William Brideau

William Alfred Brideau was born on August 10th, 1985 at 6:00 in the morning in Rochester, New York. He is the youngest of five children, Alexander, Elizabeth, Neil, and Katherine, his parents are Kathleen Q. Brideau and Leo P. Brideau. He became fascinated with science fiction, as well as Blues music at a very young age. He attended Rochester city schools, and when entering School of the Arts, he worked closely with Tom Painting, a creative writing and English teacher. Painting took him under his wing, teaching him Haiku poetry. The two went to Haiku conferences, and in New York City, 2000, judged a nation-wide haiku contest for the Haiku Society of America, a subsidiary of the Japan Society. William became somewhat successful in his Haiku poetry, getting published in newsletters like "Haiku Headlines," "Pebbles," and "Spring Peepers," as well as larger publications like the Haiku Society of America's "Frog Pond."

following the bee from one lilac to the next- curious toddler

William's success was hindered, when in October of 2000, he became seriously ill from food poisoning. This illness developed into a severe stomach disease that would become an 18 month ordeal. In the summer of 2001, the family moved from Rochester to Mequon, Wisconsin, at which point Leo Brideau became the CEO of Columbia-St. Mary's hospitals. William encountered another influential English teacher, Christopher Gaebel, who taught him a great deal about expository writing, Daoism, and meditation.

William went on to study at Hampshire College, working with faculty like Kristen Luschen, Alan Hodder, Abraham Zablocki, Laura Wenk, Vivek Bhandari, Lobsang Norbu Shastri-la, Jay L. Garfield, Ryan Bong-Joo, and Steven Heim. His Division II was focused on Tibet, South Asia, and Education, and including his Teaching Assistant work, completed 21 courses during this two-year period. During his academic career, he worked with the schools of Social Science, Humanities, Arts and Cultural Studies, as well as Cognitive Science. In April of 2006, he joined a massive group of students and went to New Orleans to gut houses and do relief work with Common Ground Collective. In January of 2007, he travelled on Jay L. Garfield's Tibetan Studies in India Program, where he began working with Shastri-la (Genla), studying Tibetan history, religion, culture, politics, Buddhist philosophy and texts at the Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies in Sarnath, India. During this program, William became personally invested with Buddhism after his experiences in Bodh Gaya and Rajgir. During this visit, William was also blessed by His Holiness the 17th Karmapa. Genla went back to Hampshire College (as he had done once before), and taught "Introduction to Tibetan Religion," for which William was a Teaching Assistant, and also at Smith College, taught "Colloquium: Comparative Indian Philosophy," which William took. His work with Shastri-la changed and increased his understanding of Buddhist philosophy and ethics. In May 2007, William attended a public lecture by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, and was invited as an observer to the Five College Buddhist Studies Faculty Seminar, where His Holiness spoke to an audience of 12 teachers and 25 student observers. During the summer of 2007, William was an intern at Religions for Peace - USA, an affiliate organization of the World Conference of Religions for Peace, a United Nations organization.



William has been a Teaching Assistant Five times, and feels it has been the most informative and worthwhile experience he has had at Hampshire College. He has worked with Professor Vivek Bhandari for his class The Making of Modern South Asia;Professor Abraham Zablocki twice for his class, Constructing Tibet Through Film and Literature; Professor Lobsang Norbu Shastri-la for his class Introduction to Tibetan Religion; and Professor Kristen Luschen, for her class Contemporary Issues in Education Reform: No Child Left Behind.

William is currently completing his Division III entitled, "Teaching Tibet: Pedagogical Theory and Practice, and the Preservation and Education of Tibetan Religion, Culture, History and Politics," wherein he will teach a course at Hampshire College, entitled, "Introduction to Tibet: History, Religion, and Politics." He will be graduating in May 2008 with a Five College Buddhist Studies Certificate.

