Monthly Archives: November 2014

INVITE: UN – “Orange YOUR Neighbourhood”

Community Service, Conferences, Healthcare Issues, New York City, Non-Columbia Events, Speakers

UN commemoration of the International Day to End Violence against Women, 25 November 2014
“Orange YOUR Neighbourhood”

What: This year’s theme to mark the International Day to End Violence against Women, 25 November, and the 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence is “Orange Your Neighbourhood”. The colour orange, bright and optimistic, has been designated by the UN Secretary-General’s campaign UNiTE to End Violence against Women to symbolize a better future without this pervasive human rights violation that affects as many as one in three women and girls worldwide. The iconic Empire State Building, the UN Secretariat building and large screens in Times Square in New York will be lit orange to mark the day, along with the official commemoration event at UN Headquarters.

You are invited to the following press opportunities:
24 NOVEMBER
Empire State Building Lighting Ceremony
10.30 – 11 a.m.
Empire State Building Lobby, 350 Fifth Avenue, New York
*RSVP required: goo.gl/forms/YJi37F2IeN
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka and actress Teri Hatcher, will “Flip the Switch” to illuminate the Empire State Building. Following the ceremony, there will be a photo opportunity at the observation deck. The Empire State Building will shine an orange light starting at sunset.

Lighting of the UN Secretariat building
7 p.m.
1st Avenue & 42th Street
At 7 p.m., the UN will be lit in orange; it is the first time that the two buildings –Empire State Building and UN Headquarters— will be lit simultaneously to highlight a cause. Photographers and camera crews should be located on 1st Avenue and 43rd Street.

On 25 November, the Nasdaq and Reuters Tower screens in Times Square, one of the world’s most visited tourist attractions, will light up in orange with UN Women messages.

25 NOVEMBER
Commemoration of the International Day to End Violence against Women
10.30 a.m. – 12 noon
Economic and Social Council Chamber, United Nations Headquarters, New York
Official commemoration at UN Headquarters to observe the Day. The event will include the participation of:
• Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary-General
• H.E. Ambassador Lana Nusseibeh, Permanent Representative,
United Arab Emirates
• Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director,
UN Women
• Babatunde Osotimehin, Executive Director, UNFPA
• Chirlane McCray, First Lady, New York City
• Teri Hatcher, Actress
• Danai Gurira, Actress

Moderator: Amna Nawaz, Correspondent for NBC News

Panel Discussion: Violence against Women: Best Laws and Policies – Learning from the winners of the 2014 Future Policy Award
3 – 5 p.m.
Dag Hammarskjöld Library Auditorium, UN Secretariat, New York
UN Women in partnership with the IPU and the World Future Council will hold a panel, followed by an interactive discussion, focusing on implementation of laws and policies, effective practices, gaps and the way forward in relation to the review of the Beijing Platform for Action at its 20th anniversary.

Speakers will include:
• Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Executive Director and Under-Secretary-General,
UN Women
• Margaret Mensah-Williams, President, Coordinating Committee of Women
Parliamentarians of the Inter-Parliamentary Union
• Marja Ruotanen, Director of Human Dignity and Equality, Directorate General of
Democracy, Council of Europe
• Michael Paymar, House of Representatives, Minnesota and Ms. Melissa Scaia,
Executive Director, Domestic Abuse Intervention Programs (DAIP), Duluth
• H.E. Mr. Andreas Riecken, Deputy Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission of
Austria to the United Nations
• Nafissatou J Diop, Senior Adviser, Coordinator UNFPA-UNICEF Joint Programme
on FGM/C: Accelerating Change, UNFPA

Moderator: Ms. Alexandra Wandel, Director, World Future Council

Background:
Women are beaten in their homes, harassed on the streets, bullied on the Internet. Globally, one in three women will experience physical or sexual violence at some point in her life — mostly by an intimate partner. Of all women killed in 2012, almost half died at the hands of a partner or family member.

