This is an aggregation of all of the recent blog posts of the Case Blog system. The entries are in reverse chronological order according to each entry's last modified date. Persons with questions regarding Planet Case or the Blog system can check the FAQ or email us at blog-admin@case.edu.
Subscribe to Planet Case
September 07, 2008
Praise the bridge that carried you over…
We want to extend a sincere thank you to our friends and family members who have given us support and love during our stay here in Uganda.
The donations raised this year were more than we ever anticipated.
With the donations we received, we were able to purchase goats, chickens, ox plows, add five new beneficiaries, fix leaky roofs, construct structures for livestock and continue the Poultry Project.
Above all, we were able to shine a light on the lives of many children who often go unnoticed. By sharing their stories, we have given them a voice.
But, we are mere messengers and you are the people who acted. It is because of your benevolence and generosity that anything has happened here.
Thank you,
Jerry Raffa
Stelio and Katie Flamos
Susie and Dave Pavlick
Ron Marshall
Susie & Dan Lee
Belterra Casino
North End Yoga
Alicia Orr
Allessandra Miele
Loretta Bowlby
Mary Jo Barr
Sheila Bray
Emil Alecusan
Carly Pavlick
Katie Pavlick
Mary Grace and Bill Pavlick
Andy Johnson
Sarah Wineland
Lauren Alviti
We will be forever changed by this experience and ceaselessly grateful to our friends and family for being such good people.
Posted on The Poultry Project by Kelly Flamos at 12:59 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Entry is tagged:
September 18, 2008
Conference
5th Annual Conference on Prostitution, Sex Work, & Human Trafficking
Accepting Registration
September 18th & 19th, 2008
Please join us at the 5th Annual Conference on Prostitution, Sex Work, & Human Trafficking on September 18th & 19th, 2008.
Purpose:
To bring together researchers and practitioners in an effort to lay the groundwork for future collaborative research, advocacy, and program development. To educate social service, health care, and criminal justice professionals on human trafficking and the needs and risks of those victimized by the commercial sex industry.
Conference Location:
The University of Toledo
Student Union Rooms 2582, 2584, 2591
2801 W. Bancroft St.
Toledo, OH 43606
Who Should Attend:
This conference is open to survivors, researchers, practitioners, and
workers in the social service, criminal justice, and health care fields.
Registration available online.
Cost: Early Registration Before September 1st - $100 for both days / $50 for 1 day / $20 for Students Late Registration After September 1st - $120 for both days / $60 for 1 day / $30 for Students
Continuing Education Credits: The conference has been awarded 12
continuing education credits for social work, mental health, counseling, CHES, ASSECT, RCH, and CLE's. With pending approval, up to 6 credits will be awarded for Nursing.
Posted on Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences by Rachel Dugan at 08:20 AM | TrackBack (0)
Entry is tagged: Mandel Council | Mandel Council: Cleveland and Community
September 10, 2008
Identity Fraud Lecture
Identity fraud affects millions of new victims each year. Join fellow
alumni and Liberty Mutual experts for lunch and a free seminar on
reducing the risks of becoming an identity fraud victim from noon to 1
p.m., Wednesday, September 10, at the Alumni House. Lunch will be
provided by the Office of Alumni Relations. To register, contact Emily
Cole at 368-3085.
Posted on Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences by Rachel Dugan at 11:16 PM | TrackBack (0)
Entry is tagged: Mandel Council | Mandel Council: CASE
September 12, 2008
Annual Anisfield-Wolf Lecture
Journalist Adrian Nicole LeBlanc, author of the critically acclaimed
book Random Family: Love, Drugs, Trouble, and Coming of Age in the
Bronx, will discuss her writings as the featured speaker for the fourth annual Anisfield-Wolf Lecture. The free, public event will take place at 12:30 p.m., Friday, September 12, in Severance Hall.
Posted on Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences by Rachel Dugan at 11:13 PM | TrackBack (0)
Entry is tagged: Mandel Council | Mandel Council: CASE
September 13, 2008
MSASS Community Service and Social Event for the Day
~First Mandel Council Community Service Event. 12:30-3:30 p.m. at Hyacinth Park. The event is a park celebration and ribbon cutting ceremony. There will also be a petting zoo there for the children of the community. It will mainly consist of helping children during the petting zoo, staffing the food tables, passing out programs, etc. Please RSVP to The Mandel Council by 5p.m. on Wednesday, 9/10, so that we can get a count of those attending.
~First Mandel Council Social Event. 7:30pm at Johnny Malloy's for an MSASS social. *Other graduate professional organizations are more than welcome to attend either the Community Service Event and/or the Social.*
Posted on Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences by Rachel Dugan at 11:09 PM | TrackBack (0)
Entry is tagged: Mandel Council | Mandel Council: MSASS
September 09, 2008
SLAM Meeting
Initial meeting for interested members. The third floor commons area from 1p.m. to 2p.m.
Posted on Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences by Rachel Dugan at 11:07 PM | TrackBack (0)
Entry is tagged: Mandel Council | Mandel Council: MSASS
September 07, 2008
“hi-fi sci-fi library” video
From the Libraryman Blog check out the story behind this video looking to the future of technology in libraries.
It is catchy. (Does that make me a nerd?)
Posted on e3 Information Overload AND Are You 2.0 Yet? by Brian Gray at 03:02 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Entry is tagged: Audio & Video | Blog: Are You 2.0 Yet | Computers, Software, & the Internet | Libraries & Librarianship | Library 2.0 | Web 2.0
June 06, 2007
Proposed 2012 London Olympic Logo is an embarassment
Are the people at brand consultancy firm Wolff Olins been drinking on the job? The logo for the 2012 London Olympics above has generated a public outcry and has over 35,000 people signing a petition to scrap it.
The cost to make this logo was 400,000 UK pounds and it took almost a year to create.
Tory MP Philip Davies, who sits on the culture, media and sport select committee, said he would table a Parliamentary motion calling for organisers to scrap the jagged emblem based on the date 2012.
