University Honors Program Blog
Intellectual Omnivores Unite
Join the Honors Program for a lunch time discussion on
Friday, March 21st at 12:30pm in Ames 101
What if we moved the capital of the United States to Wyoming instead of Washington? Or what if we moved the Congress to San Francisco and kept the White House in Washington? Where government is located is a big part of how government operates, and Professor Fontana will talk about the many reasons that is the case.
Presented in Collaboration with The GWU English Department:
Professor Jim English, John Welsh Centennial Professor of English at the University of Pennsylvania
Director of the Penn Humanities Forum
What is Britain’s role in the “world space” of cinema and television? When we speak of the globalization of art and entertainment media we tend to assume that the overarching story is one of Americanization: with each passing year the world’s screens become more pervasively dominated by American products and styles. In this presentation, Jim English will offer a different story, emphasizing the continuing power of Britain to shape the contours of global screen culture. Drawing on examples from the documentary film movement of the 1930s through the Oscar-winning film Slumdog Millionaire and recent television hits such as American Idol and X Factor, with their dozens of international variants, Professor English will argue that much of what succeeds best in today’s transnational markets depends on a specifically British-imperial system of “glocal” reality production. Jim English is author of Comic Transactions: Literature, Humor, and the Politics of Community in Twentieth-Century Britain (Cornell UP) and The Economy of Prestige: Prizes, Awards, and the Circulation of Cultural Value (Harvard UP).
This event was made possible by a generous gift from English alum Sharyn Rosenblum (BA ’86)
George Washington University’s Rabin Chair Forum and Middle East Policy Forum, together with the Middle East Program of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, invite you to a program about the making of Jerusalem.
Using the world’s most advanced 3D and IMAX film technology, JERUSALEM brings to audiences spectacular, never-before-seen footage of this much-loved 5,000-year- old city. The film tells the complicated and fascinating story of Jerusalem through the viewpoints of the three main religions—Christianity, Islam and Judaism. Each is represented by a young woman who shows us “her” Jerusalem. The archaeology of Jerusalem is also explored in the film to understand its importance in world history.
In this program, join the young women from the film—Farah Ammouri, Nadia Tadros and Revital Zacharie—for a discussion about the making of the film and its themes. Introduction by Lisa Truitt, president of National Geographic Cinema Ventures.
This week, UHP student Rozzie Kopczynski begins a new adventure in her school career- directing a play for the GW Shakespeare Company. This Thursday and Friday, the company will be holding auditions in Ivory Tower from 7-9 pm for Taming of the Shrew, one of William Shakespeare’s many classic and oft-retold plays.
The play itself concerns Petruchio, a young man, who seeks to win the hand and heart of Katherine Minola, who is known for being difficult and “shrewish”. Meanwhile, her younger sister Bianca is courted by throngs of men waiting for the chance to woo her. Characters use disguises, switched identities, and many other often-questionable strategies to achieve their goals.
Ms. Kopczynski’s vision for the play is “the feminist interpretation”. Set in a 1950s diner, the strict gender roles and societal expectations of the time period provide a topical background to the events of the play. Katherina is talked down to and insulted because she refuses to submit to the expectation of an arranged marriage chosen by her father, while Bianca, her quieter sister, is seen as docile and obedient because she doesn’t verbally object to her many suitors. But first impressions are not always correct, and the characters are not always the face they portray.
Contact gwshakespeare@gmail.com for more information- and we hope to see you on Thursday or Friday!
This Friday, February 21st, join your SPA at 2pm in the townhouse Club Room for a study abroad panel. SPA who have been abroad in exotic locales all over the world will be on hand to share their experiences and answer any questions that you have about studying abroad, including:
Should I study abroad?
How do I figure out the right program for me?
Can I study abroad as an Honors Program student?
How will I fit going abroad into my four-year plan?
Come see your SPA on this Friday for answers all to these questions and more!
Maria Frawley, Director of the University Honors Program will meet with students over lunch for a direct conversation about the University Honors Program. Bring your questions, concerns, and great ideas for the program! But sign up fast, because seats are limited!
Lunch with the Director: Friday, February 28th at 12pm in the Honors Clubroom in Foggy Bottom (714 21st).
Sign up now! (Students only, please.)
