Graduate Student Newsletter, October 2007

International Movie Night: Pan’s Labyrinth

Directed by Guillermo Del Toro; Rated R for graphic violence and some strong language; 112 minutes; In Spanish with English subtitles. This chilling fairytale is set against the backdrop of the fascist regime in 1944 Spain. Ofelia is a lonely and dreamy child who finds a magical world inside a stone labyrinth, where she encounters the legendary faun Pan, who tells her she must complete three dangerous tasks to return to her underground home. Ofelia uses this fantasy world to deal with the real world filled with post-war Fascist repression.

Pre-Registration required at https://secure.rackham.umich.edu/Events/wssel.php

Friday, October 5, 7:00 pm – 9:30 pm, Amphitheatre, 4th Floor, Rackham Building

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Welcome for Graduate Student Parents

Graduate students with children have unique responsibilities. Join us for a lunchtime panel discussion and meet other graduate student parents. Learn about the resources available in our community and share your experiences with fellow parents. Lunch will be provided.

Pre-registration required at https://secure.rackham.umich.edu/Events/wssel.php.

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Fall Break Breakfast

A Health and Wellness Initiative Activity

Get your studying off to the right start and stop by Rackham for breakfast at the Fall Break kickoff. We will be offering a variety of foods to help keep you going. Breakfast is FREE and open to all graduate and professional school students, but please register below to help us order enough food and beverages.

Pre-registration required at https://secure.rackham.umich.edu/Events/wssel.php.

Monday, October 15, 8:30 am - 11:00 am, East Lounge, 2nd Floor, Rackham Building

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Cross-Cultural Adjustment Workshop (CCAW) – Understanding Culture Shock and Adjustment

Living in a new country is a process of cultural learning and self discovery for most sojourners. The cross-cultural experience can be very challenging. As part of Rackham’s Cross-Cultural Adjustment Workshop series, this session will explore various aspects of living and learning in a new culture for international students. The presenters and audience will discuss these questions:

  • What is culture shock?
  • Who experiences it and why does it occur?
  • What are the feelings associated with culture shock?
  • What can you do to make yourself feel better?
  • How and where can you get help?

Please contact Cindy Xinquan Jiang at for questions regarding this workshop.

Pre-registration is required at https://secure.rackham.umich.edu/Events/wssel.php

Friday, October 19, 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm, East Conference Room, 4th Floor, Rackham Building

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Overcoming Academic Performance Anxiety

*A Health and Wellness Initiative Activity
Julie Jaffee Nagel, Ph.D., is a psychologist in private practice who was first trained as a pianist at The Juilliard School. Her experiences with performance anxiety are both personal and professional. She has worked with numerous people to help them understand why performance anxiety can interfere with academic and personal goals and self esteem. This workshop will be interactive, informative, and practical and will offer ideas about turning performance anxiety into performance energy.

Pre-registration is required at https://secure.rackham.umich.edu/Events/wssel.php

Friday, October 19, 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm, West Conference Room, 4th Floor, Rackham Building

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Rackham/RSG Graduate Student Bowling Night

Join the Rackham Graduate School and the Rackham Student Government for a night of bowling at Colonial Lanes! All Rackham graduate students and their families are welcome to enjoy FREE bowling, games, and pizza. For questions contact Mitaire Ojaruega () OR Dhruv Sud ().

Friday, October 19, 10:00 pm - 2:00 am, Colonial Lanes, on South Industrial (Near Stimson).

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Drop-in Fitness Class with MFit: Pilates

A Health and Wellness Initiative Activity

MFit offers a variety of low-cost exercise and relaxation classes at locations across the University of Michigan medical complex, the Ann Arbor campus and at the MFit Fitness Center-Ice Cube. MFit classes are open to all UMHS employees, U-M employees and the general public. MFit’s Pilates is a mind-body exercise with emphasis on core strength to improve movement quality, posture, and breathing. It’s an effective way to shape up, slim down, and feel great. All participants should bring a towel.

