— COMMONWEALTH COLLEGE —

Special Events

  1. Apr 10 - Pizza and Prof "Philosophical Paradoxes"
  2. Apr 11 - WWW, Comcol 101 - For Freshmen and Sophomores
  3. Apr 12 - Movie Night, Ikiru (Japan)
  4. Apr 9 - Visiting Poet Patrick Donnelly at Capstone Class
  5. Apr 12 - Careers in Law Networking with Alumni Attorneys
  6. Apr 27 - Undergraduate Research Conference
  7. May 3,4 - Undergraduate Psychology Conference
  8. May 26 - Graduating Seniors, "Save this Date!"

Announcements & Activities

  1. Apr 9 - Advising Appointment Changes!
  2. May 4 - Graduating ComCol Seniors Ceremony Speaker Needed!
  3. ComCol's Mary Jenkins Named Student-Athlete Of The Year!
  4. Office of Community Service Learning(OCSL)'s New Website

Academic Opportunities

  1. New Course on Food Security and Community Engagement
  2. Summer 2007 Classes
  3. Apr 13 Deadline - Spaces Still Avail. for Oxford Summer Seminar
  4. Exciting Capstone Opportunity as Dean's Book Service Coord.

$cholarships and $upport

  1. April 27 deadline - Fall Research Grants & Fellowships Available
  2. April 30 deadline - The "HANDS" Scholarship Program
  3. June 30 deadline - 2007-2008 Phi Kappa Phi Grant Opportunity

— CAMPUS & COMMUNITY —

Internships

  1. Summer Internship at the State House


Student Life & Support

  1. April 21 - Tools for Change: Student Leadership, 21st Century
  2. Apr 28, 29 - The Civil War: "Life, Fortune, and Sacred Honor"
  3. May 3 - Calling All Undiscovered Talent
  4. Community-based Orgs on Campus – Recruiting Volunteers
  5. University of Massachusetts Pre-Med Society (UMPS) meetings
  6. Does Your Student Group Need $$$$$$?


Writing Butterfield - Information & Events

  1. Apr 10 - Mystery Fiction Night: W/Ron MacLean & Stephen North
  2. Apr 19 - Movie Screening, "The Beautiful Country"
  3. Apr 21 - A Trip to the Emily Dickinson Museum
  4. May 15 deadline - Submit to the Butterfield Blotter Lit. Journal


Employment

  1. Student Leadership Opportunities

— COMMONWEALTH COLLEGE —

Special Events

PIZZA AND PROF "PHILOSOPHICAL PARADOXES" WITH PROFESSOR PETER GRAHAM, 6pm, ComCol Lounge, APR 10

Professor Graham will introduce and discuss some of the most confounding philosophical paradoxes that philosophers (ancient and contemporary) have been pounding their heads against the wall trying to solve. This includes Zeno’s paradoxes, the Liar paradox, and the Sorites Paradox. As always there will be Antonio’s pizza!
   RSVP by Monday, April 9th at 6pm to if you would like to attend. Make sure to include your first and last name and your class year. We need you to RSVP so that we can order the right number of pizzas from ANTONIOS!

WEEKLY WEDNESDAY WORKSHOPS, COMCOL 101 FOR FRESHMEN AND SOPHOMORES: APR 11

Learn everything you need to know in order to track your ComCol requirements.
    This semester-long series of topic-related workshops will be held every Wednesday evening, from 6-7 PM outside of 504 Goodell in the Commonwealth College Lounge. Dinner will be provided. Please RSVP to c3@comcol.umass.edu if you are planning to attend. See below for specific dates and topics.

MOVIE NIGHT: IKIRU (JAPAN), APR 12

Kanji Watanabe is a longtime bureaucrat in a city office who, along with the rest of the office, spends his entire working life doing nothing. He learns he is dying of cancer and wants to find some meaning in his life (IMDB).
    Showings take place Thursdays at 8:00pm in 504 Goodell. Films are free and open to all Commonwealth College members and their friends. Refreshments provided!

