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Michael Hayes

This year's week-long Pro Vita Winter Session—Feb. 25 through March 3—features several new initiatives, new classes, and even a new director.

"I'm really excited about the line-up this year," said Donald Anselmi, who took over the signature program after three years of leadership under Bebe Bullock '86. "I think every class and every event will be inspiring in its own way, and will push students to follow their passions and take risks in exploring new experiences."

Pro Vita will kick off Sunday night in Allen Theater with A Cappella Palooza, an event featuring some of the region's most talented college a cappella singing groups, including UConn's A Minor and Northeastern's Downbeats.

Starting Monday morning, students will take a break from their regular academic schedule to attend two Pro Vita classes each day, one in the morning and another in the afternoon. This year's Pro Vita class schedule includes nearly 60 courses ranging from practical to down right fun; new classes this year include 5 Money Mistakes You Can't Afford to Make in College and So You Want to be a Sportscaster.

"The classes are a testament to the diversity here at Berkshire; diversity in experiences, passions, personal background and connections outside of our school," Anselmi said.

17 classes will be taught or co-taught by Berkshire students themselves, including Introduction to Arabic (Hussien El Desouky '19 and Tarek Ammouri '18), Beyond Beauty: Makeup and Skincare Masterclass (Lila Childs '19), and An Exploration of the Art, Literature, and Sport of Fly-Fishing (Sawnie McGee '18), to name a few.

Charlotte Childs '18 is helping teach Camp Berkshire, a class exploring the experiences, tradition and adventure of sleep-away camp.

"I feel really lucky to have the opportunity to share a personal interest with the rest of Berkshire," said Childs. "I'm most excited to have the director of my sleep-away camp visit our school, and share her experiences with camp. She has been a wonderful role model in my life, and I feel really lucky to share her with the rest of Berkshire."

This year, students will also be helping to lead a trip to Thailand and a trip to Nicaragua, two of the five off-site excursions offered during Pro Vita. The Thailand group will explore sustainability and tourism in Southeast Asia, culminating in a documentary that will be shared with the entire school later this spring. The Nicaragua group will embark on a service learning and community development program in the small town of Nindiri. Other trips include a journey to Venice to explore urban planning in the face of rising sea levels and an expedition through Utah led by the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS).

EA morning activity program was added this year to offer early risers the opportunity to exercise before heading to class, something Anselmi said was added to give students and faculty another opportunity to share a passion with one another. Faculty-led workouts include spinning, running, squash, yoga, and cross country skiing.

Back by popular demand is the Pro Vita Lunch Series, which this year features a visit from a former CIA official and a journalist from The New Yorker magazine.

The evening Speaker Series line-up promises to be both entertaining and educational. Grammy-Award winning musician Dom Flemons will perform on Tuesday evening in Allen Theater and scientist Dr. Max Holmes from the Woods Hole Research Center will share his expertise on global warming with Berkshire on Friday.

FOLLOW PRO VITA

Anyone wishing to participate in Pro Vita from afar has several opportunities to follow along. Three live webstreams are scheduled for evening events: A Cappella Palooza, Dom Flemons, and Max Holmes. And Berkshire's Pro Vita Instagram will have daily posts from campus as well as from students traveling around the world. Follow us on Instagram for all the news and updates! #ProVita2018