Even London Mayor Ken Livingstone refused to back the pink and orange logo and even suggested that the Olympic organisers refuse to pay the 400,000 UK pound bill.
Olympic organisers beg to differ saying that the logo was "dynamic" and "vibrant." They have insisted that it will not be ditched.
The "Thank You" campaign to get the 2012 Olympics was done much better than this load of rubbish. Honestly, who would wear a pink/orange shirt?
In response, many amateur artists and designers have submitted their idea of an Olympic logo. Many of these are much better than Wolff Olins'.
They really need to drop this jagged logo if they want to prevent further embarassment. First was their overbloated budget for the Olympics. Now it's their "girly" Olympic logo. What's next in store? London has about 5 years to go.
Update 6/7/07
This logo created by BBC web site reader Richard Voysey has been chosen as the readers' favorite in an online poll.
Over 22,000 votes were cast on a shortlist of six readers' designs.
Meanwhile, Michael Wolff, co-founder of designers Wolff Olins, which created the jagged logo, said it had not been "done justice" and blamed Olympic organisers for not publicising it properly.
Boo hoo. It still sucked regardless.
I wonder how many stores will sell both logos. I guess the London Olympic will try to stop that, but they cannot stop everyone.
Posted on Through the Magnifying Glass by James Chang at 08:57 AM | Comments (17) | TrackBack (0)
Entry is tagged: Sports
September 07, 2008
Reports of Cities' Death Have Been Greatly Exaggerated
Top 10
In our national obsession with 'top 10 lists', we now have the Top 10 Fastest Dying Cities. Reports of our quickly approaching demise has lead to plenty of hand wringing in the maturing cities of the Great Lakes coping with aging. Civic cheer leaders find the need to write letters to our own City newspapers to remind ourselves that reports of our cities death are, to paraphrase Mark Twain, 'greatly exaggerated.'
I know of no precedent in the post-World War Two era (1950-present) where a large city has died. Natural disasters, epidemics, environmental disasters, wars, and armed conflicts have all led to the death of many people and major collateral damage on urban infrastructure. However, the suggestion or even intimation that cities die is an anthropomorphic fallacy.
By my count, there are nearly 500 cities around the world who are experiencing population loss. The number of shrinking cities (more than 10% population loss) in the United States is at least 59. Indeed, more than a quarter of all large cities worldwide have already experienced population loss.
We are not alone.
Yes, St. Louis and Detroit have lost nearly 60% of their population from their 'golden years'. Youngstown, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and Buffalo have all lost 50 percent or so their population since their peak years. The rise and fall of population centers is intimately related to the relationship of our cities to the engines of the world economy. As such, cities in central and southwest England, the Ruhr region, the Saar, and in the Italian Po Valley have all experienced shrinkage. In the U.S., Great Britain, Germany, Italy, France, and Japan, shrinking cities account for one out of every three metropolitan areas.
The History of Shrinking Cities
World Map of Shrinking Cities from 1kilo on Vimeo.
Connecting the Dots: The re-invention of cities and the broadband economy
As a group, shrinking cities of the early 21st century face multiple hurdles. It is a kind of 'perfect storm'. Economic dislocation, challenges of leadership, human will, deeply seeded aversions to change and risk, combined with the enormous challenges of re-imagining, re-inventing, and re-invigorating the 'idea' of the 'new city' of the 21st century make the effort ahead daunting, to say the least. The 'new city' is locked in our mental image that the 'old city' can be re-ignited and returned to its former glory with a bit of engineering, luck, and hope.
In some cities, especially those in Asia, Portugal, Spain, and parts of Latin America, public policy and emerging new leaders have harnessed their re-invention and 'new city' projects to the generative qualities of the broadband economy. In this country, cities and federal agencies are still debating the value of a national broadband strategy. Imagine if we had the same 20 years debate over the positive impact of public support for rural electrification or the massive investment to support the build out of the inter-state highway system. Electrification, inter-state highways, ports, airports, and national transportation logistics have been inextricably linked over the past 150 years to the health and well being of cities. The same is true as it relates to the art of city-making in the 21st century.
Not withstanding the rhetoric and propaganda of the incumbent interests, inside of a decade we have gone from one of the most connected countries to barely being among the top 20 ultra broadband countries. Our bandwidth to price point ratios are no longer competitive with our traditional economic peers. More important, the emerging cities of the 21st century in Asia are leveraging the dynamic use of the 'new' transportation systems to level the playing field and enabling competitive advantages that attract talent, capital, and innovation. Citizens in these cities have 100 times more bandwidth at price points that are comparable to DSL and cable modem pricing in the United States.
Contractions of cities and their populations is a natural and predictable part of the evolution of the human condition and the economies we create. For some cities the aspiration may be to uncover the youthful elixir. For others, the rallying cry may be to return to former glory by some magic formula. There is at least one other arc of possibility. The connected-city of the 21st century may be the DNA of the 'new city'. Population size remains relevant in the connected community but does fall victim to the demographers imperative that size equals destiny. The art of designing a connected-city, especially as part of a re-invention project, may well be one of the biggest opportunities of the 21st century. Connected-cities enables learning, participation, and opportunities to re-discover the value of human ingenuity. Connected cities and their citizens and neighborhoods can export virtues like art, education, culture, and sport over the 21st century transportation system known as the Internet. Creativity, diversity, smart and green are important inputs into the connected city allowing us to better balance economic opportunities with creating livable neighborhoods, accentuating quality of life, and a more sustainable approach to the broader eco-systems within which our cities evolve.
