Your Friday Roundup of Opportunities

Don't forget that there are lots of internships in DC and elsewhere at Hillzoo, and Idealist, and Conservativeinternships.com

• Summer Internships in Alaska
• Internships, Pulitzer Center, DC
• Internship, United States Commission on International Religious Freedom Washington, DC

Summer of 2008 Internships in Alaska
The Alaska Conservation Foundation (ACF) has 18 paid internships
available for the summer of 2008. The internships cover a number of
different topics and take place all over the state. Its a great job
opportunity as well as a great way to experience Alaska. Follow the
link below to learn more!
http://www.akcf.org/_pages/programs_amp_initiatives/information_for_interns/2008_internship_opportunities.php


Internship, Pulitzer Center, Washington, D.C.
Organization: Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting
Area of Focus: International Relations, Media and Journalism
Paid or unpaid: Paid

Description:
The Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting seeks an intern for the spring semester, preferably starting January 3, 2008. We are especially interested in web-savvy applicants eager to get the word out about our international reporting projects through the Internet and special events.

The Pulitzer Center is a non-profit leader in sponsoring the independent journalism that media organizations are increasingly less willing to undertake on their own. Pulitzer Center-funded stories shed light on underreported issues and regions around the globe. Our Global Gateway education initiative then brings those stories and the journalists into high schools and universities.

For information on our reporting projects and outreach efforts please see our website, at www.pulitzercenter.org The Pulitzer Center is located in the heart of Washington, D.C., near Dupont Circle.

The internship pays $1,000 per month.
End date may be negotiable so long as there can be overlap with the summer intern.
Application instructions:

Send letter telling us where your interests lie, and what talents you can bring to the Pulitzer Center. Please include a resume, brief writing sample, and list of references.

Applications should be sent to Ann Peters, director of development and outreach, at apeters@pulitzercenter.org


Internship, United States Commission on International Religious Freedom Washington, DC
Communications Department Intern:
Creates daily press clips for distribution to USCIRF Commissioners and staff, as well as to select individuals at the White House and State Department.
. Maintains and expands database of media, public, NGO, religious leaders, think tank, and academia contacts.
. Compiles material for, creates, and distributes "First Freedom Watch," USCIRF's electronic newsletter.
. Organizes and distributes materials for distribution to the public and press. This includes press releases, policy briefs, USCIRF's printed newsletter, and reports.
. Helps organize and provide logistical support for events such as press conferences, public hearings, and speaking engagements.
. Provides general office administrative support such as photocopying, data entry, and other support as needed.

Eligible candidates should have:
. At least two years of undergraduate study completed
. Strong people skills
. Willingness to do administrative work
. Desire to be a team player
. Attention to detail and strong organizational skills
. Interest in human rights and foreign policy a plus

Government Affairs Department Intern:
. Monitors foreign policy statements, human rights legislation and relevant policy publications
. Attends and reports on hearings
. Reviews relevant government agency websites and publications daily
. Maintains Washington Update page on USCIRF website
. Provides general office administrative support

Eligible candidates should be:
. Recent college graduates, college seniors or students enrolled in a graduate program, with interest in government affairs, foreign policy or a related field.
. Equipped with good writing and comprehension skills
. Familiar with Microsoft Office and the Internet. Knowledge of Lotus Notes and Microsoft Excel is a plus.

Immigration Law Department Intern:

Minimum time commitment: 8 hours weekly
. Conducts legal research and writes on issues relating to refugee and asylum law and policy. Areas of likely research include the access to procedures and reception standards for asylum seekers arriving in the United States, as well as issues relating to the protection of refugees who have fled religious persecution abroad.

Eligible candidates should have:
. At least two years of undergraduate study completed
. Interest in law, human rights, policy, religious affairs, or a related field.
. Familiarity with Microsoft Office and the Internet. Knowledge of Lotus Notes is a plus.

