VOLUME 4 NUMBER 1 SEPTEMBER 2011 Contents: 2 campus news 5 GSC update 6 out & about the 5cs the pedant A newsletter for CGU students, or the etymologically inclined. Now bigger, faster, stronger. 10 research & awards 11 La Flaneuse: the Claremont Wanderer 12 events calendar and more GSC Travel Awards make traveling to conferences a breeze (page 3) Strapped for cash while in school? Relax, this one’s on the fed (page 8) INSIDE: new the CGU (page 4) Claremont Graduate University campus news EDITOR’S NOTE The times, they are a-changin’ (and so are we . . . ) You may notice that the Pedant looks a little different. You may also notice that there’s a lot more of it. As part of the Pedant’s continued mission to enhance student life, we realized that we could be doing more. Along with our usual highlights – research and awards, news, events, and campus resources – we have added information and stories on life outside of CGU. Not only are we now featuring more academic and funding opportunities, but ways to engage more deeply in the Claremont community. We are also committed to keeping students abreast of the changes going on internally at CGU – and big changes they are. In the spring 2011 issue, we covered the newly established subcommittee on student-centeredness, and this current issue delves deeply into the proposed restructuring of your schools, departments, and CGU as a whole; all changes that impact your life as a graduate student. Lastly, we have also devoted a column to the Graduate Student Council (GSC), the student governing body behind the travel awards, student advocacy, and the beginning- and end-of-year parties. With a new forum in which to share their plans, events, and ways for students to get involved, we anticipate that this will be a huge step in our long worked at efforts to build community. I hope you’ll agree. Rachel Tie Pedant@cgu.edu the Pedant Volume 4, Number 1 August 2011 Many thanks to Gina Carlson and the GSC, Sharone Williams (for getting paid to drink), Atilio Pernisco, Maggie DePond, Susie Guilbault, Jan “Mitch” Andres, Esther Wiley, Mandy Bennett, Sheila Lefor, Anna Fagergren, Monika Moore, and Jacob Adams, for helping to flesh out the details. The Pedant is . . . Rachel Tie Jordan Perry Editor Writer Brendan Babish Kevin Riel Editor Emeritus/Writer Editor Emeritus/Writer Scott Kneece Sharone Williams Contributor Contributor 2 Otium cum dignitate Student journals spring eternal at CGU This spring and summer two new student-led journals launched at CGU. In April, the Claremont Journal of Mormon Studies debuted. Next month, Foothill: a journal of poetry will publish its first issue. The Claremont Journal of Mormon Studies is a biannual (May and September) online academic journal produced by the Claremont Mormon Studies Student Association. It publishes journal articles and reviews predominantly written by graduate students. “Because of social and cultural developments surrounding Mormon history, it is often the case that Mormon studies research gets interpreted as either pro-Mormonism or anti-Mormonism,” said David Golding, who serves as co-editer with Loyd Ericson. “Claremont has served as a more abstracted location for Mormon studies research, where scholars and members of the Mormon community can engage topics in Mormon studies with a more overt attempt at academic discourse and methods of inquiry.” The inaugural issue of Foothill is set for a September release. Foothill is a quarterly online publication, with one print edition a year. The journal only publishes poetry by graduate students based in the United States. “The Tufts poetry awards [which are based at CGU] honor poets at the beginning and middle stages of their career. We want to encourage and recognize those still in the apprenticeship of graduate study,” said Kevin Riel, editor of Foothill, and former editor of the Pedant. For more information on the Claremont Journal of Mormon Studies visit www.claremontmormonstudies.org/journal; for Foothill, visit www.cgu.edu/foothill or www.facebook.com/ foothilljournal. Claremont Graduate University campus news Executive Vice President and Provost, Jacob Adams GSC Travel Awards get professional development off the ground CGU is known for its conference-attending, paper-giving, competition-entering students. But along with the sheen of prestige and a 30-page CV, academic and professional productivity can be expensive (at least until our intellectual prowess begins to pay for itself). To help offset the costs of travel, the Graduate Student Council (GSC) implemented its semi-annual Travel Award competition . . . and suddenly that conference in Paris is looking a lot more attractive. With an annual allocation of $20,000 devoted to subsidizing student travel, the GSC began the award competition to encourage more students to gain professional experience in their fields. Awards are given on merit (as opposed to financial need because, let’s face it, that’s a pretty even playing field) and students can apply for an award for participation in an event that falls into one of three categories: