Class of 2018

English 373

From Courtly Love to Cannibalism: Medieval Romances

MW 2:50-4

Romance is the narrative form of medieval sexualities and courtly love, but it also gives literary shape to social worlds in which a queer protagonist loses gender, skin color changes with religion, and a dog might be the hero of a tale. We will begin with texts that date from the Romance’s origins in 12th-century France and continue with the form’s development up to the well-known Middle English texts of the 14th century, including Sir Gawain and the Green Knight set at King Arthur’s court. Some of the topics we will consider are Romance’s engagement with the religious and ethnic conflicts of the Crusades, theories of good and bad government, and of course, Christian mysticism and the Holy Grail.

Call for Submissions of Art/Performance on Disruption/Disaster

The College of the Environment Think Tank is inviting proposals for creative work on the theme of “Disaster” and the ways in which humans confront or survive disasters, to be shared with the public on Friday, March 2, 2018 in the Memorial Chapel as part of an event hosted by the COE Think Tank.

Below is the description of the themes we are working with.

Proposals can be submitted for the creation of new work, or for existing work.

We are able to offer $200 honoraria. In addition to sharing the work at the March 2 event, we will ask you to talk about your project in 8-10 minute presentation with time for the audience to respond and ask questions.

Proposals are due by Thursday, February 1, midnight.

Submit to: Katja Kolcio – Kkolcio@wesleyan.edu

Selection will be determined by Tuesday, February 6.

Work must be completed by Monday, February 26 and the event will take place Friday, March 2, afternoon-evening.

Please include:

Your full name

Wesleyan University Email Address

Your Wesleyan University P.O Box # (for payment purposes only)

Your Wesleyan University ID # (for payment purposes only)

Your class year and major(s) if you have declared.

Are you an international student? (for payment purposes only)

A 300 word (maximum) description of the work. A sample of the work or other relevant work if such exists.

A description of the format and technical requirements (Performance? Exhibit? Video? Music? Etc?)

THEME: FROM DISRUPTIONS TO DISASTERS: A LENS ON THE HUMAN-ENVIRONMENT RELATIONSHIP

Since its inception, the Earth has had a violent history of disruption and disasters.  Volcanic eruptions, transformations of the atmosphere, meteoritic collisions, mass extinctions, moving glaciers, plagues, disease, wars, politics and belief systems are but some of the perturbations, natural and otherwise, that disrupt the dynamic processes of the earth and all life that has lived on it. Natural and anthropogenic perturbations across a range of scales set the Earth, ecosystems and human communities onto different courses.  While disruptions and disasters have been an integral part of the history and evolution of the planet, the relationship between humans and their environment continues to evolve as perturbations shift in frequency, magnitude and type.  These perturbations arise from both non-anthropogenic  and anthropogenic  sources.  But there is also a growing human-environment interaction that leads to disruptions and disasters at a variety of scales.  While some of the anthropogenic factors depend upon technological advances (e.g., nuclear radiation) other factors are ancient (e.g., the use of fire to clear large areas for agricultural purposes, such as in Ukraine, Indonesia or South America).

Our current world offers a series of profound challenges to humanity.  We are pushing our world towards a tipping point of climate change by our changes to the carbon cycle and use of fossil fuels. The social-political-ethnic-religious theater of rivalries and conflict intensifies as the environmental stage rotates. The biochemical machinery of humans and the biological world is now constantly challenged by exposure to a bewildering array of microbes, chemical, and other disturbance agents—to which, humans and other Earth inhabitants must continually adapt. In all of this, the human-environment relationship is cyclical. Both parts of the relationship manifest change in the other setting up an ever changing dynamic.

The 2017-2018 College of the Environment Think Tank will focus upon how humanity will confront and take measure of the human-environment relationship from diverse perspectives of biochemistry, ecology, socio-political-religious, somatics, art, and embodiment.

