Professor: Arie Dubnov
Department: History
Title: Fallen Soldiers: The creation of Israel’s commemoration culture
Description: Fallen Soldiers: The creation of Israel’s commemoration culture
Unlike the Veterans Day in the USA, “Yom Hazikaron”, the Israeli Memorial Day for fallen soldiers, takes a different mood and meaning and is even considered a key element of Israeli civil religion. My research wishes to provide a historical analysis of the way in which Israeli culture and society developed the cultural mechanisms of dealing with collective and national grief and how it changed over the years. Being a cultural historian, I will be using a wide range of media, including plastic arts (monuments, paintings, sculptures), literature and poetry. Secondly, the article I am writing is prepared for a collection of essays that will examine the work of the late historian George L Mosse who wrote on the European culture of Fallen Soldiers after WWI. For that reason, it will include a comparative dimension and a re-evaluation of Mosse’s historiographic thesis.
Duties:
The main tasks of the research assistant would be to identify and survey historiography (historical literature) dealing with Mosse’s work and with Israel’s commemoration culture, that will provide the bibliography of the study. The RA will be asked to find articles and books, and write short synopses, identifying the main argument and finding. Next, the RA will help me in finding rare materials at the Gelman Library’s Kiev Collection and at the Library of Congress.
Familiarity with JSTOR and conducting research in online databases, and familiarity with the Gelman Library’s GRC (Global Resources Center) is required. Knowledge of Hebrew and/or Israeli culture is preferable but not required.
I’d be extremely happy to find a student interested in this topic who might be interested in issues related to history and memory. I am open to the possibility of an independent study as well that will allow the student to gain extra credit, after writing his/her own research essay on the subject.
Time commitment: 1-3 hours per week (average)
Credit hour option*: 1
Submit Cover Letter/Resume to: dubnov@gwu.edu
*If credit is sought, all registration deadlines and requirements must be met. Students selected to be research assistants should contact Ben Faulkner at benfaulkner@gwu.edu whether they intend to pursue credit or not.
Category: General News
Take a Second Look at These Spring Courses
Still tweaking your spring schedule? Consider one of these UHP classes that currently have available seats!
HONR 1034.13 The Physics of Everyday Life
Professor Gerald Feldman
CRN 48019
TR 1:00-2:50 PM
Course Fulfills: CCAS: GPAC Natural/Physical Science with Lab, Oral Communication; ESIA: Science; GWSB: Science
Course Description: How does a microwave oven heat food? What makes an airplane fly? How does a CD player work? Are magnetically levitated trains fact or fiction? These are some of the questions that will be addressed in The Physics of Everyday Life. Science is all around us — we only need to keep our eyes open to see it and our minds open to understand it. This course will introduce students to physical principles through an examination of everyday objects to see “what makes them tick.” This is a new and unconventional approach to physics, and science in general, that starts with whole objects and looks inside them to see how they work. Possible topics include roller coasters, bicycles, clocks, rockets, air conditioners, xerox copiers, 3D printers, cameras, nuclear weapons and medical imaging.
The course is primarily conceptual in nature and is intended for students who are seeking a connection between science and the world in which they live. In the lab component of the course, students will have the chance to independently explore the physics of everyday life with hands-on projects related to selected or student-defined topics that appeal to their own curiosity.
HONR 2047W.80 Politics and Culture
Professor Harvey Feigenbaum
CRN: 46122
T 3:30-6:00
Course Fulfills: WID; CCAS: GPAC Social Science; GWSB: Non-Business Elective/Unrestricted Elective; SEAS: Social Sciences
Course Description:Was capitalism created by Protestantism? Is culture dominated by the ruling class? How does Americanization affect the politics of other countries? Is Hollywood left-wing? These are some of the questions explored in Honors 2047W, “Politics and Culture.” The course is a seminar where some of the classic literature is discussed. It also includes discussion of movies and if possible will include attending a local production of political theater.
HONR 2053.10 Irish Literature in Context
Professor Donna Scarboro
CRN: 48492
MW 4:45-6:00 PM
Course Fulfills: CCAS: Humanities, Minority/postcolonial literature English requirement; ESIA: Humanities; GWSB: Non-Business Elective/Unrestricted Elective; SEAS: Humanities
Course Description: How has the post-colonial nation of Ireland become a beacon of both literary achievement and conflict resolution? Are these achievements linked? How successful were the efforts of writers who, to paraphrase Joyce, hoped to escape the nets of nationality, language, religion? Were Irish literary figures successful in creating a ‘fifth province’ that could build a new Irish identity out of the entrenched oppositions of national politics and sectarian conflict? Does the Irish experience hold any lessons for modern-day, worldwide efforts to overcome similar types of prejudice and violence? This course blends an overview of Irish history into the study of literature to explore the give-and-take between politics and literary production. We will read Joyce, Yeats, Synge, Heaney, Beckett, and Friel and view a small selection of films.