Presentation in competitions, conferences, symposiums, or art exhibits; participation in research in the student’s field of study; and participation in a professional development event (such as training, a workshop, or a conference) pertinent to the student’s field. Every academic year the GSC has two Travel Award competitions, with the fall 2011 application period opening Monday, October 24 and closing Friday, November 4. Since the GSC needs proof that a student actually attended an event and paid for it, the awards are given retroactively. For the fall award period, events need to have occurred between May 1, 2011-October 31, 2011. Recipients of the GSC Travel Awards are selected based on an essay that convincingly argues for the academic significance of the event, long- and short-term professional development, and significance to CGU. The full application includes a less-thanconvenient checklist of paperwork and signatures, to which painstaking attention should be paid, as qualified candidates have been (and will be) disqualified for a missing signature or cover page. Awards are generally between $100-$300, enough to offset somewhere between a few tanks of gas and a roundtrip plane ticket. However, the Presidential Award, an additional $500 to the top applicant, can make a substantial dent in a trip to, say, Hawaii (Professional development?” Ok, if you say so.) While not every applicant will receive remuneration (it is, after all, a competition), last spring, 25 awards were given out, so the “energy output to potential reward” ratio is fairly high. For details on the application process, including forms and procedures, visit the GSC’s Travel Award webpage at www.cgu.edu/travelawards. New Executive VP and Provost On August 1, 2011, Jacob Adams began his term as the new Executive Vice President and Provost of CGU. The Executive VP and Provost is the second-in-command in CGU’s administration, reporting directly to the president. Responsibilities for the position include overseeing academic financial planning and university strategic planning, as well as the selection of academic deans and other academic new hires. Adams will be the first ever to hold this position at CGU. Adams joined the faculty at CGU’s School of Educational Studies in 2006 after several years teaching public affairs at the University of Washington and teaching in the College of Education at Vanderbilt University. While at CGU, he has sat on eight faculty appointment committees and served as chair for four. Most recently, Adams chaired the Academic Standard Committee and co-chaired the Steering Committee on CGU Excellence. “At CGU, Jacob has been a tireless workers, known for his commitment, organization, and listening skills, and for the excellent job he did running the Faculty Executive Committee and co-chairing the Steering Committee on CGU Excellence this year,” wrote President Deborah Freund in a letter to the CGU community. “His savvy budget and people skills, honed from his experiences in the capitals and board rooms, and his excellent academic work in Nashville, Seattle, and Claremont, are sure to serve us well in the years to come.” Congratulations to the spring 2011 GSC Travel Award Winners! Vanessa Kettering Thomas Connelly Evren Eryilmaz Coral Bruni William Swartz Chase Knowles Soomi Lee Scott Strovas Karen Strovas Charla Delacuardra Jerimiah Bowden Stephen Pu Jennifer Miller Sarah Robinson James Griffith Ginger Silvera Emi Makino John Ruiz Hans Gustafson Dali Cao Elaine McLemore Jeremiah Gonzalez Rafael Vasquez Veronica Gonzalez Dianee Legree Leisure with dignity 3 Claremont Graduate University campus news CGU realignment At her Gavel Presentation in February, President Deborah Freund announced one of the major initiatives of her presidency: realignment. For new and returning students, here’s a briefing on what Freund ambitiously calls “creating the future of graduate education here at CGU.” Friend’s first step was the establishment of the Steering Committee on CGU Excellence. Co-chaired by Jacob Adams, who was then a professor in the School of Educational Studies (and is now executive vice president and provost), and Stewart Donaldson, dean of the School of Behavioral and Organizational Sciences, the committee (made up of faculty, students, and staff) released a final report on May 5 outlining the proposed realignment of CGU. Driven by a renewed focus on student-centeredness, experiential learning, and cross-cutting research themes, the committee located several areas that would be restructured to serve these needs. These include a centralization of student services, a university center for transdisciplinary research, and the realignment of the nine current schools into two larger collectives: The School of Arts and Sciences and an administrative clustering of the professional schools. Though there is still much fine-tuning to be done before the plan is implemented, feedback has been largely positive. In her comments at the May board meeting, Freund said, “The report is frankly the single most penetrating and deeply