University Honors Program Newsletters: The Current and With Honors e-Zine

Extreme Home Makeover reveals the new marching band practice field! Come show your support Nov. 13, 2007 at 5 p.m. at SGA field wearing your U of L best!

HONORS CALENDAR Nov. 13 Deadline for MASS book scholarship, 4:30 p.m., Etscorn Honors Center Al-Souk: Experience Morocco, 6 p.m., Lutz Hall Atrium Nov. 18 Festival of Trees & Lights, Louisville Slugger Field, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 21-25 HAPPY THANKSGIVING, from the Honors Program staff! Be safe. Be Healthy! And Happy Holiday! Calling All Commuters! Web Conference Commuter Student Services Office is pleased to sponsor a web conference on “Building Community with Off-Campus Students”. We would like to invite our University Colleagues to join us on: Nov. 14, 1-2:30p.m., Floyd Theatre. A discussion reception is planned after the program. Topics covered include: Commuter Special needs, Rubric of the engaging commuter program, Overview of commuter programs, Sampling of services, Reaching commuters with technology and Assessment methods. If you plan to attend, please RSVP by Nov. 12 to commuter@gwise.louisville.edu or call Wes Alkin at 852 7070. HVP -- Honors Volunteer Program The next HVP meeting will be Tuesday, Nov. 26, from 12:20-12:50 in the Etscorn Honors Center Classroom. Pizza will be provided. All HVP meetings will be held the last Tuesday of each month at the same time and place. Those who wish to be notified about HVP events by listserv, please send your name and e-mail address to anmart03@louisville.edu. Before every event, you will receive e-mail with the exact time, locations, car pool instructions and directions. Please also check out the Facebook group Honors Volunteer Program. VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES A&S Centennial Challenge For more information on this all-day event, which takes place on Nov. 17, please e-mail Luke Buckman at luke.buckman@louisville.edu Festival of Trees & Lights This annual event will be held on Nov. 18, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Louisville Slugger Field. Volunteers will carpool from campus at 9:45 a.m. Please contact Allie Martin for more information. Box Tops for Excellence! Give us your Tacos, Au Gratin Potatoes and Cheerios! Honors Student Council is collecting Box Tops for Education. The collection box in located in the Overseers Honors House on the window sill of the lounge area (Behind the table where snacks are kept.) HSC will be donating the collected box tops to a local school. Please visit their website for participating products and contact Sarah Jane Bodell at with any questions. Study Abroad in Panama Interested in earning 6 hours of credit during May, gaining international experience, and having fun? If so, taking Communication or Spanish courses in Panama may be for you! Consider participating in U of L’s 6 th Annual Study Abroad Program in Panama from May 1-31, 2008. Classes are offered in both English and Spanish (Note: You do not need to speak Spanish to participate). Applications are due by Jan. 14, 2008; however, apply early for scholarships. The cost is $2,985, which covers 6 hours of tuition, airfare, hotel, ground transportation to and from the airport, and fieldtrips. For more information or an application, contact Dr. Joy Hart in the Department of Communication. Information is also available on the Latin American and Latino Studies Webpage.	If there are corrections or omissions, e-mail honors@louisville.edu to update information. Voices from Abroad My Life as a Boren Scholar Cara Uccellini, Romania This weekend, I had the opportunity to witness one of the most exciting events in Cluj Napoca's recent history: the opening of its first American-style shopping mall. I saw hundreds of Romanians strolling in awe through corridors lined by brightly-lit shops, maneuvering through food courts jammed with kiosks both familiar and foreign (all vending unhealthy yet delicious treats), and walking almost in rhythm to the pulsating beat of American pop music. To me, the only strange thing about this scene was that in a university town of 300,000, this kind of consumerism had never been seen before. I came to Romania this September on a David L. Boren National Security Exchange Program (NSEP) scholarship, an award granted to students with an interest in the world beyond the cultural borders of Western Europe. Although Romania joined the European Union this year, the differences between East and West are subtle yet staggering. Lining up was clearly never an important part of the elementary school curriculum (while I remember the instant rush of being chosen "line leader" that every American kid has felt), so check-out lines at large supermarkets are often extremely stressful. Making the shopping experience even more alien to any American is the fact that Romania still operates under primarily a cash economy, and few places accept credit cards. (Checks, which came into fashion while Romania was in the Dark Ages of Ceausescu’s communism, are positively unheard of.) These observations -- exasperating and confusing as they can be -- are things that can only be understood after living abroad. While NSEP's primary goal in selecting applicants to send overseas is "critical language acquisition" -- that is, teaching Americans languages beyond the conventional and popular French and Spanish -- all students come away with a deep appreciation of local culture that will later benefit any internationally-oriented career. Numerous study abroad programs offered at UofL -- the Portuguese Studies Program, Montpellier Work Exchange, and Panama Program, to name a few --provide exciting and unforgettable experiences in a foreign culture that enhance any undergraduate record. I know that at the end of my year here, I will have much more than photographs and souvenirs -- I will have memories to last a lifetime, along with a new appreciation for the efficiency of the American system. The Best Thing about Honors is… If you answered "The advising!", how would you like the opportunity to honor your academic advisor? Has Luke, Melissa, Tony or Dr. Richardson impacted your academic career? If so take the time to show your advisor how important they are to you by nominating them for the 2007-2008 Provost’s Awards for Exemplary Advising. An online nomination form must be submitted by December 3. In addition, 3 to 5 online letters of support must be submitted by Jan. 2, 2008. An online nomination form is available. Book Scholarship for Honors Students Students with demonstrable financial need and