Outreach Department Intern:
. Organizes and distributes materials for distribution to the public NGO, religious leaders, and think tanks. This includes policy briefs, USCIRF's printed newsletter, and reports.
. Helps organize and provide logistical support for public events.
. Provides general office administrative support such as photocopying, data entry, and other support as needed.

Eligible candidates should have:
. At least two years of undergraduate study completed
. Strong people skills
. Willingness to do administrative work
. Desire to be a team player
. Attention to detail and strong organizational skills
. Interest in human rights a plus


General Research Intern:
o Researches a variety of international religious freedom and human rights issues
o Assists in preparations for meetings, roundtables and/or Commission travel
o Attends and reports on public hearings and other events around D.C. on issues relevant to the Commission's work
o Attends meetings and roundtables at the Commission with international visitors and other groups interested in the Commission's work
o Is able to focus on a particular region
o Assists with other general office duties

Eligible candidates should have:

. At least two years of undergraduate study completed with coursework or experience in public policy, international affairs, political sciences, human rights, religious affairs, government affairs, or a related field.
. Willingness to do administrative work.
. Familiarity with Microsoft Office Applications and the Internet. Knowledge of Microsoft Access is a plus.
. Knowledge of foreign language useful, but not necessary.

All internships are part-time (15-20 hours) and unpaid. Course credit is available. The Commission does not provide housing or pay moving expenses, however, will cover metro transportation expenses.

To apply for an internship, please E-mail, fax or mail a resume with references and a cover letter explaining your qualifications and why you would like to intern at the Commission to the address below. Please specify for which internship you are applying.

Internship Program c/o Danielle Simms
United States Commission on International Religious Freedom
800 North Capitol Street, NW, Suite 790
Washington, DC 20002
(PH) 202-523-3240; (FAX) 202-523-5020; (EMAIL) interns@uscirf.gov

The application deadlines for each semester are as follows:

Fall/Winter Semester: September - December Application Deadline: August 15th
Spring Semester: January- May Application Deadline: December 15th
Summer Semester: June - August Application Deadline: April 15th

http://www.uscirf.gov/about/employment.html

Congratulations Doctor Eric Williams!

Many congratulations to visiting Professor Eric Williams, who recently crossed over from the land of ABD (All But Dissertation) to a fully-fledged PhD from Rutgers University. Students and faculty are hereby informed that from this day on he must be referred to at all times as Mister Doctor Professor Williams or face severe sanction. He can now also prescribe medications and diagnose back pain, so the next time you see him please make certain to share with him your aches and pains.

Students: Brand U?

From the New York Times, an article about the growing business in student packaging to better sell themselves to top colleges:

Many colleges engage in Orwell-speak about assembling congenial communities with a variety of backgrounds and talents. Academic feats, they also insist, must be abetted with good works and evidence of leadership. And so applicants end up in activities they may not care about. At the same time, admissions officers seldom meet the flesh-and-blood students they are evaluating, basing decisions on fleeting reviews of paper. Students are distilled to slogans like “the Greenwich ballerina who mentored students in the South Bronx.”

...Colleges say they are getting wise to students who dress up a privileged background with a benevolent sheen. The shame is that in a world where students are compelled to game the system, probably more than a few genuinely good souls are thrown away along with the counterfeits. Meanwhile, children are being subjected to pressures they may not be ready for. After all, why should a teenager be penalized for wanting to spend the summer as a camp counselor?

Read the whole story here.

Jenni Swift '07 AmeriCorps update

The other day Jenni Swift '07 dropped by and we had a moment to chat. I asked her if she'd update us all for the blog on life since graduation, especially her work with AmeriCorps. Read on--good stuff:

Professor O'Neil,

It was nice to see you last week. I can't believe that mid-terms are over already! I'd like to tell you a little about how I came to my AmeriCorps program, as well as what it is. It's a really interesting program that I believe is unique in many ways.