thoughtful work that I have ever seen from a committee such as this.” Centralization of student services A common concern the committee found during its fact-finding phase was that students thought the fragmented nature of CGU’s administration and student services made it difficult not only to use those services, but to know what services were even available. The new vice provost of enrollment and student affairs, a position yet to be filled, will oversee admissions, recruiting, financial aid, the registrar, data services, student life, career services, the Graduate Student Council, Minority Mentor Program, and Writing Center. Think of it as a one-stop shop for all your student needs. Ideally, this will create a more streamlined system for student transactions (transcripts, financial aid, and the like), and (we hope) more support for finding employment while in school and after graduation. According to the report, “this structural change directly addresses university challenges regarding a more student-centered delivery of services.” Center for Transdisciplinary Research and Engagement Transdisciplinarity has long been a hallmark of CGU’s curriculum. But aside from T-courses, reading-group funding, and transdisciplinary dissertation awards, transdisciplinarity has not yet been fully realized on a university-wide scale. The new center will provide an infrastructure that supports and promotes crosscutting research, expands the university’s capacity for funding 4 Otium cum dignitate Steering Committee on CGU Excellence co-chairs Stewart Donaldson (left) and Jacob Adams “[These structural changes] directly address university challenges regarding a more student-centered delivery of services” research, supports proposal writing and manages grants, and develops transdisciplinary curricula. According to Freund, the new center “is a place to break down barriers, get faculty from different schools and disciplines working together on very timely world issues, and enhance the meaning of transdisciplinary research, teaching, and engagement at CGU.” For students, the center will make studying across the disciplines more easily accessible and provide new learning and research opportunities. Realignment of schools One of the most debated elements of the realignment is the tentative idea of collapsing CGU’s nine schools into two: the School of Arts and Sciences (which will be comprised of Art, Botany, Cultural Studies, Economics, English, History, Information Science, Math, Music, Philosophy, Politics, and Religion) and the professional schools (the Schools of Behavioral and Organizational Sciences; Educational Studies; Community and Global Health; and the Peter Drucker and Masatoshi Ito Graduate School of Management) into another conglomeration. These mergers will, theoretically, eradicate the ambiguous relationships between schools, diseconomies of scale, and financial instability of small schools. However, there is concern that departmental identity may become subsumed by the larger school identity, and the greater pool of funds that the merger would create may actually end up depriving certain departments an equal cut. “The committee is confident about parts of the realignment plan [in terms of administration and the new School of Arts and Sciences] but we’re still dealing with some of the issues present in [the reorganization of the professional schools],” said Adams at the April Town Hall presentation of the final report. Over the summer, Freund charged the committee with fleshing out the details of what new budgets would look like, tweaking the model for the professional schools, and doing more to figure out how to build central capacity to stimulate cross-disciplinary research. The committee will present the results of a plausibility test to faculty in September, with a presentation to CGU’s Board of Trustees likely to occur in November. Claremont Graduate University campus news Everything you always wanted to know about the GSC (but were afraid to ask) Every school year is a chance to start anew: to return to unfinished projects, to rededicate oneself to work and study, and for some of us, to finally stay on top of the “laundry situation.” For the Graduate Student Council (GSC), the new school year means a chance to keep doing what previous councils have done well and to continue improving student life at CGU. And let’s not forget the parties. Because of our illustrious status on campus (or because we poked and prodded), the Pedant had the opportunity to sit in on some early meeting of the Executive Board of the Graduate Student Council (GSC) this summer and has gotten the skinny on what’s brewing for the upcoming semester. Along with its usual events (see “Events Calendar” on page 12), including the famed “Welcome Back BBQ” and Halloween party, the GSC’s main prerogatives are to enhance communication and increase student involvement at CGU. “We’re stoked about President Freund’s commitment to studentcenteredness,” said GSC President Gina Carlson. “Having her as an ally will enable us to more effectively communicate