THEA 21
The Art of Being Present: A Gaudino Retreat Winter 2025

“One must live in the present without apology.” So wrote former faculty member Robert L. Gaudino, an innovative teacher and leading proponent of experiential education at Williams. But what exactly did he mean by this? Living in the present, whether at Williams or anywhere, is hard, especially in an era of non-stop, 24/7 activity. Rarely do we give ourselves the time to stop, slow down, focus on our breath and just allow ourselves to be open and attentive to whatever is going on in the moment. Engaging with art and creative activities can help facilitate ways of feeling more present in one’s life. Led by the current Gaudino Scholar, this course invites students to use Winter Study as a “retreat” in which to experience and practice ways of feeling more present in their lives. By encountering art and engaging with various creative practices, such as crochet and/or knitting, we will work to gain a sense of what being present means for each person. As an off-campus excursion, we will visit The Kripalu Center in Lenox, learning practices of mindfulness and relaxation. Evaluation will be based on participation in the activities of the retreat, which will involve two, 3-hour-long sessions per week of collective meetings as well as an additional ten hours per week (or roughly 2 hours/day) of activity conducted on one’s own time. Students will be required to keep a journal of their experience. The goal of the retreat is simply to learn how to embrace being “present without apology” at Williams and beyond.