Safe Spaces and Diverse Faces!

3 words

2009-09-08T00:52:00.003-04:00

IRC family,

I write you from Dubai with a nice tan and a stomach filled with anxiety. On my way to Senegal this evening, which i am very excited about as well.

I just woke up to many messages from some of you about the IRC retreat this weekend and my eyes honestly filled with tears. To the new members of the family: I am so glad you got experience that. To the old members of the family: I am so glad you got to experience that.

My first instinct was a feeling of almost-regret (i generally don't allow full fledged regret. no space for that in my life!!) (Should I have stayed in NY this semester? I am really about to figure out this whole teleportation business, shouldn't that be an iphone app by now??) But then I replaced that thought with three words that to me mean a lot about what the people of the irc do, and who the people of the irc are (the two are but the same, no?) Here it goes:

en⋅dure

[en-door, -dyoor]verb, -dured, -dur⋅ing.

–verb (used without object)

4.	to continue to exist; last

5.	to support adverse force or influence of any kind; suffer without yielding; suffer patiently:

tran⋅scend

[tran-send]

–verb (used with object)

1.	to rise above or go beyond; overpass; exceed: to transcend the limits of thought; kindness transcends courtesy.

2.	to outdo or exceed in excellence, elevation, extent, degree, etc.; surpass; excel.

change

[cheynj] verb, changed, chang⋅ing,noun

–verb (used with object)

1.	to make the form, nature, content, future course, etc., of (something) different from what it is or from what it would be if left alone: to change one's name

2.	to transform or convert (usually fol. by into):

4.	to give and take reciprocally; interchange: to change places with someone.

5.	to transfer from one (conveyance) to another: You'll have to change planes in Chicago

8.	to remove and replace the covering or coverings of: to change a bed; to change a baby.

–verb (used without object)

9.	to become different

to become altered or modified: Colors change if they are exposed to the sun.

11.	to become transformed or converted (usually fol. by into):The toad changed into a prince again.

16.	(of the moon) to pass from one phase to another.

–noun

18.	the act or fact of changing; fact of being changed.

19.	a transformation or modification; alteration: They noticed the change in his facial expression.

20.	a variation or deviation: a change in the daily routine.

23.	the passing from one place, state, form, or phase to another: a change of seasons; social change.

to come through the doors of a brownstone on 114th with a story full of adversity. or no adversity. (maybe too cushioned a life that left your heart yearning for knowledge cause it knew it was missing some greater insight.) or maybe too much insight that it was crippling- of your own womyn(ness)/color/sexuality/class.... but you are given the tools not to forget, not to turn a blind eye, but to transcend and grow and change. change like maybe you change your mind on what bell hooks really means, change like maybe you grow and grow different, or maybe you affect the person next to you (or even in the frat next door-hah!). one of my favourite parts of that definition was to give and take reciprocally-- interchange. (ask mike when he's next making bake and break cookies)

and what i like most about "change" is that it is a verb and a noun simultaneously. it is but only cause it does, and it does but only cause it is.

and that tree in the picture? it was on the street here. it was a tree that decided it was going to endure 114 degree middle east heat, its roots were going to break through and transcend the wall that fought to stop its growth, and it was going to change the broken-down-rubble-filled street around it that never could've suspected its growth. and its change and its might would leave a little shaded solace for anyone who might by with a camera.

IRC family,

i know i will be growing on the edge of my comfort circle, and that you will too. i am so happy when i think of all of you and the ways you are moving and shaking. write me often, i miss you already (and those of you i havent met properly- im so excited!)

IRC family,

i see you	43 up, 8 down
	Used when a person does something remarkable, noteworthy, or just downright wierd.

NadiBACCHANAL

2009-04-18T09:49:00.002-04:00

hello everyone,
so today is bacchanal...have you tried googling this? it's all about revelry....therefore i think we should make sure the event holds true to its name (show the bands/artists support! go with friends! enjoy the sun! part-ay!) 3-5, low, be there

also, to wrap up the day, come to the irc's open mic (midnight cypher) from 11pm to 1am

okay, i gotta get going (am out of town so i won't be seeing you all until sunday) have a wonderful BACCHANAL!!!!!!!

xoxo

Long overdue (Nadi Thursdays)

2009-04-11T09:45:00.002-04:00

This post goes out to Destiny! Haha. I've been bad at keeping you all updated/supplied with my favorite BBC News bits. The link enclosed is about a woman who did not know she had a bullet stuck in her cheek for 12 years! *Ouch* Right?

Anyways, I hope your Thursday was Nadi....and since it's Saturday, you may as well have a Nadi Saturday too =D

Keep this weekend of holy weeks holy!

NadiThursdays

Internacional IRC lovin!