with students and continue working on projects that enhance students’ experiences at CGU.” More concretely, the council has begun sprucing up its webpage, making it easier for students to learn about GSC resources, of which there are several: a research portal where students can create profiles and exchange information, travel-award information, GSC house rental information (yes, the GSC has its own cottage off 12th street that students can rent for free), and club funding information and forms (all at www.cgu.edu/gsc). Students are encouraged to attend the GSC’s bi-weekly meetings, which will resume after classes begin. Some schools still have representative and delegate positions open for the upcoming year (details available on the GSC webpage), but if labels aren’t your thing, you can still get involved. “We always need volunteers to assist with community programming as well as to advocate for students at GSC meetings,” said Carlson. “Whatever your involvement, the GSC offers students the opportunity to nurture their leadership skills, give back to the community, and form relationships with colleagues and administrators.” To contact the GSC, go to www.cgu.edu/gsc and choose the “contact” link on the left side of the page. And as always, keep checking your e-mail for GSC news and events. 2011-2012 GSC officers (from left): Gina Carlson (president), Han Chen (treasurer), Wendy Duran (secretary), Heather Vittengl Carr (vice president) Alumni e-mail now one more perk of graduation CGU’s Office of Alumni Relations is now offering alumni free e-mail accounts powered by Google. These accounts should especially come in handy for those who have built up a cache of valuable correspondence while at CGU – or just want to show off that they have a graduate degree without being garish. Alumni e-mail accounts will come with a suite of applications, such as Google Calendar, Google Docs, and over seven GB of storage space. When you are nearing graduation Alumni Relations will send an e-mail to your student account with your alumni e-mail address and password. For more information on this service, or for instructions on transferring e-mails from your student account to your alumni account, visit www.cgu.edu/alumnimail. Requests for an alumni e-mail account, e-mail address correction, or e-mail password reset, should be sent to Alumni Relations at alumni@cgu.edu. Leisure with dignity 5 Claremont Graduate University Out and about the 5Cs: cutting-edge academics, innovative arts, and gratis hors d’œuvres The life of a graduate student can easily slip into a cycle of work, class, and endless reading and writing. But if you’re looking for academic enrichment, want to connect to the 5Cs community, or simply need something to do in the dead hour from noon to one, the Claremont Colleges offer ongoing, lively, and free- to low-cost events almost daily. So if you have a penchant for transdisciplinarity, classical arts, or crudités, keep reading. Athenaeum Events at CMC Claremont McKenna College will continue to host a diverse series of events that include speeches and performances from some of the world’s most recognizable musicians, businesspeople, politicians, actors, academics, and journalists. Previous speakers have included Bill Clinton, Bono, Michael Eisner, and Karl Rove (in case you didn’t know, they’re kind of a big deal). Unless noted otherwise, events begin at 6:45 pm and take place at the Marian Miner Cook Athenaeum on the CMC campus. A list of fall speakers will be available at www.cmc.edu/mmca in the coming months. CGU Art Exhibits concerts by professional musicians. Concerts are held at Balch Auditorium on the Scripps campus and have featured an eclectic variety of traditional classical and world music, from Brahms’ quartets to Zimbabwean Mbira music. For a detailed schedule, including musicians and event specifics, visit www.scrippscollege. edu/academics/department/music. Global Health Seminars The School of Community and Global Health will host speakers from diverse backgrounds throughout the year on a variety of subjects. Seminars are currently in development. For more information log on to www.cgu.edu/scghcalendar. There’s just about always something going on at CGU’s art galleries. Bi-weekly shows curated by art faculty start August 29; weekly student exhibits begin October 25. Exhibits usually open with wine-and-cheese receptions, and all students are welcome. During gallery hours exhibits are open to the general public. CGU art students are doing impressive work and there is no substitute for seeing it in person, and nothing makes you feel more fancy than hobnobbing with artists. Art exhibits are located at the East and Peggy Phelps Art Galleries, 251 East 10th Street. For a schedule of exhibitions and events, visit www.cgu.edu/pages/567. asp. ISS Brown Bag Lunch Speaker Series CGU Concerts at Claremont School of Theology Pomona College Literary Series Alternating Thursdays throughout the semester, the Institute for Signifying Scriptures (ISS) hosts a diverse selection of presentations on various scriptures