USC DEPARTMENT OF ANTHROPOLOGY NEWSLETTER

2002 (7) October 5, 2002

Department News . . . . . 1

ASA News . . . . . 1-2

Campus Events . . . . . 2-3

Meetings and Opportunities . . . . . 3-4

Help . . . . . 4-5

Career Corner . . . . . 5-6

A Day in the Life Of . . . . . 6-7

Course descriptions for Spring 2003 are about to be posted on the Department of Anthropology web page – find out what a particular anthropology course will cover, what books will be used, and how students will be graded. Be prepared for advisement!

Advising for spring semester will run from October 30 through November 15. When the time approaches, look up your name on the list that will be posted outside the Anthropology Department office (Hamilton 317). Note who your advisor will be (it may have changed from last semester) – go to their office door and sign up for an advisement time that does not conflict with any of your classes. At the time of your advisement appointment, stop by the Anthropology Dept. office and pick up your file to take with you to your appointment. Go to your appointment prepared with a list of the courses you want to take.

October 10, Thursday Alleviating Stress in Graduate School, at 3:30 pm, 318 Hamilton

Dr. Rathann Fox-Hines, a Counseling Psychologist, will talk. Undergraduate students are welcome, too.

October 17, Thursday Grant Proposal Writing Workshop, at 3:30 pm, 318 Hamilton

Dr. Ann Kingsolver will hold an informative workshop. This has received rave reviews each time it is offered. Undergraduates are welcome and encouraged to attend.

25 October 2002 – mark your calendars. Dinner and movie, Danzon and Guantanemera, at 7 pm in Hamilton 318. Local alumni – come and join us for a fun evening! Anthro@gwm.sc.edu

The ASA (Anthropology Student Association) is sponsoring a clothing drive for "Hannah House," in conjunction with Psi Chi (Psychology). Please bring children and adult clothing to the Anthropology Dept. office, Hamilton 317. No deadline, but bring what you have. The children are always in need. Nice toys are also welcome.

Nickelodeon Theatre. For details, see http://www.nickelodeon.org/

The fair will be held on Greene Street in front of the Russell House (rain location: Russell House Ballroom). Over 30 study abroad program representatives will be there to share information with interested students, faculty and staff. Undergraduate students can study abroad for a summer, semester or year and earn credit toward their USC degrees while gaining valuable international experience. The fair is a great place to speak with students who previously studied abroad. Explore the opportunities & Study Abroad! For questions and further information on study abroad opportunities, contact us or visit our website.

International Programs for Students: (803)777-7461; scabroad@gwm.sc.edu

http://www.sc.edu/ips

Are you considering applying to graduate school? Representatives from a variety of graduate schools across the northeast and southeast will be on hand to answer your questions. Admission is free and you can win door prizes. Sponsored by the Graduate Student Association.

8:00 pm, Belk Auditorium, Moore School of Business

2:30 pm, College of Nursing, Room 125

Israeli journalist Yossi Klein Halevi will join Rhett Jackson, a local United Methodist businessman, and Omar Shaheed, Imam of Masjid As-Salaam, for a panel discussion titled "From Exclusion to Embrace: A Jew, a Christian, and a Muslim Tell Their Stories". The panelists will reflect on their personal journeys that led them to reject various forms of exclusion or extremism to become staunch advocates of reconciliation.

8:00 pm, Gambrell Hall auditorium

Israeli journalist Yossi Klein Halevi will lecture on "After the collapse of the Left and the Right: Toward a New Israeli Consensus on Territories and Peace" in the annual Solomon-Tenenbaum lectureship on Tuesday, October 22. Halevi will speak at 8:00 p.m. in Gambrell Hall auditorium. Halevi is Israel's correspondent for The New Republic and senior writer for The Jerusalem Report. He is also a regular commentator on Middle Eastern political and religious affairs for the Los Angeles Times and has written for top U.S. newspapers including The New York Times and Washington Post.

