Author: Lauren Saulino

Information Session on Critical Language Scholarships: October 4 @ 4:30pm

Information Session on Critical Language Scholarships

Friday, October 4

Honors Center classroom (second floor conference room of 10 Green Way)

4:30pm 

 

The Critical Language Scholarship Program is an intensive overseas language program for seven to ten weeks each summer. The program sponsors study in critical needs languages, which include Arabic, Hindi, Urdu, Russian, Chinese, Turkish, Punjabi, and many more. Many programs require no previous language experience in the target language. Participants live and study at over twenty sites abroad, covering the equivalent of a full year of college-level language study in thirteen critical languages.  All CLS Program costs are covered for participants, including: round-trip domestic and international travel; mandatory pre-departure orientation in Washington, DC; applicable visa fees; room and board; seven to ten weeks of group-based intensive language instruction; course materials; all costs associated with the CLS cultural program; and a small living stipend. Information about the application process is available at: http://clscholarship.org/.  Application deadline is November 20th. Contact Dr. Vander Zee in the Office for Nationally Competitive Awards (nationalawards@cofc.edu) for help with your application.

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Dr. Anton Vander Zee
Honors College Faculty Fellow
Asst. Professor of English
Director of Nationally Competitive Awards
College of Charleston
22B Glebe St. Room 202

843.953.1044
blogs.charleston.edu/vanderzeeal

 

In!Genius Event Features our own Critical Languages Scholarship Recipient! TODAY

http://news.cofc.edu/2013/09/23/ingenius-returns-to-the-sottile-theatre-september-25/

Free event celebrates discovery and creativity at the College of Charleston 

For a group of six College of Charleston students, faculty and alumni, success means fostering an innovative idea from inception to reality – and then watching that idea change the world. On September 25, 2013 this group will share their experiences with the public for the second In!Genius forum, a demi-annual College of Charleston event.

From developing apps that attracts a million users to leveling the playing field for children with Down syndrome to empowering impoverished communities, the speakers for fall 2013’s In!Genius will deliver exciting, inspirational stories from unexpected perspectives. In!Genius is a free event open to the public that will begin at 5:30 p.m. followed by an after party at 6:30 p.m. RSVP to foundation@cofc.edu is required for the after party.Screen Shot 2013-09-23 at 4.51.21 PM

Speakers will include student Elizabeth Burdette, student Will Jamieson, student-professor team Syl Foster and Cynthia Hall ‘95, alumnus and professor Quentin Baxter ‘98, professor Alison Piepmeier and alumnus Ham Morrison ‘98. Alumna and ESPN reporter Angela Mallen ‘02 will emcee the event.

About the presenters:

Critical Languages Scholarship Program winner Elizabeth Burdette has studied Hindi and Indian culture for more than two years. Burdette’s scholarship allowed her to study in Jaipur, India during the summer 2013 term, where she furthered her goal of becoming involved in social justice. [Watch her lecture!]

[Related: Two Students Earn Scholarships to Study Critical Languages http://news.cofc.edu/2013/03/19/two-critical-language-scholarships-won/]

Computer science major Jamieson will discuss his mobile app for Android, called Front Flash, that boasts more than 5,000 photos taken daily in 56 countries. As of summer 2013, Jamieson’s app was expected to reach one million users.

[Related: Computer Science Major’s App on Track for One Million Users http://news.cofc.edu/2013/06/20/computer-science-majors-app-on-track-for-one-million-downloads/]

Syl Foster and Cynthia Hall will speak about their research on the potential effects of rising seas on coastal regions. Foster, a geology and political science double major and environmental geology and Spanish double minor, has specifically studied how a rising sea level affects delicate wetland systems.

[Related: Immersed in Discovery http://magazine.cofc.edu/2013/06/19/immersed-in-discovery/]

Quentin Baxter ‘98, percussion professor and musical director of the Charleston Jazz Initiative has been drumming his whole life. During his 42 years in Charleston, Baxter has transformed the arts scene by educating audiences and playing in jazz bands with renowned artists worldwide.

