You are invited, as part of a select group of students, to participate in a discussion colloquium on “Religious Freedom” this spring at George Washington University.
Sponsored by the Institute for Humane Studies, this day-long colloquium will center on informal, yet serious, discussion with just fifteen participants. Dr. Theo Christov and Dr. Sam Goldman will serve as the discussion leaders in order to facilitate an in-depth exploration of the questions and challenges raised by a set of readings (totaling around 150 pages), which we will provide you with and ask you to read carefully in advance. The readings include classical texts on religious freedom from thinkers like Locke and Tocqueville, to more contemporary arguments from John Rawls, to Supreme Court cases like Burwell v. Hobby Lobby.
The event will take place on Saturday March 26, 2016 on the George Washington University campus. Please be sure that your schedule allows you to arrive in time for breakfast, and to be present through the concluding dinner Saturday night. You will be expected to attend the full program, including discussions, meals, and socials. As compensation for your participation, IHS will provide you a $100 stipend.
If you would like to attend this colloquium, please accept your invitation as soon as possible. This is a very small, select group of students and space is limited.
We are eager to embark on this intellectual adventure with you. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Professor Christov at christov@gwu.edu.
Tag: AY1516
Never Experience FOMO Again – Subscribe to UHP Calendars!
Hike with professors! Get dressed up and dance the night away! Eat lunch with the director! Take over a Chinese restaurant in DC with the whole Program!
The Honors Program has a never ending supply of fun, educational, and chillaxing events all year long. Don’t miss out! Subscribe to the UHP calendars today so that you never miss a pumpkin carving, gingerbread house decorating, or Food for Thought!
(There are also important deadlines, for things like graduation requirements and research award applications.)
Do you want to be that person who hears about all the fun from their friends after it’s already happened? Or, do you want to be the one who your friends thank for telling them about all the best events before they happen? Subscribe to the UHP calendars to ensure your happiness on campus and to never miss an opportunity for free food!
Study Ablog: Picking the Right Country
The following post was written by Peer Advisor Maggie, a senior in the Elliott School. Maggie is double majoring in International Affairs and Chinese Language and Literature, and was selected for the prestigious Schwarzman Scholars Fellowship to continue her graduate studies in China.
Choosing the right study abroad program can be hard. There are so many options for the places you can go and the types of programs you in which you can participate. This often is overwhelming, especially considering you prepare for your study abroad experience during freshman and sophomore year when your ideas about what you want to major in and do with your life are maturing. Despite having to make such an important choice so early on, I am here to share my own words of wisdom:
When choosing a study abroad experience you should maintain the perspective that study abroad should not be a vacation, but an academic endeavor. When selecting a program, it should line up with what you are studying in college, enhance your on-campus experience, and help solidify your career aspirations. Moreover, you should think about how you will capitalize on the experience once you return to the U.S.
Students should view study abroad as an opportunity to create a narrative for themselves that makes them stand out from the crowd. However, this means that from an academic and career perspective often times the study abroad experience you should choose will be much more challenging. And this can be more difficult when your friends and classmates participate in programs with less rigorous coursework and allow them more freedom to travel. For instance, while you might be spending your summer in Tajikistan working on your Persian, your friends will be posting photos of them eating baguette and cheese at the Eiffel Tower or from a beach in Fiji. Though this stark difference is hard to reconcile when you come back, putting in the time and effort to complete a rigorous study abroad program that adds to your academic narrative pays dividends.
While on the Critical Language Scholarship in China, I was able to try my hand at calligraphy
If you select programs that parallel your on-campus studies, these experiences can often be used in applications for grants and fellowships that will allow you to study and do research abroad for free – for example, through a Boren Scholarship, Fulbright, Critical Language Scholarship, to name a few. Moreover, if you are able to articulate why your experience abroad was significant, it can be used in applications for graduate school and post-graduation job interviews.
As a double major in Chinese and International Affairs, I began to study abroad the summer after my freshman year. Motivated by my Chinese classes at GW, I wanted to push my language development beyond the pace available in a classroom in the U.S. I chose to attend an intensive, immersive Chinese summer language program in Kunming, where we spoke Chinese 24/7 and the rate at which I felt my language improve was phenomenal. During all three summers I have been at GW, I have participated in three intensive Chinese language programs both in Mainland China and Taiwan. Of these three experiences, I have only had to pay in full for the first one.