Religious Intolerance in Our Multi-Faith Society, a 2-day symposium.

Professor Scott Appleby, John M. Regan, Jr. Director of the Kroc Institute and Professor of History, University of Notre Dame, will deliver the keynote address on "Religious Intolerance, Exclusion, and Reconciliation" at 7:00 p.m., October 26, in Gambrell Hall auditorium. With Martin Marty, Appleby co-edited the five-volume Fundamentalism Project (University of Chicago Press) and is author of The Ambivalence of the Sacred: Religion Violence, and Reconciliation (Rowman & Littlefield 2000).

The symposium will continue the following day (2:00-9:00 p.m.) in the Law School auditorium. A session on Religion in the Public Schools (2:00-5:30) will focus on how choices on particular issues affect our neighbors. Attorney Frank S. Holleman III will give a talk on the federal guidelines on religion in the public schools to introduce and frame a discussion by panelists Ms. Jean Stiglbauer, Dreher H.S. Principal; Mr. Hayes Mizell, Edna McConnell Clark Foundation; Ms. Zohra Arastu, Masjid al-Muslimim; Ms. Sandra Poliakoff, Richland District 2 Board Member; Dr Pat Mohr, State Department of Education; and Mr Anthony Crook, SE Middle School History Teacher. The symposium concludes (7:00-9:00 p.m.) with a panel discussion, moderated by Dr Jan Love, on how we work through our differences to promote "the good order and harmony" of a multi-faith society. Panelists are: Mr Eric Merkt (Muslim); Mr Shahin Vafai (Baha'i); Mr Bill Aiken (Buddhist, SGI-USA); Rev. Frank Van Dalen (Evangelical Christian); Mr Animesh Sinha (Hindu); Rev. Alan Race (Anglican, Leicester, UK); and Rev. Patrick Price (Unitarian Universalist).

Sponsored by Partners in Dialogue, the department's interfaith community outreach project, and the United States Conference of Religions for Peace with the support of a grant from the Rockefeller Foundation. All sessions are free and open to the public. For more information, call Carl D. Evans at 777-4522.

Sustainable Development Online : http://sd-online.ewindows.eu.org/

SDO is a service of the European Environment Agency EnviroWindows initiative.
The site lists 446 training courses. Altogether 75 marked "worldwide" are distance learning courses and probably can be taken at your own speed and schedule. Here are some of the new listings:

1. Organic Agriculture Tour of Cuba. Location: Havana, Cuba / Starts: February 2003
   2. Centre for Sustainable and Environmental Management (Worldwide).
   3. Global Ethics: Shifting Toward Sustainability (Worldwide)
   4. International Diploma in Preventive Environmental Management. Location: Nagpur, India / Starts: January 2003
   5. Economic Development for Rural and Smaller Communities (Worldwide)
   6. Planning Recreation and Tourism (Worldwide)
   7. Certificate in Environmental Citizenship (Worldwide)
   8. Certificate in Environmental Conservation (Worldwide)
   9. ICIS - Sustainability Courses. Location: Copenhagen, Denmark / Starts: October 2002
   10. Online PgDip/MSc in Coastal Zone Management (Worldwide) / Starts: September 2002
   

Anthropology majors/minors are encouraged to study abroad, work at an internship, and gain job experience through volunteering. The USC Career Center maintains a list of internship possibilities, and the Dept. of Anthropology is working on building our own list. Here is one possible local place to volunteer:

The South Carolina State Museum needs assistance in Visitor Services (welcoming visitors and acquainting them with the museum), Cotton Mill Exchange (assist visitors in the museum store), Education (Docents help explain exhibits and teach programs), Clerical (help in a museum office), and Behind-the-Scenes (help with research and other ways). Apply for an interview, where you will discuss your skills and interests. Contact: Jeff Powley, Volunteer Manager, (803)898-4912 or powlej@museum.state.sc.us