Pre-registration required at https://secure.rackham.umich.edu/Events/wssel.php.

Wednesday, October 24, 12:00 pm - 12:45 pm, Assembly Hall, 4th floor, Rackham Building

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International Student Reception

Come join us and celebrate the diversity of the international community at Rackham. Meet and mingle with new international students, I-Connect volunteers, and Rackham staff while enjoying a dinner with a touch of American culture. Expect fun games, pumpkins for Halloween, prizes, and more. Please contact Cindy Xinquan Jiang at for questions regarding this event.

Pre-registration is required at https://secure.rackham.umich.edu/Events/wssel.php

Wednesday, October 24, 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm, Assembly Hall, 4th Floor, Rackham Building

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Academic Writing for the Social Sciences and Humanities

e Department of English. Prior to coming to U-M, he taught as an assistant professor at the University of Illinois and Purdue University. He has a Ph.D. in American Literature, an M.A. in English from Purdue University, and a B.A. from Emory University.

The purpose of this workshop is to review the structures and strategies of academic writing and to introduce the demands of advanced academic writing in the fields of the social sciences and humanities. Topics include: drafting and revising, conventions, audience and tone, and citation format.

Pre-registration is required at https://secure.rackham.umich.edu/Events/wssel.php

3:00 pm - 5:00 pm , Assembly Hall, Fourth Floor, Rackham Building

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Imposter Syndrome

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

A Health and Wellness Initiative Activity

Do you find yourself plagued by feelings of doubt and constantly asking yourself the question “how did I get here and when will they find out I don’t belong?” You are definitely not alone. Many graduate students wonder whether they really belong in graduate school, especially during their first year. Confronting the Imposter Syndrome will enable you to confront the root of many of the other obstacles you may also be facing such as: procrastination, worry, anxiety, lack of confidence, and stifled performance. Join us in this roundtable discussion where we will address this syndrome and develop concrete strategies for overcoming its effects. Lunch will be provided.

Pre-registration required at https://secure.rackham.umich.edu/Events/wssel.php.

Monday, October 29, 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm, East Conference Room, 4th floor, Rackham Building

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Funding Workshop for International Students

Staff from Rackham’s Fellowships Office, the International Institute, and the International Center will present information on the various funding opportunities for international graduate students. Seating is limited.

Pre-registration required at https://secure.rackham.umich.edu/Events/wssel.php

Tuesday, October 30, 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm, West Conference Room, 4th Floor, Rackham Building

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Rackham Health and Fitness Fair

Join us for a FREE event to learn more about how to take care of your health! The event is open to all graduate and professional school students. The event will feature:

  • Free chair massages
  • Onsite registration for U-Move classes
  • Ask a Registered Dietitian table
  • Information on the M-Dent dental plan
  • Information on nutrition and physical activity resources on campus
  • Health and fitness screenings
  • Snacks and refreshments
  • Prizes for participation.

Drop by between classes or stay for a while -- either way, you’re bound to learn something new!

Pre-registration required at https://secure.rackham.umich.edu/Events/wssel.php.

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Rackham Graduate Parents Information and Resource Fair

Don’t miss this afternoon of fun and activities for graduate student parents and their children. Children’s activities include face painting, story time, a children’s concert and a bouncy castle (weather permitting). For adults we will present a series of workshops that deal with balancing parenting and school, birthing and child care options, and maintaining your child’s cultural identity. Food and drinks prepared especially for kids will also be provided. In addition, many local organizations and businesses such as the U-M Natural Science Museum, i9 Sports, and Smart Moms will provide information about their programs.

Saturday, November 03, 9:30 am – 2:00 pm, 4th Floor, Rackham Building

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Web Orientation

Rackham’s new Web Orientation is a comprehensive website for new and current graduate students to familiarize themselves with the many resources available at the University of Michigan and in the local community. The Web Orientation features videos of current students sharing their experiences about transitioning into graduate school, working with an advisor, and maintaining balance between work, life and school. Graduate students will find the website helpful in providing information throughout every phase of their graduate career.