and their impact on society and culture. Additionally, the ISS has a Distinguished Speaker Series, which has included Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka, and world-renowned literary and cultural critic Gauri Viswanathan. The events are free an open to the public. For more information, including schedule, visit www.signifyingscriptures.org. Oh, and don’t forget your lunch. Resuming this fall, the CGU Music Department will once again host its ongoing concert series. Concerts include faculty performances, student recitals, and music lectures, hosted on Tuesdays at 4:15 p.m. in Mudd Theater, Seeley G. Mudd Building, or Kresge Chapel. Admission is free. For a fall schedule as well as videos of past performances, visit www.cgu.edu/cguconcerts. Every year, the Pomona College Department of English hosts a series of readings from visiting authors, the crème de la crème of the literary world. Readings take place at 4:15 pm in the Ena Thompson Reading Room located in Crookshank Hall on the Pomona College campus unless otherwise noted. This semester’s lineup includes Samuel Delaney, Steve Erickson, and others. More information available on the department website at www.english. pomona.edu/litseries.html. Friday Noon Concert Series Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden Each Friday at noon, as the event’s name suggests, the music departments of Pomona and Scripps Colleges sponsor free A stone’s throw away from the CGU student apartments, the Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden is one of Claremont’s most notable locales. Admission is $6 with a student ID, which grants you entry into one 6 Otium cum dignitate of the most unique collections of California native plant life. Become a member for $45 annually and get free admission for the year. For hours of operation, events, and details, visit www.rsabg.org. Social Socials Hosted by CGU’s School of Behavioral & Organizational Sciences, this bi-weekly event features presentations by graduate and professional speakers in the field of social psychology, as well as career workshops and discussions. Past symposiums have included “Surviving Graduate School: A Students’ Perspective,” and “Is Conscious Thought Good for Anything?” (Don’t think too hard about that.) Socials are typically from noon-1:00 p.m. and include lunch. Anyone with an interest in the subject discussed is welcome. For the fall schedule and other information, visit: www. cgu.edu/socialsocials. SPE Lunch Talks In this ongoing series, the School of Politics and Economics has speakers present on topics from the geo-political to the community specific – all of which you’ll be more ready to tackle thanks to the swell lunch provided. Previous speakers have included ambassadors and government officials from across the globe. Watch your CGU e-mail for announcements or visit www. cgu.edu/PAGES/494.ASP for further information. Thursdays at the HRC Every Thursday the CGU Humanities Resource Center hosts guest speakers and discussions on a variety of topics relevant to careers in academia and academia itself. Information ranges from advice on CV/resume design and career management to discussions of media and web resources. Events are open to all CGU students and have been known to serve cured meats and imported beer. Huzzah! For more information, e-mail tamar.salaibian@cgu.edu. Tuesday Noon Academy Every Tuesday at noon, Mallott Commons, located in the heart of the Scripps campus, hosts both local and visiting speakers on an eclectic array of subjects. Previous topics have included stargazing, queer theory, ancient animals, and minimum-wage policy. See the Mallott Commons website for more information at www.scrippscollege.edu/campus/malott-commons. Leisure with dignity 7 Claremont Graduate University When it comes to work-study, it pays to be broke The phrase “work-study” often conjures up images of less-than-ideal jobs: working the lunch counter at the school cafeteria, answering someone else’s phone, or re-shelving library books for hours on end. But at CGU, many of the work-study positions are not only pretty swanky in terms of the day-to-day, but can open up paths to careers later on down the line. Federal Work Study (FWS) is a need-based financial aid program that provides funds earned through part-time employment to assist students in financing the costs of postsecondary education (read: “will work for books”). To qualify for FWS, students must demonstrate financial need. Need is determined by looking at a student’s “expected family contribution” (EFC) on their FAFSA, a number determined from information on the student’s tax forms. EFC is based on a number of factors such as students enrolled in college in their household, investments, and income. At CGU, the maximum EFC is $4,000/ year. When we crunched the numbers, we found that a single person making $15,000/year would have an EFC of $5,000, $1,000 above this maximum. So it is only the truly destitute that get to partake of the FWS bounty. But qualification does not guarantee placement. Although hundreds of CGU