Technologies, like rural electrification, or the inter-state system were not the answer to every challenge in the 19th or 20th century. Likewise, the ultra broadband economy of the 21st century is not the answer to every challenge we face. Nevertheless, I have been among those that have attempted to articulate that a pre-requisite ingredient to the process of re-imaging and re-inventing the cluster of cities undergoing phases of contraction is taking a bold position on leveraging the thousands of strands of fiber optics that lie beneath our city streets and a long the railways tracks and other rights of way. The art of creating a connected community is not only about a broadband network that connects thousands of cities and enables trillions of transactions every day. Connected cities make possible connecting human networks, networks of cultural communities, and creating new networks of hope. The 21st century may well be viewed by historians of future generations as the century of creativity. The connected-community is a form of democratic renaissance that enables and inspires that kind of creativity. It may well be that cities facing the challenge of population loss are the very place where connected-cities of the future will be prototyped. Whether we succeed in creating a new city model for the future is one of the great challenges of the next decade here in the Great Lakes and for the new administration in Washington, DC. The stakes have never been greater.
Lev Gonick
Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, OH
September 7th, 2008
Posted on Bytes From Lev by Lev Gonick at 11:52 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Entry is tagged:
September 07, 2008
September 2nd
Tuesday
Today we met with TASO’s Senior Management team at the Ugandan Wildlife Education Center in Entebbe.
During the meeting we discussed our work with the Poultry Project and the possibility of expanding the program to the other branches.
The meeting went very well. The board was so impressed by the growth and progress made and the many successes shared by the beneficiaries. They also expressed their deep appreciation and admiration of Kelly Flamos and Julian Harris for taking the initiative to implement such a program that has changed the lives of so many vulnerable children.
Lastly, they were equally grateful for the many caring friends and family members we have back in the states and thank you for your compassion and continued support.
Joe, Emily, Tina Achila (Dir. of Psycho-Social Programs), Juliet Tembe (Chairperson Board of Trustees), Harriet Wanyoto Mabonga (Dir. of Advocacy), and Rober Ochai (Executive Director TASO)
Mufasa.
Posted on The Poultry Project by Kelly Flamos at 12:55 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Entry is tagged:
September 07, 2008
Fixing a hole where the rain gets in
August 31st
Sunday
Today was our last day in Mbale and we had one last stop to make.
We went to Hanania’s house to check on the new roof.
When we walked around the bend of the dirt path, standing out behind the thick green bushes, was a shiny tin roof glistening in the sun.
The family greeted us and proudly showed us their new roof.
Their happiness is attributed to our friends and family who have generously reached out their hands to help the greater good. Thank you all for you donations, you have helped this family, given them shelter, and renewed their hope in a better day.
The new roof is responsible for their smiles - and the glare in the picture.
The new roof.
As we drove away from the late Hanania’s home, we all felt at ease. It was a great way to leave Mbale and begin our next journey. We are in Kampala and staying at a magnificent hotel - it will be nice to relax after three weeks of hard work.
On our way to Kampala the driver stopped to buy goat meat kabobs. This billboard towered over the streetside food market.
We also got to see the Nelson Mandela Stadium, home to the national football team.
And –we saw advertisements that would get very few responses if posted in an American city.
Posted on The Poultry Project by Kelly Flamos at 12:45 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Entry is tagged:
September 07, 2008
Workshoppin'
August 30th
Saturday
The Workshop was today!! Every single participant showed up, some came with their aunts or uncles, some came with their siblings and few came alone. They all received a Poultry Project T shirt and they wore them proudly.
We introduced the new participants and the new organization model. There are now a total of 28 participants and they will be separated into divisions of 5-7, based upon where they live. The divisions are Bukedea/Kumi, Mbale 1, Mbale 2, Sironko 1, and Sironko 2. Each division will be lead by a chairperson who was chosen for their outstanding work throughout the first two years of the Project.
The divisional system is important for two major reasons. First, the beneficiaries are required to attend monthly divisional meetings, led by the chairperson. There, they will have the opportunity to discuss challenges and draw upon the experiences of their colleagues. Second, each beneficiary will be required to make periodic savings deposits to a divisional bank account managed by the chairperson and Peter (General Manager). Once a beneficiary has saved a certain amount, the Poultry Project will match his or her savings. Also, a higher bench mark will be used for a second savings match and once it is met, the participant will graduate from the Project. This sets up a savings culture among the participants and enforces the idea of taking ownership of their work and small-holder farming business. It also allows us to add new participants when the current group graduates.
We are very excited about the potential of the new organizational structure and hope it will increase independence and empower the children.
The Poultry Project
Kedi Ben, Jude and Charles: Three incredible boys who give strength to their families and carry on the memory of their parents.
After the workshop Jude, Christy, and Kedi Ben joined us for a traditional Ugandan dinner at the Mbale Resort.
Simple things like enjoying food and hanging out with your friends are luxuries we often take for granted. Watching the kids relax and not have to worry about their problems, even if for only a night, was truly rewarding. Seeing the boys act like children, being carefree and laughing, is a memory I will always keep close to my heart.
Christy shoots pool for the first time, he was a natural.
Posted on The Poultry Project by Kelly Flamos at 12:35 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
Entry is tagged:
September 07, 2008
August 29th
Friday
Today we made our way to Ikokole Esther’s home, a potential beneficiary. She was working in the field when we arrived, so we sat and waited under the shade of a large citrus tree.
Linda, a counselor who is notorious for stealing oranges during home visits, made use of her free time and large bamboo pole she found on the ground.
Linda had found the perfect apparatus for extracting the tiny green fruits (yes, the oranges here are green).
Linda at work.
After feasting on the stolen oranges, Esther and her family finally arrived. We carried out the typical assessment, viewed the home and talked about the many challenges the family faces.
We learned that Esther (15 yrs) lives with her five siblings and an aunt who is HIV+.
The aunt’s health is deteriorating, and as she grows weaker, Esther is beginning to take on more responsibilities. She is currently in S1 and excels in History, French and fine arts, but paying for school fees is becoming increasingly difficult.
When we asked her if she had any plans, should her aunt pass away, she looked away and began to cry.
