The Department of Political Science has a busy schedule for this fall semester.  We have many events planned and in the planning stages.  Two are taking place soon, and I want to feature them first and foremost.  Professor Pete Moore has returned from his Spring 2017 sabbatical, and will speak at the Center for Policy Studies Friday Lunch – today – on “US Policy in the Middle East:  Does Trump Make a Difference?”  Please see the full announcement, under “Events,” below. 
 
Second, Rita Maricocchi has returned from her study abroad experience in Heidelberg, Germany, and is hoping to organize a European Horizons group here at CWRU.  She is convening a European Horizons General Interest Meeting on Sunday, September 24, 7:00-8:00pm, in the Stephanie Tubbs Jones Interactive Classroom.  Students who are interested in European Politics and Transatlantic Relations are invited to a general interest meeting to discuss founding a chapter of the transatlantic think tank European Horizons.
 
CWRU celebrates Constitution Day on Monday, September 18, from 4:00-5:30 p.m. in the Law School’s Moot Courtroom.  This year’s topic for debate and discussion is Freedom of Expression on College Campuses, with speakers Susan Kruth, J.D., Senior Program Officer, Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, and Professor of Law Reginald Oh, JD, Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, Cleveland State University.  A reception in CWRU’s Law School will follow this event.  Many of our students have been instrumental in the planning and organization of this event, including Sanjna Arvind, Koko Etokebe (Secretary), Kelsey Holmberg (Co-chair), Stephen Kerby, Jacqueline Kett, Dilara Kucuk, Abigail Moss, Hannah Pomerantz, Santiago Reyes, Jacob Sandstrom (Co-chair), Amanda Spangler, and Lilly Tesfai.
 
CWRU’s Homecoming will be celebrated October 5-8 this year, and two POSC alumni are being honored.  Jacqueline Green (BA 2007, CWRU Law 2011) has won CWRU’s Distinguished Young Alumna of the Year.  From her undergraduate years, Jacqui has been active in defending human rights.  As featured in the spring/summer issue of Art/Sci, Jacqueline is the co-coordinator of the Ohio Chapter of the National Lawyers Guild, Vice President of the Ohio Innocence Project’s Northeast Ohio Board of Advocates, and a partner at the Cleveland law firm of Friedman and Gilbert.  Chris Hook (BA 2003, MA 2004) is being honored as the CWRU 2017 Distinguished Service Alumnus of the Year. Chris is a budget analyst with the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, and has been an active alumnus of CWRU, including holding several positions in CWRU alumni organizations.  As featured in the spring/summer issue of Art/Sci, Chris has also been active in advocating for LBGT persons and has been “elected president of CWRU Pride, the university’s LGBT alumni network.”  We look forward to welcoming Chris and Jacqueline back to campus during Homecoming 2017. 
 
More information about the College of Arts and Sciences All Class Reunion and Awards Celebration and the honors for Chris and Jacque can be found at http://artsci.case.edu/development/our-awards/2017-alumni-award-winners/.  The ceremony honoring them will take place on Saturday, October 7, 2017, 6:00-9:00pm, in the Linsalata Alumni Center.  Congratulations, Chris and Jacque!
 
On Saturday, October 14, from 5:00 to 7:00pm, the Department of Political Science will celebrate the Tenth Anniversary of the Wellman Hill Public Service Internship Program, generously endowed by our alumna Elizabeth Hill (CWRU BA, MA POSC, JD Stanford).  Professor Elliot Posner is hosting a celebratory party to which all POSC majors and minors are invited.  I encourage our students to attend this event, and to respond to the invitation by emailing Ms. Anna Conboy at anna.conboy@case.edu as soon as possible; Ms. Conboy will share information about location and transportation.  I look forward to seeing you there.
 
We will hold our annual Careers Colloquium for Political Scientists, on November 10 and 11.  Chris Hook (BA 2003, MA 2004), who is being honored at Homecoming, will offer a public lecture related to his work in the Department of Justice and, currently, in the Department of Housing and Urban Development; he will provide a Careers Workshop to our POSC majors and minors the following day.  More information will be forthcoming about what is now our third annual Careers Colloquium event.
 
