Tag: AY1617
Elliott Undergraduate Scholars Research Symposium
All members of the University Honors Program are cordially invited to this years Elliott Undergraduate Scholars Symposium on Wednesday, April 19th!
The Elliott School Undergraduate Scholars program is an enhanced independent research opportunity for outstanding Elliott School juniors and seniors. After months of research and writing, this year’s cohort will be presenting their work April 19th from 10:00am – 2:00pm in Lindner Family Commons. A number of Honors students will be presenting this year, and their names are bolded on the schedule below. We would love for any and all to attend, ask questions, and support them in their presentations!
10:05 am to 11:05 am
Political Participation, Identity, and Power in Asia
Phoebe Bui, Stephanie Gill, Yian Ke, Eun Kyung Na, Dyuti Saunik
Moderated by See-Won Byun, Graduate Student Mentor
11:15 to 11:55 am
Do We Matter? Leveraging Identities in Times of Conflict
Clare Platt, Kaly Moot, Lacy Myrman
Moderated by Luci Prosapio, Graduate Student Mentor
12:00 to 12:30 pm
Transnational Terror in the West
Helen Christy Powell, Seth Harrison
Moderated by Daniel Schwartz, Graduate Student Mentor
12:40 to 1:30 pm
Development, Investment, and the New Economy
Nicholas Johnson, Jiahui Lin (Joyce), Margaret O’Connor, Cindy Zhang
Moderated by Andrew Arveseth, Graduate Student Mentor
The Extra-Curricular: Students for Justice in Palestine
The following blog post was written by Abby Brook, an Elliott School sophomore studying the Middle East, international development, and music. You can learn more about Abby here.
![](http://honorsprogram.gwublogs.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/04/P1090727-copy.jpg)
HIST 1120 Summer Course w/ Prof. Christov
NEW Honors GPA Requirement
The UHP is changing our GPA requirement. Currently, to be eligible to remain in the Honors Program, students must maintain the ability to graduate with a 3.4. Beginning this spring, students must be able to graduate with a 3.0. The freshman GPA requirement of a 3.0 will remain in place.
How many times have you heard from your faculty and advisors that “a B is a good grade”? The faculty of the UHP recently met to consider the curriculum and as part of that discussion decided to change our GPA requirement in an effort to better align our policies with our values. The faculty believed that the new standard might better enable students to experience course work with less stress about grades. The hope is that students will be better able to enjoy and learn from challenging assignments without an excess of GPA-induced fear!
Internship Open: You Won’t Feel ‘Blue’ Interning at Blue Raster
Are you currently looking for a summer internship in the Washington, D.C. area? Do you have an interest in marketing, communications, and/or social media? Are you passionate about international issues, conservation, education, among other important topics?
If you answered yes to any of the above questions, then this internship position is for you!
I am a sophomore in the honors program majoring in Organizational Sciences. I have been interning at Blue Raster, an award-winning GIS firm, since December 2016 as their Communications and Social Media intern. Blue Raster is located just a few steps from the Court House Metro in Arlington, VA (only two stops from our Foggy Bottom stop on the orange/silver lines).
This has been a wonderful opportunity for me, and I would highly encourage other honors students to look into applying for this paid position.
In the past four months, I have learned so much working in an engaging, small-business environment. From promoting Blue Raster’s story maps for UNICEF to writing newsletters about our work with the World Resources Institute, the World Bank, the World Wildlife Fund, the EPA, and the Department of Education, there is definitely never a dull moment!
Check out the job description below, and when you’re ready, send your resume and cover letter to Angela at awertman@blueraster.com
#HonorsProblems: College Science Ain't Easy
The following blog post was written by Rose Lieberman, a CCAS studying biology and political science.
Science in college is not easy.
I was not one of those people who made a graceful glide through my first year. At this point three years ago, I was in trouble (or at least, so I thought). Two weeks past midterms, and it was, oh crap. There’s no way I’m going to make that 3.4 GPA I need (seriously guys, this can actually be quite difficult to do, and no one really tells you that). Now, deep down, I knew that I didn’t need that GPA until I graduated. But, I was convinced this spelled the end of my time in the UHP.
Now, full disclosure, I’m a Biology major and a Political Science minor. So I’ll be speaking mostly about the scientific field. As a senior, I still look back at my freshman and sophomore years and think, wow, those really were the hardest years (I mean, I’m talking low 3’s for my GPA!). I discovered that juggling my first college chemistry courses, my first honors classes, and the whole new world of political science was not an easy task. At some points, it seemed impossible.
For science majors specifically, I can say with confidence that the first two years are the toughest. These are the years when, in just 16 weeks, you’re asked to become experts in extremely complex subjects that you may not have seen before and honestly, may not use after that semester. It didn’t seem fair at the time, and frankly, I still don’t think organic chemistry classes are fair. But I’ll stop being salty. What I’m trying to say is, don’t worry if you’re first foray into college science does not go the way you wanted or planned. It’s not easy, but you’re not in it alone.
Seniors: Turn in Your Special Honors Verification
Graduating seniors, ensure your DegreeMap is a sea of green checks and blue waves: submit your Special Honors Verification Form to the UHP front office by 5 PM on Friday, April 14. This form is only necessary if you’re filling your Honors Thesis requirement by pursuing Special Honors in your major.
You’ll need to get your form signed by your school advisor (not myself or Catherine), so please don’t wait until the last minute to get started!
