October Surprises and Wagging the Dog: Do Upcoming Elections Affect Foreign Policy Decision Making?

While it is often asserted that leaders use foreign policy to domestic advantage as elections approach, the scholarly findings on this subject defy simple characterization.  My project examines the extent to which U.S. presidents adjust their foreign policies during an election run.  I contend that while elections do affect foreign policy decisions, presidents do not seek political advantage from foreign policy and instead see foreign policy only as a potential threat to their political objectives.

Dr Lee was born in China and grew up in Taiwan, where he served in the police force. In 1965 he migrated to the US, furthering his studies and launching his career in forensic science. Today, he has helped to solve more than 6000 cases.

Don’t miss this opportunity to hear about the personal and professional experiences of this renowned forensic science expert! Bring your questions, bring your friends. Reception to follow after event.

Date:   Nov. 16
Time:   7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Place:  Tishler Hall (Exley 150)

For more information about Dr. Henry Lee, please visit his personal website at http://www.drhenrylee.com

All of the talks run from noon to 1:00 p.m.

Nov. 13 – Prof. Wiliarty – Cafe in Allbritton

Twenty Years after the Wall: The German Elections of 2009

It has been twenty years since the fall of the Berlin wall. This talk investigates the legacy of the incorporation of East Germany. The influence of the former East Germany is manifested in two ways in the elections of 2009. First, the continued presence of a new party representing eastern interests is making coalition building more complicated. Second, the incumbent Chancellor, Angela Merkel, is originally from East Germany. Her identity as a female candidate interacts with her identity as an eastern candidate in ways that both help and hinder her ability to win election.

Nov. 20 – Professor Douglas Foyle – Butterfield C Lounge

October Surprises and Wagging the Dog: Do Upcoming Elections Affect Foreign Policy Decision Making?

While it is often asserted that leaders use foreign policy to domestic advantage as elections approach, the scholarly findings on this subject defy simple characterization.  My project examines the extent to which U.S. presidents adjust their foreign policies during an election run.  I contend that while elections do affect foreign policy decisions, presidents do not seek political advantage from foreign policy and instead see foreign policy only as a potential threat to their political objectives.

Dec. 4 – Professor Erica Chenoweth – Cafe in Allbritton

The Politics of Terrorism: Non-State Actors and Political Violence in the 21st Century

Chenoweth’s research program involves three general questions: why do
non-state groups use political violence, what are the alternatives to political violence, and how can states best combat non-state political violence? Currently, Chenoweth is investigating the conditions under which nonviolent resistance methods are more effective than violent methods in achieving strategic goals such as regime change, expelling foreign occupiers, or achieving self-determination.  She is also working on a project that assesses the efficacy of counterterrorism in the Middle East since in1980, and in another she is looking at how the tactical evolutions of nonviolent and violent insurgencies have affected their strategic outcomes.

Dec. 11 – Professor Anne Peters – Cafe in Allbritton

Shadow Governments: Parallel Institutions, Public Goods, and State Power in Iraq

The international system is increasingly characterized by neotrusteeship relations that link great powers to the periphery through formal and informal transfers of political authority and institutions. In contemporary Iraq, the United States has supplied a battery of “parallel institutions” that link American political authority and operational mandates to public goods provision in sectors such as security, infrastructure, and regulation. We know very little about the origins, efficiency, and implications of these institutions for state power. I argue that the US has employed parallel institutions in Iraq for the sake of short-term security and infrastructure, which would not be possible in the current political environment. However, parallel institutions are inefficient providers of public goods due to principal-agent problems , as well as their lack of accountability to local populations. Finally, parallel institutions will only weaken the Iraqi state after American withdrawal, as they provide disincentives for local political and administrative reforms that could undergird purely Iraqi public goods provision.

Guest Speaker: Gloria Alba Andino Lopez: “DR-CAFTA & the Roots of Migration: How Free Trade Agreements hurt the Environment, Workers, and You”

Ms. Lopez is a community leader and activist from El Regadío, Estelí, Nicaragua. She has represented organized resistance against the detrimental impacts of neoliberal economic policy which damages small farming communities. She will be speaking on the impacts of free trade policies and its connection to migration, labor rights, and the environment.

Co-Sponsored by Latin American Studies Department

Thursday, Oct. 30: Latino Awareness Month Convocation – La Casa, 240 Washington St., 7 p.m.

Julissa Peña and Stephanie Aracena ’12, Harold Flores ‘09 and an alumni speaker will kick off Latino Awareness Month discussing life as a Latino at Wesleyan University and their expectations and hopes for the Latino community.

Friday, Oct. 31: Ell Pollo and La Unidad Latina present Pumpkin Carving Night

Saturday, Nov. 1: La Casa Jam – La Casa, 240 Washington St., 11 p.m. – 3 a.m.

Come join the residents of La Casa and members of Ajua Campos kick of the first La Casa Jam of the year.