This may seem like a harsh subject matter to bring up, but it is essential to survival that they prepare. The children will have to bear the burdens of caring for the land, paying school fees, managing their health and food -- all while providing each other with love and support.
It’s overwhelming, but this is the stark reality faced by many children here in Uganda.
So many children are living alone…
So many children are suffering...
The only thing we can do is to tackle the problem one child at a time.
Esther has been added to the Poultry Project and her 5 chickens, a bicycle and a chicken coop will be delivered to home within the next week. It’s a small offering of support, but the gesture seemed to brighten her spirits. Esther seemed genuinely happy and flashed us all a great big smile.
Esther
We then made our way over to Michael Wanabwe’s home to deliver the bulk food purchase we made at the local market. We bought Michael and his grandma 10 lbs beans, 10 lbs rice, 9 lbs posho flour, 1 lb sugar and a gallon of oil.
The food was purchased because earlier in our trip we learned that he had fallen ill due to malnutrition. He is HIV+ and on antriretroviral treatment, but the treatment is useless without food.
In the past, the family of two was receiving WFP food stipends, but with rising food prices and food shortages, the organization has withdrawn from the region and is giving support to internally displaced people in northern Uganda. Without that crucial dietary supplement, their current diet teeters between one bowl of porridge and going hungry.
When we arrived at their home, we were greeted by an overjoyed little boy who kept rubbing his teary-eyes, almost in disbelief that his friends had returned.
He was so grateful that we were there and for the food we brought that would enable him to have his first meal of the day (it was 7pm).
I tried to contain myself and not be overwhelmed. He was so thin, though. And as I stood there, looking at his little, bony arms and his stunted stature due to years of too little food, I no longer felt the weight of the bags I carried. Rather, I felt the weight of their destitute situation; the insurmountable poverty wreaking havoc on their lives.
Regardless, any pain they were experiencing was hidden behind smiles and to us they revealed only gratitude.
Right now, I hope that Michael and his grandmother are enjoying a big bowl of beans and rice, sprinkled with love.
Michael
Posted on The Poultry Project by Kelly Flamos at 12:23 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Entry is tagged:
September 07, 2008
A beautiful mind
August 28th
Thursday
Today we met Nekesa Florence (12), who lives with her HIV+ mother in a one-room, rented home. Her father died of AIDS and she has four siblings, but neither she nor her mother knows where any of them are.
Florence is in P4 and is ranked seventh in her class. We asked how they are able to afford school fees and learned they are often waived because the faculty sees what a promising young student she is. Given her life at home, it is quite remarkable she is able to do so well.
We want Florence to continue to follow her dreams and aim high, because a great mind is a terrible thing to waste.
With the support of our friends and family, Florence will join the Poultry Project and will receive five hens, a bicycle, and a chicken coop. You have all given Florence a chance to shine. Thank you!!!
Florence
Posted on The Poultry Project by Kelly Flamos at 12:16 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Entry is tagged:
August 27, 2008
Richie Havens
Posted on Andy's Legal Research Lectures by Andrew Dorchak at 04:09 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Entry is tagged:
September 05, 2008
Case Daily
Francis Collins Discussed Genomic Revolution, Received Inaugural Inamori Ethics Prize
Famed physician-geneticist and acclaimed Language of God author Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D., enlightened the Cleveland community yesterday on the rapid advances in genetic mapping and understanding and the ethical issues surrounding the advancement of the science during his lecture, "Promise and Perils of the Genomic Revolution."
Collins' lecture—and subsequent symposium with Case Western Reserve University faculty—kicked off a daylong series of programs for the inaugural Inamori Ethics Prize, culminating in a gala celebration in Severance Hall. Modeled after the Nobel and Kyoto Prizes for science, technology, philosophy and the arts, the Inamori prize honors outstanding international ethical leaders.
Collins discussed his nearly 20 years of work with the multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional Human Genome Project, an international effort to map and sequence the three billion letters in the human DNA. With its ultimate goal of improving human health, many consider the Human Genome Project to be one of the most significant scientific undertakings of our time.
He and the group of panelists explored ethical questions surrounding the project, including genetic information access and genetic manipulation and enhancement, during an audience-driven question-and-answer session following the lecture.
In the evening, Collins was presented the one-of-a-kind Inamori Ethics Prize medal by Case Western Reserve President Barbara R. Snyder, outgoing Inamori International Center for Ethics and Excellence Director Gregory Eastwood and director-designate Shannon French.
Case Western Reserve Engineering Professor Receives Prestigious Public Service Award from NASA
J. Iwan D. Alexander, professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at Case Western Reserve University and director of the National Center for Space Exploration and Research, has been awarded the Exceptional Public Service Medal by the NASA Glenn Research Center.
"I'm thrilled, yet humbled to have received this great honor from NASA," said Alexander. "While it is surely a tribute to my work, it is also an award I proudly share with my colleagues at the Case School of Engineering and the university."
Alexander was recognized for his exceptional contributions to microgravity research and space exploration in multiple roles, including director of the National Center for Space Exploration and Research (NCSER), which is based at Case Western Reserve, chief scientist and research scientist. Read more.
Campus News
Journalist Adrian Nicole LeBlanc, author of the critically acclaimed book Random Family: Love, Drugs, Trouble, and Coming of Age in the Bronx, will discuss her writings as the featured speaker for the fourth annual Anisfield-Wolf Lecture. The free, public event will take place at 12:30 p.m., Friday, September 12, in Severance Hall. Read more.
Identity fraud affects millions of new victims each year. Join fellow alumni and Liberty Mutual experts for lunch and a free seminar on reducing the risks of becoming an identity fraud victim from noon to 1 p.m., Wednesday, September 10, at the Alumni House. Lunch will be provided by the Office of Alumni Relations. To register, contact Emily Cole at 368-3085.
For Faculty and Staff
The 2008 Benefits Fair is scheduled for November 4 and 5. Employees should plan to attend so they can learn more about the university's benefit programs and to ask questions in preparation for the Benelect Open Enrollment. Additional information is forthcoming in Case Daily.
