News and Information for August 2013

It is almost time for everyone to move back to campus.  This year we have an incoming class of 29 Scholars students.  Dr. Earl and I are teaching the first-year course with a focus on Social Justice.

Scholars Student Council

• Ben Bogard
• Alexia Brewster
• Levi Endelman
• Bob King
• Aditi Patel
• Andra Peeler
• Plus two first year students to be elected in September

Scholars Student Assistant - This is a paid position to assist the first year students with their adjustment to the Wartburg Scholars Program

• Sarah Mullinax

Important Dates

• August 30 - First year students move in
• September 11 - Scholars Dinner with the College President (Please RSVP when you receive your invitation)

Questions for our new First Year Students

We are starting to get ready for students to arrive on campus.  The official day that students move to campus is August 30, 2013, but because of athletics, students will start moving to campus in just a few days.  We ask our new class of first year students to do a couple of things:

• Subscribe to this blog using your favorite feed reader.
• Go to this google form to answer a few questions about your summer.

Finally, if you have suggestions, hints, or advice for the new first year students, reply or add a comment to this post.

The Office of Science /Office of Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists (WDTS)

The Office of Science /Office of Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists (WDTS), is pleased to announce that it is accepting applications to its 2014 Spring Term Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internship (SULI) program, with all required application materials, including recommendations, due by 5:00 PM ET on October 1, 2013. The SULI program encourages undergraduate students to pursue science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers by providing research experiences at Department of Energy (DOE) laboratories, where selected students participate as interns appointed at participating host labs. They perform research, under the guidance of laboratory staff scientists or engineers, on projects supporting the DOE mission.

Further information, including program eligibility, requirements, host lab participation, and access to the online application system are found at:

http://science.energy.gov/wdts/

http://science.energy.gov/wdts/suli/

with inquiries or questions made using:

http://science.energy.gov/wdts/suli/contact/

The SULI program is sponsored and managed by the DOE Office of Science's, Office of Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists (WDTS) in collaboration with the DOE laboratories. The Department of Energy's Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States, and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time.

Featured Senior Project

Student: Andra Peeler

Title: FAC Music

Abstract: Inspired by the electroacoustic genre of musique concrète, I set out to create a song by arranging recorded sounds in and around the Fine Arts Center at Wartburg College. Throughout the creative process I had to make decisions about how to record, manipulate, structure, and organize my piece. An essay serves as a written partner to the piece as it explains the historical significance of the genre as well as details about the song’s creation and commentary.

 

Social Justice Movies

The theme this year for SCH 101 is Social Justice.  Over the summer, we asked the students to watch Ghandi and School of Rock.  However,  now we are looking at the whole semester of material.  This is one list of Social Justice movies.  What movies would you put on the list and why?  Use the commentings to add ideas.

Late July

I know it has been quite some time since the last post, but I just returned from 3 weeks at the Park City Math Institute where I learned about the isoperimetric problem and also about General Relativity.  If neither of these make sense to you, just imagine me sitting in a classroom feeling just as lost as the majority of my students in my undergraduate math courses.  It certainly helps renew my sympathy for the students sitting in the back row hoping I don't notice them.

This year we have 29 new first year students from five different states, although none from below the Mason-Dixon line this year.  We have accepted one international student who will be joining us when the finances get worked out.  We have eight gentlemen, so the odds are good for some, but not for others.

This Fall, the first thing these students will do is write the syllabus for their Fall Term course with the theme of Social Justice.  As is typical for this course, students will first be asked to define Social Justice without checking the dictionary.  Although the Catholic Church has a long, specific, list of Social Justice topics, I thought we should focus on those issues which rise to the top of the concerns of college students.  Here are some resources:

• Top 5 Social Justice issues of Social Workers
• Catholic Themes of Social Teaching
• The Jesuits on Social Justice (okay, I know the current Pope believes the Jesuits are Catholic.)
• Lutheran Justice in Society (ELCA)

Keep Sharp Over the Summer

Sometimes, after a few weeks of working a minimum wage job, you start to miss college.  Here are some thinks you can do to keep yourself sharp over the summer:

1. Report things you did to earn Scholars Culture Points.  Okay, I know this isn't your favorite activity, but it will help you reflect on the things you did over the last year and is worth the time it takes.
2. Read some of the books that the first year Scholars are reading.  Personally, I really enjoyed reading the Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks and can't wait to start discussing the issues that the text raises.
3. Listen to National Public Radio or watch Public Television.  Because these information sources are not tied to advertising revenue, they can take the time to study one topic in depth.  You can even to this over the internet if you do not receive radio signals where you are living.
4. Join the Scholars Facebook Group and discuss the books or topics of the day with the new students.

Personally, I will be going to math camp for three weeks in July, so if you are wondering why Dr. Birgen is not getting back to you quickly, it is because I am having fun.

Feel free to add things in the comments section of the Blog.