Newsletter
Opportunities and Announcements for the Week of May 7, 2018
The end of the academic year is always a bittersweet time. There is so much to celebrate, including the satisfaction of intellectual work brought to conclusion. The Department of Political Science continues to receive happy news from our students, the most recent of which are the following:
Erin Camia, Political Science major (with a minor in Chinese), will graduate this month, and will be on her way to New York, where she will be working with the Office of General Counsel at the United Nations Federal Credit Union.
Ann Marie Smetona, a junior Political Science major with a double major in Spanish, won the CWRU Arnaud Gelb Journalism Award for best nonfiction story under 500 words. The Award is named for Arnaud Gelb, a sports reporter who earned his MBA at CWRU’s Weatherhead School. More information about the Arnaud Gelb Journalism Award can be found here.
Political Science major and graduating senior Rita Maricocchi (a rare triple major, with additional major fields of study in French and in German language and literatures) won a CWRU Pancoast Fellowship to study in Paris for three weeks this summer. Rita will be working at the Cinémathèque Française and the Bibliothèque Nationale, extending her French senior capstone research on film adaptations of post-World War II novels (1950-1990s), with particular focus on the early novels of Françoise Sagan.
The Department of Political Science has the pleasure of awarding the Flora Stone Mather Alumnae Award for outstanding academic performance in political science. This year, the faculty of the Department have agreed to grant this prize to three of our outstanding graduating senior majors: Tasha Sunil Jhangiani, Liana Rose Kabins, and Rita Elizabeth Maricocchi.
With the academic year coming to its conclusion, we celebrate these students, even as we will miss our graduating seniors. As always, we will continue to share good news, as our students (and our alumni) alert us to them. For those who would like to share their good news, please send an email to Jessica.Jurcak@case.edu with a publishable statement, and we will include it in the Newsletter.
Reflecting on Student Protests. One of our Ohio sister institutions, Kent State University, marks today [Friday, May 4] with a commemoration of the student protests against the Vietnam War and the shooting of student protestors that killed four and left nine students wounded or permanently disabled. Part of the Kent campus will be dedicated as a National Historic Landmark, on the location of the events of May 4, 1970, now nearly half a century ago.
Three days later, Kentucky Governor Louis Nunn ordered National Guard troops onto the University of Kentucky campus, where I was a sophomore (majoring in political science). I remember looking down from the UK political science departmental office in Patterson Office Tower as the National Guard tear-gassed students (and everyone else) in the vicinity of the UK Student Center. Students were subsequently prohibited from coming onto the UK campus, at risk of immediate arrest, and eventually the decision was made to cancel final exams and the university was closed. More than 400 universities and colleges experienced student anti-war protests and closures. You can read more about these events here.
End of Term. The semester at CWRU is coming to its close, and the Department of Political Science is preparing, as are all in Mather House, to move for the summer. The University is undertaking a long-overdue “refresh” of the building, and will be installing new carpeting, painting walls, polishing woodwork, replacing office lighting, and renovating bathrooms and the kitchen. The last day of our occupancy in the building is Friday, May 18. We look forward to returning to our offices on August 17, and to enjoying the improvements in the building. As always, our faculty can be reached via our campus phones and email. Ms. Jessica Jurcak will be moving with other staff to the former Hillel Building at 1980 Ford Drive, and will continue to oversee and administer the Department.
Finally, good luck to all our students during this final exam week!
With all best wishes,
Karen
Karen Beckwith
Flora Stone Mather Professor
Chair, Department of Political Science
“Democracy cannot succeed unless those who express their choice are prepared to choose wisely. The real safeguard of democracy, therefore, is education.”
– Franklin Delano Roosevelt
General Announcements
- As you register for fall semester courses, take a look at the Political Science courses offered by our department.
- 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!
Movie Screening: The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975
May 8, 6:30pm, Capitol Theater, 1390 West 65th Street
The final film in the series of racial equity films put together by the Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization, screening at the Capitol Theatre, takes a look at the history of the Black Power movement. The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975 is a 2011 documentary made by Swedish journalists, featuring historical footage with commentary by and interviews with key figures from the movement, divided into one sections, one for each year it covers. $5 suggested donation.
2018 State of Downtown: Enhancing Mobility
May 10, 12:00 pm-1:30 pm, The City Club of Cleveland, 850 Euclid Avenue Cleveland, OH
Join the City Club of Cleveland for a conversation with local and national leaders on the transportation issues facing Downtown Cleveland. Tickets are $35 for non-members.
ConstitutionALE: A More Perfect Gerrymander
May 14, 5:30pm-6:30pm, Great Lakes Brewing Company, 2516 Market Avenue
Join the City Club of Cleveland for the first forum in our new series on the Constitution, a conversation with local legal experts on the past, present, and future of gerrymandering in the United States. Nonmember tickets are $20.
Legal Ethics, Judicial Independence, and Political Partisanship
May 16, 8:30 am-9:30 am, The City Club of Cleveland, 850 Euclid Avenue Cleveland, OH
This lecture analyzes the mechanisms available to safeguard judicial impartiality. Although recusal motions are the most common weapon against partisan bias, this Article argues that recusal motions cannot effectively guard against the appearance of bias arising from a judge’s political views. When recusal rules rely on an undefined “appearance” standard, they are susceptible to an interpretive bias that undermines their purpose.
