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INSIDE THIS WEEK’S NEWS@COMCOL (details below)
+ Distinguished Faculty Lecture, Nov. 29
+ Oxford Summer Seminar Information Session, Nov. 30
+ Writers Work with April Ossmann, Nov. 30
+ A Year at Trinity College Oxford, Apply by Dec 1
+ A Cappella on Campus, Dec 2 and Dec 10

Previously Noted & Still of Interest
+ Northvalley Special Olympics Jolly Jaunt, Dec. 4
+ Frank Santos, X-Rated Hypnotist, Dec. 6
+ Honor Society Scholarships for Juniors & Seniors
+ New Community Service Learning Courses
+ Native American Congressional Internships
+ Sustainable Living Course Offers Honors Colloq
+ Winter Course in Mexico, Honors 397I
+ Alternative Spring Break Culminating Experience
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DISTINGUISHED FACULTY LECTURE SERIES, NOVEMBER 29
Monday, November 29, 4:00
Massachusetts Room of the Mullins Center
John J. McCarthy, Professor of Linguistics "Pahk Your Cah in Hahvahd Yahd: A Biography of the Boston Dialect"
What are the distinctive properties of this Eastern Massachusetts dialect, heard all over campus? Professor McCarthy, himself a speaker, will describe what is known about its history, geography, and demography, and test conclusions with data collected by students in Linguistics 101. He'll also use the famous r sound to show how speakers have a sophisticated, unconscious knowledge of linguistic structures and rules, and what this and other properties of the Boston accent reveal about how language is represented in the human mind.

UMASS OXFORD SUMMER SEMINAR INFORMATION MEETING, NOV 30
Tuesday, November 30, 4:30pm
Campus Center, Room 803
There will be a general information meeting for students interested in learning more about the UMass Oxford Summer Seminar. The Summer Seminar, which will run from July 3—August 12, offers courses in literature, international law, history, film and politics. All students reside in Trinity College, one of Oxford’s most beautiful colleges, and all faculty members are British academics, most of them currently teaching at Oxford. Students may earn up to eight undergraduate credits. Tuition, room and board for the six-week program is $5500. A limited amount of merit-based financial aid is available. For more information about the program, visit http://www.umass.edu/oxford/ or email the program at oxford@english.umass.edu.
[A few additional notes on this program from the Dean: Commonwealth College students who have done this program have given it very high praise. One of the courses you take will carry honors credit. Also, this year for the first time, if there is enough demand, we will organize so that students may use this opportunity as part of their culminating experience, by using one of their Oxford courses as the launching point for a thesis. If you are interested in this possibility, email me (dean@comcol.umass.edu) or the program director, Professor Leheny (jim.leheny@chancellor.umass.edu) so we can judge possible demand.]

WRITERS WORK with APRIL OSSMANN, NOVEMBER 30
Executive Director, Alice James Books
Tuesday, November 30, 4:00 p.m., ComCol Lounge, 504 Goodell
Please join us for Writers Work with April Ossmann, Executive Director of the esteemed independent poetry press, Alice James Books. April will discuss AJB's unique collective structure, the role of independent and small presses in poetry and literary publishing, and offer advice on pursuing a home for your work, as well as pursuing a career in publishing. Refreshments will be served.

YEAR AT TRINITY COLLEGE OXFORD, APPLICATION DEADLINE DEC. 1
By agreement with Trinity College at Oxford University, each year one student from the University of Massachusetts Amherst is accepted to spend a year studying at Trinity. Commonwealth College has been asked to nominate students to be considered for this opportunity during the 2005-2006 academic year. The fields of study available for a one-year visiting student at Trinity College are English, History, Physics and PPE (Philosophy, Politics and Economics).
Applications for this opportunity can be obtained from Commonwealth College. Along with the application form, you must submit two letters of recommendation from faculty members in the field of study as well as a formal essay stating your interest in the Trinity program. The deadline for completed applications is December 1, 2004. Your application should be returned to Dean Slakey at Commonwealth College.
Upon receipt of the applications, the College will review materials and pass them on to a selection committee. The committee will interview the candidates and select up to three students whose applications will be sent to Trinity College. Trinity will choose one student from among the UMass Amherst applicants.
The standards for admission to the Oxford colleges are extremely high. It is recommended that applicants have a grade point average of 3.75 or higher, as well as substantial background in their major field of study.
The Kathleen and David Scott Scholarship is available to provide assistance to the student selected by Trinity College.
Interested participants may wish to consult JoAnn Bernhard in the International Programs Office for more information about this opportunity (545-4984, jbernhar@ipo.umass.edu). They may also wish to consult the Trinity College website at http://www.trinity.ox.ac.uk/.