2009-03-16T19:20:00.003-04:00

Hello from Ecuador!
Everyone says part of studying abroad is learning more about your home country from a different context and as it turns out I've been reflecting a lot recently on the value of the IRC because of the sociocultural context relating to themes like diversity and tolerance is completel different here.
In the IRC we use the phrase "safe space" everyday, but I never really understood its value until I was really outside of it. Let me tell you that in the IRC we live in a house of tolerance and openness, within a university that is a bubble of liberalism and general liberal-arts based openness, within a city that is a bubble of diversity and within a country that is also at least politically correct. Concepts that are norms within the contexts of these expanding circles of community, like race as a social construct, political correctness or at least consciousness of the use of racially-referenced terminology, general knowledge of other cultures, are often completely novel here.
The first week I was here I got into a fierce argument with my host Dad as I tried to convince him that the world was not composed of three races, yellow, black, and white (which is he was taught in primary school) but is, as any sociology or anthropology student at Barnard will tell you with a yawn, a social construct. Then my host mom told me about how her host daughter had been dating a Chinese guy but that the daughter decided that it wouldn't work out because they were from different countries. Here they still use the phrase "indio" to denote not only indigenous people but also people who "lack culture" or are stupid. I would say there about 10 afro-ecuadorians in my entire university (it is the only private and most elite university in Ecuador). The other day in my class we discussing xenofobia and a girl in my class said "I am not xenophobic, but I wouldn't ever want to live next to a Chinese family because their cooking smells so bad." On that note, here "Chino y chinita" are used for everything remotely Asian, to the point that my host Dad asked me if I liked sushi (assuming that it was a traditional food of my Chinese culture). Another kid in my class found out that I was Jewish and asked me with complete honest curiousity "what is a Jew?"

Its interesting because one thing that many ecuadorians will say about their country is that it is full of cultural diversity. But the diversity they are exposed to is mostly the mixing of the Quichua indigenous population, those of spanish decent and much inbetween. It is not to say that people here are entirely xenophobic and prejudiced, but simply that the level of daily consciousness that we carry within Columbia/Barnard and especially within the IRC is completely foreign. Coming from a safe space like the IRC, its amazing how disonant and surprising a passing culturally ignorant comment can seem.

Today in my Ser y Cosmos class (a general liberal arts requirement class that juxtaposes classical western texts with ecuadorian identity) I had to present on the theme of identity and globalization and I had the class do the "Identity Walks" exercise that we play on the IRC retreat. This game consists of asking a group of people to decide where their identity falls under a given category and organize themselves into groups with those of similar ideas. The category of social classes failed completely- despite the fact that latin america in general is known for having a strong index of economic inequality, no one seemed to know what the term meant or even where they would be. My guess is that in a university that is 95% upper-middle class, there simply isn't the consciousness of the subtle effects that class identity can have as an everyday privilege or obstacle. The exercise in general went really quickly- i'd say in 15 minutes or less we had exhausted 6 categories, whereas on the IRC retreat it took us a half-hour of longer to get through about 4. What the class observed is that everyone simply found their group as quickly as possible, often forming only two or three groups. In the IRC we always had a multitude of small groupings defining their position with subtle degrees of difference from the next, as well as many people standing alone or straddling groups. To be fair, the class is only about 20 people, which is a much smaller group than we had on the IRC retreat. However another comment the class offered is that here in Ecuador, students are used to being guided or following a leader (this is very much a result of an education system based on rote-learning) and so everyone (including the professor) took the task very literally and simply grouped themselves around the first few students to shout out ideas. It reminded me that students in IRC especially have learned to articulate their identities and the context of diversity and learning highlights these unique constructions.

Finally, ironically it is here in Ecuador that I've finally began to understand the use of the term "intercultural" (as opposed to multicultural, polycultural etc) which I'd always used in the IRC without really understanding its specific meaning. In Ecuador writings on "interculturalidad" center on bilingual/bicultural education for indigenous students, it is also a favorite term of those who write about study abroad as experiential education. As one might guess from the word itself interculturality focuses on learning from the spaces that occur from encounters between two cultures. Its the learning that takes place not from studying something in a book but from interacting with another culture in mutual learning.

Don't get me wrong, I am enjoying Ecuador and respect its people. However I also more than ever appreciate the space of tolerance, openness and understanding that we strive to create in the IRC. Sometimes it might seem like we haven't accomplished enough in terms of presenting events or workshops or events, but the very fact that the space exists and that we are working to cultivate a consciousness different from the norm makes the IRC something unique and something to cherish. Can't wait to see you in the fall!

(posted by Sarah)

NadiSpring Break!

2009-03-13T00:39:00.002-04:00

Hope that day lights savings isn't messing your schedule...anyways...have no fear: there is time to adjust: HAVE A WONDERFUL SPRING BREAK!

NadiThursday...except it's MONDAY

2009-03-09T09:33:00.000-04:00

The Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Program presents:
Healing Experiences through Art and Transformation

Art Gallery Opening Reception:
Tuesday, March 10 6PM-8PM
Intercultural Resource Center 554 W.114 St.

With the theme "Healing and Transformation," one of our goals is to present art as an available outlet and form of expression as people experience the healing process. Everyone is welcome to attend the art show.

Refreshments will be served.

Any questions or for more information, contact Lana del Fierro.

Nadi Thursday Nights

2009-03-05T09:20:00.003-05:00

Hello All,
So what is up with my allergies? Is anyone else feeling sniffly and sneezy (not due to a cold...but to allergies)? Haha, maybe I should do an epidemiological study about it.

But anyways, there will be a Gallery at the IRC this coming Tuesday evening in 554...so please come! Take a look! Chat! Etc =D
-------
Also, there will be a Dessert & Discussion in the IRC one week from today. Topic: Interacial Dating.
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The link today: some colorful pics =)
-------
It will be a bit nippy out today/tonight so don't forget to bundle up...maybe some ear muffs?

Stay warm! Stay un-sniffly! And don't be too Nadi tonight ;)

Demystifying Medical School!

2009-03-02T11:29:00.002-05:00

Demystifying Medical School Curricula
________________________________
March 02, 2009 from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm EST
702 Hamilton

Demystifying Medical School Curricula -- What will I Learn and How Can IBe Best Prepared?