Thank you,

2017-18 Think Tank Members

Katja Kolcio, Chair and Professor of Dance

Ishita Mukerji, Professor of Integrative Science and Molecular Biology and Biochemistry

Marguerite Nguyen, Assistant Professor of English and East Asian Studies

Eiko Otake, Menakka and Essel Bailey ’66 Distinguished Visiting Scholar in the College of the Environment

Helen Poulos, Adjunct Assistant Professor of Environment Studies

PIRG Campus Action works to organize, amplify, and empower students as we tackle the issues that shape our future, and we are hiring for full-time positions.

Click here to see more about the job!

We need to save the planet, defend the public interest, and protect consumers. To achieve that, we need to imagine what society should look like in the future, and we need to overcome opposition by special interests in the present to get there. The future belongs to young people. It’s up to them to dream it up, and their idealism, energy, and vision will build the people power to make it a reality.

 We know college students have the power to make a difference. From the Freedom Riders of the ‘60s to the voter registration

drives of today … from the anti-apartheid movement of the ‘80s to the drive for fossil fuel divestment now — students are always pushing our communities, our country and our world forward.

With PIRG Campus Action, you’ll work with students who, like you, believe it’s our right, and responsibility to shape the future we all want. You’ll work with students to decide the strategies and tactics they’ll use to run campaigns

that promote clean energy, public health, a stronger democracy and more.

 As a Campus Organizer, you’ll:

• Engage and mobilize hundreds of students on issues ranging from tackling
• climate change and getting big money out of politics to organizing voter registration drives and increasing recycling on campus.
• Recruit and train students to plan and run effective campaigns on
• and off campus, using skills like organizing news conferences, building strong coalitions, generating grassroots support and direct advocacy.
• Build a strong, sustainable student funded, student run organization
• on campus
• Build relationships with other student groups, faculty and administrators
• During the summer, each organizer runs a citizen outreach office.
• You’ll recruit and lead a team of canvassers to fundraise for important issues.

We’re hiring for positions in California, Massachusetts, Oregon, New Jersey, North Carolina and a few other states.

Application deadline is soon and positions

are competitive- please submit the application ASAP to be considered for our group second round interviews on 11/11/17.

Click here to apply today

“The Wesleyan Mathematics and Science Scholars (WesMaSS) Program plans to break the Guinness world record for the largest number of people rolling down a hill within an hour. This event is scheduled from 10-12 noon on Saturday, November 4.  Come join the fun and raise Cardinal spirit by having students, staff and the Middletown community work together to break a world record and get into the Guinness Book! COME for STICKERS, to WIN Cool Raffle Prizes, and a chance to throw your dorm a DESSERT PARTY!!!“

From: Writingworks Wesleyan <writingworks@wesleyan.edu>
Date: Tuesday, October 3, 2017 at 4:23 PM
Subject: Thesis/Essay Roundtables

Hello, Thesis and Essay Writers! Back by popular demand, the Writing Workshop is offering a resource that would support YOU as you write your thesis, and help the process seem less isolating.  Monthly roundtable discussions at the DFC with a writing tutor and four other students would allow you to discuss thesis topics, practice your “elevator pitch,” ask questions of others who might be able to offer useful suggestions, and even just VENT about how things are going for you as you’re planning and writing.  The costs of lunch would be covered by the Writing Workshop, and the time commitment is only one lunch hour each month over the course of October, November, and December.   

For those of you who might be interested, topics of Thesis Roundtables could include: Preparing for thesis presentations; how to talk about your thesis with your friends, professors, family, etc; “Does my research question make sense?”; what to do when your advisor doesn’t email you back; how to get the most out of thesis advisor meetings; how to make the most of the library resources; how to keep track of citations and sources; where to work if you don’t get a carrel; etc.

If this sounds like an opportunity that you’d benefit from, please fill out the interest form below no later than THIS FRIDAY, October 5th at 2pm.  As long as there is sufficient interest, we’ll then group you with four other students so you can set up your October lunch date. We want to help you enjoy the thesis-writing process!  

Best,

Emery Frick

Ford Fellow in the Writing Programs

307 Shapiro Writing Center

116 Mt. Vernon St.

Middletown, CT 06459

(860) 685-3125

writingworks@wesleyan.edu