Jobs and Internships with the Democratic Party of Virginia!

Hey UHPers! Still looking for the perfect summer plans? Want to make a real difference, meet awesome people, and be part of the 2016 election? The Democratic Party of Virginia is hiring part- and full-time Interns and full-time Organizers for the presidential campaign!
Interns will be responsible for various tasks focused on voter and volunteer engagement, and will have the opportunity to gain valuable experience learning and implementing political campaign techniques and strategies. You’ll get to talk directly to voters about issues you care about, recruit and train your own volunteers, plan events and show off your social media savvy.
You’ll also get to live in one of the most beautiful, diverse, fast-growing and fun states in the nation – Virginia! You’ll be just a stone’s throw from DC, so you can still make it to Dupont Circle for brunch without the nightmare of Foggy Bottom housing prices. And you’ll get to work in one of the top states in the nation, alongside the people who will be staffing the next presidential administration and campaigns across the country – so your networking game will be on point.
Interested? Apply at http://vademocrats.org/intern2016 and submit your resume to interns@vavictory2016.org. Feel free to CC mingalls@vavictory2016.org and I’ll put in a good word.
If you can commit to a full-time job through November, we’re also hiring paid organizers! To apply, submit your resume to resumes@vavictory2016.org and CC mingalls@vavictory2016.org.
Thanks, and have a great summer!

Legislative Internship

The office of Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01) is seeking interns for autumn 2016. Interns in the Washington, D.C. office will gain valuable experience supporting legislative staff and will learn about the operations of a congressional office. Responsibilities will include: conducting legislative research, providing office support, answering phones, assisting with constituent correspondence, leading tours of the U.S. Capitol, and assisting staff with projects as assigned. Interns in the district office in Beaverton, Oregon will assist the outreach staff and caseworkers, research policy issues, help with constituent communication through mail and phone calls and attend meetings with the Congresswoman. Successful candidates will demonstrate professionalism, strong communication skills, and an interest in learning more about the legislative process. Candidates with Oregon ties are strongly encouraged to apply. The deadline for applications for the autumn 2016 internship is July 15th. To apply, please visit http://bonamici.house.gov/internshipform.

2016 Research Showcase Recap

Last week’s Research Showcase saw presentations from original research performed by UHPers this year.
Eliza GorenEliza Goren‘s research stemmed from her research assistantship with Prof. Josef Przytycki from the Mathematics department. They spent the semester create a program based in knot theory. She helpfully explained knotting and unknotting through DNA transcription, drawing from an interest in DNA that begin with her Scientific Reasoning and Discovery class with Prof. Hammond!
Ben Helfand
Ben Helfand presented the findings of his senior thesis, researched through the Enosinian Scholars program. Advised by Prof. Nathan Brown, Ben researched the incorporation of human rights laws in constitution and domestic legal system of Tunisia after the Jasmine Revolution. He even travelled to Tunisia with the help of the SURE Award!
Eileen Emerson
Eileen Emerson compared local and national TV and newspaper coverage of the 2015 Baltimore protests after death of Freddie Gray in police custody. Advised by Prof. Kim Gross, she wanted to find out which coverage was more racialized, sensationalized, legitimizing or delegitimizing through language and images. Eileen also is a SURE Award winner!
Pooja ShivaprasadPooja Shivaprasad worked on her senior thesis with Prof. Hossein Askari comparing the migration of refugees to oil rich and oil poor countries. Despite the frustrating lack of available data, Pooja found that oil rich countries take in fewer refugees, and that shared borders are more significant than shared language in refugee intake.
Eva MartinEva Martin considered the UN’s treatment of human trafficking. Advised by Prof. Ingrid Creppell (Deputy Director of the UHP!), Eva developed an ambitious proposal for a dedicated UN Office on human trafficking, combining the resources of various offices on crime and human rights to greater effect.
 
Congratulations to our presenters for completing an incredible year of research!
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Study Ablog: From Paris/DC/Barcelona with Love

The following blog post was written by peer advisor Michaela, a SEAS junior studying Civil Engineering and International Affairs. Learn more about Michaela here.
During my sophomore year, I was set on studying abroad in the fall of my junior year. I had everything: syllabi from four different schools, appointments set up with my department to approve courses, an Excel sheet set up to track my progress, even Pinterest board of travel ideas.

Alyssa and I displaying the two ways to approach fancy benches in the Louvre.
Alyssa and I displaying the two ways to approach fancy benches in the Louvre.

However, due to restrictions from my major, all of those plans fell apart. I would be staying on campus my whole junior year.
However, an idea struck me as I began my semester feeling like the one junior not studying abroad: why don’t I just go anyways? I had saved up enough money from my summer internship, and I had friends that were already abroad. Even if they were in classes, I’d be in a whole different city and could probably entertain myself. So that’s exactly what I did. My former roommate/other-half-of-my-brain Alyssa was studying abroad in Paris for a year. I booked a ticket to visit her over spring break and for nine days, I got to “study abroad.”
The inside of La Sagrada Familia
The inside of La Sagrada Familia

We visited everywhere: Louvre, Centre Pompidou, the Eiffel Tower, Musee d’Orsay, Sacre Coeur, all the things. Since Alyssa had been in France since the fall, she knew a lot about the city. I also got to go with her program to Barcelona and visit the Miro Foundation and La Sagrada Familia. But I also had a lot of fun on my own when she had to be in class or studying. I wandered around fabric shops and cemeteries and Japanese cheese cafes (no joke, wasabi goat cheese will change your life). While I loved traveling with Alyssa, I also learned a lot about myself in my many walks alone. I could only text US numbers with my phone, so I had to become a lot more reliant on maps and aware of my surroundings. I also realized that having barely any structure to a day was actually wonderful. I once literally followed my nose to a market stall in Barcelona and had the best baked potato of my life. I hadn’t planned to find the potato, nor did I know any of the English names of the ingredients (my limited experience with Spanish had not prepared me for Catalonian).
Photo Credit to a Swedish friend I made while waiting in line.
Photo Credit to a Swedish friend I made while waiting in line.