The Five College Buddhist Studies Certificate Program
The Five Colleges has a thriving Buddhist studies program, featuring talented and prominent scholars like Jay L. Garfield, Peter Gregory, Susan Darlington, Maria Heim, Susanne Mrozik and Alan Hodder. The Consortium awards students with the Buddhist Studies Certificate once they have met a rigorous set of requirements which explore multiple facets of the Buddhist faith. William became dedicated to this program after his experience on the Five College Tibetan Studies in India Program in January 2007.

Relevant Coursework


 * Constructing Tibet Through Film and Literature SS-145
 * Teaching Assistant - Constructing Tibet Through Film and Literature SS-145
 * Teaching Assistant - Constructing Tibet Through Film and Literature SS-145 (Repeat TA)
 * Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Philosophy PHI-253 (Smith College and the Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies)
 * Colloquium: Comparative Indian Philosophy PHI-265 (Smith College, with Professor Lobsang Norbu Shastri-la)
 * Teaching Assistant - Introduction to Tibetan Religions HACU-143
 * Yoga Traditions HACU-244
 * Introduction to Buddhist Meditation HACU-249
 * Buddhism During the Colonial Period HACU-323
 * Introduction to Tibet: History, Religion Culture and Politics HACU-100

The Five College Tibetan Studies in India Program
William went with Professor Jay L. Garfield, Khenrab Palden Sangpo, and thirteen students from Mt. Holyoke College, Smith College and Hampshire College to Sarnath, India for an intensive month of study at the Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies. During this month, William attended classes on


 * The Bodhicaryavatara by Santideva
 * Letter to a Friend by Nagarjuna
 * The Heart Sutra
 * The Four Schools of Tibetan Buddhism
 * The Bon Religion of Tibet
 * Tibetan Medicine
 * Tibetan Astrology and Mathematics
 * Buddhist Ethics
 * Political and Religious History of Tibet
 * Indian Philosophy
 * The Tripitika
 * Four Tenets of Buddhist Philosophy
 * Sunyata and the Emptiness of Emptiness

During this month, William also


 * Traveled to Delhi, Nalanda University, Vulture Peak, Raj Gir, Varanasi, and Bodh Gaya, the place of the Buddha's Enlightenment,
 * Attended an Indian classical music concert, and
 * Met Professor Lobsang Norbu Shastri-la for the first time.

William desperately wants to go back for prolonged study.

The No Child Left Behind Project
William's involvement with Kristen Luschen, Lauren Bentley, Madeline Baker, Samantha Kimball and Evan Hatten in the creation of the documentary, "The Cost of Accountability: Teaching Under the No Child Left Behind Act" was a successful and formative experience, spanning two and a half years. This has involved:


 * Constant, engaged study into the legislation,
 * Collecting and filming interviews from 14 teachers in the Pioneer Valley,
 * Creation of a trailer screened at the Childhood Youth and Learning Symposium in April 2006,
 * Creation of a short written report,
 * Creation of a longer executive report,
 * Publication of this data to local and state representatives
 * Editing and creation of the documentary, The Cost of Accountability: Teaching Under the No Child Left Behind Act.
 * Screening of this documentary in April 2007 at Hampshire College FPH Main Lecture Hall,
 * Screening of this documentary in October 2007, at the American Educational Studies Association's annual conference in Cleveland, Ohio,
 * Teaching Assistant for Kristen Luschen's course, Contemporary Issues in Education Reform: No Child Left Behind SS-124.

In June 2007, "Division III William A. Brideau published an essay in the June 5 Rochester, New York, Democrat and Chronicle addressing the problems of No Child Left Behind. Brideau and other students worked last year with Assistant Professor of Education Studies Kristen Luschen analyzing the effects of this legislation and creating a film titled The Cost of Accountability."

