PSA: FAUs Public Intellectual Student Association

New Name for PISA

2006-08-16T10:35:00.000-05:00

Hello PhD Students and welcome to another wonderful academic year. Last year we asked for new names for PISA. Unfortunately, with hurricanes, planning a conference and dealing with the fiasco that is FAU's Student Government, this project did not take flight. However, with a new year comes new energy. So........ we're asking for your ideas for new names for PISA (the club formerly known as the Public Intellectuals Student Association). When putting your brain to work think of a name that will reflect the academic and social purposes of the club, will not form an objectionable acronym, and will reflect the various branches of the comparison's Studies Ph.D. program. Just to review, we have the Public Intellectuals program, the Program in Literatures, Literacies & Linguistics, and the Program in Fine and Performing Arts. GOOD LUCK!!!

A Thank You to All

2006-03-01T08:15:00.000-05:00

Hello! The PISA officers wanted to thank everyone who came together to make the 2006 Conference a success. Please give yourself a round of applause! Our next PISA meeting will be at the end of March and we will be discussing the final agenda for the year including next year’s officers, a dissertation workshop, getting an official FAU PISA website, next year’s conference theme and dates, and possibly changing the name of our club. Also, during this month, Rebecca Kuhn will be presenting and defending the budget for next year with the Student Government so keep your fingers crossed.

Thank you again for everyone who participated, help and presented at the conference. Have a great spring break!

Arts, Culture and Society: Intersections of Class, Race and Gender

2006-02-11T10:40:00.000-05:00

Hi there fellow students! We have worked to advertise several upcoming conferences but now I would like to remind you to register for our conference which is on February 24-25! Please go to the conference website: Arts, Culture and Society: Intersections of Class, Race and Gender!

“Defying the Facts: Lying in Politics and Counterfactuals in Narrative”

2006-01-25T00:03:00.000-05:00

Conference Title: conference “Defying the Facts: Lying in Politics and Counterfactuals in Narrative”

When: February 17, 2006 at the Live Oak Pavilion on the FAU’s Boca Raton Campus – 2-5 PM—reception follows.

Sponsored by: the Dorothy F. Schmidt Eminent Scholar in the Humanities, Dr. Richard Shusterman, and the Ph.D. Program in Comparative Studies."

Cost: Free! So there is no excuse for not attending!

Description:
Politics today is profoundly torn by contradictions concerning the
truth. Though constantly appealing to facts, political life seems more
powerfully driven by falsehoods and fabrications that are neatly
packaged and guilelessly consumed through the seductive power of
narrative spin. We are led to wonder whether any facts can be found
beyond the gloss of interpretational narrative and how we might
identify and deploy them for political progress. But true progressive
politics cannot stick to the facts. It requires vision of a better
world contrary to the dismal realities and regimes that govern us; it
demands a counterfactual discourse.

The conference “Defying the Facts: Lying in Politics and Counterfactuals in Narrative” explores these crucial issues through interdisciplinary perspectives, with lectures by two of America’s leading scholars: Catherine Gallagher, Eggers
Professor of English Literature at the University of California,
Berkeley; and Martin Jay, Sidney Hellman Ehrman Professor of History at the University of California, Berkeley.

Professor Gallagher will give a lecture entitled “War, Counterfactual
History, and Alternate History Novels,” and Professor Jay will lecture
on “The Ambivalent Virtues of Mendacity: On Lying in Politics.”

GIMELSTOB SYMPOSIUM IN JUDAIC STUDIES presents: New Scholarship on Women and Judaism

2006-01-20T13:30:00.000-05:00

When: FEBRUARY 19 - 20, 2006

Where: Live Oak Pavilion, University Center • Florida Atlantic University • 777 Glades Road • Boca Raton, Florida

Cost: $5.00 for FAU Graduate Students (includes lunch), $25.00 for non-students

Registration: Registration for this event is required. You can register here

Schedule:
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 19
11:30 a.m. Registration
12 p.m. Welcome

JEWISH WOMEN IN ANTIQUITY
Chair: Carol Gould, Florida Atlantic University
“In Search of Jewish Women Outside the Rabbinic
Orbit: Representations and Realities”
Ross S. Kraemer, Brown University
“The Unbearable Otherness of Being Women:
Women and Torah in Aggadah”
Dvora Weisberg, Hebrew Union College

2 p.m. THE MIDDLE AGES AND THE SHTETL
Chair: Yolanda Gamboa, Florida Atlantic University
“Women in Medieval Jewish Societies”
Renée Levine Melammed,
Schechter Institute for Jewish Studies
“The Spirituality of Eastern European
Jewish Women”
Chava Weissler, Lehigh University

4 p.m. LITERATURE: AUTHORS AND CHARACTERS
Chair: Andrew Furman, Florida Atlantic University
“Beyond Nation and Gender? The ‘New Woman’
of Contemporary Israeli Fiction”
Yael Feldman, New York University
“A Triple Minefi eld:
North American Jewish Women’s Writing”
Sara R. Horowitz, York University

5:30 p.m. Dinner Break

7 p.m. CONTEMPORARY LIFE
Chair: Myriam Ruthenberg, Florida Atlantic University
“The Power to Transform:
Women and American Judaism”
Pamela Nadell, American University

PANEL DISCUSSION:
Moderator: Ellen Frankel,
Jewish Publication Society of America
Jessica Spitalnic Brockman,
Temple Beth El of Boca Raton
Avigail Rock,
Community Kollel of Boca Raton
Marsha Shapiro Rose,
Florida Atlantic University

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 20
9:30 a.m. RELIGIOUS ISSUES
Chair: Marianne Sanua, Florida Atlantic University
“Feminist Approaches to Halakhah”
Judith Hauptman,
Jewish Theological Seminary of America
“Movers and Shakers: Jewish Women’s
Transformative Infl uences in Contemporary
Jewish Religious Life”
Sylvia Barack Fishman, Brandeis University

11:30 a.m. CLOSING LUNCHEON
Chair: Alan L. Berger, Florida Atlantic University
“Half the Kingdom: Accounting for Women in
Judaism and in Jewish History”
Judith R. Baskin, University of Oregon
* * *
This program is made possible
through the generosity of
Herbert and Elaine Gimelstob

PISA Meeting

2006-01-16T13:20:00.000-05:00

Come one; come all to the first meeting of PISA for 2006. To be held Friday January 27 at 12 pm in SO 105. Find out about the Conference, speakers and how you can help! Catch up with friends and events!

Friday, January 27th, 12PM.

FACS Literary Journal: Call for Papers

2006-01-12T12:44:00.000-05:00

FACS Literary Journal
Florida Atlantic University
Call for Papers
Catastrophe and Representation

Images of catastrophe increasingly assault us through the media. The world is reeling from the effects of war, natural disasters, famine, and disease. Violence – natural and unnatural – has become a standard motif in contemporary storytelling, cultural documentation and sociopolitical reportage. How, then, is such representation captured and characterized? What is being said and unsaid, and why? Is catastrophe a comparative experience?

The editors of the Florida Atlantic Comparative Studies literary journal invite submissions on any aspect of this topic for its Fall 2006 edition. Deadline is March 1, 2005. FACS is an interdisciplinary journal providing a forum for comparative study in the arts, humanities, language, culture and social sciences.

