Tuesday, August 08, 2006
Plagiary
A couple of interesting pieces from their recent issues:
David Callahan, "On Campus: Author Discusses the "Cheating Culture" With College Students"
Caroline Lyon, Ruth Barrett and James Malcolm, "Plagiarism Is Easy, but Also Easy To Detect"
A nice mix of more practical discussions of plagiarism as a issue and its wider place in society over time.
Hat tip: The Volokh Conspiracy.
Netiquette
1. Be concise and to the point
2. Answer all questions, and pre-empt further questions
3. Use proper spelling, grammar & punctuation
4. Make it personal
5. Use templates for frequently used responses
6. Answer swiftly
7. Do not attach unnecessary files
8. Use proper structure & layout
9. Do not overuse the high priority option
10. Do not write in CAPITALS
11. Don't leave out the message thread
12. Add disclaimers to your emails
13. Read the email before you send it
14. Do not overuse Reply to All
15. Mailings > use the bcc: field or do a mail merge
16. Take care with abbreviations and emoticons
17. Be careful with formatting
18. Take care with rich text and HTML messages
19. Do not forward chain letters
20. Do not request delivery and read receipts
21. Do not ask to recall a message.
22. Do not copy a message or attachment without permission
23. Do not use email to discuss confidential information
24. Use a meaningful subject
25. Use active instead of passive
26. Avoid using URGENT and IMPORTANT
27. Avoid long sentences
28. Don't send or forward emails containing libelous, defamatory, offensive, racist or obscene remarks
29. Don't forward virus hoaxes and chain letters
30. Keep your language gender neutral
31. Don't reply to spam
32. Use cc: field sparingly
Of course, I'm guilty of #15 when I got this whole blog and mailing list started, so we all have more learning to do.
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Ashley Mills '05
...For the last month I have pretty much been on no sleep. In the beginning of July, PC 118 (which is my group in Thailand) descended upon the resort town of Cha-am for two weeks of sleepless nights, fun at the beach, wonderful breakfast buffets that contained real bread (I had forgotten what wheat bread looks like, but let me tell you- it’s still delicious) and cereal (corn flakes? What are those again? I never knew they could taste so good), hot showers, and of course, much needed language and technical training….
It is very interesting for me to be over here for two years and to spend two years of American holidays with Thais. PC doesn’t observe American holidays; I only get Thai and Buddhist holidays off, which means that I work the 4th of July, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, unless they happen to fall on a weekend. The 4th being my first real holiday away from home, I was very apprehensive as to what it was going to be like. I love the 4th- I love bbqs, spending time with friends and family, eating good food, and the reading of the Declaration of Independence (maybe that is just my family). This year my 4th was very different. I had to work all day, but in the evening, PC made up for in its own way. PC arranged for us to have a huge dinner buffet full of spaghetti, biscuits, mashed potatoes, and cake (a weird combination, I know- but I couldn’t have been happier). We then had sparklers and all sang American songs. It was great- we were all sharing a bit of our culture, which I guess is the main reason we are here. Sure, I might be here to train some teachers and teach some English and better my community, but if I can get my community to see the United States, and especially American women, as more than the images that they see in the movies…then my time here will have more successful than I ever could have imagined. However, the funniest part was seeing the look of horror on the Thais faces when they saw the American food.
Thais love to eat- they eat all the time. 5 meals a day is not uncommon here. And most Thais only like Thai food- they think their food is the best, so why would they try anything else? They eat Thai food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Every day they see me cook and they tell me that my food is disgusting. My food is not spicy enough for them, not sour enough for them, not sweet enough for them- it is simply not delicious to them. Even though the PC volunteers thought the food was delicious, the Thais looked horrified by food set before them. I have never seen so many thais run for the hot sauce at once…
…I am hoping to get a radio show started at least once a week where I try to incorporate HIV/AIDS education. In addition to teaching the teachers English, I am going to start teaching the nurses at the health center English, and hopefully start tutoring kids after school. One of my biggest overall goals for my community, however, is to get some sort of youth program started.
There are no programs for youths in my community; except for the schools, there is nothing to educate the youth about drugs, safe sex, or to give them life skills except for the schools (and the schools are lacking in most areas). After school, students hang out on the street corners and drink or do drugs. It is not uncommon to see drunken 15 year olds riding on scooters after school. Many of my students come from broken homes where their parents are prostitutes or drug dealers and get married at around 15 or 16. It is only mandatory(and free) in Thailand for them to attend school until 8th grade- after that they have to pay if they want to continue on. I would love for my community to have a safe place where the youth can go and learn life skills and maybe realize that they have other options in life than getting drunk or getting married at 15. The problem is making this dream a reality…always tricky…
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Study in London
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Monday, August 07, 2006
What is a Quality Education?
Read the whole story here.
Update:
Professor Sousa reminded me that Washington Monthly does their own rankings based on percentage of students in ROTC and the Peace Corps (which they use as a measurement of public service), percentage of federal work-study grants used for community service projects, the total amount of research spending, percentage of students on Pell Grants (which they use to measure social mobility), and graduation rates. Under their system UPS comes in at 57 among national liberal arts colleges, behind Lewis and Clark and Willamette (39 and 40) and Evergreen (50) but ahead of Reed (60). Another way to cut the numbers, if just as subjective.
Update 2: Washington Monthly changes their formula for 2006 and UPS drops some 40 places. Again, more evidence about how arbitrary this can be.
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White House Internships
Here are a few details from the website:
In addition to normal office duties, interns attend weekly lectures, volunteer at special events, participate in tours, and contribute to a community service project in the Washington, D.C. area. White House Internships are unpaid positions and participants are responsible for arranging their own transportation and housing. Approximately 100 interns are chosen each spring, summer, and fall to participate in this highly competitive program.
