Monday, September 30, 2013

Phil and Lit Society - October 4, 2013 - Change in Iowa Rivers, Diatoms, Society, and Climate: Getting with the Flow

Dr. Steve Main, Professor Emeritus, Wartburg College is speaking at 4 PM as part of the Philosophy and Literary Society meeting on October 4 in McCoy East.  He will be speaking on Change in Iowa Rivers, Diatoms, Society, and Climate: Getting with the Flow

There will be no meeting next week because of Homecoming.

UNCW semester in Wales (Swansea) for the spring 2014 term

UNC Wilmington is accepting applications for the annual Honors Semester Study Abroad Program at Swansea University offered through UNCW.  We invite students to apply for the UNCW semester in Wales (Swansea) for the spring 2014 term. The program is accepting applications for students interested in taking the Swansea Pre-Semester cultural immersion course (3 credits), completing a regular semester of course work from the Swansea University Catalog (12 credit hour equivalent), and a two-hour honors seminar for credit.

  

_______________________________________________________________________

 

HONORS SEMESTER IN WALES WITH UNCW

 

Again for spring 2014, the Honors College at the University of North Carolina Wilmington will sponsor a semester study abroad program in Wales at Swansea University, winner of the coveted London Times award for "best student experience" among British universities, as determined by student votes. We welcome honors students from universities across the United States to join us!

 

The semester will be hosted by Dr. David E. Weber, Associate Professor, Department of Communication Studies at UNCW.  Dr. Weber is a nationally recognized specialist in organizational communication, intercultural communication and applied rhetorical theory. He will be teaching two courses at Swansea in Spring 2014, including an honors seminar called "Ethnography and Public Memory."

 

The Setting: Swansea University, overlooking beautiful Swansea Bay, is situated within a large area of landscaped parkland within walking distance of the city center. To the west is the lovely Gower Peninsula with its broad bays and sandy coves. Swansea is a modern city of 200,000 with well-equipped leisure centers and cultural facilities. Swansea can be reached by train from London in about 2 ½ hours.

 

Course of study: Honors Students may earn up to 17 credits at Swansea as follows:

 

●Honors seminar (Ethnography and Public Memory) taught by Dr. Weber: 2 credits     

●Pre-Semester British Culture & Politics Course (3 credits) (see http://www.swansea.ac.uk/international/visiting-and-exchange/presessional-courses/ for more information).

●Courses of the student's choice from the Swansea University catalog: 12 credits

 

Undergraduates from any college or university, and any major, are welcome. Students must be honors students in good standing at their home universities. Students will be actively assisted by the American Studies Office at Swansea University in course selection.  Course information is available at: http://www.swansea.ac.uk/ugcourses/ & https://intranet.swan.ac.uk/catalogue/In addition to teaching the above honors course Dr. Weber will arrange field trips, social gatherings, and other social and academic events and activities.

 

Housing: Students will live with British students in the Hendrefoelan Student Village, an apartment style living arrangement.  Read more about the Village here:  http://www.swansea.ac.uk/accommodation/residences/hendrefoelanstudentvillage/

 

                Here is a very rough schedule for the semester … more specificity in the dates will be available soon:

 

●Arrival: approximately mid-January 2014

 

●Pre-Semester Course/Internship: approximately last two weeks of January 2014

 

●Classes start:  approximately end of January or beginning of February, 2014

 

●Easter vacation will be more than three weeks long – yes, you read that right! – and offers an outstanding opportunity to travel widely in Europe

 

●Semester ends approximately mid-June 2014

 

Costs and Application: $10,850.  The cost includes tuition and fees, accommodation, study abroad health insurance, orientation, a bedding packet (including duvet), local bus pass and scheduled field trips. Not included are airfare, meals, and books; budget between $3500-$4500 for these expenses.

 

The first deposit of $225 (non-refundable) is due October 15, 2013 with completed application. The rest of the payment may be made in installments -- early November and early December. (Late applications will be accepted with a $40 late fee on a "space available" basis.)

 

Students interested in applying, or advisors interested in nominating students should send the names and email address of those students to Kara Pike in UNCW's Office of International Programs at pikek@uncw.edu.

