Honors Wednesday Memo
Opportunities and Information for Honors Students
edited by Lakin Stevens
Volume 5, Issue 22
February 23, 2022
Dear Honors College and departmental Honors students,
I've been spending lots of hours lately in interviews, listening to wonderful candidates for deanships, chairships, graduate assistant positions, and jobs talk about themselves.
I especially love when candidates offer self-assessments—"I'm someone who..."; "I'm the kind of person who..."—and then follow up on such statements with a compelling example.
I like to imagine many future interviews where you might say things like: "I'm someone always looking for opportunities to grow," and then point to the famous Honors Wednesday Memo as the place you first found and took a chance that transformed you.
Nice thought, that.
Yours,
Jeff
AHA! shared some snacks in Appalachian Hall as an invitation to game night on February 18, 2022. Photo by Sophia Lang.
Upcoming Opportunities:
Dean Jeff is happy to help you apply; send him an email at vahlbuschjb@appstate.edu.
Office of Community-Engaged Leadership Spring 2022 Leadership Workshops
The Office of Community-Engaged Leadership will be hosting Spring 2022 Leadership Workshops. LEAD Workshops are engaging, relevant, one-hour sessions open to all students. Workshops are facilitated by LEAD Team members and focus on varying leadership topics. Upcoming next is “Leading from Within: Values Based Leadership” on Feb. 24 at 5:00 p.m. in Watauga River Room (room 102) of the Plemmons Student Union. View the schedule and register here.
Partners in the Parks from the National Collegiate Honors Council
Partners in the Parks is an outdoor experiential learning program coordinated by the National Collegiate Honors Council. PITP projects offer unique opportunities for collegiate honors students and faculty to visit national parks across the country, areas of the American landscape noted for their beauty, significance and lasting value. For over a decade, PITP has led over 100 projects in more than 50 different national parks. There are six student projects and a Directors Retreat that focuses on experiential education pedagogy. Explore the programs and register here.
University-Wide Call for Diversity Celebration 2022 Programming
The 21st Annual Diversity Celebration at Appalachian State University is asking for participation of units, programs, individuals, and groups to keep the celebration going all semester. They are looking for a wide variety of programming to promote: heritage events, dance performances, music performances, spoken word, cultural meals, scholarly presentations, art exhibits, poster presentations, cultural displays, and more. Learn more here.
Immigrant Ally Trainings
The Immigrant Mountaineers Movement will be hosting a new round of Immigrant Ally Trainings. Trainings are for students, faculty, and staff interested in supporting or advocating for immigrant-origin students. The next trainings are March 2 and 23 for Level 2 and Level 3, respectively.
25th Annual Celebration of Student Research and Creative Endeavors
The Office of Student Research is hosting the 25th Annual Celebration of Student Research and Creative Endeavors. Undergraduate and graduate students, in consultation with their faculty mentors, are invited to submit abstracts by March 18. The Student Poster Competition will highlight the top 10 student posters. The celebration is a chance to showcase on campus student research and creative activities occurring with students on campus. Learn more here.
Stay in the Know:
Contested Memories: The Srebrenica Genocide, the Role of the UN, and Bosnia Today
The Department of History and the Center for Judaic, Holocaust and Peace Studies, co-sponsored by the Department of Government and Justice Studies and the Peace and Genocide Education club, presents Hasan Nuhanovic. Nuhanovic is a survivor of the Srebrenica Genocide, an author, and social justice advocate. His lecture will center on the 1995 Srebrenica Genocide and will culminate in an analysis of the struggle Bosnia is waging today. Register here to attend on Feb. 24 from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m.
“Complaint as a Queer Method” with Dr. Sara Ahmed
Gender, Women’s, and Sexuality Studies presents “Complaint as a Queer Method” with guest speaker Dr. Sara Ahmed. Dr. Sara Ahmed is an independent scholar who has written ten single-authored books, three co-edited volumes, numerous articles and varied contributions towards feminist and queer intellectual and activist lives. Register here to attend on Feb. 24 from 12:00 – 1:30 p.m. Questions can be directed to Dr. Sushmita Chatterjee here.
Mari K. Elder on The Girls Who Stepped Out of Line
Retired US Army Major General Mari K. Elder will speak on her new book about women who served in World War II, The Girls Who Stepped Out of Line. She will discuss how these service members’ transition back to civilian life relates to modern day social transformation. Join on Feb. 24 at 7:00 p.m. in room 169 of the Plemmons Student Union. Find more about Elder and her book here.
Community-Engaged Leadership Open House
The Office of Community-Engaged Leadership is hosting an open house in the CEL Outreach Center in room 134 of the Plemmons Student Union. Join to celebrate the new Community-Engaged Leadership office and enjoy refreshments on Feb. 24 from 8:30 – 10:30 a.m. Contact Ashley Borders here with questions.
Counseling and Psychological Services Workshop Series
The Counseling and Psychological Services Center will be hosting several workshops throughout the Spring 2022 semester. Upcoming next is “how to not be influenced by influencers” on March 1 at 5:30 p.m. via Zoom. Explore the full workshop lineup here.
In the Honors Spotlight
Honors alumna Maddie Gaillard ’21 teaches English in Spain
Photo features Maddie Gaillard (right) in Valencia, Spain. Photo submitted.
Honors alumna and Chancellor’s Scholar Maddie Gaillard ‘21 has been serving as an English Language Assistant (ELA) through the North American Language and Culture Assistants Program (NALCAP) in Valencia, Spain. Gaillard graduated from Honors at Appalachian in May of 2021 with a Bachelor’s of Science in international and comparative politics and minors in Spanish and anthropology. Gaillard shared that her Honors thesis was a significant experience that enriches her time as an ELA. For her thesis, Intersections Among Identity Formation, Political Rhetoric & White Supremacy: Donald Trump’s Immigration Policy Regime, she worked with Dr. Tim Smith, professor in the Department of Anthropology, as her director, and with Drs. Felicia Arriaga, assistant professor in the Department of Sociology, and Jon Carter, associate professor in the Department of Anthropology, as second readers. Her research project contributed to her understanding of cultural dynamics.
Read more about Gaillard’s experiences abroad here.
Have announcements to share? Submissions can be made to honors@appstate.edu. Any content received by 5:00 p.m. on Thursday will be considered for the following week’s issue.
Have a story to share? Share what you have done, what you are doing, or what you will be doing by submitting a story here.
To stay in the know, learn about opportunities, and take part in the Honors community, find us below!