Month: January 2023

Recognize Professors Who Inspire You

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Dear Wes Juniors, 

We are writing to encourage you to participate in the Binswanger Prize nomination process so that your voices will be heard as we recognize outstanding faculty members who have had a positive impact on your Wesleyan experience.  If you haven’t already submitted a nomination, there is still time.  Check the email with your unique link that was sent on Tuesday, January 24 by Chair of the Alumni Association David Hill ’86.  

As members of the 2023 Binswanger Prize Committee and grateful former prize recipients, we can assure you that student recommendations are a vital input in this process. 

Thanks for participating! 

Gloster Aaron, Associate Professor of Biology

Erika Franklin Fowler, Professor of Government

María Ospina, Associate Professor of Spanish

 

Udall Scholarship

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The Udall Scholarship is open to sophomores and juniors planning careers in Native American tribal policy and Native health care (Native American applicants only) as well as the environment (U.S. citizens, nationals, and permanent residents only). The Udall Foundation was created to honor the legacies of Congressman Morris Udall and Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall, whose careers significantly impacted Native American self-governance, health care, and the stewardship of public lands and natural resources. The Udall Foundation awards scholarships to college sophomores and juniors for leadership, public service, and commitment to issues in one of the three categories: (1) Native American tribal policy, (2) Native health care, or (3) the environment. The Udall scholarships provides access to the Udall Alumni network, a five-day scholar orientation, and a financial award of up to $7,000 per year for eligible undergraduate academic expenses, such as tuition, fees, books and supplies, and room and board. Sophomores who are awarded a Udall Scholarship will receive up to $7,000 in each of their junior and senior years. Juniors who are awarded a Udall Scholarship will receive up to $7,000 in their senior year.

The Udall Scholarship emphasizes not only on academics but also advocacy and leadership on the topic a student is applying under—things that may not be so obvious from your Wesleyan transcript but come from your other experiences, outside the classroom. Contact fellowships@wesleyan.edu asap if you are interested in applying to find out what’s needed for the campus deadline. The campus deadline is February 9 at 5pm, so reach out in advance of the start of the semester if you wish to be considered.

Questions? The Office of Fellowships at Wesleyan’s Fries Center for Global Studies will be holding open office hours for students to drop in with questions bout the Udall Scholarship on Wednesday January 25 at 1-1:45pm in Fisk Hall 201C and on Tuesday January 31 at 4-4:40pm on Zoom.

Eligibility details: Sophomores and juniors (who are US citizens, nationals, or permanent residents) can apply in one of three categories (1) environment, (2) tribal public policy, and (3) Native health care. The final two categories are open to Native American students only, defined as follows:

  • An enrolled member of a state or federally recognized Indian tribe or band, including any tribe or band terminated since 1940;
  • A descendant in first or second degree of an enrolled member of a state or federally recognized Indian tribe or band, who can demonstrate affiliation with the tribal community, according to criteria set by the Udall Foundation;
  • Considered by the Secretary of the Interior to be an Indian for any purpose;
  • An Eskimo, Aleut, or other Alaska Native;
  • A permanent U.S. resident who is a member of the First Nations of Canada.

 

MUSC 297 Music of Central Asia: From Throat-Singing to Heavy Metal

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The music of the Hu was chosen as the soundtrack to Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order because it sounded otherworldly to Western audiences. In fact, the Hu draw on ancient musical traditions from Central Asia, one of the most culturally and musically diverse areas of the world. This course introduces students to a wide range of music practices, genres, and styles in historically nomadic and sedentary regions of Central Asia: throat-singing, sounds of shamanic and Sufi Islamic rituals, epic performance, narrative instrumental playing, oral poetry competitions, folk and art singing, Western-influenced classical and popular music genres (Central Asian repertoires of opera and symphony, Azerbaijani jazz, Uzbek estrada, Kazakh Q-pop and crossover music, Mongolian heavy metal and hip-hop). The roles and meanings of music and the status of musicians are discussed in relation to wider aspects of cultural and social life, the impact of Soviet culture policies, post-Soviet national revival and globalization. The course draws on extensive audiovisual materials and is open to students of all levels. No background in music or Central Asia is required.

The course audio/video resources are available here: https://www.musicofcentralasia.org/Tracks