The International Day to End Violence against Women is commemorated worldwide on 25 November. The Day also kicks off the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, an international campaign which runs until 10 December (Human Rights Day), inviting individuals and groups to mobilize and call for the elimination of violence against women and girls. This year’s theme, framed by the UN Secretary-General’s campaign UNiTE to End Violence against Women, is “Orange YOUR Neighbourhood”.

Note to media: A TV feed for the official commemoration on the 25th will be accessible through UNTV at:
http://www.un.org/en/media/accreditation/pdf/UNTV_Transmission_Guide

Non-UN accredited media who wish to attend events at the UN should contact the Media Accreditation Unit: http://www.un.org/en/media/accreditation/contact

Join the conversation: Follow @SayNO_UNiTE and share your messages using the hashtags #orangeurhood and #16days.

UN Women is the UN organization dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women. A global champion for women and girls, UN Women was established to accelerate progress on meeting their needs worldwide. For more information, visit www.unwomen.org. UN Women, 220 East 42nd Street, New York, NY 10017, New York. Tel: +1 646 781-4400. Fax: +1 646 781-4496.

Connect with BBC in London

Networking, Reporting

Students: Passing along from the BBC in London, which is seeking to speak with any of you who might have followed the network’s coverage of the U.S. elections. All queries directly to the BBC contact here. Thanks.

Have you been listening to the coverage of the US midterms on the BBC World Service? A BBC World service programme would like to speak to you about your thoughts on how this coverage compared with the reporting by US broadcasters.

If interested, please email anishkasharma@whistledown.net  ASAP, by end of today 11-12, and includes your name, your university, your course and a summary of your opinion on the subject.

ACTION ITEM: Submitting Diploma Applications

Action Item, Applications, FAQ, Getting Things Done, Graduation, Knight Bagehot, M.A. Program, M.S. Program, Part-time Students, PhD

Dear Students,

Degrees are awarded in October, February and May

If you plan to graduate in February or May of 2017, you need to submit a diploma application now!

Every candidate, regardless of graduation date, is invited to participate in the May Commencement ceremony that coincides with, or follows, completion of degree requirements.

This link – http://bit.ly/CU_DipApp will provide you with a pdf document that you may complete online, save to your computer, and then attach in an e-mail to mailto:diplomas@columbia.edu

If you are unable to save the completed form, you may print it and fax it to
212-854-8747.

Alternately you may mail it or hand deliver it to:

Diploma Division
Office of the Registrar
Columbia University
210 Kent Hall, MC 9202
1140 Amsterdam Avenue
New York, NY 10027

Please Note The Following:

  • Doctoral and M. Phil candidates should follow instructions from the GSAS Dissertation Office (link is external) instead.  (Note: Doctoral students must deposit their dissertation at least a week before the conferral date in order to graduate.)
  • You may check the status of your degree application in SSOL. Please
    note that during peak times, it may take a week for your status to be
    updated in SSOL after you submit your application.
  • Knight Bagehots must complete this form! Spencer Fellows do not need to complete this form.  The 3rd semester doc students should not complete the form at this time.

Spring Prep Briefing with the Deans

Deans' Events, Getting Things Done, M.S. Program, Spring Prep

WHEN/WHERE:

Monday, Nov 10,  1:00-2:00pm – World Room

Wednesday, Nov 12, 5:00-6:00pm – Stabile Student Center

 

WHAT WILL BE COVERED:

Rest of the Fall

  • Fall evaluations of students (mid-term and final)
  • Fall grades
  • Fall evaluations of courses by students (FT via Reporting; PT via link)
  • Diploma applications
  • Honors in Class
  • Winter Break
  • Assessment

 

Spring Planning

  • Spring course types: S&Ps & Modules
  • Spring schedule
  • Application classes
  • Add/Drop

 

Graduation Preview

  • Grading
  • Honors
  • Awards

 

Key Dates

  • Spring Preview (aka Dog & Pony Show): Tuesday, November 18, Lecture Hall
  • Spring MS Registration: December 1, 2014
  • Winter Break: December 14 through January 19

 

MAJOR MEMO: M.S. Spring Planning

Deans' Events, M.S. Program, Major memos, Part-time Students, Spring Prep

SPRING SEMESTER PREP (updated several times a week) Here’s the schedule for Spring Semester Prep – events and dates to help you prepare for the Spring Semester. All the information will be available electronically, but you are encouraged to attend any events/briefing sessions you can. Please note we are offering events on a variety of dates and times. All this is subject to change, so please check back often.