After graduation and time traveling, I came back to Seattle jobless. I took an internship at the Rural Development Institute, an incredible non-profit international law firm whose charge is advocating land rights for the worlds poorest. As an intern I researched other firms who might have goals in common with RDI, as well as helped prepare for meetings with documentary film makers and authors. I realized while working there that I didn't enjoy working on the communications and development side and didn't have access to the program development and work of the attorneys as much as I had hoped. It was still a fun place to be, and if anyone is interested in international law and development, they take volunteers, interns and research assistants.

Near the end of my time at RDI I began interning at the district office of Congressman Dave Reichert of the 8th District. Because I was interning during recess, the Congressman was in the district office, which turned out to be an incredible experience! I enjoyed working with someone who, despite our differing views on many policy choices, really cared about the political process and his district. It renewed my faith in the process. At the end of August, President Bush came to endorse Congressman Reichert's 2008 reelection campaign. As the only 'staff member' not attending the event in Bellevue, I got the awesome job of driving the congressman to SeaTac to drop him off with the President and his motorcade. I have attached a picture from this event, however it's of poor quality because all I had was my cell phone. While interning I began to realize that I couldn't work for nothing forever. As I looked at community development programs within the city of Seattle, I realized that most of the 'paid' positions were offered through AmeriCorps, which conveniently began around September 1. There are about a zillion different programs in Seattle, let alone the Puget Sound region. I applied to Solid Ground, formerly the Freemont Public Association. They had 35 positions, about 17 to chose from. These programs range from YMCA after school programs to being an advocate in the Prosecuting Attorney's Office. In fact, a great program within the City Attorney's office is called Community Court where low-level offenders are given the option to do community service instead of serving time in jail! There are four AmeriCorps folks who work in the office and out of the Millionaires Club downtown with this program.

The program I ended up in is within the Seattle Police Department. I am a Victim Support Team advocate for victims of domestic violence. I also help to manage about 80 volunteers who do 8 hour shifts from Friday to Sunday every weekend. These volunteers (as well as myself occasionally) respond to a secured DV scene where the police have been called to do crisis intervention, as well as give out community resources to victims and their families. My everyday job at police headquarters consists of maintaining these resources including Hopeline Cell Phones through Verizon Wireless (great program!!), homeless and battered women's shelter information, food bank information, and information on the criminal justice system (as a brief example). I also make follow up calls with victims who's cases we received over the weekend. Our program not only serves the victims directly but we are often better received because we are civilians, not officers. Domestic violence is a truly complicated subject that isn't fully understood, let alone acknowledged by the general public, so I could go on forever!

It has been such an interesting three months so far. At Solid Ground our team meets once a week to work on other topics surrounding racism, oppression, and violence in society. We have trainings on undoing racism and the history of systemized oppression, to name a few. I can say it has been quite an experience working dually between a liberal non-profit and the police department that is often seen as a source of oppression, hatred and racism in society. As a civilian I have a unique job to wear different 'hats' while at work, representing all the different groups I work with.

I apologize this is long, but I suppose there is no short way to explain the path to AmeriCorps and a year of service. Hopefully this does shed light on the different and unique things that a UPS Alum can do after graduation. I think that UPS students stand to gain a lot from an AmeriCorps year: from day one my expectations about those who serve and those who are served have been challenged. I've been told, and I'm coming to learn, this might be the hardest and most educational year of my life. I couldn't ask for much more.

How to get a job in the foreign policy world?

An article, with just that title, can be found over at Foreign Policy; it's an interview with Peter W. Singer, a military expert at the Brookings Institution and the author of Corporate Warriors: The Rise of the Privatized Military Industry . Many thanks to Bill Bockman '06 for the hat tip; Bill is is currently working on an MA at the Jackson School of International Studies at UW.

Excerpt:

What is the best advice you could give to a job hunter just out of college?

I believe in what could be called "forensic backtracking." Here's how it works: Identify people that have jobs that you might want one day. Then, backtrack what they did to get there. What are the kind of experiences that they had under their belt, the sort of publications they published in, etc....

