OU Honors College NEWS Spring 2014

JOE C. AND CAROLE KERR MCCLENDON HONORS COLLEGE

INSIDE THIS EDITION

Alumnus Returns to Oklahoma Events Calendar Honors Research Journal Faculty Notes Alumni E Mentoring Student Studies Irish Troubles NASA Research Grant Classic Films Watch Club Honors Student Association Vicki Schaeffer’s Organ Concert New Honors Courses Honors Research Opportunities Honors at Oxford Reading Groups

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Honors Newsletter U N I V E R S I T Y

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Alumni Profiles: An Interview with former Medical Humanities Scholar, Kaustubh Sagdeo, M.D. Interview conducted by Dr. Sarah Tracy In 2000, the University of Oklahoma Honors College and College of Medicine launched the Medical Humanities Scholars Program (MHSP), an eight-year BA-MD program. This joint venture was the first of its type in the State of Oklahoma, and it was designed to

prepare some of Oklahoma’s and the nation’s most talented young people for careers in medicine by integrating the humanistic and social scientific study of health, disease, and healing with traditional medical training.

The hope was to cre-

ate well-rounded physicians who not only possessed the analytical skills of the biomedical sciences, but also appreciated the ways in which culture, politics, economics, spirituality, and history influenced disease and the effectiveness Continued on p2

January 2014

Alumni Profiles, continued from p1 of medical care. There were also a number of less explicitly stated goals, and among these were 1. Retaining Oklahoma’s best and brightest premedical students in the state; 2. Recruiting exceptionally talented out-of-state premedical students to Oklahoma; 3. Building bridges between the Honors College and the Health Sciences Campus in Oklahoma City.

The first MHSP class of 5 students enrolled at the OU Honors College in 2001, and among these outstanding freshmen was Kaustubh Sagdeo of Kalamazoo, Michigan. A National Merit Finalist, Kaustubh was among the most academically talented students in the nation. He graduated with honors from the University of Oklahoma in 2005, and continued his medical education at the OU College of Medicine, completing his MD degree in 2009, and leaving for the Medical College of Wisconsin to pursue his residency in general pediatrics, which he completed in 2012.

That same year, Dr. Sagdeo returned to OU, where he joined the clinical faculty as a pediatric hospitalist who divides his time between the Children’s Hospital and St. Anthony Hospital in Oklahoma City. “Saints” has just begun to have a dedicated staff for inpatient pediatric cases, and Dr. Sagdeo is playing an important role in building this service.

Recently, Professor Sarah Tracy, who directs the Medical Humanities Scholars Program, caught up with Dr. Sagdeo, who had just completed his morning rounds at St.

conversation about the trajectory of Kaustubh Sagdeo’s career at OU, the Medical Humanities Scholars Program, and life in downtown Oklahoma City.

KS: Why Pediatrics? Well, I love kids.

It’s a surefire way to have fun at work—working with kids. Pediatrics was my first rotation during my third year of medicine. I loved it; the bar was set high. No one goes into ST: Kaustubh, tell us about your cur“peds” for the money; you go into it rent position at St. Anthony Hospital because you get to go to work and and OU College of Medicine. What play with kids, and of course we love do your duties entail? what we do. You can’t beat that.

KS: I’m a pediatric hospitalist with an Kids have a fighting spirit that’s very appointment at both OU Children’s inspiring. It’s a lot of fun to be a part Hospital and St. Anthony. Logically of kids’ lives and (hopefully) make enough, hospitalists work almost them better. exclusively in the hospital. This is my ST: Okay, so, what’s the most exsecond year in this position, and I’m citing part of your job “playing with spending most of my time at St. Ankids”? thony, attending inpatient pediatric cases and newborns. I’m also part of KS: It’s definitely trying to stay on a group providing coverage at The top of your game, to know what you Children’s Center, a pediatric rehaare doing as often as is humanly posbilitation hospital in Bethany. sible. This is a bit of a high-pressure job, especially when it comes to ST: Why did you choose to take this managing very sick kids and interposition, to return to Oklahoma acting with families, DHS [the DeCity? partment of Human Services], KS: Well, frankly, it sounded like a schools, the child’s primary care docfun and challenging opportunity. tor —a system, really. Indeed, you Most people’s residency experience need to like “managing the system” is in the inpatient setting. I felt more and keeping the child’s health at its comfortable with inpatient care than center. Treating a sick kid at St. Anoutpatient care; it was more familiar thony is also not the same as doing it territory, and it offered the promise at OU Children’s. Here at St. Anthony of ongoing learning. Plus this was a the kids are mixed in with the adults; new pediatric program at St. Antho- there’s not yet a dedicated floor or ny. I was getting in on the ground unit for children, so getting to know level. The job and the program pre- the staff who you are working with is sented a lot of interesting possibili- especially important. It can definitely ties. In addition, I thought it would be an interesting experience providbe fun to have a stimulating job that ing pediatric care at what is primarily kept me on my toes, as well as a flex- an adult facility. It makes teamwork ible schedule. It ensured a good that much more important. work-life balance as well.