students qualify for FWS, the school is awarded a limited amount of FWS funds from the federal government each year, typically much less than is needed. And although workstudy jobs can range from $10-$20/hour, there is a set limit to the amount a student can work and earn: no more than 20 hours/ week, with a $6,000 cap for the school year. So how does CGU determine who’s in and who’s out? “We give priority to continuing students who were previously awarded FWS,” said Susie Guilbault, director of financial aid at CGU and someone you should definitely get to know if you haven’t already. “We then give priority to students still in course work. This is because the whole point of work-study is to offset the high cost of tuition. However, there are some jobs that require more advanced students, such as writing center employees, who proofread dissertations; research and teaching assistants who have experience in their fields; and other university administration jobs, which require knowledge of how the university functions.” Art student Atilio Pednisco shows that FWS can be all fun and games. 8 Otium cum dignitate If you are one of the lucky awarded FWS, the next step is to go out and get a job. Each spring, the Office of Financial Aid asks all of History student Maggie DePond gazes adoringly at student records at her work-study gig in the Registrar’s Office. “work-study provides an opportunity to become well-rounded . . . . Especially in this economy, the more well-rounded you are, the better chance you have of getting a job” the university employers to compile job descriptions for the workstudy positions they want to fill for the upcoming year. At the start of the fall semester, the Office of Financial Aid posts these descriptions on their website, and in the fall students can peruse these listings and begin applying. But be forewarned: If you do not secure a job by October 15, your funds will be reallocated back into the pool for the next student on the waitlist to redeem. So diligence is key. Magge DePond, a second-year MA student in history, has a workstudy job at the Registrar’s Office at CGU. Her duties are to file all the student forms that come through the office and occasionally to embark upon culinary adventures.“We had a cupcake decorating contest for Halloween,” said DePond. “The next day we had a ton of leftovers, so I spent my entire shift frosting cupcakes.” When asked if this exposure to the world of confectionary arts impacted her chosen career path, DePond resolutely replied “no.” Yet for many students, work-study jobs not only provide fulfilling work experience (and some mad money for the weekend: see page 11 for ideas), but open up career options that they hadn’t previously considered. “From students’ perspectives, work-study provides an opportunity to become well-rounded, to work in a field outside their own departments. Especially in this economy, the more well-rounded you are, the better chance you have of getting a job. Even if you want to become a professor, having experience in, say, admissions can go a long way. And it’s a great way to engage more deeply in the university,” said Guilbault. This was certainly the case for alumnus Brendan Babish, who started out as a creative writing MA and student worker for the Office of Communications, and now, degree in hand, is the assistant director of university communications. “One of the great things about work-study is that it not only gives students a chance to try their hands at something new, but it’s a great way for the university to tap into talented resources,” said Babish. But if work-study is more about a paycheck and less about a career path, that doesn’t mean that it has to be dull. Not only do students fill many of the administrative jobs throughout CGU, they are also employed as researchers, designers, and writers (present author included). Many of CGU’s work-study students work at writing centers throughout the 5Cs, and there is a large faction that serve as SAT tutors to local high school students. Other interesting jobs include working at Planned Parenthood, a dance studio, and, yes, shelving books in the catacombs of Honnold. Atilio Pernisco, an MFA student in art, started working at the Children’s School at Claremont McKenna College last semester as a teachers’ assistant. In this capacity, his duties involve helping with classroom lessons, leading activities, and supervising children from kindergarten through second grade. “I’ve had a lot of memorable experiences at this job,” said Pernisco, who plans to eventually teach college art. “I had showed some paintings at school one day that met mixed reviews; it was devastating. When I got to work that afternoon, a child, in complete earnestness, asked if I wanted to help him catch lizards. Somehow, it put everything in perspective and was exactly what I needed.” To see if you qualify for FWS, check your financial aid award letter in your CGU portal. For questions, contact finaid@cgu.edu. And for those of us down in the work-study trenches, hold on for dear life, because there are