Monthly Archives: September 2014

Extreme Medicine: 26 Years in Ethiopia Featuring Dr. Rick Hodes

Texas Hillel, 2105 San Antonio Street

Come listen to Dr. Rick Hodes speak about his experience living and practicing in Africa for over 25 years. He is known all over the country for his work, don’t miss the amazing opportunity to hear his inspirational stories at UT!

FREE and Open to the Public
Dessert Reception to Follow 

Dr. Rick Hodes, a CNN hero and the subject of the HBO documentary, “Making the Crooked Straight”, is an American physician in Ethiopia and has also worked with refugees in Rwanda, Zaire, Tanzania, Somalia, and Albania. Currently, he is helping the impoverished and sick with heart disease, spinal deformities, and cancer at the Mother Teresa’s Catholic mission as well as throughout the country.

The event is presented by Liberal Arts Honors at The University of Texas at AustinGlobeMed at The University of Texas at AustinJewish Community Association of Austin (JCAA), and Texas Hillel

More details on the attached flyer: rickhodes_email

Dialogues on Free Speech

Each semester, the Dialogues series offers a panel discussion – featuring speakers of varying points of view – that focuses on a particular free speech controversy. The topic this fall is Free Speech vis-a-vis National Security. The current battle over the “balance” to be struck between the ideals of free speech and concerns for our national security is of natural interest.

We are reaching out to you both with the idea that you might want to share the information with students and faculty.

What:    Free Speech vis-a-vis National Security, a panel discussion.

When:   Tuesday September 30th, 2014 – from 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Where: Peter O’Donnell Building (POB) – Avaya auditorium (Room 2.302) The POB Building is located on Speedway at 24th Street.

Cost:      Free and open to the public.

Speakers: 

  •  Heidi Kitrosser – Law Professor, University of Minnesota
  •  Charlie Savage – New York Times, National Security Correspondent
  • Sahar Aziz – Law Professor, Texas A&M University

Format:

The format is audience-friendly:  brief presentations by the three guests, followed by about 40 minutes of interview-style dialogue, then a half hour of questions from the floor.

Subject:

Panelists will consider such questions as: 

  • “Security vs. liberty” – How real is the conflict?
  • What should govern any “tradeoffs” and “balancing” between the two?
  • Do times of crisis call for greater restrictions on expression? Or for fewer restrictions, so as to encourage robust debate?
  • What is a national security crisis?
  • What difference should national security make to individuals’ rights to personal privacy?
  • How effective have restrictions on speech been for achieving security?

 If you have any questions or would like additional information, please contact my assistant, Clair LaVaye. Clair’s email is: c.lavaye@utexas.edu.

More information about the Dialogues on Free Speech can be found at: http://www.utexas.edu/cola/orgs/bbtobjectivism/free-speech-dialogues/free-speech-and-national-security.php

We look forward to seeing you at the Free Speech Dialogue event.

Tara Smith

Professor, Philosophy Department

Free Speech… Let’s talk about it.

White Rose Society Meeting

Come join the White Rose Society for an informational meeting on Tuesday, September 30th!

White Rose Society is a Holocaust Awareness and Genocide Prevention organization that wants to focus on both international as well as local human rights issues this year.

This event will take place at the Hillel (behind the Thai How Are You? restaurant), at 7 pm.

Bring yourself and your friends! Snacks are provided.

Diversity Abroad Showcase

Diversity Abroad Showcase

Friday, Sept 26th, 4 – 5:30 pm, BUR 106

Presentations by diverse UT students on studying abroad around the world. Are you next?

You’re invited! RSVP here to hear multicultural students explore their time studying abroad through video, spoken word, and other visual presentations. Are you next?

All UT students welcome! Food will be served.

Ghana Maymester Moves to Cape Town, South Africa

MAYMESTER: COMMUNITY & SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT IN SOUTH AFRICA DEADLINE: NOVEMBER 1ST

The Social Work: Community and Social Development Maymester program in Accra, Ghana has been re-located to Cape Town, South Africa for spring 2015 only. As we continue to monitor the Ebola crisis in West Africa, information for 2016 and beyond will be announced at a later date.

