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WHAT ARE UFIs? Inspired by Dewitt Wallace, founder of Reader's Digest and the primary benefactor of Macalester College, I have created a number of one to two page "digests of information" on a variety of topics. These Useful Flyers of Information were created for the benefit of Macalester students.
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LIST OF UFIs
All biology majors must complete a Senior Presentation. However, this requirement can be met by completing an Honors Project. What is the difference between the two?
SIMILARITIES. Both the Honors Project and Senior Presentation require students to write a formal scientific research or review paper, a process that takes several months and involves multiple drafts. During this process, students receive feedback on their drafts from their faculty sponsor, and sometimes from others as well, including other faculty members and students. In addition, students deliver an oral presentation on their topic in both instances. Both the Honors Project and Senior Presentation serve as a capstone experience for Biology majors, and all seniors, whether doing an Honors Project or Senior Presentation, must somplete two semesters of Bio 89 Senior Seminar. Both enable students to explore in depth a particular biological topic of interest to them, and both give students the opportunity to demonstrate their mastery of knowledge and various skills they have acquired as a biology major. Both represent final biology projects and can be referred to as such in applications to graduate schools and employers. And, students can graduate with Latin Honors by completing either an Honors Project or Senior Presentation. So, what is the difference?
DIFFERENCES. The Honors Project is normally based on independent biological research by the student, although in certain cases it can involve research of a different type on a biological topic, e.g., historical or philosophical research. On the other hand, a Senior Presentation can be based on almost any biological topic in which a student is interested. This could include a topic the student encountered in a course, on an off campus study program, on an internship or in some other context. Like an Honors Project, the Senior Presentation also can be based on actual research that a student has conducted. The department holds high expectations for Senior Presentations, and satisfactory completion of a Senior Presentation requires a minimum of several months of hard work on the part of students. The department expects students undertaking an Honors Project to make a major commitment of time and energy, one that normally extends as long as a year or more, including time spent developing and conducting the research, analyzing results, reviewing the literature, and writing the actual thesis.
EXPECTATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS FOR HONORS PROJECTS. Students undertaking an honors project are required to have a GPA of at least 3.4 in their biology courses (and 3.3 overall), and normally are expected to have completed a significant portion of their bench or field research by the start of their Senior year. This research can be conducted during the junior year, e.g., in a faculty member's lab or on a study away program, and/or during the summer following the junior year. During their senior year, honors students are expected to commit the equivalent of at least one course per semester to working on the thesis. Typically, this commitment involves registering for an independent during one semester and enrolling in only three courses during the other semester. In addition, all honors students are required to register for a two credit January independent during their senior year and are normally expected to be on campus during this time working on their honors project. At the end of January, honors students are required to submit a first draft of their literature review to the department for approval. Only those students whose literature reviews are approved by the department will be permitted to proceed with their Honors Project.
The purpose of the literature review is for the student to demonstrate their understanding of how their particular topic relates to the larger questions and issues facing the biological sub-discipline in which they are specializing. The difference between the review in an Honors Project and a Senior Presentation is that the former is expected to be substantially more comprehensive and detailed. A student doing an Honors project is expected to demonstrate a thorough understanding of the major findings and theories of the field that provide the context for their own study. Thus, an Honors Thesis normally cites a much larger body of literature and provides more detailed analysis of the literature than does a Senior Presentation. As a result, literature reviews in Honors Theses typically range from 20-40 pages in length compared to 8-10 pages in typical Senior Presentations. In cases when the Honors Project or Senior Presentation is based on independent research, the analysis and discussion of the results in an Honors Project are likewise expected to be more thorough and detailed than in a Senior Presentation. While there are no page requirements for either the Senior Presentation or Honors Theses, the latter normally range from 40-60 pages in length (excluding figures, tables and bibliography), while Senior Presentations typically range in length from 18-25 pages.
ORAL PRESENTATIONS. Honors Projects and Senior Presentations also differ in their requirements for the oral presentation. Students doing a Senior Presentation are required to present a 15 to 20 minute oral presentation on their topic during the Biology Department Spring Symposium. Students who have based their Senior Presentation on independent research are also encouraged to present their findings at the Undergraduate Winchell Symposium, part of the spring meeting of the Minnesota Academy of Science. Honors students are required to present a 30-60 minute department seminar on their research. In addition, Honors students are expected to present their findings at the Winchell Symposium and/or some other professional meeting, and also to make a presentation at the Biology Department Spring Symposium.
EVALUATION. The last difference between Honors Projects and Senior Presentations involves the final decision on whether the student has met the respective requirements. When a student does a Senior Presentation, the student's faculty sponsor decides alone whether the Senior Presentation paper satisfactorily meets the department requirement. However, Honors Projects are read by a committee of faculty members, usually three and often including faculty or other experts from outside Macalester. This committee then meets with the student for about an hour during which time they ask the student various questions about the paper and about the student's research experience. Following the hour discussion with the student, the committee decides as a group whether the paper merits an Honors designation.
SUMMARY. In conclusion, an Honors Project is all that a Senior Presentation is, and much more. Students should consider undertaking an Honors Project only if they have a very strong interest in pursuing a research experience in considerable depth and are willing to organize their senior year around the demands of the Honors Project. Since a major portion of the research for Honors Projects is normally completed by the start of the senior year, students interested in undertaking an Honors Project should discuss their ideas with a faculty member during their sophomore or junior year. Additional written information about Honors Projects, including the application process, is available from the department. Students with additional questions about either the Honors Project or the Senior Presentation should see any biology faculty member.
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Scientific research is not a solitary endeavor. Rather, science is a communal effort. Scientists use findings and ideas of other scientists as the basis for their own studies, and in turn report their findings back to the scientific community. Thus, communication of findings is part of the scientific process. In fact, only by writing papers, presenting seminars, or reporting findings in some other way, does one become a full participant in the scientific research community. In other words, a good scientist is also a good communicator.
A scientific research paper normally follows a standard format (described below). A common problem in many scientific papers is that the author does not put material into the right sections. Thus, pay close attention to the functions of the different sections described below.
TITLE. The title of your paper should be a clear and concise description of the paper's content. When trying to think of a title, do not try to be clever, witty or impress the reader with technical jargon. Remember, your goal is to communicate information. A simple, direct title is best.
ABSTRACT. The abstract summarizes the essentials of the paper. It briefly describes the project's purpose, methodology, and key results. Abstracts are often limited to a few hundred words, so you need to be concise. Often, the abstract is written after a paper is completed. (For more information on writing a good abstract, see the Abstract Flier.)
INTRODUCTION. Good scientific papers explain how the specific study being described is related to other research and ideas on the same topic. Good papers not only report on the specific details of a particular project but also help illuminate larger issues of interest to readers of the discipline. The introduction is where the author helps the reader see the larger context for the specific study. This is accomplished by briefly reviewing some of the relevant literature and explaining how the current project is related to the existing body of work. This is also the time to describe the goals and objectives of the study, e.g., to test certain hypotheses or answer a set of questions.
METHODOLOGY. The methodology section, sometimes called "Materials and Methods", is where the author describes how the study was conducted. The description should be complete enough so that the reader can evaluate the appropriateness of the methods to answer the questions or test the hypotheses presented in the Introduction. If you employed some methods that others have used, you should cite the publications in which the methods are described. In some cases, you might want to include a subsection (or a separate section) in which you describe your study site. If you performed some statistical analyses on your data, you should describe in the Methodology section what sorts of analyses you performed.
RESULTS. In the Results section, you should report, but not discuss, your results. In other words, "Just the facts, please". In most papers, a verbal report of the results is supplemented with some tables and/or figures (graphs, diagrams, photographs, etc.). Remember, it is not the reader's job to figure out what the different tables and figures are trying to illustrate. The author needs to summarize the key findings verbally first and then refer the reader to relevant tables and figures for more a more detailed or graphic representation of the results. Figures and tables should be numbered so that you can refer the reader to them, e.g., 'The results showed a strong correlation between rainfall and primary productivity (Fig. 1)'. All tables should have a title, and you should provide a legend for each figure. The legend should include the title of the figure and any other information that will help the reader understand the what is being illustrated.
DISCUSSION. The discussion is where the author describes what the results mean. Were the original hypotheses supported, or questions answered? How do you explain some unexpected results? Do the findings support or contradict findings from similar studies? These are some of the sorts of questions you might address in the discussion. Most of the discussion should confine itself to the specific results of your study. However, it is usually appropriate to comment briefly on the larger significance and ramifications of your findings.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. Most scientific articles include a brief section in which the authors thank various people who have contributed in some way to the article. These contributions could be in helping to form the original hypotheses, collecting data, helping to analyze the data, or reviewing an earlier draft.
LITERATURE CITED (SOMETIMES CALLED BIBLIOGRAPHY). You need to provide full citations for all works mentioned in the body of the paper, and you should only cite works mentioned in the paper.
A FEW FINAL THOUGHTS. Contrary to what most students have been taught, there is no hard and fast rule about the use of active vs passive voice in scientific articles. Likewise, there is no standard format for citing other sources or for citation style in the Literature Cited section. This means you need to consult with the editor or professor ahead of time to find out the specific instructions for the paper you are writing.
Above all strive to be direct and clear. Ultimately, you are trying to persuade the readers about the significance of your findings. Only in very rare circumstances do results speak for themselves. In most cases they need an ardent and articulate advocate--you!
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Since you know how to read, you probably think you know how to read an article in the primary scientific literature. You start at the beginning and read until you finish the article. Right? Wrong. Reading scientific articles effectively requires a very different approach.
