In this week's issue:
1. Thanks for attending our Diversity Conference!
2. Next Event: Panel Discussion on US Foreign Policy and the Rise of China
3. Admin Committee Members Wanted! APPLY NOW!
4. POLICY UPDATE! We're Making Policy, Folks!
5. National Events Calendar
6. Elections! May 7th!
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1. Thanks for attending our Diversity Conference!
A big thank you goes out to all who attended our Diversity Conference on March 28th! The day was full of insightful speakers with big ideas. For a copy of our program and for more information about the event, visit our website (www.roosevelthc.org). For videos, check out our YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/RooseveltHunter. Thanks again!
2. Next Event: Panel Discussion on US Foreign Policy and the Rise of China
Our next event will feature panelists talking about how U.S. foreign policy should be tailored to a rapidly growing China. Stay tuned for more information coming soon!
3. Admin Committee Members Wanted! Apply now!
Join an Admin Committee and become more active in the Chapter. There are open positions in the following committees. Send an email to roosevelthc@gmail.com and contact the appropriate Director if you are interested in applying.
a. Membership Committee: focuses on recruitment and supporting memberships of Policy Centers
Director Laura Noboa
b. Outreach Committee: focuses on advertising and building partnerships with other organizations on campus
Director Nancy Liu
c. Events Committee: help plan and organize events, panels and conferences
Director Cate Nussbaum
d. Communications Committee: help create content for website, facebook group(s), and newsletters
Director Mayde Smith
e. Finance Committee: help manage budget and organize fundraisers
Director Besuf Alemu
4. POLICY UPDATE! We're Making Policy, Folks!
Howdy, all! Policy Director Jonathan Alexandratos here. The devoted members of our various policy branches have been burning the midnight oil to create sound policy that we can submit for publication by the national office and guess what? We did just that. Here's the latest:
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY: Two papers submitted on the creation of environmentally-friendly "green" buildings in NYC and the institution of proper recycling in NYCHA projects, respectively. The former was sent to The Roosevelt Review and the latter to 25 Ideas. Best of luck to Liz Suter and Arianna Tobias, the authors. We're proud. Seriously. There could be tears. This branch is now working on a bill to introduce said recycling facilities into NYCHA buildings.
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT: Catherine Zinnel submitted a paper dealing with the handling of urban development to the Roosevelt Review. Best of luck to that piece!
DIVERSITY CONFERENCE: While this wasn't a student-heavy production, several Roosevelt Branch Directors took charge and made their voices heard. Foreign Policy Director Matt Alhonte, Environmental Policy Director Liz Suter, Healthcare Policy Director Anna Djougarian, and Your's Truly managed to get the conference centered right where it needed to be: on the ideas of the Hunter College Chapter.
FERI CONFERENCE: Admin Director Joe Eastman, Foreign Policy Director Matt Alhonte, and, once again, Your's Truly, will be attending a FERI Conference this Wednesday in Washington, D.C. where the keynote address will be delivered by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. It should give our chapter another outlet to be heard (and believe me, we will be) as well as great policy food for thought.
And this is just the stuff we've done! Can you imagine what's on the horizon? It's not just your average rising sun, it's like...a rising sun filled with Twinkies...and flying pigs...and that rabbit from the Trix commercials. Well. It's the policy equivalent of that. More conferences. More papers. More recognition for what Thomas Jefferson once called "the smartest and most bitchin' Roosevelt chapter in the nation." He then asked if the Institution was based on Teddy or Franklin. At which point John Marshall beat a new declaration out of him.
5. National Events Calendar
Did you know that the National Office maintains a calendar of all events related to the Roosevelt Institution and Public Policy? Check it out at www.rooseveltinstitution.org/events.
6. Elections! May 7th!
Be advised that if you don't start coming to meetings now, you will not qualify to run or vote in our May 7th elections for next year's Admin Team! Members must attend at least 4 meetings/events within 3 months prior to the election to participate. An email will be sent out at the beginning of May informing you of whether or not you qualify to participate in this year's election. Don't miss out!
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In this week's issue:
1. Get Involved!
2. Thanks for helping us "Save the World Again!"
3. Policy Center Updates
4. Diversity Conference
5. Roosevelt House
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1. Get Involved!