VISITING POET PATRICK DONNELLY JOINS CAPSTONE CLASS, "COURAGEOUS CHAOS: EMPOWERING PRESENCE", APR 9

On April 9th from 6:30pm - 9:00pm in Herter Hall, In acknowledgement of National Poetry month, the poet Patrick Donnelly will be a guest artist and speak on the performance of writing for the Capstone class, Courageous Chaos: Empowering Presence. Capstone students familiar with his work commented that “Donnelly is an incredibly talented writer, but even more striking is the powerful and evocative way in which he delivers his text.”
   This event is free and open to other Commonwealth College students. For more information about the poet and his poetry, see link.

CAREERS IN LAW: 8 MINUTE NETWORKING WITH ALUMNI ATTORNEYS, APR 12

On April 12th from 5:30 - 7:30 in Memorial Hall, the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences and Commonwealth College will be hosting "Careers in Law: 8 Minute Networking." Numerous UMass Amherst alumni, who are practicing attorneys (or currently in law school) in diverse fields, will be on campus to network with students. To maximize the opportunity for individual connections, the format will be similar to that of "speed-dating." Groups of students will meet with an attorney for 8-10 minutes to hear what they do and then move on to the next one, and so on. Following this part of the program, students will be able to meet informally with any of these alumni over pizza.

UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH CONFERENCE 8:30AM - 5:00PM, APR 27

This conference is an excellent opportunity to view undergraduate students showcasing their work in a professional setting before their peers, faculty, and the public. For more information: webapp.comcol.umass.edu/msc

THE FOURTH ANNUAL WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS UNDERGRADUATE PSYCHOLOGY CONFERENCE MAY 3-4

Information can be found through the Office of National Scholarship or at Psi Chi 2007 Conference. Proposals for posters are due on April 27, 2007. Our keynote speaker will be Dr. Colin Ross, whose talk is entitled: "CIA Mind Control Experiments by American Psychiatrists: Creation of Multiple Personality Disorder in the Manchurian Candidate Programs.

GRADUATING SENIORS "SAVE THE DATE!"  SATURDAY, MAY 26 AT 9:00 AM

The Commonwealth College Celebration of Excellence, a
cap-and-gown Honors Gold Cord presentation and Convocation for graduating Commonwealth College seniors, will take place starting at 9:00 a.m. in the Mullins Center.
    "Save The Date” postcards have been sent out to your permanent addresses…and more info will follow! For More Info visit: www.comcol.umass.edu/celebrationofexcellence.

Announcements & Activities

CAPSTONE PROJECT: RENOWNED QUILT-ARTIST JACQUELYN HUGHES MOONEY TO EXHIBIT AT THE CAPE COD LOUNGE OF THE STUDENT UNION FROM 11AM - 9PM , RECEPTION AT 7PM, APR 5

Professor Jacquelyn Hughes Mooney, artist in residence from Bennett College, to show work and present at UMass quilt event. Professor Mooney, visual poet and activist, has been featured on NBC’s Today Show and Minority Business Reports as well as in many books and magazines including My Soul is Anchored, The Spirit in the Cloth, A Communion of the Spirit, Homes of Color, Working Women, More and Business Weekly magazines.
    The exhibit is part of a Capstone Honor’s thesis by senior Allison Slutter, through Commonwealth College, the Honors College at UMass Amherst and the Women’s Studies Department. The thesis focused on quilts as forms of history, communication and empowerment.
    A display of local quilt artist, antique quilts and some of Ms. Mooney’s work will be up during the day, with a reception and presentation in the evening. The event is being sponsored through Commonwealth College, UMass Women’s Studies and the UMass Fine Arts Council. For more info see Press Release.

ADVISING APPOINTMENT CHANGES, APR 9

As of April 9, 2007, advising at Commonwealth College will convert to an appointment system year-round.
- Walk-in advising will no longer be available during Pre-Reg
   and Add/Drop
- Standard appointments will be 30 minutes throughout the year
  (20 minutes during Add/Drop)
- Same day appointments may be scheduled if there are
  openings available with an advisor
Please plan ahead to ensure that your needs are met. To schedule an appointment, call our appointment desk at
(413)545-2483.