Anthony, in their “Joyful Beginnings” ST: Why did you decide to become a pediatrician, Kaustubh?

Birth Center. What follows is their Honors Newsletter 2

Continued on p3

January 2014

Alumni Profiles, continued from p2 ST: Tell me how you came to Oklahoma, Kaustubh. What drew you to the University of Oklahoma and why did you stay here for medical school, when you could have gone home to Michigan and paid a less expensive “in-state” tuition?

KS: Coming to OU wasn’t a hard choice! There was the “double” threat – no, “triple” threat! – of the Medical Humanities Scholars Program, the great OU National Merit Scholarship, and the Sooners’ 2000 national championship in football, which just happened to coincide with my senior year of high school.

Everyone we met was so nice. It was a beautiful campus with friendly people who were committed to excellence. I wanted to come someplace new; it seemed as if half my high school was staying in Michigan, so the idea of going someplace totally new really appealed to me. When it came time to select a medical school, I knew how good OU College of Medicine was and I also thought it was in a way part of my “duty” to remain here, for I’d had the privilege of early acceptance. Actually, my entering class—Major Cunningham, Kevin Lai, Byron Jennings and I—all stayed at OU for medical school. I considered other options, but OU seemed the best choice.

As a 3rd-year resident at the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin (part of the Medical College of Wisconsin’s hospital system), I was looking for a position. I saw the opening in Oklahoma City and contacted the OU Medical Center. It was a “dream job”—a chance to work as a pediatric hospitalist at both OU Children’s

and St. Anthony and to be part of building a new program at the latter hospital. I still had friends in Oklahoma City and Norman, and I knew a lot of the medical faculty at OU. Everything fell into place.

has to offer, the more it helps OU, and vice versa. It used to be—when I arrived here in 2001—that one of the best things about

OU was that it was a full 20 miles outside Oklahoma City—that’s what ST: Let’s get back to the Medical Hu- a college guide, maybe Barron’s said. manities Scholars Program for a mi- All that has changed in the last decnute. Now that you are a practicing ade. Now OKC is a real city on an physician, is there anything about the program that has proved particularly helpful or useful in your day-today practice?

KS: Well, the MHSP was definitely the “clincher” when it came to my initially deciding to attend OU, and the National Merit scholarship could not be beat. I think the “multi-cultural” focus of the program, appreciating how different cultural backgrounds affect people, and the language training have proved most useful. I studied Spanish, and I use it almost daily at the hospital. Oh, and there’s another reason, but I’ll get to that later...

Kaustubh at Joyful Beginnings

upward trajectory. There are lots of well-paying jobs, friendly neighbors, ST: What do you like most about the a great basketball team, a lively and University of Oklahoma and about vibrant inner core. I live in a loft Oklahoma City, Kaustubh? downtown within walking distance KS: Well, both OU and OKC are grow- of everything I need – grocery ing and making definite positive stores, coffee shops, new restaustrides; they kind of “curve” togeth- rants, shopping, Chesapeake Arena, er. There’s a synergy: the more OKC Continued on p 4 Honors Newsletter 3

January 2014

Alumni Profiles, continued from p3 you name it. My dream is to be able to take the new streetcar to work in a few years (and maybe even get Thunder season tickets!). It’s a lot of fun to live in a city that’s transforming itself right in front of us.

ST: If you could give our current medical humanities pre-meds one piece of advice, what would it be?

you go to med school, your life is pretty set for you; it’s scripted.

Don’t get me wrong. It’s a pretty good life, but I never did study abroad during undergrad, and I wish that I had. I did a rotation abroad when I got to medical school—in Japan as a 4th-year med student, which was a phenomenal experience. Also, take classes outside of the sciences—classes that you think you may never use again. Take that extra economics or ballroom dancing class!

KS: Have as many life experiences as you can before medical school! Do everything you can, especially if it doesn’t relate to medicine. Once ST: Kaustubh, this has been a lot of

fun. To close, why don’t you tell us something about yourself that no one would expect.