Possible topics include but are not limited to exploring representations of catastrophe as:
• natural and unnatural
• public and private
• iconic/symbolic
• identity (gender, race, class)
• performance
• literary critique
• media art
• rhetoric and communications
• discovery
• socio-political commentary
• synchronic / diachronic interpretation

Papers should be no more than 25 pages or approximately 7,000 words, and should follow the most recent MLA guidelines. A separate title page should include the author’s name and address. The author’s name should not appear on the manuscript pages to allow for blind review.

Send two hard copies and a CD of the manuscript to:
FACS Editor
Department of Languages and Linguistics
Florida Atlantic University
777 Glades Road
P.O. Box 3091
Boca Raton, FL 33341-0991
E-mail submissions should be sent to facs_at_fau.edu. All electronic versions should be submitted in Microsoft Word.

Graduate Student Career Workshops: January/February 2006

2006-01-10T18:55:00.000-05:00

Navigating the Academic Job Search
Wednesday, January 18th, 3 pm – 4 pm

Learn about a career in academia including: various types of higher education institutions, faculty employment & salaries, career requirements & expectations, and how to begin your search.

Navigating the Non-Academic Job Search
Thursday, January 19th, 3 pm – 4 pm

Learn how to find employment opportunities outside of higher education and how to market your Masters or Ph.D. degree and your transferable skills to employers.

Designing a Curriculum Vitae (CV)
Thursday, February 9th, 3 pm – 4 pm

If you’re applying for a faculty, teaching, research, or postdoctoral position, most likely you will be asked to submit a CV. Learn how to design & tailor your CV for particular positions and institutions.

Components of the Academic Application
Wednesday, February 15th, 3 pm – 4 pm

The workshop provides an overview of the common components of higher education applications: cover letters, teaching portfolios, statements of research interests, and dissertation abstracts.

Academic Interviewing & Salary Negotiation
Thursday, February 16th, 3 pm – 4:30 pm

The workshop describes screening and on-campus interviews, provides a handout on sample academic interview questions, and offers insight into negotiating multiple salary components.

You MUST register to attend the workshops.
All workshops will be held in the Career Development Center, Boca Campus, SU 220. To register, visit www.cdc.fau.edu and click on the “Calendar of Events.” You can register on-line 24/7 by clicking on the title of the workshop of interest. If you have questions regarding these workshops and/or graduate student career services, contact Jennifer Blythe (jblythe@fau.edu & (561) 297-3533).

PSA

2006-01-09T11:44:00.000-05:00

Our beloved Alice is still missing! Alice has been sighted on campus.

Alice has been gone since Dec. 7.

Latest sighting was Saturday, Jan. 7, 3:00 p.m.

Received a call that Alice ran across NW 4th Avenue, just north of Glades Road and she was moving really fast, from west to east. We canvassed the area from Glades, north to 20th Street. We searched through all the apartment complexes, the church and daycare schools, and all other areas and could not find her.

The area Alice was seen in is on the east side of the canal (across the canal from the FAU Student Apartments) but if she gets back out on Glades Road or 20th Street, she may end up on FAU grounds so please watch for her.

On Thursday, Jan. 5 at 10:30am, Alice was sighted on the south side of Glades road, near Boca Middle School.

On the same day (Thursday, Jan. 5) at 2:00pm, Alice was sighted near SW 12th Ave. and SW 7th St. (which is just south of Camino Real and East of I-95.)

Greyhounds can run 45 mph so Alice can cover several miles in a short period of time. Greys have no body fat and don’t do well outside. We are very worried about her health as she has been gone so long. She also needs surgery for a perianal adenoma too. There is a reward.

If you see her, please call us ASAP. 561-716-8854 Please watch for her.

Many thanks to the university community for your help!

Communication in Crisis--Call for Papers

2005-12-02T07:07:00.000-05:00

Conference hosted by the Graduate Program in Communication
University of Massachusetts at Amherst
March 31 - April 1, 2006

Keynote Speaker: Mark Crispin Miller, New York University

The new millennium thus far has been characterized by political, cultural, social, and environmental crises. Divisions and hostilities, born of transnational, domestic, and intercultural crises, have engendered contemporary scenes of communication that range from the repressive to the cathartic. This conference proposes to critically examine the notion of “crisis” as it shapes the study and practices of communication, and as it can be shaped by and through communication. We seek to explore the strategies of engagement with crisis employed outside of the discipline of Communication, as well as the ruptures that crises potentially engender within the discipline.

In times of crisis, we must ask: How are barriers imposed on the practices and outlets of human communication, and does crisis itself contain the potential for expanding, rather than limiting, the free flow of expression? How can lessons learned through the study of communication be applicable to moments of crisis, past and present, in political, economic, racial, ethnic, and sexual contexts? On what basis does one determine moral and/or ethical crisis in the first place? Is the scholarly tradition of disinterested investigation and reflection viable, or desirable, in the face of widespread crisis? Once crisis is identified, what forms of social action are effective, if any? In the context of crisis, are the theories and methods of Communication flexible, or are they in need of reconceptualization?

We invite submissions that interrogate the notion of “communication in crisis” from a variety of perspectives and areas of study: film, media, and cultural studies; critical theory and philosophy; social interaction; race, gender and sexuality; cultural policy and political economy; intercultural communication; rhetorical studies; critical pedagogy. Through critical interrogation of the notion of “crisis” we hope to generate productive responses to questions of theory and method, politics and culture facing communication scholars today.

Possible topics for investigation include, but are not limited to:

• crisis of representation and of recognition
• crisis in understanding across cultural boundaries
• crisis in the presence or absence of memory
• identity crisis (individual, institutional, cultural, ideological, national)
• crisis in academic freedom and purpose
• representations of crisis
• crisis in community (regional, national, imagined)
• crisis of progressives in the face of moral discourse
• crisis in the formation/deformation of public spheres
• crisis and its rhetorical frames
• commodification of crisis
• crisis of faith in institutions (political, religious, pedagogical, legal)
• crisis of cultural studies in addressing both the mainstream and the margins

We invite submissions from faculty and graduate students. Please submit abstracts of up to 250 words by January 6, 2006 to conference@comm.umass.edu

www.communicationincrisis.org

Update After Wilma

2005-11-29T12:06:00.000-05:00

Dear PISA members,

Hurricane Wilma did a number on us all, and we all hope everyone is ok and up to speed. The officers have met twice since the storm to pound out some conference details and we wanted to catch you up on the news.

1) First, we are happy to announce that with the help of Dr. Tamburri, we were able to get a wonderful keynote speaker for our conference--Dr. Tracy Denean Sharpley-Whiting. Below, please find her information, as well as information on several conference speakers including panel speakers and keynote speakers.

2) Also, we worked out our next social event. Because the semester has been extended, our end of the semester social event has been moved to Friday December 16th at 7pm. This event will be held, we are hoping, at Maguires Irish Pub and Eatery. A great pub with reasonable prices and fantastic music. Details will be emailed to you via internet invitations!

3) Next, we are putting out a call for papers from comparative studies students to deliver on the first day of the conference, Friday February 24th. This is an opportunity for students to practice presenting skills and an opportunity to share your work with other students. Deadline for paper submission is January 19th.

4) A call for artwork for the conference poster and program is also being extended. Deadline for artwork submission is December 26th.