Goodbye, UHP!
Dearest students,
The new year is a time of new goals, new challenges, and new beginnings. In that spirit, I am writing to share with you all that I have accepted a position in the GWSB advising office, and my last day with the Honors Program will be this Friday, January 4th. During this time of transition, please direct advising questions to Ben Faulkner and miscellaneous UHP wonderings to uhp@gwu.edu.
Thank you all for making my time in the UHP full of fun, learning, meaning, and challenge (the good kind). Every day I have come to work looking forward to brainstorming solutions with you, celebrating your successes, and arguing about pop culture. I will miss those interactions, as well as the special and unique community shared by the students, staff, and faculty of the UHP.
I won’t be going far! While I hope to run into you on campus, please feel encouraged to keep in touch, find me on Facebook, or email me if you need a letter of recommendation or just want to grab coffee.
I have truly loved working with you all. Thank you for making this such an amazing job to do each day.
Mary
#HonorsProblems: The Kindness of Strangers and Other Nice Sentiments for Finals Season
The following blog post was written by Peer Advisor Tori, an ESIA senior studying international affairs and applied ethics.
“You speak English like Americans; may I ask where you’re from?” After a long day of travel plagued by poorly planned logistics, my friend and I had just ordered our first meal in Malta when the elderly couple sitting at the table next to us asked the dreaded question. Having just finished a semester studying in England and, thus, painfully aware of our Americanisms, we answered with a “yes, how could you tell?” and a smile. They had just finished dessert but appeared to have taken an interest in us.
My friend and I explained that we were both Americans but met while studying abroad. The woman, Charmaine, and her husband, Nick, immediately proceeded to ask us all sorts of questions: Why England? What did you study? What brought you to Malta? How long will you be visiting?
This conversation lasted two more hours. We answered their questions and, as soon as they realized that we were willing to engage with “boring old people,” they opened up to us immediately. Charmaine was Maltese and grew up in Malta; she moved to New York City as a teenager and met Nick, a Long Island native, a few years later. They had been happily married for decades and, now retired, spend nine months of the year in Malta and three months Maine. They were very excited that we had decided to visit Malta and wanted us to have the best experience possible in our limited time there. After spending 45 minutes writing notes and outlining must-see places on a small map, Charmaine asked where we would be going the next day. My friend and I didn’t have a set plan. The next thing I knew, Charmaine and Nick offered to pick us up the next morning and drive us around to their favorite spots in Malta. My friend and I were absolutely astounded by their kindness and enthusiasm, so we agreed.
The next morning, Nick and Charmaine pulled up to our AirBnB in their tiny black convertible, palpably excited to share the island they loved so much. We took every scenic route we could, and Nick and Charmaine told stories of Maltese history, culture, language, family, love, loss, and life. Throughout the day, we hiked to ancient ruins, ate fresh strawberries on an oceanside cliff, saw places where Game of Thrones season 1 was filmed, and ate cake inside an old fortress overlooking the sea. When the afternoon was coming to a close, Nick and Charmaine invited us into their home for dinner and dessert, and we continued to chat. Feeling fulfilled and thankful, my friend and I were exhausted; Nick and Charmaine were exhilarated.
Absolutely touched by their kindness, Laurel and I gave them a card and expressed our endless gratitude for an incredible day. Before we left, Charmaine pulled me aside and told me that our day had meant as much to them as it had to us: “we both had surgery a few months ago, and we were feeling pessimistic about our ages. We were retreating. You showed us that we still have a lot of life left to live, and for that we will always be grateful.” When Nick dropped us off back at our AirBnB, he left us with a challenge: “I hope someday when you’re old farts like us, you’ll see some young travelers and treat them the same way we treated you. Think of us; we’ll be there with you.” And with that, our first full day in Malta was complete.
—–
Sometimes people enter your life when you least expect it. Everybody is struggling through their own personal battles, but everybody has something to share. If you’re feeling like deadlines are approaching but your grasp on what needs to get done is slipping away, remember that this too shall pass and that good things are coming your way. It’s easy to get caught up in the stress and deadlines of Finals Season without remembering that it’s also the Holiday Season. Remember to embrace each day this holiday season, and try to live each day fully. Nick and Charmaine would be proud.
