Spring 2007 News
March 2007
African Cultural Festival
An African Cultural Festival, organized by the UI African Students Association, will take place on Friday, March 30.
An arts exhibition will be held from 1:00 to 5 p.m. at the Robert A Lee Community Center, 220 S. Gilbert Street. A buffet will take place from 7:00 to 11 p.m. at the IMU Ballroom. Tickets are $5; children under 5 are free. The buffet will be followed by African entertainment, including a fashion show, songs, dance, and a play. Tickets are available at the IMU box office.
Molière Lecture
The UI Department of French and Italian is sponsoring a lecture and discussion with Professor Larry Norman, of the University of Chicago, titled “Molière and the Quarrel of the Ancients and Moderns” on Friday, March 30 at 3:30 p.m. in Room 315 Phillips Hall.
Norman’s research focuses French literature of the 17th and 18th centuries and theater.
WAVES Asian/Asian American Film Festival
The seventh annual WAVES Asian/Asian American Film Festival runs Friday, March 30, through Sunday, April 1 in Room 101 of the Becker Communication Studies Building.
WAVES is a free, student-organized film festival designed to enhance understandings of different Asian/Asian American cultures. UI co-sponsors include the Center for Asian and Pacific Studies, the Institute for Cinema and Culture, and International Programs.
For more information, contact Han Luong at han-luong@uiowa.edu or visit the WAVES webiste
Nachte Raho
The UI’s Indian Student Alliance will be hosting its fifth annual dance competition, Nachte Raho, on Saturday, March 31 in the Iowa Memorial Union Main Lounge. The intercollegiate Indian dance competition is the Midwest’s largest and consistently draws one of the largest audiences of all cultural events held in Iowa.
The show will be preceded by a dinner reception in the IMU Ballroom catered by Taj Mahal of Cedar Rapids. Tickets are $15 for general admission and $25 for reserved seating through the IMU Box Office. Reservations may be made at 800-346-4401.
For more information contact Helen Jameson at 319-335-0335 or helen-jameson@uiowa.edu.
lavic Bazaar
The UI Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies (CREEES) is hosting its annual Slavic Bazaar from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, April 1 in the Robert A. Lee Community Recreation Center, 220 South Gilbert Street, Iowa City.
The Slavic Bazaar is an annual celebration of Slavic cultures and traditions. The day's events include dance performances by Kolo, a Bosnian Dance group from Waterloo; performances by UI Russian students; UI Croatian/Bosnian/Serbian students; and bard songs of Russia and Belarus.
The National Czech and Slovak Museum of Cedar Rapids and UI Libraries will provide information booths. There will also be a raffle and jewelry for sale.
The Slavic Bazaar is free and open to the public. For more information or special accommodations, contact Heidi Vekemans at 319-335-3862, Diana Davies at 319-335-0371, or visit the CREEES website.
Cultural Etiquette Dinners Planned
Beginning on Sunday February 11th International Programs and the American Marketing Association will be sponsoring four Cultural Etiquette Dinners designed to assist students in learning proper business dining etiquette around the world.
Each dinner will take place from 6:30 - 8:00 pm in the UCC 1117 (International Commons, International Programs, Old Capitol Towne Center). A guest speaker from the specific culture will share some insights before the meal starts and during the dinners students will be guided by international students as to proper, culturally specific dining etiquette.
Tickets will be very limited and may be purchased at the IP front desk receptionist and in the Tippie Undergraduate Office. The cost of each dinner will be $10 (checks may be made payable to University of Iowa). Upcoming dinners include:
March 25 -- Chinese
April 1 -- North American
Mandarin Chinese classes
The Confucius Institute at The University of Iowa will offer classes in Beginning Mandarin Chinese starting March 20 in Iowa City.
Level One classes are designed for adults and high school students without previous training in Mandarin Chinese. Junior high students may also enroll if they are accompanied by an adult also enrolled in the course. Level Two classes are designed for persons who have successfully completed a Level One class or who have a comparable amount of past coursework in Mandarin Chinese. Students are also welcome to re-enroll at either level.
The classes are designed to provide a foundation for the study of modern Chinese by including instruction in comprehension, speaking, reading and writing. Students in the Iowa City Level One section will also be introduced to the art of calligraphy through two hands-on sessions led by the institute’s calligraphy instructor, Professor Emeritus Ramon Lim.
For more information, contact Rebecca Kessler at 319-335-0159 or email confucius@uiowa.edu.
Careers for Change Lecture
Laurence Fuortes and Bob Witt will present "Serving Vulnerable Populations: The Importance of Health Care" from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, March 21, in the International Commons, Room 1117 of the University Capitol Centre.
Fuortes is a professor in the Department of Occupational and Environmental Health in the UI College of Public Health. He has investigated a wide variety of environmental and occupational health concerns. Witt is the full-time physician assistant/clinical director for Proteus Migrant Health. He works on clinical coordination and collaborations as well as provides direct patient medical care to migrant and seasonal agricultural farm workers and their families primarily through outreach clinics across the State.
