Draper Offices Close for Thanksgiving, 11/23 at 4pm

Please be informed that the Draper offices will close for Thanksgiving break tomorrow, 11/23 at 4:00pm and will remain closed until resuming regular hours on Monday, 11/28.

Wishing everyone a lovely long weekend and happy Thanksgiving!

Get Your Dog's POV: DoggyCorps

In the midst of all the end-of-semester chaos, check out DoggyCorps, an interview-based art project developed by an almost-grad in Tisch's Interactive Telecommunications Program. Per the description on the website:

"DoggyCorps asks people to adopt the perspective of man’s oldest companion species, the dog, and share stories in the first person. These hybrid portraits transcend geographic borders, socio-economic status, and political persuasions to offer an accessible, entertaining, and oddly honest view into what it means to be a breathing being in an age of ever-increasing automation."

The website features audio interview profiles with dog owners (or rather, dogs) from all over New York, as well as animated shorts of each interviewee. Great site for any animal lover!

Draper fall 2011 Advisement Dates

Draper's fall 2011 academic advisement has been scheduled for Monday, August 15 - Thursday, September 1. All students who will be registering for credit-bearing courses must have an advising appointment.

The preliminary fall 2011 course schedule can be found on the Draper website (http://draper.as.nyu.edu/object/drap.courses.fa11). New crosslists and updated course descriptions will be added throughout the summer. Continue checking the website for updated class information.

*Please note that as NYU transitions to the new SIS registration system, there may be classes listed on Draper's schedule in Albert which will not be offered this coming fall. At this time, Draper's course listings on our website is the most up to date and accurate list of offerings. The Albert listings will be corrected in time for fall advisement and registration this summer.*

Students may call Draper's main line (212.998.8070) to schedule their advisement appointments starting on Monday, July 25. No appointments will be scheduled before this date.

Internship Opportunities with Wassaic Project (NYC & Wassaic)

The Wassaic Project is currently seeking summer interns. Details are below.

Interns are deeply involved in the daily operations of our organization in a way that is seldom offered by an organization of our size. There are opportunities for programming, independent projects, and meeting professionals in the field.

Please forward widely to current students (seniors and graduate students preferred) and alumni.

Thanks!
Eve and The Wassaic Project Team

***

THE WASSAIC PROJECT
www.wassaicproject.org / eve@wassaicproject.org
po box 220, wassaic ny 12592

Intern at the Wassaic Project in Wassaic, NY and NYC!

The Wassaic Project seeks:

Summer Session / May - August 2011

FIVE interns to work with Co-Directors in Wassaic NY and Music Director in NYC

• 2 interns in Wassaic with a strong administrative and programming interest and/or background to work closely with the co-directors and the Exhibition and Education Programs
• 1 intern in Wassaic with silk screening skills to work closely with the Artist Residency Program
• 1 intern in NYC to work closely withe the Music Director and the Summer Festival music production team
• 1 intern in NYC who is web focused to work closely with our Design Fellow and all staff members
  
  

ABOUT

Work with a group of young, passionate artists and curators at The Wassaic Project, a vibrant multidisciplinary arts organization in Wassaic, NY and New York City. Programming interns learn about aspects of curating and producing an art exhibition and arts and music festival, from curating, press, marketing, event planning, exhibition hanging, gallery management and more. Because The Wassaic Project is a small, young organization, interns have a unique opportunity to contribute to the long-term identity of the organization and take on substantial responsibility. Interns have the chance to manage their own projects and will work on our spring benefit, the residency application process and logistics, the Summer Festival application process, curation, promotion and installation, and will help manage our Artist Residency program and events. Inters will work directly with artists as well as the directors of The Wassaic Project.Music focused intern will meet musicians, work closely with our Music Director, Scott Anderson, in allaspects of curating, recruiting, promoting, and coordinating our festival musicians.

Web focused intern will be 2 days / week based in NYC and a strong programming background is preferred. You will work closely with all staff members including our Design Fellow to update our website and explore new ways to present our material via the web.Internships will be tailored to meet your particular interests and take advantage of your skills, from writing, to silk screening, to carpentry and installation, to anything else.

Interns must be passionate about The Wassaic Project's mission, have an interest in contemporary art, be detail-oriented, communicate well, and be able to climb lots of stairs.Wassaic is about 90 miles North of NYC and is accessible by car and by Metro North (train goes direct to Wassaic).

