Asian American Art at DePaul Art Museum

Image Courtesy of the DePaul Art Museum

Through June 30, the DePaul Art Museum is currently presenting the exhibit War Baby/Love Child: Mixed Race Asian American Art, which examines the formation of Asian American identities in the US. This multi-level project includes a book, traveling art exhibit, blog, and website.

Using a variety of mediums, the project explores how (or if) Asian American artists address their mixed heritage in their artwork. Featured artists explore a range of topics including US wars in Asia, multiculturalism and identity politics, gender and sexual identity, racialization, citizenship and nationality, and trans-racial adoption.

The exhibit, which runs until June 30th, is co-curated and co-edited by DePaul faculty member, Laura Kina, who is an Associate Professor of Art, Media, and Design, Vincent DePaul Professor, and American Studies, Global Asian Studies, and Women and Gender Studies affiliated faculty member. She works in collaboration with Wei Ming Dariotis, Associate Professor of Asian American Studies at San Francisco State University.

If you are interested in viewing this exhibit, you can visit the DePaul Art Museum on Monday-Thursday from 11 am-5 pm, Friday from 11 am-7 pm, and Saturday and Sunday from 12 pm-5 pm. Admission is free, and more information about the War Baby/ Love Child: Mixed Race Asian American Art exhibit can be found here.

International Student Peer Mentors Accepting Applications

The International Student Experience Exchange (ISEE) mentor program is seeking new Peer Mentors to volunteer to help newly arriving DePaul international students during the Fall 2013 quarter.

The International Student Experience Exchange is a bridge program that was created by DePaul international students in the spring of 2012, specifically designed to connect committed student mentors with incoming international students to improve their academic achievement, social competence, and to facilitate smooth adjustment into the DePaul University community. By sharing experiences and insights, mentors can ease the transition process of new international students by making deeper connections that enhance the quality of the new international student experience.

Mentors help new students get comfortable in the United States and at DePaul, and meet with students to answer questions and do social activities. This is an outstanding opportunity for international students who have been at DePaul for at least a year and for American students interested in meeting international students to gain leadership experience and make new friends.

Applications are being accepted now. Accepted mentors will be required to attend training and will learn techniques for helping international students. If you are interested in participating in the ISEE Peer Mentor Program, please contact ISEEprogram@depaul.edu or visit the website at: http://oiss.depaul.edu/Advising/Mentoring/index.asp to learn more!

Study Abroad Photo Contest Winners 2013!

The DePaul Study Abroad Program runs a photo contest every year, where students can submit their best photographs from their time abroad. The results of the 2013 Study Abroad Photo contest are in! Check out a selection of the winning photographs posted below. To find out how to enter next year, contact abroad@depaul.edu.

“Sam Richards shows Blue Demon spirit by befriending fellow Chicago fan” Beijing, China
Lauren Fishbein: 1st place in the Blue Demons category
Image Courtesy of the DePaul Study Abroad Program

“In The Line” Huamantla, Mexico
Dennis Evashenk: 1st place in the Community Engagement category
Image Courtesy of the DePaul Study Abroad Program

“La Playa” Valdivia, Chile
Leah Morris: Honorable Mention in the Community Engagement category
Image Courtesy of the DePaul Study Abroad Program

Cross-Cultural Teams Workshop Success!

On Friday, April 19, 2013, International Programs collaborated with Language and Culture Worldwide (LCW) to present Work Successfully in Cross-Cultural Teams, a seminar designed to build cross-cultural communication skills that students can use both in the classroom and in professional roles. Oana Amaria and Rebecca Parrilla, both Cross Cultural Consultants from Language and Culture Worldwide conducted the workshop that included interactive exercises and activities that focused on the Dimensions of Culture and how to use what’s called the “DIN Model” to understand multicultural others when working in teams.

The 56 attendees were half international students (coming from such countries as Saudi Arabia, China, Brazil, Moldova, Thailand, and more!) and half American students (many were study abroad students, with travel experience across Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, and Africa).

Submit to the International Studies Association Conference

The International Studies Association is accepting submissions for their 2014 conference Spaces and Places: Geopolitics in an Era of Globalization. The conference will take place on March 26-29, 2014 in Toronto, Canada.