Apply to Be a Peer Advisor!
Honors Peer Advisors are an integral part of UHP advising, providing mentorship to new Honors students and providing a student perspective for the Honors community at large. They advise on honors experiences, classes, housing, and all the facets of life at GW as a Honors student.
Are you interested in applying to be an Honors Peer Advisor? Applications are now open!
- Apply here if you’re applying as a new Honors Peer Advisor
- Apply here if you’re applying as a returning Honors Peer Advisors
- Apply here if you’re interested in a leadership position with the Honors Peer Advisors. Please note that leadership candidates should also fill out a regular application.
The application deadline is Monday, January 28. Please contact uhppeers@gwu.edu with questions regarding the application.
Hey, You Should Really Be in Honors!
Freshmen in their second semester at GW are invited to apply to join the Honors Program! The deadline is Friday, January 25, 2019.Students accepted will enter the program their sophomore year and jump-start with a specially designed course in fall 2019. If you’d like to be part of the University Honors Program, please apply!If you’re already in the UHP — we know you’ve got friends that would be perfect for the UHP, so encourage them to apply!
Some quick FAQs, as well as details about the application process, are below. You can find the application here.
Please come to an info session!
We’ll be holding information sessions for interested students to ask questions and hear from Honors advisors and current students! Join us on
- Wednesday, January 16 at 5pm
- Thursday, January 17 at 5pm
All sessions will be held in the Honors Program office at 714 21st Street NW. Just walk up the steps at the brick townhouse between Hall of Government and Lisner Auditorium.
When/where/how to apply?
Applications are available online. Complete it and return it to the UHP Office at 714 21st Street NW by 5pm on January 25, 2019.
What are the requirements to apply?
The specific application materials are described in the application. Second-semester freshmen with strong GPAs should apply — the UHP requires its students to maintain GPAs high enough so that it’s mathematically possible to graduate with a 3.0. Please note that student schedules must allow for the student to take HONR 2016 Enlightenment East & West in fall 2019.
When are decisions announced?
We’ll notify applicants during the spring semester, before registration in March.
#HonorsProblems: FOMO and JOMO: Learning to Balance the Two
The following blog post was written by Peer Advisor Michelle, an ESIA sophomore studying international affairs and economics.
Avengers: Infinity War, that was the first movie that I went to by myself. Yes, that’s right. I was that person in the theater. The reason why my decision to go alone is so taboo can be attributed to FOMO: Fear Of Missing Out. This feeling is especially felt by our age group and is further exacerbated by the college setting. We’re keenly aware of our constant connection with others, but that connection often lends to social comparison, a behavior destructive to our sense of well-being.
As Montesquieu said, “If one only wished to be happy, this could be easily accomplished; but we wish to be happier than other people, and this is always difficult, for we believe others to be happier than they are.” In my first year, I remember constantly wondering why I didn’t have a close-knit group of friends yet. Why was I not as happy as the people on my Instagram feed?
The problem with FOMO is that it causes people to look outward instead of inward. When you’re so tuned in to others and things that are deemed as “better,” you lose your authentic sense of self. So, how do you maintain this authentic sense of self? Well, I am no philosopher king, but I can offer knowledge about FOMO’s antithesis. Welcome JOMO: Joy Of Missing Out. JOMO entails spending time alone, disconnecting, and being okay just as you are. It can be equated with solitude, a word that gets a negative connotation. It’s tough to think that solitude is acceptable when society, and especially college, tends to favor extroverts. But, cultivating one’s relationship with one’s own self is crucial. Solitude can boost overall well-being, and most importantly, help to prevent burnout.
As we’re gearing up for the chaos of finals, it’s important to remember to take time for yourself. I was overloaded, overwhelmed, and tired from the constant social interactions. Hence, the solo Avengers movie trip during finals week. Phone turned off, those couple of hours disconnected and in tune with myself was enough to improve my headspace and mood.
As proposed by economist Paul Dolan, happiness is determined by how you allocate your attention. If you aren’t as happy as you could be, then you must be misallocating your attention. Linking to Origins (because you’ll find that it links to literally everything), the best practice is moderation. You can’t always go out. But you also can’t live in isolation. A step to having this healthy balance is feeling secure in your relationships, which in turn, makes you feel less compelled to always be connected. Know that if you choose to take some me-time, your friends will still be there and eager for the next chance to hang out.
In short, here is the most concrete advice I can offer: utilize Screen Time (sorry Android users), scoot to Smithsonian Zoo alone, meet up with friends there to enjoy Zoo Lights.