Relevant Coursework:


 * Contemporary Issues in Education Reform: No Child Left Behind SS-124
 * Independent Study - Continued Studies on No Child Left Behind SS-200
 * Continued work on The Cost of Accountability during 2007 Spring Semester.
 * Teaching Assistant - Contemporary Issues in Education Reform: No Child Left Behind SS-124

Studies and Research on Tibet
William's concentration at Hampshire has always been connected to Tibet in some way. He began researching Tibet during the summer of 2004, and has taken as many opportunities as he can to immerse himself in this material. After leaving Hampshire, William plans to continue his work and research, travel back to the Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies for a year of intensive study, and hopes to attend the Harvard Divinity School when the time comes.

Relevant Coursework:


 * Introduction to Asian Religions HACU-160
 * Constructing Tibet Through Film and Literature SS-145
 * Teaching Assistant - Constructing Tibet Through Film and Literature SS-145
 * People in Motion: Migration, Exile, Diaspora and Citizenship SS-290
 * Teaching Assistant - Constructing Tibet Through Film and Literature SS-145 (Repeat TA)
 * Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Philosophy PHI-253 (Smith College and the Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies)
 * Colloquium: Comparative Indian Philosophy PHI-265 (Smith College, with Professor Lobsang Norbu Shastri-la)
 * Teaching Assistant - Introduction to Tibetan Religions HACU-143
 * Student Taught Courses - Introduction to Tibet: History, Religion, Culture and Politics HACU-100

Studies and Research on Pedagogy
This is William's other essential academic interest. Inspired by friend and former roommate Nick Feia, William views teaching as the ideal livelihood. It allows one to be passionate about one's work while also doing something beneficial for someone else. William hopes to teach World Religions or World History at a public high school, and then move on and profess at an undergraduate level -- hopefully at Hampshire College.

Relevant Coursework:


 * Contemporary Issues in Education Reform: No Child Left Behind SS-124
 * How People Learn CS-208
 * Independent Study - Continued Studies on No Child Left Behind SS-200
 * Topics in Childhood Youth and Learning Seminar CS-356
 * Teaching Assistant - Contemporary Issues in Education Reform: No Child Left Behind SS-124

Studies and Research on South Asia
A vital portion of William's Division II studies, he still has great interest in South Asia, although he had to drop this area of study when narrowing down his focus for Division III. To this extent, Professor Vivek Bhandari greatly influenced William and his approach to this material. He hopes to resume his study of South Asia after his Division III Thesis is completed in April 2008.

Relevant Coursework:


 * War and Peace in South Asia SS-208
 * Music of India HACU-108
 * The Making of Modern South Asia SS-110
 * Teaching Assistant - The Making of Modern South Asia SS-110
 * Yoga Traditions - HACU 244

Studies in Tantra

 * The Life And Liberation of Padmasambhava (Volumes I & II) by Yeshe Tsogyal
 * Buddha Mind by Tulku Thondup Rinpoche (Edited by Harold Talbott)
 * The Great Liberation Through Hearing in the Intermediate States by Padmasambhava, Translated by Gyurme Dorje (Edited by Graham Coleman and Thupten Jinpa, Introduction by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama)
 * Lamp of Mahamudra by Tsele Natsok Rangdrol

Studies in Ontology

 * Glimpses of Abhidharma by Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche
 * Elaborations on Emptiness by Donald S. Lopez, Jr.
 * Living Dharma by Jack Kornfield

Long and Ornate

 * Wisdom of Buddha
 * The Lotus Sutra

Studies in Ethics

 * The Dhammapada
 * Letter to A Friend by Acarya Nagarjuna
 * Bodhicaryavatara by Santideva

Studies in Madhyamika Philosophy

 * The Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way by Nagarjuna
 * The Ornament of the Middle Way by Shantaraksita
 * The Holy Teaching of Vimalakirti

William Making History
This is Will making history by being the first Student at Hampshire to publish his Division III, Teaching Tibet: Pedagogical Theory and Practice, and the Preservation and Education of Tibetan Religion, Culture, History and Politics! Also Will Division III class Introduction to Tibet: History, Religion, and Politics, is available on Hampedia.