Details: http://www.rackham.umich.edu/graduate_orientation/web_orientation/

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Free Dental Clinics for U-M Students

The Jonathan Taft Society of the U-M School of Dentistry is a group of dental and dental hygiene students who provide free dental care, including basic fillings and cleanings for students and the Ann Arbor-Ypsilanti community who cannot afford dental care.

This year, the Saturday clinics are scheduled for October 20th, January 12th, and March 15th, from 8:30 am to noon on the 3rd floor of the School of Dentistry Building (which is at the corner of N. University and Fletcher).

The clinics normally attend to between 15 and 30 patients and it is on the basis of first come first serve.

Please e-mail Phyllis Odoom () with your name, which clinic you are interested in, and what your dental needs are (fillings or cleanings).

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University of Michigan Graduate Teacher Certificate

Co-sponsored by the Rackham Graduate School and CRLT, this program offers graduate students an opportunity to document their professional development as college-level instructors and prepare for the faculty job search.

Participants develop and refine teaching skills, receive recognition for pedagogical training and experience, and prepare and receive feedback on their teaching philosophy statement.

The U-M Graduate Teacher Certificate documents one’s professional development in five areas:

  1. orientation to college teaching and student learning
  2. exposure to new teaching strategies through seminars and courses
  3. experience as a Graduate Student Instructor
  4. mentorship on teaching from a faculty member
  5. preparation of a teaching philosophy statement

Participants who complete the program receive a U-M Graduate Teacher Certificate. The Certificate does not appear on official U-M transcripts, but may be included on one’s curriculum vitae.

Note: A U-M Graduate Teacher Certificate is not a teaching license or credential for K-12 instruction from the State of Michigan.

Details: http://sitemaker.umich.edu/um.gtc

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Rackham Rental Fees Waived for Graduate Student Organizations

Rental fees are now waived for Graduate Student Organization rental of 4th floor Rackham Event Rooms. A $100 per room, per event refundable deposit is charged to the organization’s shortcode. Contact Karen Parris in the Rackham Facilities office at to book space.

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Community Service Opportunities for Graduate Students

Rackham seeks feedback on the interest level of graduate students who wish to participate in community service opportunities. Please complete this short, 30 second, anonymous survey so we can better direct our efforts to meet your interests.

For more information contact Lynne Shivers at

Survey: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=_2bjJpFM2ymMRm63pmPFt07w_3d_3d

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Oberlin College/Kalamazoo College/University of Michigan Exchange Program

As part of an exchange between the University of Michigan, Kalamazoo College, and Oberlin College, funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, applications are being accepted for 4 post-doctoral fellowships at Oberlin College or Kalamazoo College. Students from all fields in the humanities and humanistic social sciences are encouraged to apply. Applicants must have earned their Ph.D. from the University of Michigan some time after June 1, 2005, or expect to do so no later than August 15, 2008. The positions are designed to support the fellows in developing both their teaching skills and their research programs.

Features

  • One-year appointment to teach and conduct research at a major liberal arts college.
  • Beginning salary of $41,000 per year with additional funding for research.
  • Half-time teaching load to free up time for research.
  • Guidance and mentoring from an Oberlin College or Kalamazoo College faculty member.

Students with a strong commitment to teaching and a genuine interest in pursuing an academic career are encouraged to apply. Candidates may indicate a preference for one of the participating institutions, but this is not required. Final selections will be determined collectively by a panel of faculty from U-M, Oberlin College, and Kalamazoo College. Applications must be received by February 18, 2008.

For further information regarding any aspect of the OK/UM Exchange Program, please contact:

Associate Dean Peggy McCracken
Rackham School of Graduate Studies
University of Michigan
915 East Washington Street
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1070
E-mail:
Phone: (734) 764-4405

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Rackham Graduate Student Newsletter