5) We are still looking for students to help with setting up the conference. Although we know everyone is busy, please consider helping out this year! Remember, this is your conference! Get involved!

That is all we have right now. If you have any questions or thoughts please feel free to email PISA at PISA

2006 Florida Atlantic University Comparative Studies Conference: February 24th-25th The Arts, Culture and Society: Intersections of Class, Race and Gender

How do the intersections of race, class, and gender inform historical, sociological, linguistic, literary, and media studies? This conference will provide avenues of discussion relating to ethnic, class and sexual identity, collective consciousness, collective action, as well as the contribution that academic research can bring to such issues. The goal of this conference would be the creation of a dialogue toward the discovery and promotion of new insights on how definitions of race, class, and gender affect academic and public discourse. The conference activities will also include performance(s) by students in the program at/after the opening reception on Friday and an exhibit of student art (program and College) relating to theme/panels of conference.

Speakers:

Tracy Denean Sharpley-Whiting
T. Denean Sharpley-Whiting (Ph.D., Brown, 1994) (Director of African American and Diaspora Studies) teaches comparative diasporic literary and cultural movements, Francophone Studies, critical race studies, feminist theory, Jazz Age Paris, film and hip hop culture. Her books include Negritude Women (2002), Black Venus: Sexualized Savages, Primal Fears, and Primitive Narratives in French (1999), Frantz Fanon: Conflicts and Feminisms (1998). She has co-edited three volumes, the latest of which includes The Black Feminist Reader (Blackwell, 2000). She is currently working on two books, one on young black women and hip hop culture and the other on black women in Paris from the 17th to the 19th centuries.

Sherry Lee Linkon
Sherry Linkon is Professor of English, Coordinator of American Studies, and Co-Director of the Center for Working-Class Studies at YSU. Her research interests include women in nineteenth-century America, Jewish-American women writers, popular culture, working-class studies, and students’ learning in interdisciplinary courses. Over the past few years, Linkon has been exploring students' understanding of interdisciplinary as an abstract concept and as a concrete (but not always very clear) practice. She has moved from asking questions about "what is" -- how do students view interdisciplinary -- to exploring "what works" (incremental learning) and "what's possible." Her books include: Steeltown USA: Work and Memory in Youngstown with John Russo, University of Kansas Press, 2002 and Teaching Working Class, University of Massachusetts Press, and In Her Own Voice: Nineteenth-Century American Women Essayists. She co-edited Radical Revisions: Rereading 1930s Culture, and co-edited the newly released New Working-Class Studies. 1999.

Carlos Diaz
Dr. Carlos Diaz is a professor of multicultural education at Florida Atlantic University. A native of Cuba, he has earned tenure in the public school, community college and university systems of Florida. Diaz is editor and contributing author of Multicultural Education for the 21st Century published by the National Education Association. He is co-author of Global Perspectives for Education published by Allyn & Bacon. Diaz serves as a project director for a U.S. Department of Education grant that provided 180 full scholarships to teachers in south Florida.

Robert P. Watson
Robert Watson, Ph.D. is an associate professor of political science at FAU who has published 25 books and over 100 scholarly articles and chapters on such topics as the presidency, women in politics, civil rights, environmental policy, and election reform. A frequent media commentator, he has been interviewed several hundred times by local and national outlets such as CNN, NBC, MSNBC, USA Today, ... and appeared on CSPAN's Book TV program. Dr. Watson has served on the boards of several scholarly journals, academic associations, and presidential foundations and has won several awards for his community service and volunteering.

Drop the Debt, Invest in People Tour

2005-10-17T17:36:00.000-05:00

International Activists Address Global Debt Crisis:
Activists Draw Links Between Debt and Global Poverty and Women's Lives

WHAT: Local students learn from international activists from Kenya and Indonesia how to raise awareness of the debt crisis and why 100% debt cancellation is needed for all impoverished countries in order to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.

WHO: Florida Atlantic University’s Women’s Studies Graduate Student Association & College Democrats, the UN Millennium Campaign and Jubilee USA Network

WHERE: Florida Atlantic University (Boca Raton) University Center ¬ Live Oak Room

WHEN: Thursday, October 20, 2005 at 7:00pm

FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Speaker Biographies

Wahu Kaara is the Millennium Development Goals campaign program coordinator at the All Africa Council of Churches in Nairobi, Kenya. Ms. Kaara is the former director of the Kenya Debt Relief Network where she led campaigns for debt cancellation and economic justice. A 2005 Nobel Peace Prize Nominee, Ms. Kaara has written extensively on the problems of global poverty and economic injustice and has been a featured speaker at the World Social Forum. Ms. Kaara is a teacher by profession and has taught History and Kiswahili language in various high schools in Kenya. Ms. Kaara retired from teaching in the 1990s to concentrate more on human rights, governance and gender issues. She has a long history in building solidarity locally, continentally and globally for economic and social justice. Kenya, though impoverished and heavily indebted, has been excluded from the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative and thus will not benefit from the recent G-8 agreement on debt cancellation.

Kusfiardi Ardi St. Majo Endah is the Coordinator of the Anti-Debt Coalition (KAU or Koalisi Anti Utang) in Jakarta, Indonesia. Founded in 1999, KAU is a network of trade unions, religious groups, womens’ organizations, farmers, fisherfolk and students whose mission is to free Indonesia from dependency on foreign debt and to stop harmful economic conditions imposed by creditors on Indonesia¹s economy. KAU engages in public education, serves as an information clearinghouse on Indonesia’s debt, publishes policy analyses, advocates with the Indonesian parliament, and organizes popular mobilizations. Kusifiardi has led recent campaigns by KAU to highlight the need for debt cancellation for Indonesia in light of the December 2004 Tsunami which was so destructive to the Aceh region of Indonesia. Kusifiardi is also a member of Jubilee South and speaks on the odious nature of Indonesia¹s debt dating to the era of the Suharto dictatorship. Indonesia is an impoverished country that is not part of the IMF/World Bank’s HIPC Initiative, and thus did not benefit from debt cancellation as part of the 2005 G-8 deal on debt cancellation.

THINKING OUTSIDE THE VOX: FAU LAUNCHES STORYTELLING SLAMS

2005-10-17T11:05:00.000-05:00

Get involved and have fun!

One of the hottest tickets in New York City has taken on a Florida flavor: the storytelling slam. VOX, a new offering from Florida Atlantic University's School of the Arts, is based on the more familiar concept of the poetry slam, a friendly competition of non-professionals who have something--often quite eloquent and entertaining--to say.

The first monthly event takes place Sunday, October 23, 8:30 p.m., at Dada Restaurant, 52 N. Swinton Avenue, one block north of Atlantic Avenue in Delray Beach. Future slams are scheduled at venues throughout South Florida, including nightclubs, shops, bookstores, private homes, and other locations. In addition, a young people's version will take place in libraries and community centers.

At a VOX event, anyone can sign up for a five-to-seven-minute performance slot. Judges from the audience rank the stories on a scale from 1 to 10. At the end of the evening, the winning storyteller and first-runner-up win $50 and $25 respectively in cash, gift certificates or other prizes.

VOX is modeled on storytelling slams held by the Moth, a highly successful New York City venture that is spawning similar events throughout the country. In the FAU approach, the emphasis is on participation from a diverse range of communities. VOX stands for vox populi, Latin for "voice of the people."

