| • FLASH |
UHC
Flash
Electronic Newsletter for
WSU Honors College Students
Spring
Semester 2006,
Wednesday, April 12, Week XIII
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H E A D L I N E S
Two Honors College Summer 2006 Courses
Thank you HSAC
CALL FOR MENTORS
AMBASSADORS
He took on the tobacco industry and won...
Postcard from Norway
S C H O L A R S H I P S &
P R O G R A M S
(See the Honors web site at www.wsu.edu/honors for past issues of Flash containing more information on scholarships & programs.)2006 Student Essay Contest
E.H. Steffen Center - sponsoring education & research
C A L E N D A R
Ethnic Cleansing in the Balkans: A Survivor's Story
WSU Madrigal Singers Concert
Nobel Laureate presents Brinson Lecture in Finance
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Two Honors College Summer 2006 Courses
ENGLISH 298 IS OFFERED THIS SUMMER!!
Many of you have heard of the new English course, English 298, that is specifically designed to prepare Honors students for extensive research papers, particularly the Honors thesis. Professor Linda Kittell is offering a section of English 298 this summer. Students in the course will gain advanced practice in effective researching skills, information literacy, critical thinking, and writing as they undertake an analysis of the American fascination with sports. Why do we love the sports we do? What does our attachment to sport reveal about us as people? How does our passion with sport relate to our chosen major? The class will meet July 3 – July 28 from 10:30-12:25. The schedule line number is 14324.
aRT + aRTTHEORY UH 440 (1) (3 credits) (May 8 to June 16)
M-F 1:30-2:45, Honors 142, Instructor: Kim Andersen
Schedule line number: 21220
(The Friday class will in all likelihood be built into M-Th)
Since the earliest times of ice ages and mastodons, humans have produced images, tales, spectacles and much more which we now call art. Cave paintings, graffiti, fetishes, drama, sitcoms, literature, performance, pottery, painting, architecture, jewelry, music, country & western, medieval cathedrals, tattoos, rap, twist, hip, funk and bop – we call it all art, we call them all artists! Does it make sense? In this course we will seek enlightenment on the nature of art. We will investigate theories of art (a selection, from Plato onwards) to try to determine what it is we appreciate about art. Our theoretical discussions will oscillate between investigating particular discriminating viewpoints on the nature of art and the search for an all-encompassing theory. We will contrast those theories of art by most importantly experiencing and discussing artworks, in particular examples of painting, literature and film. In addition, we will make use of videos and excursions. Final grade to be determined by active participation, written assignments, and an in-class presentation.Required Text:
But Is It Art? by Cynthia Freeland______________________________________________________
Thank you HSAC
A huge THANK YOU to Lauren Hubbard, our Honors Student Advisory Council president, and the many, many students who helped with the Mom’s weekend brunch in the Honors Lounge last weekend. It was a great success and fun times.
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CALL FOR MENTORSWe are in need of more mentors to help incoming students adjust and feel welcome to WSU and Honors for next academic year. Please contact Jessica Cassleman at casslema@wsu.edu if you would like to help.
This is your opportunity. We would like to encourage each one of you to consider being an Honors mentor to students from our Fall 2006 incoming class. This means helping students adjust to campus life, to figure out different academic possibilities, or simply being someone to go and talk to when situations arise which seem overwhelming. An informational meeting and training will take place before the end of the semester so you are ready to go in the fall. Thank you so much for considering this mentoring opportunity.
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AMBASSADORSAmbassadors are making such a difference in our recruiting efforts. Last Monday we met a mother and son who decided to come to WSU and the Honors College because one of our ambassadors went to her former HS and shared about Honors education at Washington State University. Way to go, and keep up the good work.
Ambassadors interested in contacting former teachers, schools, counselors or friends in your communities, after WSU classes are over, and before schools are out for the summer, please contact Jessica Cassleman at casslema@wsu.edu. Jessica will guide you through the process where you can be instrumental in attracting students like you to Washington State University and the Honors College.
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He took on the tobacco industry and won...The WSU Neuroscience club has invited renowned researcher, Dr. Glantz, from UCSF to speak on nicotine addiction and the health and politics of secondhand smoke. He will be speaking on Friday, April 14th at 1PM in the CUB auditorium. The seminar targets a broad audience, and we are looking for ways to publicize.
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Postcard from NorwaySome of you may or may not know that I recently went to Norway to find where my family (the Leraas family line) originally came from. I have had a few relatives go there and they have found the old Leraas gaard (gaard is a Norwegian term and is kind of a farm or homestead). I received some directions on how to find it from them. I flew into Bergen and rented a car so that I could get to the gaard. It was about an hour and a half drive away, and quite off the beaten track, so renting a car was the only way to get there. The day I picked up my car I followed the directions I had as best I could, but soon realized that they were not going to get me to the right place.