GRADUATING COMCOL SENIORS - WANT TO ADDRESS YOUR PEERS?, SUBMIT SAMPLE BY MAY 4

We are looking for a student speaker for the Celebration of Excellence, Saturday, May 26, 2007, 9am in the Mullins Center. If you are interested, please send a double spaced 3-4 page sample of what you would like to speak about.
    Send submissions to Jennifer Bennett, 504 Goodell Building by
May 4th. Please call Jennifer if you have any questions
545-2483.

COMMONWEALTH COLLEGE STUDENT MARY JENKINS NAMED A-10 WOMEN'S SWIMMING AND DIVING SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

Mary Jenkins, a kinesiology major, was recently named A10 Scholar-Athlete of the Year by voting among sports information directors. Jenkins, who has maintains a 3.8 GPA, is the first ever UMass swimmer/diver to be named the leagues Student-Athlete Of The Year. For more information visit the UMass Athletic Department's website.

OFFICE OF COMMUNITY SERVICE LEARNING (OCSL) LAUNCHES NEW WEBSITE

After much editing, new graphics, updating links, and re-editing, our new website is up and running. Please us visit at www.ocsl.umass.edu.

Academic Opportunities

NEW COURSE ON FOOD SECURITY & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

This new course introduces students to community service learning - an approach to your own education that you can use throughout your college career and beyond. Through readings, interviews, discussions, and (most of all) community experiences we will experiment with how to learn in and from the community, and how to be of service to the community.
   The issue of “food security” offers many paths to understanding people and communities. We will be talking to people in this field, looking at topics ranging from hunger, nutrition education, and saving local farmland, to organic agriculture, community gardening, and emergency food distribution. At the heart of your course experience will be your choice of a placement in a community agency or organization, where you will spend time each week learning and working on food security issues.
   Course Info: H292, Engaging with the Community: An Introduction to Community Service Learning, Fall 07, 4 credits, Meets Tuesday (1:00 - 3:45) and Thursday (1:00-2:15), For more information or to pre-register, contact Will Snyder at UMass Extension: 413-545-3876 or by email: wsnyder@umext.umass.edu

SUMMER 2007 CLASSES

It's not too early to start thinking about summer classes! Commonwealth College will be offering several Interdisciplinary honors courses, as well as sections of the Dean's Book Course, during summer 2007.
   Session I, June 4-July 12: Honors 292C, American Popular Culture Gen Ed I; Honors 392G, Ghosts that Haunt Us Gen Ed I U; Honors 191D, 291D, 391D, Dean's Book Course.
   Session II, July 16-August 22: Honors 191D, 291D, 391D, Dean's Book Course.

"WIN A TRIP WITH NICK" NY TIMES ESSAY CONTEST, DEADLINE APR 6

Conceived of by Pulitzer Prize winner Nicholas D. Kristof, New York Times Op-Ed columnist, to increase awareness of Africa among young people. Mr. Kristof will choose one college or graduate student to accompany him on a reporting trip to Africa.
   To be considered for "Win a Trip," students are invited to submit essays that articulate their reasons for wanting to go to Africa and to explain what makes them ideally suited for such an experience. Essays must be limited to 700 words and must be received along with application forms by April 6, 2007. Information about the competition is available at www.nytimes.com/winatrip.
   In addition to this contest, The New York Times Knowledge Network offers customized programs and resources for college campuses that inspire thought, encourage critical thinking, and help to develop informed and engaged citizens. Resources include instructional strategies, faculty workshops, complimentary speakers (depending on scope of program), research tools, special academic pricing for newspapers and subscriptions, and more. Visit www.nytimes.com/college

SPACES STILL AVAILABLE FOR OXFORD SUMMER SEMINAR, DEADLINE FRIDAY, APR 13

Held at Trinity College, Oxford University, July 1 - August 10, you can choose among a range of courses and earn honors credit while you gain an introduction to the best of Oxford University's academic and social traditions. Applications will be considered up to April 13 and no late application fee charged.
    To find more information about the program and how to apply click go to www.umass.edu/oxford.
    Commonwealth College offers scholarships to ComCol students participating in the Oxford Summer Seminar.
Find the scholarship application at scholarships/Oxford.doc.
   Applications for the ComCol Oxford Summer scholarship will continue to be accepted until April 6, 2007.

EXCITING CAPSTONE OPPORTUNITY AVAILABLE! APPLY FOR THE DEAN'S BOOK SERVICE COORDINATOR POSITION.