KS: Okay, I’m engaged to another former Medical Humanities Scholar, Monica Singh. She’s a third-year resident at OU in pediatrics, and she’s originally from Los Angeles.

ST: Wow! You mean, participation in the Medical Humanities Scholars Program leads not only to a successful career in medicine, but also to true love?

KS: Well, that’s one way to put it!

Events Calendar 

Now through February 14: School of Art and Art History Alumni Exhibition at the Lightwell Gallery

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Now through February 16: 100th Annual Student Exhibition at the Fred

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January 28: Paula Conlon Native American Flute Studio. Noon at the Fred

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February 3: Sutton Artist Series featuring Rodney Ackman on Bassoon. 8pm at Pitman Recital Hall

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February 5-9: University Theatre Production of “Clybourne Park.” 8pm (3pm on the 9th) at Weitzenhoffer Theatre

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February 10: Sutton Artist Series featuring Dr. Vicki Schaeffer on Organ. 8pm at Gothic Hall

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February 14-16 and 20-23: University Musical Theatre Production of “The Drowsy Chaperone.”

8pm (3pm on the 16th and 23rd) at the Rupel J. Jones Theatre

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March 5: “Medieval Learning and Vernacular Music,” presented by Dr. Jennifer Salzstein. 5pm

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March 6-9: University Theatre/Opera Production of Cosi fan tutte. 8pm (3pm on the 9th) at Reynolds Performing Arts Center For a complete listing of events, go to www.ou.edu/ourpage

Honors Newsletter 4

January 2014

The Honors Undergraduate Journal Call for Papers The Honors Undergraduate Research Journal (THURJ) is now accepting submissions for the spring 2014 issue. Students who have written strong essays are invited to submit their essays for publication in THURJ, the Honors College’s premier interdisciplinary undergraduate journal. We select between 8-12 research papers every year for publication in the journal of the OU Honors College. Every author whose paper is published is awarded a $100 prize! 

Honors Students may submit papers written for any course.

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Non-Honors Students may ONLY submit papers written for an Honors course, with professor approval.

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Papers must be written by undergraduates, and cannot be co-authored, including by staff or faculty members, TAs or grad students.

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THURJ cannot publish papers that have already been published or are being published elsewhere.

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All submissions must be typed with appropriate formats and references and sent to: THURJ.OU@GMAIL.COM

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We will also accept and consider written creative submissions (short stories, et cetera).

Deadline for submission: January 31, 2014 Please direct any questions to editor Travis Totten at thurj.ou@gmail.com.

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January 2014

Teaching Dr. Julia Ehrhardt will be offering a new course in June of 2014.

This study-abroad course, held in Ireland, will on focus on food in Ireland and is part of the College of Arts and Sciences summer program in Ireland. Please contact Karen Elmore (karenelmore@ ou.edu) for application information. Last summer, Dr. Brian Johnson also led a group of students to Ireland.

Research

Associate Dean Rich Hamerla contributed a book review of John R. During the past year the Honors Walker’s Britain and Disarmafaculty has been busy not only ment: The UK and Nuclear, Biowith teaching, but with research logical and Chemical Weapons as well. Dr. Marie Dallam pubArms Control and Programmes lished "Field Notes: The Branch 1956-1975 to Isis, the Journal of Davidian Symposium and the the History of Science Society, as 20th Anniversary Memorial" in well as a review of Kathleen M. the Religious Studies journal Nova Vogel’s Phantom Menace or Religio 17.2 Nov. 2013.

Looming Danger? A New Framework for Assessing Bioweapons Threats to The Journal of the Society for the History of Technology.

Additionally, Dr. Hamerla presented “‘Intelligent Design’ in PostBellum America? The Case of Edward Morley and the Theory of Heat,” a paper delivered at the History of Science Society’s Annual Conference.

Faculty Notes

Since September, Dr. Dan Mains has been teaching anthropology courses to MA students at Hawassa University and conducting research concerning the cultural politics of roads and public transportation in urban Ethiopia. You can read more about Dr. Mains’ Dr. Julia Ehrhardt presented “The adventures in Hawassa here: Slim Princess: Dieting and Imperihttp:// ayearinhawasalism in American Popular Ficsa.wordpress.com. tion” at the Association for the Study of Food and Society Dr. Andreana Prichard served as meeting and “The Value of Junk the leader for the summer 2013 Food: Profane Ingestion in StealJourney to Africa program. Drs. ing Buddha’s Dinner” at the NaMelanie Wright and Brian Johntional Women’s Studies Associason will lead a group of OU Hontion Conference. She also particiors Student to the UK in July, as pated in the roundtable part of the Honors at Oxford pro“Teaching Debt, Dissent, and gram.