I ended up having to stop and ask the locals (some of which did not speak English... and I don't speak much Norwegian). I ended up getting sent back and forth up and down the main road quite a bit. By the way, the main road was one lane with a few pull out points to allow oncoming traffic to pass. Eventually someone told me to drive to a very small town called Eidsland and ask for "Jacob Myrtle". He possessed a great deal of local knowledge and might be able to help me.
I drove to the town and had no idea how I was going to find this person, so I walked up to the gas station and asked the first man I saw "Snakker du englesk?" (Do you speak English?). He said no and turned to go inside. At this point I was really worried that I wouldn't be able to find it. Since that was the whole reason I went to Norway and I had spent most of the day lost already, I was getting pretty nervous. I think he saw how desperate I was because he motioned to go upstairs. I met another man upstairs. This one spoke English. I asked him with little hope if he knew where he could find Jacob Myrtle. He looked back at me and replied, "Yes, that is my father." I know it was a VERY small town, but after being sent on the wrong path all day long it almost seemed like fate.
I showed him the picture of the gaard in the family history book my grandfather had put together and he knew where I could find it. I followed him by car down an iced over dirt road past a few country houses. We stopped and he directed me to the trail head. He told me that it was dangerous this time of year because of the ice. He was a little concerned that I was traveling alone and told me I would have to use the rope and ladders in some spots that were left around the steepest and iciest parts of the trail.
The trail was very easy to follow in the beginning, but once I got in the woods I found it difficult to tell the trail from frozen streams (both were just sheets of ice). Once I got a bit higher there was lots of snow on the ground, so staying on the trail became even more difficult. I got a bit lost, and spent a lot more time and energy than necessary, but eventually I found the trail again and made it up.
The gaard was in one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. It was on a lake with a river flowing in at one end with several waterfalls and flowing out in a waterfall into the valley below. On all other sides the gaard was enclosed with mountains. The lake was frozen and there was snow everywhere. Some of the waterfalls on the surrounding mountains were frozen as well. I've attached some pics, but they can't do the place justice.
John Leraas
(see text and pictures on Honors website www.wsu.edu/honors)
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S C H O L A R S H I P S & P R O G R A M S
(See the Honors web site at www.wsu.edu/honors for past issues of Flash containing more information on scholarships & programs.)
2006 Student Essay Contest
The Indispensable Partnership? How can the transatlantic relationship meet the global challenges of the 21st century?
The challenges facing the international community are increasingly complex and global in nature, and, thus, seem to require a collective response. Applicants should identify the primary challenges facing the world today and examine if and how the transatlantic partnership might most effectively address them. Judges will consider whether the essay demonstrates a strong understanding of current and historical factors in the transatlantic relationship, presents a focused and well-reasoned consideration of the topic, displays originality in analysis, and exhibits clear writing.
The first-place winner will receive a $500 prize and will be flown to Washington to attend the inaugural Christopher Makins Lecture on 31 May 2006. Named for a past president of the Council, the lecture will feature an address by Zbigniew Brzezinski, former National Security Advisor. The second- place winner will receive a $250 prize. Both winners will have their work published on the Council’s website and submitted to various student journals.
WHO CAN APPLY: Currently enrolled undergraduate-level students studying in any discipline at a U.S. university are encouraged to apply. There are no nationality or citizenship restrictions.
TO APPLY: Applicants should submit 1,000-1,500 word essays, as well as a cover sheet containing their name, full contact information (including email), and university to
Student Essay Contest, c/o Carmen K. Iezzi, Atlantic Council of the United States, 1101 15th Street, NW, 11th Floor, Washington DC 20005, Fax: 202-463-7241
The new deadline is Wednesday, April 19 at midnight. More information on the contest is available at: http://www.acus.org/programs-education-projects-essay-contest.asp.
The Atlantic Council of the United States Office of education. Sponsored by the DaimlerChrysler Corporation Fund.
E.H. Steffen Center - sponsoring education & research in
ecology & conservation science
WSU Student Positions: Summer & Fall, 2006
· Graduate Research Positions
· Summer Work
· Internships
· Part-time Volunteers
· Senior Thesis Projects
· Undergraduates in Research
· Fall 2006 Ecology Courses
· New! Fall: Restoration Ecology
Exploring Conservation Science for Amphibians & Reptiles, Birds, Insects, Mammals,
Native Plants, Endangered Species, and Palouse Prairie Restoration
Summer Position: Greenhouse, Steffen Arboretum, and Botanical
Garden Assistant
1-2 paid summer positions to work in the greenhouse, native plant nursery, and botanical
garden at the Steffen Center on the Pullman Campus. Duties will include plant propagation,
botanical garden development, and general maintenance activities for the greenhouse and
other work at the Center. Duties will also include assisting with the establishment of a new
Steffen Center arboretum and off-campus work (signs, trails) on Palouse Prairie tracts.