For Students
The Biomedical Graduate Student Organization (BGSO) is holding its first meeting of the year for all School of Medicine graduate students at 4:30 p.m., Tuesday, September 9 at the Biomedical Research Building, Room 732. The BGSO is a new organization created to represent and address the needs of the university's biomedical graduate students. The group seeks to unite biomedical graduate students pursuing advanced degrees.
Students are invited to attend the Center for Civic Engagement & Learning's Community Service Fair from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Thursday, September 11 in Thwing Center's ballroom. More than 30 nonprofit organizations, service-oriented student organizations and campus programs will be present to share opportunities and ways to make a difference in the community. Students also can register to vote at the fair.
Phi Sigma Rho is hosting its annual Hillbilly Cornhole Tournament from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Saturday, September 6 at Freiberger Field. There will be competitive and non-competitive brackets, prizes and food. Register up until 11:30 a.m. the morning of the event. Proceeds benefit the American Cancer Society. Contact Katie Rabovsky.
Events
The Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences is co-sponsoring a brown bag lunch featuring artist Margaret Denk-Leigh at 12:30 p.m., Wednesday, September 10 on the second floor atrium of the Mandel School. Her exhibit, 45 Works on Paper: Print Exhibition, is on display through October 6. For information, contact June Hund or Kristen Kirchgesler at 368-2302.
The views and opinions of those invited to speak on campus do not necessarily reflect the views of the university administration or any other segment of the university community.
Et al
A five-member team from Case Western Reserve won the Second Annual Entrepreneurship Immersion Program competition, taking home a $4,000 prize. This year's team included four Weatherhead School of Management students, Magda Marcel, Michael Benning, Sean Detwiler and Aaron Myhre, as well as one Case School of Engineering student, Michael Petro. They created the Coupon Deposit, a business that would allow consumers to consolidate coupons onto a plastic card after downloading selections online. Read more.
Jon C. Cline, high performance computing cluster administrator, was a presenter at the recent 2008 Greater Everglades Ecosystem Restoration conference. His presentation, "Application of a Multi-Modeling Framework to Linking Ecosystem Pattern and Process Across Scales: Implementation of a Decision Support Tool for Adaptive Ecosystem Management in the Everglades Mangrove Zone," was part of the ATLSS (Across Trophic Level System Simulation) Ecological Modeling. Cline has used these modeling frameworks to support Everglades restoration in a collaboration with Joseph Koonce, professor of biology at Case Western Reserve, and Benjamin Hobbs from Johns Hopkins University.
September 5, 2008
A daily newsletter published by the Office of Marketing & Communications, Case Western Reserve University. Submit items for inclusion to: case-daily@case.edu.
Case in the News
That Place on Bellflower reopening with new name
The Plain Dealer, September 5, 2008
A longtime landmark restaurant in the University Circle area is set for transformation. The former That Place on Bellflower will soon reopen as a moderately priced neo-brasserie with a new name. Case Western Reserve University owns the property. Lara Kalafatis, vice president of university relations, comments on the new owner and restaurant concept.
At 50, AARP enters its golden years
Washington Post, September 4, 2008
Fifty years after its founding by a retired high school principal, AARP is a premier lobbying power in Washington with 40 million members. Robert Binstock, a professor of age, health and society at Case Western Reserve University, comments.
A locally produced documentary about Tibet under Chinese rule questions some basic assumption
Pittsburgh City Paper, September 4, 2008
Pittsburgh filmmaker Carl Cimini has produced a documentary, Dancing in Amdo, about Tibet under Chinese rule. The documentary includes an interview with the Dalai Lama, and commentary from Melvyn Goldstein, co-director of the Center for Research on Tibet at Case Western Reserve University.
Human genome project five years later yielding medical breakthroughs
WKSU, September 4, 2008
The former director of the human genome project says in the last two years, there's been a revolution in the medical applications of genetic research. Francis Collins was in Cleveland yesterday to accept the first Inamori Ethics Prize from Case Western Reserve University. He says one of those breakthroughs will be published today—a new cancer genome atlas.
Success of Case Western Reserve football team restores lost pride
The Plain Dealer, September 5, 2008
The Case Western Reserve Spartans football team enters Saturday's 1 p.m. opener at Kenyon College ranked anywhere from No. 10 to No. 19. School officials believe the most recent time it happened was in the mid-1980s. Coach Greg Debeljak and several players comment.
Higher Ed News
Less affordable colleges may get 'F,' land on Wall of Shame
USA TODAY, September 4, 2008
The College Opportunity and Affordability Act will require the Department of Education to post online the colleges and universities with the highest percentage increases in tuition and fees in a three-year period. It also calls for the department to list the 5 percent of colleges with the highest overall sticker prices.
Liberal arts tweaked for careers
USA TODAY, September 2, 2008
Liberal arts colleges make a passionate case that the skills they offer—analysis, writing, argument—are the best preparation for a career in the ever-changing business world. But at a time of surging college costs and rising career anxieties, they're feeling some heat from parents and students to do more to give students a well-rounded resume.
Posted on CASE DAILY by Kimyette Finley at 05:16 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Entry is tagged:
September 05, 2008
Origin 8 Updated To Origin 8 SR2
Origin 8 has been updated to Origin 8 SR2 (service release 2) and is available to all Case students, faculty and staff for Windows only. This release contains bug fixes and is recommended for everyone who uses Origin.
Origin is the first scientific software to combine presentation-quality graphics, the C language, and the NAG numerical library in a single package.
Origin 8 SR2 includes a suite of features that cater to the needs of scientists and engineers alike. Multi-sheet workbooks, publication-quality graphics, and standardized analysis tools provide a tightly integrated workspace for you to import data, create and annotate graphs, explore and analyze data, and publish your work
Visit the Software Center at http://softwarecenter.case.edu
Posted on ITS News by Peter Babic at 04:04 PM
Entry is tagged: Software Center
September 03, 2008
More Spear Phish
Case users have received a number of phish messages welcoming them back and asking them to verify accounts by sending them your password via email.