If you are interested in running for an officer position in our May election, or even if you'd just like to be able to vote, you must start attending out meetings! As per our election policy, only members who have attended at least four meetings or club events within the three months prior to elections will be allowed to vote and/or campaign. So, if you want to have a stake in the future of our club, start getting involved now!
2. Thanks for helping us "Save the World Again!"
To those of you who attended our Launch Event in February, thank you very much for coming, thank you for making it such a success, and we hope you were inspired to help us "Save the World Again!" Luckily, even if you weren't able to be there in person, we have lots of great videos and pictures from the evening that we encourage you to check out. You can find the videos on our official Youtube channel at http://www.youtube.com/roosevelthunter, and the pictures on our website at http://studentweb.hunter.cuny.edu/clubs/rooseveltinstitution/photos.htm.
3. Policy Center Updates
Currently, we are collecting more papers for the "25 Ideas" publication. Roosevelt member Catherine Zinnel is currently in the process of producing a paper in response to the challenge to improve community development. Policy Director Jonathan Alexandratos and Roosevelt member Jonathan Jordan are investigating criminal justice issues to be discussed at the Diversity Conference to be held at Hunter College at the end of March. As always, feel free to contact Policy Director Jonathan Alexandratos with any questions, comments, or compliments.
Environment & Energy: This center is attempting to improve community life in New York City by looking at local environmental issues in conjunction with the laws that govern them. One such policy is New York City's failure to place appropriate recycling receptacles in New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) Projects. The lack of proper recycling depletes the environment and ignores a potentially great local resource for recyclable goods. Moreover, the failure to provide this service to economically poorer areas smacks of governmental ignorance of the underprivileged. The center is working with the office of State Senator Liz Krueger to fix this issue. Also, water issues in New York City are being investigated as well as the creation of more environmentally friendly public housing.
Immigration: Currently, this center is working in tandem with the Human Rights Policy Center on issues at home and abroad. Over time, they will produce a paper based on student concerns. To take part in this start-up group, please contact their policy branch directors.
Foreign Policy: This center is currently investigating possible ways to provide safety to translators serving the United States Army in Iraq. A bill introduced by Sen. Edward Kennedy, et al. puts forth this idea with respect to other Iraqi personnel, but excludes translators. The Foreign Policy Branch is trying to expand this bill to include translators under a classification of refugee status.
Human Rights: Currently, this center is working in tandem with the Immigration Policy Center on issues at home and abroad. Over time, they will produce a paper based on student concerns. To take part in this start-up group, please contact their policy branch directors.
Healthcare: This center is assembling a team of students to potentially look at the healthcare plans of Massachusetts. From this, the center will determine whether or not their policy is applicable to New York or the United States as a whole. They are also looking into ways to make preventative medicine more affordable so that patients can stop ailments before the occurrence of a traumatic event.
4. Save the date for our Diversity Conference!
On Friday, March 28th, we'll be hosting our New York Regional Diversity Conference from 12:30 - 5:30 in the Chanin Language Center.
Through this conference, we hope to:
- Educate and engage students on why diversity is crucial to democracy and public policy for a progressive society
- Provide students with critical information and analysis that promotes diversity in public policy (i.e., why we need a race lens in developing progressive policy; structural racism analysis as critical tool for developing progressive policy reform strategies, in addition to other critical analyses)
- Engage students in the work relating to one or more of Roosevelt's three student-selected challenges for 2007-08 (deepen engagement for some; initiate engagement of others). This necessarily includes helping students see what is possible
If you're concerned about diversity issues and want to make a difference, we hope to see you there! Please watch our website and our Facebook group for further information in the coming days.
5. Roosevelt House
Need another reason to start getting involved in our chapter? How about the Roosevelt House Public Policy Institute!
Admin Director Joe Eastman and Policy Director Jonathan Alexandratos recently met with President Jennifer Raab once again to discuss the role our chapter will play in the new Roosevelt House Public Policy Institute. In addition to being given open access to the House, and space for our meetings, events, and general research, Roosevelt Institution members will also have priority selection for the new paid Fellowship program at the Roosevelt House Institute. But you must attend at least four meetings and/or events every three months to be considered an official member! So start coming to meetings to learn more about these opportunities.