First, read the name of the author, or authors, along with their institutional affiliation. Then, note the name of the journal and the date of publication. Ok, you can glance at the title first, but pay more attention to the author's name and the date of publication. Scientists seldom remember actual journal titles, and virtually never refer to articles by the titles. In conversation with other scientists, they might say, "did you see the article by Janzen that came out in Science last summer?" Paying attention to the institutional affiliation can, over time, help you recognize which are the leading institutions in certain types of research. This can be helpful to you as a student since it can help you identify good graduate schools.
Next, read the Abstract, if one is included in the paper. The abstract is a summary of all the key aspects of the paper, including objectives, methods, results, and implications of the study. The abstract will give you a conceptual framework with which to read the article in more detail, if you are still interested after reading the abstract. Think of it as a kind of road map that you want to consult before beginning your journey through the article. If the article does not have an abstract, skip immediately to the end of the paper. Articles without abstracts usually end with a summary paragraph or paragraphs that provide a similar overview of the paper. After reading the abstract (or summary), you might decide the paper's topic doesn't interest you. In this case, you are done reading the article, unless, of course, it is an assignment for a class. Then you have to read it anyway.
Next, read the Introduction. The introduction is where the author sets the paper's topic in a larger scientific context. Basically, the author tries to persuade you that the topic and the paper are worthy of your interest and continued reading. This is usually also where the author spells out the goals of the research being reported. Introductions are very important sections to read.
Next, skip the Methods and Results section and go directly to the Discussion. Well, you might want to take a minute and look at some of the graphs and tables that the author included to illustrate some of the key findings. But skip the text of the methods and results for now. A good discussion will begin with a recap of the research's major findings and then go on to discuss the implications of the research. A good discussion will pick up on some of the ideas presented in the Introduction and show how the results of the study bear on these ideas. Since you have just finished reading the Introduction, this should all be familiar material.
Next, if you want know more details about the findings and about the specific methodology used, go back and read the Methods and Results sections. These sections are written primarily for other scientists who specialize in similar research and these sections are often quite detailed and technical. Focus on the parts of the Methods and Results that interest you. If you are interested in the details, you will probably find that you will end up rereading the Methods and Results sections several times. Once you have obtained the information you want from these sections, you might want to reread sections of the Discussion again to see if you would have drawn the same conclusions and interpretations as the author.
Next, read the Acknowledgments. This can be very illuminating actually since this is where the author tells you who provided assistance with the paper. Once you begin to get to know an area of research, you become aware of the different camps and allegiances that develop among scientists. It is interesting to see who the author consulted with in writing the paper, and this information sometimes can you give you some insight as to why the paper was written in the way that it was. This is also where the author will list the sources of financial support for the research. This is interesting in that this information begins to give you an understanding of the scientific infrastructure of this and other countries, i.e., what groups or agencies are funding what types of research.
Next, skim through the Bibliography or Literature Cited Section. This also can be surprisingly interesting since you will see who the author decided to cite, and if you are familiar with the field, who the author did not cite. Omissions are sometimes as illuminating as inclusions. The other value in perusing this section is that you might discover sources that you had not known about, but probably should have. Jot them down and check them out.
Other minutia that can be interesting: Look to see if the author's current address is different than his/her address when the research was conducted, and if it has changed if the person is affiliated with a college or university. A change often indicates the author was a graduate student when the research was conducted, and the current address can tell you if the person was able to get an academic job after obtaining their degree. Yes, scientific articles can have a bit of human interest in them. Look to see when the paper was first received for review, when the revision was returned, and when it was accepted for publication. This will give you an idea of how long it actually takes to get something published. This can be depressing.
Good Luck. Reading scientific articles effectively requires some experience. You will get better with practice. If you are reading a particularly good article, pause for a moment and try to determine what the author has done to write an effective article. Once you figure out what you like about the article, remember it the next time you write one.
Note: Many of the ideas included in this UFI came from Michael Palmer, who in turn borrowed from James Thompson.
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There are few abilities that will benefit you more than good communication skills. Being able to give an effective oral presentation will be a tremendous asset for you no matter what you do following graduation from Macalester.
To some extent oral communication skills reflect an individual's personality. While it is helpful to pay attention to how others present themselves orally, it is usually not a good idea to try to copy someone else's style. What works for someone else, may not work for you. Nevertheless, although there is no single surefire method to give an effective oral presentation, there are a few guiding principles that one should follow.
Know Your Audience. Know your audience! Know your audience! Know your audience! Did you get that? Without a doubt, the most important thing to keep in mind when preparing an oral presentation is who will be listening to it. Will it be a group of peers, a class of high school students, your church congregation, experts in the field? For you to be effective, you need to target your talk to your audience. How much will they already know about your subject? What aspects of your subject will they be most interested in? If you talk over the audience's head, you will lose them. If you tell them what they already know, you will lose them. If you focus your talk on things in which they are not interested, you will lose them. There are lots of ways to lose your audience. If you do not consider your audience when you are preparing your presentation, you will almost certainly find one of those ways.
Generate Momentum. Nothing will lose an audience quicker than a talk that does not seem to be going anywhere. A listener needs to feel some momentum when listening to a presentation. A presentation should have a clear start, a middle, and an ending, and the listener should always feel that progress is being made along this path. It is not always necessary to describe your path explicitly to the listener (e.g., 'first I will explain this, then I will compare this, and finally...'). However, you need to provide the listener with periodic road signs. Examples of road signs are comments such as: 'To answer these questions, we conducted the following experiment', 'We have several interpretations of our findings', 'In conclusion'. Such comments indicate to the listener that the talk is about to move another step along the path. Moreover, they actually tell the listener what the next section of the talk is going to be about.
Be Animated. As speaker, it is your job to create a sense of energy in the room. If you are not interested or excited in what you are talking about, at least pretend that you are. You can be sure that few in the audience will pay you much attention if you seem bored by your own presentation. Without a doubt, an animated speaker will have an easier time capturing and holding the audience's attention. Vary your inflection, the loudness of your voice, the length of your pauses. A relentless monotone is a sure to promote daydreaming among your audience.
Also, some dos: speak clearly, keep an eye on the clock, practice your talk ahead of time, be responsive to the audience (if you sense they are starting to lose interest, move along quickly to the next section), and some don'ts: don't read your talk (although referring to notes is fine), don't talk too fast, don't speak too softly or tentatively. And finally, try to have fun. Yes, believe it or not, engaging an audience with some new information, a new perspective, perhaps with a few jokes interspersed, can be a very enjoyable experience. Good luck!!
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Know the Purpose of the Discussion. Leading a discussion, and doing it well, is not as easy as it looks. It requires quite a bit of planning and an understanding of group dynamics. The first thing a discussion leader needs to know is the purpose of the discussion. Although discussions in different classes may differ in their specific objectives, most classroom discussions strive to enhance students' understanding of the subject matter. Thus, class discussions are a learning tool used by the instructor to complement other learning tools such as lectures, labs, field trips, papers, and presentations. If you are a leader of a class discussion, you need to know, or decide on, what the class should learn as a result of participating in the discussion. Class members may learn many other things during the course of the discussion as well, but having learning goals is what distinguishes an academic class discussion from a 'bull session' back in the dorm.
Preparation. If you will be leading a discussion along with one or more students, you should get together with the other students ahead of time so that you can agree on the learning goals of the discussion. Examples of learning goals include: increasing understanding of specific principles, processes, or ideas; evaluating or reevaluating certain arguments or perspectives; and increasing self-awareness. At this meeting, you should develop a list of questions or statements you can use to promote discussion. By getting together with the other discussion leaders you will also be able to decide how you will share responsibility during the discussion. For example, you might decide that each of you will assume primary responsibility for a specific portion of the discussion.
Initiating Discussion. The primary mistake made by novice discussion leaders is that they talk too much. Remember, your job is not to make an oral presentation but to promote discussion by others. Generally, you will initiate discussion by asking a question, or making a statement and asking for a response. If you are lucky, someone in the class will respond promptly to your questions. But sometimes your question will be met with a long and uncomfortable silence. In fact, this is usually what happens at the outset of the discussion when members do not yet feel at ease. What you do in response to this silence is crucial. Above all, do not answer your own question or begin a presentation of the material. This simply informs the class that they need not respond since you will do that for them. Wait 'em out! They are uncomfortable too and eventually someone will say something to start the discussion.
Managing the Discussion. Once the discussion is going, you are faced with the delicate but extremely important task of providing periodic direction to the discussion while still giving it considerable autonomy. Discussions rapidly take on a life of their own and it is important that you give the discussion freedom to grow and evolve in its own way. Students will rapidly lose interest in participating if it becomes clear that only certain types of responses are acceptable. At the same time, you need to keep an eye on your learning objectives and prevent the discussion from veering too far away from the subject at hand. Remember, this is an academic class discussion and not an extracurricular bull session. If the discussion has strayed too far afield, or if you need to move on due to time constraints, simply interrupt the discussion and announce that you want to bring the focus back to the original topic, or that you need to take up the next issue.
Ending the Discussion. At the end of the discussion, take a minute or two to make a few summary comments regarding the discussion. This is also an excellent time to reemphasize certain points associated with the discussion's learning goals.
