DRAMA STUDENTS AND ALUMNI Dominate the 2008 SAMUEL FRENCH OFF-OFF BROADWAY SHORT PLAY FESTIVAL
The New School for Drama students and alumni were once again well-represented at the 33rd annual Samuel French Off-Off-Broadway Short Play Festival, which featured a selection of 40 plays this past month at the Peter Jay Sharp Theatre in New York City.
Established in 1975, the annual week-long festival, running this year from July 15 through July 20, culled its selections from nationwide submissions from playwriting workshops, university theater programs, and professional companies. Forty productions were then selected and presented to a panel of judges composed of playwrights, agents, and the Samuel French editorial staff, who then selected six finalists to have their works licensed and published by Samuel French, Inc.
Of the 40 works selected for presentation, seven were from Drama students and alumni: F**king Art by Bekah Brunstetter (07); Good Enough by Kitt Lavoie (01); Juniper; Jubilee by Janine Nabers (08), directed by Alexandra Hastings (08); The Grave by Gabe McKinley (09); The Visit by DeLora Whitney (07), directed by Graeme Gillis (01); A New Shade of Red by Jessica Hinds (10), directed by Mason Beggs (10); and wild follows the queen by Matthew Paul Olmos (04).
Thirteen plays were then selected as finalists and included the submissions by Whitney, Nabers, Brunstetter, and McKinley; of those finalists, six were then chosen to have their plays published by Samuel French, with Nabers, Brunstetter, and McKinley taking home this honor.
In related news, the cast of Naber’s Juniper; Jubilee included a number of Drama students and alumni: Brittany Bellizeare (09), Andreas Tselepos (08), Grace Evans (08), Rena Krumholz (08), LaChrisha Brown (10), Mia Kristin Smith (10), and Ayo Cummings (10).
BRINGING DOWN THE GREAT FIREWALL OF CHINA:
SILENCED WRITERS SPEAK ON THE EVE OF THE OLYMPICS
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| Edward Albee |
Barbara Goldsmith |
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| Francine Prose |
Martha Southgate |
On August 7, at 6:30 p.m., on the eve of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, PEN American Center and The New School Graduate Writing Program are co-sponsoring, “Bringing Down the Great Firewall of China: Silenced Writers Speak on the Eve of the Olympics,” an event where PEN members will give voice to the more than 40 writers and journalists currently in prison in China for exercising their right to freedom of expression.
Acclaimed American writers will come together on stage to break the silence—or what has been called the Great Firewall—that threatens the work and lives of Chinese writers. “Our urgent and intense concern for our colleagues, locked up in Chinese jails for the crime of writing honestly, has made us want to mark the opening of the Beijing Olympics by honoring their courage and by asking, again, that they be set free,” said Francine Prose, president of PEN American Center.
Edward Albee, Russell Banks, Barbara Goldsmith, Jessica Hagedorn, Rick Moody, Martha Southgate, Francine Prose, and others will read statements written by leading Chinese writers including Ma Jian and Xiaolu Guo, along with new and previously untranslated statements and writings by several of the jailed writers.
The event, which is free, will take place at Tishman Auditorium, 66 West 12th Street.
THE DESIGN AND SOCIAL SCIENCE FUND ANNOUNCES INAUGURAL AWARDEES
The New School's Design and Social Science Committee has announced the recipients of its inaugural Design and Social Science Fund Awards. Comprised of faculty from across the university, the Design and Social Science Committee was created by the Office of the Provost in 2006 to explore pedagogical, research, and project-based initiatives at the intersection of design and social science. The fund itself was made possible by generous support from Parsons Dean Tim Marshall and New School for Social Research Dean Michael Schober with additional support from the Office of the Provost.
The Design and Social Science Fund aims to support innovative faculty initiatives that explore relationships between the social sciences and design theory and practice. In particular, the fund is intended to support cross-university collaboration and research and to envision possible curricular projects and courses that would provide for a fruitful exchange between design and the social sciences.
The application process sparked an unprecedented number of projects, and the 24 applications represented the work of over 36 faculty members of The New School. Recipients of this year’s funding will present their work to The New School community as part of the Design and Social Science Committee’s agenda for the 2008-09 academic year.