"VOX is great entertainment," says Susan Reilly, chair of the Department of Communication. "Everybody loves a good story. But equally important, it's about community engagement. It makes the point that everybody's story is valuable, that in a democracy, every voice must be heard."

Adds George Sparks, director of the School of the Arts, "I see VOX taking its place among the finest offerings of the School of the Arts. We value the contributions not only of professional performers, but also of the artists all around us: our neighbors, family and friends."

VOX is a program of The South Florida Storytelling Project, directed by Caren S. Neile, in the Department of Communication at FAU's College of Arts & Letters. Admission is free of charge. For more information, including slam rules and requests to host a VOX event in your location, call 561-297-3850 or e-mail cneile@fau.edu.

BACKGROUND

VOX: The Storytelling Slam as Creative Strategy
for Social Action

It is no accident of etymology that communication and community share a common root. After all, for Aristotle, a state is a community bonded by the communication of the various perspectives of its members.

As one of the oldest forms of communication, storytelling holds a privileged position in the maintenance and regeneration of community. This is due to at least three factors: (1) Since earliest times, the storyteller has been the community's sacred repository of history, genealogy, and the primary tools of acculturation, (2) narrative thought is a reflection and expression of ethos, and (3) folklore represents the confluence of communal tradition and individual innovation.

With this in mind, VOX takes its place as a new storytelling initiative of the Department of Communication and School of the Arts at Florida Atlantic University. It is the latest offering in a growing movement in storytelling, the public slam, or friendly performance competition. The storytelling slam was brought to national prominence by the Moth, a highly successful New York City-based organization now in its seventh year.

Unlike the Moth, however, which tends to showcase young, middle class artists and performers, VOX, short for Vox Populi, is based not only on the concept of personal artistic expression, but also on community engagement and participatory democracy. By sharing the stories of their lives, a broad spectrum of the public will take a creative role in the life of the community, whether by maintaining the status quo or through the expression of subversive ideas. In either case, VOX underscores the notion that speaking truth to power begins, ultimately, not only with the discovery of one's voice, but also with the recognition that we all have something to say.

VOX STORYTELLING SLAM RULES

1) Know your time. Stories must be five-to-seven minutes long. You will get a six-minute warning. After seven minutes, you will be asked to leave the stage.

2) Know your audience. In the adult slams, we welcome G, PG, and R-rated stories, as long as they are told with some measure of taste and dignity. Think primetime network TV (except more entertaining).

3) Arrive early. But don't worry: If you miss your chance to sign up for a slot one night, you will have more opportunities in the future.

4) Practice your story in front of others. We want our performers to be comfortable on stage and well-rehearsed.

5) Do not memorize your story. Storytelling is not like theater. Know your story well, but don't learn it word-for-word.

6) Make sure it's a story. A story has a beginning, middle and end. It takes place at a particular time and place, with specific characters, dialogue and plot. Your story can be humorous, sad, exciting, poignant or something in between. But it must be (more or less) true.

7) Consider taking a storytelling class or workshop. This is not mandatory for participation, but will give you valuable insights and experience.

8) Ask us. If you have any questions about your story, storytelling classes or VOX in general, e-mail cneile@fau.edu or call 561-297-0042.

******9) Register. Please let us know ahead of time that you wish to participate. E-mail cneile@fau.edu or call 561-297-0042.

Shout Out! Student Accomplishments

2005-10-16T09:50:00.000-05:00

Shout Out!

Are you delivering a paper at a conference? Having an Art Showing? Having a Paper Published? Let us know so we can post your success and honors here for all to know!

Fall Graduate Workshops

2005-10-16T09:43:00.000-05:00

Workshops for November/December 2005
Fri., Nov. 18th, 3 pm – 4 pm

Learn how to find employment opportunities outside of higher education and how to market your Masters or Ph.D. degree and your transferable skills to employers.

Tues., Nov. 15th, 3 pm – 4 pm

If you’re applying for a faculty, teaching, research, or postdoctoral position, most likely you will be asked to submit a CV. Learn how to design & tailor your CV for particular positions and institutions.

Wed., Nov. 16th, 3 pm – 4 pm

The workshop provides an overview of the common components of higher education applications: cover letters, teaching portfolios, statements of research interests, and dissertation abstracts.

Thurs., Nov. 17th, 3 pm – 4 pm & Thurs., Dec. 1st, 11 am – 12 pm

The workshop describes screening and on-campus interviews, provides a handout on sample academic interview questions, and offers insight into negotiating multiple salary components.

You MUST register to attend the workshops.
All workshops will be held in the Career Development Center, Boca Campus, SU 220. To register, visit www.cdc.fau.edu and click on the “Calendar of Events.” You can register on-line 24/7 by clicking on the title of the workshop of interest. If you have questions regarding these workshops and/or graduate student career services, contact Jennifer Blythe (jblythe@fau.edu & (561) 297-3533).

Announcing the Conference Theme for 2006!

2005-10-03T20:06:00.000-05:00

Conference theme has been voted on and the tallies are in! The Comparative Studies 2006 conference will be: “The Arts, Culture and Society : Intersections of Class, race and gender.”

Dates: Friday and Saturday, February 24-25, 2006.

How do the intersections of race, class, and gender inform historical, sociological, linguistic, literary, and media studies? This conference will provide avenues of discussion relating to ethnic, class and sexual identity, collective consciousness, collective action, as well as the contribution that academic research can bring to such issues.

True to its interdisciplinary nature, PISA will welcome speakers from the academy as well as community activists and journalists. The goal of this conference would be the creation of a dialogue toward the discovery and promotion of new insights on how definitions of race, class, and gender affect academic and public discourse.

The conference activities will also include performance(s) by students in the program at/after the opening reception on Friday and an exhibit of student art (program and College) relating to theme/panels of conference.

Because we also had very strong showings for the Humor, Education and the Protesting Faces of War categories, we have decided to add these themes under the umbrella of the main conference theme. Thus, we will incorporate panels that look at intersections of Class, Race and Gender within:

a) Education and the Community
b) Framing War and Protest
c) Humor and Resistance

Thanks to all who voted and offered feedback. More information will be forthcoming!
PISA

Call for Conference Committee Members!

2005-09-30T11:55:00.000-05:00

Dear Comparative Studies PhD students,

We are hoping that this year’s conference will continue in the tradition of former conferences sponsored by PISA and will be a grand success! To make this happen, we are calling on our fellow students and members to help and participate. Please consider becoming a conference committee member and help us plan, orchestrate and execute the best conference to date. If you wish to participate, a lot or just a little, as every hand counts, please sign up here and/or email PISA at Pisa0506@yahoo.com. Thanks!

Vote on Conference Title and Theme by Friday September 30th at 4PM

2005-09-29T11:26:00.000-05:00

Ladies and gentlemen, the conference topic and titles have been narrowed down and we are ready to put it to a vote. Please vote by commenting here or by emailing PISA PISA0506@yahoo.com. We need all the votes in by 4 pm Friday September 30th!