 

I hope you can join us for the limited number of spaces on this unique opportunity to live and study in the UK. More information about the program is available at: http://uncw.edu/international/abroad/documents/swanseaunivspringprogram.pdf and http://www.uncw.edu/honors/academics/international.html

 

You may find the following webpage of interest:

 

From the website of the UNCW Communication Studies Dept. (Dr. Weber's home department), link to information about the UNCW Swansea 2014 program:

http://www.uncw.edu/com/swansea2014/index.html

 

Also, you may find the following social media sites of interest:

 

UNCW Swansea 2014 Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/#!/uncwswansea2014

 

Twitter:  UNCW Swansea 2014

 

Tumblr: http://uncw2swansea.tumblr.com/

 

For more information or to ask questions, please contact David Weber, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Communication Studies (weberd@uncw.edu), or Ms. Kara Pike, Assistant Director of Education Abroad (pikek@uncw.edu).


Saturday, September 28, 2013

Why College?

This past week in SCH 101, one of the topics that came up was paying for college.  There was a lot of discussion on why we go to college at all and why it is so expensive.  We never got around to talking about my favorite subject, why go to college at all?

After all, it is certainly possible in the Midwest to graduate from High School, learn a trade, and keep a good job.  There are some skilled-jobs that do not require a college degree and make good money.  Many of the Scholars are going to college because they want a specific job that does require a college degree. However, you might ask the question, why does that job require you to go to college?  After all, a trade school could stuff Anatomy and Physiology into your brain quite well.

Going to college that changes you in deep ways.  We tell you to live with strangers in rooms that, in some cases, are little better than the housing projects.  We make you take all sorts of classes that, on the surface, do not have anything to do with your chosen career path.  We talk about Leadership and Service, Faith and Learning.  We refuse to give you a well-codified rubric and tell you we are looking for your best effort. Maybe most importantly, we make you back up your claims with data.

"A liberal education is at the heart of a civil society, and at the heart of a liberal education is the act of teaching." - A. Bartlett Giamatti  Majors are a recent invention when it comes to college education.  The essential part of college is the gathering together of students who want to learn deeply about "stuff".  Although that stuff is different for each student, the learning happens when you share what you are passionate about with others around you.  That sharing happens sometimes in the classroom, but more often in the coffee shop, the Mensa, the gym, and in the residence halls when no one can sleep.  This is one of the reason I do my best to keep options open in SCH 101.  After all, in order to learn deeply about your stuff, you need to be passionate about it. “Study without desire spoils the memory, and it retains nothing that it takes in.” ― Leonardo da Vinci

You can meet someone at an event, talk with them for 10 minutes about nearly anything, and be 95% confident that you know whether or not they have been to college.  It isn't just that you "know more stuff," but that you are able to talk about other people's stuff, that you may not know a lot about, in a reasoned and logical way.  You read books because you find them interesting, not because they are required for class.  You take classes that are completely outside your comfort zone because they sound fun.  And, when you have children, they develop a love of learning because that is what everyone else in the family is doing.

Finally - some humor from one of my favorite authors:

“But we're a university! We have to have a library!" said Ridcully. "It adds tone. What sort of people would we be if we didn't go into the library?"
"Students," said Senior Wrangler morosely.” 


Tuesday Math Game night


Kappa Mu Epsilon is having it's first event of the 2013 school year! Join us for a super fun math game night on Tuesday, October 1st, at 8pm in SC 102 to kick off the school year. Anyone, whether in KME or not, is invited to come. Math culture points may be available for those needing them, too (talk to your professor about it)! Come for a bit and have some fun with KME on Tuesday! Make sure to let your friends and classmates outside of the MCSP department know.