This leads to more backwards advice about interviews: Game out your interviews and practice them. Your résumé gets you onto the short list; your interview gets you the job. Prepare your answers to the most likely questions beforehand, so that you can have them ready at the front of your brain, rather than scrambling for them when it matters most. As part of this, start out with the key things that you want that interviewer to know about you by the end of that meeting and ensure that you weave them into answers. That is, work backwards: Decide the elements of your answers first and then use these to prepare for the potential questions.

Read the whole thing here.

Chelsea Waliser '04, Obama, and the New Yorker

Kudos to Professor Share for spotting this rather lengthy mention of PG alum Chelsea Waliser '04 in New Yorker magazine's profile of Barack Obama. As you'll read, Chelsea is working on Obama's campaign in Iowa, and whatever the outcome, it sounds like we trained her well:

At a recent training session, Chelsea Waliser, an energetic twenty-five-year-old from Washington state, was explaining the byzantine rules of the caucuses—how to win the most delegates for your candidate—to nine women and eight men sitting in a semicircle on mismatched chairs and couches. Waliser, who has long curly red hair, stood before a large pad of paper filled with equations, the sort of thing that sometimes makes the Iowa caucuses seem designed to alienate ordinary people and prevent them from participating....

Unlike the Republican caucuses in Iowa, which are fairly simple, akin to a straw poll, the Democratic caucuses are arcane, rule-bound Party meetings where members are not picking Presidential candidates but choosing delegates to their county conventions. Winning the most delegates for your favored candidate requires not only a sure grasp of mathematics but a keen understanding of group dynamics. In 2004, John Kerry’s precinct captains were generally professionals who knew how to use caucus arithmetic to get more delegates for their candidate, while Howard Dean’s captains were young and poorly trained newcomers who were outmaneuvered in caucus rooms across the state. Waliser is training her captains to be disciplined. Within each precinct, she counselled, an Obama team had to include people responsible for specific tasks, including a “host,” a “greeter,” a “checker,” and a “persuader.” And then there’s the “corraller.” At each caucus, any candidate who does not gain the support of a certain percentage of the attendees—typically, fifteen per cent—is considered nonviable, and supporters may disband and align with other candidates. “Realignment” is a chaotic moment when campaigns descend on each other’s groups and try to poach from them. The arguments used during realignment are notoriously haphazard, ranging from the high-minded (“Join my group because my candidate opposed the war”) to the pedestrian (“Join my group because I loaned you a snow shovel last week”). This, Waliser explained, is why every Obama group needed a corraller—to ward off the poachers. “This person will in a polite and respectful manner physically contain the Obama group and ask them to stay in their place,” she told her precinct captains. She suggested feeding them in case they got restless. “The name of the game on caucus night is stand and stay, so this is where the chocolate-chip cookies are crucial.”

I'm not certain in which class she learned about the power of cookies, however. Read the whole piece here.

Working in development talk tonight

The folks over at IPE are sponsoring this valuable talk--go if you've got the time. PG is also planning to bring out a representative from Mercy Corps early next semester to meet with PG students, so I will keep you all posted on that.


Pursuing Careers in Humanitarian Aid and Development

Interested in a career in the fields of humanitarian aid and development? Don't know where to start?
What academic programs are out there?

What kind of career experience is needed?
What is this lifestyle like?


Come learn how to start a career and get paid to do humanitarian aid!

Mon., Nov. 26, 5-6 p.m.

Murray Boardroom

Speakers:

• Prof. Monica Dehart: Comparative Sociology
• Andrew Sherriff: Peace and Development Consultant; Development and Peacebuilding Programme at International Alert
• Leslie Sherriff: Learning for International Non-Governmental Organizations; Catholic Relief Services for Bosnia & Serbia
• Erica Nelson: 2004 UPS Alum; MPhil in International Peace Studies at Trinity College, Dublin

Pizza and drinks will be provided.

Hosted by the International Political Economy department.