The 2008-09 awardees include the following faculty work and projects:
- Adriana Abdenur (International Affairs) and Brian McGrath (Parsons) collaborated on “The Newark Greenwalk.” Here, students will work with the USDA Forest Service, the USDI Park Service, and two Newark-based organizations to research and design a “green walk” highlighting key environmental problems and potential solutions in Newark.
- Jinsook Erin Cho (Parsons) and Nebahat Tokatli’s (Milano The New School for Management and Urban Policy) project, “The Effect of Globalization of High-End Western Brands on the Diffusion of Design Capabilities to Foreign Suppliers in Partially Industrialized Countries,” looks at the process of aesthetic and creative decision making by designers and retailers of high-end apparel brands in New York, examining whether globalization effects the design capabilities among manufacturers in partially industrialized countries.
- Elizabeth Ellsworth and Kit Laybourne’s (Media Studies) project, “Extreme Media Studies,” consists of a pedagogical design in the form of an online “exhibition-as-textbook”/“textbook-as-exhibition” that teaches students to respond creatively to the emerging, social and environmental forces that shape today’s world.
- Cameron Tonkinwise (Parsons), Victoria Hattam and Jay Bernstein’s (The New School for Social Research) project, “Introducing the ‘Critical Studio’,” prototypes a ‘critical studio’ in which students use design as a way of developing understanding in relation to critical theory.
WINNERS OF 2008 DISTINGUISHED UNIVERSITY TEACHING AWARD ANNOUNCED
The Office of the Provost is pleased to announce the recipients of the Distinguished University Teaching Award for 2008. The winners, selected for demonstrated excellence and leadership in teaching that has contributed significantly to student learning, are:
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| Steven Faerm | Rachel Heiman |
Marcel Kinsbourne | Lisa Servon |
Steven Faerm, Parsons The New School for Design,
Rachel Heiman, The New School for General Studies,
Marcel Kinsbourne, The New School for Social Research
Lisa Servon, Milano The New School for Management and Urban Policy.
These faculty members were chosen from a pool of 89 faculty who were nominated by students, faculty, and staff. The nominating committee consisted of five faculty members who are former teaching award winners.
The awardees will be officially recognized during the University's Convocation Ceremony on Thursday September 4, 2008. Please plan to attend.
NEWS FROM THE NEW SCHOOL FOR SOCIAL RESEARCH
FACULTY MEMBER EDWARD NELL AWARDED FULBRIGHT TO IRELAND
Edward Nell, a faculty member in the Economics Department at The New School for Social Research has been awarded a Fulbright in Ireland. He will be based in the Economics Department of the University of Limerick and will be researching the work of Isaac Newton.
The Fulbright Program awards approximately 6,000 new grants annually and operates in over 150 countries worldwide. The Fulbright Program was established in Ireland in 1957 to provide scholarships to Irish citizens to lecture, research, or study in the United States and for U.S. citizens to lecture, research or study in Ireland. To date, 1,572 Irish postgraduate students, academics, and professionals have studied in top U.S. colleges and research institutes. Over that same period 591 U.S. students and scholars have come to Ireland.
NEWS FROM MILANO THE NEW SCHOOL FOR MANAGEMENT AND URBAN POLICY
NEW ISSUE OF CHILD WELFARE WATCH FOCUSES ON FOSTER MOMS
The Center for New York City Affairs at The New School and the Center for an Urban Future have published the summer edition of Child Welfare Watch titled, “Homes Away from Home: Foster Parents for a New Generation.” This issue offers readers an uncensored glimpse into the lives and homes of three New York City foster mothers. In "Behind Closed Doors: Diaries of Three Foster Moms," the subjects share the unvarnished hazards and happiness of looking after children whose parents have been accused of abuse and neglect. Compiled from weekly phone interviews in early 2008, these stories reveal not only the compassion and generosity behind these women’s decisions to take on the all-consuming role of foster parenting, but also their frustrations and struggles.