Herbert Chase, MD
Professor of Clinical Medicine
Department of Nephrology
Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons

Please join Herbert Chase, MD, Professor of Clinical Medicine for a talkon medical school curricula. With over 25 years of experience in medicaleducation, Dr. Chase will share his insights and provide recommendationsfor how premedical students can best prepare for the educationalenvironment at medical school.

All medical school programs focus on three distinct but interrelateddomains of medical practice: biomedical science, clinical skills, andmedical decision-making. Basic and clinical science courses preparestudents to practice "scientific medicine," where diagnosis and therapyare informed by a genuine understanding of human health and disease at amolecular level. Skill-building sessions provide opportunities forstudents to master history taking and the physical examination.
In-patient and outpatient experiences enable students to integrate theirscientific knowledge with their clinical skills and become proficientand effective clinical decision-makers.

Given these three goals, of mastering medical science, clinical skillsand medical decision-making, there are tried and true undergraduateexperiences which best prepare students for medical school and maximizethe chances that their experience will be successful and enriching.
This talk will discuss the typical medical school curriculum andhighlight the experiences and skills required to take full advantage ofthe experience.

For further information regarding this event, please contact MonicaAvitsur by sending email to ma2685@columbia.edu .

Take a look!

2009-03-02T10:30:00.001-05:00

Your Daily Political Fix!

2009-03-01T14:17:00.001-05:00

Here's President Obama's Weeekly Video Address:

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0209/19435.html

The Republicans just capped off their annual CPAC convention:

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0209/19443.html

And please,

learn more about the 787 TRILLION DOLLAR INVESTMENT the President is working on:

http://www.recovery.gov/

Good luck with midterms everyone!

Don't forget to fill out your brackets!

Want to Bring Positive Change to Columbia??

2009-03-01T12:25:00.003-05:00

Welcome to March Madness folks!

The Office of Multicultural Affairs at Columbia University will be holding the Days of Dialogue Conference March 26-27.

Days of Dialogue is a bi-annual conference that seeks to engage a broad spectrum of the Columbia University community in active and collective dialogue. Presented by students, faculty, and staff, conference workshops and presentations focus on exploring how various social, cultural, political and institutional constructs impact our lives, communities, and interactions.

Community members are encouraged to participate as much as possible to make the conference a success! Check out the link below and email daysofdialogue@columbia.edu for comments, questions, suggestions AND workshop proposals.

http://www.studentaffairs.columbia.edu/multicultural/diversityed/days.php

BE THE CHANGE YOU WISH TO SEE IN THE WORLD!!!

Everywhere a Diaspora

2009-02-26T13:05:00.005-05:00

I think Diaspora is becoming a buzz term. I hate to use even that phrase "buzz term" because even that is itself beginning to buzz. I guess the real problem is that it is losing meaning. When I think of the term "diaspora" I think about the African one and the Jewish one, it seems to always involved an oppressed people. In those two cases it seems to describe a forced migration. The strict definition of the word describes a people living as religious minorities, a people moving from their "traditional" homeland and so on. Perhaps the term "African Diaspora" arose in the mid 20th century as part of the endeavor to connect Black people with Africa. If we have suffered a Diaspora then we must have a traditional home elsewhere. But what happens when everyone has a suffered a Diaspora? When there is a Jamaican diaspora, a puerto rican diaspora, an Indian diaspora, a Dominican diaspora, an Asian diaspora, a South Asian diaspora, an Irish diaspora, and a Ukranian diaspora does this not call into question the very idea of a people having an intrinsic connection to a certain place? Does this not complicate the imagination of a traditional identity, of a national identity? When people who have undergone a diaspora, undergo a second diaspora, i.e. all of those documented in the Caribbean, what is this really describing? I imagine, like all things social, power dynamics come into play here. But it seems that what is at stake here is the notion that geographic locations have a given meaning, a meaning that we have not invented. I would venture to say that people have moved around, do move around, and will continue to move around. Let us begin to question our imagined communities and open up to the possibilities of a non-static national, ethnic, and religious identity. There are of course plenty of injustices that have caused the large-scale movement of populations but what if this is a natural part of history? And moreover, what if coinage of the term "diaspora" is an attempt to imbue meaning into cultural-geographic continuity that hinders the possibility to see nuance? We do a violence to the experience of migration and movement when it all falls under one larger umbrella term "diaspora." Let us start being honest.

FT

Nadi Thursdays

2009-02-26T09:09:00.002-05:00

Monire Monire Monire!

So, tonight, there is an awesome film screening in Miller Theatre (get your free student tickets at the T.I.C.); doors open at 6.30pm. Want to know one of the incentives? Matisyahu will be there =)

But let me focus on the substance behind the event. It is a documentary showing how there are more slaves (being trafficked) today than in the past. How wild is that?
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Also, the IRC will be turning 20 this year! To commemorate, there will be a Days of Dialogue Conference in late March (26th to 27th). I'm sure the details will be out soon!
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Of course, BBC news item of the week: It's about time this [political] criminal is arrested...ex-President of Malawi (MW), Bakili Muluzi: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7912077.stm
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What I am listening to now? Mbina by ~WuN~ (one of my pals in MW's group..._AMAZING_)
Check them out here: http://www.myspace.com/wun01
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Enjoy your Thursday. Keep it Nadi tonight ;)

THAT Cartoon

2009-02-23T12:28:00.006-05:00

Here is the cartoon that the New York Post featured. I couldn't find the full one, this is only the final frame with the dead ape, I think it's a chimp (thanks science requirement!). Thoughts?