A lot of students dream of study abroad, but study abroad doesn’t have to be limited to semesters. There are numerous opportunities to study abroad during the summer and to work and volunteer abroad. Even with these alternate opportunities, I think that this experience traveling almost on my own was very rewarding. It may seem scary at first, but as long as you have a semi-plan and someone to turn to in case of an emergency (thank you Alyssa) you can really create a wonderful experience.

Spring 2016 Study Hours

FINALS ARE COMING.

Pictured: reasons the library may not your favorite place to study. Not pictured: Trader Joe's snacks as far as the eye can see.
Pictured: reasons the library may not your favorite place to study.
Not pictured: Trader Joe’s snacks as far as the eye can see.

Need a place to study? Come by the Townhouse for extended study hours in the Club Room! We’ll have snacks and coffee (aka “the essentials”) and an overall studying environment that can’t be beat!
Check out the full schedule below:
Friday, April 29th, 5-10pm
Saturday, April 30th, 12-8pm
Sunday, May 1st, 12-8pm
Monday, May 2nd, 5-10pm
Tuesday, May 3rd, 5-10pm
Wednesday, May 4th, 5-10pm
Thursday, May 5th, 5-10pm
Friday, May 6th, 5-10pm
Saturday, May 7th, 12-8pm

TEDxFoggyBottom 2016

Join us for TEDxFoggyBottom 2016!
About
TEDxFoggyBottom is a local version of the popular TED conference that’s organized entirely by a team of 50 students here at GW. Every year, we plan a full-day thematic event at Lisner Auditorium featuring 20 speakers from government, education, technology, and more.
Theme
Our event will take place THIS Saturday, April 23rd from 9am to 5pm. This year, our theme is “Think Next,” and we’re encouraging our speakers and attendees to consider the impacts that their forward-thinking pursuits will have on our community over the next few years.
Tickets
Tickets are available now through me or through Lisner for just $25. We’re also excited to offer group discounts. If you purchase 10-19 tickets, we can offer them for $15 per ticket. If you purchase 20 or more, we can offer them for just $10 per ticket. You can contact experience@tedxfoggybottom.net for more information regarding group sale tickets.
Tickets can also be bought through Lisner Auditorium with this link — http://bit.ly/fobo16tix
Connect
You can learn more about our event on our website and on our event page. For updates regarding our speakers, you can follow our Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat. We’re announcing new speakers every single day!

The Future of Freedom in the Developing World [Recommended Event]

Join our friends in the Politics and Values program “The Future of Freedom in the Developing World,” a lecture with Dr. Robert Subrick. Dr. Subrick is an Associate Professor of Economics at James Madison University and works in the areas of economic development, economics of religion, political economy, and the history of economic thought.
This lecture will be held on Monday, 4/25 at 4:30 PM in Post Hall. This event is sponsored by the Templeton Foundation, Institute for Humane Studies, & GWU’s Politics & Values Program.

Honors Cords, Grad Reception, and the Senior Survey

If you’re graduating, have we got the survey for you! When you complete it, you can pick up your gold honor cord to wear at graduation.  You can also pick up your 5 tickets for the UHP Graduating Seniors reception between 5/2 and 5/11. I’m not saying we’re holding your cords and tickets hostage, but I’m also not not saying it.
Here’s what you need to know:
First, complete the senior survey. You can do this online starting today — make sure to follow the link at the very end to submit your name on a separate form!  We keep your responses and your name separate so that you can feel free to be honest, but we need to confirm that you’ve completed the survey.  That last step is key!
Next, come pick up your golden cord and graduating senior reception tickets at the Foggy Bottom office staring Monday, May 2nd.  You can continue to pick up your materials any time during regular business hours (9AM-5PM) after that up until the Wednesday before graduation. We’ll check to make sure you’ve already completed the Senior Survey.
Finally, attend the  UHP Graduating seniors reception.  We’ll be in the City View Room at 1957 E Street from 5-7pm on Saturday, May 14th, 2016. Please note the reception will feature a cash bar and you will be able to pick up one drink ticket per guest when you check in at the reception. Graduates can also take part in the annual UHP tradition of signing our senior poster. Only students who complete the senior survey by Wednesday, 5/11 will be named on the poster.
Note: CCAS students attending the Undergraduate Degree Programs Celebration #2 at 3:30 will have plenty of time to celebrate at both events!
We look forward to seeing you and your guests at the reception!

UHP Research Showcase

You are invited to celebrate the research of your peers at the University Honors Program Research Showcase!
Enjoy brief, casual talks and ask questions Thursday, April 28th from 2 to 4pm in the Club Room of the Honors Townhouse.  Let your fellow UHP’ers know how proud we are of their dedication and willingness to take a risk in order to contribute and disseminate original work as active scholars!

J and Bey are proud of all your hard work.
J and Bey are proud of all your hard work.

And if you have research you’d like to present, let Catherine know by Monday, April 25th to be included in the program!