To view or download this issue, go to the Center for New York City Affairs website. This issue is made possible thanks to the generous support of the Child Welfare Fund, the Ira W. DeCamp Foundation, the Viola W. Bernard Foundation, and the Sirus Fund.
NEWS FROM PARSONS THE NEW SCHOOL FOR DESIGN
PARSONS GRADUATE WINS PRESTIGIOUS INTERNATIONAL DESIGN AWARD
Parsons product design graduate Hideaki Matsui‘s (06) project Cleanup won top prize, a Gold Award, in the prestigious 2008 International Design Excellence Awards (IDEAs). The winning designs were announced in the July 2008 issue of BusinessWeek.
Cleanup is a set of soap products shaped like landmines that were developed to raise awareness about the eradication of landmines. Matsui developed his project as part of A Good Life, Parsons’ Product Design Senior Thesis program, which requires students to develop products that address social issues. Matsui was also awarded top prize, Best of Category, in ID Magazine’s 2007 annual Student Design Review.
Upon graduation, Matsui participated in the course Social Entrepreneurship Through Design, offered by Milano The New School for Management and Urban Policy. Through this course, Milano graduates Benjamin Packer ’07 and Alison Keehn '08 helped develop a business plan for Cleanup. Following graduation, these students formed the Social Entrepreneurship Network, Inc. to launch Cleanup and other social interest products. The soap is currently in the prototyping phase and is expected to be on sale later this year at http://cleanupsoap.com.
IDEA (International Design Excellence Awards), run by The Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA), is the premier international competition honoring excellence in products, environmental design, interaction design, packaging, strategy, research, and concepts. Entries are accepted from designers, students, and companies worldwide. IDSA has been honoring design excellence via the IDEA Awards since 1980. The contest features 17 categories, which range from computer equipment and entertainment to student designs and design strategy. Out of 1,517 entries, 35 were awarded the coveted Gold award, while 77 received Silver awards, and 93 won Bronze awards.
NEWS FROM THE NEW SCHOOL FOR JAZZ AND
CONTEMPORARY MUSIC
AND
MANNES COLLEGE THE NEW SCHOOL FOR MUSIC
NEW SCHOOL MUSICIANS FEATURED AT STARS OF TOMORROW SERIES
See tomorrow's jazz and classical virtuosos every Tuesday, beginning in June on Pier 45, one of Hudson River Park's most beautiful spots. Through August 19, the Stars of Tomorrow Series will feature jazz and classical performances by exceptional groups from Mannes College The New School for Music and The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music. Enjoy a sunset and be dazzled by an international coterie of emerging artists who have performed to critical acclaim around the world. 
- July 29, Brass Trio, Mannes College The New School for Music
- August 5, Itamar Borochov Trio, The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music
- August 12, Brass Trio, Mannes College The New School for Music
- August 19, Nick Paul Trio, The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music
All performances take place at 6:30 p.m. at Pier 45 at Christopher Street, the Hudson River @ West 9th Street.
MARSHALL SCHOLARSHIPS FOR U.S. STUDENTS
Marshall Scholarships finance young Americans of high ability to study for a degree in the United Kingdom. Forty individuals are selected each year to study at a graduate or, in some cases, undergraduate institution each year in the United Kingdom. Fellows are supported for two years. The fellowship award includes university fees, living expenses, an annual book and thesis grant, grants for daily research and travel, and travel expenses to and from the United States. In some cases, where applicable, the scholarship will also pay towards supporting a dependent spouse. Applicants may be from any area of study and will need to have graduated from their institution after April 2006 for the 2009 award. For more information visit the scholarship website. The application deadline is October 2, 2008.
THE NINTH TCDS DEMOCRACY AND DIVERSITY GRADUATE INSTITUTE IN CAPE TOWN,
SOUTH AFRICA
The New School’s Transregional Center for Democratic Studies will be conducting its ninth Democracy and Diversity Institute in Cape Town, South Africa, January 6-22, 2009. During the intensive two-week program, up to 40 junior scholars and graduate students from sub-Saharan Africa, the United States, Latin America, and central and eastern Europe will gather to examine challenges to democracy in the host region and beyond. The institute will offer seminar courses in political science, anthropology, economics, sociology, and gender studies, to be co-taught by faculty from The New School for Social Research and South African academics. Students will select two of the four seminar courses; they will also attend a series of master classes conducted by scholars and intellectuals from South Africa and other countries in the region. The program includes evening guest speakers and study tours to socially and politically significant sites in the Cape peninsula.