Self Determination

2009-02-21T16:11:00.003-05:00

I was going to write economic self-determination. I was inspired by a man who I consider an athletic professor of mine to express some thoughts about reconciling institutional injustices of the United States and taking economic responsibility for oneself. I was even further inspired by a class I'm currently taking on Islam in Black America. We've now gotten into mid-20th century Nation of Islam early discourse which is fraught with self-determination rhetoric. In any case, in light of recent events I've decided to write on self-determination in a different context, our present context.

As a member of the IRC I do not feel that the process for admission of new members is as transparent as it should be. I realize that we have a group interview, after which there is a short discussion and a vote is taken. From my experience with admitting the three new members of 554, because we voted almost unanimously our decision didn't seemed to be changed with the final administrative word. But is this always the case? I think my contention is not whether or not the answer to that question is yes but rather that I feel that I have to ask that question at all. Do we feel as though we are an important part of the process? What goes into the final selection process? What is the weight and/or purpose of the individual interviews? For the sake of diversity and admitting people with fresh ideas and motivations, should not the process be entirely transparent? Shouldn't we have the final say? Why does no one ever ask any questions, no matter what the outcome is? And furterhmore, and perhaps most importantly, can the re-application process really be called RE-application? I know that we are trying to create a cohesive community here and that objectivity is hard to reach (if not entirely useless in some cases) but in the spirit of our new national politics, these processes should be displayed so that the people can hold responsible whom they see fit.

FT

Nadi Thursdays (Sorry this is one day off) =D

2009-02-20T12:06:00.003-05:00

What are your thoughts on "That Cartoon" in the New York Post?

I personally wonder how the cartoon was never censored...I know that there is freedom of speech etc, but this is teetering on treason...right?

Also, this evening (Friday) is the women's Think Pink basketball game! Please go! First come, first receive free pink t-shirts =D And Relay for Life will be there, so be sure to drop by our table! And there is a Relay for Life Kick-off event in Lerner c555 (Professional comedian, Onyx, Sabor, and much more!....and of course, FOOD).

Love you lots,
NadiThursdays (pun intended...and if you know Chitumbuka, it may been something else, but it still works!)

Another great event

2009-02-19T02:42:00.000-05:00

Does Your Mama Know?
Staged Reading
TONIGHT 8:30 -10 pm
Lerner Black Box
Free tickets available for pick-up at the TIC

"By turns funny, passionate, angry and joyous, "Does Your Mama Know?" reflects the complexity of emotions that accompany a black lesbian’s coming out. This staged reading is adapted from some of the 49 short stories, poems, interviews and essays, fiction and nonfiction, that make up a powerful collection of original and new writing by 41 women."

Followed by Q&A with the performers!
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=14796

Upcoming Events

2009-02-16T12:10:00.005-05:00

Here are some events coming up that would be great for some IRC representation!

"In Search of the Black Fantastic: Politics and Popular Culture in the Post-Civil Rights Era"

Friday, February 20th at 4pm Room 758 Schermerhorn Extension

FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

with

Richard Iton, Associate Professor, African American Studies and Political Science-Northwestern University

Speaker Bio

Richard Iton is Associate Professor of African American Studies and Political Science at Northwestern University. He is the winner of the 2001 Gustavus Myers Outstanding Book award and the 2000 Best Book Award on the Social, Cultural, and Ideological Construction of Race from the American Political Science Association for Solidarity Blues: Race, Culture, and the American Left . Iton (Solidarity Blues) examines the link between black popular culture and black politics, the symbiosis between creative artist and political activist in the post?civil rights era. From Cold War era artists and activists (Paul Robeson, Lorraine Hansberry) to Amiri Baraka; from Ella Fitzgerald to Erykah Badu; Dizzy Gillespie to Nas; Richard Pryor to Chris Rock? Iton traces cultural and political developments, engaging with novelists, filmmakers, musicians, standup comedians and visual artists. Always attentive to the dynamics of sexuality, gender and race roles, Iton's work possesses the depth of wide reading in modernist theory and the breadth of wide-open eyes and ears for the popular. Gargantuan sentences coupled with current critical jargon may deter the general reader, but specialists in popular culture, African-American studies, political science and American studies will find Iton's argument that political intention adheres to every cultural production challenging, illuminating and groundbreaking. For both lay reader and academician, it may well compel a revision of our notions of the political.

Thursday, February 19
Columbia Water Center Seminar: Will China Run Out Of Water?
Speaker: Chunmiao Zheng, Professor of Hydrogeology; SSPA Faculty Fellow; 2009 Birdsall-Dreiss Distinguished Lecturer, University of Alabama
Time: 1:00 to 2:00 p.m.
Location: Columbia University, Morningside Campus, 924 Seeley W. Mudd Building
Contact: Columbia Water Center, watercenter@columbia.edu or call (212) 851-5695
RSVP: Register
Wednesday, February 18
Millennium Villages Student Research Showcase
Speakers: Various
Time: 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.
Location: Columbia University, Morningside Campus, Alfred Lerner Hall, Room 555
Contact: Scott Andrews, sandrews@ei.columbia.edu or call (212) 854-1298

Freedom School Presents: Special Guest Speaker
Ebony Kirkland
Founder of Money School Tanzania

Join us Monday, Feb. 23 as we welcome our first guest speaker of the year, Ms. Ebony Kirkland, founder of Money School Tanzania in Dar Es Salaam. Ebony was born in Brooklyn and grew up in the Bronx. She graduated from the University of Vermont with a Master's in Education. Seeking a career path rooted in social justice, she took her life savings and went to Tanzania to found a school, uncertain of exactly what she would find there. Upon arriving, she helped her students use education as a means to think critically and address the issues facing their communities. A question and answer period will be followed by a general discussion, and as always food will be provided.