about 400 others gunning for our jobs. Leisure with dignity 9 research + awards 2012 Ford Foundation Diversity Fellowships Gratulacje to Jan Andres for landing a Fulbright to teach in Poland. CGU Fulbright Scholar “You miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take,” as selfproclaimed “World’s Geatest Boss” Michael Scott famously quoted Wayne Gretzky, which is applicable for hockey, paper sales, and of course, awards and scholarships. To put it another way, you lose all of the awards you don’t apply for. So anyone with any interest in researching and/or teaching in a foreign country should seriously consider applying for a Fulbright Award. Applications for the Fulbright US Student Program are due October 17. Fulbright Awards were created to foster international research and collaboration. They are prestigious and career-enhancing for recipients, who include John Lithgow, Sylvia Plath, and more Nobel Prize winners (including two in 2010) than any other academic program. There are various Fulbright grants, but probably the most relevant for CGU students is the Fulbright US Student Program (available to US citizens only). This provides grants for study, research, or teaching English during an academic year abroad in the country of your choice. All awards include monthly living expenses and roundtrip airfare, with varying other benefits depending on country. For those daunted by the program and application process take note: CGU Arts & Humanities student Jan Andres recently received a Fulbright to research and teach in Poland during the 20112012 academic year. And perhaps most importantly, she said the application process “wasn’t too bad.” Andres started her application in September and wrote her onepage personal statement and one-page statement of purpose over a few evenings after work (different programs require different application procedures). She cited the forums of the Grad Café (www.thegradcafe.com) as particularly helpful while guiding herself through the application process. 10 Otium cum dignitate The Ford Foundation has announced its 2012 Predoctoral and Dissertation Fellowships Program and is now accepting applications. The Predoctoral award includes an annual stipend of $20,000 and expenses to attend at least one conference of Ford fellows, while the Dissertation award includes a stipend of $21,000 and the same conference access. Students must be enrolled full time in a PhD program in an eligible field of study. Selection is based on superior academic achievement, promise as a scholar and educator, and membership in an underrepresented ethnic group. A panel of judges selected by the National Academies will select candidates based upon essays, letters of recommendation, and academic records. The deadline for applications is November 14, 2011. For more information and to apply, visit http://sites.nationalacademies.org/ PGA/Fellowships. 2012 Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans The Soros Fellowships help fund two years of graduate levelstudy in any field with $25,000 in maintenance grants and up to $20,000 in tuition support for each year of study supported, totaling as much as $90,000 in aid. Eligibility is based on age, immigration, and program progress. Candidates must be “newly American” or first generation; being either a green-card holder, naturalized citizen, or a child born of naturalized citizens. Candidates must be under 31 years of age and not be beyond their second year of study. Selection is based on creativity and demonstrating sustained accomplishment. A total of 30 fellowships will be awarded. Applications are due November 1, 2011 and finalists will be announced January 2012. For more information and to apply, visit http://www.pdsoros.org/competition. • You just want to eat nachos and have a drink with your friends after a Week-with-a-capital-W. No question about it, the Press is unique. As the former home of the presses of the Claremont Courier, it has hipster-geek appeal, but it also has a dorky clip-art logo to draw the older crowd; The food grad students can afford (appetizers) is reasonably tasty; the lighting is suitably dim; it has a dance floor, live music, a chalkboard menu from before chalkboard menus were cool, a smoking porch, and servers who (usually) aren’t hostile. La Flâneuse by Sharone Williams — writer, editor, loafer Flâneuse, French: 1) a city wanderer; 2) one who strolls about aimlessly; 3) a shopper with no intent to buy; an intellectual parasite. The rumors are true: life does exist outside of graduate school. To help guide you through the strange slice of life that is the broader Claremont community, the Pedant’s resident Flâneuse covers where to see and be seen, what to eat and drink, and more frequently than not, how to point and laugh. This issue: Thursdays at the Press. Most importantly, it has people of all kinds – which is important, because grad school can be a cloistering experience. Chances are if you wander in, you’ll find someone you know or want to know better, including the occasional notable visitor to Claremont (Newt