1999-2000
(file last updated: [7/6/1999 - 13:20:6])
Objectives
Movement and activity are basic functions necessary for the human body to grow, develop, and maintain health. Realizing that good health is largely self-controlled, the physical education department's curriculum focuses on fitness, dance, and lifetime sports to encourage lifestyle changes in its students.
Brandeis prides itself on education of the body as well as education of the intellect. The physical education department curriculum focuses on cardiovascular fitness, flexibility, body composition (percent of body fat), the maintenance of muscular strength, and endurance.
Students should complete the physical education requirement by the end of their sophomore year. Transfer students may offer toward the requirement physical education courses that appear on the transcript of their previous institutions. Most physical education courses meet for two hours per week and are limited in size; preference is given to first-year students.
Faculty
Judith Houde, Chair
Racquet sports.
Carol Ann Baer
Dance.
Bruce Bickford
Racquet Sports. Fitness.
Richard Burr
Athletic training. Fitness.
Vincent Christiano
Karate.
Michael Coven
Team sports. Weight training.
Denise Dallamora
Dance. Fitness. Individual sports.
Lisa DeNicola
Athletic training. Fitness.
Susan Dibble
Dance.
Zabelle Margosian
Dance.
Mark Reytblat
Fitness. Team sports.
William Shipman
Fencing. Racquet sports. Golf.
Carol Simon
Fitness. Team sports. Racquet sports.
Kenneth Still
Fitness. Team sports.
Mary Sullivan
Aquatics. First aid. CPR.
Richard Varney
Team sports. Racquet sports.
James Zotz
Aquatics. Fitness.
Undergraduate Degree Requirements
Physical education is an undergraduate degree requirement at Brandeis. This requirement is satisfied by successful completion of two semester-long, noncredit courses and a demonstration of an ability to swim, or by passing a fitness and knowledge test taken the first year. The swimming component may be met:
A. by passing the swim test,
B. with a Red Cross card, or
C. by taking a swimming course, the satisfactory completion of which counts as one of the two required activity courses.
All students have two opportunities during their first year at Brandeis to exempt themselves from all or part of the physical education requirement by taking a battery of tests that measure muscular strength and endurance, flexibility, cardiovascular endurance, body composition, swimming proficiency, and knowledge of topics in fitness, health, and nutrition. The written portion of the test, given at a later date, consists of 25 multiple-choice and 25 true and false questions drawn from materials in the Physical Education Health Fitness Study Guide. This guide is provided in advance to qualified students who choose to participate in the testing program. A student unable to pass the fitness test should enroll in a course in the Personal Fitness Group.
Courses of Instruction
Aquatics Certification
PE 1a Beginner's Swimming
Enrollment limited to 16.
This course is designed to teach the non-swimmer the basic skills of floating, treading water, and the crawl stroke. Students who successfully pass this course will be qualified to pass the Brandeis Swim Test. Usually offered every semester.
Ms. Sullivan
PE 3a Lifeguard Training
Prerequisite: An American Red Cross lifeguard training pretest. Enrollment limited to 12. Satisfies the entire physical education requirement.
This course will be an instruction in American Red Cross Lifeguard training. Certificates will be given to students who successfully complete the water and rescue skills test and pass the written test with scores of 80 percent or better. Usually offered every fall semester.
Mr. Burr
Dance
PE 26a Ballroom Dance
Enrollment limited to 40.
Each semester the six most popular dances will be covered. In addition to patterns basic to fox-trot, waltz, cha-cha, rumba, swing, and tango, technical principles of partnered dance will be introduced. Usually offered every semester.
Ms. Evans-Baer
PE 26b Intermediate Ballroom Dance
Prerequisite: PE 26a or comparable dance experience. Enrollment limited to 40.
This course will build on the fundamentals presented in PE 26a, introducing more involved patterns and techniques. Additional rhythms will be presented. Usually offered every spring semester.
Ms. Evans-Baer
PE 31a Ballet
Enrollment limited to 15.
Students will begin with warming-up exercises (barre work) and balance, control, stretch, and arm movements will be incorporated. When dancers become strong enough, class will proceed to center work, including balancing exercises, turns, and jumps. Dancers will learn stretching and cooling-down exercises. Usually offered every semester.
Ms. Margosian
PE 31b Intermediate Ballet
Enrollment limited to 15.
Students need to have two to three years of recent ballet training to participate. Same material as beginning ballet will be covered at an accelerated pace. Russian style ballet, the Legat Technique, will be taught. Usually offered every spring semester.
Ms. Margosian
PE 32a Modern Dance
Enrollment limited to 20.
This is a beginning course in modern dance technique, based on Martha Graham and Jose Lemon style. The course will offer stretching and alignment to dance sequences. Usually offered every semester.
Ms. Dibble
PE 39a African Dance
Enrollment limited to 25.
A high energy introduction to the traditional dance of West Africa. Students learn the dance steps of several drum rhythms, such as Koukou, Manjani, and Zagrobi. Students become familiar with the sounds of the djembe, an ancient drum from West Africa. Emphasis is placed on technique and form. Last offered in the spring of 1999.
Mr. Camara
Health and Safety
Note: Students with approved medical excuses should take courses from this area.
PE 5a First Aid and Community CPR
Enrollment limited to 12.
An instruction in the American Red Cross standard First Aid and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation. Upon course completion, certificates will be given to students who successfully complete the skills test and pass the written test with scores of 80 percent or better. Usually offered every semester.
Mr. Burr and Ms. Sullivan
PE 6a Sports Medicine
Enrollment limited to 20.
This course will be an introduction to sports medicine and a basic understanding of human anatomy and sports is required. The course will look at many facets of sports medicine including weight training, nutrition, drug education, flexibility, and rehabilitation. Each of the major joints of the body will be examined anatomically, based on injuries sustained. Class will also look briefly at surgical repair of certain joints. Usually offered every spring semester.