Feel free to email any of our officers with questions.

adam.kucera@wartburg.edu - President, Wartburg Scholar
bailey.wilson@wartburg.edu - Vice President
sarah.white@wartburg.edu - Secretary, Wartburg Scholar
alyssa.hanson@wartburg.edu - Treasurer

Thanks,
     KME Officers


2014 Conference Planning - Post 1

As you may know, we are hosting the Upper Midwest Honors Council Conference in April 2014.  Since we don't want to re-invent the wheel, here are conference programs from the last few years:


Friday, September 27, 2013

Campus Cleanup

One of the topics from discussion in SCH 101 resulted in this post:

EARTH is meeting on Sunday at 4:00 in cardinal commons for a campus cleanup.
Inline image 1

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Technology I use

I saw a student using Microsoft Explorer today in class and that inspired this post.  I am not going to tell you what technological products to use, but I do have some personal favorites.

  • Chrome - I use this as my go-to browser.  One feature I like is that I can have it save my bookmarks and other items and share them on multiple computers.
  • Dropbox - This backs up all the important data on my computer and synchronizes the files between computers.  Plus, I can access all files from any computer using a browser.  One too many hard-disk crashes and I keep everything backed up.  Plus, if you accidentally delete or write over your paper, you can retrieve an older version.
  • Feedly - This is what I use to keep track of everyone's blog posts.  I can bring up one page and see all new posts, or look at all posts by a particular blogger if I wish.
  • npr.org - I can't be listening to the radio all the time.  My students would be discouraged if I did that during class.  However, I have found this to be my source for the least-biased American news source.  If you want a more worldly source for news, you will need to look at non-English news sources.
If you are still using whatever came pre-loaded on your laptop, check out some of these alternatives.

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

APPLY NOW - DEADLINE IS OCTOBER 1 - Spring 2014 Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internship at Oak Ridge National Laboratory


        
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Monday, September 23, 2013

The 2013 Homecoming Court has been announced

The 2013 Homecoming Court has been announced. The candidates for king and queen are: 

King
  • Justin Cartwright
  • Crosby King
  • Aaron Sackett
  • Kyle Scobee
  • Zach Sommers
Queen
  • MacKenzie Compton
  • Lanie Crouse
  • Chantal Knepper
  • Ellen Scott
  • Ramey Sieck
Chantal is a Wartburg Scholar

Phil and Lit Society - September 27, 2013 - Slife Social Work Institute for Consultation, Research and Training

Dr. Tammy Faux is speaking at the third meeting of the Philosophy and Literary Society meeting on Friday, September 27 at 4 PM in McCoy East.  She will be speaking on  Slife Social Work Institute for Consultation, Research and Training

Sunday, September 22, 2013

Sabbath

Do college students take a Sabbath?  We know they should, but with homework, sports, and electronics it can be hard to set aside a day to breathe and celebrate the gifts they have been given.

Growing up in a secular household I never really appreciated the benefit of the Sabbath.  For those of you who have not grown up with weekly church services, you do not have to attend church to celebrate the Sabbath.  However, it helps because at the heart of it, church services were designed to make us mindful of our lives and our place within the universe.

Last year I challenged students to give up their electronic devices for a week.  No cell phone, no mp3 player, no television, limited computer contact, etc.  I was told it was impossible.  I still think this would be an awesome Lenten Practice, but perhaps we could start smaller.

So, students and friends, I challenge you to take a weekly Sabbath.  Perhaps you can't afford 24 hours, but start with 6 hours and work towards 24.  Take time to celebrate your place in the universe.  Spend time with your friends creating community.  Leave your cell phones on the charger. Attend a worship service. Go for a walk.   Leave your email on the computer.  Meditate. Ride a bike.  Play a fun game. Eat a meal together. Listen to music and sing along.

Saturday, September 21, 2013

Welfare

This week we discussed Welfare with the SCH 101 class.  This is always fun since the political leanings of students in class are in a spectrum from wide left to wide right and everything in between.  The question remains, what do to about problems of poverty in our country and worldwide?  So - for the students - here are two options I support that attack poverty problems from different points of view:

1.  Kiva -- This is for my more conservative students.  The point of Kiva is to loan money in units of $25 to people in third world countries with poor banking systems so that they can improve their lives and pay back the loans.  When you make the loan, you decide who to loan the money to based on what the money will be used for (supplies, education, etc.).  Then once you are paid back $25 you can loan it out again.