BENEFITS

- housing is provided for interns working in Wassaic, NY
- work directly with Co-Directors, Music Director and Design Fellow
- meet and work closely with over 40 artist residents
- meet and work closely with over 100 Summer Festival artists
- modest gas and travel stipend
- 2 days of informational interview will be arranged with relevant arts professionals in NYC
- programming interns have access to the wood and metal shops and silk screen studios

REQUIREMENTS

Programming Interns, based in Wassaic, NY FULL TIME

• Applicants must be responsible, have excellent interpersonal skills, be detail oriented and able to learn quickly, love art, and enjoy getting to know new people.
• Must be familiar with Microsoft office suite, particularly word, excel and mail merge tools, basic blogging, facebook.
• Please specify if you have silk screen printing skills.
• Must be available to live onsite 5 days per week in Wassaic, NY, including weekends (days off will be weekdays). Housing will be provided, cars are recommended but not required.
  

Music Intern, based in NYC, PART TIME, based in Wassaic for the Summer Festival, August 3 - 8

• Applicants must be responsible, have excellent interpersonal skills, be detail oriented and able to learn quickly, love art, and enjoy getting to know new people.
• Must be familiar with Microsoft office suite, particularly word, excel and mail merge tools, basic blogging, facebook.
  
• Familiarity with basic music equipment to assist with back end coordination a must
  

WEB and PROGRAMMING Intern, based in NYC, PART TIME

• Applicants must be responsible, have excellent interpersonal skills, be detail oriented and able to learn quickly, love art, and enjoy getting to know new people.
• Must be familiar with Microsoft office suite, particularly word, excel and mail merge tools, basic blogging, facebook, wordpress, css and html.
• Must be willing to work with all staff members to realize web updates and design changes
• familiarity with PHP preferred
  

TO APPLY:

Deadline: April 10
Send a single PDF file named: first_last_INTERNSHIPTYPE
(ex: Jane_Doe_PROGRAMING.pdf) to: eve@wassaicproject.org
subject: INTERNSHIP APPLICATION

Please include in the following order:

• Name, email, phone number, website (if applicable)
• Which internship program are you applying for?
• Do you have silk screen printing skills?
• Contact information for 2 references (professional or professors)
• BRIEF cover letter (half page tops) stating your interest in working with The Wassaic Project and something about yourself you think is interesting. What is your interest in the arts?
• Resume
  

Applicants will be contacted by April 15th, whether or not they are asked to interview.

MISSION

The Wassaic Project is an artist-run, sustainable, multidisiplinary arts organization located on an
historic farm in Wassaic, NY. We facilitate artists, performers, and participants to exhibit, perform, discuss, and connect with art, music, each other, our unique site, and the surrounding community. Artists-in-residence are encouraged to experiment with new ways of working that we share and celebrate during our public programs. Visitors to The Wassaic Project are inspired to see art in a new way in this unique and welcoming setting.

Our programs generate dialogue and collaboration across geographic, ideological, and disciplinary
boundaries. The Wassaic Project's activities include a year-round artist and musician residency, an annual summer festival, and a series of public programs throughout the year including open studios. We also offer studio visits/critiques for artists involved with the organization by guest curators and visiting artists, and artist workshops with community members.

The Wassaic Project values community engagement, experimentation, and having fun.

Bike Trade-In This Weekend!

Hello friends -

Got an old bike sitting around? Trade it in - and trade up: Bring it in this weekend and get a voucher for $50 off a new bike!

WHEN Saturday March 26th, from 11am - 4pm

WHERE Bicycle Habitat, 250 Lafayette Street, NY, NY 10012

WHAT trade-in a bicycle or bike parts and get $50 OFF a new bike or 20% off bike gear

WHY All donations will go to Recycle-A-Bicycle, a local non-profit organization

For more information, visit our website or call (212) 431-3315.
Hope to see you this Saturday!

Charlie McCorkell
Bicycle Habitat

Bobst Launches LibX (Browser Extension for Researchers & Scholars)

Bobst library has recently launched a web browser plugin which "lets scholars connect to resources offered by their library." According to a recent article published in Connect, NYU's Information Technology newsletter, "The NYU version of LibX allows you to:

• Access NYU's collection of books and electronic resources alongside search results in Google, Yahoo Search, Amazon, and WorldCat
• Highlight text on any web page and search for the highlighted term in NYU Libraries' resources; a simple right-click of the mouse enables you to search BobCat, NYU databases, WorldCat and more"

LibX also embeds an NYU search button in your browser, "making it a simple matter to conduct a keyword search of Bobcat for the desired item."

For more information on LibX, check out the full article, here: http://www.nyu.edu/its/connect/w11/libx.html

The LibX plugin can be downloaded from the library website, here: http://nyu.libguides.com/tools

Two Egypt Events Co-Organized by Draper Student Ali Abbas (Today and Tomorrow!)