The deans will be available throughout November to discuss your options and help you plan for the Spring.

PLEASE NOTE: This information is for M.S. students. There will be an M.A. briefing session on November 19, at 2 p.m., in the Lecture Hall. Tali Woodward and Melanie Huff will go over Spring Semester questions and dealing with Fall final evaluations.

  • Friday, Nov 7, 8a.m.,Stabile Student Center: BOOK WRITING SEMINAR – Preview & Application Instruction session with Prof. Sam Freedman.
  • Week of Nov 9: M.S Spring Curriculum released. Link will be emailed to students.
  • Monday, Nov 10, 1-2pm., Lecture Hall: Spring prep meeting with focus on Spring Semester questions and dealing with Reporting final evaluations.
  • Monday, Nov 10, 6-7p.m., Lecture Hall:  COVERING RELIGION. Preview & Application Instruction session with Prof. Ari Goldman.
  • Wednesday, Nov. 12, 5-6p.m., Stabile Student Center: Spring prep meeting with focus on Spring Semester questions and dealing with Reporting final evaluations.
  • Thursday, Nov. 13, 6:15p.m.-7:15p.m., 601B: SPORTS JOURNALISM – Preview  session with Prof. Sandy Padwe.
  • Monday, Nov 17, 5 p.m.: Applications due for COVERING RELIGION.
  • Monday, Nov 17, 6:15-7:00p.m., World Room: Preview of MANAGING THE 21st CENTURY NEWS ORGANIZATION with Prof. Grueskin.
  • Tuesday, Nov. 18, 6-7:30 p.m., Lecture Hall: Spring Preview Session – an evening when professors who teach Spring Seminar & Production courses are invited to present three-minute previews of their classes. Typically, most professors present and all M.S. students gather for this session. Please note that only a handful of classes have individual briefing sessions (as listed above), so it is critical that you attend this large gathering
  • Wednesday, Nov 19: Preview of RADIO WORKSHOP with Prof. John Dinges and Prof. Kerry Donahue
  • Friday, Nov 21: Preview of VIDEO STORYTELLING with Prof. Lisa Cohen
  • Monday, Nov 24: Students notified of application results for Book Writing and Covering Religion.
  • Monday, Nov 24, 1-2p.m., Room 607B: Preview of COVERING EDUCATION with Prof. LynNell Hancock.
  • Monday, Nov 24, 5-6p.m., Lecture Hall: Preview of NIGHTLY NEWS with Prof. Lennart Bourin
  • Friday, Nov 28: Deadline for students to accept offers for application classes.
  • Monday, Dec 1: Online Registration via SSOL
  • Dec 15-Jan. 20: Winter Break; work on Master’s Projects for M.S. students (first draft due Tuesday, Jan. 20)
  • Jan 5-Jan 30: Add/Drop period
  • Tuesday, Jan 20: M.A. and other University classes begin.
  • Wednesday, Jan. 21, 9:30-5:00: ALL-CLASS EVENT: SPRING PREP DAY: “An annual day of academic, career and writing/reporting tips and advice, before the semester formally begins. Brought to you by Student Affairs, Academic Affairs and Career Services “ – mandatory for all full-time MS students and MA students (except those MA students whose outside classes begin then); all others welcome. Presented by Student Affairs and Career Services.
  • Thursday Jan. 22: M.S. classes begin

 

 

Major Memo: Covering Religion Info Sheet & Application

M.S. Program, Major memos

INFORMATION SHEET AND APPLICATION FOR “COVERING RELIGION” SPRING 2015

“COVERING THE RELIGIONS OF INDIA”

PROFESSORS ARI L. GOLDMAN & YOGI TRIVEDI

GRADUATE SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY

“Covering Religion” aims at preparing students to write about religion for secular media outlets. In the Spring 2015 semester, the class will focus on the diversity of religious faiths found in India. Thanks to a generous grant from the Scripps Howard Foundation, the course will include a 10-day study-tour of North India at virtually no cost to students. (The minimal expenses that students will incur are described below.)