  •   S W 360K / S W 395K / AFR 374C / ANT 324L / WGS 340 | Community and Social Development. Carries an Ethics and Leadership and a Global Cultures flag. Meets major elective for Social Work and Women & Gender Studies; meets major requirement for African & African Diaspora Studies and Anthropology. Course is open to all majors.
  •   S W 119 | Maymester Seminar: SAF. Taken during the spring semester preceding the program.

    This program engages students in service learning projects working alongside social entrepreneurs in South Africa’s townships who are driving social and economic development in their own communities. Students will engage in collaborative service learning projects working alongside local social entrepreneurs who provide services or products in areas such as arts/dance, business/communications, technology/engineering, education, health, etc. In addition, students will be exposed to educational excursions and local lecturers to learn about the context of poverty and power and empowerment in post-apartheid South Africa.

    Faculty Director

    Dr. Dorie Gilbert, an associate professor in Social Work and African and African Diaspora Studies , and is a faculty fellow in the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement. She is the Director of the Institute for Community Development, an organization that joins interdisciplinary scholars, students and community members to implement projects abroad and locally using the service learning academic model. In 2012, the course earned the Tower Award for Outstanding Service Learning Course.

    Information Sessions

     Wed-Sep 24, 2014 3:00PM – 4:00PM CLA 0.128  Tue-Sep 30, 2014 3:00PM – 4:00PM CAL 221  Wed-Oct 01, 2014 3:00PM – 4:00PM CLA 0.128  Wed-Oct 15, 2014 3:00PM – 4:00PM CLA 0.128

Questions? Email Arelis Palacios: Palacios@austin.utexas.edu or visit world.utexas.edu/abroad for more information.

LAH Study Abroad Scholarships for the Spring Smester

The Liberal Arts Honors Program is now accepting applications for LAH students and Humanities majors who will be studying abroad in Spring 2015.  In January, we will open the portal for students studying abroad in Summer 2015 and Fall 2015. An LAH student may apply for this scholarship by writing a one-page statement of his or her study abroad plans. The statement should include where and what the student will be studying, the projected cost involved, and the role that study abroad and the mastery of a foreign language plays in the student’s academic and career goals.

For students going abroad this Spring, the scholarship deadline is:

November 1.

Please submit your application online through the study abroad online scholarship application, Global Assistand select “Get Started”. The website will prompt you to set up an online profile and show you a list of scholarships which criteria you meet. If you are applying for a study abroad program not affiliated with UT, please enter program code 300999.

Both LAH students and Humanities majors are eligible to apply for the LAH Study Abroad scholarship. Please contact the LAH office with any questions.

Summer Course: Teach English Abroad or in Austin

Teach English as a Second Language 

This Summer in Mexico, South Korea, or Austin 

Interested in teaching English abroad? Learn, intern, and teach it well!

UTeach-Liberal Arts and the International Office’s ESL Services offer a 6-hour course in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) in June followed by a 6-week internship in Mexico, South Korea, or Austin.  The course and internship are open to all majors, as well as non-UT students; apply below by December 1st.

Information Session Wednesday, Oct. 8, 4:00 PM, in GEB 1.308.

Class and Registration Information

TESOL Session I – In Austin, June 4-24, 2015

  • UTL F320  TESOL I: Principles of Teaching (3 hours daily)
  • UTL F320  TESOL II: Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (3 hours daily)
  • Field Work-Internship in an Austin language school (2 hours daily)

TESOL Session II – In Mexico, South Korea, or Austin, June 29-August 7, 2015

  • Limited enrollment: 12 placements in Mexico, 4 in South Korea, 15 in Austin
  • L A S110 Internship Registration by consent of Course Instructor. Internship requires successful completion of both UTL F320 courses, a full workday commitment for 3 weeks.  

For more information, go here.

To apply, follow this link.

Iberian and Latin American Languages and Cultures

As you might already know, in the new 2014-2016 undergraduate catalog, students may no longer select SPN or POR or any SPN/POR concentration as a major.  The new major in the Department of Spanish & Portuguese is called Iberian and Latin American Languages and Cultures (ILA). 

Some students are having a hard time figuring that out!  So the advisers, Liza Hastings and Daniel Zarazua will be holding two information sessions next week to let students know that we are still around and there is still a major in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese.

Please attend one of these sessions for more information about the major:

Tuesday, September, 23, 2014 at 4:00 pm in BEN 1.126

Wednesday, September 24 at 5:00 pm in PAR 1