2.  Give Directly -- This is for my more liberal students. The point of Give Directly is to find the poorest of the poor in Kenya.  One of the amazing things about Kenya is that they don't have ATMs, but they have bypassed this entirely to use cheap cell phones to transfer money.  Once Give Directly has identified these poor, they give them money directly to use as they see fit.  The ideas is that the poor really know what will benefit them. "The most frequent self-reported use of funds is purchasing a metal roof. We estimate the annual rate of return on on metal as opposed to thatch roofing to be 15%-20%, suggesting this is an attractive investment."

I challenge the Scholars students to hold some fund raisers and then use this money to improve the life of someone who lives in abject poverty.  It is up to the Scholars to decide whether to go the conservative path or the liberal path.

Thursday, September 19, 2013

Next Big Project

I have been thinking about this off and on for a while.  A great research project would be to get geo-location data on historical markers around the state of Iowa (and elsewhere).

We could create a database of lat-long data on where the marker is, what it says, and perhaps additional information.  Then, we could make something you could load onto your car GPS that would bring up information when you drive by the marker.

Anyone else interested?

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

U.S. Department of Energy Carlsbad Field Office (CBFO) Fellowship Program


APPLY NOW!! APPLICATION DEADLINE IS SEPTEMBER 22, 2013

U.S. Department of Energy
Carlsbad Field Office (CBFO) Fellowship Program
Now Accepting Applications for BS, MS or PhD Graduates and recent Alumni (within the last 5 years) in Mathematics, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Physical Sciences, Cyber/Computer Security, Information/Systems Technology or related technology degrees.
Application closes Sunday, September 22, 2013, midnight EST – visit http://see.orau.org/ProgramDescription.aspx?Program=10417 or see.orau.org and search for CBFO to get started NOW! 

Opportunity in Carlsbad, New Mexico for a full-time, one-year or more commitment, starting in October or November 2013 to conduct mission-oriented research in DOE's Carlsbad Field Office.  Applicant must be interested in a multi-disciplinary, fast-paced environment focused on energy technology research and development.

  Applicants must be U.S. Citizens - no exceptions.

Strong analytical, research and communication skills are required.  Annual stipends are dependent on academic level, skills and experience. Additional allowances for travel to site, medical insurance or housing may be provided. 

For more information, e-mail cbfo.fellowship@orise.orau.gov.


Phil and Lit Society - Sept. 20, 2013 - YHWH is a Warrior: Images of Divine Violence in the Bible


The speaker on the 20th will be Professor Brian Jones and the title of his talk is "YHWH is a Warrior: Images of Divine Violence in the Bible."

The second meeting of the Wartburg College Philosophy and Literary Society for fall term will be held on Friday, September 20 at 4:00 in McCoy West. All are welcome.

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

NCUWM 2014 | University of Nebraska-Lincoln


The University of Nebraska-Lincoln Department of Mathematics would like to be sure you know that registration for the 2014 Nebraska Conference for Undergraduate Women in Mathematics opens online on Oct. 2 for presenters and Oct. 9 for non-presenters. Registration fills up quickly so interested students should sign up early.


At NCUWM, undergraduate women in the mathematical sciences meet other women with similar interests and share their research experiences. The conference is January 31-February 2, 2014, hosted by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and held at the Embassy Suites in downtown Lincoln. It brings together outstanding undergraduate female mathematicians from across the country and is open to undergraduate female mathematicians at all stages of their careers. Those who have already done research will be given an opportunity to present their results as either a talk or a poster. Indeed, the main program of the conference is presentations by undergraduate women on their own research. Two leading mathematicians, Cynthia A. Phillips and Gigliola Staffilani, will give plenary addresses.

You are welcome to print and post the attached poster. If you have any questions, contact our event coordinator at stephanie.vendetti@unl.edu.