New School students will receive credits upon successful completion of their coursework (three credits per course). This graduate program is also open to advanced students from Eugene Lang College.
The following seminar courses will be offered at the 2009 institute:
Democracies and Boundaries: Conflicts About Membership, Borders, and Diversity
Prof. David Plotke,Department of Political Science, The New School for Social Research
Gender and Democracy
Profs. Elzbieta Matynia, Department of Sociology and Liberal Studies, The New School for Social Research, and Shireen Hassim, Department of Political Studies, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg
Democracy and Africanism
Prof. Hylton White, Department of Anthropology, The New School for Social Research and Eugene Lang College, and guest speakers
Shifting Power in the Global Economy: Rethinking Development Strategies
Profs. William Milberg, Department of Economics, The New School for Social Research, and Stephen Gelb, executive director, the EDGE Institute, Johannesburg, and Department of Development Studies, University of the Witwatersrand
Applications, with full instructions, will be available beginning in September at www.newschool.edu/tcds. The deadline for applications is October 17, 2008.
For a full program description, contact TCDS at 212.229.5580 x3136 or tcds@newschool.edu, or visit www.newschool.edu/tcds.
TIME OUT NEW YORK DISCOUNT OFFER
Start your year off being in the know about things free or fancy. Time Out New York is offering all students, faculty, and staff at The New School a full year's subscription for just $20! That's 51 issues for the entire year and only 39c an issue. Steal this deal for yourself or a gift to another.
THE BEST DEAL FOR AFFORDABLE THEATER, Dance, and concert TICKETS:
THEATRE DEVELOPMENT FUND
An exciting spring theater, music and dance season is under way: Why pay $100 or more, when you can pay $20-$36 for Broadway shows and Off-Broadway shows, dance performances and concerts? An inexpensive way to enjoy the best of New York culture is to join Theatre Development Fund (TDF).
To be eligible, you must be a full-time student or teacher, senior citizen (62+), civil servant, union member, staff member of a not-for-profit organization, performing arts professional, or member of the clergy or armed forces. Annual membership fee is $27.50, and you can join online.
A small sampling of performances recently available to TDF Members for $20-36 per ticket include: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, A Bronx Tale, A Chorus Line, Altar Boyz, American Ballet Theatre, August: Osage County, Avenue Q, Big Apple Circus, Celia, The Color Purple, Come Back Little Sheba, Crimes of the Heart, Curtains, The Fantasticks, The Farnsworth Invention, Forbidden Broadway, Gypsy, The Homecoming, In the Heights, Is He Dead?, Les Miserables, New York City Ballet, New York Philharmonic, November, Passing Strange, Paul Taylor Dance Company, The Phantom of the Opera, Rent, The Ritz, Rock 'n' Roll, The Seafarer, Sunday in the Park with George and Xanadu.. So don't miss this great opportunity to see great theater at great prices.
The New York Times is offering a 60 percent discount ($.40/per day Monday-Saturday, $2.00 on Sunday) for home or office subscriptions to all faculty, staff, and students.
Here's how it works. Unlike traditional subscriptions, the education rate can be set up by semester or in a combination that best reflects your schedules for both delivery and billing. New School faculty, staff, and students can have a subscription Monday-Friday, Sunday only, weekends only, or any combination.
To take advantage of the special discount to the Times or to change a current subscription, students, faculty (full-time and part-time), and staff should contact the customer service center at 888.NYT.COLL, to order a single subscription or a classroom subscription of up to eight copies for required reading in the classroom.
To order a classroom subscription of eight or more copies for required reading in the classroom, contact the education program's customer service center at 800.631.1222.
WOULDN'T YOU LIKE TO SAVE TIME AND MONEY ON ENTERTAINMENT?