My perseverance through a challenging summer in Kunming allowed me to craft a narrative about myself to apply to and be awarded the GW Sigur Center Language fellowship to study Chinese in Taiwan, and most recently U.S. Department of State Critical Language Scholarship to study in Dalian, China. By selecting a first study abroad experience that was well suited to my academic pursuits, I was able to position myself as a serious student of Chinese and China and become a more unique applicant to grants and scholarships for continued language training abroad, and a more competitive applicant for post-graduation opportunities.
Choosing a study abroad program is not easy, and I encourage you to ultimately choose the less easy path. When selecting a program, think: “what program will enhance my studies and develop me for future pursuits?” For me, study abroad has been no walk in the park; it has been three summers of hard, hard work. But I would do it again year after year because it made me a better student and more competitive in almost all aspects of my life.
Apply to Be an Undergraduate Writing Consultant
Do you love to write? Are you the person to whom friends always turn to say, “Hey, could you help me with this paper?” If so, please consider applying to become a peer undergraduate consultant!
The GW Writing Center is a lively, collaborative, learning environment with paid consultants (making $12.50/hour) who come from a diverse array of disciplines. Most of our applicants are currently first-year students or sophomores, who will then go on to work in the Writing Center for several years, but juniors are also welcome to apply!
We’ve now opened the application process for the next cohort of undergraduate consultants interested in training to work in the Center. Applications will be due on Thursday, February 18th.
Find the application materials at http://writingcenter.gwu.edu/
The application requires the following:
- a cover letter,
- a CV or resume,
- two recommendations,
- a writing sample with an attached reflection
From the applicant pool, we select the best candidates and move into interviews. Students whose interviews suggest they’ll be a good match for work in the Center are invited to take a 3-credit “Pedagogy and Praxis” course in fall 2016 (note that this course will receive WID credit). Students who successfully complete the course are then invited to work as paid consultants in spring 2017.
Legislative Internship — Office of Congresswoman Bonamici
The office of Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01) is seeking unpaid interns for summer 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 summer 2016 internship is March 25th. To apply, please visit http://bonamici.house.gov/internshipform
Apply to Be the 2016 Commencement Student Speaker
Want to speak alongside the likes of Kerry Washington, Michelle Obama, and Tim Cook? Commencement this spring may be your chance to shine!
Every year since 1992, GW has hosted a student speaker at its commencement ceremony. Just think, it could be you! Any student who will have earned their degrees in summer or fall 2015 or will earn their degrees in spring or summer 2016 is eligible to apply, so why not give it a shot?
The student speaker will reflect on his or her experiences at GW in a way that resonates with graduates at all levels. The student speaker competition winner will be someone who can serve as a model of the GW experience and deliver strong content in a way that connects in person with both students and guests as those watching on the live web stream.
Aside from all the glory of speaking on the National Mall in front thousands of people, there are a couple of perks to this gig. The winner will receive tickets for the reserved seating section at Commencement, a photo with the Commencement speaker, and invitations to special events during Commencement Weekend.
The deadline to submit materials is 11:59 p.m. on Friday, February 26. For more information, visit commencement.gwu.edu.
Questions? Contact University Events at commencement@gwu.edu or 202-994-7129!
Honors Upperclass Housing Community
Living in Honors housing as a sophomore, junior, or senior is a great way to lock down your housing and roommates early, bask in the glow of other Honors students, secure a spot in a great residence hall, and avoid the potential hazards of living on a floor full of randos.
For the 2016-2017 academic year, we are pleased to offer a group of affinities, doubles, and quads on the fifth floor of District Hall! Please note that different residence halls have different prices, you can find a list for housing rates here. Only sign up for housing with the UHP if you actually intend to live there.
There are three types of rooms available: affinity doubles, studio doubles, and two bedroom quads. Affinity doubles are groups of 16-20 doubles with shared kitchens, common spaces, and bathrooms. Studio doubles are efficiency-style with a kitchen and bathroom. Two bedroom quads are two doubles with a shared kitchen, common space, and bathroom.
Please note, the upperclass Honors housing community is an established Academic Residential Community (ARC). You do not need to apply for Affinity Housing to live in this community.
Applying for the Honors housing community requires 4 steps:
- Fill out the upperclass Honors Housing application by Monday, February 8.
Through this Google Doc, you can request desired roommates. All roommates must be members of the Honors Program, and each roommate must fill this form out separately – no one can be signed up by proxy. UHPers can also sign up for housing individually and then be placed in a quad with other students that applied individually or in groups smaller than four. Room type preference can be requested, but is not guaranteed. - Confirm roommate assignment via email.