Political Science Association Internship Night Thursday

Dear Professor O'Neil,

I hope you and your family had a great Thanksgiving weekend! I just wanted to give you some information about the internship information session that I have been helping Julie Housh organize on behalf of PSA. The details are as follows:

UPS Alum Julie Housh will be on campus to answer questions about congressional internships and provide information about internship opportunities with Washington State Rep. Rick Larsen.

Thursday November 29, 7pm, Wheelock Student Center 201

We will also be publicizing it at our open PSA meeting tomorrow night.

Thank you!

-Cat

Ashley Mills '05 is in Thailand and needs your help!

Got this email and am passing it along. She gives the link where you can donate below, or you can click here. A story worth reading--and, I hope, worth giving, too.

Sawadeeka!

If anyone still wants to donate (it's tax-deductible!) to my Thai Youth Theater Project it definitely is not too late. We can use ANY and ALL donations.

Just to remind you guys, the festival is completely free for all the kids from all over Thailand who want to come- we provide all of the housing, their meals, even the t-shirts that they get when they come. We want to make sure that no child is turned away due to lack of money. The festival itself is a 2 day event full of everything to do with theater- workshops in stage-fighting, stage makeup, costumes- the works. Then, at the end, all of the kids get to perform their plays, all in English, on the national Thai theater stage. It's an event of a lifetime for some kids who are so poor that they only own one pair of shoes. We have one group who, despite the fact that their Peace Corps volunteer left 6 years ago, continues to come year after year and performs Shakespeare (seriously- I saw them perform the Tempest. It was intense). That group now travels all over the country and performs for different groups. We have some groups who choose to perform about issues such as HIV/AIDS. Right now we have 480 kids signed up and I think we are going to have to cap it pretty soon because of the capacity of our accommodations.

We think that this is a great project- not only for building English skills, but also for team building and for giving kids confidence that they might have never gained otherwise. Plus, the memories are priceless. You could make a 'Mastercard' commercial out of this. Really, the festival isn't possible unless the grant goes through, so
we're crossing our fingers.

So, if you can donate anything at all, that would be great. If you can't, that's fine. Your support during these two years has meant the world to me.

Thanks again!

https://www.peacecorps.gov/resources/donors/contribute/projdetail.cfm?projdesc=493-154&

Happy Thanksgiving

Image: International Poster Gallery

Happy Thanksgiving to all our students, alums, and readers near and far. We'll be back in action on the blog after the holidays.

Every-ware: Open Courseware

From Jordan Barber '09:

As an academic you're likely already aware of this, but I was so interested I figured I would share (for your blog).

MIT has uploaded a huge number (some 1700) of their courses online into a website called "MIT Open Courseware," with many featuring video/audio lectures for each day. Some of the courses contain little information, but many have lectures notes/videos for every class period. The course readings are all in PDF form (except for the books), and they have discussion forums for the individual courses.

Here's the link: http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/web/home/home/index.htm
And the article that led me to it: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07322/834852-298.stm

Cool--here's Introduction to Copyright Law with video lectures.

The decline of tenure?

From the New York Times:

...Three decades ago, adjuncts — both part-timers and full-timers not on a tenure track — represented only 43 percent of professors, according to the professors association, which has studied data reported to the federal Education Department. Currently, the association says, they account for nearly 70 percent of professors at colleges and universities, both public and private.

John W. Curtis, the union’s director of research and public policy, said that while the number of tenured and tenure-track professors has increased by about 25 percent over the past 30 years, they have been swamped by the growth in adjunct faculty. Over all, the number of people teaching at colleges and universities has doubled since 1975.

University officials agree that the use of nontraditional faculty is soaring. But some contest the professors association’s calculation, saying that definitions of part-time and full-time professors vary, and that it is not possible to determine how many courses, on average, each category of professor actually teaches.

Many state university presidents say tight budgets have made it inevitable that they turn to adjuncts to save money.

Read the whole article here.

Rachel Little '97 talk--tomorrow!

Professor Share writes:

I’m having a last-minute guess speaker in my LAS 100 class tomorrow (Tuesday, 11/20, 2-2:45 Wyatt 301) to discuss Latin American immigration from a legal perspective, and all are welcome to attend that portion of the class.