Thank you,

Christine Kelley
Glenn Ledder
Co-Chairs, NCUWM Organizing Committee

UNL Department of Mathematics
203 Avery Hall | University of Nebraska-Lincoln | Lincoln, NE  68588-0130

Sent on behalf of Dr. Kelley and Dr. Ledder by Lindsay Augustyn, Communications Director
Visit the Nebraska Conference for Undergraduate Women in Mathematics website
Unsubscribe from NCUWM Announcements



Seven Rivers Undergraduate Research Conference in La Crosse, WI


Dear Wartburg College colleagues:

You and your students are cordially invited to attend Viterbo University's 11th Annual Seven Rivers Undergraduate Research Symposium on Friday, November 8, 2013 in La Crosse, WI.  This symposium showcases the research and creative works of undergraduate students from a variety of disciplines and a variety of institutions. All interested students and faculty on your campus are encouraged to participate. While there is no fee associated with participation, all attendees and presenters MUST register via the link below.  We hope that you will encourage the following groups to participate:
·         students who have completed research/creative works on or off-campus or as part of a course,
·         students who may be interested in completing research projects in the future (presenting is not a prerequisite for attendance),
·         members of professional listservs you subscribe to, and/or
·         colleagues at your institution who you think might be interested in attending.

The symposium will run from 11am to 5pm (check-in occurs from 10-11am) and includes a keynote address; lunch (provided); and oral, poster, and creative works presentations by students from the tri-state area.  To ensure that all are able to participate, please remind students that there is no fee for presenting or attending.

As was the case last year, there is a single deadline and online form for both registration and abstract submission. By streamlining our processes, we hope the registration process is simpler and easier for all involved.  Please note that presenters will be expected to submit their abstracts when they register.

DEADLINE TO REGISTER & SUBMIT ABSTRACTS: Friday, October 25, 2013
The online registration & abstract submission form as well as additional information about the event can be found online at http://www.viterbo.edu/sevenrivers/

The keynote speaker for this year's symposium will be Dr. Tim Kasser.  Tim Kasser, Ph.D., is Professor of Psychology at Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois.  He has written numerous scientific articles and book chapters on materialism, values, ecological sustainability, and quality of life, among other topics.  He is also the author of The High Price of Materialism (MIT Press, 2002) and Lucy in the Mind of Lennon (Oxford University Press, 2013).  Tim works extensively with a variety of activist and civil society organizations that protect children from commercialization, promote ecological sustainability, and encourage a more "inwardly rich" lifestyle than what is offered by consumerism.

If you have any questions, please email us at sevenrivers@viterbo.edu.  Thank you in advance for encouraging your students and colleagues to attend, and I look forward to seeing you in November!

Sincerely,

Kirsten Gabriel



Seven Rivers Undergraduate Research Symposium
Friday, November 9, 2012
Viterbo University
La Crosse, WI 54601

P Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail.







Honors program in Guatemala


Please forward to undergraduate honors listservs. This is an excellent program for honors students interested in Latin America. It includes rigorous course work as well as internships and research opportunities.  Courses can be taken for honors credit, and students receive a University of Arizona transcript. Thank you. --Prof. Elizabeth Oglesby

FOR STUDENTS INTERESTED IN LATIN AMERICA:

The Center for Latin American Studies at the University of Arizona and the
Center for Mesoamerican Research (CIRMA) invite you to participate in a study
abroad program in Antigua, Guatemala. This is a summer, spring and/or fall
semester program. Students receive a University of Arizona transcript. Most
courses can be taken for honors credit, and some can be taken for graduate
credit.

The real uniqueness of Study Abroad at CIRMA is our commitment to a transformational pedagogy.   Our program weaves together rigorous theoretical engagement in themes such as human rights, development, climate change, and indigeneity with ongoing reflection of current events, home stay experiences, top/notch language training and profound encounters with Guatemalan activists, artists, students and scholars.

https://www.facebook.com/StudyAbroadCirma

Program highlights include:

* a variety of Latin American Studies, History, Anthropology, Politics,
Environmental Studies and Spanish classes, taught by professors, scholars, and
practitioners from Central America. Students can also study a Mayan language.

* classes give an in-depth and on-the-ground view of the history of revolution
in Central America and contemporary social justice, peace and development
issues, and ethnic relations.

* engaging field trips throughout Guatemala related to course material.

* opportunities to travel on your own (Guatemala is incredibly beautiful,
complex and fascinating!)

* a home stay with a Guatemalan family.

* for-credit internships at CIRMA and use of CIRMA's extensive research library.
CIRMA is located in a stunningly beautiful colonial mansion in the center of
Antigua, Guatemala.