Identity Through Food” at the American Studies Association anDean David Ray is teaching three nual meeting in Washington D.C. new one-hour “skills-based coursin November. es this semester. For more information on these, see story on p15

Honors Newsletter 6

Dr. Brian Johnson delivered a paper entitled “Bridging the Divide: The Paperless Writing Center and Modern Writing Practices” to the South Central Writing Centers Association in Corpus Christi, TX. Continued on p7

January 2014

Faculty Notes, continued from p6

Research, continued Dr. Robert Lifset delivered a talk at the Centre for Contemporary History, Potsdam, Germany in September entitled, “A New Interpretation of the American Energy Crisis.” The centre was hosting a conference commemorating the fortieth anniversary of the OAPEC oil embargo of 1973.

Dr. Dan Mains’ recent book, Hope is Cut: Youth, Unemployment, and the Future was released in paperback. The book was a finalist for the 2013 Society for the Anthropology of Work Book Award. Dr. Mains also published “Friends and Money: Balancing Affection and Reciprocity among Young Men in Urban Ethiopia in American Ethnologist” and had another article, “Blackouts and Progress: Privatization, Infrastructure, and a Developmentalist State in Jimma, Ethiopia” selected for inclusion in a special curated online collection of articles on infrastructure and ethnography.

Dr. Andreana Prichard published “‘Let Us Swim In the Pool of Love’: Love Letters and Community Composition in TwentiethCentury Tanzania,” in the Journal of African History and contributed a chapter entitled “‘A Grievously Sinful Attempt to Destroy the Life

which God Has Given’: Abortion, Anglicanism, and Debates about Community Composition in Twentieth-Century Zanzibar,” to The History and Politics of Abortion (forthcoming). Additionally, Dr. Prichard gave two papers: “Affect and Community in Post-Independence Africa,” delivered at the South East Regional Seminar in African Studies and “Africa Looks Back: Reflections,

Faculty Notes Constructions, Imaginations” given at The South East Africanist Network bi-annual meeting. Finally, Dr. Prichard reviewed Trafficking in Slavery’s Wake: Law and the Experience of Women and Children in Africa for the International Journal of African Historical Studies.

Dr. Sarah Tracy published “Something New Under the Sun? The Mediterranean Diet and Cardiovascular Health” in the New England Journal of Medicine and “History of Medicine vs. Organic Chemistry: Lessons Beyond the Lab” in Oklahoma Humanities.

Dr. Tracy also presented a paper Honors Newsletter 7

titled "Cold War Cardiology: Paul Dudley White, Ancel Keys and USUSSR Diplomacy, 1955-65," at the American Association for the History of Medicine Meetings, as well as presenting "Something New Under the Sun: The Rise of the Mediterranean Diet in the United States and Europe, 19482013," at the Nutritional Guidelines and Standards: Perspectives on the Past and Present conference.

Grants and Awards In September, Dr. Dan Mains was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to Hawassa Ethiopia.

Dr. Andreana Prichard was awarded a Faculty Investment Program Grant, University of Oklahoma, awarded May, 2013.

Dr. Sarah Tracy received a National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship for 2014-15 to support the completion of a biography of noted heart disease and nutrition researcher Ancel Keys (19042004, as well as winning a faculty travel grant from OU which she used to attend a conference at the University of York on the emergence of dietary guidelines in the twentieth century.

January 2014

Honors Alumni e-Mentoring Are you looking for advice about professional, educational, or personal opportunities?

Successful Honors College graduates are offering their time and advice through the new e-mentoring correspondence program! Our e-mentors are experienced with: 

Medical Schools and Careers in Medicine

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Working and Living Abroad

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Government Affairs, Politics, and Public Policy

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Graduate Schools

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Law Schools and Law Careers

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Energy: Oil and Gas

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Business Schools and Professional Development

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Computer Science and Engineering Programs

Just go to www.ou.edu/honors/mentor and log on to the program. Browse through the list of e-mentors and select the mentor(s) you would like to contact. Then, write to honorsEmentoring@ou.edu and the Honors College will put you in communication with the e-mentor(s) of your choice.

Honors Newsletter 8

January 2014

I recently visited with Kate McPherson, a Journalism senior and member of the Honors College who finished her Honors undergraduate thesis last semester. Her academic interests include conceptual journalism, online journalism, and popular culture. Her undergraduate thesis, entitled “The Troubles I've Seen: Collective Memory in Cinematic Representations of the Northern Irish Troubles,” was concerned with analyzing the ways in which recent filmic portrayals of the Northern Irish Troubles aid in the formation of collective memories of the Troubles.