#HonorsProblems: Getting Stuck in the Foggy Bottom Bubble
The following blog post was written by Peer Advisor Linnea, a GWSB junior studying international business and French.
The Foggy Bottom Bubble. I first heard of it at Colonial Inauguration. My group leader talked about how easy it is to forget how much more there is to D.C. than GW’s campus. She warned that despite all of the exciting events, concerts, and museums in the city, many students find themselves sticking to the small confines of GW’s campus.
I swore I would not let myself succumb to the Foggy Bottom Bubble. Coming from a very small town that quite literally shuts down at 8 pm every night,I was beyond excited to move to a city. I vowed to check out a new museum every week, explore all the neighborhoods, and go to every restaurant on the @dcfoodporn Instagram account.
Fast forward 2 years and–spoiler alert–that did not happen.
I definitely knew in the back of my head that I wasn’t taking full advantage of living in D.C. but it didn’t really hit me until I spent a summer here.
Midsummer my two best friends from high school came to visit. It was such a blast showing them around and it really forced me to be a tourist for a weekend. They both go to a large southern school that is very different from GW and they absolutely loved D.C. After a full day of museum hopping, eating, and shopping, one of my friends remarked “There’s so much to do here you must never get bored!”
My first thought was Yikes as I found myself bored somewhat often, but I also knew that she had a great point.
Around this time, I also realized that one of my work friends, who was from Texas and interning in the city for the summer, had done more “D.C.” things in 2 months than I had in my 2 years at GW. She had gone to museums I kept saying I would eventually go to, eaten at restaurants I said I was dying to check out, and explored neighborhoods I had never been to.
This was a serious–and much needed–reality check for how little I was taking advantage of going to school in such a cool place. I promised myself I would make a more conscious effort to follow through with the “D.C.” goals I made freshman year. While I have yet to eat at every restaurant from the D.C. foodstagrams or make museum trips a weekly occurrence, I am proud to say that I actually followed through this time!
Getting off campus does not have to be an elaborate, expensive, or even planned out trip. It can be as easy as studying at a coffee shop other than Gelbucks, or eating in a new neighborhood instead of going to your favorite place on M Street for the tenth time. We are so fortunate to go to school in such an amazing city so why not take full advantage of it!
Modern Translatio Imperii [Research Assistantship]
Professor: Christopher Britt Arredondo
Department: RGSLL-Spanish and Latin American Literature
Title: Modern Translatio Imperii
Description: Focused on the various and often contradictory roles that intellectuals played in the transfer of imperial power from Spain to the United States at the turn of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, this project involves research in the literary and political traditions of Spain, the United States of America, Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines. Research will vary from reconstruction of broad historical contexts to detailed analyses of specific texts: mostly essays, but some fiction as well. Research will be conducted in Spanish and English.
Duties: Meet regularly to discuss research goals and progress. Consult archives in the Hispanic Reading Room at the LOC. Identify, read, and provide written summary, including detailed quotes, of pertinent texts, documents, images.
Time commitment: 4-6 hours per week (average)
Credit hour option*: 2
Submit Cover Letter/Resume to: cbritt@gwu.edu
*If credit is sought, all registration deadlines and requirements must be met. Students selected to be research assistants should contact Ben Faulkner at benfaulkner@gwu.edu whether they intend to pursue credit or not.
Leveraging Education with Students’ Real-World Observations: A Diary Approach [Research Assistantship]
Professor: Tom Geurts
Department: Finance & Real Estate
Title: Leveraging Education with Students’ Real-World Observations: A Diary Approach
Description: Together with colleagues from other universities, I am working on a new educational approach outside of the traditional “Lecturing with Assignments/Exams”. In this approach, students need to keep a Scrapbook where they not only record their classroom notes, but where they can also add observations and articles about the material that is being studied. This can enable a main driver of students’ motivation to learn: curiosity about their own real-world observation. In their scrapbook entries, students describe current real estate issues, projects, or policies which they somehow encountered or read about. It is important that each entry somehow raises student’s wonder, leading him or her to question something, or to explain their observation using theory.
Duties: In order to measure the efficacy of the new approach, we have developed a questionnaire in which the students describe their experience with the Scrapbook method. The Research Assistant will help to analyze the data from the questionnaires. This is ideal for a student interested in pedagogy and/or statistical analysis.
Time commitment: 1-3 hours per week (average)
Credit hour option*: 1
Submit Cover Letter/Resume to: TGG@gwu.edu
*If credit is sought, all registration deadlines and requirements must be met. Students selected to be research assistants should contact Ben Faulkner at benfaulkner@gwu.edu whether they intend to pursue credit or not.