* internships and volunteer opportunities in the surrounding community, organized according to student interests.

* study abroad students are also doing internships at Safe Passage/Camino Seguro
(www.safepassage.org) in Guatemala City.  Safe Passage provides
life-transforming aid to children of families who live in a barrio marginal.
Study abroad students have found that lending a hand to this incredible
organization not only makes a real difference in the world, but that it changes
their own lives as well. This internship can be accompanied by a directed
reading in Latin American urban history or urban anthropology.

* a colloquium series that brings in renowned political, social and cultural
leaders to dialogue with the study abroad students.

In both Fall and Spring, CIRMA offers an optional, 2-credit field learning experiences.  We team you with top experts and bring you to places tourists never see, into direct contact with Mayan or other Central American communities who have risen from the ashes of the civil wars and are doing amazing grassroots projects, recovering historical memory and/or promoting sustainable development.  Students say that these trips, like their CIRMA experience in general, change their lives.

Deadline to apply for Spring 2014 is Oct. 15. For deadlines for summer and fall 2014, please click on the U of A study abroad link below.

For more information about the application process, contact Jill Calderon at the
UA Study Abroad office:
jcaldero@email.arizona.edu.

For questions about CIRMA and Guatemala, contact
Jennifer Casolo, CIRMA study abroad director: jcasolo@cirma.org.gt

For program information, including price, see:

http://global.arizona.edu/study-abroad/program/center-mesoamerican-research-cirma-guatemala

or visit http://cirma.org.gt

To remove yourself from the list, send the command: "UNSUB Honors" in the first line of the message box and send this to <listserv@hermes.circ.gwu.edu>. Do NOT include the quotes. This will automatically unsubscribe you from the listserv. But be sure to use the same machine you subscribed on to unsubscribe.



--
Mariah Birgen
Professor of Mathematics
Wartburg Scholars Director

Office Phone: (319) 352-8565
Office: SC 358
Scholars Facebook: www.facebook.com/Wartburg.Scholars

Constitution Day on Thursday, Sept. 19


Hi Mariah,
I just wanted to see if you could let your Scholars know about the Constitution Day speaker on Thursday at 11:30.  The speaker is Jane Hudson of Disability Rights Iowa and they have been involved in some high profile advocacy recently on behalf of residents at the Iowa Juvenile Home and even blind people who want to carry guns in public.  Should be interesting!
Thanks for your help in getting the word out.

Karen

Monday, September 16, 2013

Capital Semester in Washington, DC


ANNOUNCEMENT
*******************************************************

CAPITAL SEMESTER SPRING 2014
WASHINGTON, D.C.
www.DCinternships.org/CS
EARLY DEADLINE: October 1, 2013
FINAL DEADLINE: November 5, 2013

Sponsored by The Fund for American Studies, Capital Semester combines substantive internships, 12 academic credits, career development activities, site briefings and lectures led by policy experts. This fast-paced, fifteen-week residential program provides undergraduate students from around the world with opportunities to gain the edge in today's competitive job market and graduate school admissions, and experience the excitement of Washington first-hand.

SAMPLE PAST INTERNSHIP SITES
  • Aerospace Industries Association
  • American Legislative Exchange Council
  • Children's Rights Council
  • Congressional Offices
  • First Book
  • Foreign Embassies
·         Gannett News Service
  • Institute for World Politics
·         K-global Public Relations
  • Philanthropy Roundtable
·         Politics Magazine
·         The Washington Examiner
  • U.S. Department of Education
  • U.S. Department of Justice
  • U.S. Department of the Treasury
  • Voice of America
·         WJLA ABC 7 News
  • WTOP News Radio

PROGRAM COMPONENTS
  • Internships – Competitive placements with government agencies, congressional offices, public policy groups, international affairs organizations, news outlets, communications firms and nonprofit organizations
  • Housing – Roommate matching and furnished Capitol Hill apartments in the heart of D.C.
  • Classes – Full-time course load accredited by George Mason University
  • Guest Lectures – With Washington's top policy and economics experts
  • Exclusive Briefings – At the World Bank, State Department, U.S. Capitol and Federal Reserve
  • Leadership & Professional Development – Leadership, mentoring and career building activities
  • Networking – Interaction with seasoned professionals and student leaders from around the world
  • Scholarships – Generous scholarships are awarded based on merit and financial need

EARLY DEADLINE – 5% DISCOUNT
Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until the Final Deadline of November 5, 2013. Students are encouraged to apply for the early deadline of October 1, 2013 to receive a 5% discount on their tuition balance as well as priority internship placement. Detailed information on the program may be found at www.DCinternships.org/CS.

