GERMAN CHANCELLOR RECEIVES HONORARY DOCTORATE FROM
THE NEW SCHOOL AS PART OF UNIVERSITY IN EXILE ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
The New School for Social Research presented an honorary Doctor of Letters to German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the American Academy in Berlin, Germany, on February 19 as part of the university’s celebration of the 75th anniversary of the founding of the University in Exile.
New School President Bob Kerrey presented the honorary degree to Chancellor Merkel before an international audience of over 100 New School supporters in recognition of her contributions at home and abroad to scholarship, the German people, and the international community. The event marked the first honorary doctorate awarded to the chancellor from an American university.
“We are proud to honor Chancellor Angela Merkel’s distinguished service as part of our reaffirmation of The New School’s ties to Germany’s rich academic traditions,” said University President Bob Kerrey. “Today, The New School still proudly upholds the values of academic freedom and social justice that inspired the creation of the University in Exile.” Kerrey was joined by Julien Studley, chair of The New School Board of Trustees, who presented opening remarks, and Fritz Stern, university professor emeritus at Columbia University, who delivered a laudatory speech.
The New School for Social Research used the celebration to announce the creation of the Alvin Johnson-University in Exile Memorial Fellowship Fund. Beginning in the 2010-2011 academic year, the fellowship will cover full tuition and provide a stipend for up to two exceptional German graduate students wishing to study at NSSR. German students who apply to The New School for Social Research may be nominated for the fellowship by a German national educational organization who will work in conjunction with the NSSR to identify fellowship candidates.
Support for the fellowship is being sought in both Germany and the United States. In an effort to help reach the $1,000,000 goal, donors in the United States have pledged to equally match every contribution received by German donors, effectively doubling the value of every German gift.
“The Alvin Johnson-University in Exile Memorial Fellowship will allow us to bring German graduate students into our lecture halls and classrooms, where they will infuse our community with new perspectives and approaches, in the tradition of the school’s founders,” said Michael Schober, dean of The New School for Social Research.
The university’s celebration included an international conference organized by its journal Social Research: An International Quarterly of the Social Sciences titled, “Free Inquiry at Risk: Universities in Dangerous Times.” The symposium used the anniversary as a springboard to discuss the core values of academic freedom, institutional autonomy, and free inquiry in the life of the university under conditions of national and international duress.
The University in Exile was founded in 1933 by The New School’s first president, Alvin Johnson, who envisioned it as a haven for intellectuals seeking refuge from the Nazis and an opportunity to preserve and promote the remarkable traditions of the German academy.
MANNES STUDENT WINNER IN 2009 METROPOLITAN OPERA
NATIONAL COUNCIL AUDITIONS
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| Sierra at the Met Opera Grand Finals |
Nadine Sierra, a third year undergraduate Voice major, was one of four unranked winners in the Grand Finals Concert on Sunday, February 21, at the 2009 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions—the most prestigious competition for young singers in the United States. Nadine was competing against seven other semifinalists, each of whom sang two arias accompanied by the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra from the stage of the Opera House.
Each winner received a prize of $15,000, an opportunity to enter the Met’s Lindemann Young Artist Development Program, and a chance to be considered for the Metropolitan Opera. Nadine is the first Mannes student to receive first place in the National Council Auditions since Frederica von Stade in 1969 (the year of her graduation from Mannes). Other past winners include Renée Fleming, Susan Graham, Thomas Hampson, Ben Heppner, Jessye Norman, Samuel Ramey, Deborah Voigt, and Dolora Zajick.
Nadine was featured in the New York Times on Sunday, February 21, in the article “Young Singers Await Their Big Moment At The Met” by Vincent A. Mallozzi. In the article, veteran Met stage director Peter McClintock, who helped Nadine prepare for her performance, declared, “She has a beautiful, big voice, she’s very attractive and she’s very expressive on stage.” As quoted in the article, Nadine spoke for all her fellow voice students, “I’m going to spend about 10 minutes on that stage. My whole career has been like one big stairway leading up to those 10 minutes, so I intend to take advantage of my time on stage... This is the Met, and performing here is everything a young singer dreams and hopes for.”