Please mark your calendars now for our fall semester Senior Capstone Presentations and Dinner, scheduled for Thursday, November 16, from 5:00 to 8:00pm, in the Senior Classroom of the Tinkham Veale University Center.  We invite all our majors and minors to join us, to see how Senior Capstone presentations function in our Department, and to participate in asking questions of the seniors who will be presenting their work.  Again, more information will be forthcoming as we approach the date.
 
On a related note, the Department of Political Science has instituted a Senior Capstone archive, listing all senior capstones completed in the 2016-17 academic year.  The archive lists the student, the semester in which the project was completed, the capstone title, and the supervising faculty member.  We will begin to include past years’ capstones in the archives, and will include all new capstones into the future.  You can find the archive here.
 
We will continue to announce events and opportunities, through future newsletters and email correspondence. Stay tuned!
 
Cheers,
Karen
 
Karen Beckwith
Flora Stone Mather Professor
Chair, Department of Political Science

“If you don’t like the way the world is, you have a moral obligation to change it.”

General Announcements

• 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: U.S. Policy in the Middle East: Does Trump Make a Difference?
September 15, 12:30-1:30p.m., KSL Dampeer Room
Professor Pete Moore shares his insights into President Trump’s proposed changes in the Middle East.

Community Service and Internship Fair
September 15, 12:30-2:00p.m., Thwing Ballroom
Stop by and learn about non-profit and community improvement opportunities in Cleveland and the surrounding area.  Some of these are international related.

“Ethical Leadership for Our Children and Our Communities”
September 15, 12:45p.m., TVUC
Join this academic symposium, featuring Ianmori Ethics Prize recipient Marian Wright Edelman, Gabriella Celeste, policy director of the Schubert Center for Child Studies at Case Western Reserve, and Mark Chupp, assistant professor and director of the Community Innovation Network at MSASS.

The City Club Constitution Day Forum
September 15, 12:00p.m., The City Club
Join this conversation with Nisha Agarwal, Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs for the City of New York, to discuss and celebrate Constitution Day and the power of citizenship. Tickets for nonmembers are $35.

Hispanic Heritage Month Opening Event
September 15, 3:00-6:00p.m., KSL
Hispanic Heritage month begins with an art show, featuring five local Latino artists, and a live salsa band performance. This is a free event.

For Freedoms Town Hall Discussion
September 17, 3:00p.m., MOCA
This discussion, featuring panelists born outside of the U.S. who now live in this country, will address both personal experiences transcending boundaries and finding community and also broader perspectives on how the movement of people influences society and culture over time.This is a free event.

CWRU Constitution Day Program – Freedom of Expression on College Campuses
September 18, 4:00-5:30p.m., Moot Courtroom, School of Law
Join a CWRU student panel for a discussion with Susan Kruth, J.D., Senior Program Officer, legal and public advocacy, for FIRE (Foundation for Individual Rights in Education), and Cleveland-Marshall School of Law Professor Reginald Oh, J.D. as they discuss the issue of free speech on university campuses. More information is available here.

Anatomy of Justice: The Mystery of Plea Agreements
September 19, 5:00p.m., The City Club
How can we make sense of the plea process? Can it be reformed? Join us to hear from several local leaders in this latest installment of the Anatomy of Justice series. Tickets are $15.

Washington Center Program Information Session
September 20, 4:00p.m., Mather House 100
This program provides the opportunity to get course credit for an internship in Washington, while doing coursework and developing job experience and contacts to help you after you graduate.

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!

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.

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

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.

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Financial Analyst
This unique, two-year rotational fellowship sits at the intersection of the federal government and the financial services industry. Director’s Financial Analysts are given the opportunity to hone analytical and problem solving skills while helping to make markets for consumer financial products work for Americans. 
 

A Little Extra…

• Emily Rasmussen (BA POSC 2017) has  accepted a position teaching English in Gangwon-do, South Korea  She will be teaching through the EPIK program (English Program in Korea), and writes that she is  looking forward to spending a year there, “especially during this time of transition in their government.  I’m looking forward to getting a first hand look at the political changes they are facing right now.”  Emily will be arriving in South Korea in early September.  She is happy to speak with any of our students who have questions about a program similar to EPIK or who are interested in teaching in South Korea.  Interested students should email Professor Beckwith for Ms. Rasmussen’s contact information.