Mellon Presidential Discretionary Grant for the Humanities Forum
The advisory committee for the Mellon Presidential Discretionary Grant for the Humanities will present a forum, "Humanities for Life," on Friday, November 2, at 4:15 p.m. in JRC 101. Three faculty members who are teaching courses supported by the grant next semester will describe their courses, which involve alumni and student activism along with traditional humanistic inquiry. Professors Shuchi Kapila and Timothy Dobe's team-taught course, "Gandhi and Resistance," will include an action component as well as traditional study: the final project will be some form of social action in the tradition of Gandhian satyagraha. Professor Douglas Caulkins's course, "Creative Careers in the Humanities," will largely be based on presentations by alumni who majored in the humanities and have integrated humanistic inquiry into their diverse, non-academic post-Grinnell careers. President Kington will open the forum with remarks on the importance of studying the humanities both as part of a liberal arts education and as a preparation for future success. The forum will conclude with a more general discussion of linking coursework in the humanities with life after Grinnell.
Nominations for the Annual Young Innovator for Social Justice Prize
Grinnell's third annual Young Innovator for Social Justice Prize (the "Grinnell Prize") is underway, with nominations accepted through Monday, November 5, 11:59 PM CST. Consider these ways to be involved with the Prize:
(1) Submit a nomination by Monday's deadline! The online form is here: http://www.grinnell.edu/offices/studentaffairs/chaplain/socialjusticeprize/nominationcriteria/nominationform
(2) Volunteer to review nomination essays and assist the Prize Selection Committee in choosing the next winners. Faculty and staff volunteers are needed. You can sign up to volunteer here: http://www.grinnell.edu/offices/studentaffairs/chaplain/socialjusticeprize/volunteeropportunities/faculty-staff-interest-for. Review will take place the last two weeks in November (over Thanksgiving break), and involves rating ~20 essays (approx. three hours). *Staff who review are invited to apply for a Prize staff fellowship to volunteer with Prizewinners.* Last year's fellows traveled to Ghana and worked with 2011 Prize winner James Kofi Annan's organization, Challenging Heights.
(3) Attend the 2012 Grinnell Prize Award Ceremony and Symposium events the week of November 12! This year's winners are Cristi Hegranes, Global Press Institute (empowering women through journalism); Jacob Wood and William McNulty, Team Rubicon (uniting the skills and talents of military veterans with medical first-response teams in disaster areas); and Jane Chen and Linus Liang, Embrace and Embrace innovations (improving maternal and child health). More info on this year's winners at www.grinnell.edu/grinnellprize.
2013 Favorite Films Festival Survey Opening
It's nearly time to vote for the films to be shown at the seventh annual Grinnell College Favorite Films Festival.
Members of the college community are invited to vote for their favorite films in three categories:
- Japanese Animated Films (Anime)
- Historical Fiction Films
- James Bond Film (in honor of the series' 50th anniversary)
The only limit is that the film must be part of the Grinnell College Libraries' collections. A link to the library catalog will be provided on the survey.
The survey will be open for your vote from Sunday, November 11th, through Sunday, November 25th. The winning films will be announced shortly afterwards and will be shown on campus Friday, January 25, through Sunday, January 27, 2013.
We will have a blog where you can ask questions, make suggestions, or even campaign for (or against) a particular film. The only restrictions are that you stay on topic and that you be respectful of differing opinions.
By the way, the films the campus community selected for last year's festival were:
- Movie Thriller: Silence of the Lambs
- Cult Classics: The Big Lebowski
- Film Adaptations: To Kill a Mockingbird
The Favorite Films Festival is co-sponsored by the Grinnell College Libraries and the Student Government Association Films Committee. For more information, contact Randye Jones at jonesran@grinnell.edu or the Films Committee at films@grinnell.edu.