Applicants must be:
* At least 18 years of age on or before the first day of the internship
* Enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program at a college or university, or graduated the previous semester
* A U.S. citizen
* Applications due October 13, 2006 for Spring 2007 (January 9 to May 11)
* Applications due March 6, 2007 for Summer 2007 (May 22 to August 24)
Find all the information here:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/government/wh-intern.html
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Sunday, August 06, 2006
Your Tacoma Photo for the Day

Murray Morgan (11th Street) Bridge connecting downtown to the Tideflats. Recently the Department of Transportation sought to tear it down, citing the costs of repair, but it seems to be safe for now. Built in 1913, it is rarely raised these days, as tall sailing vessels no longer ply the waterfront.
More here.
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Good Eats
Saturday, August 05, 2006
Ferroequus

This morning I went down to the Dome District to see the inaugural departure of the Golden Pacific Railroad, which is taking passengers on a scenic tour between Tacoma and Fredrickson.
Most interesting is the Reading T-1 2100 Steam Locomotive. Built in
More on the Reading T-1's here. I remember the Bicentennial "Freedom Train" that traveled with displays across the US; that was a Reading T-1 train as well.

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Friday, August 04, 2006
10/20/30: Powerpoint
Along those lines, this is an oldie but a goodie if you've never seen it: Hey, at least it's short.
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Thursday, August 03, 2006
The Trail Wants You
Hello Department Heads, Program Directors, and Professors. I'm Brandon Lueken, this years Editor in Chief of the Trail. I'd like your help. I'm looking for writers, copy editors, editors, and basically anyone who might be interested in working for the Newspaper. I know that traditionally, The Trail has been dominated by students who come from a select few departments, but I'd like to change that. This is a student newspaper, it should represent the students. If students from just a few majors sound off, then that doesn't accurately reflect the student body very well. I would like to expand the staff of the newspaper into all the different departments on campus, but to do that I need your help.
If you could send out an e-mail among your respective departments, or talk with other professors, and announce that The Trail is looking for people to a variety of positions to your classes in the coming fall, that would be a big help. I know the first few days of any class are hectic, but just like any of you, I'm getting started as well. We need writers, and I want to draw from as big a pool as possible.
I know for certain majors it can be hard to balance four classes plus extra curricular activities, but if we don't hear from those sides of schools, then it's hard for The Trail to gauge the beat of the campus and figure out what we're covering.
If you want more detail about spreading the word this fall, then just send me an e-mail back, or if you'd like to talk about anything at all regarding the Trail, just send me an e-mail and we can arrange something. I'm open for a meeting at any time of the day.
I hope that you all can help. I'd like to get more upperclassmen involved in the paper and allow for people to better know the school they attend.
Thank you very much.
Respectfully,
Brandon Lueken
Editor in Chief
The Trail
trail@ups.edu
Main Desk: 253-879-3197
Fax: 253-879-3667
Colleen Woodrow '06
"Since graduating in May I've been working at the Secretary of State's Office in Olympia. It's been a great place, so far. I am primarily working on a legislation project about nonprofit and charities organizations, but am also getting a great look at how elections work and the initiative process. Although the Capitol is a little quiet during the summer interim, the nonprofit legislation project keeps me busy.
I am also among the many planning my wedding! I'll be getting married in Tacoma in October of this year. I'm excited to still be in Tacoma and hope to be back on campus for ASK Night in September.
Thanks, again, for the awesome blog. I hope that you and the others in the department are doing well.
Take care,
Colleen Woodrow
Class of 2006"
We hope to see more of you at ASK Night--let us know if you're coming.
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Wednesday, August 02, 2006
Watson Fellow: Greg Groggel '06
"Professors O'Neil and Share,
I have been in Mexico City for about a week now commencing my Watson
Fellowship. A couple days ago I attended the Obrador rally and march
along with an estimated 1.2 million other people. Quite the
spectacle. I took some photographs and thought I would send them your
way."
If you've followed the news on this, you know about the protests regarding the close presidential election, in which Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador of the PRD lost by a whisker to Felipe Calderon of the PAN.




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Harmon Zeigler
Sunday, July 30, 2006
Wifi Where?
http://wwwb.thenewstribune.com/gmaps/wifi/
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DIY
Thinking about starting your own business? There's a piece in the Wall Street Journal about becoming an entrepreneur when you're under 30; even if you've no such plans, the general advice on how to manage your career and finances is useful. The article here;
What does good commercial design look like? This website has the news and ideas behind what is leading the way in commercial design: http://www.springwise.com/
Do CEO's blog? Should they? The New York Times considers this question here.
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Saturday, July 29, 2006
Global Youth Partnership for Africa

I received this picture from student Adam Davis, taken at a camp for internally displaced persons in Northern Uganda. Adam spent two weeks in Uganda this summer as part of the Global Youth Partnership for Africa. Find out more about the particular program Adam participated in and see more pictures here.
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Friday, July 28, 2006
Young Professionals International Network
...ok, so I don't have that kind of pull, and in fact everyone is welcome. Students and recent grads in the area, this sounds like a great event--go!
Here's more about the Young Professionals International Network.
I think this is the point at which I say something like "Students, I wish when I was your age I had had resources like this, but instead I spent all my time doing homework by lamplight and walking to school uphill both ways."
Host: YPIN Seattle
Location: Porta by the Market
113 Virginia Street, Seattle, WA
When: Thursday, August 17, 5:00pm to 8:00pm
YPIN and Internationalist Magazine invite you to join us on Thursday, August 17th for a fun and engaging Happy Hour/ Networking Night.
This summer’s two YPIN Happy Hours have been outstanding!!! Both have attracted over 50 attendees, and everyone has had a great time sharing travel stories, talking trade or international politics, or just meeting cool people with broad worldviews. This month YPIN is partnering with the Internationalist, a locally-based magazine distributed on colleges nation-wide, whose goal is to encourage discussion of international issues among today’s young thinkers. Sound familiar? They’re really fun and doing great work.
On Thursday, August 17th we have reserved the entire restaurant of Porta by the Market from 5:00-8:00pm. There will be a fantastic Greek buffet, cheap drinks for everyone, and only $3 a person to get in! This is a perfect time to meet new people, learn more about the Council and the Internationalist, and introduce your globally savvy friends to both organizations. Over 100 young professionals who are curious about the world will be there. Come build your network of internationally-minded people and have fun at this enjoyable YPIN/Internationalist event.