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In this week's issue:
1. Welcome Back! Come to the first general meeting of the semester!
2. Columbia Event: February 1st
3. Roosevelt House FDR Book Discussion with Ambassador Vanden Heuvel
4. Launch Event!!
5. Important Policy Center Info
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1. Welcome Back! Come to the first general meeting of the semester!
Welcome back, we hope your break was fantastic. A lot of great things are in store for our chapter this semester. If you wanted to get involved last semester but were just too busy, now's your chance! Come to our first meeting of the semester to see how to become active in the Roosevelt Institution. You don't want to miss out on all of the incredible opportunities our Chapter offers!
The first general meeting of the semester will be on Wednesday February 6 at 2 p.m. in 407 West.
2. Columbia Event: February 1st
There will be a very interesting event hosted by the Columbia University Chapter of the Roosevelt Institution this Friday, Feb. 1st. The invited speaker, Professor Jeffrey Feldman, is the author of Framing the Debate (Ig Publishing, 2007) and Founder of the influential political blog Frameshop (http://frameshopisopen.com). Dr. Feldman has a Ph.D. in Cultural Anthropology which he applies broadly to the analysis of politics and communication. A presentation on changing political discourse through netroots will be followed by an interactive blogging session where attendees will be able to blog through the Roosevelt Institution ( rooseveltinstitution.org). Bring your laptops.
The event begins at 1 pm and ends at 2/2:30 on Friday, February 1st. Coffee, bagels, and juice should be available.
The event is taking place at Columbia in their student center called Lerner Hall. You can take the 1 train to 116 Street and walk south along Broadway to between 114 and 115. The building will be obvious - the big glass one. The event begins at 1 p.m., but feel free to show up a bit early.
Please RSVP to this email address if you are interested in attending.
3. Roosevelt House FDR Book Discussion with Ambassador Vanden Heuvel
The Roosevelt House Public Policy Institute is inviting all Roosevelt Institution members to attend a book discussion on Wednesday Feb. 13 with Ambassador vanden Heuvel and Jean Edward Smith, author of a recent (and highly acclaimed) biography of FDR. This event will not only be a wonderful opportunity to learn more about the great achievements of our organization's namesake, but it will also be a chance to meet Ambassador vanden Heuvel and the directors of Roosevelt House.
Please see the attached e-vite for further information, and RSVP to spevents@hunter.cuny.edu if you are interested in attending this event.
4. Launch Event!!
The Roosevelt Institution is kicking off its new chapter with a bang this February! Come join us for free food and drinks, great speakers, smart people, good company, and (did we mention?) free food! We want to make a real difference through our public policy initiatives, but we certainly can't do it alone... So join the fun on February 21st from 5:30 - 7:00 p.m.! (Location pending.) Who knows... maybe the Roosevelt Institution at Hunter College is just what you've been looking for! For more information on this event, please visit our Facebook event page at: http://hunter.facebook.com/event.php?eid=8979946878
See you then!
5. Policy Centers
Once again, we'd like to remind you of what the Roosevelt Institution is really all about: our policy centers! We currently have four active centers (are are looking for a fifth director to lead Healthcare and Medicine), which are:
a. Environment and Energy, led by Liz Suter (lizzysuter@yahoo.com)
b. Immigration, led by Sabrina Caprioli (sabrina_believe@msn.com)
Facebook Group: http://hunter.facebook.com/group.php?gid=6427757589
c. Foreign Policy, led by Matthew Alhonte (malhonte@hunter.cuny.edu)
Facebook Group: http://hunter.facebook.com/group.php?gid=23501239304
d. Human Rights, led by Ben Mejia (ben.mejia@gmail.com)
Each center will meet once a week (at times yet to be determined) to discuss relevant issues while composing policy proposals. If you're interested in any of the above centers, please contact the appropriate director, or our overseeing director, Jonathan Alexandratos (jalexan@hunter.cuny.edu).
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Of course, more information on any of the above topics may be found on our website, along with the most up-to-date meeting times.
Again, we hope you're all enjoying your semester so far, and we look forward to seeing you at our February 6th general meeting!
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