Looking for a fun and different way to complete your Capstone requirement and give back to the community? Apply for the Dean’s Book Service Coordinator Position! This position is a two-semester commitment in which you will be able to work closely with community based organizations, students, the Office of Community Service Learning, and course instructors to provide service placements and lead discussions for students enrolled in both sections of the CSL Dean’s Book course (291R and 391S).
This role will fulfill the 6 credits needed for completion of the Commonwealth College Capstone requirement and will also provide a small stipend for your work!
    Please stop by the Office of Community Service Learning in 610 Goodell for more information or to pick up an application. You may also contact the current service coordinator, Cara Forti, at csldeansbook@comcol.umass.edu for any further information.

$cholarships and $upport

FALL RESEARCH GRANTS AVAILABLE, APPLY BY APR 24

Applications for freshman and sophomore Research Assistant Fellowships as well as junior Honors Research Grants are now being accepted for the fall semester. For information and applications, visit the scholarship page for your class level: freshmen, sophomores, juniors.

HANDS, THE HEALTH AND NUTRITION DIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM, APR 30

The Department of Nutrition has a new scholarship program designed to increase the diversity of students in the field of nutrition. HANDS Scholars will be awarded $6,000 per year, renewable for up to three years. The Department is seeking freshman or sophomore students from first-generation-college or traditionally underrepresented backgrounds in the field of nutrition. Candidates should have a strong interest in nutrition and the sciences, hold a minimum of a 2.75 grade point average, be a U.S. citizen or national, and be an undeclared major or in any major with the exception of nutrition, food or agricultural sciences. We are looking for applicants who are interested in declaring Nutrition as a major.
    For more information, go to www.umass.edu/sphhs/nutrition/hands, or contact Nancy Cohen at 545-1079 or email me at cohen@nutrition.umass.edu. Application deadline is April 30, 2007.

2007-2008 PHI KAPPA PHI GRANT OPPORTUNITY,
APPLY BY JUN 30

A new Phi Kappa Phi grant, the Emerging Scholar Awards, will recognize outstanding rising sophomores studying at Phi Kappa Phi member institutions. Each year, Phi Kappa Phi will grant 60 awards in the amount of $250 to students who meet certain eligibility requirements. To learn what those requirements are, and to learn more about the grant, go to www.phikappaphi.org/Web/Scholarships/emergingscholar.html.    Deadline for applications is June 30, 2007. Winners will be announced by August 15, 2007.

— CAMPUS & COMMUNITY—

Internships

SUMMER INTERNSHIP AT THE STATE HOUSE

Representative Denise Provost (D-Somerville) is looking for candidates who are interested in an internship at the Massachusetts State House for June-August, 2007. An internship with Representative Provost's office will provide exposure to state government and an opportunity to research and write about legislation. Interns will contribute to administrative office projects including: data entry, mailings, and filing.
    Interested candidates should submit their application to Elizabeth Monnin–Browder (elizabeth.monnin@state.ma.us) with the subject line “Summer Internship Application.” Your application should include: a cover letter, short writing sample (no more than 3 pages), and resume. In your cover letter, please be explicit about your availability including: available start and end date, which days you are available and for how many hours each day, and how many hours total you can commit each week. At minimum, candidates should be able to commit to at least 5 hours a week.
    We are accepting applications on a rolling basis. Please call (617-722-2810) or email Elizabeth with any questions.

Student Life

THE CIVIL WAR: A DOCUMENTARY, "LIFE, FORTUNE, AND SACRED HONOR, APR 28, 29

Saturday April 28, 3p.m. Herter 227, Sunday April 29, 7p.m. Herter 227, A student research project on the Civil War; “Life, Fortune, and Sacred Honor” is a collaboration of junior and senior History majors and ComCol students. A cross section of citizens and historical figures illustrate the events and values of 19th century America. The film provides a non-biased view of the conflict and battles in an attempt to provide a neutral and accurate depiction of the war. The documentary also includes pre-Civil War buildup, as well as the Reconstruction Era.