If you think you’ve seen Catherine Chandler geek out talking about Sherlock, you haven’t seen anything yet!
Join your faithful Program Officer on an adventure in art and history at the National Gallery with a personal tour of the special exhibition “Heaven and Earth: Art of Byzantium from Greek Collections.” Icons, textiles, architecture, sculpture, jewelry and reliquaries will come to life as you explore this oft-neglected millenium of Western civilization.
Catherine earned her Master’s in art history at the Institute of Fine Arts, NYU and pursued further graduate work at Bryn Mawr, studying late antique, early Christian, Byzantine and medieval art. This exhibition is the first on Byzantine art ever hosted by the National Gallery and presents a rare opportunity to take in this empire between worlds – classical and medieval, eastern and western.
Saturday, February 22, meet at the Honors Townhouse (714 21st Street) at 1pm before hopping onto Metro to Smithsonian station.
To join the tour, contact Catherine directly at cbrady@gwu.edu.
This post is written by UHP students Rachel Roberts and Tigan Woolson.
On Thursday, February 6, 2014, Professor Vann’s Arts and Humanities class, Alienation and Appropriation: The Political Power of Art in the Abrahamic Religions from the Holy Land to al-Andalus and Beyond, went to the Arena Stage to see The Tallest Tree in the Forest.
This one-man show presents the life of Paul Robeson, a Black singer, actor, and activist. Robeson’s life and work are an awe-inspiring testament to a man committed to his cause before he had a movement to support him. His story is not well-known to the general American public due to the backlash he received for his outspoken participation in the race and labor movements in the US and abroad, and for his alleged Communist affiliation. Author and star Daniel Beaty opens the second act with an insightful monologue about the nature of “comfortable black history” attributed to Jamal Joseph, a film professor at Columbia. The music that was included in the show, all performed live, added a dimensionality that only improved the already impressive and powerful performance.
The Tallest Tree in the Forest explored the concept of what makes a hero, his legacy, and how the conceptual idea of a hero has developed according to previously existing archetypes, one of the focuses of the course. Robeson’s life, which seems to adhere to our expectations of a civil rights hero, was not viewed as heroic however due to his political affiliations and race, and the fact that the results of his efforts would take years after his death to manifest, after he had been mostly written out of history. The double standard that is held for individuals according to their race, religion, and political affiliations is underscored throughout the play. The play is structured as an old man’s recounting of a life filled with victories, loses and regrets, celebrating Robeson while acknowledging his shortcomings as a man and as an activist. This exploration of an unsung hero provided an interesting contrast to the heroes that the class has been studying, who by the very nature of us studying their narratives centuries later, though multiple interpretations, are classically heroes. There are certainly traits that all typical heroes adhere to, however, one can only see these persons as heroes should we already believe they are capable of being considered as heroes, and when they can be directly, visibly attached to major victories. Paul Robeson however, due to his race, labor dialogue, and alleged political affiliations, was prevented from entering history as a hero, but rather established the basis for a national perception of later civil rights leaders that have been canonized in the mainstream.
In honor of Valentine’s Day, Golden Key International Honour Society (of which several UHP students are a member) is hosting a drive to nurture a group of women who are working to improve their lives and be empowered. Specifically, we are collecting treats for the women in Calvary Women’s Shelter; these women are rarely pampered, especially on Valentine’s Day.
Please purchase any of the following items and bring them to the Marvin Center Lobby between 11AM-1PM & 6PM-8PM on Tuesday, February 11th:
Chocolate
Fingernail Polish
Candy
Make-Up
Bubble Bath
Lotion
Items will be donated to the Calvary Women’s Shelter. Calvary provides a safe place to live, nutritious meals, educational programs, employment opportunities, mental health services, and addiction recovery support.
The George Washington’s Birthday Bonfire will be part of Homecoming Weekend 2014. Join the GW community at this longstanding tradition. Mix and mingle with students, alumni and fans while enjoying s’mores and entertainment. In the event of adverse weather, George Washington’s celebration will be held at the men’s homecoming basketball game at 4pm on Saturday, February 8 at the Charles E. Smith Center.
For more information, email uevents@gwu.edu or call 202-994-7129.
Follow Homecoming Weekend 2014 with #GWHW14; Follow @GWUEvent and @GWGeorge too!
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