February 8, 2008

Valentine for Zepher, Age 12

The night before valentines are due,

I take you to the movie about Vincent

whose paintings you love. Too late

I realize it's a mistake. You knew about his ear

and you know the definition of prostitute,

but neither one of us was ready to see him cut himself until he bled,

see him in the brothel with his rotten teeth and his real women.

On the way home in the starry night we hold hands,

wonder what his parents must have been like,

what cruelty may have happened to him,

and you show me the belt of Orion,

clean and shining and always in place.

Remember this forever, then:

I cannot imagine not loving you,

even when this body is gone.

So if I ever die, look up into the dark

and find me hundreds of times there,

each place you can faintly imagine a line

tracing the shape of a valentine.

Francette Cerulli

In this edition:

Honors news

 * Experiential events this week

College news

 * What can I do with a major in BSE? Program on Tuesday

 * CLA internship grants: application deadline Wednesday

 * If you plan to major or minor in French, attend a meeting this term

 * Graduation news for spring 2008

Scholarships

 * CLA continuing student scholarship deadline is next Friday

Learning abroad

 * Study abroad event at Middlebrook Monday (free snacks too)

 * May term in York (though U of M-Morris)

 * SPAN program summer 2008 still accepting applications

Internships/Jobs

 * Summer public health internship in Alabama

Lively links

 * Lord of the Rings bloopers

Events

 * Institute for Advanced Study: events this week

 * On view at the U

 * Vagina Monologues: performances this week

 * Sunday: Adventure Science--a new series at the Bell Museum

 * Monday: Culture Corps event: Efficiency and Culture

 * Monday: English department faculty/grad student presentations

 * Monday: Cooperation in wild chimpanzees

 * Tuesday: Cafe Scientifique: The State of our Climate

 * Tuesday: The writing Erdrich sisters at Central Library

Honors news

EXPERIENTIAL EVENTS THIS WEEK

Thursday, 6 pm, 25 Mondale Hall, free: "Selling Murder: The Killing Films of the Third Reich and Opfer der Vergangenheit," a talk with Rick McCormick.

Friday, Feb. 15, 3:30 pm, 125 Nolte, free: "Identity, Local Knowledge, and Language Learning in the International Community," a talk with Bonnie Nelson.

More information on Honors experiential events can be found at: http://www.cla.umn.edu/honors/expfaq.htm.

College news

WHAT CAN I DO WITH A MAJOR IN BSE? PROGRAM TUESDAY

Tuesday, 2:30 pm, B33 Johnston. This free event is for students considering the Biology, Society and Environment (BSE) major, or for students already enrolled in it. We’ll answer your questions and tell you about the diverse career options available to BSE majors. Advance registration is not required. Just show up! This event is sponsored by the Health & Natural Sciences Student Community in collaboration with the Career and Community Learning Center.

CLA INTERNSHIP GRANTS APPLICATION DEADLINE WEDNESDAY

The College of Liberal Arts offers $1,200 grants to select CLA undergrads doing unpaid internships. Apply for one if you have an internship THIS spring. Find details and application instructions at www.cclc.umn.edu/clagrant or visit the Career and Community Learning Center, 135 Johnston Hall office.

GROUP MEETING FOR FRENCH MAJORS/MINORS

To declare a major/minor in French, please attend one of the  remaining major/minor  declaration meetings to be held this semester. There is no need to sign up in advance, but please bring an unofficial University of Minnesota transcript. All sessions are in 131 Folwell. Dates and times are: Wednesday, March 5, 11 am; Monday, March 31, 2 pm; Wednesday, April 9, 11 am; Wednesday, May 5, 11 am.

GRADUATION NEWS FOR SPRING 2008

Student who have applied for spring 2008 graduation (or will apply for May term 2008) can view a PDF that indicates to which ceremony (11 am or 3 pm) they will receive an invitation; the ceremonies are divided by majors. See it at https://www.class.umn.edu/crimson/dependancies/multimedia/majorsspring08.pdf. More general information is at http://www.class.umn.edu/commencement/students.html.

Grad Fest will take place Wednesday, March 26 (10 am-6 pm) and Thursday, March 27 (10 am-4 pm) in the Great Hall of Coffman Memorial Union. For more information, see http://www.bookstore.umn.edu/grad/gradfest.html

Scholarships

CLA CONTINUING STUDENT SCHOLARSHIP DEADLINE IS NEXT FRIDAY

Students who plan to apply for CLA's Continuing Student Scholarships, as well as for departmental scholarships in English, Psychology, Jewish Studies, and Writing Studies must submit all application materials by Feb. 15. For more information, see: http://scholarships.cla.umn.edu/continuing_students/.