Nadine is currently a student of Mannes voice faculty member Ruth Falcon, whose other students include super diva Deborah Voigt, who is serving as Mannes master artist-in-residence for the 2008-2009 academic year. Nadine has enjoyed a professional career since she was 14, and in July 2007, she was the youngest singer ever to win the Marilyn Horne Foundation Award, resulting in her New York debut recital.
The New School for Social Research and its flagship journal, Social Research: An International Quarterly of the Social Sciences, will host the conference “The Religious-Secular Divide: The U.S. Case” from March 5-6 in the Tishman Auditorium at The New School. The conference will explore the historical tension between religion and secularity in the United States and investigate current trends, both public and personal, in the reemergence of faith-based decision-making.
Prominent scholars, experts, and professionals with backgrounds ranging from religious studies, legal studies, political science, sociology, to philosophy will address contemporary social issues, such as increasingly organized movements to include evolution and intelligent design in public education curriculums, the increased prominence of religious priorities in political decision-making, in governmental reliance on spiritual or faith-based philanthropy, and on the role of faith-based communities in lobbying for legislation and/or mobilizing voters to elect candidates.
Panelists include Noah Feldman, professor of Law at Harvard Law School widely known for his work in Iraq as an advisor in the early days of the Coalition Provisional Authority and for his book, The Fall and Rise of the Islamic State; and Mark Lilla, professor of the Humanities at Columbia University and author of The Stillborn God: Religion, Politics, and the Modern West. The conference’s keynote address will be presented by Templeton Award winner and distinguished political philosopher Charles Taylor, professor emeritus of Philosophy at McGill University. Taylor will discuss the inevitable confusion resulting from an analysis of “secular” through its many historical meanings.
To view the conference agenda and speakers, visit the conference website.
The conference is the 20th in a series organized by The New School for Social Research’s award-winning journal, Social Research. This conference is made possible with generous support from the Russell Sage Foundation, the John Templeton Foundation, and Eugene Lang College The New School for Liberal Arts.
LEARN ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY:
SEMINAR ON THE NEW SCHOOL
The Seminar on the University is a series of discussions designed to inform The New School community of university policies and initiatives. The speakers’ papers are meant as springboards for further discussion.
The third paper for this academic year, Developing the 2009-10 Operating Budget will be presented by Steve Stabile, assistant vice president for Budget and Planning. The paper will review the sources of The New School's revenues, how funds are spent, and the decision-making process within the University that determines the allocation of resources.
The seminar will take place on Thursday, March 26, 2009 from 3:00-4:30 p.m. in the Orozco Room at 66 West 12th Street. The seminar is open to the university community.
Discussion Papers are available in the Dean's offices and on the university website one week before the Seminar.
The remaining seminars scheduled for the 2008-2009 academic year is: The University Annual Report, presented by James Murtha, executive vice president and chief operating officer, Nancy Donner, vice president for Communications and External Affairs; and Doris Suarez, vice president and secretary of the Corporation, on Thursday, April 23, 2009.
Service beyond the call of duty... Outstanding performance... Always great... The best! Do these phrases remind you of a New School staff member? If so, then nominate him or her for the Service Excellence Award, a $1,000 prize.
Presented each year to recognize the contribution of a member of the administrative, clerical, facilities, or security staff of The New School community, nominations may be submitted by students, faculty, and staff members and should include:
- Nominee’s name, position, division/department, and length of service
- Reason(s) for which the nominee deserves the award
- Professional and interpersonal qualities that distinguish the nominee
- Examples of the nominee's outstanding performance/contribution
- Nominator’s name and division/department
The Deadline for submission is Friday, March 20, and should be sent to: Service Excellence Award, Human Resources, 79 Fifth Avenue, 18th floor, or email to SlaughtS@newschool.edu.
NEW SCHOOL HOSTS FIRST “INTERSECTIONS: CATASTROPHE SLAM”
This weekend, New School faculty and students will use their creativity to imagine ways of responding to catastrophe. “Intersections: Catastrophe Slam” features a colloquium and a 24-hour student slam focusing on imminent threats to local, regional and global infrastructure, from terrorist attacks and natural disasters to tainted food products and recalls.