For more information, contact the UICHR at 319-335-3900.
German Film Screening
The Department of Comparative Cinema and Culture will show the film “Schtonk!” (Helmut Dietl, Germany, 1992) at 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 22, in Room 101 of the Becker Communication Studies Building.
The film is part of the proseminar series “German Cinema: From Division to Post-Unification.” The event is free and open to the public.
For more information, contact Dennis Hanlon, 335-1348.
ESG Event
Andrei Markovits, a specialist in the politics of Western and Central Europe, in particular Germany and Austria, will speak from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Friday, March 23, in Room 40 of Schaeffer Hall.
The lecture will be based on his latest book, "Uncouth Nation: Why Europe Dislikes America," in which he demonstrates how European hostilities towards the United States have preceded the policies of George W. Bush by decades, if not centuries. Markovits shows how these aversions reach beyond the confines of politics into aspects of everyday life. In addition, he argues that this anti-Americanism has led to the development of a new kind of anti-Semitism.
Markovits is the Karl W. Deutsch Collegiate Professor of Comparative Politics and German Studies at the University of Michigan.
For more information or special accommodations, contact Katina Lillios at katina-lillios@uiowa.edu or 319-335-3023.
February 2007
Weston International Human Rights Essay Competition
The University of Iowa Center for Human Rights, to promote understanding and continuing advancement of the field of human rights, and to honor the lifetime work of Professor Emeritus of the College of Law and UICHR Senior Scholar Burns H. Weston, is sponsoring the Burns H. Weston International Human Rights Essay Prize Competition.
Two prizes will be awarded: $750 to an undergraduate student and $1000 to a graduate/or professional student. Eligible essays can discuss current events or history. They may explore public policy, the arts & humanities (including Law) or any other subject area. The only requirement is that the essay address international human rights issues.
The deadline for submissions is February 1, 2007.
"Thrilling Histories: Presencing the Past in Contemporary Latin American Cinema"
A talk by Laura Podalsky, Ohio State University
Date: Monday, Feb. 19th
Time: 4:00 pm
Location: 315 Phillips Hall
Refreshments will be served following the talk
Professor Podalsky is the author of Specular City: Transforming Culture, Consumption, and Space in Buenos Aires 1955-1973 (Temple University Press, 2004), a ground-breaking study on the social impact of the culture industry in modern Argentina. Her talk will discuss three films from Latin America: "Four Days in September" (Bruno Barreto, 1997), "Ação Entre Amigos" (Beto Brant, 1998), and "Death and the Maiden" (Roman Polanski, 1994).
People who require assistance to attend this event should contact Brian Gollnick (335-2243).
Kenneth J. Cmiel Human Rights Funded Internship Program
Informational Session
Date: Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Time: 4:30 pm
Location: 1117 University Capitol Centre (International Commons)
UI Center for Human Rights students who have participated in the Kenneth J. Cmiel Human Rights Funded Internship Program will provide information about the application process, successful strategies for locating an internship, resources available to students through the program and about their own experiences working for a human rights organization. Staff will be available to answer questions and assist students with their internship research.
January 2007
The University of Iowa Human Rights Week 2007
"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."
-Martin Luther King, Jr.
January 16-21, 2007
Visit the UI Human Rights Week Website for the full schedule of events.
UI Opera Studies Group Lecture On Puccini's Opera 'Madame Butterfly'
Date: Saturday, January 13, 2007
Time: 5:30 pm
Place: 1020 Voxman Music Building
The University of Iowa Opera Studies Group will sponsor a lecture by Larry Hamberlin, professor at Middlebury College, titled "Poor Butterfly: Cho Cho San's Journey from Opera to Popular Song." This event is part of an ongoing Opera Studies Group lecture series and is free and open to the public.
For more information visit the Opera Studies News Release.
Mooney Lectures on 'Art and Resistance'
Date: Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Time: 6:00 pm
Place: 240 Art Building West
Barbara Mooney, professor of art history and head of the Art History Division of The University of Iowa College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, will speak on "Art and Resistance" in Room 240 of Art Building West. Mooney's talk will focus on the history of art as an expression of resistance, specifically during the civil rights movement of the 1960s and 1970s. The event, part of the UI's MLK/Human Rights Week, is free and open to the public.
Sponsored by: UI Center for Human Rights
Contact: Jamie Siers, jamie-siers@uiowa.edu, 319-215-5543.
Andrew Seaton Lecture on ‘UK-U.S. Cooperation Combating Terrorism'
Date: Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Time: 1:00 pm
Place: Rockwood Fellowship Hall, Congregational Church, 30 N. Clinton St., Iowa City
Registration Deadline: Friday, January 19, 2007, Noon
Andrew Seaton, British Consulate-General in Chicago, will lecture on "UK-U.S. Cooperation Combating Terrorism" at the Iowa City Foreign Relations Council (ICFRC) luncheon on Tuesday, Jan. 23, at the Congregational Church. For registration information and further details, visit the ICFRC News Release.