Please continue to delete these non-legitimate messages. DO NOT RESPOND to the message. At the direction of Information Security, ITS will take action for all accounts as if the user has fallen victim.
If you or somebody you know has responded, contact the Case Help Desk (help.case.edu, 368-HELP) immediately for instructions on how to reset and protect your account.
As a reminder, the University will never request Tier III information (such as userID and password) from a user to be sent via email. An such request should be judged as a scam by default.
Posted on ITS Information Security Bulletins by Thomas Siu at 10:17 AM | Comments (0)
Entry is tagged:
September 05, 2008
Case Western Reserve engineering professor receives prestigious public service award From NASA
Iwan Alexander of mechanical and aerospace engineering honored for exceptional contributions to microgravity research and space exploration
J. Iwan D. Alexander, professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at Case Western Reserve University and director of the National Center for Space Exploration and Research, has been awarded the Exceptional Public Service Medal by the NASA Glenn Research Center. NASA Deputy Administrator Shana Dale and center director Woodrow Whitlow Jr. presented Alexander with the award at the annual Honor Awards ceremony August 7 at NASA Glenn in Cleveland.
"I'm thrilled, yet humbled to have received this great honor from NASA," said Alexander. "While it is surely a tribute to my work, it is also an award I proudly share with my colleagues at the Case School of Engineering and the university."
Alexander was recognized for his exceptional contributions to microgravity research and space exploration in multiple roles, including director of the National Center for Space Exploration and Research (NCSER), which is based at Case Western Reserve, chief scientist and research scientist.
Posted on NEWS CENTER by Kimyette Finley at 10:02 AM | Comments (0)
Entry is tagged: Awards | Faculty | HeadlinesMain | Provost Initiatives | Research | news
September 05, 2008
Prof. Ralph Harvey on 'Around Noon" on WCPN
Prof. Ralph Harvey will be a guest on Dee Perry's "Around Noon" show on WCPN (90.3 FM) on Tuesday, September 9. Prof. Harvey, along with others, will cover various environmental/earth topics.
Posted on Department of Geological Sciences by Linda Day at 12:09 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Entry is tagged:
August 28, 2008
2008 Seminar 1: Introduction to Practice-Based Research and Reflective Practice
August 28, 2008: Jim Werner, PhD and Kurt Stange, MD, PhD kicked off the 2008 Cleveland PBRN Shared Resource Practice-Based Research Seminar Series with their presentation entitled, "Introduction to Practice-based Research and Reflective Practice."
Podcast download: Download file
Presentation download (Powerpoint):Download file (.pdf):Download file
Posted on PRACTICE-BASED RESEARCH TRAINING by Michelle Hamilton at 10:46 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Entry is tagged: 2008 PBR Seminar Series
September 05, 2008
Welcome Back to Campus ... Still a Privilege
It's back to school season. Every year, around this time, millions of students return to campus with their faculty colleagues to participate in one of the most enduring and symbolic democratic rituals of the past century. There was a time, not so long ago, that the opportunity to participate in the University experience was hardly a foregone conclusion.
Indeed, while nearly 90% of American adults complete a high school education, and as many 70% of those with a high school education pursue post-secondary education opportunities, attaining a college degree is still a pretty special occasion in the life of the American adult population.
The U.S. Census Bureau publishes annual data on college attainment. I've created and pasted in a gadget based on the Census data that will allow you to explore the American adult population and its achievement of a four year degree or more. In 1940 less than 5% of the adult population in the United States had a four year degree. Today that number is about 29%. While not so long ago more young adult men had at least a bachelor's degree than their female counterparts, today about 33 percent of young women 25 to 29 have a bachelor’s degree or more education, compared with 26 percent of their male counterparts.
We still have a very long way to go. The pursuit of a higher standard of living and achievement the American dream is significantly related to education attainment. Adults with advanced degrees earn four times more than those with less than a high school diploma. Workers 18 and older with a master’s, professional or doctoral degree earned an average of $82,320 in 2006, while those with less than a high school diploma earned $20,873.
The data below also suggest that achievement of education outcomes is still significantly segmented by racial realities. While in 1940, less than 1.5% of the African American adult population had a four year college education, today that percentage (of the adult population) is still only 18.5% (and 18.9% of young African American adults age 25-29).
As those of us with the privilege to work on a University campus settle in for another year of dynamic interaction and discovery with the young men and women who attend our colleges, it is important to reflect on how special that experience remains in the life of the cities within which we work and study, and the country as a whole.
Lev Gonick
Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, Ohio
September 5, 2008
Posted on Bytes From Lev by Lev Gonick at 08:55 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Entry is tagged:
September 04, 2008
The Palin choice-2: The experience question
(For previous posts in this series, see here.)
While the choice of Sarah Palin as John McCain's running mate is a poor one, I don't think the problem is Palin the person or her knowledge and experience. For all I know about her, Palin may well make an excellent vice-president (and president, if necessary).
I have never understood why people and the media are so obsessed with the experience argument. If there is any job for which relevant experience is unobtainable, it is the presidency of a country simply because the job is unique. What you are called upon to do in that job is unlike any other job you will ever have. The only kind of experience that is directly relevant, but which you can never get, is first being the president of some other country.
Furthermore, as president, you don't actually run the government or even the White House in any practical sense. Other people do all that and you have at your beck and call all the people you want for advice and actual implementation. The concrete skills that you need are not for being president but for running for the office. That requires the ability to raise a lot of money, run a good campaign, deal with the media, and speak well in public. Having prior experience in those areas definitely comes in useful during elections.
Palin already has run for governor and won, so she has some experience in this area, even though Alaska is not a big state in terms of population, ranking #47 among states. But she is being selected for vice-president and will join an already existing campaign the running of which is out of her hands, so that should not be a major problem.