Draper student Ali Abbas has assisted in the organizing of two timely events on the recent uprising in Egypt. Please see below for details. Please note that RSVPs are requested for both tonight and tomorrow's events, which you can do online here: http://wagner.nyu.edu/events/atwo-partdiscussiononegyptspopularuprising

***


Dear Colleagues,

Please join us for a two-part discussion on Egypt’s popular uprising:

Revolution: Informal Conversation about the Events in Egypt and the Region
Monday, February 7, 3:00-4:30pm
NYU Wagner, 295 Lafayette St., 2nd floor, Student Lounge

Over the past few days we have seen the ousting of Tunisia’s President by popular protests and the rise of demonstrations in Jordan and Yemen. Now Egypt has captivated the world with its revolution-in-action. What triggered these events and how might they impact the United States and the world? Bring your questions, thoughts and comments to a casual conversation over hot cocoa about the events in Egypt and the region.

Session Facilitators:

Natasha Iskander, Assistant Professor of Public Policy, NYU Wagner
Waad El Hadidy, Senior Associate, Research Center for Leadership in Action, NYU Wagner

The Egyptian Revolution: Collective Leadership or Leadership Void?
Tuesday, February 8, 12:30 – 2:00pm
NYU Wagner, 295 Lafayette St., 2nd floor, Rudin Family Forum for Civic Dialogue

Egypt is swept up in massive pro-democracy demonstrations – a collective movement of millions spearheaded by no one figure or group. While the movement is an example of collective leadership at its best, the decades-long suppression of opposition and pluralism has left no immediate candidate ready to lead the country. Join us for a panel conversation on leadership and the Egyptian revolution, as we make sense of the unfolding events based on first-hand accounts from colleagues in Tahrir Square.
A light lunch will be provided.

Panelists:

Mona Eltahawy, Award-winning columnist and regular CNN commentator on Arab issues
Watch Mona on Bill Maher

Omar Cheta, History and Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies, NYU

Karim Tartousseih, Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies, NYU

Rania Salem, Sociology, Princeton University

Moderator:
Waad El Hadidy, Research Center for Leadership in Action, NYU Wagner

These events are sponsored by the Research Center for Leadership in Action, NYU’s Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service and the John W. Draper Interdisciplinary Program at the College of Arts and Science

Grad Students: Learning to Read Again (via Chronicle of Higher Ed)

Robin Nagle suggests our students take a look at the article "Learning to Read, Again," which was published in The Chronicle of Higher Education this weekend. It begins as follows:

Learning to Read, Again

By Gary Alan Fine

Academics take reading for granted. We learned to read in first grade, and those skills have served us well ever since. Like fish in water, we hardly notice the transparent medium in which we swim.

Writing is a skill that we are continuously taught, a skill that is graded. But reading is different. When academics have trouble understanding texts—and we do—the problem is usually with texts and with our background knowledge, not the act of reading itself. And when we do have a reading problem, we tend to medicalize it as dyslexia, suggesting that proper reading is normal and natural—especially for advanced scholars. That tendency is not particular to higher education, however. After the elementary years, schools pay little attention to the mechanisms of reading. We read as if all texts, even the most complex, were Dick and Jane.

Library of Congress Photo Finds of the Week

Your Draper staff is quite enamored with the Library of Congress' digital historic photo collection on Flickr. We'll be posting great finds from their collections weekly. We hope you enjoy--let us know if you find any particularly interesting gems that you'd like to have posted here as well.

Selections from "Photochrom Travel Views" Collection

Stabur Bygdo, Christiania, Norway, Photochrom ca. 1890

Fantoft Church, Bergen, Norway, Photochrom ca. 1890

General view, Copenhagen, Denmark, Photochrom, ca. 1890

School of Social Work Spring Class Open to Draper Students: Narrative Inquiry for Teaching, Learning, and Research

The Silver School of Social Work has asked us to share one of their spring 2011 course offerings with you. The course is called "Narrative Inquiry for Teaching, Learning, and Research" and is a doctoral level class that is being opened to Master's students. Students who are interested in enrolling can contact Phil Ingram (phil.ingram@nyu.edu), the program administrator for Silver's Social Work doctoral program. More information about the class is below.

Please note: Draper students can transfer a maximum of eight credits from another school or institution toward their degree. Any students who are interested in this class should contact Robert Dimit (robert.dimit@nyu.edu) before enrolling.