Time: 5:00-8:00pm
Location: Porta by the Market (113 Virginia Street—between 1st & 2nd Ave—Seattle 98101). We have the whole restaurant reserved!!!
Cost: $3 for everyone, includes Greek buffet & happy hour priced drinks ($2 beers, $4 wells).
ABOUT YPIN
The Young Professionals International Network (YPIN) is a program of the World Affairs Council that provides people in their 20s and 30s with professional and social opportunities to discuss and learn more about critical world issues. Whether you are a seasoned global citizen or would like to become one, YPIN offers you a community engaged in substantive programs that broaden international awareness in our region and beyond. Please contact us at ypin_seattle@yahoo.com if you have any comments, suggestions, or ideas.
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Where in the World?
In terms of sheer numbers, we've had over 3,000 visits since starting, averaging about 1300-1400 a month. Once school starts I suspect those numbers will go up.
Thursday, July 27, 2006
Wiki Woes
Update: Seth Doherty sends along this appropriate addition to the discussion--a somewhat different stylistic take on the issue compared to the article above. Thanks, Seth.
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In Memoriam: Chris Pate '99
An article about Chris in The Oregonian.
Son wore many hats, but 'hero' may fit best
Killed in Iraq - Capt. Christopher Pate grew up in Oregon; loved ones recall him as a man of the world
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
DAVID R. ANDERSON
The Oregonian
Student of Eastern religions. Mountain climber. Triathlete. Polyglot. Marine. Renaissance man.
Those are among the words family and friends use to describe U.S. Marine Capt. Christopher T. Pate, who died Friday in the Anbar province of Iraq after an improvised explosive device ripped through his patrol.
Now they add "hero."
Marine officers are telling Pate's parents, Jerry and Kathy Pate, that their 29-year-old son used his dying words to radio for help. Two sergeants training Iraqi soldiers with Pate lost legs in the attack. Pate's call might have saved their lives, Jerry Pate said.
He cried Tuesday as he said his only child might win the Bronze Star for heroism.
Chris Pate, who was raised in Beaverton and graduated from Oregon Episcopal School in Raleigh Hills, was a man of the world. He paddled the Amazon River while learning Spanish. He studied for a year in Germany, not knowing the language before attending the University of Freiberg. And he was studying Arabic in Iraq.
As a student at Oregon Episcopal, he spent Winterim, the extracurricular week before spring break, at a Buddhist monastery in Washington. And then he went fishing in Alaska with his dad.
"He liked to think of himself as a renaissance man," Jerry Pate said from his home in central Florida.
Alex Sutton and Jon Reali on Tuesday remembered their boyhood friend as someone who loved to beat competitors in triathlons. He still had the Isuzu Rodeo he bought as a high school junior. And if he said he would be at your house at 5 a.m. to go fishing, he was there at 5 a.m. -- with coffee.
Pate wanted to learn to ride a motorcycle, not because he had one, but because he might need to know someday. Going to Powell's Books with Pate turned into an esoteric journey through Eastern religions, Norse mythology and other surprises.
"Things you wouldn't expect from the average Marine," Sutton said.
"He didn't fit any mold," Reali said. "He chose his own path."
Sutton's favorite memory of his friend was from when they were 14. Sutton was going on a rare camping trip without his friend. Pate hid two bricks in Sutton's backpack, along with a note.
"Hey, Alex, I just wanted to let you know how important physical fitness is and you're looking a little flabby." The note ended with a caution that the bricks belonged to Sutton's mom and she wanted them back.
But the mischievous boy became a man. Reali will always remember Pate, the stoic bald-headed Marine, getting emotional while offering a toast at Sutton's wedding in September. Pate didn't like public speaking, but he brought down the house.
"It broke him up to say those things," Reali said. "But that was the one point I can say I was most proud."
Pate was born in Orlando, Fla. His family moved to Beaverton in 1984, and Pate attended Elmonica Elementary, Five Oaks Middle and Aloha High schools before transferring to Oregon Episcopal as a junior.
Pate had been in talented-and-gifted programs, but went to the private school for an added academic challenge, Jerry Pate said.
His son was a rock climber, scuba diver, skier and white-water kayaker. In school, he played football, lacrosse and soccer.
"He was a natural Northwest boy," his father said.
Pate graduated from Oregon Episcopal in 1995. He received an academic scholarship to the University of Puget Sound and graduated in 1999 with a bachelor's degree in business administration with a specialty in international business. During college, he rowed in crew and spent a year in Germany. After graduation, he went to South America to learn Spanish.
Pate joined the Marines in December 1999.
"It was an organization he saw as being a special group that was committed to American values," Jerry Pate said.
Chris Pate reached the rank of captain in July 2004. He was stationed at Camp Lejeune, N.C., and assigned to the 2nd Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force.
His service took him to Okinawa, Korea, Thailand, South America and Yemen. Then Pate volunteered for two tours in Iraq, his father said. His parents wouldn't have chosen a war zone.
"As parents, of course, we just want some safe harbor for our child," Jerry Pate said.
At one point, he could have stayed home.
"He said, 'Dad, I trained those people, and I have the obligation to look after them,' " Jerry Pate said.
His tour in Iraq was scheduled to end in November.
The family is planning a private memorial ceremony. Pate will be interred in the Portland area, his father said.
Pate was engaged to marry Margaret A. Stearns, whom he met as a classmate at Oregon Episcopal. They had bought the rings and were making arrangements.
The couple were thinking about moving to Washington, D.C., Jerry Pate said. Chris wasn't sure what to do after the Marines, but with his background -- business degree, military accolades and foreign languages -- the sky was the limit. Maybe medical school. His friends wouldn't have been surprised if his future was in intelligence.
"Nothing I'm sure he could ever tell us about," Reali said.
Four days before he died, Pate sent his parents an e-mail. He had just sold some investment property and was looking forward to his wedding.
"It was the happiest he'd ever been in his life," his father said.