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Scientists often need to write abstracts of their papers or presentations. The purpose of the abstract is to provide the reader with an overview of the essential aspects of the paper or presentation. Readers often decide whether to listen to a talk or to read an article on the basis of the abstract. Thus, being able to write a good abstract is an important skill to have. Writing an abstract is often a challenge because one is often limited to just a few hundred words. These constraints can be helpful though, since they force the writer to identify the fundamental aspects of the research or presentation. Basically, an abstract provides a very brief overview of the four major parts of a scientific paper--introduction, methods, results, and discussion. (Abstracts of other types of presentations, e.g., review papers, will have a somewhat different organization.) The following guidelines are intended for abstracts with 150-250 word restrictions. This is a typical length restriction for most papers presented at scientific meetings.
The first one or two sentences of an abstract should provide a context for the specific study being presented. A good approach is to briefly describe the larger scientific issues or questions that are motivating scientists to conduct research of this type? Following a one or two sentence introduction, one should clearly and explicitly state the purpose of the study. This can be done in a variety of ways, e.g., "The purpose of this study was...", "This study attempted to answer the following two questions/to test the following two hypotheses", "This study had two objectives....". Following the statement of purpose, the general methodological approach should be described (one or two sentences). For field studies, the study site should be stated as well. Major results should be summarized in one or two sentences. The abstract should conclude with a final sentence or two in which the significance or ramifications of the findings are briefly stated. These final sentences should connect the findings with one or more of the larger ideas stated in the opening two sentences.
A good abstract is not hard to write once you know the key elements to include. In many cases, it will be possible to lift entire sentences out of your paper to include in your abstract. Conversely, after writing a good abstract, in which you have distilled your ideas into a few clear and compelling sentences, you might want to lift a few sentences out of your abstract and include them in your paper!
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The purpose of first drafts is to get ideas on paper and to try out a plan of organization for those ideas. Thus, much of the efforts of a first draft is experimental. For example, when writing first drafts yourself, you should error on including, rather than excluding, information and ideas. That is, the first draft is the time to see if an idea or approach works or not. If you leave it out, neither you nor another reader will be able to evaluate that idea.
As a reviewer, you should concentrate on the larger and more general issues of the paper. Is there a natural progression of sections and ideas in the paper, or would an alternative organization work better? Is the topic so broad that ideas are treated only superficially? Do some sections or aspects of the paper work much better than other sections? Has the topic been adequately researched? Is the writing style clear and readable? What aspect of the paper is strongest? Weakest? These are examples of the types of questions you should address when providing feedback on a first draft. You should not focus on spelling, grammar, and sentence construction. These nuts and bolt issues are important in the final draft but not in the first draft. If the first draft is filled with a large number of typos and spelling and grammatical errors, a simple comment to this effect is all that is needed.
You should provide feedback to the author using global comments in the form of a memo, as opposed to detailed comments throughout the text. That is, on the back of the paper, the cover page if there is room, on a separate sheet of paper, you should address a memo to the author. In this memo, you should select only a few aspects of the paper to address. Concentrate on emphasizing what is working well and what most needs to be changed to improve the paper. In most cases, the rewrite will be better if the author is focusing on a couple of key aspects of the paper, rather than trying to respond to a long and detailed list of inadequacies. Like all memos, your comments should be in the form of a letter, starting with the author's name and ending with your name. You may include a limited amount of comments in the text of the paper itself, but do not mark up the paper excessively. Again, emphasis on the small details of the paper at this point may actually undermine the attention that needs to be given to the larger scale issues of organization and presentation.
When giving your own first draft to a reviewer, consider providing the reviewer with some guidance. For example, if you tried to take a particular approach, ask the reviewer to specifically address that point. If you are having difficulty with a particular section, ask the reviewer for his or her assessment of what is needed in that section. If used effectively, a good reviewer can play a vital role in the development of a paper.
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(In the area of Ecology and Environmental Studies)
Study Away--It Can Change Your Life. For many students, their study away experience is one of the highlights of their undergraduate education. For some students, it is the beginning of a series of experiences leading to an eventual career. For example, as a result of their positive experience, some students enroll in the Peace Corps following graduation from Macalester and then enter graduate school in ecology of environmental studies when they return from the Peace Corps. In any case, your study away experience will likely change you in important ways. It is worth the time and effort to select the program that will be best for you. (Note: students majoring in Biology should note that they have the opportunity to major in Biology with an International Studies Emphasis.)
Study Away at Macalester. The purpose of study away programs at Macalester is to give students an opportunity pursue their primary academic interests in another region of the world. Study away is not intended to be an introduction to a discipline. Instead, it is expected that students will build on knowledge and perspective they have already gained through their course work at Macalester. In almost all instances, students need to demonstrate in their application how the study away program they have selected will enhance their studies in their major. Since the study away program will be an integral part of your curriculum, it is important that you discuss your plans with your academic adviser. Students can find more information about specific programs from the International Center.
Selecting the Best Program for Yourself. Ecological and environmental issues always have a geographical component to them. For example, the ecology of Minnesota forests is different than the ecology of the forests of Costa Rica. And the environmental problems of St. Paul are not the same as the environmental problems of rural Kenya. The only way to study an ecological or environmental issue directly (as opposed to reading about it) is to travel to the site of interest. This is why students interested in ecology and/or environmental studies often choose to study off campus for a semester. Fortunately, there are a large number of study away programs in the area of ecology and environmental studies. While this gives students considerable choice, it may also make the decision more difficult. You can make this process easier for yourself by answering the following questions. The more questions you can answer, the fewer the number of programs you will need to review and the greater the chance that you will select the best program for yourself.
Is there a particular region or country of the world that interests you? For example, do you want to study in Latin America, Africa, Eastern Europe, Australia, the Caribbean, the United States? Narrowing your search of programs to a particular country or region of the world will make your selection process much smaller.
Are you more interested in studying in an urban or rural setting? Some programs are based in cities, often with a focus on urban ecology or environmental issues while others are based in rural areas such as national parks and focus more on the ecology of natural systems and the impact of humans on these systems. Most programs located in cities are based in universities while those in rural areas tend to be based at a field site (see next question). Do you want to study in a university or a field site? Some study away programs in the areas of ecology and environmental studies are based in universities. In these programs, students enroll in courses much like they would at Macalester. Through field trips, students on these programs usually have the opportunity to visit different sites or even to conduct some field research, althought the extent of this opportunity varies substantially from program to program. Students studying at a university often find it easy to interact with students of that country, especially when they are taking courses together. Study away programs based at field sites usually consist only of the American students enrolling in the program and the instructors. Depending on the program, students studying at field sites sometimes travel to a number of sites throughout the country. Computer and scientific equipment are usually less available on these programs than programs based in a university. Students on field site programs normally spend extensive times in the field and almost always conduct a significant independent project of some kind.
Do you want to focus on field biology or are you more interested in a multi-disciplinary program? Programs with a clearly defined ecological focus are usually better equipped to give students a more in depth scientific experience. These programs primarily attract biology majors and usually tend to be more scientifically rigorous. Programs committed to a multi-disciplinary approach often address both ecological and cultural issues and are better able to give students a more wholistic overview of the regions. These programs tend to attract a more diverse group of students with a more heterogenous academic background. While this diversity brings with it some benefits, it usually means that the level of instruction is more elementary than in the strictly biologically focused programs.
Do you want to study terrestrial or aquatic systems? Although most programs focus on terrestrial systems (temperate or tropical forests, savannas and grasslands, urban areas), some study away programs focus on aquatic systems, particularly marine environments, e.g., in the South Pacific, the Caribbean, the North Sea, and the Atlantic Ocean. Students can study freshwater ecology and issues at the ACM Wilderness Field Station in Ely, Minnesota.
Would you like to conduct an independent research project? An independent field research project is part of virtually all field based study away programs and in some university based programs. These independent projects are usually several weeks to a month long and are usually done individually or with a partner. Most students completing an independent research project on a study away program use that project as the basis for their Biology Senior Presentation or Honors Project. In some cases, internships, rather than independents, are available to students on university based programs.
How important to you is a language and cultural component of the program? While most programs have some sort of a language and/or cultural component, programs differ substantially in the emphasis of these aspects. Programs differ in the amount of language ability required to participate in the program. In some programs, all courses are taught in English while in others, some or even all the courses are taught in the language of the host country. Some programs have a several week to a month homestay for students. Living with a family, as opposed to other American students, will give a student a deeper understanding of the local culture as well as significantly improve a student's language skills.
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Although students may consult with many faculty members on academic matters, each student at Macalester has only one formal academic adviser. The academic adviser is the faculty member who must approve a student's various academic plans, such as course registrations and study away proposals. Students are assigned an academic adviser when they enter Macalester. In most cases, a student's first adviser will be the instructor of the student's first year seminar. In other instances, the adviser will have been assigned on the basis of the student's declared academic interests at the time of admission. In any case, this assignment should not be interpreted as an unbreachable contract. It is expected that many students will change advisers at some point during college. Although changing advisers is an easy thing to do, it is normally not a good idea to switch advisers frequently. Your relationship with your adviser is just that, 'a relationship', and like all relationships, it takes time to develop fully. The most effective (and enjoyable) student/adviser relationships usually develop over several years. When considering a change in advisers, students often have a number of questions.
Do I need to change advisers? Of course, you do not have to change advisers. If you were assigned an adviser whom you like and who is in your major department or program (see below), stay with that faculty member.
What should I consider when selecting a new adviser? Although not required, it is highly recommended that a student select as an adviser a faculty member in his/her major field. If a student has more than one major, the student will need to choose a faculty member in just one of the majors to be the formal academic adviser. However, students pursuing more than one major are encouraged to develop an informal advising relationship with a faculty member in the other major. Besides considering the department or program affiliation of faculty members, you should also try to select an adviser who shares your particular interests in the broader discipline in which you have decided to major. In addition, you you need to select a faculty member with whom you feel comfortable discussing your academic interests, experiences, and aspirations.