What I find very odd is that some of her supporters are chortling that her lack of experience and knowledge on national and international issues cannot be used against her because Obama is also allegedly inexperienced. This argument does not make any sense. It was the McCain camp that was banking heavily on using the inexperience argument against Obama. By choosing Palin, McCain has effectively taken that argument off the table. Obama wins because he now does not have to even defend himself on the inexperience charge. All he has to do is watch while the McCain camp make fools of themselves arguing that she is more experienced than him. It is strange for McCain supporters to claim a victory for unilaterally disarming themselves. (See this cartoon.)
While I don't think experience should be a big factor in judging whether someone could be a good president, this does not mean that certain qualities are not preferred and even essential. There are things that I think a good president should have but those qualities can be developed over most kinds of life experiences. The important question is to what extent has her past life and work reveals that she has those qualities.
The qualities that a good president needs (which are independent of any polices or ideology) are many: have a commitment to uphold the constitution in spirit and letter, should have a commitment to the national and global interest over petty parochialism, be able to use evidence and reason in arriving at thoughtful decisions, be a good judge of people and situations, have a curious mind and be a quick learner, be humble enough to be able to ask for and take advice, be aware of the impact that one's words carry and thus be prudent in what one says, be aware of the power that one has and be cautious in exercising it, and be able to take the long view and think strategically while being flexible enough to make tactical changes when the contingencies of events demand them
Photo courtesy of http://mudflats.wordpress.com |
Whether she has had obtained enough experience, as the mayor of a tiny remote town of Wasilla (which, as humorist Dave Barry points out, has roughly the same number of houses as John McCain) and less than two years as governor of a state with a total population that is comparable to the city of Cleveland, to be able to step in and be president is somewhat irrelevant, except insofar as what her actions in the past reveal about the important qualities that are relevant to being president.
There is an interesting blog by someone living close to Wasilla that talks about life in that part of the word. This blog has suddenly shot up in popularity, becoming the go-to place to find out about Palin and her life. In one post the blogger describes the shock at hearing the news of Palin's selection and in another he describes the increasingly messy investigation into the abuse of power allegations against Palin.
In my opinion, there are hundreds of thousands, and perhaps millions, of people around the country who have many if not most those qualities and would make wonderful presidents. That is why the discussion as to whether someone is the 'best' person for the presidency or vice presidency is absurd. There is never a 'best' person. There are only better or worse people in terms of meeting those standards. President Bush has clearly demonstrated that he does not have most of the required qualities but Palin might. The problem is that we simply do not know.
The questions about whether she has the desired qualities may be answered as her life comes under scrutiny, but as yet the answers are unknown. McCain's statement that she is clearly the best person for the job is laughable on its face, and a sign of desperation. The interesting question I want to examine is how McCain came to pick her and what the selection says about him with respect to his own possession of the above qualities, and how this might affect the campaign.
In subsequent posts, I will break down this question into the various considerations that McCain and his team may have taken into account and see how she stacks up.
POST SCRIPT: Sarah who?
Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert are taken by surprise.
Posted on Mano Singham's Web Journal by Mano Singham at 08:25 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
Entry is tagged: Election 2008 | Politics
September 05, 2008
The Palin choice-3: The danger of picking an unknown
(For previous posts in this series, see here.)
One factor that the McCain camp may have used in selecting Palin may have been the sense that she was a fresh face that would generate interest in a way that a more familiar figure would not. The announcement of Palin certainly did that. It immediately shifted the discussion on Friday away from the hugely successful Democratic convention and Obama's excellent speech on Thursday to the topic of Palin. If that was a tactical goal of the McCain campaign, it succeeded.
But you live by the headline, you die by the headline, and the Palin announcement was itself almost immediately replaced by coverage of hurricane Gustav (hurricanes provide great visuals and human drama and will always trump political maneuvering) and the latter completely dominated news coverage over the Labor Day weekend. On my travels during those three days, whenever I briefly turned on the TV for news, they were having all hurricane all the time and no Palin. She did not even appear on the Sunday talk shows.
While fresh faces undoubtedly generate excitement, it is always dangerous to introduce an unknown figure into a major national campaign at such a late stage. The strong possibility exists that it will be followed by a string of embarrassing revelations about the person and family members, as has been the case here. This is not because she or her family is bad but because they are human.
All of us who have reached middle age, lived full lives, and have families have had things happen in the past that we might not think are big deals because we have lived through them, but if suddenly revealed to the world might prove embarrassing and have to be explained away. For almost all of us, what saves us is that nobody is interested in hearing about our past lives and no one is interested in finding out about them either.
But in the case of Palin, she is so new to the national scene that hordes of media are going to examine every tiny aspect of her past life to get a better idea of who she is. And they are going to find out things that she herself might have forgotten or wish would remain unknown. Palin and her family are going to be put under the microscope and I feel sorry for them because all kinds of information will come out now about them that will have to be explained away.
There will be well-meaning people who have known her in the past who will want to get their few moments of fame by recounting anecdotes about her, not realizing that these can be damaging. There may be people who dislike her for some reason or are jealous and have harbored grievances over things she did long ago, and will now relish the chance to get their revenge by revealing or even making stuff up. There will be those who will use her new high visibility to advance their own cause, like the Alaskan Independence Party (some of whose members want to put secession from the union to a vote) and to which Palin's husband once belonged and which she seems to have sympathies for.
Even if these stories turn out be false or malicious or exaggerated, fending them off is going to consume the energy of the McCain campaign. As these things come to light and have to be explained away, it will divert the campaign from its message.
The only way to avoid such embarrassments is to nominate an unmarried, childless, orphan who was an only child and preferably one whose hometown was obliterated by some natural disaster, taking with it almost everyone who knew the candidate in their formative years. The nominee should also preferably have in their adult years been a Trappist monk with its associated isolation and strong emphasis on being silent.