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Korby Parnell '94
"I graduated in '94. Direct application of my major (P&G) was a bit slow in coming. I volunteered on John Kerry's Senate campaign in '96 and Howard Dean's unsuccessful presidential campaign in 2004. Closer to home, I regularly contribute to congressional and local campaigns and I have been a Planning Commissioner in the City of Redmond for a little over 2 years; my labor of love. I now live in Redmond (obviously) and work at Microsoft as a Product Manager on the Microsoft.com Communities and Collaboration team, a role in which I collect customer feedback for, design, and market sites for customer communities of practice.
I look forward to helping out in any way you see fit (just ask). For more information about me, you can read my blog at http://blogs.msdn.com/korbyp. Oh yeah, blogs.msdn.com is one of my babies. ;-)"
I enjoyed looking at Korby's blog, though I understood almost nothing of what he was talking about...
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Tuesday, July 25, 2006
Business Coursework
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Blogs and Jobs
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Pickin and Grinnin
Summer greetings from the DownTown Mountain Boys!
We hope you will join us at the Adventure Bluegrass Festival this weekend (July 28-30). This wonderful festival takes place in a spectacular setting: the Skamania County Fairgrounds at Stevenson, WA, in the heart of the Columbia Gorge, and on the banks of the Columbia River. We'll give a free concert at the nearby Skamania Lodge at 3 p.m. (Saturday, July 29), and will perform again at the festival at 8 p.m. that evening, right before the weekend headliners and bluegrass legends, The Seldom Scene. For more information (including ticket prices and directions) see: http://www.acousticsound.org/!ab_home.htm
We'd also like to encourage you to attend the British Columbia Bluegrass Workshops in Sorrento, British Columbia. We'll be teaching and performing there during the first week of that camp. For more information, see http://www.musicworkshops.ca/Bluegrasshomepage/Bluegrass_home.htm
For more information on the band (including some new sound clips) visit
http://www.downtownmountainboys.com
We wish all of you a summer of warm weather and hot picking!
The Boys:
Paul Elliott
Terry Enyeart
Dave Keenan
Tom Moran
Don Share
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Monday, July 24, 2006
Gaming
Sunday's New York Times discussed the development of several recent video games with a political edge:
Peacemaker, which focuses on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict (check out the video overview here)
And A Force More Powerful, which deals with non-violent political protest.
Whatever the limitations of these games (in technology, design or content), they are intriguing.
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Sunday, July 23, 2006
Intern Experiences
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Saturday, July 22, 2006
Tacoma's Public Spaces
My main source of information on all of this is Katie Rose '05. Originally from Portland, since graduation Katie has stayed in town as a political consultant, and has become tightly connected to what's going on. One of the things I mention to students interested in local politics and civic affairs is that if you want to stay in Tacoma, it's small enough that you can become very connected very quickly. Anyway, here are some notes from Katie:
"The Executive Council took an afternoon trip to look at Bremerton's accomplishments in their waterfront revitalization. I did wind up going to the Town Hall meeting in Seattle, so I knew (sort of) what was coming. In short, the Tacoma people were blown away. We had 16 people go, nine of which were Executive Council members. The Bremerton people kept saying what a great job Tacoma has done and how they were basing their five year plan off of us...the concept of a "mayoral exchange" program was discussed.
We had about an hour of presentations, from Mayor Bozeman, their Redevelopment Agency executive, the Director of Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, and one of the commissioners from the Port of Bremerton. After that, the city's Economic Development Director took us on a walking tour of the waterfront development currently under construction...There was a lot of talk about what Tacoma should do now (including from the City Manager), so now it's a matter of keeping that going..."
It's been a few years since I've been to Bremerton. Some of you may have been there to see the USS Turner Joy, remembered in part for its role in the Gulf of Tonkin incident. Looks like it's worth taking a trip up there to see what's going on.
And from the Business Improvement Area blog, here's the PPS report and summary of its main points for improving downtown.
Friday, July 21, 2006
Show us the sights
And here's another local picture:

Old City Hall downtown, which is slated for conversion into pricey condos. One will actually go part way up the belltower (and cost over a half-million dollars).
Thursday, July 20, 2006
Typing is so last century
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People, Prosperity, and the Planet Student Design Competition
People, Prosperity and the Planet Student Design Competition for Sustainability
EPA and its partners launched the P3 Award in 2003 to promote innovative thinking for moving the world toward sustainability. Through this national student design competition, college students gain new skills and knowledge as they research, develop, design, and implement scientific and technical solutions to environmental challenges.
WHAT IS P3? P3 is the next step beyond P2 -- pollution prevention -- and focuses on the three components of sustainability: People, Prosperity and the Planet.
WHAT IS THE P3 AWARD COMPETITION? The competition has two phases. Initially, student teams compete for $10,000 grants. Recipients use the money to research and develop their design projects during the academic year. Then, in the following spring, all P3 grant recipients are invited to Washington, D.C. to compete for the P3 Award. The National Academies, advisors to the nation on science, engineering, and medicine, convene a panel to evaluate and recommend the award winners. The final award decisions are made by EPA.
WHAT IS THE P3 AWARD? The P3 Award is given to the highest-rated student designs. The award includes additional funding up to $75,000 that gives the students an opportunity to further develop their designs for sustainability, implement their projects in the field, and move them to the marketplace.
WHAT CATEGORIES ARE ELIGIBLE FOR THE P3 AWARD? EPA considers challenges from a wide range of categories, including agriculture, built environment, ecosystems, materials and chemicals, energy, information resources, and water. Challenges related to population growth and medical care, while important, are not included in this competition, other than the delivery or distribution systems of knowledge, goods, and supplies.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE? Institutions of higher education located in the U.S. are eligible to apply as the recipients of grants to support teams of undergraduate and/or graduate students. Collaboration and partnerships with colleges and universities outside the United States are permitted, but only U.S. institutions are eligible to apply.
HOW TO APPLY: Application procedures and materials can be found at: www.epa.gov/P3. Information about awards can also be found at this Web site.