Proposals should address at least one of the following themes: the impact and meaning of borders, the relationships between place and identity; the tensions between place as local with the push and pull of globalization; the relationships among the concept and reality of sovereignty, law and legal borders, and the context generated by the cross-border workings of modern technology, economics, and transnational actors. From the ISA Website: “We encourage proposals to juxtapose spatiality/distance/place and the geopolitical context not only with the temporal dimensions, but with the transnational aspects of globalization as well.”

There is another special feature of the ISA Conference: the Junior Scholars Symposium. Junior scholars (current students or those within 2 years of receipt of their PhD) are invited to..

present their research in an environment focused both on feedback as well as professional development. The program also gives participants an opportunity to network with senior scholars and peers in their field. In a JSS session, junior scholars gather in small groups to share their work with one another and get feedback from great discussants drawn from ISA’s leading scholars.

The deadline for paper and panel proposals is June 1, 2013, and questions should be directed to isa2013@isanet.org. More information about the conference and submission process can be found here.

6th Annual Steans Center Conference May 10

The Steans Center is proud to be presenting the 6th Annual Service Speaks Conference on Friday, May 10 from 9:00 am-4:00 pm.

The Service Speaks Conference highlights the work of students, faculty, and community partners who have engaged in community service in and social justice initiatives locally, nationally, and internationally. Attending the Service Speaks Conference is an excellent way to learn how to get involved in community service initiatives as well as to gain expertise in the fields of service learning and community engagement.

In addition, there will be several exciting keynote speakers, including:

• Alice Kim: Director of The Public Square, a program of the Illinois Humanities Council that creates spaces for public conversations about social, political and cultural issues with a social justice emphasis.
• Mia Henry: Director of Special Initiatives of Safe Places for the Advancement of Community and Equity (SPACEs). She is also the owner and operator of Freedom Lifted, a company dedicated to providing civil rights tours for people of all ages.
• Carrie Spitler: Executive Director of Snow City Arts, former Executive Director of the Neighborhood Writing Alliance and Publisher of the Journal of Ordinary Thought
• Dale Asis: Founding Executive Director of the Coalition of African, Arab, Asian, European and Latino Immigrants of Illinois (CAAAELII), one of the largest immigrant led coalitions in the country.

This conference will be held in the Lincoln Park Student Center in room 120a, and it includes a light breakfast and lunch. Admission is free, and those interested in attending can register here. For more information, visit the FAQ.

Call for Applications: International Exchange Ambassadors

The International Programs Office is currently seeking DePaul Students to serve as International Exchange Ambassadors (IEA’s) to welcome new international exchange students to DePaul University. This is a paid position and a good opportunity for students interested in all things international! See below for the program details, compensation, and how to apply. Hurry, applications are being reviewed now!

Program Mission
The International Exchange Ambassador Program will build bonds of friendship between new international exchange and visiting students and more experienced DePaul students. Our goal is to warmly welcome our exchange students to DePaul and Chicago by creating an opportunity for 3^rd, 4^th and 5^th year DePaul students to become friends with new incoming exchange and visiting students.  Each year of this program, International Exchange Ambassadors (IEAs) have benefited from the opportunity to host international visitors and teach them about life at DePaul, Chicago, and the US.

International Exchange Ambassadors will commit to this mission and dedicate at least 25 hours/term to our exchange students. IEAs will attend required orientation events starting in August before the start of the 2013-14 academic year and continuing through the academic year for the start of Winter and Spring terms. IEAs must be free during orientation week and also available to assist the exchange students the first few weeks of the fall quarter. Every term there will be a required social event for the IEAs to organize and attend.  The specific schedule for Winter and Spring quarter orientations will be announced later.  Required training will begin in May 2013.

Required Knowledge, Experience, and Skills

• Knowledge of Chicago and how to navigate through the city
• International Travel Experience
• Knowledge of the DePaul Campuses (Lincoln Park and Loop), Resources, and Services
• Comfortable navigating through an airport
• Reliable
• Organization skills for planning Exchange Student social events
• Strong leadership skills
• Mature and responsible