Mr. Burr
Personal Fitness
PE 2a Swim Fitness
Enrollment limited to 20.
Course is designed to improve overall fitness levels through lap swimming. Emphasis is on using the heart rate to improve cardiovascular endurance level. The instruction will be geared more to understanding and implementing swimming as a vehicle to fitness and less toward teaching individual swimming stroke mechanics. Usually offered every semester.
Mr. Zotz
PE 2b Water Aerobics
Enrollment limited to 20.
Course is designed to improve overall fitness levels through water exercise. Emphasis will be on improving cardiovascular endurance through a cross-section of exercises done in the water. Usually offered every semester.
Mr. Zotz
PE 11a Nautilus/Free Weights
Enrollment limited to 25.
Course will be an instruction of proper use of Nautilus, Body Master, and free weight training. Classes will also include aerobic activity such as use of Lifecycles and Tru-Climb 450. Usually offered every semester.
Staff
PE 12a Step Aerobics
Enrollment limited to 30.
Step aerobics is a program that includes stepping up and down on an adjustable platform while performing upper body movements to music. Unlike aerobics, it is low impact and can be moderated to any fitness level. Usually offered every semester.
Ms. DeNicola
PE 13a Aerobics Medley
Enrollment limited to 30.
This class is basic exercise and dance movements executed to music. Light weights will be used and proper stretching techniques, warm-up, abdominal work, and cool-down also included. Variations of step aerobics may also be included. Usually offered every semester.
Ms. Dallamora
PE 14a Yoga
Enrollment limited to 15.
Hatha yoga is physical in nature and is based on proper body alignment and is distinctive in its use of props such as belts, walls, and blankets. Classes start with gentle stretches and work toward more challenging poses. Usually offered every semester.
Ms. Dallamora
PE 27a Wellness
Enrollment limited to 25.
This course is designed to help students achieve wellness through exercise, nutrition, and health education. Students will be taught to recognize components of their lifestyles that are detrimental to their health while developing a personal fitness program. Usually offered every semester.
Ms. DeNicola
PE 33a Walking for Fitness
Enrollment unlimited.
This course is designed to improve your overall fitness level through walking. Emphasis will be on improving cardiovascular endurance level. Instruction will be given on how to develop a personal fitness program. Usually offered every semester.
Staff
PE 35a Power Walking
Enrollment limited to 25.
Designed to help increase the fitness level of the students through a high-intensity, low-impact workout. The workout consists of walking with hand-held weights. Usually offered every semester.
Mr. Zotz
PE 37a Fitness for Sports
Introduces proper cardiovascular and stretching warm-up to prevent injury and prepare for athletic competition. Students learn running drills which improve flexibility and coordination and develop good running form to be used in any sport.
Staff
Sport Appreciation
PE 9a Volleyball
Enrollment limited to 40.
An introduction to the fundamentals of volleyball--scoring, rotation, rules, and the basic skills of passing, serving, hitting, and setting. Methodology includes lectures, demonstrations, drills, but mostly play. Course is intended to be fun through active participation. Usually offered every fall.
Staff
PE 10a Basketball
Enrollment limited to 30.
Class will be structured to meet needs of students with an overview of offensive and defensive skills. Methods used are lecture, demonstrations, drills, and play. Usually offered every semester.
Staff
PE 16a Golf
Enrollment limited to 12.
This is a beginning golf group instructional course. Techniques such as grip, set-up, swing, chipping, pitching, and putting will be covered. Some discussion on golf rules and etiquette will be introduced. Usually offered every semester.
Staff
PE 17a Beginner's Fencing
Enrollment limited to 20.
This course will cover basic mobility, offensive and defensive strategy, and tactics. Competitive bouting will be done, with a class tournament scheduled for the end of the semester. Usually offered every semester.
Mr. Shipman
PE 18b Intermediate Fencing
Enrollment limited to 20.
Basic mobility and blade actions will be reviewed, with advanced attacks and tactics, strategy, and more bouting included. Also an introduction to the saber and epee. Usually offered every other spring semester.
Mr. Shipman
PE 21a Tennis
Enrollment limited to 16.
This course will be an overview of grips, groundstrokes, serve, return of serve, and net play. Basic singles and doubles strategy, rules, and scoring of the game will be introduced. Usually offered every semester.
Staff
PE 22a Squash
For sections that are one-hour in length, enrollment is limited to 16; for sections that are one-and-a-half hours in length, enrollment is limited to 25.
This course will cover rules for softball. The serve, return of serve, grip, forehand, backhand, and other basic strokes will be introduced. Strategy and play will be emphasized. Usually offered every semester.
Staff
PE 24a Beginner's Karate
Enrollment limited to 25.
The first three Kata of Uechi-Ryu will be taught. Application to kanshiwa and kanshu will be explored. Students will begin slow speed, focused free-fighting, with emphasis on technique from Uechi-Ryu Kata. Usually offered every semester.
Mr. Christiano
PE 25a Intermediate Karate
Prerequisite: PE 24a. Enrollment limited to 25.
Advanced Kotekitae and body conditioning, especially shin and toe development, will be practiced. Study of self-defense will focus on multiple, unarmed attackers. Usually offered every spring semester.
Mr. Christiano
PE 38a Indoor Soccer
Enrollment limited to 18.
An introduction to the fundamentals of soccer--skill development, dribbling, passing, shooting, offense and defense. Intended to be fun through participation in elementary games and exercises.
Courses of Related Interest
These courses count as activity courses towards the Physical Education requirement.
Movement for the Stage I
Movement for the Stage II
Stage Combat
Modern Dance and Movement
Movement and Dance Theater Composition