APPLICATION REVIEW: A peer review panel evaluates all P3 applications based on problem definition; innovation and technical merit; connections to sustainability in terms of P3; measurable results, evaluation method, implementation strategy; and integration of the P3 Award competition as an educational tool. Final funding decisions are made by EPA.
Michael Brown '86
Michael described his current position as one which is focused on helping to translate scientific knowledge to relevant audiences, such as Congress or the public. He describes his current job as one of the most "fulfilling, rewarding, and challenging" jobs he's ever held.
What advice did Michael have for our majors? If you are interested in politics, come out to DC and do an internship--see what it is like and if it is for you. He commented that the internal culture of the beltway is far different from what outsiders might discern from the media. His own career began not in science, but in student politics on campus, so you never know where your interests and energy can take you.
To that end, we talked about paid internships at the EPA in DC. Interested in going out to DC, getting some hands-on experience, working with an alum, and getting paid in the process? Let me know.
We hope to have Michael out to speak to our students, perhaps as soon as this fall. I'll keep you posted. Thanks so much to him for taking the time to talk to me and offer to share his experiences with our department.
Finally, I'd like to put together a gathering of DC-area department alums and students sometime this fall. So if you are or will be in the DC area and we haven't already talked, do drop me an email.
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Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Challenge
The Politics and Government Department will match each and every donation up to a total of $100.00. So if you all can gather up a hundred bucks, we'll put in that amount as well, once I finish shaking down all the department members.
Make a donation; send us an email or leave a post below and let us know you how much you chipped in, and we'll do our part.
Kari Manlove '06
"I have moved to Seattle, at least until September, and have working a pt-time internship with the non-profit Global Partnerships. I'm working on their website for the Initiative for Global Development, at www.igdleaders.org. The non-profit supports microfinance institutions in Central America to help alleviate poverty. Yesterday I worked on country profiles, so the course on Central America's political economy (taught by Professor Share--ed.) came in pretty handy. I'm in the communications/marketing department, but I'm still happy about what I'm doing and who I'm doing it with."
Sounds like a great first job. Congrats, Kari.
Some Resources
One thing I noticed was the upcoming student policy conference sponsored by the Roosevelt Institution in DC in August. Recall that RI is connected to the Internationalist Magazine in Seattle, which is published by UPS alums. Interested students and alums might think about presenting at this event next year, as it is open to professionals, undergraduates and graduates alike.
Monday, July 17, 2006
Grads and Finances
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Historic Tacoma
When times are good, old buildings often stand in the way of major projects, and developers want to see older structures levelled in order to gain access to the land.
Fortunately, Tacoma has been able to preserve a good chunk of its historical buildings, and has experienced a real transformation of formerly derelict stock. UW Tacoma is forged from a number of previously abandoned industrial structures downtown, the old Union Station is now a federal courthouse, Albers Mill next to the Museum of Glass are apartments.
And now Historic Tacoma has come into being--a citizen organization dedicated to preserving the city's architecture. This is a positive development, as it means the city's Landmark Preservation Commission (which I served on for four years) will have a civic partner.
If you're interested in historic preservation or what's up with these issues in Tacoma, check out their site.
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Welcome, Professor Ross; Bon Voyage, Professor Bonura
Professor Ross will be filling in for Professor Carlo Bonura, who will be away this year on sabbatical. And by "away" we mean really away. Professor Bonura will spend most of his time in Thailand, where he'll be continuing his research and writing on Islamic education in Southern Thailand. He'll also spend some time in Vietnam as part of a program UPS had this year with Vietnam National University in Hanoi that was funded by ACLS and the Asia Network. One of their professors, Nguyen Quy Thanh, spent several weeks on our campus learning about our teaching methods, and Professor Bonura will spend a month on their campus in return.
Professor Bonura promises updates and pictures from his sojourn, or I carry out my threat to turn his office into a departmental cigar lounge while he's away.
Sunday, July 16, 2006
AIDS Walk
Hello all University of Puget Sound Politics and Government associates!
The Pierce County AIDS Walk is fast approaching (Saturday, September 9). As captain of the UPS team, I need your help!
If you follow this link, you can donate to the AIDS Foundation through me by clicking here.
Of, if you would like to JOIN THE UPS TEAM, we would love to have you! Click here.
Pierce County is facing the fastest rate of new HIV infections in Washington state. The Foundation is dedicated to preventing the spread of the virus, as well as assisting those living with HIV/AIDS financially and emotionally, while also offering their expertise in obtaining affordable and appropriate healthcare. Every dollar and every walker counts. We need your enthusiastic participation in this fight against AIDS. Unfortunately, the University of Puget Sound has not been as involved with the Walk in recent years as in the past; let's change that this year with the help of the P&G department!
Please seriously consider the above and forward this to all of your contacts,
Kathleen Perez
UPS Team Captain
PG Minor, class of 2008
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Saturday, July 15, 2006
Externalities
"Getting the Scoop On a Future Boss"
I'd love to see the creation of a social network for educators that allowed us each to have a space for publications, class material, blogs, links and the rest, all networked to other instructors so that we could see what others are doing and share our work and experiences. I wonder if in future we'll see these kinds of social networks built around professions or other primary identities, which could have multiple overlapping "tags," depending on how we define ourselves, with certain areas of the space visible only to some networks and not others. The problem as it stands now is that it is difficult to have multiple personae online--you are expected to have one delicious site, one blog, one webpage. But in reality the private and the public require very different fora. It will be interesting to see if this can all get aggregated and yet segmented at the same time.
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Design Good
http://design-altruism-project.org/
Design in the service of civic causes. There's an interesting post about designing posters for the 2000 election in Rwanda.
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Friday, July 14, 2006
Tag, You're It
And here's a good collection of education-related news.
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Thursday, July 13, 2006
Seattle Notes
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ASK what you can do for Puget Sound
Would you join UPS' Alumni Sharing Knowledge (ASK) Network? (Sorry, I left the link off earlier)
ASK is an online database of UPS alums willing to share their wisdom and experiences with students and other alums. It's a great way for people to search by major or career interest and find others who can be of help. It would take just a few minutes for you to set up a profile.