Narrative Inquiry for Teaching, Learning, and Research
Prof. Suzanne England

S90.3068-001
R11-12:50

3.0 credits

“Narrative inquiry helps us to challenge received wisdoms [and] explore new ways of looking and seeing …" [1]

This course introduces the student to the theories and tools of narrative inquiry and how they may be used in research, teaching, and writing in social work. Narrative inquiry shares a number of assumptions with narrative practice and therapy but is different in purpose and the tools that are used. Using techniques of deconstruction from literary criticism and interpretive methods in the social sciences, narrative inquiry is aimed primarily at opening up space for new ways of thinking about ethics, professional, organizational and social practices, and consideration of the ways that language exposes power relations and political agendas. The major assignment for the course is a paper prepared for potential publication or a multimedia presentation for dissemination on the web. The course stresses collaborative learning, and will draw upon data from traditional quantitative studies, literature, mainstream media, websites, blogs, and social media to reflect on the social construction of social work practice and theory, and the ways that academic discourses shape knowledge production and claims.

---

1 http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=Narrative+Inquiry+PhD+course+Floor+Basten&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

NaNoWriMo Begins Today!

National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is an annual event in which participants set a goal of writing a 175 page (50,000 word novel) between November 1st and 30th. From the website:

Valuing enthusiasm and perseverance over painstaking craft, NaNoWriMo is a novel-writing program for everyone who has thought fleetingly about writing a novel but has been scared away by the time and effort involved.

Because of the limited writing window, the ONLY thing that matters in NaNoWriMo is output. It's all about quantity, not quality. The kamikaze approach forces you to lower your expectations, take risks, and write on the fly.

Make no mistake: You will be writing a lot of crap. And that's a good thing. By forcing yourself to write so intensely, you are giving yourself permission to make mistakes. To forgo the endless tweaking and editing and just create. To build without tearing down.

As you spend November writing, you can draw comfort from the fact that, all around the world, other National Novel Writing Month participants are going through the same joys and sorrows of producing the Great Frantic Novel. Wrimos meet throughout the month to offer encouragement, commiseration, and—when the thing is done—the kind of raucous celebrations that tend to frighten animals and small children.

In 2009, we had over 165,000 participants. More than 30,000 of them crossed the 50K finish line by the midnight deadline, entering into the annals of NaNoWriMo superstardom forever. They started the month as auto mechanics, out-of-work actors, and middle school English teachers. They walked away novelists.

You can register on the NaNoWriMo website--let us know if you participate. Happy Writing!

Spring 2011 Advising and Registration

In preparation for the spring 2011 semester, Draper's academic advising period will be held in two separate sessions. The first academic advising session will begin on Wednesday, November 10th and end on Tuesday, November 23rd. Any students who are unable to come in for advising during this session will have the opportunity to do so on January 10th and 11th. No advising appointments will be held in December.

Draper will begin scheduling advising appointments on Monday, October 25th. To schedule your appointment, please call 212.998.8070 after October 24th.

Spring course listings for GSAS programs and departments will be available on Albert as of tomorrow, October 12th. You may access Draper's course listings and descriptions on our website at http://www.draper.fas.nyu.edu/object/drap.courses.sp11. New cross-lists and course descriptions will be posted as they are available, so be sure to check back for updates.

NYU Starts Bike Share Program

NYU now has free bikes available for students, faculty, and staff to borrow at five locations around campus. For more information, see the Sustainability website, here: http://www.nyu.edu/sustainability/campus.projects/bike.share/

10 Tips on How to Write Less (via The Chronicle of Higher Ed)

An article of interest that Robin Nagle wants to share with the Draper community:

I urge you to read this. The author has loads of good advice about writing -- what it is, what it isn't, how to stress about it less, how to get more of it done. 

http://chronicle.com/article/10-Tips-on-How-to-Write-Less/124268/?sid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en

-Robin

Notice Re: Creating a Memorial Museum

A message from the Museum Studies Department:

Note to students taking
G49.3330-001 / G65.3330-001
Topics in Museum Studies:
Creating a Memorial Museum

The first meeting of the class WILL NOT take place on Wednesday, September 8, due to Rosh Hashanah,
but will be held on
Friday, September 10, from 3:00 to 6:00 pm
at 240 Greene Street, Room 410

Three Books for Surviving Grad School (via NPR)

Draper's Director, Robin Nagle, would like to share the following: 

Help from an unlikely source? Three books for surviving grad school, courtesy of NPR.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=125856586&sc=nl&cc=bn-20100902

Tips for New Graduate Students (via ProfHacker)

Greetings and salutations, Draper students!

This post from ProfHacker, a very useful higher-ed blog, claims to be for first-year PhD students. In fact, it's applicable to *any* first-year grad student in the humanities or social sciences. I encourage you to read through it; it is rich with wisdom.

-- Robin

http://chronicle.com/blogPost/An-Open-Letter-to-New-Graduate/26326/