1) "The Arts, Society and Culture: The Necessity of Humor in the Academy and Beyond"

Literary critic and master rhetorician Kenneth Burke stated “the comic analysis of exploitation prompts us to be on the lookout also for those subtler ways in which the private appropriation of the public domain continues.” Within society, a tragic frame of reference is often used to exclude members and groups from the wider workings of society as well as creating of these groups and individuals a scapegoat. How can humor successfully be used to correct the tragic frame and offer a new perspective by incongruity? What role should academia play in exploring the power of humor in the face appropriation of groups and individuals? How can humor work to alter the tragic frame in film, television, music, literature and theatre? Is humor an effective tool in combating injustice or, instead, does it tend to belittle the importance and seriousness of injustice?

2) "The Arts, Society and Culture: Humor in the face of catastrophe/tragedy"

During times of catastrophe and within frames of tragedy, comedy and humor have offered therapeutic outlets for individuals and society. What rhetorician and literary critic Kenneth Burke referred to as the “comic corrective.” The comic and humorous have also served as effective means of protest. In which ways do the arts, society and cultures utilize humor to represent and/or relieve the tensions of tragedy? How is humor used by the arts and by different cultures to protest events and socialinequalities? Can humor be an effective means for social change as well as a medicine for our woes?

3) "The Arts, Society and Culture: Intersections of Class, race and Gender"

How do the intersections of race, class, and gender inform historical, sociological, linguistic, literary, and media studies? This conference will provide avenues of discussion relating to ethnic, class and sexual identity, collective consciousness, collective action, as well as the contribution that academic research can bring to such issues. True to its interdisciplinary nature, PISA will welcome speakers from the academy as well as community activists and journalists. The goal of this conference would be the creation of a dialogue toward the discovery and promotion of new insights on how definitions of race, class, and gender affect academic and public discourse.

4) “The Arts, Society and Culture: Education, in the classroom and beyond" (Although we are not absolutely sure what Anonymous wanted with this suggestion, here is our two cents)

How can education be utilized in the classroom and beyond to promote the arts and cultural diversity? What role should formal education play in promoting the arts and cultural diversity? What is the role of society in fostering cultural awareness?

5) "The Arts, Society and Culture: Protesting Faces of War in America"

In today's late capitalist society, the idea of war has brought on new struggles to define contemporary society. Old definitions of war no longer hold truth for today's populations. Today, wars are fought, not only abroad against foreign "declared" enemies, but within contemporary society against poverty, hunger, environmental degradation, terrorism, natural disasters, and disease. Surprisingly, states no longer play authoritative roles in these wars-the wars of individuals, families, communities, villages and academic institutions. Just what wars exist today in contemporary society and how the arts, society, and culture can rise up to fight them individually and collectively-protesting faces of war in America?

6) "An Annual Graduate Conference instead of a Themed Conference"

Instead of a themed conference and the attendant worry of whether the theme is too narrow or too broad to draw appropriate interest, how about developing it into an annual graduate conference in comparative studies? A graduate conference would draw paper presentations from grad students around the country, presenting in arts, humanities, cultural studies, social issues, social sciences, all the interdisciplines represented in our program. The University of California-Riverside has a good model in its annual disjunctions conference in the humanities. There are 50-100 panels over two days of a weekend when there are lots of rooms available on campus. They also schedule a student film festival, performances/readings and an art exhibit. Their keynote speaker this year was from a neighboring institution. A multi-disciplinary graduate conference would require coordination and involvement from many departments; it might give our program a stronger working relationship with a broader array of faculties and students at FAU.

CV and Academic Application Workshop

2005-09-11T13:19:00.000-05:00

What: CV and Academic Application Workshop

When: October 7, 2005 from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM.

Where: FAU, Boca Campus, Room SU 222

PISA has hooked up with the Career Development Center to offer a CV Writing & Components of Academic Application Workshop on October 7, 2005 from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM--Room SU 222

All PISA Students interested should register for the workshop here .

Unfortunately, if you do not RSVP for this event, you will not be able to participate. As most of us will need to navigate the tangled web of Academic Applications and CVs, I highly urge you to take advantage of this opportunity.

You can also find out about other Graduate Workshops that the Career Development Center offers by visiting the Career Development Center's Website. Once on their main page go to the right of the page, click on the “calendar of events” and see what they have in store.

Thanks!

Opening Year Party at the Boca Raton Historical Society

2005-09-11T12:21:00.000-05:00

Semester Kick-Off Soiree

Do Not Forget to RSVP on the Invite.com invitation emailed to you

Host: FAU Comparative Studies Student Association

Location: Boca Raton Historical Society -- 71 N Federal Highway, Boca Raton, FL 33432

When: Saturday, September 24, 7:00pm

About:
You and a guest are cordially invited to attend the annual Comparative Studies Program semester kick-off soiree!This annual event is hosted by PISA, the Comparative Studies Student Association. It is sure to be the social event of the season. Alright, at least the semester, or maybe just the weekend! If nothing else it's a great opportunity to mix and mingle with your fellow students, professors, and others who are instrumental to our program. Please plan to join in this casual evening of food, friends, and drink in the unique setting of the Boca Raton Historical Society. This is a pot-luck and BYOB event. So RSVP below and be sure to let us know what you'll be bringing by clicking on the pull-down menu below the response check-in. Or you can enter information in the comments section of your response.We look forward to seeing old friends and meeting new ones!

Directions:
From 1-95 take the Palmetto Park Road (Exit 44), then go east, going towards the Beach. When you hit Dixie Hwy, take a left. Soon after taking that left, you will come to E. Boca Raton Road, take a right. Immediately, you will come to US-1, take a right and arrive at 71 N. Federal Hwy, Boca Raton.

Boca Ratan Historical Society Website

Book Exchange

2005-09-04T20:44:00.000-05:00

So, you are in PI 1 (or another class) and you have to buy all these books! The library is now out of them, and your purse has shrunk. What are you to do? May we suggest borrowing the needed edition from your fellow students? And fellow students, be kind enough to lend these precious commodities? Of course this is the honor system, but if you need a book, you can post your need here under the comments section. If a fellow student has the book to lend, they can contact you to let you know. Please remember to leave your email address so your fellow students can contact you.

August 29th PISA meeting minutes

2005-08-30T14:06:00.000-05:00

PISA 2005-2006, August 29th

1. Your 2005-2006 PISA Officers:
a. President: Rebecca McCarthy – Rmccart9@fau.edu
b. Vice-President: Jacqui May - jmay@fau.edu
c. Treasurer: Rebecca Kuhn - rkuhn2@fau.edu
d. Secretary: Alessandra Senzani - asenzani@fau.edu

PISA Blog/Fourm: http://publicintellectuals.blogspot.com/

2. What is PISA? PISA stands for Public Intellectual Student Association. PISA represents all students in the Ph.D. Comparative Studies Program and acts as a place for information, networking, workshops as well as hosting a yearly academic conference. We hope this year to expand PISA’s role within the student community, encouraging more student participation and offering an outlet for socialization as well as academic pursuits.

a. In our hopes to create a more interactive forum for all students, we have launched a “PISA Blog.” All suggestions regarding this forum are welcomed and we hope that everyone will take advantage of this “space.” On the blog you will find information about conferences, workshops, general help, meeting dates, socialization dates, meeting minutes as well as a place specifically for our spring conference. You can access the blog at:

http://publicintellectuals.blogspot.com/

3. PISA Conference: For the last few years, PISA has hosted an academic conference in the spring. Last year’s theme was “Collective Memory” and no decision has been made about this year’s theme. Please take a moment to think on possible themes and speakers and leave a comment on the blog under the link “PISA’s Spring Conference.” As we do not have the funds to offer financial compensation, we hope to find speakers who will be happy with local “home” accommodations if they are traveling here, as well as home cooked food.

