Happy autumnal equinox!  Those of us who have spent a few years in northeast Ohio will know how rare it is to have such lovely warm weather into late September.  I hope everyone has been able to enjoy it.  While you’re reading outdoors or simply lazing in the late summer sunshine (although summer ends officially at 4:00pm today), please consider the various upcoming events and opportunities listed below. 
 
In particular, I want to encourage our POSC majors and minors to consider the opportunity being organized by Rita Mariccochi, recently returned from study abroad at the University of Heidelberg in Germany.  Ms. Mariccochi hopes to recruit and to organize students interested in forming a chapter of the transatlantic think tank European Horizons at CWRU.  You can learn more about European Horizons here.  Given the number of elections in Europe this year, in France, Norway, the United Kingdom, and, on September 24, Germany, European politics merit our scholarly and intellectual attention and interest.  The Norwegian parliamentary elections have returned a conservative government to a second consecutive term for the first time in more than three decades.  In the UK, the Conservative Party, with a secure majority in the Commons until 2020, nearly lost their governing mandate in the quickly called elections last June, placing Theresa May’s position as Conservative Party leader in jeopardy.  In France, the far-right Front National did much worse than anticipated, defeated by a new “party” entity, En Marche!, under the leadership of former Parti Socialiste Economics Minister Emmanuel Macron.  In the United Kingdom and, more immediately, in Spain, sub-national governments are challenging their national governments by moving toward independence.  Europe as a whole is facing the serious challenge of Britain’s move to leave the European Union.  These are just a few of the current issues and challenges to government and politics in Europe.  There could hardly be a better time to organize a student group concerned with issues involving European politics.  All interested students are invited to attend the organizing meeting on Sunday, September 24, from 7:00 to 8:00pm, in the Stephanie Tubbs Jones Interactive Classroom in the new residential hall.
 
Enjoy the lovely weather and the weekend.  And happy Rosh Hashanah!
 
Cheers,
Karen
 
Flora Stone Mather Professor
Chair, Department of Political Science

“The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.”

General Announcements

• Pi Sigma Alpha is looking for papers related to any area of political science and government to be published in their upcoming Undergraduate Journal of Politics. The deadline is October 1.
• The Journal of Politics and International Affairs is accepting student papers until October 13.
• Call for Applicants: The Department of Political Science at the University of Michigan invites applications from advanced undergraduate students and their faculty sponsors to attend the Emerging Scholars Conference of 2017.
• Stay up to date with the department by following our Twitter feed! Check it for day to day opportunities and information!
• Like us on Facebook! Our department will be regularly posting events, opportunities, and general information to our page!

Events

Friday Lunch: University Circle, Cleveland, & the “Opportunity Corridor”
September 22, 12:30-1:30p.m., KSL Dampeer Room
Robert Brown, FAICP, Former Cleveland Director of City Planning will share his knowledge about both the project itself and the economic development challenges facing Cleveland and surrounding communities.

Key Bank Internship Opportunities for Humanities Majors
September 22, 12:30p.m., Clark Hall 206
Learn about summer job and internship opportunities at Key Bank during this Humanities @ Work event.

National Fellowship and Scholarship Information Session
September 22, 1:00-2:00p.m., Sears 356
Learn about national fellowships and scholarships, Education Abroad, and how the two can intersect.

European Horizons General Interest Meeting
September 24, 7:00-8:00p.m., Stephanie Tubbs Jones Interactive Classroom
Interested in European Politics and Transatlantic Relations?Come to a general interest meeting to discuss founding a chapter of the transatlantic think tank European Horizons!

The Ohio Board of Educations – How Can They Help Us? How Can We Help Them?
September 25, 7:00-8:30p.m., Shaker Public Library
This program is meant to educate members of the community on what the State Board of Education does, its relationship to the Ohio legislature and how the public can help elected officials, on both the State School Board and the legislature, be more effective. This is a free event, but registration is recommended.

The Air War in the Museum: The Bombing of Dresden as History and Spectacle
September 26, 4:30-5:30p.m., Clark Hall 206
Susanne Vees-Gulani, Associate Professor of German in the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures, explores the representations of the 1945 destruction of the famous German baroque city in the Military History Museum of the German Armed Forces, redesigned by Daniel Libeskind, and the large-scale panorama installations by the architect Yadegar Asisi. A public reception will begin at 4:15. This is a free event, but registration is recommended.

Ohio’s Infant Mortality Rate. Why is it So Bad? What Can Be Done?
September 27, 7:00-8:30p.m., Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library
Panelists will discuss current policy to improve the infant mortality rate in Ohio and what new initiatives can be take for the future. Brie Zeltner, a reporter with Cleveland.com, will moderate. This is a free event, but registration is recommended.

Career Fair Workshop
September 29, 12:30p.m., Clark Hall 206
Tom Matthews of the CWRU Career Center will provide resume tips and career advice in preparation for the October 5^th Career Fair.

Fulbright U.S. Student Program
September 29, 1:00-2:00p.m., Sears 354
A Fulbright representative will be on campus to offer advice and information about the Fulbright program.

Social Justice Institute Teach-In: Authoritarianism and its Challenges to Democracy and College Campuses
September 29, 12:45-2:00p.m., Clapp Hall Room 108
Join History Professors John Flores and Kenneth Ledford and Law Professor Ayesha Bell Hardaway for a panel discussion to more deeply understand this historical moment, its call to action, and the role of the university. This is a free event. RSVP to socialjustice@case.edu.

Bad Medicine: The Nation’s Opioid Epidemic
September 29, 12:45-2:00p.m., Sears 356
This discussion will feature the Honorable Judge David T. Matia of the Cuyahoga County Drug Court.

Literature and Politics: A Panel Discussion
September 29, 3:15-4:15, Guilford House Parlor
Panelists will answer and discuss questions regarding the relationship between literature and politics, such as literary interpretation as a form of political action, our conception of literature and politics, and how the institutional setting of the university inflects political expression.

Wellman Hill 10th Anniversary Celebration
October 14, 5:00-7:00p.m., home of Professors Elliot Posner and Gillian Weiss
Please join us for drinks and hors d’oeuvres to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Wellman Hill Political Science Internship Grants Program. RSVP to Anna Conboy by October 1.
 

Internship and Fellowship Opportunities

Kelvin Smith Library Freedman Student Fellowship
This scholarship is designed to advance research and education in the digital scholarship field for undergraduate and graduate students at Case Western Reserve University. We are proud to announce this year’s theme, Urban Planning in Modern America, using the KSL Ernst J. Bohn collection. The application deadline is October 6.

Stanford Law Research Fellowship
Several Stanford law professors are seeking full-time Research Fellows to begin work in the summer of 2018. This is a unique opportunity for graduating seniors and recent college graduates to participate in groundbreaking empirical legal and social science research. The first round of applications are due October 30.

PPIA International Affairs Fellowship
This summer program is designed to prepare students for graduate studies in international affairs and public policy. Applications are due November 1.

Obama Foundation Fellowship
The Obama Foundation Fellows will be a diverse set of community-minded rising stars – organizers, inventors, artists, entrepreneurs, journalists, and more – who are altering the civic engagement landscape. By engaging their fellow citizens to work together in new and meaningful ways, Obama Foundation Fellows will model how any individual can become an active citizen in their community.
 

A Little Extra…

• Check out Professor Justin Buchler’s “The Unmutual Political Blog“ for his thoughts on politics and current events.