The Intern Files: Office of the Solicitor General of the United States
The following blog post was written by Peer Advisor Zach, a pre-law CCAS junior studying history, law and society, and jazz studies.
As I sat in a black van with tinted windows, driving down Constitution Avenue towards the Supreme Court, Edwin Kneedler, a Deputy Solicitor General of the United States and 125+ Supreme Court Oral Argument veteran, turned around and said to me, “So what the hell happened at the Oscars last night?”
Innocently sitting at my desk, the head of the Research & Publications division walked in and handed a thick packet to the paralegal sitting at the desk behind me. The packet was the United States’ Amicus Brief in State of Washington v. Trump, being delivered for cite-checking.
And every morning, Noel J. Francisco, the current Acting Solicitor General, President Trump’s pick to fill the role permanently, and the legal architect of Travel Ban 2.0, smiles at me and says good morning.
These are just a few of the quirks of my job as an Administrative Intern in the Office of the Solicitor General of the United States. It’s an interesting place to be, nowadays, but to understand exactly why, let me give you a quick briefing on what exactly the OSG is and what the Solicitor General does.
The Solicitor General of the United States is responsible for representing the interests of the federal government in all litigation before the Supreme Court of the United States. This includes in oral arguments, where the SG represents the “United States” and its executive agencies when they are parties to a case; via writing amicus curiae briefs, even in cases where the United States is not a direct party, and deciding when to appeal cases to the Supreme Court. For instance, Solicitor General Don Verrilli represented Sylvia Burwell in the Obamacare litigation (King v. Burwell, Zubik v. Burwell, etc.), and the OSG wrote the Obama administration’s brief in Obergefell v. Hodges, the gay marriage case.
It’s an office that has immense influence on the development of law, and it’s rightly considered by many to be the pinnacle of the legal profession – just ask Justice Thurgood Marshall, who called his time as Solicitor General “the best job I ever had.”
The internship has given me an incredible level of insight into my future profession. One of the main perks is carte blanche access to the Supreme Court, so I’ve been able to ride in the van with lawyers preparing to argue on a given day, watch them argue, and observe them debrief from the experience. For a nerd like me who would wake up at 5:00am to see Oral Arguments anyway, it’s a dream come true.
As a history major, it’s been fascinating to walk through the halls of the Justice Department and see faces of Attorneys General and Solicitors General past looking down on me. The OSG, one of the offices created by the 1870 Act to Establish the Department of Justice, has a deep history. It’s been involved in just about every major Supreme Court decision in our nation’s history: former SG Samuel Phillips represented Homer Plessy in Plessy v. Ferguson. Solicitor General Philip Perlman first suggested in his brief for the United States in Henderson v. United States that Plessy should be overturned. Assistant to the Solicitor General Philip Elman wrote the amicus curiae brief in Brown vs. Board of Education which suggested the “with all deliberate speed” approach to racial desegregation.
It’s an office that has been the primary force for justice and change since the very outset of its existence. Merely being present and attentive during the past few tumultuous months to watch the nation’s best litigators, do their work, irrespective of politics, has been a fascinating and instructive experience. I would encourage anyone who is interested in an internship that truly gives you a platform for high-level observation to apply for the internship for the fall, and feel free to reach out with any questions you might have.
Fall 2017 Registration Guide
GET EXCITED! It’s almost time to register! But before you can register for next semester’s classes, you have some housekeeping to do. Find out how to get your holds removed and where to find the best courses for you next semester.
Registration Schedule
***Tuesday, April 18: Honors Freshmen (Privileged Registration)***
April 19
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Wednesday |
90 or more hours (credits) earned
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April 20
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Thursday |
70 or more hours (credits) earned
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April 24
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Monday |
50 or more hours (credits) earned
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April 25
|
Tuesday |
30 or more hours (credits) earned
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April 26
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Wednesday |
0 or more hours (credits) earned
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Registration is open from 7AM-12AM.
Sophomores, worried about registering without privileged registration? Read these Peer Advisor words of wisdom.
If you’re not sure when you register, you can check your earned credit hours in GWeb using the following path: Student Records & Registration Menu > Student Records Information Menu > Transcripts > View Unofficial Transcripts. Make sure you’re looking at overall hours earned for the accurate total!
Urgent Hold Information
Check your record via GWeb regarding holds prior to your scheduled registration time. Any hold on your account will prevent access to registration. You can view any holds on your account by looking at: Student Records & Registration Menu > Student Records Information Menu > View Administrative Holds.
Make sure to check now and again in the days lead up to registration. Check early, and check often! BADLY TIMED HOLDS HAPPEN TO GOOD PEOPLE. DON’T LET THIS HAPPEN TO YOU:
Fall Registration Advising
All honors students are encouraged to see a Honors Program Officer before registration. Make sure you are prepared with a tentative course schedule using the Fall 2017 Schedule of Classes and Honors course descriptions. As new course information and revisions become available we will update the website. Please re-check the information on the Schedule of Classes and the Honors site before you register to ensure that you’re up-to-date!
Please use our wide selection of dates to your advantage – plan on meeting with an advisor at a time that is most practical given your registration date. Students may discuss registration (and remove an advising hold, if applicable) by one of the following options:
- Attend an advising pizza party in the Honors Townhouse Club Room:
Tuesday, April 11th from 12 to 2 p.m.
Wednesday, April 12th from 4 to 6 p.m
Thursday, April 13th from 4 to 6 p.m - Make an appointment with an advisor online at honorsprogram.gwu.edu/make-appointment.