a. Last year’s PISA officers decided to charge the community a small fee for attending the conference, whereas students of FAU were offered free admission. This was decided as a “box” lunch was provided for the one day conference and it was hoped that the extra funds would help cover this cost. We are planning to do the same thing this year, unless there are other suggestions.
b. At today’s meeting, some suggested new ideas on how to raise funds for the conference and the organization. Here are some of them, please add your thoughts to them or add more ideas if you have some:
- Donation jar at the reception (usually the Friday preceding the conference) and at conference
- PISA T-shirts or bags for sale. If you like the idea, please make suggestions for possible logos
- Create a flyer for the organization with past conferences and workshops listed to distribute in the community and have “friends,” “benefactors,” “sponsors” options. Please give your inputs on what kind of groups we could target.
- Have a published copy of the conference proceedings available for sale

4. Workshops: In the past, PISA has held very successful workshops for students including a dissertation workshop. We hope to expand the workshops this year, and again, encouraged all students to offer suggestions on workshops they would like to see.
At today’s meetings, people have also suggested: a CV workshop, a publishing workshop, and finally an IRB (Institutional Review Board) workshop. Please, give us your feedback on these, and add your comments to the link “Workshops, Workshops, Workshops” on the PISA blog.

5. Beginning of the year party: Every year PISA throws a beginning of the year party for all students, staff and professors involved with the Comparative Studies Program. Last year, the party was held at the Boca Historical Society and we believe it would be a good location for the party this year as well, unless there are other (costless) suggestions.

a. What would be a good date for the party? We need three dates to approach the Boca Historical Society with.
The dates suggested today are towards the end of September (the 17th or the 24th) or, at the latest, the first of October.

6. Meetings: Today, we agreed to have 2 meetings a month, a formal and an informal one.

a. One meeting would deal specifically with business and organizational ideas that cover topics such as the PI conference, workshops, and other business including the possibility of creating a fund which will help students with conference costs. Fridays, SO 105 is available at 4 or 5 pm. Unfortunately, Monday-Thursday’s the room is booked for class. I suggest the last Friday of the month for “formal” meetings.
- At today’s meeting, some suggested that formal meetings should rather be held during the week, while everybody is still on campus. A possibility would be on Wednesdays, 4-5pm, but we’ll have to find an alternative room. Please give us your feedback, whether Fridays is inconvenient and if Wednesdays is a good alternative

b. The second meeting would be purely a stress relief/social occasion where students could meet, socialize and casually talk to each other about concerns, thoughts and fun. These meetings (events) would be held at various places. Some suggestions includes having a “bowling” night, a “karaoke” night, a general “bar setting” night or a weekend day “picnic” at the beach for entertainment and socialization. We suggest this because, as most returning student knows and new students will soon find out, finding a time to socialize is difficult at best while pursuing a Ph.D. and scheduled events tend to work better in these circumstances. Furthermore, it is important to have a balance with work, study and fun. These events will be open not only to students but family and friends as well. If you have a suggestion for a social activity, please let us know either at meetings or on the PISA blog.
- At today’s meetings, many suggested meeting for happy hour and many of view know a lot of good bars and pubs in the area. Please post under the “Fun, fun, fun” heading on the PISA blog all the places you know that would be great to get together and socialize!
PISA name: Rebecca Kuhn has brought a well observed point to our attention; the name PISA (Public Intellectual Student Association) sends a confusing message to the students in the Comparative Studies Program, as it does not seem to encompass all the different and emerging academic tracts that the program now offers. In an effort not to exclude any one academic tract, it has been suggested that we change the Student Association’s name. One suggestion, also offered by Rebecca Kuhn, was CSSA (Comparative Studies Student Association) or, as was also suggested, FACSA (Florida Atlantic Comparative Student Association). Please feel free to offer other creative acronyms and/ or suggestions on whether the change should be enacted under the link “New name for the Comparative Studies Student Association” on the PISA blog.

“Help, you know I need somebody”

2005-08-29T14:31:00.000-05:00

Do you feel lost in the barnyard of FAU? In your Ph.D. studies? Are you, in general, dazed and confused? Well, help is on the way! Please use this space to ask general questions, concerns or thoughts and the Comparative Studies Community will do our best to help you with those concerns, questions and thoughts. Please use the “comment link” below and check back often to see who has replied!

Remember: “You are not alone.”

2005-2006 Colloquium Series!

2005-08-29T14:30:00.000-05:00

The Colloquium Series is from 4-5:15 on Mondays. For those of you who have decided to take up Dr. Tamburri’s generous offer of earning a credit each semester (up to three credits possible and directed towards one of your elective requirements) for attending the colloquium series, there will be a required sign-in for each colloquium. Please remember to sign your name so that credit is given where it is due. We will be posting here the entire series, the speakers and topics and room numbers, as soon as it becomes available, so please remember to return to this page often!
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Writing About Race and Change: A Conversation
Professor Kitty Oliver
Communication
Monday, October 10
4 – 5:15 p.m.
Seminar Room, SO 105

Abstract:

Communication professor Kitty Oliver discusses methodology, critical approaches and creative representations of community oral history as a means of investigating race relations and change. Her dialogue with students will explore the role of race and cultural stories in the context of social advocacy, the history and development of the Race and Change community oral history project, and the innovative course she will teach in the Spring for Masters and Ph.D. students, Writing About Race and Change (CST 7905 and COM 6906).

Oliver is an author, oral historian and veteran journalist who has been an FAU professor for nine years in the departments of English and Communication. Her book, Voices of America: Race and Change in Hollywood, Florida, is a collection of oral histories of Blacks, Whites and immigrants relating their growing up and race relations experiences. Multicolored Memories of a Black Southern Girl is a collection of essays on coming of age with integration. She is a writer/producer of PBS video documentaries as well as a cultural diversity researcher and workshop leader and her books and videos are used widely in the public schools as well as universities. Over 100 archival Race and Change interviews are housed in Special Collections of the African American Research Library and Cultural Center in Fort Lauderdale, including projects conducted by FAU students under her direction in Delray Beach, Boca Raton, parts of Fort Lauderdale, and the Lake Okeechobee area. She is currently working on a new book on civil rights movement memories.

From Immigration to Liberation:
German Émigrés in the U.S. Army during World War II
Dr. Patricia Kollander
History
Monday, October 3
4 – 5:15 p.m.
Seminar Room, SO 105

Abstract:
Most works on the subject of German-Americans during World War II have not gone beyond the generalization that the vast majority of German-Americans opposed Nazism. Recently, however, the field has been enhanced by works that have shed light on the plight of thousands of German-Americans who were sent to internment camps, and two books and documentary films have highlighted the experiences of German-émigrés who fought in the U.S. army during the war. None of these works, however, have provided a scholarly treatment of the experiences of émigré soldiers as a whole. According to the U.S. Military History Institute, these men comprised a large cohort: over thirty thousand men of German birth served in the United States Army during World War II.