A CAPPELLA ON CAMPUS, DEC 2 AND DEC 10
The University of Massachusetts Doo-Wop Shop will hold two a cappella concerts before the end of the semester. The first will be Thursday, December 2nd, at 7PM in Herter Annex. This concert will cost $2. The final concert of the semester will be on December 10th at 8PM in Mahar Auditorium. The final concert will cost $5 and feature Alabaster Blue from UNH and the Six Minutes from the University of Massachusetts. Come get involved in the UMass a cappella scene!

****** Previously Noted and Still of Interest ******

NORTHVALLEY SPECIAL OLYMPICS JOLLY JAUNT, DECEMBER 4
This fundraiser consists of a 4k run or 1k walk starting at the Basketball Hall of Fame. The registration fee is $30. With your registration you get a free T-Shirt and a pass to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. For more information on the run and how you can help us raise more by getting sponsors to help pay your registration fee, please visit our website at http://www.jollyjaunt.org/ .

FRANK SANTOS, X-RATED HYPNOTIST, DECEMBER 6
Southwest Area Government announced that Frank Santos-the X-rated hypnotist-will perform at the Fine Arts Center on December 6th, 2004. Doors will open at 7:00pm with an opener scheduled for 7:30pm and Frank Santos expected to perform at 8:00pm. Tickets are $5.00 for students (both graduate and undergraduate) and $10.00 for the general public. For more information please see http://www.franksantos.com/ or contact Mina Safain at msafain@student.umass.edu

HONOR SOCIETY SCHOLARSHIPS OFFERED TO JUNIORS & SENIORS
The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi offers three scholarships/awards for juniors and seniors:
  - A fellowship for the first year of graduate study worth $8,000. Deadline Feb 1.
  - A study-abroad award worth $1,000. Deadline Jan 15.
  - A teaching literacy award worth $2500. Deadline, Feb 1.
Forms may be picked up in the Office of National Scholarship Advisement, 408 Goodell Building. Additional information about the awards, and down-loadable forms are available from the society's website at http://www.phikappaphi.org/.

NEW COMMUNITY SERVICE LEARNING COURSES FOR SPRING
Check out this new course: Honors 397R Mentoring with Big Brothers Big Sisters Become a Mentor, Learn about Leadership and Mentoring, Get Credit, Make a Difference. Find the complete list of CSL courses for spring semester at http://www.comcol.umass.edu/news/texts/new_csl.pdf

NATIVE AMERICAN CONGRESSIONAL INTERNSHIPS
Each year 12 Native American students have the opportunity to learn about the federal government from the inside through a ten-week internship with a congressional office or federal agency in Washington, D.C. Round-trip airfare to D.C., dormitory lodging, a daily allowance and $1,200 Education stipend are provided. Applicants must be a U.S. citizen, U.S. national or permanent resident; Native American or Alaska Native; college junior, senior, graduate or law student, or graduating from a tribal community college; have a minimum "B" average; and have an interest in tribal government. Additional information and application materials are available at http://www.udall.gov/p_internships.asp or contact: Monica Nuvamsa, Internship Coordinator, nuvamsa@udall.gov.

SUSTAINABLE LIVING COURSE OFFERS HONORS COLLOQUIUM
Turn PLNTSOIL 290S, Sustainable Living, into an honors course by also signing up for one of the associated honors colloquia. The course presents a historical, ethical and technical review of the impact that our daily decisions make on the global condition. Visit the course website at http://www.umass.edu/umext/jgerber/sustliving.htm.

WINTER COURSE IN MEXICO - HONORS 397I
With Professor John Gerber
This new 4-credit January-term course, "Participatory Leadership: Consensus, Conflict and Community" or less formally known as "Leadership for Social Change," will take place in an Ecovillage called Huehuecoyotl in the Volcano Belt of central Mexico. For more information, see http://www.comcol.umass.edu/news/texts/mexico.htm

ALTERNATIVE SPRING BREAK CULMINATING EXPERIENCE
Grassroots Community Development (Anthro 397H) is an intensive four-credit Honors course that explores how poor communities use local assets and knowledge to combat poverty and political disenfranchisement. The course includes spending SPRING BREAK in a rural community in VA and working side by side with grassroots organizations there. For more information, see http://www.comcol.umass.edu/news/texts/anthro397h.htm.