As a member of The New School, you have access to exclusive entertainment benefits through Plum Benefits! From theater and dance to sports and comedy, you can use this benefit to save time and money when ordering tickets for great seats to the hottest events in town! Log on 24/7 to enjoy:
Exclusive offers for premiere entertainment
Discounts of up to 50% off
Access to hard-to-get seats
Cost-free service
No ticket-ordering obligations
Easy ticket ordering
Helpful Customer Service at www.plumbenefits.com, 212.660.1888, or contact@plumbenefits.com
Already Signed Up to View Your Entertainment Benefits Online?
Log in now at www.plumbenefits.com to view this month's entertainment offers.
Not Yet Signed Up to View Your Entertainment Benefits Online?
Simply visit www.plumbenefits.com, click the "Sign-Up Now" button and follow the on-site instructions to create your profile and password. Registration is free and takes just a few moments-all you need is your groupwise email address.
CATCH THE “HOME DELIVERY: FABRICATING THE MODERN DWELLING” EXHIBIT AT
THE MUSEUM OF MODERN ART FOR FREE
Did you know that you could get into this exciting museum for free? In order to receive your free admission, go to the lobby information desk and show them your valid New School ID. Students, faculty, and staff receive one free admission for themselves. Faculty and staff may also obtain an additional two tickets for their guests. Enjoy!
STUDENT SERVICES
ADMINISTRATIVE REMINDERS FOR STUDENTS
ELECTRONIC AWARD NOTICES
In our continued efforts to offer greater access to financial aid award information and reduce our impact on the environment, The New School has begun issuing electronic financial aid award notices for the fall 2008 term.
Students will no longer receive paper award notices at their official mailing address, and will instead receive a notification to their New School (@newschool.edu) email account when their awards have been prepared or changes have been made to their existing financial aid awards.
For those without a New School email account, we will continue sending paper award notices.
STUDENT ACCOUNTS INFORMATION
To ensure that you receive correspondence from The New School in a timely manner, please review your official address in MyNewSchool to make sure that it is current. If it is not, you can change your address online. This is especially important for students who are expecting to receive a refund.
STUDENTS: ACCESS GRADES AND REGISTRATION FEES THROUGH MYNEWSCHOOL
The New School does not automatically mail copies of semester grades. If you need a printed copy of your grades, you can request a copy through MyNewSchool (click the Student tab; then, in the Self Service channel, click Student Academic Information). Your semester grades will be mailed within two weeks. You can also access registration fees through MyNewSchool.
STUDENTS: REQUEST YOUR OFFICIAL ACADEMIC TRANSCRIPT ONLINE
Students can request an official transcript through MyNewSchool. Click the Student tab; then, in the Self Service channel, click Student Academic Information). Transcript requests are processed five business days after they are submitted. There is no fee for regular five-business-day service. Next-day transcript service is available only to students who submit requests in person. Transcripts of students with library or financial holds of any kind will not be released.
ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM STUDENT HEALTH SERVICES
2008-09 STUDENT HEALTH INSURANCE
All degree, diploma, online only, visiting, mobility (study abroad), Lang and Parsons consortium, graduate certificate program, and both graduate and undergraduate degree program non-matriculating students are automatically charged a Student Health Services Fee and a Student Health Insurance Fee. Milano branch campuses and Parsons Decorative Arts program, Washington, DC, are excluded. Depending on course load and status, students may be eligible to decline these services by submitting a completed Online Waiver Form by September 29, 2008.
Students may access the Online Waiver Form and select the “New School” link. Students may also access the Online Waiver Form via a link in their MyNewSchool Online Services account located in the “Forms” box under the “Student” tab.
For additional information on fees, deadlines, policies and procedures regarding the Student Health Insurance program, please visit the New School website at www.newschool.edu (click on “Student Services”, then “Health Services”).
A FEW MINUTES FOR YOUR LIFE: TAKE THE HIV TEST FOR FREE-END OF SUMMER 2008 HOURS
Free confidential HIV testing will be offered on the following Thursdays, August 7, 28, and September 4, from 3:00-5:00 p.m.