Rachel Little '97, is a lawyer with extensive experience in the area of immigration. She has worked as a policy assistant for Ayuda, Inc in Washington D.C, writing on issues related to the abuse of immigrant women, and Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center in Texas. She served as a law clerk for the Political Asylum Project of Austin, and now practices law at Tindall & Foster, P.C., focusing on a variety of immigration matters.

Your Friday Roundup of Opportunities

Don't forget that there are lots of internships in DC and elsewhere at Hillzoo, and Idealist, and Conservativeinternships.com

• Internship, The Office of Rep. Rick Larsen (D-WA-02), DC
• Internship, Institute for Community Justice, Kent, WA
  

Internship, The Office of Rep. Rick Larsen (D-WA-02), DC
Julie Housh '06 writes:
As I don’t want there to be a lapse in the daily mentions of DC on the UPS politics blog, would you mind passing along some information? Our office, Rep. Rick Larsen (D-WA-02) is seeking spring interns. I know that students haven’t yet committed for the spring semester and so there’s still time to make arrangements to come out to DC!

If you could post the internship announcement, I’ve attached the description.

I’ll also be back in Washington the last week in November for interviews or general intern/DC informational purposes. If anyone is interested in talking about internships, living/working in DC, or general life-after-P&G I’m happy to sit down with them, just have them drop me an e-mail.

Thank you for your help!
Kind regards,
Julie

The Office of Rep. Rick Larsen (D-WA-02) is seeking to hire an intern in the Washington DC office for winter/spring terms. Candidates should have an interest in and knowledge of the legislative process, possess excellent writing and communication skills, and have an understanding of the American political system.

Interns will be responsible for projects such as writing congressional correspondence, working with federal agencies, fielding constituent phone calls and other requests. Other duties include leading Capitol building tours and providing staff with general office support. During their term, interns are encouraged to attend briefings and committee hearings of personal interest and complete individual and team goals.

If you would like to be considered for an internship, please fax your resume and cover letter to (202) 225-4420 or email julie.housh@mail.house.gov. If you have questions about an internship, please contact Julie Housh by email or by phone at (202)225-2605.


Internship, Institute for Community Justice, Kent, WA
Work for Justice! Stand against the disparities in our communities and schools. Arouse, Educate and Organize yourself and others. Develop your ability to change yourself.

The Institute for Community Leadership commits to the integration of individuals into the movement for social justice, peace, civil and human rights in their local communities, nationwide and internationally. We seek individuals committed to personal transformation and social justice.

Intern & Volunteer Requirements

All interns and volunteers will be selected based on their proven ability and capacity to receive coaching, get outside of their comfort zones and organize others. Interns and volunteers will demonstrate experience and course of study in Nonviolence Organizing, Personal Transformation through Social Participation, and Coaching Peace with Justice. In addition, individuals must actively pursue the following:

• Humility
• Listening power
• Intuitive learning
• Gratitude
• Courage
• Dedication to the constant renewal of the mind
• Commitment to self control
• Making a vow to truth

Internship and Volunteer positions are available throughout the year ranging from 5-40 hours a week.

ICL is pleased to work with colleges and universities to assist in earning academic credit for internship and volunteer experience.

Basic Responsibilities

• Organize families, youth, educators and community members in support of social justice.
• Receive training in organizing from ICL as a cadre for peace with justice.
• Study, read, and write on issues of concern to their communities and to civil, human, environmental rights movement and the peace & justice movement.
• Reflect and practice reflection as a method of organizing others and becoming noble warriors for justice.

Areas of Work for Interns & Volunteers

Assistant Facilitator: Join certified ICL facilitators in local schools utilizing the ICL Leadership-Poetry Workshop curriculum. Engage young people in transformational leadership opportunities, organize community events, build ties to local community organization and relate to families and teachers.

Jack Hunter O'Dell Reflection & Education Center Outreach Coordinator: Research and Outreach to environmental justice organizations and businesses in support of JHOREC work. Donations of products and resources for projects, volunteer coordination, etc.

