Editor: Keith Davis Writers: Dave Maley Publisher: Office of Public Information Volume 22, No.12   February 28, 2000

Mind-Body Workshop Slated A free, two-and-a-half-day workshop focusing on the Alexander technique, a mind-body learning method, will be available this fall to 65 selected members of the College community. The workshop will start on Friday, October 20, and run through Sunday, October 22. Applications were mailed to students, faculty, and staff in mid-February; the deadline is March 15. Selection will be made on the basis of cross-campus representation. Accepted applicants will be notified by April 15. "The application process is to ensure we have an even representation of faculty, staff, and students from all areas of campus," says Eugenia Wacker-Hoeflin, performer in residence in the theater arts department and one of the workshop coordinators. "The reason we’re doing the selection process now is that the workshop will be held over fall break and we want to give people enough notice so they can plan their schedules accordingly." One of the goals of the workshop is to give participants a chance to explore the ways unconscious habits may interfere with the learning process. "Mind-body educational processes demonstrate that the way we use or unconsciously misuse our bodies affects the way we function," says Wacker-Hoeflin. "What we want to do is provide a cross-campus opportunity for exploring how this part of our educational experience affects our learning and teaching. This workshop will give people a chance to share perceptions, skepticism, comments, questions, and observations regarding the benefits of this particular mind-body educational process. At the heart of this workshop is the question, Does mind-body education have a place in Ithaca College’s general or core curricula?" Though there are many processes capable of exploring the mind-body connection, the Alexander technique is the oldest and most established of the western methods. Nine nationally and internationally known Alexander teachers will conduct the workshop. Small groups of participants will work with one teacher for a session, then rotate to another teacher. On the final morning, David Spano, director of the counseling center, will facilitate a brainstorming session. For more information on the content of the workshop, contact one of the workshop coordinators: Eugenia Wacker-Hoeflin, 274-3925; Jeff Ives, assistant professor of exercise and sport sciences, 274-1751; or Betsy Keller, associate professor of exercise and sport sciences, 274-1683. For more information on registration, contact Nancy Kotmel, assistant to the director of continuing education and summer sessions, at 274-3143.

ITHACA | Back Issues | Table of Contents | NEWS Home | Publication Schedule | Letter to the Editor Created by Andrejs Ozolins. Updated 25. .Feb. 2000