The testing site will be at Loeb Residence, 135 East 12th Street, 2nd floor. For further information, please contact Student Health Services at 212.229.1671, option 1 or 2.
A listing of Free HIV testing sites other days and times is available at Student Health Services, or visit the following web site: www.freehivtesting.org.
In September regular testing hours will resume. Please contact us at 212.229.1671 option 1 or 2 for the fall schedule.
ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM STUDENT DISABILITY SERVICES
Student Disability Services Newsletter
The latest edition of the spring 2008 Student Disability Services newsletter has been posted online. The newsletter spotlights deafness and hard-of-hearing, and features a story about the award-winning actress Marlee Matlin, who is deaf. The newsletter also includes tips on final exams and test taking as well as information about career guidance for people with disabilities.
ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM INTERNATIONAL STUDENT SERVICES (ISS)
ISS CHECK IN
All new and continuing international students, professors, and scholars who are checking in after traveling abroad must bring their immigration documents in person to ISS within 10 days after arriving in the US:
- Passport with Visa (if applicable) and I-94 card (usually stapled to your passport)
- Original I-20 or DS-2019
Continuing international students, professors, and scholars who did not travel abroad can check in online.
LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITY — International Student Mentor Program
The International Student Mentor Program is designed to assist new international students in adjusting academically, culturally, and socially to the United States and the New School. The mentors are available to answer any questions new students might have upon arrival and during their first semester in the United States, giving them a chance to get to know and learn about other students from around the world.
Mentors are international or American students who have been at the New School for at least one semester and are truly committed to learning about new cultures, expanding their world vision, and helping new internationals adjust to their new lives away from home. Mentees are New School undergraduate or graduate international students who have come thousands of miles to a new land to study, gain insight into a different culture, and share their cultures with others.
Email for an application or for more information.
CONVERSATION PARTNERS PROGRAM
The Conversation Partners Program provides opportunities for students, faculty, and staff of The New School community to improve language and communication skills in a relaxed, non-academic setting. This is a great opportunity for language learners and people who want to learn more about other cultures.
Conversation Partners can be degree and non-degree students, faculty, and staff. Participants are expected to have basic conversation skills in the language to be practiced. Conversation Partners should also be outgoing, social, approachable, and reliable, as well as respectful towards other individuals. Interest in learning and sharing new cultural experiences is also essential.
Email for an application or for more information.
I-20 END DATES
Section 5 on your I-20 indicates the date when the validity of your I-20 ends. If you will be completing your studies by that time, please be advised that you will have a 60-day grace period after the program end date on your I-20 in which to either depart from the United States or transfer to another college or university. You will not be able to reenter the United States using your current I-20 during this grace period. If you find that you will not be able to finish your current degree by the completion date on your I-20, you can request a program extension. You must make your request at least 30 days before the completion date. Visit the student services website to find out what documents you need in order to request a program extension. If you plan to apply for Optional Practical Training (OPT), you must attend an OPT workshop before you apply and USCIS must receive your application before the last day of class. If you have been admitted to pursue a different degree at the New School, you must apply for your new I-20 before the end date on your current I-20. Contact iss@newschool.edu if you have any questions.
CHANGE OF MAJOR OR EDUCATIONAL LEVEL REQUIRES NEW I-20
Please note that if you change your major (e.g., from a BA in Fashion Design to a BA in Product Design) or your educational level (e.g., from MA to PhD), you MUST request an update to your I-20 to reflect your current degree and program information.
Deadlines:
Change of major: By the end of the add period (for Fall 2008, this date is Wednesday, September 24)
Change of education level: You must apply for the new I-20 BEFORE you begin your new program.
Failing to request the changes in your I-20 for a change of major or educational level in a timely manner may jeopardize your I-20 status.
The Weekly Observer, The New School online publication, is sent to everyone with a University email account. It is also available on the University web site. To add an external address to the email list, please send a message from the account you wish to add to majordomo@newsite.newschool.edu. In the message, on a line by itself, type "subscribe observer".
To submit at item for publication in The Observer, please email observer@newschool.edu.
Submissions deadline for the Observer:
Submissions for the Observer must be received by Wednesday afternoon to appear in the following issue.