If you've already done one, thank you, and would you check to update the material if necessary?
The signup process requires a login and password to get into the site:
login: career
password: goodluck (one word)
Thanks so much.
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Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Pen Hack
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Podcast my Degree
Of course, there's another issue, which is whether it's a gimmick that will fade away. Reading this discussion reminds me of how people got excited about the ways in which they believed phonographs, film, radio, VCRs and the web would transform if not eliminate the very idea of the classroom.
The problem often seems to be that technological changes are jammed into old structures and narratives since that's what we know. Dramatic change can happen, but is more likely to emerge in ways and contexts we don't expect.
I would also note that it's much easier for a newspaper to write a story about a professor making mp3s than it is to write about something like tagging. The way the traditional media are set up doesn't really make it easy to talk about developments that are highly decentralized, open source, and ubiquitous. What's the story? Who's the protagonist?
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Alum Profile: Andrea Tull '02
When did you graduate from UPS?
Graduated in 2002 with a Bachelors of Arts in Politics and Government, Cum Laude, and with Honors in Politics and Government.
What have you been doing since graduation?
Immediately after graduation in spring of 2002, I went to work as a field representative for U.S. Congressman Adam Smith's re-election campaign. Rep. Adam Smith, a moderate Democrat, represents the 9th District of Washington, which is encompasses South King County, including SeaTac (and the airport), Federal Way, parts of Pierce County like NE Tacoma, Puyallup, and Fife, and also North Thurston County with parts of Olympia and Lacey. Anyway, I worked as what I like to call a "grunt" campaign worker doing various Get-Out-The-Vote (GOTV) activities, including doorbelling, phone banking, volunteer recruitment, and assisting with fundraising events.
When Rep. Smith was re-elected I was promoted as Finance Director and did that for the 2004 election cycle (essentially the years 2003 and 2004). As Finance Director, I was responsible for all political fundraising for the Congressman, which included planning and traveling to events in California, New York, Boston, and Washington, DC. I also managed the operating budget and did all of the financial bookkeeping and filed the FEC reports. After the 2004 election, I was offered a job in the Congressman's DC office as a Legislative Assistant (LA) handling a portfolio of policy issues including healthcare, labor, job training, Social Security, pensions, higher education, campaign finance reform, and women's health and reproductive issues. I moved out to DC in December 2005 and that is what I am currently doing. My responsibilities include tracking and researching legislation, facilitating meetings with constituents, lobbyists, and organizations, briefing the Congressman on upcoming votes, and developing legislative initiatives.
Aside from my "official" job, I have found time to take pleasure in extra curricular activities. I volunteer an hour every week reading to a 1st grader at a nearby low-income and under-served elementary school and I love it! Giving back to your community, through time or money, is a great thing and as a result, I feel more of a connection to my community here in DC. I have also taken up the game of tennis. I play in 2 two different tennis leagues - one in Northern Virginia and one in DC. During the spring and summer when the weather is nice, I play as many as 5 days a week. It is a great way for me to get exercise and meet some people outside of work.
Why and how did you decide to take the career path you did?
I had always thought I wanted to attend law school and become a prosecutor or some sort of public attorney. However, I interned in Congressman Adam Smith's District Office in Tacoma during my junior year at UPS and really enjoyed being involved with public policy. I then went to DC and did a summer internship on Capitol Hill for the Congressman and realized that instead of going to law school right after college, I wanted a chance to work in the "real world" and put my degree to work. In some regards I feel that I lucked out with the right opportunities by meeting the "right" people at the "right" time. When I interned in Rep. Smith's DC office, his chief of staff was a UPS alum (class of '96) and we immediately had a bond. I credit this bond to my initial job working on the Congressman's campaign.
Funny thing is that since I have started working for the Congressman over 4 years ago, we have had a handful of UPS interns in both the District and DC offices and we currently employ UPS alumni (our current political director in Tacoma and our Staff Assistant/Legislative Correspondent in DC both graduated from UPS in 2004!)
I don't regret the decisions I have made in choosing my career path. Law school will always be there if I get bored or if I decide to fulfill my childhood dream of being a prosecutor. But in the meantime, my current job is exciting and I am learning a lot. I think that sometimes life has a way of changing course, by accident, and you realize that it is for the better.
For instance, I have grown to love healthcare policy and I am actually considering returning to school to get my Masters in Public Health and remaining in the healthcare field. I would have never thought that 4 years ago when I graduated college, but here I am and I cannot imagine my life any other way.
Are there any aspects of the Politics and Government major or your UPS education in general that have served you particularly well?
Absolutely. I feel that my P&G courses at UPS definitely prepared me for my current job. It is my job to essentially read very complex papers and research policies and laws that are confusing and then consolidate that information into a concise and "reader-friendly" memo for my boss. I think back to all of my P&G courses when I cringed at the sheer volume of assigned reading and the 2-5 page papers that I thought were such a waste of time, but in the end...the pace of things in DC moves so fast that I have realized that if to be an effective policy analyst, you need to be able to express your opinion or argument in 1-2 pages or in a well-organized and thoughtfull 1-2 minute speech. It is funny because I joke sometimes that I get paid to do what I once did in school - read and write! Bottom line...the analytical reading and writing skills I developed at UPS through my P&G courses has made me successful in my current position.
Do you have any advice about what our students should make certain they do (or don’t do!) while still in school?
I would recommend for current students not to choose their current course load based on what they think they want to do later in life. Certainly, some of your courses will be affected by that, but having a broad base and diversity of interests and skills are important in differentiating yourself in the workplace. So if you are majoring in P&G, but want to take a psychology course, do it and don't be concerned about it fitting into your "overall master plan" or how it will fit. Being fluent in one or more languages, having a double major, or even a minor can give you the competitive advantage. Studying abroad is a big regret of mine and I feel that I missed out on great learning opportunities by not traveling and studying in another country, so I would recommend all students to take at least a semester to do that.
