One student is coming to terms with his sexuality halfway across the world. “In my hometown, there are some gay people I know. They never told others they are gays. They do not want to show their sexualities to others, so they pretend to be straight,” said University of Iowa student Shanyi Shang.

The South Asian Studies Program (SASP) will be hosting a lecture by Susan Heydon titled, “Investigating Smallpox in Nepal.” The event is free and open to the public and will be held on Thursday, November 19th, from 4:30-6:00 pm in UCC 1117.

Mary Louise Pratt will deliver the 6th annual Charles A. Hale Lecture, "Linked In, Left Out, Uplifted, Downloaded: The ecology of language in a globalizing world," this Thursday, Oct. 29, from 3:30 - 5:00 p.m. in 1117 UCC.

Boren Scholarships provide up to $20,000 to U.S. undergraduate and graduate students to study abroad in areas of the world critical to U.S. interests and underrepresented in study abroad, including Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, Eurasia, Latin America, and the Middle East.

Masked by pseudonyms and anonymity, social media is often viewed as an attractive way to express one’s feelings candidly. But the same technology that allows users to share ideas and constructively engage with others too often devolves into a toxic, often hurtful environment. As social apps like Yik Yak, which allow users to anonymously share their opinions about anything and everything with those nearby, continue to gain popularity at the University of Iowa, many Asian-identifying students have found themselves the subject of racist and xenophobic messages.

Patrick Reed graduated with a Master in Fine Arts in papermaking and bookbinding from the UI Center for the Book in 2013. He received a Fulbright grant in 2014 to the Rachel Carson Center for Environment and Society at Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich, Germany, for his project “Apocalyptic Themes of Natural Disaster in 16th and 21st Century Woodcut Prints.” He is currently back in Germany continuing his research through a DAAD Study Scholarship and Research Grant. International Programs interviewed Patrick to get his insights on living abroad, and how the experience affected his research.

Homesickness hit me hard this past week, which marks a little less than two months since leaving home. When I was getting ready to leave, back in August, I knew I would miss some things while I was in Morocco, like my family, friends, dog, et cetera. But these aren't the things that bothered me the most– it's not hard to make a Skype call home. The real difficulty lies in a few things I never knew I would miss, little things that even though they wouldn't matter by themselves add up to make a big difference.

The UI Center for Human Rights and the Iowa Chapter of Physicians for Social Responsibility will host a screening of the documentary film "Sandy 2012," followed by a panel discussion"Remembering Hurricane Sandy: What We Have Learned, Where Are We Headed" at 7:00 p.m., Thursday, October 29 in room 140 of Schaeffer Hall.

The African Studies Program (ASP) is hosting its next baraza, or discussion – this time focusing on Northern Zimbabwe, an area claimed by the Portuguese but annexed by the British in late 1890. Titled Late Precolonial Struggles, European Expansion & the Making of Colonial Authority, the talk will ask how the making of the geography of European colonial possessions in Africa was influenced by local political struggles among Africans.

On Wednesday, September 23, I traveled from Ifrane to Casablanca (yes, that Casablanca, the one with a movie about it) with a friend to stay with her family for the long weekend of Eid el-Kibeer.