Youth Coordinator: Relate to families, visit homes, organize for events, edit poems, outreach and general follow-up with youth and families.

Grant Writer: Research and write grants, assist in the growth and development of the ICL Fund Development Department. Participate in the Jack Hunter O'Dell Reflection and Education Center Capital Campaign working with national and international donors, foundation and others.

Publications & Public Relations: Research and outreach to media and publishing companies regarding ICL work. Create ICL press kit for long term use.

Democracy Education Researcher: Areas of further research- Record the impact of war on education development; Sociological impacts of prisons on schools; Methods & pedagogy of education internationally (Vietnam, Cuba, S. Africa, Japan, etc.), democracy education.

Multimedia Projects: Capture through video, audio and photographs the essence of nonviolence and transformation in ICL workshops and the O’Dell Center. Assist in creation of multimedia tools for promoting nonviolence, leadership, social justice and peace.

Events & Activities: Organize events and build relationships with community businesses and organization, set up and take down during ICL LPW and other activities, hosting at ICL events, event volunteer coordination.

Office Management: Assist in the management of the ICL office, answer phones, database work and outreach.

Please contact ICL to apply for an Internship or Volunteer Position today!

ICL Phone: 253-872-3612
Email: info@icleadership.org
Address: 8209 S. 222nd St., Kent, WA 98032

Why an MA in IR?

From Tufts Professor Dan Drezner's blog, a round-up of some varied discussion on whether it's worth getting an MA (or PhD) in international relations. Lots of debate and good points to consider that apply more broadly to the utility of graduate degrees. Find the piece here.

I am Millennial, see me engage

Hat tip: Professor Bass--

College students in the United States are hungry for political conversation that is authentic, involves diverse views and is free of manipulation and “spin,” according to a new report released on November 7th, 2007 by the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning & Engagement (CIRCLE) and The Charles F. Kettering Foundation.

Today’s students—part of the Millennial Generation born between 1985 and 2004— are more engaged in their communities and feel responsible to become civically involved. They recognize the importance of being educated and involved citizens, but discard much of the information available to them because of its polarizing and partisan nature. They are turned off by intensely combative political debate, the report says. We also find that colleges and universities are providing very unequal opportunities for civic participation and learning.

The report follows up on a 1993 study published by the Kettering Foundation that found students considered politics “irrelevant” to their lives and they saw little purpose in actively participating in politics.

Find out more, and read the whole report, here.

Crossing Borders Student Conference, Seattle

So I'm always saying "students, this is a great opportunity!" This time it's a GREAT opportunity!!! Note the capitalization and extra exclamation marks. Conference is international, yet nearby (Seattle), select, completely funded, and last year they gave out $7000 in scholarships to participants.
As Professor Haltom would say: Conferences good!

'Crossing Borders - Issues & Resolutions' A Conference & Debate
for U.S. & Canadian University Students (WA, OR, ID, BC, AB)
Seattle WA 6-7 March 2008

Sponsored & Organized by
Consulate General of Canada
Seattle

Canada and the United States share one of the world's longest borders and are each others largest trading partners. Canada is America's largest supplier of crude oil, natural gas and electricity. The U.S. and Canada are allies in the War on Terror and partners in NORAD for decades. However, as in most relationships, challenges and differences do exist.

EVENT / DATES

The Consulate General of Canada Seattle, in collaboration with the Pacific Northwest Canadian Studies Consortium, is organizing a two-day Student Conference to focus on the US-Canada border and issues of importance in the bi-lateral relationship.

After arrival in Seattle on Thursday 6 March, the students will travel to the US-Canada border Port of Entry at Blaine WA / Surrey BC for presentations and tours organized by the Canada Border Services Agency and US Customs and Border Protection. Students will learn about the operations of both agencies and how they partner to secure the border against threats while expediting travel for legitimate trade and commerce. The day will conclude with a Welcome Dinner in Bellingham, Washington and return to Seattle.