When should I change advisers? Since students at Macalester do not have to declare a major until the end of their second year, does this mean that students cannot switch advisers until then? Not at all. If you are quite sure of your major choice, you might consider switching to an adviser in that department or program as early as the second semester of the first year. This will give you and your adviser more time to develop the best academic plan for yourself, inclucing coursework during your sophomore year.
How do I change advisers? Changing advisers is extremely simple. Get a change-of-advisers form from Academic Programs, have your new adviser sign it, and return the form to Academic Programs. That is all there is to it. (And, no you will not hurt the feelings of your old adviser.)
In summary, selecting the right adviser for yourself is one of the most important decisions you will make at Macalester. A good adviser can enhance your college experience immensely and even help you define and develop your life after Macalester. For many students, the relationship with their adviser does not end when they graduate but continues for many years.
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What are class memos? Memos are letters you will write to one or more students in the class. You will write a memo approximately every other week. The topic of the memo is up to you. There are only two requirements for the memos. They need to address a topic that is related to the course, and they need to be thoughtfully written. For example, you might write a memo describing your response to one of the assigned outside readings; or you could write about an article you read (or a TV show you saw) that was related to some of the topics we have been discussing in class; or you could explain how another course is influencing the way you interpret ideas in this course, or how this course is influencing your experience in another course; or you might write about a recent summer experience, internship, or study away experience that is related to this class. Once you have received some memos, you might want your next memo to be a response to one of the memos you received. The possibilities for topics are endless.
Why are we writing class memos? The best reason to go to a good school like Macalester is not because of the great faculty, the excellent library, or the dominant athletic teams. The best reason to go to a good school is because that is where the other good students go. At schools like Macalester, students represent an enormous educational resource, one that is usually not fully exploited by students themselves. The purpose of the class memos is to encourage academic discussions and interactions between students. All too often classes can become a collection of multiple dialogues between individual students and the professor. Each student writes papers and takes exams which the professor reads, grades and returns to the student. While dialogues between students and the professor are an important and essential part of a liberal arts education they should not be the only educational discourse taking place. The purpose of the memos, like the discussion days, are to make sure that there are conversations between students taking place regularly throughout the semester.
Nuts and bolts. There is no length requirement for memos, however a memo of a brief paragraph is probably not thoughtful enough. A typical memo is about a page long, although it is not uncommon for a student to write two or more pages on a topic about which the student is passionate. Although students usually write their memos on the computer, they can be hand written as long as the memo is legible. You should date your memo and address your memo to a specific person or persons in class, e.g., Dear Bill, Ann and Javier, or TO: Bill, Ann, and Javier. And you should sign your memo. When memos are due, you need to bring a copy to everyone to whom you have addressed your memo and in addition you need to bring an extra copy to be turned in to Professor Davis.
Grading. If memos were graded, students would often be writing them partly for the Professor's benefit, a result that would defeat the purpose of memos. (However, keep in mind that Professor Davis will read your memos.) Memos are a required part of the course and are in fact an easy way to increase your point total. For each thoughtful memo turned in, you will receive five points (up to the required number of memos for the class, usually six or seven.). For each memo not turned in, five points will be deducted from your class point total.
Remember, if you want to receive memos, you need to write memos.
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The most important thing that I do as a faculty member is to support students in their academic, personal, and professional development. Often this assistance is in the form of letters of recommendation for jobs, off campus-study programs, and graduate and professional schools. The more information I have available to me, the better will be my letter of support for you. Thus, I ask that you provide me with the following materials so that I can write you the best letter possible. --Mark Davis
Material and Information Needed (Please provide these materials in a single packet)
--a copy of your cover letter, application, or statement of intent for the job or program. This does not need to be your final draft, but this is important because it tells me why you are interested in the job or program.
--an updated copy of your resume. If you do not have a resume, this is an ideal time to create one. The Career Development Center offers excellent assistance in developing a resume and I recommend that you make an appointment with the Center if you do not yet have a resume.
--a list of courses that you have taken that are relevant to the desired job/program. Provide this information unless it is already included in your cover letter or application.
--your GPA, if it is not included on your resume. If it is good, I may mention it; if it is not so good, I will probably will not mention it.
--any other information that would be useful to me, e.g., other relevant experiences or abilities, explanations of extenuating circumstances that might explain a low GPA during one year, etc.
--a stamped and addressed envelope for each job/program to which you are applying.
--a note stating when each recommendation is due.
A final note: if asked on the recommendation form, you should check the box withdrawing your right to see the recommendation. A confidentially written recommendation usually will carry more weight. If you have some doubts regarding the nature of the letter I might write, you should speak to me ahead of time.
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For many students, an internship is one of their most valuable academic experiences at Macalester. However, good internships do not just happen by themselves. They require planning on the part of the student and sponsoring faculty member. They also require a high level of commitment, independence, and sense of responsibility by the student.
The intern's relationship with their site is a mutualistic one. The student brings relevant knowledge and abilities that will benefit the site hosting the internship. In return, the student gains professional and technical experience, is provided mentoring, acquires new knowledge, develops skills, and begins to establish a network of professional contacts. Thus, an internship is normally undertaken after the student has acquired some skills and knowledge at the college level. In addition, since internships often can help students make the transition from college to post-college life, an ideal time to do an internship is during the junior or senior year.
Selecting the Internship. Selecting the right internship for you is the first important step. Given Macalester's location in the Twin Cities, an almost unlimited range of internships is possible. One useful way to identify appropriate internships is to pick a possible career path, or path of future study, and look for an internship in that area. This will give you an opportunity to see what work in this field is really like and to work with people who are professionals in the field now. Internship opportunities are listed at the Internship office and in the Biology Office. But you are not limited to these listings. Faculty members are sometimes aware of other opportunities and you are free to identify others as well.
Requirements. You must select as your faculty sponsor one of the faculty members in Biology Department. Internships can be taken for 1 to 4 credits. Students are expected to put in a minimum of 140 hours for a 4 credit internship. This translates into 10 hours per week for an internship during a semester. Summer internships can be spread out over a 4-12 week period providing the minimum hour requirement is met. Spring internships can often be started during January which reduces the number of hours per week that must be spent on the internship during the spring. It is expected that the majority of hours will be spent on site. If the student spends little time on site, the experience becomes more of an Independent than an Internship. You should keep a log of your hours.
Since you will be earning academic credit for this internship, you will need to produce some final materials, in addition to fulfilling the hour requirement. This is just like any other course, in which you receive credit not simply for attending class, but for writing papers, taking exams, etc. The nature of the final product will vary with the internship and will be defined by you and your faculty sponsor, usually about half way through the internship.
Setting up the Internship. It often takes a few weeks to set up an internship. It is highly advisable that you set up your internship during the latter period of preceding term. Thus, think ahead! Start researching possible internships several months in advance. This will give you time to select an internship that will benefit you the most and enable you to have the paperwork completed when the term begins. If you do not start the internship at the beginning of the term, you will need to put in more time per week to reach the minimum hour requirement, and this often interferes with other academic and extracurricular responsibilities.
Learning Contract. The learning contract is an important way for all parties to be clear at the outset what is being expected of you. It also provides some assurance for you that you will not simply be used as a gopher or office clerk. We generally recommend that students include three different categories of goals. One or more goals should be content oriented, e.g., I want to learn more about the ecology of the Mississippi River Basin, the biology of AIDs, etc. One or more goals should be skill oriented, e.g., I want to improve my writing/interviewing/computer/teaching/laboratory/bird identification skills. And one or more could be a personal goal, e.g., I want to find out if this is an area I might want to pursue as a career. Once the goals are listed, the strategies are usually fairly obvious. Evaluation usually ranges from feedback from the site supervisor, to evaluation of the final materials by the faculty sponsor, to self-reflection for the personal goals. The final grade is a combination of the site supervisor's evaluation and your faculty sponsor's evaluation of your final product. Before meeting with your faculty member to go over your learning contract, do a rough draft of the contract on a separate sheet of paper. Together, you and your faculty sponsor can review the draft and then after you have agreed to a final version, you can transfer it to the official learning contract form.
Contact with the Faculty Sponsor. Students should check with their faculty sponsor about every two weeks, assuming everything is going well, to provide a brief update on how things are going. However, if something is not going well, you should contact your faculty sponsor immediately. About the middle of the term, you and your faculty sponsor will meet to finalize the nature of your final product. While your faculty sponsor is available to help you, it is important for you to know that you are mostly on your own. Faculty are not looking over your shoulder or calling your site supervisor regularly to check up on you. This is a very important opportunity for you to take a professional attitude toward yourself. You are responsible for making sure that you meet the hour requirements and meet any other expectations set for you by your site supervisor and faculty sponsor.
What should you do now? If you have not already done so, you should pick up the packet of information, including the Learning Contract, from the Internship Office. Then, you should contact a faculty member about being a sponsor for your internship.
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'Echoes' may resonate with just about everyone
Regardless of age, gender, religion or ethnic background, one thing unites most of the world: a fascination with Ancient Egypt. On both scholarly and popular levels, interest is an "almost universal phenomenon."
With that awareness, the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History will embark on one of its most ambitious exhibits of recent years: "Echoes of Egypt: Conjuring the Land of the Pharaohs."
Incorporating more than 100 objects from various Yale University collections, as well as those on loan from other prestigious institutions around the country, "Echoes of Egypt" is expected to attract tens of thousands of visitors during its run, Saturday, April 13, through Saturday, Jan. 4.