On Friday, March 6, faculty from across the university will participate in a panel discussion on disaster and relief systems. On Saturday, a cross-section of New School students will spend 24 hours working in teams to produce physical, virtual, and performative scenarios that prevent, respond to, or accelerate infrastructure collapse. The results of this event will be exhibited in the Arnold and Sheila Aronson Gallery at the Sheila C. Johnson Design Center, 66 Fifth Avenue, through March 13.
The event is hosted by Robert Kirkbride (associate professor of Product Design, Parsons) and Shannon Mattern (director of Graduate Media Studies, New School for General Studies), and is a preview of a new university-wide undergraduate course called “Intersections: Fuel + Ornament” set to begin in fall 2009. The course will include a series of intradisciplinary slams with students and faculty from across The New School. For more information on “Intersections: Catastrophe Slam,” please visit the New School events calendar.
NEWS FROM THE NEW SCHOOL FOR GENERAL STUDIES
GIRLS WRITE NOW (GWN) DAY 2009
How does the "older" generation best nurture and mentor the "younger" generation of diverse female writers, artists, academics, politicians, professionals, feminists, etc.? The New School and Girls Write Now (GWN), New York City’s premier mentoring and creative writing organization for teen girls, will host the third annual Girls Write Now Day on Sunday, March 8, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. The New School has hosted this event since its inception in 2006.
Girls Write Now Day, The New School’s celebration of International Women’s Day, highlights the creative work and life-changing relationships that form over the course of a GWN season. Mentors and mentees pair up to either write a piece together or write two complementary pieces separately. The teams then read their pieces during the event.This year's keynote speaker is Annette Gordon-Reed, 2008 National Book Award Winner for The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family with special guest speaker, Marlon James, critically acclaimed author of The Book of Night Women.
GWN participants are girls between the ages of 13-20 from underserved high schools across all five boroughs. Many of the girls are first-generation immigrants. GWN mentors, professional, women writers of all ages, meet with their mentees weekly for one-on-one mentoring. Mentors also lead group, genre-based writing workshops monthly. Last year's event was featured in the New York Times in an article by Courtney Sullivan. The article also mentioned a former GWN mentee who is now a student at Lang.
This free event sponsored by The New School Bachelor's Program and the University Diversity Committee, will take place in the Theresa Lang Community and Student Center, Arnhold Hall, 55 West 13th Street, 2nd floor.
THE STORY PRIZE AWARDS CEREMONY 2009
The three finalists for the Story Prize, awarded annually for outstanding collections of short fiction, are honored at a ceremony at The New School on Wednesday, March 4, at 7:30 p.m.
The finalists, Jhumpa Lahiri, author of Unaccustomed Earth; Joe Meno, author of Demons in the Spring; and Tobias Wolff, author of Our Story Begins, read and discuss their work. The panel is moderated by Larry Dark, director of the Story Prize. This year’s judges are author and editor Daniel Menaker, bookseller Rick Simonson, and author and editor Hannah Tinti. The evening culminates in the presentation of the $20,000 prize to the winner for 2009.
This event cosponsored by the Story Prize and the New School Writing Program will take place in Tishman Auditorium, Alvin Johnson / J. M. Kaplan Hall, 66 West 12th Street. Admission is $14; and free to all students and New School faculty, staff, and alumni with ID.
For more information, visit www.thestoryprize.org.
ENCORE BROADCASTS OF MISS GULAG ON THE DOCUMENTARY CHANNEL
Miss GULAG, a film directed by New School Bachelor's Program alumni Maria Yatskova, will air on the documentary channel Monday, March 16, at 6:00 p.m.. and Friday, March 27 at 9:45 p.m. The film premiered at the Berlin Film Festival and has been shown at the International Human Rights Film Festival in Albania and the Salem Film Festival in Massachusetts. Miss GULAG was also chosen by the actress Christina Ricci and Glamour magazine to be a part of their online film festival celebrating women directors.
Yatskova was born in Moscow and immigrated to the United States with her mother and grandmother at the age of five. She is a journalist and filmmaker. Her article about prison camp UF 91/9 in Siberia titled, “Crime and Beauty,” appeared in the September 2006 issue of Marie-Claire magazine, and provided part of the vision behind Miss GULAG. For more information, visit the film’s website.