On Friday 7 March the Conference will entail 4 panel presentations. Each panel will focus on an issue of importance to Canada and the United States and last 90 minutes. Each panel will have two teams. Each team will be composed of one American and one Canadian student. Each team will be tasked with researching, presenting and explaining the issue assigned (the American student will present the American position and the Canadian student will present the Canadian position). Each team will suggest a resolution / solution. A moderator and members of the audience will be invited to ask questions and / or challenge the presentations and resolutions of two teams. A team of judges will select the team deemed to have made the best presentation and proffering the most convincing resolution / solution. The day will conclude with an Awards Dinner.

STUDENT ELIGIBILITY / SELECTION

A total of 16 students will be selected. Eight American and eight Canadian. Students must be full-time undergraduates attending a university in Washington, Idaho, Oregon, British Columbia or Alberta that is a member of the Pacific Northwest Canadian Studies Consortium. No more than two students will be selected from any one university.

Interested students must complete the attached application and mail / fax no later than 15 January 2008. Successful applicants will be notified by 1 February. Students will be paired (one American and one Canadian for each of the 8 teams) and assigned their issue upon notification. Students are invited to work with their faculty advisors to see if this may qualify as an independent study to earn course credit.

TEAMS / ISSUES

The American students will present the American position and the Canadian students will present the Canadian position. Not personal opinions or beliefs! Each team will need to communicate and work together beforehand to organize their presentations and agree upon a resolution / solution.

The issues to be assigned will be one of the following:

1. Border Security: Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative; PASS cards; Enhanced Drivers Licenses; Perimeter Clearance, Visa harmonization
2. Northwest Passage: Sovereign Canadian waters or International waters
3. Multi-Lateral Diplomacy: Role of the United Nations
4. Gun Control
5. Capital Punishment
6. Gay Marriage / Gays in Military

FUNDING

The Canadian Consulate General is the principal sponsor of the conference. Students will be provided with travel funds (airplane ticket or mileage), two nights shared accommodation in Seattle, ground transportation for the Border Tour and meals.

AWARDS / PRIZES

One team from each panel will be selected for making the best presentation and proffering the best resolution. From those four teams one team will be selected as the overall top presenter. One individual student for best performance will be selected. Awards and prizes to be confirmed. $7000 in scholarships were awarded in 2007.

APPLICATION

You can find complete details and the application and contact info here.

Tech Fetish Object

I have a burning desire to have something ultraportable to do basic web and textwork, and not be a tied to a cellphone on steroids or pay big bucks for a tablet PC or Sony Vaio.

So I've gone for this. Linux over Windows, flash hard drive, very small screen and keyboard. 2 pounds. It's also 400 bucks. En route; I'll let you know how it is--a worthy complement to your regular PC or just a toy I shouldn't have spent my money on?

Caitlin McGrane '10: Semester "Abroad" in DC

A note from Caitlin McGrane '10 that she has been accepted to the American University Washington Semester American Politics program for Fall 2008. Caitlin's excited to be in DC in the midst of the campaign, and is working with the university to figure out credit transfers and financial issues. I think this is a great opportunity for students who want to "study abroad" inside the US, and Kathleen Campbell in the registrar's office was so good as to write up a short document on things students need to consider if they're interested in this kind of opportunity. You can find that here.

DC alums, we might call on you if Caitlin would like to meet you and know more about you.

Eric Carlson '92 in the NYT

Sunday I'm reading the New York Times come across an article titled "Undoing Your Daily Damage to the Earth, for a Price" which talks about offsetting one's carbon footprint. And who is quoted but none other than '92 alum Eric Carlson, founder of Carbonfund.org:

“The easy way out is to do nothing,” said Eric Carlson, executive director of the offset retailer Carbonfund.org. “Carbon offsets are a self-imposed tax, which gives you the financial incentive to reduce your emissions as much as economically feasible.”

Read the whole piece here; and an interview with Eric in Arches in Spring 2006 here.