and Anyone Else Interested in SelfReflection and Expression
Faculty/Staff sponsors: Yevgeniya V. Zastavker,
Gillian Epstein and Sally Phelps
Learn more about Sustainability and the GCSP,
Portfolios, Critical Reflection Essays, and Job
Search Tools!
Are you on the road to becoming a Grand
Challenge Scholar and need some help with next
steps? Or do you just need support in coming
up with ways to express yourself and put your
future plans in action (i.e., with portfolios,
interview practice, and other forms of selfexpression)?
In Part II of Representing Myself, we’ll offer at
least three sessions of speakers, workshops and
office hours where we can help you figure out
answers to these questions, next steps, and more.
CC102- 01
Sustainable Beekeeping
Faculty sponsor: Benjamin Linder
Learn sustainable beekeeping practices while
working in the Olin apiary and running “Parcel
Bees,” the Olin honey CSA (Community
Supported Agriculture) through which Olin alums
buy shares in the annual harvest. Participants
learn to handle honey bees, make observations
of bee behavior, practice sustainable hive
management techniques, fabricate equipment,
harvest and process honey, process wax and
make candles. Multi-semester participation is
encouraged. Participants are required to attend
8 or more sessions per semester. Open to
students, faculty and staff.
CC174-01
Technology and Culture Reading Group
Faculty sponsor: Debbie Chachra
“Technology is not good or bad, nor is it neutral.”
Interested in learning more about the cultural and
social contexts of technology and of technological
change? The readings will mostly be shorter
pieces, with one or two books read over the
course of the semester. While the discussions will
focus on technology broadly, the exact readings
and topics will depend on the interests of the
participating students.
CC15-01
Telling the Olin Story
Faculty and staff sponsors: Rob Martello and
Graham Hooton
Participants in “Telling the Olin Story” will
investigate particular elements of Olin’s growing
historical record (documentation, publications,
people’s recollections, etc.) and present them to
the public. Individuals or teams will identify
aspects of the Olin story that interest them, such
as the history of the student government, an
examination of Olin’s first curriculum, or the
narrative of the partner year. We will then
identify the important aspects of each narrative
(for example, by identifying major milestones
and outcomes) and we will begin investigating
these narratives through a combination of
archival and research techniques. When we have
gained a good understanding of each narrative
we will apply some story-telling strategies and
share our findings through various means that
might include web pages, videos, on-campus
displays, or written works. We plan to approach
the vastness of Olin’s historical output with an eye
on categorization, prioritization, and description.
We are excited to see which compelling
narratives will emerge.
CC165-01
What’s Past is Prologue: Building Your
Family History through Historical Methods
and Modern Science
Faculty sponsor: Joanne Pratt
Limited to 15 students.
Have you been listening to family stories for
years, but don’t know exactly how you’re related
to “Aunt Ginny” or “Grampa Joe”? Are there
rumors in your family that you are descended
from Native Americans or Mayflower Pilgrims or
Abraham Lincoln? Do you wonder how you got
your green eyes when other family members are
blue or brown-eyed? Is it true that there’s no one
alive who is youer than you?
Interest in genealogy research has grown with the
advent of online tools (ancestry.com,
familysearch.org), inexpensive DNA testing and
third party tools (AncestryDNA, 23andme,
FTDNA, Gedmatch) and a plethora of television
shows (Who do you think you are?, Finding your
roots, Family Tree). In this co-curricular, we will
use a variety of tools to trace your roots and
organize your results. This may include collecting
family stories, photos and documents (parents
and grandparents are great sources for this type
of information), researching online databases that
provide documents such as immigration and
naturalization records, census, birth, marriage
and death records, and DNA analysis to identify
unknown cousins (who may know some family
secrets) and ancient ancestry/countries of origin.
We will meet once a week to discuss and explore
techniques for advancing our research and share
stories and information we’ve collected. DNA
testing will be optional (most sites charge $99
per kit), and the cost will be partially subsidized
by the co-curricular budget.
A meeting time will be determined by consensus
once interested participants have been
identified.
CC99-01
13.1 and Done: Half Marathon Training
Staff sponsor: Alison Black
Ever wanted to try and run and/or walk a half
marathon? Or have you completed one already
and want to do it again? Join me for this cocurricular! Our goal race is the Earth Rock Run
Half Marathon in Andover, MA on Sunday, May
3rd (commitment to this date is fairly important).
We will train utilizing a training program
developed by Hal Higdon. Training schedules
are available for novice runners all the way
through advanced runners. We will meet every
other week at a mutually agreeable time to:
discuss the training schedule, provide each other
with tips, share running stories, and arrange for
group runs if desired. Higdon’s program is
designed for 12 weeks so we’ll need to start
training on Monday, February 9th.
The first ten students to sign up will get at least
half their $75.00 race registration fee paid for
by the co-curricular program.
CC166-01
2D-3D Open Arts and Design Studio
Faculty Sponsor: Sara Hendren
Enrollment limited to 8 students.
This co-curricular is a weekly two-hour open
studio for making small-scale 2D and 3D
artworks or functional designs, primarily with
found materials (shop and studio scraps, etc) and
some basic provided supplies. Emphasis will be
on self-driven work, not instruction, but some
weeks we'll look at techniques or approaches that
may be interesting to the group. No background
is necessary! Occasional drop-ins are welcome if
there's capacity. Runs every Monday night, 6:308:30, in AC 225.