involvement in the University Honors Program may apply for an award to buy books and supplies for spring semester classes. Four awards of about $250 are available for the 2007-2008 academic year. The application process consists of a letter outlining your academic program, overall financial need and projected expenses for books during spring semester. Address your letters to Dr. John Richardson, University Honors Program, and submit them no later than Tuesday, Nov. 13 at 4:30 p.m. Applications past this point will not be accepted. hese scholarships are made available by funds from MASS (Mature Adult Student Society). Computer TECHniques Copier The University Honors Program recently added user account passcodes to the copier housed at the Overseers Honors House. Copies still cost $.05 a copy -- payable at the front desk -- but students are now required to input 123 before making copies. Honors will be closely monitoring the amount of copies made, and how much paper is used, in order to determine if copier usage and payments made coincide. If not, we may be forced to take copier privileges away. Paper Paper is currently available at the front desk, 25 sheets for $.25. However, we've noticed that we've had to bring more paper over since school began, but we aren't seeing an increase in the amount of money we are receiving. If this doesn't change, we will no longer provide paper to students; they will need to provide their own to use our printing and copying services. HONORS STUDENTS REMINDER All University correspondence is handled through your University of Louisville e-mail address. Class changes and cancellations, Freshman Guides contact, class permissions, Honors course availability will all be mailed to you at your userid@louisville.edu e-mail address. You should be checking this e-mail account daily. Honors Online Pictures Pictures of Honors-related activities for our web pages and bulletin boards are welcome. I am currently looking for photos of Honors Students who have donated their hair, in 2007, to Locks of Love or some other charity. If you have something you would like to share, bring in an extra copy or a copy we can color scan. If you take digital pictures, send a URL site location (preferred) or a digital copy to Nichole Burruss at nichole.burruss@louisville.edu. Calling all Honors Students! The Current is now taking art submissions. Art submissions can be of any medium, but a picture will need to be taken in order to include the work in The Current . All submissions must be original and are subject to content review by the Honors Staff. Share your talent, share your passion and share your hobby! Please contact nichole.burruss@lousiville.edu with questions and submissions.	Cara Uccellini takes a moment in Romania to pause for a photograph. To learn all about Cara's experiences abroad as a Boren Scholar, please see the center column! Upcoming Deadlines SCHOLARSHIPS and FELLOWSHIPS Watch this spot for campus and national deadlines Campus deadlines for English-Speaking Union Kentucky Branch Summer 2008 Scholarship This scholarship provides selected students with tuition, room and board for three weeks of intensive study in an international program at one of the institutions listed here. Students also experience a week in London, which is intended to give students the opportunity to absorb British culture and history and acclimatize in general to being away from home. All interested students should meet with me to discuss their application and the accompanying essay as soon as possible. E-mail Dr. Condon for an appointment at patricia.condon@louisville.edu Other deadlines fast approaching… Truman Scholarship For commitment to public service Campus deadline, Jan. 2008 National deadline, Feb. 5, 2008 (For juniors only) The Goldwater for Researchers The Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship For science, engineering, math Campus deadline, Jan. 8, 2008 Application deadline, Jan. 31, 2008 (Sophomores or juniors) David L. Boren Undergraduate Scholarship (NSEP) Area studies, language with national security interest Campus deadline, Jan. 7, 2008 Application deadline, Feb. 12, 2008 (Sophomore to juniors) David L. Boren Graduate Fellowship (NSEP) Area studies, language with national security interest Campus deadline, Jan. 7, 2008 Application deadline, Jan. 30, 2008 (Graduating seniors, graduate students) If you plan to apply for any of these scholarships and have not already made an appointment with the director of the Scholarship Office, Dr. Patricia Condon, you should do so immediately. Her e-mail is patricia.condon@louisville.edu or call 852-6293. The office of Governor of Kentucky wants you! The Governor’s Scholars Program is looking for bright, energetic college students to serve as resident advisors during the summer of 2008. Applicants should have completed at least one year of college and have served as resident advisors in a dormitory or had similar experience. The position will last six weeks and Resident Advisors will receive a stipend of $2,500, plus free room and board. Interested students should visit www.kygsp.org for more information and to download an application. All application materials must be postmarked on or before Jan. 11, 2008. HONORS STUDENT COUNCIL (HSC) HSC is proud to sponsor the following regular monthly events: the academic lecture series and social outings. Please see below for details, and check The Current regularly for updates on activities, as well as the Facebook group Honors Program Announcements. HSC Events Lecture Series from the Honors Student Council (HSC) The third lecture in the HSC lecture series will be Dr. Bob Meyer speaking about multiple personality disorders. This lecture will be at 6 p.m. in Etscorn Honors Center, Tuesday, Nov. 6. Go Geek T-shirts on Sale now! HSC T-Shirts have arrived! These incredibly stylish T's are on sale in the Honors Center for $10. The front image printed on the black shirt is of the infamous white squirrel. The back of the shirt displays the following text, “Go Geek! ΗΕ Γ Honors Student Council Honors Program University of Louisville.” Theatre Lovers Students interested in seeing the play "Angels in America," which the department of theater arts will be presenting from Nov. 14-18, should contact Alyssa Morgan at admorg01@louisville.edu. These activities are provided for your intellectual and social life. They only matter if they matter to you. Please come, meet faculty up close and informally, talk to other Honors students, and think about something with the pleasure that you don't have any homework or expectations attached to it!