I would also say never to underestimate the power of internships. I think often times students get turned away by them because many are unpaid, but those can be VERY valuable learning experiences and also GREAT networking opportunities. Make time to do an internship, even if it is part-time and only a few hours a week, during your summer or even during the school year. Internships are a great way to explore your interests and test out certain career paths.
Do you have any advice about what our students should be thinking about as they consider their careers or further education?
Most importantly, follow your interests because working full-time can sometimes be a drag, especially if you are in a field of work that doesn't interest you. Doing something that you ENJOY will actually make working fun! I would also say not to be afraid to try something new - whether it is a class, an internship, or even a job. I thought I was going to go straight to law school and I took an internship and it has led to a very rewarding career path that I cannot possibly have imagined while I was in college.
Keep in mind that you don't have to STAY in the same career field your entire life. Heck! I still have interests of attending law school, but I also have a strong interest in becoming an elementary school teacher. Two very completely different career paths, but who says you can't try both?
Any other words of wisdom, or important questions I haven’t asked?
When I was a student, I benefited from talking with UPS alumni about their career paths, how they got to where they are, etc. I met a handful of UPS alumni and set up informational interviews and it really helped and it was a great opportunity to learn of internships and jobs. Don't underestimate the power of networking...it could lead to your next job or internship! I would be happy to be a resource to current students if they have interests in working on a political campaign or working in public policy. I can be reached via email at: andreatull[at]hotmail.com
I have attached two pictures.

One is with Senator John Kerry, Presidential Candidate in 2004. I was dressed in a peanut costume and this is one of the more humiliating campaign experiences.

The other is me when I went on a ride-along with the SeaTac Firefighters.
Since I handle labor issues, I do outreach to the labor community, which means I got to get suited up and ride along with some firefighters.
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Tuesday, July 11, 2006
Virtual Home
Ironically, the one hold-out has been the traditional homepage, where people learned to use HTML or set up their own sites at a site for free or charge. A decade ago faculty building their own homepages was cutting edge. Now they are a burden to maintain, and you find fewer people willing to maintain them.
At the same time you have the counter-example of something like Myspace, which gives people a place to upload material, build links and connect to one another, but seems unsuitable for more professional use.
One potential solution is Google Pages or Microsoft's Office Live.
This might work well, allowing one to build a stripped-down and easy to maintain home page which they can then link out to a blog, photo and data storage site, Delicious links, and any other online presence one might have.
If you have tried these (or use an alternative solution), let me know.
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From Arches
First, some time back I posted a picture I took at Jonee Winnick's recent wedding on campus. There's an article about her and her husband, Wayne, who was recently redeployed to Iraq. The piece is here.
Second, a letter by Candy Tingstad ’79 about Harry P. Cain, former mayor of Tacoma who publicly opposed the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War Two. In an earlier post we mentioned the Cain Scholarship on campus that bares his name, which is open to students who intend to pursue a career in public service. Thanks to Mark Smith '61 for calling the letter to my attention, and to Candy Tingstad, daughter of Mayor Cain, for reminding us of this piece of local history and its connnection to our campus.
Third, a nice profile of T'wina Franklin; I had a chance to meet her husband and T'wina's wonderful mother at our department graduation function; here's a picture of T'wina and her mother, along with Professor Melissa Bass and myself.
Finally, I missed this piece on Cameron Dolcourt '04 in the last issue. Sorry, Cameron!
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Monday, July 10, 2006
Smackdown
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Debra Dahlin '85
"For any of you who wondered what happened to me, Debra Dahlin, '85...
I just finished my second year teaching at the college level as an Instructor and loved every minute of it!
In addition, my husband, who is a professor of International Relations, travelled to Ukraine in August 2004 and adopted our most precious children, Max and Beau, now 6 and 4.5. They are the best job I ever had.
In between, I've done the typical, atypical liberal arts career (slightly stunted by the sexism in the South) working first the the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and literally running into my mentor, Dave Balaam on the street (you are the greatest) as well, and Dr. Veseth on the metro. It amounted to a graduate degree in and of itself.
Then on to graduate school thinking I was headed into the Foreign Service and beefing up on my Public Administration skills. Thanks to Dr. Share for giving me the best foundation in comparative politics I could have asked for. Huntington is still relevant.
I then worked as a Public Affairs Director for a TV station and finally started teaching at the college level, first Warren Wilson College, then Winthrop University, and now around the kid's schedules.
That's all the news that's fit to print, I guess."
There's a piece on Debra's overseas adoption in their school paper--you can find it here.
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Sunday, July 09, 2006
Feed your Tacomaness
Well, we have already mentioned Exit133, run by Derek Young '96. Derek said his site traffic is growing about 20% a week (do I remember that right, Derek?) and in my opinion has become the go-to source for Tacoma comings and goings, especially urban development.
But Derek has company. Some other interesting Tacoma blogs:
KevinFreitas.Net: Kevin has excellent pictures of our lovely town
Tacomaness written by a student at UWT in the Urban Studies program
Thrice All American--a reference to Neko Case's ode to Tacoma
Personally, I find it hard to keep track of these sites, so fortunately Feed Tacoma does that for us. Visit that site and you'll find the main articles from several Tacoma blogs nicely indexed. A great resource.
P.S. An article in Monday's Tacoma Daily Index on Exit133.
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Saturday, July 08, 2006
Mind the Gap
Some time back I wrote about Edward Tufte's quest to present quantitative data in a striking visual format. Gapminder takes his call to heart. Look in particular at the presentation "Has the World Become a Better Place?"
And if that's not enough, there's a great video of the founder of Gapminder, Professor Hans Rosling, speaking at the February 2006 Technology, Entertainment and Design Conference. He gets so amped up over what he's presenting that at one point the audience breaks out in spontaneous applause. The video's also pretty funny at the start where he pokes fun at the general level of knowledge about global heath. I'd suggest you watch the video first, then take a look at Gapminder itself.