When asked about how she came up with her topic, Kate explained that she first became aware of the Troubles in the eighth grade, when her teacher had her research genocide. Flash forward to 2012, when Kate studied in the Netherlands and made a side trip to Northern Ireland. Contrary to her earlier impressions, she found Belfast to be a beautiful place. “I was shocked because everyone was so nice and it didn’t seem like a place where so many had been killed. I was intrigued by the difference between what I expected and what I actually found. You know, if you just read about it, it might seem like this terrible place but it was beautiful and everyone was so nice.”

Honors Student Studies the Troubles Through Popular Film Interview conducted by Dr. Brian Johnson According to Kate, people didn’t really like to about the Troubles but she found that some would and “they are pretty candid” about the tensions between Catholics and Protestants, between the Irish and the British. “I became interested in that and every year my parents get me a big bag of books for my birthday and so all of my books that year were about Northern Ireland. That was what I wanted and I read all of them and it was awesome - I could keep talking about that forever!”

Northern Ireland, she thought about it for a moment before explaining: “I think you have to be really careful about it. This is actually something I thought about when I was trying to come up with a title for my thesis, because I thought that a lot of pop culture studies were really flip and I didn’t my thesis to be like ‘wasn’t it fun that we killed a bunch of people?’

But at the same time, if you are careful about it, pop culture is a great window into society.”

Kate said two films were particularWhen she began planning her un- ly helpful for this project. “One dergraduate thesis, she decided to that really stuck out was Hunger revisit the Troubles in a more for- (2011, dir. Steve McQueen), which mal, academic setting. Specifically, is about Bobby Sands’ hunger she decided to analyze popular strike. It really helped clarify the films which focus on the Troubles. structure of the thesis because that When asked if she thought it might movie was both critical of and combe problematic to use something plementary to hunger strikers and as seemingly trivial as pop culture Continued on p10 to analyze something as serious as Honors Newsletter 9

January 2014

popular culture, specifically films and cinematic representations of the IRA. The other film which was the Troubles impacted the collective most helpful was Omagh (2004, dir. memory of the Northern Irish, espePete Travis). Omagh was the one cially for people in my generationthat probably started it all, and it the people who didn’t live through was the reason I thought about usthe Troubles and who weren’t looking films to understand the Trouing at the Troubles from a historical bles.” viewpoint. The thesis is about how Analyzing these and several other these movies actually alter young recent films led Kate to consider the people’s opinions of the history of ways in which collective memories the Troubles.” are formed and reinforced through When I asked Kate what advice she popular culture. “So in 30 some odd has for students who have yet to pages I talked about collective engage in their honors undergradumemory, which is this idea about ate research, she told me that they the past that a group or a culture should “start thinking early. Don’t comes up with, often with the help go into your senior year and only of popular media. It’s about how a then start thinking about your ungroup develops a memory and how dergraduate thesis. Have some idea that shapes the way they look at so you can find the professor who history. So I was interested in how

Irish Troubles, continued from p9

Kate McPherson in Northern Ireland Honors Newsletter 10

can help you the most. I think a lot of people believe the thesis advisor is someone who will just let them do whatever and then give them a grade. What really helps is if you and your advisor are able to have genuine conversations and bounce ideas off of each other like we did.

So find someone who reflects your interests- maybe not a professor who you even know all that wellalthough I think that can help- but someone who has a background that will complement your interests and will also challenge you.

“So start early, find a good advisor, and follow what you are interested in. I think a lot of people think ‘well I’m a history major so I guess my thesis better be about history’- this project had nothing to do with my major but I really liked it. It was something that really motivated me because I was passionate about it, so I liked doing the research and I finished the research early because I liked working on it. It was fun for me to do this project and I think if I had stuck with something that I had already researched already written about in the past, I would have been really bored by it and it would have been hard for me to motivate myself. And I feel like, hopefully my passion shows in this.”

Kate’s passion definitely showed throughout this fascinating semester-long project!

January 2014

Purpose To promote undergraduate research and mentoring and encourage the use of geospatial information science in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) disciplines and education.