The advantage of having been in public life for a long time (like Joe Biden) is that although nobody gets really excited by the choice, almost all of your dirty linen has already been aired and you have survived, and people are likely to think that there is nothing new worth digging for in your distant past. Only deliberate leaks of new information by people seeking to scuttle your candidacy are likely to be damaging. If McCain had picked any of the well-known candidates in public life, there would have been far fewer problems.
For example, Rudy Giuliani has all kinds of things in his past like his extramarital affairs, his association with the corrupt Bernie Kerik, and even dressing in women's clothing. If he had been unknown and picked as the running mate and these things had then been revealed, he would likely have had to quit. But because these things were already well known before he ran for president, they would not have the same impact if he had been chosen as the running mate. His campaign for the presidency imploded because he was simply a terrible candidate.
By contrast, when Geraldine Ferraro was picked as Walter Mondale's running mate in 1984, newly revealed allegations about her husband's shady business dealings suddenly came to light and dogged the campaign. The same thing happened when somebody from the past revealed Thomas Eagleton's hitherto unknown shock treatment for depression after he had been selected as George McGovern's running mate in 1972.
So unless they commit new transgressions (like Larry Craig or John Edwards or Mark Foley), long-time public figures are a safe choice. But with Palin, everything about her and her family's life will be new. I hope she and her family is braced for the kind of close scrutiny that none of us would enjoy.
Next: How well was she vetted before being nominated?
POST SCRIPT: An odd speech
Though the first draft of Sarah Palin's speech was written by others even before she was selected and had to be rapidly modified because it was "too masculine" (whatever that means), it was very well-delivered. She is clearly comfortable in the spotlight, articulate, and knows how to engage her audience. She reads from a teleprompter much better than John McCain, whose speech on Thursday was more stiff and awkward.
I was, however, startled by the content of Palin's speech and its relentlessly harsh, mocking, smug, sarcastic, and ridiculing tone and the blatant falsehoods it contained which, although the crowd seemed to love it, has the danger of coming back to haunt her. Since she immediately followed an equally long and harsh speech by Rudy Giuliani, the entire 75 minutes that began at 10:00 pm seemed to be relentless Obama bashing at a largely schoolyard-taunt level, and made her seem like some kind of pit-bull, although she clearly relishes creating a tough image of herself.
The demeaning of the work of community organizers by the evangelical governor of Alaska was curious in a country where that kind of local civic activity is valued as good citizenship. As some have been quick to point out, it was after all Pontius Pilate who was a governor and Jesus who was a community organizer.
I was chiefly puzzled by two things: There was no real introduction to tell us about her (after Giuliani ended his speech, he simply walked off and she simply walked on) and her speech seemed to be aimed at the rabid partisans in the convention hall who were already her ardent supporters, not at winning over those undecideds who might have tuned in to the speech looking for her to give them confidence in her ability to serve as president if needed. As one commentator said: "Whoever the speech writer was, it became apparent rather quickly they were going for zingers, barbs, and clever one-liners, and not really thinking much about how the non-bloodthirsty segment of the viewing audience would feel about it."
I now know what happened. Giuliani's speech was to have been followed by another speech (presumably a warm introduction of Palin by someone who knows her well) and then a four-minute soft-focus biographical video telling her life story and emphasizing her achievements and qualifications. That positive and uplifting tone would have at least provided a welcome change after Giuliani and softened her image.
But what happened was that the media-loving Giuliani so relished his time in the spotlight that he added ad-libbed ridicule-laden applause lines to his vetted speech, causing him to run well over his allotted time, resulting in the introduction and biopic getting pulled at the last minute. Despite that, Palin still ended 15 minutes over the scheduled end.
Lesson: Never put an egomaniac before your main speaker in a tightly scheduled program.
Posted on Mano Singham's Web Journal by Mano Singham at 01:36 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
Entry is tagged: Election 2008 | Politics
September 05, 2008
Don’t expect a long life living in W.Va.
From the Register-Herald:
“If you include both men and women, only four counties in [West Virginia] have a life expectancy rate above the national average,” [Perry] Bryant said. “If you look only at women, no county in the state is above the national average.”
In an audio report available at West Virginia Public Broadcasting we learn about one case of childhood obesity:
The rise in diabetes is tied to a rise in obesity. Dr. Paul Little, medical director of Tug River Medical Center in McDowell County, has one eight-year-old patient who already weighs 160 pounds.
“He goes to McDonalds every single day,” Little said. “And we try to educate parents that’s not good. And they say, he cries, he carries on. So we say, let the kid cry and carry on. You need to start to do this and this, because here he is, eight years old, and he’s already obese.”
Little said the boy is just following his father’s example.
Posted on HEALTH DISPARITIES BLOG by David Porter at 07:30 AM | Comments (0)
Entry is tagged:
September 05, 2008
80% approval rating for Palin
Sarah Palin has an 80% approval rating in her home state of Alaska. This is the highest of any governor in the country. This compares to the 16% approval rating for the US Congress. Sarah Palin is young, dynamic, tough, conservative, honest, a reformer, and female. With the speech that was given yesterday, she dazzled like no one expected outside of the state of Alaska. She has an 80% approval rating as governor... and now America knows why.
Posted on College Conservative Movement by Chad at 12:47 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Entry is tagged: 2008 Presidential Election
September 04, 2008
Career Services Open House!
The CSO is excited to start the new academic year and would like to welcome all the first year students to Case Western Reserve University School of Law as well as welcome back all of the second and third year students!
So that we can catch up with returning students and meet new students, the CSO invites you to join us for an open house on Friday, September 12 from 8:30 am until 11:00 am in the CSO. Please stop by to meet the newest member of our staff, bring us up to speed on your summer experience, and learn about the new resources in the CSO.
We will have coffee and donuts for those students who stop by! We look forward to seeing everyone on Friday!
Posted on CSO Blog by Kelli Curtis at 08:49 PM
Entry is tagged: CSO Events