Monday, February 23rd 6:00PM

IRC Conference Room

552 W. 114th Street

Food will be provided.

Double Minorities and Honorary Males

2009-02-14T18:10:00.004-05:00

Ok I see that this blog has yet to garnish some popularity. In an effort to make a place for communal expression, I am going to express myself on a few things.

Primarily, I have been reading a lot about Black Muslims in America as I am in a class this semester called "Islam in the African-American Experience." In this reading, I have come across the term "double minority." I am certainly not a stranger to this term but I can say that I have never thought critically about. I have always taken it as a way to talk about people who fill more than one "minority" category, i.e. people of mixed heritage, queer people of color, etc. Whether it is because I am supposed to formally think critically about black people in this class or because of my (personally confusing) connection to Islam, I was unsettled this time. Why can't someone just be a minority? Can we have triple and quadruple minorities? Would a black/native american, gay, transexual, woman come close to the ultimate personification of United States oppression? I personally think that a positive answer to any of these questions is offensive. It is offensive because it is disturbing. It is disturbing because the real nature of the term "minority" is revealed, or perhaps twisted. Being a minority is about power. The term seems to designate a lack power or more numerous ways in which power can be exercised over an individual. Everyone inhabits more than one identity category and more likely than not, one of those categories fits a minority status. Whether its a racial, religious, economic, or sexual identity minority, everyone is subject to some form of oppressive power. I am not trying to wash all forms of discrimination together. I am simply trying to expose the ridiculous nature of the term "double minority." Let us stop miring ourselves in terminology that euphemizes or ignores real issues. One day we will all be recognized as multiple minorities and the few who believe that they can designate themselves as a majority population will be pushed off a cliff.

Secondly, I went to the first day of the conference that Severin (I guess it was Severin) posted below, the Arendt conference. I hear Gayatri Spivak speak. She was insightful as I am sure she always is. She was basically saying that Arendt's work "On Violence" which apparently speaks largely to the 1968 riots on Columbia's Campus (albeit in a highly racist way) cannot be taken seriously without an account of gender. For that matter, no account of violence can be taken seriously without this vital aspect. She coined an account of gender as constitutive of the "text of life" that must enrich Arendt's text. I thought of Michael Williams one day saying that he likes majoring in Women and Gender studies because for him it is like studying life. So good job Mike, you are just as insightful as Spivak! I thought it was an interesting point. The other thing she mentioned was Arendt's status as an "honorary male" in academia. Becoming "honorary" was the only way to gain respect in her field. This stuck with me because I realized how often I do that with my professors today. The insightful women AND men become "honorary males" or academics to be taken seriously. The rest I think are emasculated or remain feminine and thus lack respect. This is certainly the record playing in the back of my mind. And it is wrong! No one should be subject to this kind of genderizing.

One last thing, I vote that Severin relinquishes his editorial capabilities and/or takes all this shit off of the blog!

Goodnight and Goodluck

FT

Listening In, Feeding Back

2009-02-12T15:55:00.002-05:00

Listening In, Feeding Back (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AEBY8AX-C0)

An Interdisciplinary Conference on Sound

A two-day event at Columbia University

with special concert performance

Click here to visit the conference website for full schedule and additional details:

http://www.columbia.edu/cu/societyoffellows/listeningin.html.

Concert Performers:

Alvin Lucier

Otomo Yoshihide

James Fei, Kato Hideki, and Nakamura Toshimaru Trio

Featured Speakers:

Karin Bijsterveld, Maastricht University

Steven Connor, Birkbeck College

James Fei, Mills College

Steven Feld, University of New Mexico/University of Oslo

Charles Hirschkind, University of California, Berkeley

Brian Kane, Yale University

Louise Meintjes, Duke University

David Novak, Columbia University

Otomo Yoshihide, Independent Composer/Performer, Tokyo

Mark Smith, University of South Carolina

Jonathan Sterne, McGill University

Elizabeth Travassos, University of Rio de Janeiro

Amanda Weidman, Bryn Mawr College

Organizers:

David Novak, Columbia University

Ana Maria Ochoa, Columbia University

_____________________________

February 13, 2009

Panel 1: Listening, Feedback, and Composition

301 Philosophy Hall

3:00pm - 5:30pm

"Listening In, Feeding Back"

Concert Performance

Miller Theater

8:00pm-10:00pm

February 14, 2009

Panel 2: Sensing Sound, Text, and the Voice

301 Philosophy Hall

9:00am - 11:30am

Panel 3: Feedback and Public Circulation

301 Philosophy Hall

11:45am-1:45pm

Panel 4: Technologies of Listening

301 Philosophy Hall

3:00pm-5:00pm

Sponsored by:

Society of Fellows in the Humanities

Center for Ethnomusicology

Department of Music

Department of Anthropology

MoSEX, Mo Problems!

2009-02-12T15:32:00.003-05:00

VISIT THE MUSEUM OF SEX! (Bring a partner or two.)

CUEBS (Columbia University Environmental Biology Society) is hosting a trip to the Museum of Sex on Valentine's Day, Saturday, February 14th. Please join us to see a special exhibit, "The Sex Lives of Animals."
We will meet on campus at 10:30 AM and leave for the museum together.
Dr. Jenna Lawrence, primate behavioral ecologist, will lead a talk through the exhibit. Feel free to explore the rest of the museum afterward. Space is limited so if you are interested, please
contact Jessica at jsg2139@columbia.edu.