"The problem is not ignorance, it's preconceived ideas..." Hans Rosling
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The Gender Gap
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Friday, July 07, 2006
Seattle, Take Note
MEDIA ADVISORY
For Immediate Release: July 5, 2006
Contact: Brad Kahn - 206-669-6422
Waterfronts for All
Learning from Bremerton and Tacoma
WHAT:
Seattle likes to think of itself as the vanguard: Coffee, philanthropy, microbrews, mixed-use development. Yet around Puget Sound, other communities have taken the lead in redeveloping marginal waterfronts into great public spaces. What can Seattle learn from Tacoma and Bremerton's efforts to convert their blighted waterfronts into vibrant public spaces?
WHO:
Cary Bozeman, Mayor of Bremerton
Su Dowie, Director of Planning and Operations, Foss Waterway Development Authority
Richard Conlin, Councilmember, City of Seattle
Hubert Locke, Former dean of the University of Washington's Evans School of Public Affairs
John Rahaim, Director, Seattle Department of Planning and Development
Sally Bagshaw, Chair, Allied Arts Waterfront Committee
WHEN: Wednesday, July 12, 5-7:30pm
WHERE: Town Hall (8th and Seneca)
Mayor Bozeman and Su Dowie are available for media interviews on July 12.
BACKGROUND: Mayor Cary Bozeman was re-elected to a second four-year term starting January 1, 2006. As Mayor of Bremerton, he oversaw redevelopment of the city's waterfront. He has also served on the Bellevue City Council from 1976 to 1993 where he was elected to serve as Mayor for three terms.
Su Dowie has been with the Foss Waterway Development Authority since its inception in 1998. As Director of Planning & Operations she is responsible for key planning activities, including financial forecasting, use of public spaces, and land use, permitting and regulatory issues. Her passion is the successful redevelopment of Tacoma's waterfront.
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Thursday, July 06, 2006
BS
Todd has his own blog where he writes about "politics, advertising, Hollywood and..."
Well, you'll figure it out yourself. The link is here. And I like this.
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Shopping for Schools
More generally, this relates back to the realization that the look and feel of a university's website is very important to students looking at colleges. This explains the ongoing revision and refinement of our own campus pages--an aesthetic arms race.
P.S. I received an email from the NYT journalist who wrote the piece: "How did you know we're headed to Tacoma next? Seriously, thanks for advancing the discussion. Is there any topic that's on more minds these days than the college selection and application process?"
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Wednesday, July 05, 2006
Two New Tags
The first is an alum tag. Here I've just been making links to any web presence our alums might have. Are you online? Share the URL with us and we'll add it to the list.
The second is a faculty publication tag. Clay Loges '68 asked a while back who everyone was in the department these days. On our new website you'll find descriptions of each of us, but the faculty publication tag also refers you to anything we've written in the past. Again, this is just something I put together very quickly, so expect more.
Remember that with Delicious you can resort all the links by clicking on the tags at right.
Boot Camp and Coming Home
Clay writes "I wish I had taken more business classes and almost think they should be part of the core curriculum, but that’s just my opinion. I just received my MBA from Seattle U and have recently accepted a position with Boeing in supply chain management on the 787 program. It’s great international experience dealing with all of our overseas suppliers but a huge challenge just getting everyone on the same page. I hope to be down there for homecoming this year since it’s been 10 years already!"
Clay is happy to chat with anyone looking to business school or Boeing. Drop me a line if you want to get in touch with him.
And that raises the question of Homecoming. Will you be here? I'd love to host an informal gathering of PG alums, whether on campus or off. Drop me a note if you plan on coming and I'll try to set up a time if there are several of you with overlapping schedules. Otherwise, I'd be happy to get together with anyone for a meal or a drink.
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Website Revamp
Trivia: The first picture at the top of our home page, showing the Supreme Court, is a stock image, but the other three I took over the past few years: Protestant paramilitary mural, Belfast; EU flag, Belgian Senate, Brussels; Israel-Lebanon border, Rosh Hanikra, Israel.
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
Faculty Work and Online Storage
So I have looked around at some different online storage systems. I've used Streamload in past, but didn't care much for the interface, and so I'm experimenting with box.net. I like the tagging function among other things. Right now we are using a free version, but if it proves useful we may opt for the full menu.
Anyone out there with personal preferences for online storage systems?
So, with that out of the way...
Michael McCann and William Haltom, "Not Something to Believe In:
Cause Lawyers in Contemporary Movies".
P.S. Professor Haltom submits the paper in part as proof that faculty do in fact work during the summer.
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Monday, July 03, 2006
The Fourth
Happy Independence Day to all readers of our blog, and current and former students wherever you may be. If you've not been in Tacoma over a July Fourth, it's pretty crazy, with one of the biggest shows in the country. Combined with all the fireworks bought on the Puyallup reservation and set off all over town, it makes for a colorful and noisy evening. Watch those fingers.
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Tool of the Future?
Digital pens eliminate that by allowing you to rely on pen and paper, and then upload your notes later. There are some bugs to be worked out, but it sounds promising, and something that could be quite user-friendly and affordable in future. Perhaps digital pens will become as commonplace as calculators and digital cameras, and could reduce the need to take a laptop with you everywhere.
I wonder about the use of laptops, combined with wifi, in the classroom. While I know that students don't always pay attention in class, and can just as easily be doodling as opposed to taking notes, laptops seem to create a kind of half-wall that directs the student away from the class. And with wifi, it's all too tempting to simply check email or chat online than listen and contribute. I know that laptop use is much more prevalent in law school and business school; maybe some of you out there have your own observations from experience.
Some argue that laptops in the classroom make for a much more productive class. This assumes that the laptops, however, are being directly integrated into the lesson plan, rather than simply servicing as a note-taking device for students.
The NYT article can be found here; more on the Logitech pen at Amazon.
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Sunday, July 02, 2006
Boom
Video courtesy Kevin Freitas, another great local blog.
Just in time for the Fourth, this morning the Port of Tacoma blew up a 500 foot smokestack to make way for new development. Exit 133 has a nice picture of the detonator--the Port had a contest where the the winner got the push down the plunger (though in reality it was just a prop). More pics here and here.
It was loud--we could hear it from our house when it came down.
Saturday, July 01, 2006
Looking for a Lost Alum
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