NEWS FROM EUGENE LANG COLLEGE THE NEW SCHOOL FOR LIBERAL ARTS
LANG FACULTY MEMBER DIRECTS AMERICAN PREMIERE AT LA MAMA
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| photo by Brian Dilg |
Zishan Ugurlu, a professor of the Arts and Theater at Eugene Lang College, will be designing and directing the American premiere of Baghdadi Bath by Jawad Al Assadi at La MaMa Annex Theater, 74A East 4th Street.
Assadi is Iraq's best-known playwright and a recipient of the Prince Claus Award for his dedication to freedom of cultural expression. He has lived in various Arab countries for 25 years as an expatriate, working with theatrical groups and contributing to the development of progressive thought and dialogue in the region.
Baghdadi Bath is about two Iraqi brothers (performed by Mohammad Jamil Dagman and Danny Boushebel) who work as bus drivers on a route where hostage-taking, theft, and execution are daily occurrences. The brothers’ misfortune under both Saddam Hussein’s regime and the American occupation illustrates the suffering of Iraqis in a country ravaged by violence, corruption, and despair. In the privacy of a steam room, the brothers deliberate on their lives before and after the U.S. invasion, opening their hearts and exploring their repressed memories. What emerges is a picture of the wrenching, everyday horror of surviving in a war zone.
The play opens on Thursday, March 12 and runs through Sunday, March 15, with performances every evening at 7:30 p.m., and matinees Saturday and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. For tickets, contact the La MaMa Theater box office at 212.475.7710, or visit the theater website.
NEWS FROM THE NEW SCHOOL FOR SOCIAL RESEARCH
THE HANNAH ARENDT / REINER SCHÜRMANN MEMORIAL SYMPOSIUM IN POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY
On Friday, March 6 and Saturday, March 7, from 11:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m., the Hannah Arendt / Reiner Schürmann Memorial Symposium in Political Philosophy will take place in the Theresa Lang Community and Student Center, Arnhold Hall, 55 West 13th Street, 2nd floor.
On the first day of the symposium speakers and topics will include John Richardson, New York University on “Nietzsche on Life’s Ends”; Leonard Lawlor, Pennsylvania State University on “Becoming and Auto-Affection: Who Are We?” and Philip Kitcher, Columbia University on “The Influence of Darwin on Philosophy.”
The second day’s speakers and topics will include Christoph Menke, Universität Potsdam on “Force”; Eckart Förster, Johns Hopkins University on “Can Philosophy Comprehend Life?”; and Evan Thompson, University of Toronto on “Autonomy in Life.”
The symposium, which is free and open to the public, was started in 1980 by Reiner Schürmann, the chair of the philosophy department at the time. The purpose was to look at contemporary issues in political philosophy of importance to Hannah Arendt’s thinking. After Reiner Schürmann’s passing, in 1993, the symposium was renamed to include both its founder and its inspiration. The symposia are organized twice yearly and held on two consecutive days, with the participation of American and foreign scholars.
NEWS FROM THE NEW SCHOOL FOR JAZZ AND CONTEMPORARY MUSIC
JAZZ FACULTY MEMBER RECEIVES FULBRIGHT SPECIALISTS AWARD
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| photo by Roger Siegrist |
Armen Donelian, New School Jazz faculty member, pianist, composer, and author, has been selected for a Fulbright Specialists project at Ionian University in Corfu, Greece.
From March 14 to April 6, Donelian will train faculty and graduate and undergraduate students of theIonian University Music Department in jazz curriculum, teaching methods, and curriculum assessment and development. While in Corfu, he will perform with saxophonist Dimos Dimitriadis and other members of the Ionian University Jazz faculty at Ionian Academy Concert Hall; and in a concert cosponsored by the Fulbright Foundation and the Ionian University Music Department at the Phillippos Nakas Conservatory Concert Hall. He will also perform in Athens at Art Gallery Cafe. For two weeks prior to the Fulbright project, Armen Donelian will teach and perform at schools and conservatories in Switzerland, Austria, and Holland.
Armen Donelian has worked as a Fulbright senior scholar and specialist in Armenia, Finland, Switzerland, and Sweden. Donelian is also an adjunct professor at William Paterson University in New Jersey, where he has taught since 1993. A recipient of six Jazz Performance Fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, Donelian has worked with jazz legends Sonny Rollins, Chet Baker, and Mongo Santamaria; produced 11 critically acclaimed recordings on the Sunnyside, Playscape, Odin, and Atlas labels; and performed in 23 countries. He is also author of ear training books published by Advance Music and cofounder of the annual Hudson Jazz Workshop.