Guest Speaker: Gloria Alba Andino Lopez: “DR-CAFTA & the Roots of Migration: How Free Trade Agreements hurt the Environment, Workers, and You”

Ms. Lopez is a community leader and activist from El Regadío, Estelí, Nicaragua. She has represented organized resistance against the detrimental impacts of neoliberal economic policy which damages small farming communities. She will be speaking on the impacts of free trade policies and its connection to migration, labor rights, and the environment.

Co-Sponsored by Latin American Studies Department

Thursday, Oct. 30: Latino Awareness Month Convocation – La Casa, 240 Washington St., 7 p.m.

Julissa Peña and Stephanie Aracena ’12, Harold Flores ‘09 and an alumni speaker will kick off Latino Awareness Month discussing life as a Latino at Wesleyan University and their expectations and hopes for the Latino community.

Friday, Oct. 31: Ell Pollo and La Unidad Latina present Pumpkin Carving Night

Saturday, Nov. 1: La Casa Jam – La Casa, 240 Washington St., 11 p.m. – 3 a.m.

Come join the residents of La Casa and members of Ajua Campos kick of the first La Casa Jam of the year.

Wednesday, Nov. 5: Keynote Speaker: Sonia BasSheva Mañjon, Vice President for Diversity and Strategic Partnerships – Usdan-Daniel Family Commons, 5 p.m.

At CCA, she served as a member of the president’s cabinet, director for CCA’s Center for Art in Public Life, chair of its community art major and Diversity Studies Program, co-chair of campus diversity initiatives, and a member of the faculty. Mañjon developed the country’s first bachelor of fine arts program in community arts, which stresses student civic engagement and diversity issues.

As Wesleyan’s vice president for diversity and strategic partnerships, Mañjon is charged with enhancing the university’s outreach and engagement with the greater Middletown community. As Wesleyan’s chief affirmative action officer, Mañjon directs the Office of Affirmative Action and serves as an advocate for the interests of students in such areas as recruitment, curriculum development, campus culture and career planning.

Saturday, Nov. 8: Expresiones de Latinos – Crowell Concert Hall, 8 pm – 10 pm

Come and Enjoy wonderful performances filled with song, dance, poetry, spoken word, etc. Tickets: $ 5 (Students) , $ 7 (Non- Students)

Expresiones After Party – $ 2 w/out ticket stub – Malcolm X House, 11 pm – 3 am

Sunday, Nov. 9: “El Dia de Los Trabajadores” – La Casa, 240 Washington St., 5p.m.

Come join us as we celebrate and thank Wesleyan workers for their complete dedication and hard work. There will be music, food, games, etc. Get to know these wonderful people and spend a day relaxing and having fun.

Workers Appreciation Day

Monday, Nov. 10: La Unidad Latina Presents Trade-Off Event – Usdan Café, 4p.m.

Give and get goodies. Bring new clothing, books, school supplies, anything at all (except food) that can be donated to the less fortunate. In return for everyone’s generous donations, you will receive a free home baked goodie.

Nosotras Movie Night Series
Tuesday, Nov. 11th at 8:30pm in Usdan Multi-Purpose Room
Wednesday, Nov. 19th at 8:30pm in Usdan Multi-Purpose Room

These films will chronicle the lives of Latinos and deal with issues of the Latino experience, identity, and tranationalism.

Thursday, November 13: Sickle Cell Benefit Dinner – Daniel Family Commons, 6 p.m.
Co-Sponsoring: The Citizens for Quality Sickle Cell Care, Inc

Every year people are diagnosed, struggle with, and die from sickle cell anemia. From babies to older adults, sickle cell affects everyone from all walks of life. There are many misconceptions about sickle cell, where it comes from and who it affects and although it is prominent amongst people of West African, Latino, Mediterranean, and South East Asian origin, anyone can get sickle cell because it is a genetic disease. There will be a speaker discussing the misconception and a nurse providing free screenings.

Tickets: $7

Friday, Nov. 14: “Platanos and Collard Greens” – Crowell Concert Hall, 7 p.m.

Platanos & Collard Greens is the hit romantic comedic play that tells the story of Freeman, an African-American man, and Angelita, a Latino woman, who are both forced to confront and overcome cultural and racial prejudices, while defending their bond from family and friends. Platanos will remind you of your family, your love and your life.

Tickets: $ 7 (Students) $ 10 (Non-Students)

Saturday, Nov. 15: Café Frida – La Casa, 240 Washington St., 7 p.m.

Come join us for an honorary event for Frida Kahlo. Enjoy her artwork as well as a taste of Latin American finger foods.

Sunday, Nov. 16: What does it mean to be Latino(a)? – Malcolm X House, 8 p.m.

A discussion panel about what does it mean to be Latino(a). Snacks and refreshments will be provided.

Co-sponsored by Malcolm X House

Friday, Nov. 21: Keynote Speaker: Bobby Gonzales – PAC 002, 4 p.m.

Bobby Gonzales, poet, author, and storyteller, is a Taino Native of Puerto Rico. He uses both sides of his culture, Native American and Latino, in order to speak on experiences of being multicultural and in a multicultural society here in the United States.