[Related: Read Baxter’s bio here http://baxtermusic.com/bio/]

Alison Piepmeier, director of the women’s and gender studies program, has blogged about her daughter’s development and experience with Down syndrome for years. An expert in a field dedicated to studying gender parity, Piepmeier is well prepared to take on other inequalities she encounters, specifically by working toward equality for children with Down syndrome.

[Related: Read Piepmeier’s blog here http://alisonpiepmeier.blogspot.com/]

Whether he’s a property manager who races on the side or a racecar driver who manages historic properties on the side, Ham Morrison ’98 is hard at work. He has placed in the top 10 on speedways across South Carolina and followed his passion for competitive racing since graduating from The College of Charleston.

[Related: The Thrill of the Chase http://magazine.cofc.edu/2012/03/19/ham-morrison/]

For more information, visit the In!Genius website.

Congrats to Elizabeth Burdette and Madeline Edwards on winning Critical Languages Scholarships!

 

Two Students Earn Scholarships to Study Critical Languages

March 19, 2013

Two College of Charleston students will continue their study of Hindi and Arabic through the Critical Languages Scholarship Program from the U.S. Department of State. Elizabeth Marjorie Burdette and Madeline Edwards will study abroad in 2013 improving their language skills in Hindi and Arabic, respectively.

The College’s Associate Provost for International Education Professor Andrew Sobiesuo asserts: “The College of Charleston is committed to infusing global perspectives in the curriculum and study abroad is one of the best avenues to accomplish that. The Center for International Education and other campus entities such as the Office of Nationally Competitive Scholarships work together to inform students of scholarship opportunities and guide them through the application process.”

Sobiesuo continues, “The study of any language and particularly a critical language is not only an academic achievement but a national security necessity. Language study is the vehicle to discovering and comprehending the soul of the other. And the more we as a nation can understand our allies (and enemies alike) and communicate directly with them, the more we can boast of our stature as a world power.”
Burdette will be studying Hindi at the American Institute of Indian Studies in Jaipur and residing with a host family. She remarked that the award is, “a long-awaited open door for me. I’ve been studying Hindi and Indian culture for two years now. I surprised myself by falling completely in love with both the language and the culture, and I have wanted the opportunity to see practical use of my knowledge in a way that will have a meaningful impact on who I am and what I want to become.”

When asked about how she wishes to use her College studies, Burdette said she hopes to work in the field of “social justice issues and asset-based community development in India, particularly in advocating for women’s equality in India and working with women who are at high risk of being trafficked into the sex industry.” She states “Hindi language skills will be essential if I’m going to live and work there.”  College faculty member Leena Karambelkar who teaches Hindi, said of Burdette, “She is an extremely bright student. I am honored to have her in class and feel happy that I could help her in realizing her dreams. I am sure, this bright young leader is going to enlighten many lives, and show path to many less fortunate and continue the great American humanitarian traditions.”

After only two semesters enrolled in Arabic at the College, Edwards, will be studying at the Qasid Institute in Amman, Jordan. She is looking forward to her summer studies because they will allow her to “learn the Jordanian dialect.” She says this is useful because the Modern Standard Arabic learned in the classroom is not the same as colloquial Arabic spoken in real life. Edwards will be living with a Jordanian host family which provides a full, immersion language experience.  Fam, an adjunct instructor of Arabic says , “I strive to create a welcoming atmosphere in my classroom. When students begin studying Arabic they have no knowledge of the language or alphabet. Everyone starts from the same place.’”
In the future Edwards has thoughts of “working for human rights groups such as Human Rights Watch or Amnesty International to expose the plights of marginalized groups and people in the Middle East.”
A program of the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, the Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program offers intensive summer language institutes in thirteen critical foreign languages. The selection process is administered by American Council for International Education with awards approved by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
The CLS Program is part of a U.S. government effort to expand dramatically the number of Americans studying and mastering critical foreign languages. Students of diverse disciplines and majors are encouraged to apply. Participants are expected to continue their language study beyond the scholarship period, and later apply their critical language skills in their future professional careers.

Original source: http://news.cofc.edu/2013/03/19/two-critical-language-scholarships-won/