New! Leopard Frog Propagation Project: Internship / Senior Thesis
A student internship position is available on the Pullman campus to work with WSU faculty
and WA Department of Fish and Wildlife research biologists on a project to develop a
captive propagation program to raise state-endangered northern leopard frogs. This
experimental program may be used in the future to reintroduce leopard frogs to wetland
sites in Washington where they have been extirpated and to conduct research on their
population ecology. Duties will include assisting with construction and maintenance of
rearing facilities, water quality testing and monitoring, feeding and care of tadpoles and
adults, and data collection.
Endangered Pygmy Rabbit Project: Part-time Volunteer Opportunity
1-2 student positions are available for individuals able to volunteer from 5-10 hours per
week to assist researchers with data collection and captive rearing of endangered Columbia
Basin pygmy rabbits. Individuals must pass a training program in animal care and be
physically able and willing to commit regularly scheduled hours to husbandry of pygmy
rabbits, including feeding, watering, pen cleaning, digging and replacing pen soil, and
general activities needed in a captive rearing program for this endangered species.
Landscape Ecology of Milkweed Beetles: Graduate Project / Senior
Thesis
Seeking individual interested in landscape ecology and native plant and insect associations.
Student will assist in conducting a field experiment on patch dynamics of milkweed beetles
utilizing both natural and artificial patches of native milkweeds to test theories of landscape
ecology and metapopulation dynamics of insects. Some milkweed propagation work is
needed in spring to early summer, but fieldwork is primarily in July - October.
Butterfly and Pollinator Ecology: Graduate Project / Senior Thesis
We are looking for someone interested in butterfly or pollinator ecology in the Pullman and
Palouse Prairie region. This individual will conduct a pilot project evaluating butterfly and /
or pollinator diversity and ecology on Palouse Prairie remnants and other selected local
environments.
Rare Plant Conservation on Palouse Prairie Habitats: Graduate Special
Project
Several Palouse Prairie tracts are managed by WSU faculty at the Steffen Center. This
project entails a biodiversity and conservation assessment to contrast and compare two
such tracts and identify conservation challenges and needed management (e.g., for invasive
plants) for preservation of native plant species. Training needed in botany / plant ecology.
Ecological Design / Landscape Architecture – Magpie Forest Ecological
Reserve & Parks Design: Graduate Projects
A graduate student is needed to work with WSU faculty to design a trail system and other
public use facilities for an outdoor, urban ecological reserve – Magpie Forest. This Palouse
Prairie tract is owned and managed by WSU and is urgently in need of a landscape design
to guide future public use and development as an outdoor educational laboratory. Other
projects are also needed for designing a new city park and for a campus trails system.
Sego and Camas Lilies: Growth, Culture, and Modern Uses of Edible
Lilies Important to Pioneers and Native Americans: Graduate Special
Project
A graduate student is needed to work with a WSU faculty member to complete some
identified research and publish a book with the above working title. Individual must have
demonstrated writing skills and experience and a background and interest in plant ecology
and conservation. Project will entail assistance with scientific and technical editing of a
series of contributed chapters, as well as conducting research for a chapter in the book.
GIS & Geocaching of Campus Botanical Resources: Senior Thesis
Individual needed with expertise in Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and
geocaching technology to assist faculty in preparing mapping and geocache databases of
ecological resources on and near the WSU Pullman campus. Work will be used for
research, student use, and public involvement and environmental education.
Ground Squirrels & Yellow-pine Chipmunks: Special Project / Senior
Thesis
Ground squirrels and other small mammals are often trapped and eliminated from
agricultural and urban areas. However, they are an important component of ecological food
webs and many once abundant species are no longer as common or as widely distributed.
This project explores the local and regional distribution of selected ground squirrels and / or
the experimental introduction of yellow-pine chipmunks into a restored forest.
Landscape & Population Ecology of Rodents in No-Till Agricultural
Systems: Graduate Special Project / Senior Thesis
Population dynamics of rodents have not been well studied in agricultural settings,
particularly in new experimental no-till cropping systems designed to move the industry
towards more sustainable agricultural production. This project explores ecological factors
influencing the landscape and population dynamics of rodents across Palouse habitats.