Applicants will be contacted by an Honors Program Officer by email to confirm roommate assignment. - Receive email from GW Housing.
GW Housing will reach out to you with instructions to complete the housing lottery, the date you will be able to sign up, and your RMS number for the application. - Complete the general housing application.
Once you have received your email from GW Housing, access GW Housing e-Services to complete the self check-in process.
#HonorsProblems: No Sleep Nation
The following post was written by Peer Advisor Dylan, a sophomore in CCAS.
My biggest blunder in college was my circadian rhythm during the spring semester of my freshman year—and, to be honest, a good amount of the fall of my sophomore year. Growing up, both of my parents stayed up late, and for the most part, led very functioning lives. So how could I not be as successful, right?
In high school, I might stay up until 12, at the latest most week nights. I’d wake up at 7:30 and be out the door. Well, when I came to college I was faced with assignments and commitments that were new to me. My first semester at GW, fortunately, I was not taking on an arduous course load and although I didn’t go to bed in the timeliest fashion, I was able to average about 7 hours of sleep a night. (Although, I now know that you can’t “make up” for lost sleep, but that’s beside the point.)
Then the spring of 2015 came and I found myself in a constant state of misfortune.
I joined a good share of student organizations my first semester and by the time spring semester rolled around, my commitment in them increased greatly. Also, the classes I was now taking were posing to be a lot trickier than I originally planned. (Thank you Calc II!)
Although I was consistently strung out on caffeine to stand up, the following are some of the highlights of my semester:
- I showed up to a class 45 minutes early so that I could take a nap and be sure that I would make it to class on time. My friends tried to wake me up, but it didn’t really work. The only thing that did was when the professor intervened and told me to “go home and get some sleep.”
- I fell asleep during my Origins class on more than one occasion.
- I was studying for a midterm that was supposed to being at 11:10. I ended up waking up at 12:00. (Fortunately, we ended up having a snow day.)
The only things that would get me through the dread were pictures of my dog. I thought this behavior was normal and the constant feeling of a kick to the head were normal. (They weren’t.) Refusing to go to bed all the time impacted my grades, my social circles, and the commitments I had to student organizations.
I am not saying that I have the best sleep habits, because I don’t. But I have begun making smarter decisions about when I start assignments to keep procrastination at bay. Or at what point to leave Gelman because staying up until 3 just to watch Buzzfeed videos is not conducive to a healthy lifestyle. And I have finally been able to experience coffee as a pleasure, instead of as a necessity.
Working on Your Thesis? Get Some Support!
Professors Ralkowski and Trullinger are continuing the Thesis Working Group, and the first spring meeting will be Monday, February 1st at 4:00pm in the UHP Club Room. All seniors are welcome! Maybe you’re in the middle of writing your thesis and you want to share some tips with people who are just getting started. Maybe you haven’t started and you can’t stop procrastinating. Or maybe you just want to hear about the projects that your classmates are working on. Whatever your situation is, come by, have a snack, have some coffee, and join the conversation! Think of this as a stress-reducing support group, an opportunity to share the thesis writing experience with classmates and professors. We are all in it together.
We will be meeting about twice a month for the rest of the academic year. The idea is to stop by for as long as you want, and to come when you can—if you can’t make it the first meeting, maybe we’ll see you next time!
Harvest of Empire: Faculty Fellows Film Screening
Harvest of Empire
The Untold Story of Latinos in America
A documentary film screening
Followed by a discussion with the director, Eduardo Lopez
Hosted by Kimberly Morgan,
Professor of Political Science and International Affairs, GWU
Based on the groundbreaking book by award-winning journalist Juan González, Harvest of Empire takes an unflinching look at the role that U.S. economic and military interests played in triggering an unprecedented wave of migration that is transforming our nation’s cultural and economic landscape. From the wars for territorial expansion that gave the U.S. control of Puerto Rico, Cuba and more than half of Mexico, to the covert operations that imposed oppressive military regimes in the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Nicaragua and El Salvador, Harvest of Empire unveils a moving human story that is largely unknown to the great majority of citizens in the U.S. Harvest of Empire has won several national honors, including the prestigious 2013 Imagen Award as Best Documentary for Film or Television, and the ABC News Award from the International Documentary Association.
The film will be shown from 4:30-6 followed by a discussion with the director, Eduardo
Wednesday, February 3, 2016
Elliott School of International Affairs, Rm. 212
4:30-7:00 p.m.
1957 E Street, N.W.
Please RSVP at
https://harvestempire.youcanbook.me/
