Pi Sigma Alpha Wins Chapter of the Year, Again

HPJs Pi Iota Chaper of Phi Sigma Alpha has once again received a Best Chapter Award from the national organization.  This is the second year in a row that Phi Iota has received the honor of being named among the top five chapters in schools with fewer than 6,000 students.  Pi Iota maintains a busy schedule that has come to the attention of the nationa organization.  Last year, the chapter worked hard to bring a debate on Senate Bill 5 to campus.  Members of the organization contacted potential speakers and did much of the groundwork before the debate and manned the tables at the event itself.  Several members of the chapter also attended the Republican and Democratic National Conventions in recent weeks.

Professor Jo Ann Scott Article Accepted for Publication

Dr. Scott's article "Enhancing Critical Thinking Skills Through Mock Trial" that she co-authored with Daniel Herron and Ruth Waggoner will be published in the next edition of the Atlantic Law Journal.  The ALJ is a peer reviewed journal that attracts large numbers of submissions from scholars located across the United States and overseas.  According to their information, they accept fewer than 25% of submissions.

Dr. Scott has directed the Mock Trial Program at ONU throughout its existence and is a member of the Board of Directors for the American Mock Trial Association.

Congratulations Dr. Scott!

Professor Robert Alexander on CNN.com

Peter Hamby, political reporter for CNN, recently interviewed Dr. Alexander for an online article titled "Electoral College Tie Possible in Obama Romney Race"  The article mentioned Alexander's recent book, and asked him about his research on "Faithless Electors" or those electors who change or consider changing their pledged vote.  Alexander maintained that "little can be done to stop them" from changing their votes.  The entire interview can be found here.

Sadie Wiley Studying in London

Sadie Wiley, a junior majoring in Social Studies and History, will study in London this summer.  As a future teacher, an experience such as this will be invaluable.  We can't wait to hear about Sadie's experiences once she returns this fall!  Sadie had many adventures, including visiting the Imperial War Museum, watching sunset from the top of the Eiffel Tower, and seeing the Colosseum.  You can read of her exploits on her blog at http://sadiewiley.blogspot.fr/?m=1

Trey Jones Teaching and Studying in South Korea

Jones, a senior majoring in Social Studies and History, will be teaching three weeks of English for Dankook University this summer and then taking classes in Korean History and Culture as well as the language.  You can follow Trey's adventures on his blog.

According to his blog posts, Trey is taking full advantage of this experience, and we will be very interested to hear all about his experiences once he returns next fall.

Professor Nsia-Pepra Teaching Model United Nations for Hanyang University in Seoul

Dr. Nsia-Pepra will return to Hanyang University in Seoul, South Korea to teach a Model United Nations course this summer.  Nsia-Pepra has taught this course at Hanyang for the past three summers.  More to come...

Professor Waters Teaches History Course in the Czech Republic

Dr. Waters and family is off to Prague in the Czech Republic to teach a history course offered by the United Study Abroad Consortium this summer. Waters will teach a five week course.  More to come...

Professor Lomax Reads AP World History Exams

Dr. Lomax traveled to Kansas City to read AP World History Exams for the Educational Testing Service in June.  Reading history essays for eight hours a day, for seven straight days can be difficult, but the chance to interact with colleagues from universities and high schools is a great chance to immerse oneself in the field as it is taught across the nation.

Professor Crawford Reads AP U.S. History Exams

Dr. Crawford took his annual trip to Louisville, KY to help read AP U.S. History exams for the Educational Testing Service in early June.  He joined some 1,300 other college professors and high school social studies teachers in the massive effort to read hundreds of thousands of essays written by high school students from all fifty states and several foreign countries.

The caricature at left refers to the frigid temperatures that the ETS uses to help readers maintain their alertness.

While the work can be grueling, Crawford sees this as the equivalent of a graduate course in teaching social studies.  Outside of work hours he has the chance to interact with high school teachers from across the nation, sharing ideas, listening to their concerns, and generally having a great time.  

Dan Jones Works with the United Nations

Dan Jones, who graduated with a BA in Political Science in 2010, and who is currently studying law at ONU, will spend the next 10 weeks in New York City at the U.N. Headquarters working with the U.N. Management Evaluation Unit. His duties will involve researching previous rulings of internal U.N. disputes, which can be established as future precedents, as well as assisting with ongoing or incoming grievances.Established precedents are issued by the secretary general to dissolve tensions within the U.N. body that may otherwise derail negotiations. Before a matter is ever resolved on the floor of the General Assembly, it is crucial for members to stand in good faith.

“This protocol is very important, because the resolution of internal disputes allows for member states to unlock their full potential,” says Jones.

International law has been an interest of Jones since he was an undergraduate student at ONU. A political science major, he found the subject to be one of the most hands-on, with many avenues available to pursue his interest.

“As an undergraduate, I did get to work with some international professors and international students through programs like Model U.N.,” says Jones. “Of all the experiences I had as an undergrad, these were my favorite.”

Jones was involved with the ONU Model U.N. team for four years, serving as head representative when Northern took part in the New York Model U.N. conference in New York City his senior year. At the conference, one of the highlights was a tour of the U.N. Headquarters. Jones could not have guessed that his future would include working in the very buildings he visited.

Jones continued on his path towards an international law focus through The Washington Center’s (TWC) London study-abroad program. During summer 2009, he partnered with the Commonwealth Lawyers Association, located in the heart of London. Jones greatly believes that this experience helped set him apart from the other applicants to the U.N. Summer Internship Program.

Dr. Robert Alexander, associate professor of political science and campus liaison to TWC, is excited to see Jones’ hard work and previous experience pay off.

“Dan has a great personality, and it didn’t surprise me in the least that he had a great experience in London,” says Alexander. “I couldn’t be more pleased to hear about his placement with the United Nations. To see Dan’s success, we are all just a little bit a part of that. It’s just outstanding.”

Jones credits a number of his current professors in the College of Law with giving him the support and motivation that helped him seek out such an ambitious internship program. He has taken a number of law classes with an international focus, and he is ready to apply some of his newfound knowledge outside of the classroom.

“I’ve had a lot of encouragement from professors to look around and see what is available, and I think that an important part of being a law student is learning to take initiative,” says Jones.

Upon his return, Jones would like to continue his focus on international law within his law degree program and beyond. Based on previous experiences, he maintains an interest in the role of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and their impact on international consensus and law.

He hopes that his internship will further guide him and affirm what he has been working towards since he came to ONU—to gain the knowledge, skills and experience needed to make a positive impact on the world.