Gingrich stopped in after delivering a speech at Scripps last year). At the very least, the bouncer who asks you for ID will remind you of the glory days when you looked under 21. The Press has long held an almost-monopoly as the drinks destination for Claremont students (in part because it’s one of few places in the Village open after sundown), but lately it’s faced some competition from gastropub the Back Abbey (est. 2009) and freshfaced debutante Eureka!Burger (est. April 2011), which combines the beer selection and crazy-good burgers of the Back Abbey with the full bar and drink specials of the Press. Will Eureka!Burger, with all its buzz, overtake the Press in popularity? I’ll do some heavy-duty evaluation and get back to you. You may have noticed that on Thursday night all roads invariably lead to the Village, especially to the Press. Maybe you’ve been on other weeknights, but Thursday is the Friday of this college town. On Thursdays, you don’t go to the Press to ruminate or continue class discussions like you might on a Tuesday. No, you go for one or more of the following reasons: • Happy hour, duh. Like Nigel Tufnel’s amp, it goes to 11. • I t’s after 9 p.m. and you want a Manhattan, absinthe, or anything besides beer and wine — and Espiau’s has either too many basketball fans or too few plaid shirts for your liking. •Y ou enjoy standing nose-to-nose with people you’ve just met (and shoulder-to-elbow with total strangers) and shouting small talk. •Y ou want to socialize with your colleagues and get to know the side of them that doesn’t talk about Derrida or game theory . . . as much. •Y ou like to play hipster facial hair bingo. Overheard: “I’ve got mutton chops, Allen Ginsberg beard/hair combo, sad pornstache, mustache/_finger tattoo, and lumberjack beard. Do I win?” Claremont Nightlife in all its glory •Y ou enjoy the wide array of Claremont life on display. On any Thursday, you may spot undergrads doing Jägerbombs, dolledup locals, people holed up with laptops and stacks of grading, passersby straddling bicycles and bumming cigarettes out front, and at least one variety of “that guy,” who’ll hit on you by inexplicably admiring your drink choice. Overheard: “Gin and tonic. Perfect. Tonic deserves something . . . celebratory.” Leisure with dignity 11 Claremont Graduate University calendar August 25-27 Drucker School Orientation for MBA, Financial Engineering, and dual degree students. Events will be held in the Burkle building. E-mail hayley.kiruki@cgu.edu for more information. August 29 Welcome back! First day of classes. September 5 No Classes: Memorial Day. Take a day trip to the Salton Sea, Big Bear, or Palm Springs. September 12 Last day to add/drop. September 27 Come support second-year MFA students in a group art exhibition and reception at the East and Peggy Phelps Galleries (251 East 10th Street) from 6-9 p.m. A visiting artist lecture will precede the exhibition at 4:30 p.m. in Albrecht Auditorium. October 6 28th Annual Bowen Lecture on education with distinguished speaker Vincent Tinto. 7:30 p.m. in Albrecht Auditorium. Contact denise. thompson@cgu.edu for more information. October 7 Movie Night! Hosted by the Graduate Student council. More information to come. October 11 Check out first-year MFA students as they get their sea legs. First-year student exhibition will be held at the East and Peggy Phelps Galleries at 251 East 10th Street from 6-9 p.m. The exhibition will be preceded by a visiting artist lecture at 4:30 p.m. in Albrecht auditorium. October 25 MFA thesis exhibitions and reception for Bryan Miller and Kevin Moore at the East and Peggy Phelps Galleries (251 E. 10th St.) from 6-9 p.m. October 28 Let loose before the final stretch of the semester at the annual Graduate Student Council Halloween Party. Details to come. November 1 MFA thesis exhibitions and reception for Jocelyn Grau and Nick Shake at the East and Peggy Phelps Galleries (251 E. 10th St.) from 6-9 p.m. November 9 MFA thesis exhibitions and reception for Mihyang Kim and Conchi Sanford at the East and Peggy Phelps Galleries (251 E. 10th St.) from 6-9 p.m. November 17 Graduate Student Council annual Thanksgiving potluck. Check your e-mail for details. November 24-25 Get outta town, it’s Thanksgiving Break! December 5-9 During finals week the Graduate Student Council will host a series of study breaks. Details TBA. December 17 Last day of the semester. See you in the spring! 12 Otium cum dignitate EVENT IN FOCUS September 15: President Freund’s Installation This all-day event begins at 10:00 a.m. with processional and installation at the Bridges Hall of Music at Pomona College followed by “President’s Forum: The Transdisciplinary Imperative.” Students are then invited to a free luncheon at the Smith Campus Center Ballroom also at Pomona, with activities, including an open house and art exhibit, planned for the rest of the afternoon. Be sure to check your e-mail for an official invitation and RSVP instructions or visit http://www.cgu.edu/installation. This swanky way to spend a Thursday is definitely not to be missed.