Saturday, Nov. 22: La Unidad Charity 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament

Thursday, Dec. 4: Poetry Slam – Eclectic, 7 p.m. – 10 p.m.

Writers’ Bloc and Ajua Campos

Come hear Wesleyan students as well as a special outside performer demonstrate their talent through spoken word and poetry.

Saturday, Dec. 6: Noche de Gala – Eclectic, 10 p.m. – 2 a.m.

This is our annual undergraduate, staff, and alumni Formal Dance. Come dressed to impress! Dance Salsa, Merengue, Bachata, and much more with all your fellow friends.

$ 4(Single) $ 8 (Couples) $ 10 (Alums)

The visible text of the First Amendment protects such specific freedoms as “speech,” “press,” “assembly,” and “religion.” Its invisible but no less fundamental subtext and structure, however, protect much more. In this lecture, Laurence Tribe will argue that, at its core, the First Amendment shields each of us from government efforts to rewrite – to revise, reshape, or edit – the stories we tell ourselves and one another through the ways we decide to script our lives and the narratives we define by our intimate personal choices involving birth, education, occupation, sex, and death.

Laurence H. Tribe, Carl M. Loeb University Professor at Harvard University, has taught there since 1968 and was voted best professor by the class of 2000. “University Professor” is Harvard’s highest title, awarded to only 49 professors in the 20th century and eight in the 21st and now held by just 19 of the 1,432 tenured professors on Harvard’s nine faculties. Born in China of Russian Jewish parents, Tribe entered Harvard at 16; graduated summa cum laude in mathematics (1962) and magna cum laude in law (1966); clerked for the California and U.S. Supreme Courts (1966-68); was voted a tenured profes-sorship at 29; helped write constitutions for South Africa, the Czech Republic, and the Marshall Islands; has prevailed in three-fifths of the many appellate cases, most of them pro bono, that he has argued (including 34 in the U.S. Supreme Court); and has written 115 books and articles, including American Constitutional Law, cited more often than any other legal text since 1950.

The Hugo L. Black Lecture on Freedom of Expression, endowed by a gift from Leonard S. Halpert, Esq., Class of 1944, is named in honor of the late U. S. Supreme Court Justice.

In Sick Around the World, FRONTLINE teams up with veteran Washington Post foreign correspondent T.R. Reid to find out how five other capitalist democracies — the United Kingdom, Japan, Germany, Taiwan and Switzerland — deliver health care, and what the United States might learn from their successes and their failures.

In this riveting documentary, T.R. Reid delves into the delivery and maintenance of medical treatment in five socially and economically developed nations, covering issues like insurance providers, government standardization, mandatory coverage for all citizens, and program sustainability.

We will follow the screening of Sick Around the World with a panel featuring Dr. Davis Smith, Medical Director of Davison Health Center, Professor Damien Sheehan-Connor, MD, Ph.D. from the Department of Economics, Adam Eldahan ‘09, a recent participant in an international public health study abroad program, and Scott Selig, Director of Clinical Quality, Community Health Centers Association of Connecticut.

The panelists will answer questions about issues that are raised in the documentary and about health care reform and delivery in general. Audience members will be challenged to enliven the discussion with thoughts and opinions of their own.

Wesleyan University students, faculty and staff are welcome to attend, ask questions and to participate in the discussion. A full dinner will be served prior to the screening. Seating will be limited and RSVPs are required. For more information or to RSVP, please contact Karen Karpa (kkarpa@wesleyan.edu) or call x2775.

Internationally renowned poet and translator MICHAEL PALMER is the author of more than a dozen books of poetry, including Sun, At Passages, and most recently Company of Moths. Palmer has worked with the Margaret Jenkins Dance Company for over thirty years and has collaborated with many visual artists and composers. A prose work, The Danish Notebook, was published in 1999, and a volume of his selected essays and talks, Active Boundaries, was released in July of 2008.

The recipient of both the Shelley Memorial Award from the Poetry Society of America and the Wallace Stevens Award from the Academy of American Poets, Palmer has also been awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Lila Wallace-Reader’s Digest Fund Writer’s Award, and fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts. Born in Manhattan, Michael Palmer has lived in San Francisco since 1969.

Poetry by Michael Palmer:

“Recursus”
“Sun” (with audio)
Full bio with additional links to poetry and prose

Sponsored by Wesleyan Writing Programs, the English Department, and the Russell House.

Event Information: Lucia Pier, Russell House Arts Fellow, or call 860.685.3448

Program Information: Anne Greene, Director of Writing Programs,or call 860.685.3604

On Friday, October 3, at 4:15 p.m. at the Center for Community Partnerships, 167 High Street, Assistant Professor of Government Melanye Price will lead an informal lecture about the role of race, gender, age and media in the current election.

First Friday is a series sponsored by the Center for Community Partnerships and is dedicated to building community amongst those interested in service, activism and social change.