Curator of the landmark exhibition is Dr. Colleen Manassa, an associate professor of Egyptology at Yale's department of Near Eastern languages and civilizations. She is credited as author or co-author of five books and more than 20 articles and directs an on-going archaeological expedition at the Moalla Survey Project in Egypt.
The overall aim of the exhibition, Manassa said, is to help "merge interest in modern Egypt with interest in ancient Egypt ... and to look at how Egypt has been re-imagined through the millennia" influencing art, architecture and literature in a host of different periods and cultures.
Paintings, literary works, movie posters and ancient artifacts are used to tell the story.
More InformationIf You Go: Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History, is at 170 Whitney Ave., New Haven. "Echoes of Egypt" will be on view April 12 through Jan. 4. Hours are Monday-Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sundays noon to 5 p.m. Admission is $9, $5 for 3-18 years of age; $8 for senior citizens. The museum is free for all visitors Thursdays 2 to 5 p.m., through May. 203-432-5050; www.peabody.yale.edu
Although many of us are transfixed by Egypt, such a reaction is not new or unusual, Manassa said.
She referred to an 1845 quote by Denison Olmstead, a professor of astronomy and natural philosophy at Yale University, at the laying of the cornerstone of the New Haven City Burial Ground (Grove Street Cemetery) gateway. Built in an Egyptian Revival style, the gateway was designed by Henry Austin and completed in 1847.
Written nearly 170 years ago, Olmstead's remarks seem to be as fitting today: "Dignified and beautifully proportioned, [the gateway] is symbolic of an attitude toward the dead and their part in the hereafter, expressive, but respectful and reverential, which arose in the valley of the Nile centuries before Christianity and is consequently so detached from modern creeds, prejudices or sentiments that it can appeal to any belief."
Manassa said that quote speaks to the enduring awe for ancient Egypt.
Two years in the making, the exhibition will include "one of the most diverse collections of ancient Egyptian-influenced objects ever assembled," Manassa said, adding that the exhibit will reflect a range of cultures.
Visitors will enter the exhibit through a scaled-down reproduction of the cemetery's famous gateway, or pylon. Other highlights will include a display on the meaning and changing uses of hieroglyphs; a unique copy of a medieval Arabic attempt to translate hieroglyphs, on loan from the Bibliothèque Nationale de France, never before displayed in the United States; and a diorama that depicts a mummy unwrapping in 19th-century Philadelphia, complete with Pa-Ib, a 4,000 year-old-female mummy on loan from Bridgeport's Barnum Museum.
"We're always very happy to partner with a neighboring institution," said Barnum Museum Registrar Melissa Houston.
Egyptology fans take note: On Saturday, April 13, the Peabody will post on its website directions for a driving tour of Connecticut of several monuments and other sites done in Egyptian Revival designs.
Some events planned in conjunction with the exhibit:
"The Egyptian Heritage in the Digital Age," with Dr. Fathi Saleh, professor of computer engineering at Cairo University, founder and emeritus director of CULTNAT, Egypt's new archaeological database, Saturday, April 13, at 5:30 p.m., reception to follow.
"Coptic Fabrics and the Fauves," with Nancy Arthur Hoskins, independent textile scholar, Monday, April 15, at 5:30 p.m.
"David Roberts: A Victorian Artist Footloose in Egypt and the Holy Land," with art history scholar Dr. Robert Grant Irving, (Yale '78), Wednesday, April 24, at 5:30 p.m.
firstname.lastname@example.com; http://twitter.com/PhyllisASBoros; http://www.ctpost.com/boros/
If you go
Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History, 170 Whitney Ave., New Haven. "Echoes of Egypt" will be on view April 13 through Jan. 4. Hours are Monday-Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sundays noon to 5 p.m. Admission is $9, $5 for 3-18 years of age; $8 for senior citizens. The museum is free for all visitors Thursdays 2 to 5 p.m., through May. 203-432-5050; www.peabody.yale.edu.

subset: commoncrawl


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After the NCAA expanded the tournament in 1985, it added a shot clock the next season and the 3-point line the year after that.
The result: The game has never been the same.
The 3-point line
The addition of the 3-point line forever altered basketball strategy.
It was arguably the biggest change since the 1952-53 season, when teams were no longer allowed to waive free throws after fouls in favor of getting the ball out of bounds. One of the goals was to expand the action away from the lane, where the teams with the biggest players focused the majority of their offensive efforts.
The 3-point line put a renewed emphasis on players' ability to shoot from the outside, which also helped smaller players play larger roles in the game. The Southern Conference began experimenting with a 3-point line in the 1980-81 season, and the ACC and Big Ten followed for the 1982-83 campaign. A 19-foot, 9-inch arc was officially established for all schools at the start of the 1986-87 season, then was extended to 20 feet, 9 inches for the 2008-09 season.
Like most changes, this rule wasn't universally embraced by coaches, but it could not be ignored. And it made an immediate impact.
Remember that jumper Keith Smart hit to lift Indiana to the national championship in 1987, the first year of the 3-pointer? That shot wasn't from beyond the arc, but the Hoosiers were only in the position to shoot a game-winner against Syracuse because Steve Alford had gone 7-for-10 from 3-point range.
Many of the most memorable NCAA Tournament moments are more obviously linked to the addition of the 3-point line. In the 1991 Final Four, Bobby Hurley's 3-pointer with 2:15 left cut UNLV's lead from five points to two, and Duke went on to win that game and then the national championship two days later. The defining shot of the 2008 championship game between Memphis and Kansas was the 3-pointer Jayhawks guard Mario Chalmers hit with 2.1 seconds left to send the game to overtime, where Kansas outscored Memphis, 12-5.
By the numbers: The 3-point line
Last year without it: 1985-86
69.4 points per game
First year with it: 1986-87
3.5 3-point FGs made per game
9.2 3-point FG attempts per game
38.4 3-point FG percentage
72.8 points per game
First year with 35-second shot clock: 1993-94
5.7 3-point FGs made per game
16.3 3-point FG attempts per game
34.5 3-point FG percentage
75.0 points per game
Last year: 2010-11
6.3 3-point FGs made per game
18.2 3-point FG attempts per game
34.5 3-point FG percentage
69.1 points per game
A COACH'S TAKE: Dale Brown
Brown, who coached LSU from 1972-97 and took the Tigers to two Final Fours (1981, '86), says: "Never liked it from the day it was passed, and dislike it more now than ever after being retired 15 years from coaching. I sat with John Wooden, my mentor of 40 years, one time in a modest condominium in Encino, and we were talking about it. He said, 'I don't like it, either.' I said, 'Why don't you like it, Coach?' He said, 'It doesn't make sense to me. A team that's well-oiled, well-disciplined, they pass the ball around, they work hard, come off a screen and get a layup, and it counts for two points. But somebody can throw one up from outer space and they get three points. It creates bad shots,' he said, 'and it stimulates people to be more selfish from the 3-point line.' And I really do agree with that. Some people embraced it. I think Rick Pitino did the best job in the country in embracing it and using it in his offense effectively. We were held hostage. We had to use it."
The shot clock
The low-scoring outliers are eye-popping.
In one 1973 game on the road against a powerful Tennessee team, Temple went into a dedicated stall, which succeeded in keeping the Owls in the game. They didn't win, though, and the resulting 11-6 final score will never be matched.
On February 24, 1979, fourth-ranked North Carolina made its annual trip to Cameron Indoor Stadium to play sixth-ranked Duke. Tar Heels coach Dean Smith ran his famous Four Corners offense in an effort to force the Blue Devils out of their zone, but Duke wouldn't budge. After the Blue Devils scored the game's opening bucket, Carolina held the ball for 11 minutes. The score at halftime was 7-0 in Duke's favor. The Blue Devils eventually won by those seven points, 47-40.
On December 29, 1981, an unranked Notre Dame team ran a stall against fourth-ranked Kentucky and took the game to overtime before losing. By Sports Illustrated's count, coach Digger Phelps' Irish made 213 consecutive passes during one particular possession.
But the problem wasn't just those individual stall-heavy games. College basketball was slowing down. In the 1972-73 season, teams took an average of 69.6 field goal attempts per game. By the 1983-84 season, it was down to 55.6 attempts.
Something had to change.
So, beginning with the 1985-86 season, the NCAA adopted a 45-second shot clock. The fear among coaches was that it would be harder for underdogs to stay in games if they couldn't control the clock when they had the ball. Would Villanova have been able to upset Georgetown in the 1985 NCAA championship game with a shot clock? The Wildcats took only 10 shots—and made nine of them—in a carefully orchestrated second half.
Turns out, the change didn't dramatically affect the way the majority of games were played; 45 seconds was still plenty of time for ball-control teams to execute their plans. The real difference came in that a team nursing a narrow lead couldn't attempt to hold the ball for the last four or five minutes, which made the ends of games much more compelling.
There have been a couple of tweaks to the shot clock rule since 1985-86. Beginning in the 1991-92 season, the shot clock was reset only when the ball hit the rim; until then, it was reset when the ball left the shooter's hands. And then the big one, obviously, came in the 1993-94 season, when the shot clock was reduced from 45 seconds to 35 seconds.