Women in Politics: How to get more women to run for office in Ohio
May 16, 7:00-8:00 pm, Heights Library Main Branch, 2345 Lee Road, Cleveland Heights, OH 44118
Women make up over 51% of the voting electorate and yet men still far outnumber women in elected office in Ohio and across the country. This forum will explore options increasing the number of women who run and hold elected office, particularly in Ohio.
For the Love of Cleveland: The Power of Place: The Role of Resident Activism in Placemaking
May 18, 12:00 pm-1:30 pm, The City Club of Cleveland, 850 Euclid Avenue Cleveland, OH
Join The City Club of Cleveland launch their 2018 For the Love of Cleveland series on placemaking with a keynote address from Erin Barnes, Co-Founder and Executive Director of ioby, on the power of resident activism in creating and sustaining place.
NAFTA: North American Competitiveness is Job #1
May 21, 7:30 am-9:00 am, The Union Club of Cleveland, 1211 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH
he Honorable François-Philippe Champagne, Canada’s Minister of International Trade, will discuss the importance of making North America the most competitive, modern and integrated marketplace, better able to compete and win on the world stage.
CCMV Views & Bres: The Rust Belt Resurgence: Who Really Benefits?
May 21, 7:00 pm-8:00 pm, Suzie’s Dogs & Drafts, 34 N. Phelps Street, Youngstown, OH
Join The City Club of Cleveland for a conversion on how communities of color in the Mahoning Valley have fared during periods of economic success and decline.
International Conference on Conflict Resolution
May 22-25, CWRU Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences
The International Conference on Conflict Resolution Education (CRE) is an opportunity to engage in interdisciplinary collaboration and research. Presentations will focus on innovations in the field that are making broad impacts in local, state, national, and international communities.
Internship and Fellowship Opportunities
Summer on the Cuyahoga
Summer on the Cuyahoga (SOTC) offers students both a wide range of internships that reflect the diversity of Northeast Ohio’s economy, and a unique social and immersion experience into our community. Land a great internship with a great company and enjoy free, centrally located housing
The Washington Center’s Academic Internship Program
This program provides the opportunity to complete an internship, attend evening courses, participate in the LEAD Colloquium, and build a professional portfolio.
Ohio House of Representatives Legislative Volunteer Internship
Currently the Ohio House of Representatives is searching for qualified undergraduate students for volunteer internships. Interning for the legislature provides an opportunity for self-motivated outgoing college students to gain an understanding of the legislative process by actively participating in it.
Ohio House of Representative Legislative Page Position
Currently the Ohio House of Representatives is searching for qualified undergraduate students to fill Legislative Page positions.
OHDC Internship Program
The Ohio House Democratic Caucus (OHDC) is currently seeking motivated, politically-minded individuals to join the OHDC Internship Program for the 2018 election cycle. Interns will work directly with a Democratic candidate for the Ohio House of Representatives.
The City of Canton Mayor’s Internship Program
The Mayor’s Office offers an internship program for students interested in gaining experience in the administration of local government. Positions are available during the fall, spring and summer semesters.
United States Commission on International Religious Freedom Internships
The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is seeking administrative interns, communications interns, and government relations interns.
Common Cause
Common Cause is looking to fill two election law-related positions. The first is a Money in Politics/Ethics Program Director, who will work with program, communication, and development staff to implement strategic campaigns that advance campaign finance and ethics reforms to make government work better for everyone.
The second position is a one-year, full-time, salaried Legal Fellow to begin in or before August 2018. This is a position suitable for a 3L graduating next month or other recent law school graduate.
Dēmos
The Dēmos think tank is looking for a Senior Policy Analyst to conduct political research. They are looking for an experienced, data-savvy analyst who can provide research, writing, and analysis related to democratic participation – including demographic analyses of registration and voter turnout, statistical and qualitative analyses of electoral outcomes, and analyses of voter suppression and voting reforms.
Ohio Department of Transportation
Have you always wanted to work for a long-term, reliable, professional, highly-productive organization? ODOT is hiring! New positions were recently added to their Statewide job board.
Cleveland Neighborhood Progress
A number of career opportunities are currently available with Cleveland Neighborhood Progress.
Civil Conflict Management and Peace Science
June 6-July 27, University of North Texas
The Department of Political Science at the University of North Texas has initiated a unique program to provide undergraduate students recruited from across the country the opportunity to engage in graduate-level research in conflict management and peace science in a senior faculty-mentored, in-residence, eight-week, Summer Research Experience (SRE) that integrates training in civil conflict management with training in Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and training in research ethics.
Public Service Weekend
June 7-10, University of Colorado Denver
Apply to attend this exciting weekend conference hosted by the University of Colorado Denver’s School of Public Affairs. Attendees will learn and network with prominent local, state and federal officials on how to prepare for and what to expect from a career in public service.
- Tuesday, May 8th is election day in Ohio! Prepare for the polls by looking over a sample ballot here.