The study-tour will take place over spring break, with the weekends before and after the break used for travel. The first seven weeks of the course will be spent reporting on the relevant religions in the greater New York area. At the beginning of the term, each student is assigned a faith or a sect of a faith in which to specialize. While a primary focus of the semester will be on the major faiths of India, especially Hinduism and Islam, the class will also look at minority faiths, such as Sikhism, Buddhism, Jainism, Christianity and Judaism. In addition to writing assignments, each student will make an oral presentation in class about his or her assigned faith. While still in New York, students will select and begin to report on the stories that they want to cover while abroad. Students will be assisted by the faculty to develop contacts in India before they depart for the trip.

The class will visit the capital city of New Delhi, the Sikh holy city of Amritsar, the early modern Mughal capital of Jaipur and the shores of the Ganges in Haridwar and Rishikesh. A trip to Ahmedabad, Gujarat is also being considered. It is timely considering the rise of Narendra Modi to the seat of Prime Minister earlier this year. The city is also well known for its historical religious syncretism of Hindu, Muslim, Jain, and Sikh communities. At each stop, we will meet religious leaders and visit houses of worship and shrines. “Reporting days” are also included in the schedule so that students can work on their projects. Religion manifests itself in an extremely distinct way in South Asia. The political, social, and cultural realms are pervaded by the sacred in ways unseen in America and Europe. Several guest speakers—journalists and academics—will also provide insight on historical, political, and ethnographic norms to help prepare students for the trip and the completion of their projects. It is important to note, however, that the focus will be on religion, religious sites and religious communities.

During the 2015 trip, the class will maintain a website that includes daily updates from our travels. Each day on the trip, one student will be responsible for reporting on that day’s activities and posting the story on the Web. In addition, two students serve as Webmasters and others coordinate photographs, videos and social media. Upon returning from the study-tour, students will complete and post their major reporting projects from the trip. (The Websites from previous years can be found at www.coveringreligion.org.)

Here are a few additional points —

  • Class size: the class is limited to 16 students.
  • Dates for the trip: The trip roughly takes place over spring break, making use of the weekends before and after for travel time.
  • Full-time and part-time students in the MS Program are invited to apply
  • Requirements: Full-time students accepted in the class must submit the final draft of their Master’s Project to Dean Huff no later than March 12th, which is 10 days before the regular deadline. In addition, all students must be up-to-date on assignments for all other classes. No student on academic probation or academic warning will be allowed to go on the trip.
  • Composition of the class: We are looking for a group of students that will reflect the diversity of the school in terms of gender, language skills, international travel experience, region of the United States and country of origin. No prior travel experience is necessary.
  • Health insurance: Students are responsible to be sure that they are covered while on the trip.
  • Cost to students: The foundation pays for airfare, hotels, transfers and two meals a day. Students should bring enough money for one meal a day plus money for any personal items or gifts they wish to purchase. Students are responsible for getting their own passports in order and for paying for any visa fees. Students also have to cover the costs of any inoculations necessary for the trip. Students will have to arrange their own travel to and from the airport in New York.
  • Application process: Please fill out the on-line application

    http://bit.ly/CUJ_religion

    It asks for a 500-word essay on why you would like to be considered for the class. It should include personal information as well as a statement about what contemporary religion story you would cover in India if you had the opportunity. If you have done any religion writing in the past, you can include links to those stories.

 

Good luck. We look forward to reading your application.

DEADLINE: November 17, 2014, 5 p.m.