Learning abroad

STUDY ABROAD EVENT AT MIDDLEBROOK MONDAY

Are you currently living in Middlebrook Hall? If you are interested in studying abroad and have not yet attended a first-step meeting, you should attend a study abroad event, hosted by the Middlebrook U-Crew Peer Mentors, to gather important information about this exciting opportunity.  And remember, studying abroad can count as an honors opportunity! The session will be held Monday at 6:30 pm in the Middlebrook Terrace Room. Free snacks will be provided.

MAY TERM IN YORK (THROUGH U OF M-MORRIS)

Life in a Medieval City: York, England (Engl 3163)

May Session 2008: 19 May-11 June

Professor Janet Schrunk Ericksen (University of Minnesota, Morris)

In the Middle Ages, York, located about 200 miles north of London, was one of England's most important cities, second only to London. York served in turn as a center of Roman administration in Britain, a significant Anglo-Saxon town, a base for Viking incursion and settlement of England, and ultimately a vibrant economic hub for not only England but the North Atlantic world. Today, York is a compact city that retains much of its medieval character; its original stone walls are the longest town walls in England, and York Minster is the largest gothic cathedral in northern Europe. The class will focus on literary and historical texts produced in and near York in the Middle Ages and the contexts for such works; readings will include saints' lives, histories, poetry, a Norse saga, letters, and public documents. Afternoon, full day, and weekend excursions include sites in York as well as Ripon Cathedral, Fountains Abbey, Durham Cathedral and Castle, Bede's church in Jarrow and a nearby reconstructed Anglo-Saxon farm, Lindisfarne (Holy Island), and Warkworth Castle. More information, on dates, tentative syllabus, and costs, can be found at:

http://www.morris.umn.edu/cerp/abroad/Program%20Pages/York.htm. Interested students may also contact the instructor (ericksja@umn.edu) for more information.

SPAN SUMMER 2008 PROGRAM STILL ACCEPTING APPLICATION

The Student Project for Amity among Nations travels to Argentina, Bulgaria, and Senegal this summer. They are still accepting applications. For more information and the application form, see http://www.spanalumni.org/index/.

Internships/Jobs

SUMMER PUBLIC HEALTH INTERNSHIP IN ALABAMA

The School of Public Health in the University of Alabama at Birmingham is offering a summer research internship for students interested in studying neighborhood poverty and its impact on adolescent behavior. Students who participate in the internship, which is in its 11th year, will conduct a survey of adolescents living in public housing and other very
low-income neighborhoods in Mobile and Prichard, Alabama. For further details, contact Kit (cgordon@class.cla.umn.edu).

Lively links

LORD OF THE RINGS BLOOPERS

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_WIR4039MY&

Events

INSTITUTE FOR ADVANCED STUDY: EVENTS THIS WEEK

Monday, noon-1:30 pm, 235 Nolte. Lunchtime discussion on the topic "Identity, hierarchy, and differences of viewpoint at the University." Brown-bag lunch; beverages and sweets provided. The discussion is open to all, but space is limited to allow for active participation. Please reserve your place by emailing ias@umn.edu or calling 612.626.5054.
  Three events associated with Romeo Castellucci and Societas Raffaello Sanzio (appearing at the Walker Art Center February 14-17)(see the NY Times article about Castellucci at http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/03/theater/03sell.html):

Tuesday, and Wednesday,  4:00 pm, 125 Nolte: Tragedia Endogonidia: Screening of excerpts of Romeo Castellucci's film cycle, Schedule available at http://events.tc.umn.edu/event.xml?occurrence=407083.

Thursday, 12:15-1:30 pm, Romeo Castellucci conversation with Michal Kobialka, 125 Nolte.

Thursday, 4 pm, 125 Nolte: Pamela Smith (Columbia University), "Making and Knowing: Lived Experience and the Written Word in Early Modern ‘Europe.’"

ON VIEW AT THE U

Weisman Art Museum, Feb. 9-Apr. 20. Paul Shambroom: Picturing Power. Paul Shambroom has made an indelible mark on the landscapes of photography and political discourse. His series-based color photographs focus on the places and practices of power in American society. Paul Shambroom: Picturing Power is the first exhibition to bring together selections from all five of Shambroom's most important—and highly acclaimed—series to date: Factories (1986-1988), Offices (1989-1990), Nuclear Weapons (1992-2001), Meetings (1999-2003), and Security (2004-current). A dialogue with the artist will be held on Sunday at 2 pm.