For more information and an online application, please visit our website www.DCinternships.org/CS or contact Dana Faught, Recruitment and Admissions Manager at dfaught@tfas.org or 202-986-0384.



Thursday, September 12, 2013

Christmas Break Book Club

It is time to start thinking about what book to read over Christmas Break.  Last year, we chose The Last Lecture and it was popular enough that it should go in a rotation and come back in a few years.  But, perhaps not this year.  Something completely different might be Five Days at Memorial which is about a hospital in the center of the Katrina damage and the decisions they made in the name of triage.

Check out NPR's author interview and book review and let me know if you think it could be good.  Or, if you have another suggestion, give me that as well.  Comments welcome.

Congratulations Jill

Jill Wiebke Roland, Wartburg Scholar Class of 2009, has successfully defended her dissertation in Computer Science at the University of Tulsa.


2013 Scholars Dinner with President Colson

Every year the students in the program are invited to dinner with the Wartburg College President and his wife at their house.  We all get dressed nicely and walk up the hill.  This year the weather was truly wonderful, the food was great, and the conversation delightful.  We also hope that if you were not able to make it this year, you try to make it in future years.











Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Posters on the Hill 2014--Call for Abstracts


Subject: Posters on the Hill 2014--Call for Abstracts



Posters on the Hill 2014--Call for Abstracts
Submission Period: September 2-November 4, 2013

As the undergraduate research community works to ensure that those in the U.S. Congress have a clear understanding of the research and education programs they fund, nothing more effectively demonstrates the value of undergraduate research than a student participant's words, work, and stories.  Undergraduate research must be among those programs that members of Congress understand if it is to continue to be supported.
In the spring of 2014, the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) will host its 18th Annual Posters on the Hill.  There will be an evening poster session and reception where students will have the opportunity to speak directly to member of Congress and demonstrate how they have been impacted by these programs.
Event Date: TBD.  The exact dates for Posters on the Hill will be set once the Congressional calendar for spring 2014 is finalized.
Submission Process
Students: The Council on Undergraduate Research invites you to submit an abstract for the 18th Annual Posters on the Hill. Your research should represent one of CUR's Divisions (Arts and Humanities, Biology, Chemistry, Geosciences, Health Sciences, Mathematics/Computer Science, Physics/Astronomy, Psychology, and Social Sciences). Abstract submissions should describe your research, scholarship, or creative activity and discuss its significance to society (i.e. what larger issues or problems were you trying address or understand?; how does your work relate to current policy issues?).
Advisors: You will receive an email confirmation when your student submits an application.  This email will include directions on how to upload an electronic letter of recommendation.  Please note that the letter must be submitted no later than the deadline of November 4, 2013 and must be on institution letterhead.  Without a letter of recommendation, an application will be considered incomplete and will not be reviewed.  Only one letter of recommendation should be sent, and the signature on the letter must match the name of the advisor listed in the application. Multiple advisors may sign the single letter.
Questions? For questions about the submission process, please contact Mary Pat Twomey, Manager for Student Programs, at mptwomey@cur.org. For questions regarding the event, please contact MeLisa Zackery, Director of Conferences and Meeting Services, at mzackery@cur.org.




Council on Undergraduate Research

734 15th Street NW  Suite 550

Washington, DC 20005

p: 202.783.4810

f: 202.783.4811

www.cur.org





--
Mariah Birgen
Professor of Mathematics
Wartburg Scholars Director

Office Phone: (319) 352-8565
Office: SC 358
Scholars Facebook: www.facebook.com/Wartburg.Scholars

Monday, September 9, 2013

Congratulations - Second Year Election

Thanks to all the second year students who voted in the election for a Scholars Representative  as a replacement for our Rep. who is at Wartburg West this Fall.  Please congratulate Zach Schulz next time you see him.