TOOLS FOR CHANGE: AN INSTITUTE FOR STUDENT LEADERS IN THE 21ST CENTURY, MAY 3

Tools for Change (pdf) is a day-long institute devoted to the principles of student leadership and social justice. Students who attend this workshop will be exposed to various skill sets to help expand their leadership to create social change. With an opening address and scheduled breakout sessions, Tools for Change aims to provide student leaders on campuses with the resources necessary to make a difference. The theme for this year's Tools for Change is student leadership in the 21st century. The state-wide institute will address the current obstacles and challenges facing student leaders today as well as new innovative ways to increase participation and civic engagement. This institute will also allow students to network with other student leaders who are working to promote change within their communities.
   At this institute, students will have the ability to sharpen their leadership skills by selecting from a variety of breakout sessions focused on fusing social justice and effective leadership.
    To sign up for the institute or for more information visit the website for Massachusetts Campus Compact (MACC): http://ase.tufts.edu/macc

CALLING ALL UNDISCOVERED TALENT, MAY 3

It's the Fourth Annual Festival of the Arts!
    Are you an artist, a dancer, an actor, a poet, or a musician? Do you want to display your talent in front of friends and strangers on a beautiful May afternoon? Be a part of the Fourth Annual Festival of the Arts on May 3, 2007 from 1-5pm on the Fine Arts Center Plaza. We are now accepting applications for performers! You don't have to be a part of a campus organization to perform. You can download an application form at www.umass.edu/csd. For more information please contact the organizing committee at csdevents@stuaf.umass.edu.

DOES YOUR STUDENT GROUP NEED $$$$$?

The UMass Amherst Alumni Association provides grants to RSO's and other student organizations to help fund projects that will improve and enhance student life. Awards are limited to $2,000 per applicant group per academic year.
    Visit www.UMassAlumni.com for an application and grant guidelines today! Or contact the Alumni Association at 545-2317 for more information.

Writing Butterfield - Information & Events

MYSTERY FICTION NIGHT: AN EVENING WITH RON MACLEAN AND STEPHEN NORTH, APR 10 AT 7PM

Butterfield Lounge, Butterfield Hall: Ron MacLean is the publisher of Swank Books and the author of Blue Winnetka Skies, "a cowboy movie novel". Stephen North is a Distinguished Teaching Professor of English at SUNY/Albany, where he teaches courses on detective and mystery fiction. Free and open to the public. Earn academic incentive points by attending this event!

MOVIE SCREENING, "THE BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY," APR 19 AT 5PM

Butterfield Lounge, Butterfield Hall: Join us for free dinner from Andiamo and a screening of Sabina Murray's film, "The Beautiful Country" (starring Nick Nolte) before Murray's fiction reading at Memorial Hall.  RSVP by April 16th (akhosla@english.umass.edu).
Earn academic incentive points by attending!

A TRIP TO THE EMILY DICKINSON MUSEUM, APR 21 AT 12PM

Butterfield Lounge, Butterfield Hall: Join us for a FREE trip to Emily Dickinson's home in Amherst. We'll meet in Butterfield Lounge at 12pm and head over to the Emily Dickinson homestead. You must RSVP by April 17th to reserve your place (akhosla@english.umass.edu). Earn academic incentive points by attending!

THE BUTTERFIELD BLOTTER LITERARY JOURNAL, MAY 15

The Butterfield Blotter Literary Journal is accepting submissions of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry for the Spring 2007 print journal and e-zine. For more information, contact editor Ashley Winn (awinn@student.umass.edu) or Writing Butterfield graduate coordinator Anjali Khosla (akhosla@english.umass.edu).

Employment

STUDENT LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNTIES

PEER MENTOR POSITION: Peer Mentors are undergraduate students who live-in first year residence halls and assist first year students with their transition into college. Amongst
other aspects of their job, Peer Mentors work closely with students to help them find academic resources throughout
the university. The Peer Mentor application packet and recruitment info can be found at http://www.housing.umass.edu/employ/peer_mentors.html

APARTMENT LIVING ADVISOR POSITION: Apartment Living Advisors (ALAs) are live-in, part-time, student staff members in the North apartment buildings. ALAs are community leaders, educators, counselors, friends, change agents, advisors, policy enforcers, and team players. This position is very similar to the RA position. More info about the ALA position can be found at http://www.housing.umass.edu/employ/ala_selection.html