CUEBS: http://www.columbia.edu/cu/cuebs/index.html

Arendt After '68

2009-02-12T14:32:00.002-05:00

On the Mic: Severin
Playlist: Just Friends by Amy Winehouse

Just a little over an hour from now, the Institute for Research on Women and Gender will commence "Arendt after '68," a symposium devoted to a consideration of Hannah Arendt’s theorization of violence in America in the aftermath of 1968. This event lasts through tomorrow afternoon and the schedule is a gift from the academic gods! Elizabeth Povinelli and Rosalind Morris, two of the finest professors in the Anthropology Department, are giving the Welcome and Introductory Remarks respectively.

Must-See Events (according to MOI!):
1)Prof. Spivak's and Prof. Thomas' discussion entitled "An Honorary Male" is happening today at 4:30.
2)Prof. Gourgouris (whose name I hope to have mastered by the end of this semester) will be speaking on "Anarchy's Democracy," along with Prof. Urbinati tomorrow at 3pm.

Criticism for the Stimulus Plan

2009-02-02T09:41:00.002-05:00

First off, I'm really happy that we have this space now. I think it will be a great tool for expression and communication. Hopefully we can keep in touch with all of the house members who are abroad! I also hope that not too much campus politics and gossip makes its way here. There are already enough spaces for that. However, the recent death of the SEAS student is quite depressing. With that said, I hope everyone is taking time out for self-care and that the rest of the house stays aware of the emotional signals of the other house members. One other quick point, I don't know how I feel about non-CPR members requesting a "day" to post. I think it would be best if the whole community had access to this thing all of the time. Perhaps as CPR members we can post more often and just keep this thread of communication going. The communication should be unedited and organic. I honestly don't see the use in screening any of the potential information.

Now on to the main reason why I decided to post a blog. I wanted to say something about the criticism of Obama's stimulus plan. I think the amount has topped 800 billion dollars now and I say keep it comin'. This is what the government is in place to do. It has spending and financial supporting power that no other entity has. If the government resources are not employed for this problem, then for what will they be employed? Is the government in place solely to wage war that "protects" its citizens? I think it is amazing how Obama's plan has not been contextualized with the spending practices of the former president. I would venture to say that Bush spent more money than Obama on a selfish project that did little to affect, let alone better, the lives of Americans. The Bush spending plan may have been more favorable to conservative thinks because it was farther removed from the actual lives of people but now is time to take care of business at home and ensure that U.S. citizens have jobs and security and that we may maintain our global hegemony!

Every politician deserves criticism. I am certainly not saying that we should follow Obama's every move (or perhaps we should, who knows really) but I think his plan should be seen in light of the kind of spending we have experienced in the past. Now the spending will lead to better schools, the opportunity for healthcare, the ability to get loans, job security, and the list goes on. I would rather enjoy job security than feel as though my president-in-shining-armor is keeping Osama bin Laden at bay in his terror lair.

To end on a lighter note. I think we should all forgive and forget Michael Phelps bout with weed. Like the one black woman CNN interviewed said, "he's only human, if he wants to smoke a weed joint, I don't see a problem with it." If you had 8 Olympic gold medals, millions of dollars, and didn't really know how to do anything but swim, what would YOU do??

Happy Groundhog Day!

2009-02-02T01:42:00.000-05:00

One Diva, One Mic: Severin-Aime Mahirwe (552, 5th Floor STAND UP!)
IRC Boombox
Artist: Mavis Staples
Song: I'll Take You There (1972)
Album: Be Altitude: Respect Yourself
IRC Tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZidLDMER9g&feature=related

Welcome to the newly minted IRC Blog. Here to serve as your distraction from life's daily woes, this interactive blog will include postings from a member of CPR every day. Posts are completely self-directed and they are to serve as a daily check-in from CPR. Of course, we'll include reminders about events happening around campus, in the city, and beyond; LOTS of pictures of the triumphant and MIGHTY PITTSBURGH STEELERS; all the latest gossip in campus politics and bureaucrantics; N.Y.C. and U.S. news and events, especially from our families back home (CPR's general policy for pictures is: The More The Merrier!); plus affairs of our personal worlds and the globe (we may even go Extra-Terrestrial, ALF's place got foreclosed).
We must remember that our community, like our President, our roots and our mission extends throughout the globe, particularly as we remember those in the IRC Community who are studying abroad or are away from campus for any reason (Update Message from Sarah Chen below). Most importantly, residents who are not members of CPR are welcome to request a day to post their own blog and get an opportunity to experiment with Blogging (i.e. GREAT RESUME SKILL)! I will venture an editorial nudge and recommend the Black Alumni Council Reception, which is always a blast. And on a closing side note, the NAACP celebrates the 100th anniversary of its formation on February 12, 2009.
http://www.naacp.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Association_for_the_Advancement_of_Colored_People

This blog is also the perfect way to check out the CPR Calendar for community events and events the IRC supports. Please send us events of any kind that you would like us to add. As always, feel free to send us feedback e-mails and forward interesting events, internships, summer and career opportunities, KEWL places in this incredible city of ours and PARTICULARLY the less conventional fare it has to offer. Fill our LOVE BOX (cpr.irc@gmail.com) with notes of love, notes of constructive criticism, notes filled with radical CHANGE, notes filled with nothing but Joy for this semester.