This colloquium will discuss results of preliminary research on the memories of several German émigré soldiers who served in the European Theater of Operations. It will demonstrate the singular place that these soldiers occupy in the history of World War II and the history of Nazism. It will provide information on why these men left Germany, and how they were received in the United States as immigrants and as members of the U.S. armed forces. It will highlight their contributions to the war efforts in general and to the resistance movement against Hitler in particular.

-----------------------
The Black Middle Class in Predominantly White Environments:
An Examination of Communal and Individual Strategies
Dr. Art S. Evans Jr.
Sociology
Monday, September 26
4 – 5:15 p.m.
Seminar Room, SO 105

Abstract:

The structural changes stemming from the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s resulted in significant social and economic opportunities for African Americans, especially those in the middle class. Today, all State and Federal statutory barriers to blacks’ equal participation have fallen, and many of the social boundaries that once separated blacks and whites have become permeable. With the removal of race-based discriminatory practices, the black middle class was no longer forced to live and interact only in segregated social settings. Today, increasingly more middle class blacks live out a significant portion of their lives in predominantly white environments. The strategies used by blacks to help negotiate this social transition have been either communal or individual in nature. This work examines the positive and negative aspect of each of these strategies and their implications for social mobility.

For further information: 297-0155
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Economic Openness, Economic Openness, Volatility, and Political Democracy – Implications for the Compensation Hypothesis

Professor So Young Kim
Political Science
Monday, September 19
4 – 5:15 p.m.
Seminar Room, SO 105

Abstract:
A central assumption in the globalization literature is that economic openness generates economic insecurity and volatility. Based on this assumption, scholars of political economy have proposed an apparently counterintuitive argument called the compensation hypothesis. According to this hypothesis, globalization bolsters rather than undermines the welfare state by increasing social demand for state-provided social insurance against externally generated economic risks. The volatility assumption is dubious, however, on both theoretical and empirical grounds. This study, relying on the cross-sectional time-series data analysis for 174 countries, demonstrates that economic volatility is a mistaken link in explaining the positive relationship between economic openness and government spending. Furthermore, the study reveals that political democracy is a missing link in accounting for economic volatility; it reduces economic volatility in various ways, in particular, by putting greater constraints on policymakers to rely on drastic policy changes in response to an adverse economic shock.

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Florida Deconstructed
Dr. Simon Glynn
Philosophy
Monday, September 12
4 – 5:15 p.m.
Seminar Room, SO 105

Abstract:

Like much art, the artfully designed urban and suburban spaces of Florida, seek, as do similar examples elsewhere, to idealize material reality. Like the costumes and posturing of the ‘players’ who strut upon this ‘stage,’ these spaces exemplify life, imitating art, imitating an idealized form of life, or what Eco and Baudrillard would characterize as Hyperreal Simulacra of themselves! Indeed those raised in this ‘Dessert of the Real’ as Zizeck has characterized this environment, where iconic or visual media of outward display takes precedence over, to the point of eclipsing, the symbolic media of abstract thought and expression, are generally unable to satisfactorily script or thematize their lives. Consequently, along with other similar players in our globalized culture, they increasingly live their lives in terms of an ever narrowing and debilitating range of corporately contrived stereotypes in accord with which the Idolization of the Material increasingly replaces the Materialization of Genuine Ideals.

Workshops, Workshops, Workshops

2005-08-29T14:29:00.000-05:00

Please folks, we urge you to let us know which workshops you might be interested in having. As workshops and speakers often cost PISA some of our precious finances, it is vital that we have at least six people interested in attending a workshop. Not only is money an issue, but if we invite and ask a speaker to offer a workshop, it is important to know people will show up for them. So please take a moment and review the information below and offer us feedback. Thanks

After receiving several suggestions both on the blog and in person, we have decided on the following four workshops – specific dates and information to follow:

CV workshop – in the fall.
Conference Workshop – on presenting papers and sitting on panels – in the fall.
Publishing Workshop – during the PISA Conference in the spring.
Dissertation Workshop – End of the school year in the spring.

Are you interested in these?
It has also be suggested that we “piggy back” with another department on a few speakers and we would like to know if you are interested in the following speakers and them possibly offering PISA a separate workshop. As each speaker would cost PISA money, we will only engage in this if there is ample interest – meaning at least 9 people for each individual speaker.

January 11th or 12th – Margaret Urban Walker, PhD, Lincoln Professor of Ethics, Justice and the Public Sphere, Arizona State University. Walker will give a public lecture on “Cycles of Violence” and will be offering a workshop based on “Death and the Maiden” the play by Ariel Dorfman (also motion picture starring Sigourney Weaver and Ben Kingsley). Walker is a noted moral philosopher whose research on transitional (restorative) justice includes attention to practices, and to gender, race, etc. as analytically significant. Walker is also the author of “Moral Understandings: A Feminist Study in Ethics.”

January 11th or 12th – Jonathan Shay, MD & PhD (US Dept of Veterans Affairs Staff Psychiatrist with Masters Degree in Classical Studies), Author of “Achilles in Vietnam: Combat Trauma and the Dissolution of Character,” and “Odysseus in America: Combat Trauma and the Trials of Homecoming,” both dealing with social and political issues arising from the organization of war and post-traumatic stress.

Spring 2006 (Date TBA) Joyce McDonough, PhD Department of Linguistics (Chair) and Brain and Cognitive Sciences University of scholar on the Navajo language, with Bachelors in Japanese. She is a member of the LSA Endangered Languages Committee and her lecture and workshop will address questions such as: What is linguistic diversity? How does it operate in communities? What happens when a language dies? What kind of loss is it? How do we understand linguistic diversity within communities? Is linguistic diversity worthwhile? What are its benefits? What are the issues at stake in multilingual communities? How do written and oral legal systems interact, for instance? How do we deal with intractable problems like language ownership and exclusivity that are inherent to linguistic diversity? What are the ethics of investigating and documenting the languages of indigenous communities? How can we work to support common goals across multilingual communities?

Fun, Fun, Fun

2005-08-29T14:27:00.000-05:00

Life should never be about all work and no fun! Therefore, PISA wants to plan social events throughout the year to help balance out our life and provide an outlet for fun, fun, fun. Some suggestions have included a PISA picnic at the beach, a bowling night or a Karaoke night. Like these suggestions? Hate them? Have other suggestions? Let us know by leaving a comment!

Dates for PISA monthly social events have been set! Please join us for relief from studies, teaching and theorizing. Bring your family, your friends and yourself!

October 16th at 2 PM:

Host: FAU Comparative Studies Student Association
Location: Pompano Bowl at l2200 North Federal Hwy (US1), Pompano Beach, FL
When: Sunday, October 16, 2:00pm
Phone: 954-941-0968

Got the urge to step away from the computer and stretch your legs? Feeling social but having guilt at the thought of putting down the books to go out to play? Get over it and get the bowling ball out of the back of the closet! Come out to enjoy a casual afternoon with your fellow & beloved Ph.D. students! Friends, family and kids are all welcome to join in the fun and potential spectacle (as long as the kids aren't bowling prodigies who will embarrass us all)!Starting at 2:00 PM on Sunday, October 16 we'll be at the Pompano Bowl on US1 just south of Copans Road (see map for details). The Pompano Bowl offers reasonable lane rentals (vs. per game rates) a snack bar and the all important lounge. Shoe rentals, of course, are available. Important: This is a BYOS event (Bring Your Own Socks)! Hope to see you there! Be sure to RSVP so we can reserve lanes if there are going to be a substantial number of us!

