March 7, 2005 In this Issue: - Dates & Deadlines - UHON Summer Session - Textbook Scholarship Reminder - Note to Seniors - Undergraduate Research Conference - Peer Mentors Needed - From Selma to Washington: A Celebration of the 40th Anniversary of the Passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 -- Dates and Deadlines: Mon. Mar. 7: Early registration for Summer sessions begin Mar. 13-20: Spring Break Fri. Apr. 8: last day to withdraw from a class Fri. Apr. 8: last day to remove an Honors contract (with faculty permission) Fri. Apr. 8: Thesis completion form due for May graduation Fri. Apr. 29: Completed thesis due for May graduation Sat. Apr. 30: last day of classes Mon. May 2: Statement of Academic Interest due (after 4th semester of classes) Mon. May 2: Memorandum of Study due (after 6th semester of classes) May 2-6: Final exam week Sat. May 7: Commencement -- We will be offering a 3 credit-hour UHON 198H this summer: Summer Session (July 17- Aug 5) "Man and Nature: Contrasting Perspectives." Taught at Cedar Point Biological Station (website: ). Students will read books and papers prior to and during the 3 week course. Readings will present contrasting views on the multiple relationships that exist between humans and the natural world, in contexts such as animal research, agriculture, and the use of natural resources. Readings will be coordinated with field trips to relevant sites in the Cedar Point area. Our visits will include discussions with officials, scientists and land owners who run working ranches, wildlife refuges, irrigated croplands, and research stations among other places. We'll also spend time learning about the organisms living in and around Cedar Point. Students will be required to participate in all trips and discussions. Students will keep a journal, prepare 2-3 short written and/or verbal presentations of issues. The final project will be a term-paper consistent with the theme of the course and can be made designed to be relevant to the individual student's interests and/or career goals. Particularly well-suited to students in majors such as journalism, education, visual arts and fields related to biology (including pre-health, agriculture and natural resources, as well as biology) who have a strong interest in the biological world. -- A reminder: you MUST purchase all books and course packets for your classes through the UNL Bookstore. Should a faculty member have made other arrangements, contact the Bookstore first and have them order the text for you. -- Attention Seniors: If you intend to graduate from the Honors Program in May, please email Dr. Berger and inform him of that fact: If you intend to graduate in August or December, please inform Dr. Lyons: -- Undergraduate Research Conference will be held Friday April 1 -- Peer Mentors needed: Applications to be Peer Mentors in the fall of 2005 are now available in the main Honors Office, 118 Neihardt, in the computer lab and in the Reading Room. Due date is March 11. If you were a Peer Mentor previously, you do not need to reapply; simply notify Dr. Lyons. -- From Selma to Washington: A Celebration of the 40th Anniversary of the Passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 - Event #1: 7-8:30pm, April 14th (Thursday), at the Champion's Club: a presentation/discussion with Rev. C.T. Vivian and Ms. Joanne Bland, moderated by Patrick Jones. Rev. Vivian participated in the Nashville sit-in movement in 1960-61, the 1961 Freedom Rides, and then became an Executive Board member of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) and a part of Martin Luther King's inner-circle. In SCLC, Rev.Vivian played a prominent part in numerous civil rights campaigns, including the historic Selma voting rights campaign of 1965. Rev. Vivian is prominently featured in the award-winning, multi-part "Eyes On the Prize" documentary series. Ms. Bland is from Selma, Alabama, and also participated in the voting rights campaign there which led directly to the passgae of the Voting Rights Act. Eleven years old at the time, Bland was on the Edmund Pettus Bridge on "Bloody Sunday" and has the distinction of being the youngest person arrested and put in jail during that campaign. She is currently the Director of the National Voting Rights Museum in Selma. While in Lincoln, Vivian and Bland will share their experiences of the Selma voting rights campaign of 1965 and discuss Selma's crucial link to the passage of the VRA. Their experiences are uniquely complimentary. It is a tremendous honor for UNL to host these two "living legends" of the civil rights era! There will be a reception following this event. - Event #2: 7-8:30pm, April 18th (Monday), at the Nebraska Union: a panel discussion featuring Sam Issacharoff, a prominent legal scholar from Columbia University, Michael Pitts, from the Justice Department, and D'Andra Orey, of the UNL Political Science Department. All three of the panelists are prominent experts in the field of voting rights. This panel will focus on the legacy of the Voting Rights Act and the state of voting rights in the U.S. today. This event is meant as a contemporary compliment to the more historical event on Thursday night. Again, we are excited to have such esteemed experts in the field of voting rights in Lincoln to share their perspectives on the state of voting rights in the United States today.