Shikinen Sengu: 1,300 Years of Ritual Renewal in Japan's Shinto Tradition

The first meeting of the Wartburg College Philosophy and Literary Society for fall term will be held on Friday, September 13 at 4:00 in McCoy West. All are welcome. The speaker will be Professor Joyce Boss of the English and Foreign Language Department. The title of her talk is "Shikinen Sengu: 1,300 Years of Ritual Renewal in Japan's Shinto Tradition."


Anyone interested in presenting this year should contact Walter "Chip" Bouzard, Fred Waldstein or Lynn Olson.

Please bring your friends.

The speaker on the 20th will be Professor Brian Jones and the title of his talk is "YHWH is a Warrior: Images of Divine Violence in the Bible."

Sunday, September 8, 2013

All Work and No Play?

All Work and No Play is not our Motto

While a bunch of you were at Band Bonding, another group of Scholars participated in a rousing game of Messy Twister.  Thanks to the Scholars Council and Aditi in particular for organizing the fun.

Fwd: 11 Ways College Athletes Are Treated Worse Than Unpaid Interns

From: William Earl <william.earl@wartburg.edu>


11 Ways College Athletes Are Treated Worse Than Unpaid Interns

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/06/college-athletes-unpaid-interns_n_3865911.html


Sent from my iPhone


Friday, September 6, 2013

Elections coming up

If you are registered to vote in Bremer county there is a school board election on Tuesday.  Everyone who lives in Waverly votes at the Court House downtown.

Speaking of voting, while I was being trained to run the new computer system and vote my early ballot, I picked up some brochures for becoming a Precinct Election Official.  They are always looking for people who are comfortable with computers.  If you are interested, I have the brochures outside my office.

Thursday, September 5, 2013

Fwd: BBC News: Green compensation scheme outlined

From Dr. Earl
I saw this story on the BBC News iPhone App and thought you should see it:

Green compensation scheme outlined

The UK government has outlined its proposals on compensating for the loss of biodiversity through development.

Read more:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-23972980


** Disclaimer **
The BBC is not responsible for the content of this e-mail, and anything written in this e-mail does not necessarily reflect the BBC's views or opinions. Please note that neither the e-mail address nor name of the sender have been verified.

#green #biodiversity


Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Orange Exceleration - Day 5

We spent this morning's class reviewing computer details and learning a little bit about the Scholars Program, Committees, and something called Scholars Culture Points, which then the students were told they really didn't have to start worrying about until Winter.  We took a picture in front of Old Main and then made sure everyone was ready for class tomorrow.  SCH 101 tomorrow is in Old Main 100(?) at 1:15 PM.  Hope to see you all there.

Class of 2017


Monday, September 2, 2013

Interesting competition from the NY Times

Are you 19 or younger?  Check this out:

http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/09/02/what-memorable-experiences-have-you-had-in-learning-science-or-math/?ref=science

BBC News: How many climate migrants will there be?



I saw this story on the BBC News iPhone App and thought you should see it:


How many climate migrants will there be?
An estimate that 200 million people could be forced to flee their country because of climate change has been repeated many times. But how reliable is it?

Orange Exceleration - Day 4

Today we had a 2 hour class that was only supposed to be 1.75 hours (oops).  We chose six social justice themes:

  • Environmental Justice
  • Educational Justice
  • Minority Justice
  • Political Justice (To be continued later)
Then the class split into two parts.  One part worked on Class rules and expectations.  The other part worked on filling in content for the two weeks for each Justice topic.  At the end of class, each group presented on their ideas.  Students were sent home with the assignment of continuing to work on their topics with a goal of evening out the amount of work each week.  I suggest:
  • No more than one debate per week.
  • No more than two writing assignment per week with the ability of students to have choices on what they are going to write.
  • Variety of modes of learning.
Meanwhile, as I am working on class, I am listening to a radio show on "Custom Learning in the Digital Age" that might be interesting for students in the Scholars Program.