-Students will submit semester progress reports on their work -Research will be conducted with the goal of one of the outcomes below in their senior year: 

Award -$2000 awarded in two $1000 payments over course of study -Online Introduction to ArcGIS training Eligibility -Sophomore STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) majors or junior science or math education majors -Minimum OU GPA 3.0 -US citizen Application -Complete online application -Upload 1-2 page statement of interest including research and education goals and proposed outcome (see requirements below) -Upload transcript -Faculty mentor letter of support (your reference will be contacted on your behalf) Application Deadline Spring 2014 awards: February 10th Fall 2014 awards: September 18th Requirements -Students will conduct supervised research incorporating the use of geospatial information science and technology under the guidance of their faculty mentor and in consultation with Center for Spatial Analysis faculty as needed.

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Present at Oklahoma Research Day for Regional Universities http://www.okepscor.org/calendar/oklahomaresearch-day-regional-universi...

Present at Research Day at the Capitol http://www.okepscor.org/education/collegestudents/research-day-capitol Present at Undergraduate Research Day http:// www.ou.edu/honors/SRPD.html Present science/ math education research or curriculum development at Oklahoma Science Teacher Association annual conference http:// www.oklahomascienceteachersassociation.org/? page_id=42 Develop science / math lesson plans incorporating the use of geospatial information technology Present or publish work in other professional or academic outlets as proposed by faculty mentor

Timeline Students will begin the course of guided research in the semester in which they receive the award and work toward the outcomes above in their senior year.

Selection Selections will be made by Dr. May Yuan, Director, Center for Spatial Analysis and will be announced in February and September, 2014.

For questions or accommodation on the basis of disability contact Melissa Scott, mscott@ou.edu /3254671.

Honors Newsletter 11

January 2014

Classic Films Watch Club Announces Schedule Starting next week, the Honors College will sponsor an open film series. Viewings will comprise ten great films of world cinema, with productions ranging from American and Romanian to Japanese and French. Every showing will take place at 6 PM on Friday evenings, starting at 6 PM on January 24 in David L. Boren Hall 180/181. Students and faculty are all welcome to come and view these movies. Discussion is optional, although likely since these films are classics thanks with the ability to inspire intellectual criticism and dialogue. Daniel Meschter, an Honors student who founded the group, says “You guys are all smart and have minds burgeoning with ideas, so come to these showings and stimulate your inner auteur.”

four semesters.

Q: How can other students get involved/where can they go for more info?

DM: Any other student who loves movies can get involved, either with suggestions or leadership. The latter is especially important for the group's continuation - after all, somebody has to get the films, show up every week, and dim the lights prior a showing. I'd love to pass the torch onto a younger (but equally devoted!) student before I graduate. Anybody interested can just shoot me an email at my address: daniel.meschter@ou.edu Q: What is it about these films that you love?

Q: Daniel, what is the series called and who is involved?

DM: I interpret "classic" very broadDM: The series is called the Classic ly when it comes to films, and in Films Watch Group! While I run the the case of the ones we screen, it simply means that I love each one showings and head up acquiring the films, all students can suggest for being defensibly remarkable in a culturally, artistically, or intellecwhat classic cinema they'd like to tually stimulating way. It's a broad see. criterion, yes, but it leads to incredQ: How long have you been runible diversity when it comes to ning the series? screenings. For example - the last DM: We've screened films now for spring semester, we screened two Honors Newsletter 12

incredible films that I doubt have appeared in series before: Yasujiro Ozu's Tokyo Story and Sam Peckinpah's Cross of Iron. The first is about the inevitable drift apart of a Japanese family: Ozu's signature low camera style unflinchingly chronicles the growing rift between parents and their adult children.

The latter is a thuddingly brutal, insane investigation of Nazi soldiers on the Eastern Front, replete with balletic violence and James Coburn cackling madly about the hypocrisy of valor in battle.

Scheduled Films Akira (Katsuhiro Otomo - 1988) L'Avventura (Michelangelo Antonioni- 1960) Bleu (Krzysztof Kieślowski - 1993) Last Year at Marienbad (Alain Resnais - 1961) The Maltese Falcon (John Huston - 1941) A Better Tomorrow (John Woo - 1986) Come and See (Elem Klimov - 1985) Chocolat (Claire Denis - 1988) Death of Mr. Lazarescu (Cristi Puiu - 2005) The Leopard (Luchino Visconti - 1963)

January 2014

Students Encouraged to Join

H.S.A. event information. Finally, and most importantly, they (and their friends) should come to H.S.A. events!