Coffman Art Gallery, Jan. 30-Mar. 27: Deep Underground Sky: Works by Joseph Gianetti. Gianetti's underground mural graces the University's physics research facility at the Soudan Underground mine in northern Minnesota. This is an exhibition of drawings illustrating the mural. A panel discussion about the mural will be held in the gallery on Feb. 26, 7 pm.

VAGINA MONOLOGUES: PERFORMANCES THIS WEEK

The Vagina Monologues are the cornerstone of the V-Day movement, whose participants stage benefit performances of the show worldwide each year between February 1st and March 8th. The first V-Day benefit took place on Valentine's Day 1998. The "V" in V-Day stands for Valentine, Vagina, and Victory, linking love and respect for women to ending violence against women and girls. The proceeds from these performances go to programs that work to end violence against women and girls, including crisis centers and women's shelters.
Performances:
Feb. 13, Augsburg: Sateren Auditorium @ 7:30 pm
Feb. 14, U of M-St. Paul campus: Student Union Theatre @ 8 pm
Feb. 15, Hamline:  Kay Fredericks Rm in the Klas Center @ 8 pm
Feb. 16, Macalester: Weyerhaueser Chapel @ 8 pm
Feb. 17, U of M, Mpls campus: Coffman Theatre @ 4 pm

To reserve tickets: http://www.mpirg.org/womensrights/vday/reserve.htm.

SUNDAY: ADVENTURE SCIENCE--A NEW SERIES AT THE BELL MUSEUM
Sunday, 2 pm, Bell Museum Auditorium, $7. Samsam Villages and Clean Water in Ghana:  University of Minnesota conservation biologist Nicole Benjamin will discuss her experiences in trying to improve public health in the villages of Ghana.  She will address the effects of waste runoff in the water supply and discuss the complexities of balancing sensitivity to cultural traditions and to implementing modern water-quality management systems.

MONDAY: CULTURE CORPS EVENT: "EFFICIENCY AND CULTURE"

Monday, noon-1:30 pm, 119 Classroom Office Building, St. Paul campus. The search for efficiency is a key element in technological research and in technology policy. This seminar will examine the cultural background of the concept of efficiency, and the implications of that background for its use in international relations in our increasingly globalized world. Labor and fuel efficiencies will serve as specific examples of the relationship between efficiency and culture.  The speaker is Jennifer K. Alexander, Associate Professor in the Program for the History of Science, Technology and Medicine, and in the Department of
Mechanical Engineering at the University of Minnesota. Free lunch. RSVP to parkx347@umn.edu. For details, please see:
http://www.isss1.umn.edu/calendar/default.php?mo=2&yr=2008

MONDAY: eNow: ENGLISH DEPT. FACULTY/GRAD STUDENT PRESENTATIONS

Monday, 2:30 pm, 207A Lind Hall. The popular afternoon presentation series featuring English faculty and graduate students returns. Professor Nabil Matar will address "How important is 1607?: England & North Africa," PhD candidate Stoyan Tchaprazov discusses "Representations of the Balkans in Bram Stoker's Dracula," and PhD candidate Beth Weixel presents "'Soyle both fayre and frutefull': Genre & the Forest in Book VI of The Faerie Queen." Refreshments served!

MONDAY: COOPERATION IN WILD CHIMPANZEES

Monday, 4 pm, 35 Humphrey Center: John Mitani (chimpanzee specialist from Michigan), "Cooperation in Wild Chimpanzees."

TUESDAY: CAFE SCIENTIFIQUE: THE STATE OF OUR CLIMATE

Tuesday, 6 pm, Kitty Kat Club, Dinkytown, free. The State of Our Climate: Policy and Global Warming. How will Minnesota lawmakers address the problems caused by fossil fuel
use and greenhouse gas emissions? Last spring Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty asked more than 50 environmental, business, and community leaders to propose climate-change solutions for the state. This month the Minnesota Climate Change Advisory Group will make its recommendations, which will be presented to state legislators for consideration. Join members of the group for a lively discussion on policy making and climate change.

THE WRITING ERDRICH SISTERS TUESDAY

Tuesday, 7 pm, Pohlad Room, Minneapolis Central Library (4th and Nicollet). Sisters Heid, Lise, and Louise Erdrich grew up together in Wahpeton, ND (where their parents taught at the Bureau of Indian Affairs school) and each of them became accomplished writers. Coming together for a rare public appearance in celebration of Lise's debut story collection, Night Train, the three sisters will discuss their craft, life, and Native American writing.