For more information about Armen Donelian, visit www.armenjazz.com. For more information about the Fulbright Specialists Program, visit www.cies.org.
NEWS FROM THE NEW SCHOOL FOR DRAMA
DRAMA PLAYWRIGHT RECEIVES MILLAY ART COLONY RESIDENCY
New School for Drama playwright Paul David Young (’09) has been selected for an artist residency at the Millay Art Colony in the Berkshires in Austerlitz, New York. The Millay Colony selects six artists from a variety of disciplines to reside for a month on their seven-acre campus. Artists are given the opportunity to work on their individual projects with organizational support and also receive room, board, and private studio work-space.
In 1973 Norma Millay Ellis, sister of the poet Edna St. Vincent Millay, founded the Millay Colony for the Arts as a residency center for visual artists, writers, and composers. The first artists arrived in 1974 and lived and worked in a small building on the Millay estate. In 1976, a barn was soon renovated to accommodate resident artists, providing an inspiring and tranquil home with studios looking out on the estate’s meadows and forest. In addition to the residency program, the colony also has a workshop series, with five-day workshop-retreats in various topics such as writing, visual art, video-making, and even canning your own food.
Visit www.millaycolony.org for more information.
DRAMA’S RANDOM ACTS ONE-ACT PLAY FESTIVAL OFF TO A GREAT START
The New School for Drama’s RANDOM ACTS One-Act Play Festival began its six-weekend run and continues with its second week of new productions Thursday, March 5. Audiences are invited to experience work by some of the best of the school’s up-and-coming actors, directors, and playwrights. Free and open to the public, the plays are presented every other week and include both classic and contemporary works, ranging from Thorton Wilder’s A Ringing of Doorbells to Horton Foote’s Blind Date. The festival will also feature six new works by Drama’s third-year playwrights, to be presented in the final two weeks.
The second weekend runs March 5-7 and will feature these plays:
Lovers by Brian Friel
Part One—Winners, directed by Mary Beth Smith; with Marco Formosa, Jennifer McVey, Adrienne C. Moore, and Jason R. Stroud
Part Two—Losers, directed by Jennifer Hart; with Connor Carew, Alison Bridget Chambers, Tara Herweg, and Amanda Rhines
Komachi by Romulus Linney, directed by Tamara Ruppart; with Ji-Hye Kwon, and Aidan O’Shea
The festival will run through April 26, with performances Thursdays through Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. and Saturday matinees at 3:00 p.m. Admission is free, and seating is first come, first served. Reservations are recommended; call Ticket Central at 212.279.4200 or visit www.ticketcentral.com. Performances will take place at The New School for Drama Theater, 151 Bank Street, 3rd floor, New York City.
Visi twww.drama.newschool.edu for the complete schedule and more information.
NEWS FROM PARSONS THE NEW SCHOOL FOR DESIGN
PARSONS PRESENTS INTO THE OPEN: POSITIONING PRACTICE
On March 4, Parsons will celebrate the opening of Into the Open: Positioning Practice, a major new exhibition exploring how architects, urban researchers, and community activists are creating new work in response to contemporary social conditions. The exhibition features work by 16 architectural groups who actively engage communities in responding to social and environmental issues.
Into the Open: Positioning Practice is the official U.S. representation at the 11th International Architecture Exhibition, La Biennale di Venezia. Some highlights of the exhibition include New York-based architect Deborah Gans' Roll Out House, a lightweight housing structure for displaced populations; Estudio Teddy Cruz of San Diego’s fence installation, which explores the conflict on the U.S./Mexico border; and the Yale Sustainable Food Project, which has developed a real growing garden within the gallery featuring local vegetables and flowers that highlight New York’s biodiversity.
There will be a free, public opening reception on March 4 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. in the Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Gallery, Sheila C. Johnson Design Center, 2 West 13th Street. The exhibition will be on view through May 1. For more information and gallery hours, please visit the Sheila C. Johnson Design Center website
NEWS FROM MILANO THE NEW SCHOOL FOR MANAGEMENT AND URBAN POLICY
REGIONAL SOLUTIONS TO SEGREGATION AND RACIAL INEQUITY:
CAN METRO AREAS OVERCOME INEQUALITY?