November 12 at 4 PM:

Music and drinking at the Tiki Bar. Come enjoy cheap drinks, food, music, and easy access to the beach!

Directions to the Tiki Bar located in the courtyard of the Lighthouse Cove Resort:

The Lighthouse Cove Resort is located at the intersection of A1A and 14th Street in Pompano Beach.

Directions:
From Copans road and US-1/Federal Hwy go south on Federal to 14th Street. Head east on 14th street and cross over the Intracoastal. At the intersection of 14th Street and A1A go almost straight ahead into the parking lot of the Lighthouse Cove resort. Bar parking is to the right. If the lot there is full there is another lot directly west of the resort across A1A - a very short walk. Follow signs/enter thru lobby and bar area is outside on the left.

Friday December 9th at 7 PM:

Your finally paper has been submitted and the semester has come to a close. Come celebrate before you go on winter break. Location to be announced, but you can be assured that this will be one social event you won’t want to miss!

Sunday January 14th at 1 PM:

Bring your family and your favorite potluck dish for “Sunday in the Park with PISA”! Park and directions to be announced.

Friday February 11th at 8 PM:

February is known for the Carnival. With this in mind, will be off to listen to some blues or Jazz. Location TBA.

March

March’s social event will be in conjunction with the PISA Conference. More information to follow later.

Sunday April 9th at 4pm

Another family event. Suggestions are welcomed from all.

Friday May 5th at 8pm

You did it, you survived another school year. Come celebrate to music and dance and drink. Location at this time is TBA.

PISA’s Spring Conference

2005-08-29T14:26:00.000-05:00

Conferences wait for no undecided bodies in space!  Therefore, the deadline for all suggestions and ideas from the Comparative Student Body is Friday September 30th.  We invite you to submit possible themes, topics and speakers you might want to have.  Please engage in this debate as the conference represents all of the students and not just our officers.  Thanks!

Even thought spring seems eons away, it will creep up sooner that we expect.  Therefore, planning for the Spring 2006 Comparative Studies Conference is on the way.  Our first concern is a theme for our conference.  When thinking on a theme, we want to make sure that all academic tracts within the Comparative Studies Program are represented (i.e. PI, LLL and the Art’s tract).  With this in mind, we welcome all suggestions for this year’s theme.  Please use the “comment section” of this post to submit ideas and thoughts about this year’s conference.  We are hoping to have a formal “forum” for the conference set up soon.

Thanks, your PISA Officers

New name for the Comparative Studies Student Association

2005-08-29T14:24:00.000-05:00

Do you think “PISA” is soooo yesterday and needs to be updated to reflect the evolving nature of the Comparative Studies Ph.D. program at FAU? Do you have a great acronym in mind? Do you think we should keep the PISA name as it is and “move on” with things? Whatever you stance, here is the place to be heard! Let us know what you think, your suggestions and/or concerns. Leave a comment!

Get to know your Officers 2005-2006

2005-08-22T14:32:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the section where you can get to know a little bit about your officers:

President: Rebecca McCarthy--Email: Email Rebecca McCarthy

Rebecca McCarthy joined the PI program in the fall of 2004. She is interested in Irish Studies, Women’s Studies, Religious Studies and a bunch of other stuff. She has a BFA in acting and a MLS in Humanities. Rebecca is delighted to be of service to PISA this 2005-2006 year.

Her favorite quote is from her mom: “Don’t eat cheap tuna.”

Vice President: Jacqui May—Email: Email Jacqui May

Treasurer: Rebecca Kuhn—Email: Email Rebecca Kuhn

Year 2 in the program
PI Track
Area of Study: Sociology and Film
Research Intersts: Representations of Religion in the Media
Turn ons include: kareoke, british mysteries, going to the gym and long walks on the beach.

Secretary: Alessandra Senzani—Email: Email Alessandra Senzani

Second year in the LLL program.
Background: a master’s in conference interpreting and in English.
Area of Study: Film and Italian/American studies.
Research interests: humor (no joking :)), working-class studies, and Australian Aboriginal film and literature.
Hobbies: detective novels, old American film comedies, traveling as much as she can …!

PISA Calendar - Dates to remember

2005-08-22T13:36:00.000-05:00

Future PISA Meetings. Fridays and Wednesdays were the most popular days suggested and so formal meetings will alternate between these days once a month. Here is the schedule and the rooms to date:

Friday January 27th at 12 PM – Room SO 105

Friday February 24th at 4 PM – SO 105

Wednesday March 29th at 5 PM – Room AH 209 (Proposed to change to Friday 31st, noon in SO 105)

Friday April 28th at 4 PM – SO 105

Wednesday May 31st at 5 PM – Room AH 209 (proposed to be changed to Friday 26th, noon SO 105)

Conferences, Conferences and more Conferences

2005-08-22T12:34:00.000-05:00

So, you are a Ph.D. student . . . now what? Why not try out some conferences, propose a paper or join a panel! One of the best ways to find out what is going on in the world of conferences is through upenn.edu.

UPenn.edu offers a list subscribing service which updates information weekly on conferences around the world, calls for papers and new literary ezines or magazines. By following the instructions below, you too can stay informed and up to date. Everything delivered right to your email box!

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SUBSCRIBING/UNSUBSCRIBING
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There should be nothing else: no name, no e-mail address. You should receive a confirmation message after a few minutes. If you have any questions, contact the editor at the address below.

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The Majordomo software on which the CFP list is run, I'm afraid, has no facility for digests and no "nomail" option. Also, we cannot send announcements only in a given field or fields of interest within English and American Literature. Those who find the volume of mail too high should rely on the Web archive; those who wish to stop receiving mail for a short while should simply unsubscribe and resubscribe later.

Welcome to PISA 2005-2006

2005-08-22T11:38:00.000-05:00

Welcome everyone to the 2005-2005 Comparative Studies Program. PISA is YOUR student organization designed to make your life easier, promote participation and host a yearly conference. In the past, the organization has hosted wonderful and helpful workshops provided a “place” for student to meet and exchange information, act as a venue for networking and support. The Life of a Ph.D. student is a hard one and it is our hope that PISA can lift some of the burdens associated with the Ph.D. academic barnyard.

So, Book Mark This Page!

In this blog you will find useful information, links to academic resources, updates on meetings and information, as well as friends and collogues. We encourage you to participate fully because the more participation there is, the more PISA can offer YOU! After all, you are already a member so . . . why not?

Now for the details on how to use this blog. First, you will notice a “chatter’s box” to the right, please feel free to utilize this and to engage in conversation with your fellow members. For longer concerns or specific comments on posts, please use the “comments” link that you will find at the bottom of each post.

If you would like to view older posts, use the heading of “previous posts” to the right or the archives to the bottom right as well. Important information, such as the welcome post, where you can find out about conferences, or important contact information for FAU and PISA members will be accessible through permanent links to the right as well.

The Blog format is a new to PISA and we hope that because of its interactive nature you will find participation easier and more convenient. Please check back often as this blog will be continuously updated. Thanks and have a wonderful year!