Honors Student Association

H.S.A. events are free, fun, and fascinating! H.S.A. gives younger Honors students to opportunity to connect with upperclassmen in order to learn how to get the I recently had the pleasure of hear- dents and faculty across campus in a most out of their OU experience, ing from Evan Fry, Secretary for The variety of out-of-the-classroom and allows all Honors students to Honors Student Association (H.S.A.). settings. In this way, the H.S.A. fosbuild relationships with each other ters a sense of community in the Q: How did you become involved and the Honors faculty. The H.S.A. Honors College that leads to a more with H.S.A.? officers strive to plan a variety of fulfilling experience for all Honors types of events at different times EF: One of my first experiences with students. during the week in order to suit the H.S.A. was in my freshman year, Q: How can other students get ininterests and schedules of all Honwhen I attended a Salsa dancing volved? ors students. event and was able to observe several of the Honors faculty members' EF: We encourage students to come Upcoming events include a semescommendable dance skills. to general meetings to hear about ter kick-off meeting, the continuathe goings-on at the Honors College tion of our monthly trivia nites, stuQ: Who are the current H.S.A. officand share what they'd like to see at dent- and faculty-led discussions, ers? upcoming H.S.A. events. Additional- new officer elections in April, and a EF: In addition to Evan serving as ly, they should like our page on Fa- surprise event with everyone's faSecretary, the other current H.S.A. cebook to stay abreast of current vorite OU President. Stay tuned!

Officers are: Anoop Bal (President), Kunal Naik (Vice President), Jeremy TRIVIA NITE Allen (Treasurer), Stephen Lacina Are you interested in free food? Trivia? A chance at dinner with Dr. Ray? (Academic Chair), Parisa Pilehvar (Social Chair), and Josh Davis Get off to a great start this semester by attending our first (Service Chair). event! Thursday, January 23 in the Jim Thorpe Multi-cultural Center Q: What does the H.S.A. do?

EF The H.S.A. provides intellectual, social, and academic opportunities for OU Honors students. It gives Honors students the chance to spend time with other Honors stu-

from 7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. HSA is holding Trivia Night! We will be serving free potato-tinis along with interesting factoids on history, science, and pop-culture throughout the evening. The winning team gets dinner with Dr. Ray! Grab your friends for some brain gymnastics and join us for trivia, snacks, and socializing with awesome people from the Honors College!

Honors Newsletter 13

January 2014

Dr. Vicki Schaeffer to Perform Organ Concert

Dr. Schaeffer’s concert? “I hardly ever play a set that doesn’t include Bach so there will definitely be some Bach in there. I’m going to open with a piece called Flourish for an Occasion by the English composer William Harris. There will also be a set of three dances called Organ, Interview conducted by Dr. Brian Johnson Timbral, and Dance by Johannes Michel, a German composer. That Dr. Vicki Schaeffer is the Director of pulled a particular stop, you could will be fun because they are based Recruitment for the Honors College. hear as many as three or four differ- on hymn tunes but he has set them In this capacity she meets with more ent sounds or different pitches. You differently – there is a bossa nova than 700 prospective students each can hear the overtones and for some movement, a kind of funky jazzy year. “It’s a great gig,” says Vicki, people their ear will pick up on one movement, and then one that is takadding that when she meets these little sound that makes no earthly en straight from Bernstein’s West students she gets to “tell stories sense at all by itself. You have to about who our students are because hear it as a whole in order for it to they are our greatest recruiters. Our make sense.” She went on to add best advertisement is who our stuthat “sometimes that’s the problem dents are and what they are doing.” for organ music. I think for a lot of people organ music is a little more In addition to her recruitment work, difficult to listen to because there Dr. Schaeffer is also a talented orare so many different sounds coming ganist who will give a concert on at you.” th February 10 at the Catlett Music Center’s Gothic Hall, where she will Vicki explained that she hopes to perform as part of the Sutton Conavoid being “too academic,” in her cert Series. upcoming concert. “I try to program things first of all that I like to play.”

Vicki began playing piano at the age Because of her wide ranging tastes, of four and landed her first church Dr. Schaeffer plans to play a variety organist job at fifteen. She went on of different types of music by several to earn a Bachelor’s in Music Educa- different composers. Additionally, Side Story. What I’ll do is play the tion, followed by Masters (Kent Dr. Schaeffer will collaborate with a original hymn tune first and then State) and D.M. (Indiana U) degrees flautist for part of the concert. “This these so people can compare them. in Music with dual emphases in orcollaboration will be a little different And then we’re going to end with gan performance and church music. because a lot of time we organists fly Vierne’s Carillon de Westminster.” by ourselves so it will be kind of fun For her upcoming concert, Dr. to work with others. There is some- Dr. Vicki Schaeffer’s Sutton Series Schaeffer wants to listeners to take thing about collaboration that is fun Concert will take place at 8pm on special note of the pipe organ’s sonic because there is that little bit of give February 10th. Contact the Box office qualities. “If I play one note on a and take. You are actually working at 405-315-4101 for ticket inforpiano, the note that you hear is the together to figure things out.” mation. actual pitch. By contrast, if I play one note on an organ and have What can listeners expect to hear at Honors Newsletter 14