Milano and the Center for New York City Affairs present the third annual Henry Cohen Lecture, on Wednesday, March 11, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., featuring Myron Orfield, executive director, Institute on Race & Poverty, University of Minnesota, and author of Metropolitics: A Regional Agenda for Community and Stability.
Suburban growth and development away from central cities have increased segregation and racial inequalities in the United States. Using the Twin Cities region as a lens, Orfield shows why policy makers must move away from neighborhood-level responses and develop regional solutions that promote equity and integration for housing, jobs, and schools.
A discussion about the New York region will follow the lecture. Participants include Darrick Hamilton, assistant professor, Milano; Alex Schwartz, associate professor, Milano; and Tom Wright, executive director, Regional Plan Association.
The event will take place in the Theresa Lang Community and Student Center, Arnhold Hall, 55 West 13th Street, 2nd floor. Admission is free; but seating is limited and reservations are required by calling 212.229.5418 or emailing centernyc@newschool.edu.
Established in 2006, The Henry Cohen Lecture focuses on public policy challenges and solutions for women, children, and families, particularly in impoverished urban settings. The Henry Cohen Professorship, which focuses on these same issues, is an endowed chair at Milano. The lecture and professorship are both named after Milano’s founding dean, who served from 1965 to 1983.
NEWS FROM MANNES COLLEGE THE NEW SCHOOL FOR MUSIC
VIENNA PHILHARMONIC MEMBERS PRESENT MASTER CLASSES AT MANNES
From Tuesday, February 24, through Friday, February 27, Mannes was honored to host an extraordinary and unprecedented event in music pedagogy: a series of master classes and a lecture by members of the Vienna Philharmonic, which is widely regarded as the world’s greatest symphony orchestra.
Fourteen master classes were offered for all string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The privileged performers were all Mannes students. The events were attended by students of Mannes, Julliard, and the Manhattan School of Music, and other members of the New York musical community. Highlights included a chamber music class and a lecture called “What creates the Vienna sound?” by Vienna Philharmonic Concertmaster Emeritus and Professor Werner Hink.
The musicians of the Vienna Philharmonic were in New York for one week to perform five concerts in Carnegie Hall as part of a month-long world tour. Their presence at the New School was due in large part to the industry and determination of Mannes Assistant Dean Audrey Axinn in cooperation with American Austrian Foundation trustee Craig Kinosian.
This is the first time the Vienna Philharmonic has presented a series of master classes outside of their summer program in Salzburg. Dean Joel Lester commented, “We are deeply grateful to Mr. Kinosian for being the fulcrum of something quite extraordinary, and to these incomparable musicians in giving their time and artistry so generously. I hope that this marvelous week will serve as the foundation for future collaborations between the Vienna Philharmonic and Mannes College.”
The Vienna Philharmonic is famed for its sublime music making and unique sound, which has a beauty and expressiveness like no other. Its members are, in a word, living legends for musicians throughout the world.
STUDENT SERVICES CELEBRATES INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY:
WOMEN AND THE FULBRIGHT EXPERIENCE
Established in 1946, the Fulbright Program aims to increase mutual understanding between the United States and other countries through the exchange of knowledge and skills. In celebration of International Women’s Day 2009, a panel of American and International female Fulbright winners from The New School will discuss the role of women in the Fulbright program, on Wednesday, March 4 from 12:00-2:00 p.m.
Come and be inspired by each woman’s story about being a ‘cultural ambassador’ and about the connections they made with people from around the world. The Fulbright program motivated these women to act. With their time abroad engaging in professional and cultural exchange, each saw the promising connections, as opposed to the differences between people. Learn what amazing work these women did abroad and how they continue to be inspired even after returning home.
Lunch will be provided and all are welcome! There will be a special International Women's Day gift for women who attend. This event will be held at 6 East 16th Street, room 1009, and is sponsored by International Student Services and the Office of Intercultural Support. To RSVP, email issevents@newschool.edu. For more information, email iss@newschool.edu or ois@newschool.edu.
