Newsletter 2019/01 of the SEC THE MCDONNELL INTERNATIONAL SCHOLARS ACADEMY SCHOLARS ENGAGEMENT COMMITTEE

Transcription

1 Newsletter 2019/01 of the THE MCDONNELL INTERNATIONAL SCHOLARS ACADEMY SCHOLARS ENGAGEMENT COMMITTEE

2 Social Subcommittee Happy Hour - September 21, 2018 SOCIAL SUBCOMMITTE MEMBERS: Lauris McQuoid-Greason Aurora Chen Eylul Tekin 2 / Newsletter On September 21st, the Social Committee of the organized the very first happy hour for the Scholars in the common space of the McDonnell Apartments. Many in-resident and other Scholars joined us to start the term in a casual and friendly atmosphere. We received positive feedback from the Scholars and we plan to have more happy hours in the future with a focus on snacks. We are also open to other event suggestions!

3 Alumni Relations Subcommittee The Alumni-Scholar interaction party and the secret party for Jim & Mary - October 11, 2018 The McDonnell Academy 7th International Symposium was not only a great event for Scholars, with experts from all over the world investigating complex global issues, but also a unique opportunity for the McDonnell Academy to connect with our Alumni and friends. During the Symposium, the Alumni Relations Subcommittee, together with some of our Alumni formed an event planning group, and successfully held the Alumni-Scholar interaction party and the secret party for Jim & Mary during the first day of the Symposium. We had visiting Alumni participate in our event. ALUMNI SUBCOMMITTE MEMBER: Lingyue Wang Natsuki Sasaki Aurora Chen AUMNI PLANNING GROUP: Jing Xu Jane Li Ziyan Zhang Liran Han McDonnell Academy Holiday Tribute - December 6, 2018 The Alumni Relations Subcommittee and our alumnus Jing Xu (with assistance from Angie) planned and organized the "thank you" event during the 2018 McDonnell Academy Holiday Tribute. We all appreciate Jim & Mary s continuous guidance and help during so many years and the subcommittee, our Scholars, and Alumni presented two beautiful signed scarves as gifts for them. Alumni-Scholars Interaction Program During last year, the Alumni Relations Subcommittee created our alumni database and held one round of the Alumni-Scholar Interaction Program successfully. Some of our Scholars have already paired with Alumni, and received good communication with them. During the new semester, we have some newly graduated Scholars as our new Alumni and we will update our database and host a new round of the Interaction Program. Please keep an eye on our new round of the Program! LinkedIn group page of McDonnell Academy We also plan to expand the LinkedIn group for the McDonnell Scholars and Alumni. During last semester, we tested invitations to some of the Scholars and Alumni. We will determine best practices to contact all the current Scholars and Alumni, invite them into the group, and maintain a regular posting on the group page during next semester. 3 / Newsletter

4 What the hell do you study? - November 18, 2018 Academics Subcommittee ACADEMICS SUBCOMMITTE MEMBERS: Changqing Wang Margaret Wang Pingchuan Ma Aurora Chen On November 18th the Academics Subcommittee organized its second session of the academic discussion What the hell do you study? In the McDonnell Apartment common space, several Scholars from different departments of WashU and one student from Saint Louis University sat together, enjoyed snacks and drinks, and shared their research and thoughts about their professions. The event began with everyone introducing their own research and was followed by question sessions. People talked about philosophy, neuroscience, physics, literature and so on. The conversation continued in an informal and cozy environment with lots of questions and answers back and forth. Some questions were what we were always curious about but hadn t had chances to speak about, such as: how mental happiness is related to physical conditions; how concepts of happiness and beauty are defined in various contexts and theories; what is the fundamental nature of light; and how do literature students think of those popular novels. In the spirit of the McDonnell Academy, we reinforced the interactions between Scholars from different fields. This event, the discussion of what we study in an informal context, provides a great casual platform for people to reach out from their own professions, learn more about other fields, and create novel ideas. We hold a session of Academic Discussion every semester. You are Welcome to join! 4 / Newsletter

5 Community Engagement Subcommittee Holocaust Museum and Learning Center Visit - November 18, 2018 To further intercultural learning and understanding, the Community Engagement Subcommittee planned a guided tour of the St. Louis Holocaust Museum and Learning Center on the morning of Sunday, November 18. Twelve Scholars and friends visited the museum. Jim and Mary also joined us! We learned a lot thanks to detailed descriptions from the guide, and there were stories exhibited showing the connection of Holocaust survivors to St. Louis. It was a great opportunity for gaining a better understanding of the Holocaust from a perspective that some of us may not have been exposed to in our home countries. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SUBCOMMITTEE MEMBERS: Ingrid Diep Natsuki Sasaki While the feedback we received was overwhelmingly positive, we ran out of time to explore the exhibits on our own or have a group discussion following the tour. At the next event, we will aim to set aside time for discussion among Scholars and participants. While the survivor-talk was canceled that day, we hope to reschedule this for a time on campus next semester. Thank You to everybody who joined us! Please feel free to contact us with any feedback about the visit and suggestions for future events! Campus Kitchen - October 25 and November 29, 2018 Scholars and friends have been volunteering with the undergraduate student-led initiative Campus Kitchen. Campus Kitchen has 59 Chapters throughout the country. At WashU, the group recovers extra produce from local supermarkets and Bon Appetit that would otherwise go to waste, and student volunteers help prepare meals for some of the food-insecure in St. Louis. Over two nights in October and November, Scholars and friends prepared meals for Peter and Paul s Safe Haven, a longterm shelter in St. Louis City. Anybody in the Academy community interested in cooking, fighting hunger, or just hanging out with other Scholars for an evening is welcome to join us as we continue with Campus Kitchen next semester. 5 / Newsletter

6 WELCOME TO JOIN THE!! Feel free to contact Eylul: for more info! 6 / Newsletter