International Crossroads Community Masquerade Ball
The Event is a semi-formal Venetian style ball.
Date: Saturday, January 20, 2007
Time: 9:00pm - Midnight
Place: Belin-Blank Honors Center Lobby
Admission: A ticket from a friend on the ICC Floor or a canned food item for the Crisis Center
For more information contact Michelle Gin.
Stanley Undergraduate Awards Workshop
Date: Thursday, January 25, 2007
Time: 5:30-6:30 p.m.
Location: 1117 University Captiol Centre (International Commons)
Have you started thinking about research for your Senior Project? Are you planning to take on an internationally-based research project? If you answered yes to these questions, then you should think about applying for the Stanley Undergraduate Award for International Research. The International Programs’ Grants Office will be offering a workshop on how to prepare and complete your Stanley application. This workshop is designed exclusively for International Studies majors and tailored to aid students in their preparations for completing their Senior Project.
Free pizza will be served! Plan to attend this informal workshop and get a head start on your research plans.
Stanley Awards for International Research are made possible by the Stanley-UI Foundation Support Organization.
For more information please contact our staff by emailing ip-grants@uiowa.edu or visit the International Programs Grants website
Proseminar in Cinema and Culture on German Cinema
Double-feature of two 1950s "Juvenile Delinquency" films
Date: Thursday, January 25, 2007
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: 101 Becker Communication Studies Building
Admission: FREE and Open to the Public
Berlin-Schönhauser Corner / Berlin-Ecke Schönhauser (East Germany, 1957) in a 35mm print!
The Hooligans / Die Halbstarken (West Germany, 1956)
Both films feature the alienation and rage of a German postwar generation which, in East and West, becomes increasingly disillusioned with their respective political and social systems.
One of the most successful DEFA-films Berlin-Schönhauser Corner portrays young people in East Berlin in search of their purpose in life a few years before the construction of the Wall. They want to dance to Rock 'n' Roll, trade forbidden Western goods and avoid the constraints of their parents and the State. This cult film is a perceptive social portrayal of a city in which political and economic division have affected the entire population.
The Hooligans, alike, was one of the greatest commercial successes of postwar West German cinema. Its star, Horst Buchholz, was seen as Germany's answer to James Dean. The film deals with juvenile criminality and the ability of West Germany's paternalistic society to assert itself vis-à-vis a burgeoning alternative youth culture and the increasing Americanization of the FRG.
The screening will be followed by a discussion.
The Proseminar is sponsored by the Institute for Cinema and Culture and International Programs.For questions, contact the course instructor Claudia Pummer claudia-pummer@uiowa.edu. If you require accommodations to attend this event, please contact the Institute for Cinema and Culture at 335-1348.
African Studies Program Baraza Series: "African (Im)migration in/and Postcolonial France"
Date: Monday, January 29, 2007
Time: 4:00-5:30 pm
Location: International Commons (1117 UCC)
Presenter: Michele Laronde, Associate Professor, UI Dept. of French & Italian
Admission: Free - all Baraza lectures are open to the public and light refreshments will be served.
Michel Laronde is Associate Professor of French. He received his Ph.D. from Indiana University in 20th-century literature and now works in three areas of Francophone studies, Quebec, North-Africa and immigration. His main area of teaching and research is post-colonial literatures and cinema from France. "Autour du roman beur. Immigration et identité" (1993) is a seminal book on the presentation of beur fiction in the 1980s. "L'Ecriture décentrée", a volume of essays he edited in 1996, follows the evolution of Arabo-French fiction and of the critical thought that frames the domain. In 2003, he edited a collection of articles on Leïla Sebbar's fiction. It includes a presentation of the author's work and a complete bio-bibliography. In the spring of 2002, and as part of his course on Postcolonial Literatures and Cultures in France, Leïla Sebbar gave a two-week seminar on her recent novels.
He has articles published in CELFAN, Etudes francophones, Expressions aghrébines, French Literature Series, French Review, Le Maghreb littéraire, Nottingham French Studies, Présence francophone, Vives Lettres and as chapters in several books. He is on the editorial board of Le Maghreb littéraire. He has delivered papers at the Conseil International d'Etudes Francophones on three continents and organized and chaired more than a dozen sessions on post-colonial literatures. The May 2003 session at the Twentieth-Century French Colloquium, "Les Littératures de la post-colonialité en France : Entre roman et cinéma," presented the latest developments in Arabo-French and Afro-French cultures. He is finishing a book on the manipulation of literary stereotypes learned in French schools in the fiction of immigration and their function as a critique of French culture. Recent presentations are preliminary work for a book on self-representation by post-colonial authors.
Michel Laronde regularly teaches "Quebecois literature", a course on the culture, literature and cinema of Quebec, "Post-colonial literature in France" as an introduction, an advanced course or a graduate seminar. He also teaches Translation and Comparative Stylistics. He has worked with students and colleagues in France and other francophone countries. Several graduate students in the department are working with him on North-African, West-African, and immigration literatures.