SHEILA C. JOHNSON PRESENTS A FILM SCREENING OF A POWERFUL NOISE:
THE IMPACT OF ONE VOICE AND THE POWER OF MANY
Filmmaker Tom Cappello follows three remarkable women on their noble quest to battle ignorance, poverty, oppression, and ethnic strife in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Vietnam, and Mali in an inspiring documentary that highlights the power of hope in the darkest of days.
Take part in this exclusive International Women’s Day event on Thursday, March 5, at 7:30 p.m., which will feature the acclaimed documentary film A Powerful Noise followed by a town hall discussion, which will be seen in 450 movie theaters, including Regal Union Square.
Panelists include:
- Christy Turlington Burns—model, author, and CARE Advocate
- Nicholas D. Kristof—the New York Times columnist and two-time Pulitzer Prize winner
- Dr. Helene Gayle—president and CEO of CARE USA
- Natalie Portman—actress and activist
- Madeleine K. Albright—former United States Secretary of State
Space is Limited: New School students with an ID can purchase a ticket for $5.00 in the Office of Student Development and Activities, 55 West 13th Street, room 102. Screening will take place at Regal Union Square at Broadway and 13th Street. This event is sponsored by International Student Services and Office of Intercultural Support. For more information, email iss@newschool.edu or ois@newschool.edu.
PSYCHOLOGY EXPERIMENT VOLUNTERS NEEDED
Psychological testing volunteers are needed for an ongoing experiment in visual perception being conducted in the visual perception lab at the New School for Social Research Psychology Department. In just 5 minutes volunteers can earn $2.00 or credit for those who are required to participate in psychology research for their degree.
If you would like to participate, go to 80 Fifth Avenue, room 720, on Tuesdays 12:00-5:00 p.m., Wednesdays. 12:00-3:00 p.m., and Thursdays 12:00-5:00 p.m. For more information email Clarissa at slesc399@newschool.edu; or call 212.229.5727 x3176.
Walk-ins are welcome.
DEMOCRACY & DIVERSITY
GRADUATE SUMMER INSTITUTE,WROCLAW, POLAND
JULY 9-26, 2009
The eighteenth Democracy & Diversity Graduate Summer Institute, organized by the Transregional Center for Democratic Studies (TCDS) of The New School for Social Research, will take place in Wroclaw, Poland, from July 9-26, 2009. TCDS will welcome 40 junior scholars from the United States, Europe, and other parts of the world for this intensive three-week program of study in society, culture and politics.
Building on the achievements of our Krakow Institute (1991-2008), our new transatlantic laboratory in Wroclaw will offer a full semester’s worth of studies under the working title: “The New World Meets the New Europe.” The program is designed to facilitate intellectual and experiential insights into a momentous experiment now under way: the peaceful construction of transnational Europe. In an increasingly interdependent world fraught with violent conflicts, wars, and ethnic and religious tensions, it’s vital to understand the past and present lessons involved in this extraordinary experiment in transborder institution building.
Known as an intimate international forum for lively but rigorous debate on critical issues of democratic life, the Institute brings an interdisciplinary, comparative, and highly interactive approach to the social, political, and cultural challenges facing today’s world. Core faculty from New School for Social Research will be joined by other distinguished American and international scholars and guest speakers. Upon completion of the Institute, U.S. graduate students receive full course credits and non-U.S. participants receive Institute certificates.
Located between Berlin, Prague and Warsaw, and saturated with the history and memory of these three distinct cultures, Wroclaw (formerly Breslau) is a beautiful and booming city that uniquely conveys both the challenges and the promise of a united Europe. Drawing on Wroclaw’s culture of the borderland, TCDS’s network of distinguished and dedicated collaborators and alumni, and the New School’s reputation stemming from our long-term engagement in the region, this new Institute promises a strong and innovative program on the New Europe that will reflect our ongoing commitment to critical inquiry and dialogue as paths to improvement of the human condition.
Please watch for the full program announcement, including institute faculty, courses, program fees, and application instructions and deadlines, in mid-February 2009.
USE YOUR FREE ADMISSION TO DROP IN ON MOMA’S AFTER HOUR MONDAY NIGHTS
Monday, December 8, 2008, marks the first of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA’s) Monday Nights, a series of Monday evenings over the next six months when the Museum will remain open until 8:45 p.m. We encourage New School students and employees to drop in after work and enjoy access to the entire Museum. In order to receive your free admission, go to the lobby information desk and show them your valid New School ID. Students, faculty, and staff receive one free admission for themselves. Faculty and staff may also obtain an additional two tickets for their guests.