By the numbers: The 45-second clock
Last year without it: 1984-85
57.0 FG attempts per game 69.2 points per game
First year with it: 1985-86
57.3 FG attempts per game 69.4 points per game
The 35-second clock
Last year without it: 1992-93
58.6 FG attempts per game 73.6 points per game
First year with it: 1993-94
60.6 FG attempts per game 75.0 points per game
Last year: 2010-11
55.3 FG attempts per game 69.1 points per game
A COACH'S TAKE: Billy Tubbs
Tubbs, who coached from 1976-2006 and took Oklahoma to the NCAA championship game in 1988, says: "I loved the shot clock coming in, but it didn't change things for us at all. We'd always taken a 'first open shot' mentality, so, no, it didn't change. I remember the first time we played Loyola Marymount when I was at Oklahoma, and we didn't clock it, but somebody did, and the average possession was 7 seconds. I think what brought that about was the fact that teams like North Carolina would go Four Corners, and teams were holding the ball. Well, they put in the shot clock, and what's changed? I saw a game the other day where the score at halftime was 30-12. Wow. How exciting is that? The question I've always had about the shot clock is, why does men's basketball have the longest shot clock still in existence? I mean, we have a 35-second shot clock. The ladies have a 30-second shot clock, international rules has (24), NBA rules has 24, and then college basketball … well, wake up a little bit. They'll maybe go to a 24-second shot clock because it's getting boring as hell. We really did need to reduce the shot clock. The game of college basketball needs to be sped up."


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Industry News
Farouk Systems Promotes Two to Business Development
Farouk Systems has announced the promotions of Sonya Douet and Farah Faulkner to the newly created positions of directors of business development. The announcement was made by Stuart Feldshon, senior vice president of sales.
"It is a pleasure to reward two dedicated Farouk Systems members to this newly created position," said Feldshon. "We are excited to add this extra level of support to our distributors."
Andre Chiavelli, executive vice president of global corporate strategy, said, "Our strategy is to create a new level of management to give our great team the opportunity to move up as their talents continue to excel."
According to Basim Shami, CEO of Farouk Systems, "Farah and Sonya have done so well in their positions, we are confident in our decision to enhance their roles within the company to provide our partners, BSG and SalonCentric with the best merchandising support possible."
Douet will be leading the development of BSG/CosmoProf in North America and Faulkner will be taking over the SalonCentric account. They will both report to Feldshon. Visit farouk.com.


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Teaching MethodologyIdea by Gurinder singh Sahota | added on Dec 02, 2011 09:20PM Discussion
Teaching generally emphasizes the basic concepts and ignore the excitement and application part of chemistry.
Don't confuse the students with soo many basic concepts of chemistry. let them feel free. arouse their interest how chemistry is involved in everyday routine like materials, technology, medicine, paints etc. so that they can get a feel. when they would become interested in any discipline of chemistry, they automatically tend to learn that chemistry themselves, which will make them self learner. tell them how they can start innovative business in chemistry. do not force them to get a degree with good marks. teacher should make them approachable to students. their research quality would be upgraded if they genereate enthuiasm for the chemistry among the students.students should feel proud to be a chemist. otherwise students having no interest, innovation will continue to dominate. now a days, even i observe that phd degree is normal for students who donot even now what chemistry is all about. students smust be innovative and quick learner as the most of students are in iits of india.
|engaging the youth
|students, general public, teachers, scientists, global
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Mankato Bans E-Cigs in Most Indoor Places
MANKATO, Minn. (AP) - The Mankato City Council has voted to ban electronic cigarettes in most indoor places in town.
The council approved the ban 6-1 Monday night. The ordinance takes effect in just over a month.
Reports say a dozen residents asked the council to treat e-cigarettes the same way as traditional cigarettes and cigars.
E-cigarettes use a smoke-free process to deliver vaporized nicotine to users. Opponents claim the devices, which comes in flavors such as bubble gum or cotton candy, are aimed a young people and may prove dangerous to people who breathe in secondhand vapor.
Others argued the ban would infringe on personal freedom and that there's no proof e-cigarettes are dangerous.
The ban will take effect 30 days after the city publishes the new ordinance.


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TORONTO (AP) — Toronto's deputy mayor promised a more cooperative approach to governing on Tuesday after assuming the powers that were stripped from scandal-plagued Mayor Rob Ford.
Mayor Rob Ford vowed "outright war" after city council stripped him of most of his remaining powers over his admitted crack cocaine use and heavy drinking.
The council voted overwhelmingly Monday in favor of slashing Ford's office budget by 60 percent and allowing mayoral staff to join the deputy mayor, Norm Kelly. Ford now effectively has no legislative power, as he will no longer chair the executive committee, though he retains his title and ability to represent Toronto at official functions
"There will still be a commitment to fiscal conservatism, but it may be expressed in a more co-operative (way) and more sensitive to the arguments and positions of others," Kelly said.
In an interview broadcast on ABC's "Good Morning America" Tuesday, Ford accused city councilors of attacking him for personal reasons and suggested many of them were guilty of the same behavior he has admitted to.
"All they did was stab me in the back over issues, the same issues that I've admitted to that they do, but nobody knows about it," he said.
He again denied he had a serious problem with alcohol, though he said he was getting help from "health care professionals on a number of issues" and promised the public would see a difference in him in five months.
"Do I excessively drink once in a while, or it's called binge drinking whatever term you want to use? Yes I have. I absolutely have," Ford said.
Ford has apologized for his drug use and drinking. But he and his brother, City Councilor Doug Ford, have also frequently lashed out at journalists and politicians, demanding to know whether they have ever used drugs, gotten behind the wheel drunk or otherwise misbehaved.
The mayor has suggested in the past that other councilors are on drugs but that he is "not a rat" and will not name them.
Despite his defiant attitude, Ford and his lawyer promised that the mayor was changing his ways and has not had a drop of alcohol in three weeks. His lawyer, Dennis Morris, said the mayor is addressing his substance abuse problems and working out two hours a day.
"Hundred percent he's involved in treatment, not for alcoholism, but something related to alcohol. He is not an alcoholic. I've spoken to his doctor and that's all I can tell you," Morris told The Associated Press in a telephone interview.
"He's addressing his substance abuse problems. A lot of things go with these things," Morris said. "It's a domino effect so there's that abuse combined with two or three other things that go along. Sometimes you eat too much."
"All these hours of idleness that were otherwise occupied by bad behavior are now replaced with good behavior," he added.


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Because They Got High?: The 2 Fake KKK Members Respond Back & Want To Apologise! "It Was From Dave Chapelle Show. We Are Sorry. We Are Not Racist"
The 2 Teens who have a controversial video on the net sent us this video. They want to clear up they they are not part of KKK and They claim it was all a joke and that they are not racist in anyway. They say they were high when they did the video and were just acting out a scene from Dave Chapelle Show.
Please click the "Report" button below if the video on this page is not working properly.
Comments will only be displayed by verified emails. No Spamming or Racism.


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JS© wrote:canaan wrote:NFL arrests broken down by team, division, position, year, month, etc since 2000
Now name the 19 steeler incidents without cheating.
Here's what I can remember. 14/19 if my math is correct.Spoiler:Holmes (drugs, assault, and I want to say a third arrest for something in FLA, although that might be the assault)
Ced Wilson, Harrison, and Rainey (assault)
Reed x2 (drunken paper towel incident and for being Jeff Reed while with Matt Spaeth)
Spaeth (peeing in public)
Ta'amu (bumper cars)
Ward (DUI)
Porter(?, although this could be after he left Pittsburgh)
Siegler (for pimping. Yes, dude was a pimp. Was released shortly after training camp started after SB XL.)
Big Ben (his mototcycle incident)Kaizer wrote:This might be in bad taste but...he may have killed as many people as dzhokhar tsarnaev. Hardly someone they should be standing behind.
I don't think there's anything wrong with that statement.
I don't think BRoeth was arrested for the motorcycle incident. IIRC Deshea Townsend was arrested for an assault. Didn't Bettis have an assault charge at some point?


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HIS1003 World History Since 1500CE
|Semester 2, 2012 On-campus Springfield
|Units :
|Faculty or Section :
|Faculty of Arts
|School or Department :
|School of Humanities and Communication
Examiner: Catherine Dewhirst
Moderator: Robert Mason
Other requisites
Students will require access to e-mail and have internet access to UConnect for this course.
In a world of rapid change and narrow specialisation it is useful to develop a long-term perspective on the course of human history on a world, rather than a regional or national scale. This course introduces students to the early modern and modern phases of the history of globalisation. It encompasses a series of developments as people, communities, states and cultures became increasingly interconnected by varying degrees and at differing paces. In additional to such links, there is a focus on the movement of people, ideas, commodities and disease, and on the role of technology in the distribution of power and wealth across the globe.
This course, following World Civilizations to 1500CE, focuses on key developments in world history from 1492 to 1914, especially the rise of European empires and their interaction with Asian, American and African regions of the world from the Age of Discovery to the First World War. Specific events are discussed for their global significance with an emphasis on cultural exchange, political change, unfree labour, women and industrialisation. The approach in this course allows students to engage with world-systems theory, international relations, and globalization. The course can be taken as a stand-alone course. It is also particularly suited to Education students and is ideal as a general elective.