Happy February, Happy Black History Month, Happy IRC Community!

---- Your Breathtaking CPR Crew
Mera, Nadi, Sean, Terrell, Zach and Severin

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1. You Are Invited!

Black Heritage Month Opening Reception

The Plurality of One: Celebrating the Multiple Facades of Our Blackness

Come enjoy dinner, performances, and a Keynote Address by BET's Jeffrey Johnson also known as Cousin Jeff!
From the Hip-Hop community to mainstream media, Jeff Johnson serves as a trusted voice for information and opinions to a new generation. A social activist, political strategist, inspirational speaker, executive producer and an architect for social change, Johnson is one
of today's most gifted leaders in both the political and entertainment arenas. Recently, Johnson was named by Source Magazine as one of the hip hop generation's key political players!
Currently, Mr. Johnson is stars in his own weekly news show on BET:
"The Truth With Jeff Johnson".

Location: Roone Arledge Auditorium
Start Time: 7PM

Free and Open to the Entire Columbia and Barnard Community!

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2. Black Alumni Council Heritage Awards Reception
February 19th, 2009
Honoring Ben Jealous CC '94: 17th President and CEO of the National Association for the Advancement
of Colored People (NAACP)

Hello All,
The Black Alumni Council cordially invites you to their annual Heritage Awards Reception on February, 19th, 2009. The evite can be viewed online at: http://alumni.columbia.edu/newsletter/ecards/BAC_0109.html

Celebrate Black Achievement. Honor NAACP's Ben Jealous. Join the Black Alumni Council (BAC)and the Columbia Alumni Association (CAA) for the Black Alumni Heritage Award Reception. This year, BAC is proud to honor Ben Jealous '94CC, the 17th president and CEO of the NAACP, during this special event. A former Rhodes Scholar at Oxford, Jealous was selected by the NAACP's 64-member board in May 2008 following a year-long search. At 35, he is the youngest person ever to head the 99-year-old civil rights organization.Refreshments will be served. Seating is limited so RSVP today.Alumni Reservations»
Student Reservations»
For more information on this event or the BAC, please contact:
Courtney Wilkins
BAC Events Chair
clw2102@columbia.edu
Thursday, February 196:30-8:30 p.m.
Low Library Rotunda
Columbia University
New York, NY 10027
Tickets:
Alumni and guests: $25
Students: FREE!!!!! (The Best word of 2009!)
For more information on this or other alumni events,visit:
www.alumni.columbia.edu/events

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3. SUP Senior Counselor
Housing and $3400 Stipend

Dearest friends,
Here's an opportunity to apply for a summer job teaching and working with young children! I did it last summer and will be returning to direct a program--I definitely encourage you all to check it out, ask me questions, and to APPLY!

Best,
Terrell

Like Kids?
Public Service?
Working with Teens?
Politics and Advocacy?
Community Health?
or
Social Justice?

DO SUP!
As a Senior Counselor with SUP, you have the chance to work with a group of 10 children, teaching and mentoring them as you explore the city together. All Senior Counselors receive free housing and a stipend of at least $3400
Email sup@pbha.org with questions.

********The Summer Urban Program (SUP) is run by PBHA. Each summer, approximately 150 college students live and work in various communities in Boston and Cambridge. Serving over 800 youth ages 6 to 13, the summer programs consist of a morning of curricular, classroom-based enrichment and afternoons of field trips in and around Boston. Each camp uses the city as a classroom without walls, and the summer culminates in a show and final trips. An essential element of the summer program is community partnership; teens who are often former campers are hired as junior or senior counselors, and parents and community leaders play an important role in working with the program. Many camps have been operating as for decades.

-- Terrell Winder
Columbia University '11
McDonogh School '07
tjw2110@columbia.edu

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4. GPN: "Columbia Revolt"
—Film Screening and Panel Discussion
Date: February 04, 2009, 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Location: Columbia University, International Affairs Building, Room 1302
For further information regarding this event, please contact Ahsan Kamal by sending an email to ak2886@columbia.edu .

The Grassroots Policy Network (GPN) presents, Columbia Revolt, a documentary on the historic 1968 Columbia University student protests. The screening of the documentary will be followed by a panel discussion with some of the original participants, about the events and the course their lives have taken since.
In 1968 Columbia University students erupted in protest and took over campus buildings. The protest touched on many issues and themes, which are still relevant today. As part of its speaker series on unheard voices, the GPN will be screening a video with protest organizers.
Brief bio of participants:
Nellie Bailey, Director of Harlem Tenant's Council, Host of Radio Show "Inside Housing"
Tom DeMott, Organizer with Coalition to Preserve Community and the West Harlem Coalition
Tom Kappner, Member of the 121st-122nd Streets Block Association, CPC steering member
Mark Naison, Professor of African-American Studies and Director of Urban Studies at Fordham
University, former member of Weatherman Organization.
Has written over 100 articles and 3 books
Luis Tejada, Executive Director of The Mirabal Sisters Cultural and Community Center, Inc.
William Starr, Episcopalian Chaplain (1965-2001) at Columbia's Earl Hall, participant in student
occupations at Columbia.

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5. GREETINGS from ECUADOR!

Hello friends and family:

As you know I'm studying abroad in Quito, Ecuador! I'll be there through May 25th and I'd love to keep in touch. I'll have computer and internet access so email is probably the simplest option. You can use either sc2711@barnard.edu or sarah.l.chien@gmail.com they both forward to the same account.