There will be live entertainment as well as drinks and cocktails available for purchase. MoMA is located at 11 West 53rd Street, New York City. Enjoy!
TIME OUT NEW YORK DISCOUNT OFFER
Start your year off being in the know about things free or fancy. Time Out New York is offering all students, faculty, and staff at The New School a full year's subscription for just $20! That's 51 issues for the entire year and only 39c an issue. Steal this deal for yourself or a gift to another.
THE BEST DEAL FOR AFFORDABLE THEATER, Dance, and concert TICKETS:
THEATRE DEVELOPMENT FUND
An exciting spring theater, music and dance season is under way: Why pay $100 or more, when you can pay $20-$36 for Broadway shows and Off-Broadway shows, dance performances and concerts? An inexpensive way to enjoy the best of New York culture is to join Theatre Development Fund (TDF).
To be eligible, you must be a full-time student or teacher, senior citizen (62+), civil servant, union member, staff member of a not-for-profit organization, performing arts professional, or member of the clergy or armed forces. Annual membership fee is $27.50, and you can join online.
A small sampling of performances recently available to TDF Members for $20-36 per ticket include: 13-A New Musical, The 39 Steps, Absinthe at the Spiegeltent, Altar Boyz, American Ballet Theatre, August: Osage County, Avenue Q, Ballet NY, Beast, Big Apple Circus, Boeing Boeing, The Fantasticks, Flamingo Court, Forbidden Broadway Goes to Rehab, Fueerzabruta, Gypsy, Hairspray, Irena's Vow, Legally Blonde, Monty Python's Spamalot, The Marvelous Wonderettes, New York City Ballet, New York Philharmonic, Paul Taylor Dance Company, The Phantom of the Opera, Speed the Plow, Spring Awakening, The Seagull, To Be Or Not To Be and Xanadu.
So don't miss this great opportunity to see great theater at great prices.
The New York Times is offering a 60 percent discount ($.40/per day Monday-Saturday, $2.50 on Sunday) for home or office subscriptions to all faculty, staff, and students.
Here's how it works. Unlike traditional subscriptions, the education rate can be set up by semester or in a combination that best reflects your schedules for both delivery and billing. New School faculty, staff, and students can have a subscription Monday-Friday, Sunday only, weekends only, or any combination.
To take advantage of the special discount to the Times or to change a current subscription, students, faculty (full-time and part-time), and staff should contact the customer service center at 888.NYT.COLL, to order a single subscription or a classroom subscription of up to eight copies for required reading in the classroom.
To order a classroom subscription of eight or more copies for required reading in the classroom, contact the education program's customer service center at 800.631.1222.
WOULDN'T YOU LIKE TO SAVE TIME AND MONEY ON ENTERTAINMENT?
As a member of The New School, you have access to exclusive entertainment benefits through Plum Benefits! From theater and dance to sports and comedy, you can use this benefit to save time and money when ordering tickets for great seats to the hottest events in town! Log on 24/7 to enjoy:
Exclusive offers for premiere entertainment
Discounts of up to 50% off
Access to hard-to-get seats
Cost-free service
No ticket-ordering obligations
Easy ticket ordering
Helpful Customer Service at www.plumbenefits.com, 212.660.1888, or contact@plumbenefits.com
Already Signed Up to View Your Entertainment Benefits Online?
Log in now at www.plumbenefits.com to view this month's entertainment offers.
Not Yet Signed Up to View Your Entertainment Benefits Online?
Simply visit www.plumbenefits.com, click the "Sign-Up Now" button and follow the on-site instructions to create your profile and password. Registration is free and takes just a few moments-all you need is your groupwise email address.
The Weekly Observer, The New School online publication, is sent to everyone with a University email account. It is also available on the University web site. To add an external address to the email list, please send a message from the account you wish to add to majordomo@listserv.newschool.edu. In the message, on a line by itself, type "subscribe observer".
To submit at item for publication in The Observer, please email observer@newschool.edu.
Submissions deadline for the Observer:
Submissions for the Observer must be received by Wednesday afternoon to appear in the following issue.