On completion of this course students will be able to:
- recognise, define and use the essential terminology of socio-historical analysis in a global context;
- discuss, briefly, the main events, places and people in the development of world history in the defined period;
- describe the broad parameters of the interaction of the major empires and states in the defined period;
- demonstrate competency in writing skills, bibliography, and documentation in the History discipline.
|Introduction: World Systems Theory, Basic Concepts in International Relations, the World in 1492
|The Emergence of Global Interrelations: The Ottoman and Safavid Empires, the European Renaissance, Europe, Africa, and the Slave Trade, Europe and the Western Hemisphere
|Asia and the Early Modern Era: Europe and South-East Asia, the Moghul Dynasty, the Ming Dynasty, the Manchu Dynasty, the Japanese Feudal State
|The West 1600-1800: Absolutism and Constitutionalism, the Age of Reason, Eastern Europe and Enlightened Despotism, Latin America, British North America and Independence Movements
|The Modernisation of the Western World: French Revolution and Napoleonic Era, Reform and Revolution in Nineteenth Century, Nationalism and Conflict in the West 1848-1914, Industrializing Societies, Western Cultural and Intellectual Trends
|The Race for Empire: Imperialism and Partition of Africa, Western Imperialism in Middle East and Asia, Emergence of Japan and USA as World Powers, Causes of World War I
Text and materials required to be purchased or accessed
ALL textbooks and materials available to be purchased can be sourced from USQ's Online Bookshop (unless otherwise stated). (https://bookshop.usq.edu.au/bookweb/subject.cgi?year=2012&sem=02&subject1=HIS1003)
Please contact us for alternative purchase options from USQ Bookshop. (https://bookshop.usq.edu.au/contact/)
Hopkins, AG (ed) 2002, Globalization in World History, Pimlico, London.
Stearns, PN, Gosch, SS and Grieshaber, EP 2012, Documents in World History, Volume 2, 6th edn, Pearson Education, New York.
Reference materials
Bayly, CA 2004, The Birth of the Modern World, 1750-1914: Global Connections and Comparisons, Blackwell, Oxford.
Goucher, CL, LeGuin, CA & Walton, LA 1998, In the Balance: Themes in Global History, McGraw Hill, Boston.
McNeill, W 1999, A World History, 4th edn, Oxford University Press, New York.
Reilly, K 2000, Worlds of History: A Comparative Reader since 1400, Vol 2, Bedford/St Martin's, Boston.
Upshur, JHL, Terry, J, Holoka, J, Goff, R, Cassar, G 2005, World History since 1500: The Age of Global Integration, Volume 2, 4th edn, West/Wadsworth, Belmont, CA.
Student workload requirements
|Private Study
Assessment details
|Marks out of
|Wtg (%)
|Due Date
|13 Aug 2012
|(see note 1)
|31 Aug 2012
|05 Oct 2012
|19 Oct 2012
|End S2
|(see note 2)
- Documentary Analyses are due two weeks after scheduled class discussion of the relevant topic. However, students are advised to select a document from topics by the end of week 1 at the latest.
- Exam dates will be advised when the timetable has been finalised
Important assessment information
Attendance requirements:
It is the students? responsibility to attend and participate appropriately in all activities (such as lectures, tutorials, laboratories and practical work) scheduled for them, and to study all material provided to them or required to be accessed by them to maximise their chance of meeting the objectives of the course and to be informed of course-related activities and administration. Students must attend and complete the requirements of the Workplace Health and Safety training program for this course where required.
Requirements for students to complete each assessment item satisfactorily:
To satisfactorily complete an individual assessment item a student must achieve at least 50% of the marks.
Penalties for late submission of required work:
If students submit assignments after the due date without (prior) approval of the examiner then a penalty of 5% of the total marks gained by the student for the assignment may apply for each working day late up to ten working days at which time a mark of zero may be recorded.
Requirements for student to be awarded a passing grade in the course:
To be assured of receiving a passing grade a student must achieve at least 50% of the total weighted marks available for the course.
Method used to combine assessment results to attain final grade:
The final grades for students will be assigned on the basis of the aggregate of the weighted marks obtained for each of the summative assessment items in the course.
Examination information:
Candidates are allowed to bring only writing and drawing instruments into the Closed examination.
Examination period when Deferred/Supplementary examinations will be held:
Any Deferred or Supplementary examinations for this course will be held during the next examination period.
University Student Policies:
Students should read the USQ policies: Definitions, Assessment and Student Academic Misconduct to avoid actions which might contravene University policies and practices. These policies can be found at http://policy.usq.edu.au.
Assessment notes
The due date for an assignment is the date by which a student must despatch the assignment to the USQ. The onus is on the student to provide proof of the despatch date, if requested by the Examiner.
Students must retain a copy of each item submitted for assessment. This must be despatched to USQ within 24 hours if required by the Examiner.
In accordance with University Policy, the Examiner may grant an extension of the due date of an assignment in extenuating circumstances.
If electronic submission of assessments is specified for the course, students will be notified of this in the course Introductory Book and on the USQ Study Desk. All required electronic submission must be made through the Assignment Drop Box located on the USQ Study Desk for the course, unless directed otherwise by the examiner of the course. The due date for an electronically submitted assessment is the date by which a student must electronically submit the assignment. The assignment files must be submitted by 11.55pm on the due date using USQ time (as displayed on the clock on the course home page; that is, Australian Eastern Standard Time).
If the method of assessment submission is by written, typed or printed paper-based media students should (i) submit to the Faculty Office for students enrolled in the course in the on-campus mode, or (ii) mail to the USQ for students enrolled in the course in the external mode. The due date for the assessment is the date by which a student must (i) submit the assessment for students enrolled in the on-campus mode, or (ii) mail the assessment for students enrolled in the external mode.
The Faculty will NOT normally accept submission of assessments by facsimile or email.
Students who do not have regular access to postal services for the submission of paper-based assessments, or regular access to Internet services for electronic submission, or are otherwise disadvantaged by these regulations may be given special consideration. They should contact the examiner of the course to negotiate such special arrangements prior to the submission date.
Students who have undertaken all of the required assessments in a course but who have failed to meet some of the specified objectives of a course within the normally prescribed time may be awarded one of the temporary grades: IM (Incomplete - Make up), IS (Incomplete - Supplementary Examination) or ISM (Incomplete -Supplementary Examination and Make up). A temporary grade will only be awarded when, in the opinion of the examiner, a student will be able to achieve the remaining objectives of the course after a period of non directed personal study.
Students who, for medical, family/personal, or employment-related reasons, are unable to complete an assignment or to sit for an examination at the scheduled time may apply to defer an assessment in a course. Such a request must be accompanied by appropriate supporting documentation. One of the following temporary grades may be awarded IDS (Incomplete - Deferred Examination; IDM (Incomplete Deferred Make-up); IDB (Incomplete - Both Deferred Examination and Deferred Make-up).
Students may be assigned an "Incomplete" grade to signify that all the requirements of the course have not yet been met. Students who are graded "I" can pass the course by successfully completing such additional work as prescribed by the examiner by a given date. Students who have been awarded an IM, ISM, IDM or IDB grade must access information regarding further work to be completed, in the Student Centre of U Connect. The Grades Page in the Student Centre contains information about further work to be completed. Students who have not completed the additional work to the satisfaction of the examiner by the given date will receive the appropriate Failing grade.
Other requirements
Students can expect that questions in assessment items in this course may draw upon knowledge and skills that they can reasonably be expected to have acquired before enrolling in the course. This includes knowledge contained in pre-requisite courses and appropriate communication, information literacy, analytical, critical thinking, problem solving or numeracy skills. Students who do not possess such knowledge and skills should not expect to achieve the same grades as those students who do possess them.


text:
1. An elusive ancestor I found: Nicolaas Jean Francois Wersel. 'Found' is a bit of a misnomer; with the help of Taco Goulooze I confirmed that he took his entire family, wife Maria Hendrina Brinkman and three sons, Francis John (Frank B. Sr.), Gerard (George) and Nicolas (Nicholas) to Brazil in 1848 and that they came to the United States in 1851 aboard the ship Cecrops.
2. A precious family photo I found: This lovely photo of Laura Louisa Greene (1837 - 1896), my 2nd great grandmother and the woman who I was named after; provided to me by Stephen Burrows Baer (1st cousin, 1x removed). Precious indeed...
|Photo of Laura Louisa Greene (1837 - 1896)
courtesy of Stephen B. Baer 2012
4. An important vital record I found: the 1815 deed for the purchase of a piece of Symmes purchase in southwestern Ohio by my 4th great grandfather, Stephen Burrows.
5. A newly found family member who shared: my 3rd cousin, Nancy Wersel Rybolt, who provided me with access to a significant number of our Wersel and Wagner documents dating between 1820 - 1880 and the Strubbe family Bill (William), Mary, Chuck and Laura, my 2nd cousins, who generously invited me to visit them in Cincinnati so I could do on-site research and we could share our history.
6. A geneasurprise I received was: the incredibly detailed research of Taco Goulooze who took my Dutch Wersel family under his wing and located records in the Netherlands for evidence of my family. He admits to being a bit 'Columbo', but I still love the fact that he's taken such an interest in digging into that line.
7. My 2012 blog post I was particularly proud of was: my end of April 'Why Would You Want to be A Genealogist' post. I'd seriously contemplated giving up on the idea of creating an archival and genealogical services business. After writing the post, rather than giving up, I re-doubled my efforts.
8. My 2012 blog post that received a large number of hits or comments was: my birthday post in August, 'A Half Century's Worth'. Odd that a post, not necessarily directly about genealogy, would be one of my most read. Guess there's more of us out there than I thought...heh.
9. A new piece of software I mastered was: Shhh...I can't say yet...that's a post you'll be reading soon.
10. A social media tool I enjoyed using for genealogy was: all of them! Seriously, social media and genealogy just go hand in hand.
11. A genealogy conference from which I learned something new was: the National Genealogical Society annual meeting in Cincinnati, Ohio. There was so much I learned, and was able to apply, to my genealogical research. It was also my first genealogical conference, so that was awesome.