Cougars, Mule Deer, and Grizzly Bears: Competitive Work / Volunteer
Opportunities
On rare occasions, we have an opening to assist graduate students and faculty conducting
research on predators and ungulates, such as badgers, cougars, mule deer, and grizzly
bears. These are highly competitive positions generally filled by people who have a proven
track record of working with us previously on other projects.
Fall 2006 Ecology Courses:
Individuals seeking greater academic training and experience in ecology and conservation
science may wish to consider some of the following courses being offered through the
Department of Natural Resource Sciences this fall:
· Introductory Wildlife Management (Natrs 280) – 4 cr.
[Foundation of wildlife ecology and management of populations.]
· Natural Resource Ecology (Natrs 300) – 3 cr.
[Introduction to ecological principles.]
· Forest Plants and Ecosystems (Natrs 301) – 3 cr.
[Identification and ecology of forest plants.]
· Limnology & Aquatic System Management (Natrs 411) – 3 cr.
[Science of aquatic ecosystems emphasizing lakes.]
· Resolving Environmental Conflicts (Natrs 428 / 528) – 4 cr.
[Learn how to deal with public environmental issues.]
· Introduction to Wildland Fire (Natrs 430) – 3 cr.
[Behavior and ecology of wildland fire.]
· Wildlife Ecology (Natrs 435 / 535) – 4 cr.
[Advanced principles of wildlife ecology.]
· Conservation Biology (Natrs 450 / 550) – 3 cr.
[Online Course. Free up your course schedule. Ecology of Endangered Species.
Design and Plan an Ecological Reserve]
· Restoration Ecology (Natrs 454 / 554) – 3 cr.
[New! Moved to fall semester. Field-based restoration course hosted at the Steffen
Center.]
· Rangeland Ecology (Natrs 459) – 3 cr.
[Arid land ecology of western landscapes.]
· ArcGIS and Geospatial Analysis (Natrs 468) – 4 cr.
[Learn how to map and analyze spatial ecology data.]
For more information on these classes, see the Fall, 2006 course list:
(http://www.schedules.wsu.edu/Schedules/Apps/HomePage.ASP), then select Fall
Semester, Pullman, and then NATRS.
To apply for student positions or for more information, contact via email:
Dr. Rod Sayler (rdsayler@wsu.edu)
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C A L E N D A REthnic Cleansing in the Balkans: Two Survivors' Stories
Two women who survived the horrors of genocide in their native countries will recount and reflect upon their experiences April 12 and 13 as part of “Surviving Genocide,” a presentation sponsored by the Washington State University Department of History. [[hawleychase]]
Wednesday, April 12, 7 pm, Fine Arts Auditorium
The Balkan wars of the 1990s killed more than 200,000 people and created some 2 million refugees. Zeljka Vidic was twelve years old in 1991 when the war came to her hometown of Vukovar, Croatia. She will share about surviving the destruction of her community and the long-term separation of her family, and how her own experience illuminates the origins, nature, and consequences of genocide. Sponsored by the Department of History
Thursday, April 13, 7 pm, Samuel H. Smith Center for Undergraduate Education (CUE), Room 203 Chanrithy Him, who lost her parents, brothers, sisters, aunts and uncles in the killing fields of Cambodia. A book signing will follow.
“We feel genocide is a terribly relevant aspect of our history – unfortunately, part of the very core of modern history,” said Raymond Sun, a WSU professor of history, who with colleague Roger Chan, organized the event. “We’re not so naïve anymore as to think that we can just vow ‘never again’ again and expect that these kinds of horrific events will stop. Our hope is that this presentation will help give a human face and a personal story to experiences that might otherwise seem so overwhelming as to be mind-numbing.
WSU Madrigal Singers Concert
Experience the Renaissance through song as the WSU Madrigal Singers, under the direction of Lori Wiest, perform a concert of popular music from the Renaissance on Thursday at 8:00 p.m. in Bryan Hall Theatre. The concert is free and open to the public. The concert will include madrigals from the sixteenth century, featuring English, Spanish, French, German, and Italian composers as well as a contemporary American composer in a setting of text from Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. Also featured will be small ensembles from the Madrigal Singers in this varied concert that will be a feast for your eyes and ears.
Nobel Laureate presents Brinson Lecture in Finance
The department of Finance, Insurance, and Real Estate in the College of Business will welcome William F. Sharpe, Nobel Laureate, to campus on Friday, April 21 to present the 2006 Gary P. Brinson Distinguished Lecture in Finance. His presentation, “Equilibrium Simulation”, will begin at 3 p.m. in Todd Hall Room 276. The public is invited.
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