January 2014

New One Hour “Skills-Based” Courses Offered for Spring

Honors Research Opportunities

The Honors College is pleased to announce the Honors Research Assistant Program, providing opportunities for students to work with professors as research assistants on specific projects.

The purpose of the program is to involve students in a faculty research project, and teach The Honors College is offer- “Tracking Legislation” gives them how to develop research into a completed ing three new courses this students the opportunity to project. The focus is on the research process in action, and the connection between research semester. learn how to track legislaand teaching.

“Presentation and Interview tion as it moves through the legislative session, to Skills” emphasizes techniques for making effective presen- identify opportunities to in- Faculty descriptions of projects are available at fluence policy (through lobtations and skills needed http://www.ou.edu/honors/hrap/hrapwhen being interviewed for bying, advocacy, or coalition listings.htm. The link to the application is at the awards, jobs, or admission to building), and to write policy bottom of that page and available here: http:// postgraduate programs. The memos and related documents aimed at effective, www.ou.edu/honors/hrap/hrap-app.pdf. Be main focus will be on pracefficient communication on tice: students will make nusure to read “Project details” first. The profesissues related to public polimerous short presentations sor for the project will choose whom to hire and and participate in short prac- cy. then Dr. Wright will contact new hires with paytice interviews.

All three courses are taught or co-taught by Dean David roll information.

In “Social Media Strategies for Public and Nonprofit Or- Ray. “Social Media Strategies for Public and Nonprofit Student assistants are expected to work 10 ganizations,” students will Organizations” is co-taught hours a week for ten weeks beginning Feb. 3 learn how to craft strategic plans for utilizing social me- by Marek Cornett, eCommu- and ending April 18, excluding Spring Break. Asnity Manager at Koch Comdia on behalf of public and sistants will be paid through OU Payroll at the nonprofit organizations. This munications. “Tracking Leg- end of February, March, and April. The total stiislation” is co-taught by Trait class will be focused excluThompson, Senior Policy pend for the ten weeks is $900 (subject to paysively on skill development roll taxes). and hands-on learning, with Advisor for the Oklahoma State Senate. special attention paid to choosing platforms, building For more information about Honors College students with at least 15 hours online identities, creating these courses, please con- of college credit and at least a 3.40 GPA are elicontent that matters, under- tact the Honors College gible to apply. Contact the Honors College if standing audiences, and inte- front office at 325-5291. you have questions (405) 325-5291. grating social media into an organization’s core mission.

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January 2014

Honors at Oxford Summer 2014

Be A Part of Honors at Oxford 2014!

The 2014 program will begin for the 6-hour credit courses on Monday, June 9 on the OU campus in Norman and run through June 27, meeting Monday through Friday in the morning.

The Oxford program will begin for everyone Sunday, July 6, and continue through Saturday morning, July 26.

How to Apply Submit (1) a transcript; (2) a list of pertinent university activities, awards, and honors; (3) a 500-word essay describing the last book you read outside of class. Turn in applications to Dr. Wright (mwright@ou.edu) by Monday, February 3, 2014; students will be notified by February 10 and have until March 28 to decide whether to participate. Dr. Wright will issue permission for the course before enrollment for the summer and fall 2014 semesters begins on March 30. Students may enroll for the Oxford courses when their enrollment window opens.

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Informal Reading Groups for Spring 2014

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DEAN David Ray The University of Oklahoma Joe C. and Carole Kerr McClendon Honors College 1300 Asp Avenue Norman, Oklahoma 73019-6061

ASSOCIATE DEAN Rich Hamerla EDITOR Brian Johnson

PHONE (405) 325-5292

SPECIAL THANKS TO Evan Fry Kate McPherson Daniel Meschter Kaustubh Sagdeo Vicki Schaeffer Sarah Tracy

100 copies have been prepared and distributed at no cost to Oklahoma taxpayers.

WEBPAGE http://www.ou.edu/honors/

The University of Oklahoma Honors College 1300 Asp Avenue Norman, OK 73019-6061

To:

The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity institution. www.ou.edu/eoo

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