Even better, I'm going to try to keep a blog! It's going to be directed basically at family and friends so you should just be able to visit
http://sarahextranjera.wordpress.com/
to see photos and read updates about what's going on. You can even leave me comments! I'll plan to start writing within the week. This should be the easiest way to see whats goin' on.

If you have skype (or want to get skype, it's free, all you need is a computer and a headset) my name is sarabesque6. As I don't know what my internet availability will be I think the best way to use free computer to computer skype would be to email me and we can decide on a time to talk. Ecuador is the same as US Eastern time.

Finally, just in case you are feeling ambitious and want to try to mail something, mail can be sent to the study abroad organization:
Sarah Chien
c/o IES Quito
P.O. Box 17-21-1967
Quito, ECUADOR

Gracias to everyone for the support and wishes of good luck you've given me in preparation for this trip!

Love,

-- Sarah Chien
sc2711@barnard.edu
cell: (309) 397-0623

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6. If it's the day after Valentine's Day, It's FREEDOM SCHOOL!

Next Meeting:
Sunday, February 15th
12pm
554 Lounge
Bring friends, lovers and empty stomachs!

This week's discussion focuses on RELATIONSHIPS
Hosted by Mike Wills, with Sev-Money on the 1s and 2s (Rich is our HYPE MAN)

Does the marital tradition have its origins in slavery? What are the implications of such a history?
What's the significance of U.S. divorce rates and domestic violence cases?
Is single parenting the future?
WHY should we accept the of idea of marriage in the first place?
All that, plus polyamorous, polygamous, serially monogamous, and "open" Relationships.

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7. And why not add some romance by taking your boo to a Postcrypt art exhibit?
Friday, February 6
- 1st Show of the Semester!

The Love Show
Love lifts us up where we belong. Love is blind. All you need is love. Love surrounds us in infinite forms ranging from love of family to love of friends, romantic love to love for chocolate, and religious love to patriotic love. Valentine's Day is around the corner, so whether you embrace the holiday or hate it, come celebrate love with Postcrypt Art Gallery for our first art show of Spring 2008 on Friday, February 6. Artists and performers, please submit to us or get in touch by Wednesday, February 4.
Curated by: Emilie (eys2106@columbia.edu) & Emily (ers2153@barnard.edu)
We will also be handing out love letters and candygrams!
Contact Emily so we can hook you up!
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2200023344

8. ERRATUM
The lecture by Bruno Latour will take place on Thursday, February 5th , 2009, at 6:15 pm at Columbia University.

The Heyman Center for the Humanities and the Alliance Program cordially invite you to attend a lecture given by:

Bruno Latour (Sciences Po)
"Globalization: Which Globe? Which Politics?"
Thursday February 5th, at 6:15 pm
Rennert Hall
The Kraft Center
Columbia University
(Basement level, 606 West 115th Street, between Broadway and Riverside Drive)
This event is free and open to the public. Seating is on a first come, first served basis. No tickets or registration necessary.

*Bruno Latour*, born in 1947 in France, was trained first as a philosopher and then an anthropologist. From 1982 to 2006, he has been professor at the //Centre de sociologie de l'Innovation// at the Ecole nationale supérieure des mines in Paris and, for various periods, visiting professor at UCSD, at the London School of Economics and in the history of science department of Harvard University. He is now professor at **Sciences Po, **associated with the Centre de sociologie des organisations (**CSO**), where he is also the vice-president for research of that school.

After field studies in Africa and California he specialized in the analysis of scientists and engineers at work. In addition to work in philosophy, history, sociology and anthropology of science, he has collaborated into many studies in science policy and research management. He has written /Laboratory Life/ (Princeton University Press), /Science in Action/, and /The Pasteurization of France/. He also published a field study on an automatic subway system /Aramis or the love of technology/ and an essay on symmetric anthropology /We have never been modern/. He has also gathered a series of essays, /Pandora's Hope: Essays in the Reality of Science Studie/ to explore the consequences of the "science wars". After having directed several thesis on various environmental crisis, he published a book on the political philosophy of the environment /Politics of Nature/ (all of those books are with Harvard University Press and have been translated in many languages).

In a series of books in French he has been exploring the consequences of science studies on different traditional topics of the social sciences: religion in **/Sur le culte moderne des dieux faitiches/**, and** ****/Jubiler ou les tourments de la parole religieuse/**, and social theory in /Paris ville invisible/, a photographic essay on the technical & social aspects of the city of Paris (now available on the web in** **English** ****Paris Invisible City**). After a long field work on one of the French supreme Courts, he has recently published a monograph **/la Fabrique du droit-une ethnographie du Conseil d'Etat/** (to be published in English). A new presentation of the social theory which he has developed with his colleagues in Paris is available at Oxford University Press, under the title: */**Reassembling the Social, an Introduction to Actor Network Theory**/*.

After having curated a major international exhibition in Karlsruhe at the ZKM center, Iconoclash beyond the image wars in science, religion and art, he has curated another one also with Peter Weibel */**Making Things Public The atmospheres of democracy**/* which has closed in October 2005 (both catalogues are with MIT Press).

The Alliance Program is a joint venture between Columbia University and three French partner institutions, the Ecole Polytechnique, Sciences Po and the Universite Paris I Pantheon Sorbonne. For further information please see: www.columbia.edu/cu/alliance

Vanessa Scherrer
Director of the Alliance Program. Visiting Professor at SIPA
Columbia University 1232 International Affairs Building
420 West 118th Street New York, NY 10027
Tel: 1-212-854-2056