12. I am proud of the presentation I gave at: the DuPage Genealogical Society in November. I presented "Who Will Look at Your Genealogical Collection", a lecture about how to protect and preserve all that hard, genealogical, work and ensure that it's stewardship is assured in the future.
13. An article I had published was: on Archives.com, as part of their Expert Series, 'What do I do with all of this Stuff: the Process of Processing', archival processing for family history/genealogical material.
14. I taught a friend how to: inexpensively protect and preserve her family history material.
15. A genealogy book that taught me something new was: Evidence Explained, by Elizabeth Shown Mills. <--- note, I'm not citing this correctly LOL
16. A great repository I visited was: The Allen County Public Library in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. Go. There.
17. A new genealogy/history book I enjoyed was: Megan Smolenyak's 'Hey, America, Your Roots are Showing'.
18. It was exciting to finally meet: my genea-Tweeps! I love meeting the people I interact with on Social Media, but especially my Twitter 'friends'.
19. A geneadventure I enjoyed was: my trip to Michigan this summer and fall. I got to see the country where my great grandparents were born and raised their family and research some of my roots there.
20. Another positive I'd like to share is: Never. Give. Up. :-)


text:
The Week In Photos - 18th Dec 2011
Previous Weeks Photos
Photo Gallery 11th DecFrom The Top under Mikey O'Connor jumps the last on their way to victory in the 5yo geldings maiden at Avaune point-to-point, near Dungourney in Co Cork. Avaune 11/12/11
Photo Gallery 4th DecVoler La Vedette races clear of Mourad & Final Approach to land her first Grade 1 at Fairyhouse yesterday in the Hattons Grace Hurdle under Andrew Lynch.
Photo Gallery 27th NovPat Cloke's Definite Memories with Paul O'Neill aboard on their way to an impressive victory in the opener at Boulta point-to-point yesterday.
Photo Gallery 20th NovRunners in the banks race at Punchestown on Saturday make their way over Ruby's Double with the eventual winner Scotsirish second from the right under Patrick Mullins.
Photo Gallery 13th NovJane Mangan had an 18th birthday to remember at Limerick yesterday as she recorded a double. She is pictured here with her second winner Carries Darling trained by her father Jimmy.
Photo Gallery 6th NovBoxing superstar Katie Taylor leads in the impressive Takar & Champion Jockey Johnny Murtagh at Leopardstown yesterday.
Photo Gallery 30th OctOscar Fern sends Damien Murphy flying in Division One of the Winners Of One at Loughanmore point-to-point in Antrim on Saturday.
Photo Gallery 23rd OctRunners approach the first in the opener at Glenbane point-to-point near Holycross in the race won by River Maigue (brown cap, third from the right).
Photo Gallery 16th OctArtic Palm flips over in the parade ring at Loughrea with Lenny Flynn aboard. Thankfully they were both ok and survived another fall at the tenth fence.
Photo Gallery 9th OctUnfortunately for Snaefell there was no pot of gold at the end of the rainbow as he and Shane Foley make their way to the start in the race won by Duff at Dundalk on Friday.
Photo Gallery 2nd OctRathnaroughy & Derek O'Connor part company at the last in the winners of two race at Castletown Geoghegan yesterday. Thankfully both were ok after the fall.
Photo Gallery 25th SepAcross from the stands at Ballinrobe on Monday in the race won by Ardglen (front of the field in green and white).
Photo Gallery 18th SepEventual winner Swerve & Pat Smullen (right) race alongside Pinkisthecolour before going on to take the opener at Listowel on Monday last.
Photo Gallery 11th SepJukebox Jury (left) & Duncan (right) dead heat in the St Leger at the Curragh on Saturday with Red Cadeaux back in third.
Photo Gallery 4th SepRunners in the Golden Mile make their way along on the beautiful Rossbeigh beach, in Glenbeigh, Co Kerry which played host to the annual Pony Races on Saturday.
Photo Gallery 28th AugJockey Pa Murphy, trainer Shane Broderick and owner Barry Connell are all smiles after their horse Black Benny won the bumper at Galway yesterday afternoon.
Photo Gallery 21st AugSecond Glance puts in a great jump over the last on her way to an all the way win in the second at Ballinrobe on Sunday for local trainer Michael Flannery.
Photo Gallery 14th AugThankfully both Onzo Mor & Eddie O'Connell were both ok after their fall at the last, as Jamsie Hall runs on to victory.
Photo Gallery 7th AugThe favourite Jamsie Hall unships his rider Davy Condon at the seventh at Kilbeggan on Saturday evening when leading. Thankfully both horse and rider escaped unscathed.
Photo Gallery 31st JulRunner-up Learn leads the field into the straight as eventual winner Riviera Poet (in second) chases him down at Galway on Monday evening.
Photo Gallery 24th Jul19 year old Shane Crimin poses with his first ever winner Aon Sceal with trainer Oliver McKiernan at Wexford on Saturday afternoon.
Photo Gallery 17th JulVital Plot & Brian O'Connell crash out a the last when they looked set for victory, leaving Paradis De Thaix (jumping) to take the spoils.
Photo Gallery 10th JulUcanchoose is a horse on the up after he recorded his second win in the space of four days for trainer Andy Slattery, making all to score at Tipperary on Saturday.
Photo Gallery 3rd JulJohnny Cullen has an anxious moment at the last as Scene of the Crash reaches for it, but still comes home a comfortable winner of the opener at Limerick yesterday for Myles Sunderland.
Photo Gallery 26th JunJockey Cian Collins gets some sugar onboard before the start of the Pony Races at Abbeyfeale, yesterday.
Photo Gallery 19th JunThe Grey Dancer sets a trend with his pink bridle after he won at the Castleisland Pony Races yesterday. His delighted rider Denis Linehan & Emma Jones are also pictured.
Photo Gallery 12th JunTarcisio (winner) veers into Alkazim (runner-up) approaching the line at Limerick on Saturday evening but after a stewards enquiry the result stood.
Photo Gallery 5th JunThankfully both Littlehillofbrian & her jockey David Byrne were none the worse after this spectacular exit from the Mares 5yo Maiden at Ballingarry point-to-point on Sunday
Photo Gallery 29th MayClonakilty town provides the backdrop as runners in the Winners of One contest at the Inchidoney point-to-point gallop on. Mismak (No 11) eventually took the race with Derek O'Connor aboard
Photo Gallery 22nd MayTrainer Ross O Sullivan Left With Jockey Katie Walsh Peter John Flood After MON OISEAU Won The Ladies Open Lightweight Race Stradbally 22-05-11
Photo Gallery 15th MayJills Oscar and Colin Motherway leading the Mares Open Banks race at Athlacca PTP 14-05-11
Photo Gallery 8th MayNiall Cronin wins the Punchestown Charity race for the second year in a row 07-05-11
Photo Gallery 1st MayMonksland and Roger Quinlan go their separate ways at ballysteen ptp 01-05-11
Photo Gallery 24th AprRacing in the back straight at Clonmel 21-04-11
Photo Gallery 17th AprHenry Cecil pictured with Frankel at Newbury 16-04-11
Photo Gallery 10th AprTim Carroll is unseated as Ballyvoile runs out at the last fence at Tramore 10-04-11
Photo Gallery 3rd AprSt. Nicholas Abbey prior to his defeat at the Curragh 03-04-11
Photo Gallery 20th MarHurricane Fly and Ruby Walsh (right) winning the Stan James Champion Hurdle Cheltenham 15-03-11
Photo Gallery 6th MarHughies Grey and Mick Darcy on their way to landing the Ulster Grand National at Downpatrick 02-03-11
Photo Gallery 27th FebThe Midnight Club flies the last to win at Fairyhouse 23-02-11
Photo Gallery 20th FebTesting conditions during a hurdle race at Punchestown 16-02-11
Photo Gallery 13th FebBookmaking brothers John and Justin Carthy trial a new board at Punchestown 09-02-11
Photo Gallery 30th JanJockey returning to the weighroom at Navan 25-01-11
Photo Gallery 16th JanDavy Russell looks on Just Friends takes advantage of Big Secret's last fence fall at Thurles 13-01-11
Photo Gallery 9th JanMCR Hurdle sponsor Douglas Taylor with his winning horse Final Approach at Leopardstown 09-01-11
Photo Gallery 2nd JanTrainer Dessie Hughes with his daughter Sandra and grandchildren at Naas 02-01-11


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DWerth needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 89 designs submitted by 16 freelance designers.
Lil' Smokers
I am a competition BBQ master who is starting to move my hobby into a commercial venture. I am very passionate about my BBQ and am looking for this to come thru in my logo. We are a nationally ranked team on the BBQ circuit so we take our BBQ very serious but we always have fun doing it.
The logo will be used on sauce and BBQ spice bottles in grocery stores in the midwest. I am looking for a logo that is fun, memorable, and appealing to both men and women.
I am looking for a logo that incorporates a pig wearing a cowboy hat. I am thinking something slightly comical and that portrays the spirit of a BBQ competition (a fun relaxed atmosphere). The focus should be on the artwork and the brand name should be a minimal part of the design. I am looking for an image that really stands out when compared with all the other logos on a shelf in a store. All artwork must be original and be copywright free.
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


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1. Call to order.
2. Roll call.
3. Approval of minutes from the meeting of October 12, 2010.
4. HCR 128 - Requesting a study on the value of including Family and Consumer Sciences and Technology Education courses in the middle school curriculum. Dr. Kathy J. D'Antoni, Assistant State Superintendent of Schools, Division of Technical and Adult Education Services, West Virginia Department of Education.
5. Other business.
6. Adjourn.