The Office of Multicultural Student Affairs (OMSA) is recruiting new undergraduate student presenters for SEED. SEED is a group of specially selected and trained students who are dedicated to raising campus awareness of racism, sexism and cultural intolerance. SEED is dedicated to addressing diversity issues on campus through the vehicle of education and interactive dialogue. The SEED presenters facilitate unique and enlightening workshops that challenge students, faculty and staff to step out of their comfort zone and experience the ease of difference. Presenters have the opportunity to gain knowledge of diversity issues while learning how to effectively present and facilitate workshops. Any USC undergraduate is eligible to participate. If you would like to be nominated, please contact Gail Wagner at gail.wagner@sc.edu or 777-6548, or contact the OMSA office directly at omsa@gwm.sc.edu

Dr. Rick Chacon, Dept. of Sociology-Anthropology, Winthrop University, Rock Hill, SC 29732 chaconr@winthrop.edu is organizing an anthropological excursion for July 2-12^th, 2003. The cost is $2078 Land Package only (includes lodging, 2 daily meals, guides, entrance fees, air travel within Peru only and ground transportation for 11 days). A $250 deposit is due by December 31, 2002. The tour will visit La Paz (Bolivia), Tiwanaku, Lake Titicaca, Island of the Sun, Pilokaina Sun Temple, Chincana ruins, Roca del Puma, Cuzco (Peru), Koricancha, Pikillacta, Sacsayhuaman, Machu Picchu, and the Museum of Archaeology in Lima.

1. Looking for an undergraduate who wants to work for minimum wage for a few hours packing books to send to Africa. Contact Dr. Joanna Casey, 777-6700. Also, if you have any more textbooks to donate to the Department of Archaeology at the University of Ghana, West Africa, please take them ASAP to Dr. Casey, 319 Hamilton. See the 2002 (6) Sept. e-newsletter for more details, p. 4.
2. The ASA is holding a clothing drive for "Hannah House". Please see under ASA News.
3. Alumni: we would like to create a list of places where Anthropology undergraduate majors and minors may intern or volunteer to gain valuable experience. Please send your suggestions to Gail Wagner at gail.wagner@sc.edu (803)777-6548.
4. Volunteers needed to help at the Archaeology Festival, Oct. 11-12, at Sesquicentennial State Park, northeast Columbia, US 1/Two Notch Rd. On Friday, Oct. 11, volunteers are needed between 10 am – 3 pm to help set up. Tour guides are needed beginning at 6 pm Friday evening. On Saturday, Oct. 12, Gail Wagner needs volunteers between 8:30 am and 4:00 pm to help with the Dept. of Anthropology booth, where children play archaeological games and people can learn about recovery of small archaeological artifacts through flotation. Please contact Gail Wagner ASAP at gail.wagner@sc.edu or 777-6548.

Submitted by Vicki M. Hamby, Career Center - Program Manager

H. William Close (BA) Bldg. - 6th Floor

Phone (803) 777-3966; Fax (803) 777-7556; e-mail: vmhamby@gwm.sc.edu

web site: http://www.sc.edu/career/lacdp

Below are listed some of our newest resources for liberal arts students. Stop by the Career Center Library anytime between 8:30am-5pm, M-F and take a peek!

This book contains information on salaries, working conditions, and opportunities for professional advancement for many history-related jobs, from art museum curator to dig site assistant.

"The most comprehensive source of short story and novel publishing opportunities" including advice on what editors are looking for and how to submit it as well as insights on the craft and business of writing.

"Provides expert guidance on professional opportunities in the field of fundraising, including topics on professional development, on-the-job issues, and the significance of fundraising as a career."

Included in this book are ratings and descriptions of more than 100 job-related web-sites, an overview of the industry and the kind of jobs out there, formatting tips for posting your resume online, creating an online portfolio, and personal profiles and success stories from media and entertainment professionals.

(A Holland File is a folder with detailed information on a specific job title)

This book provides "specific guidance through the rigorous selection process" as well as "details on positions" and an "overview of the FBI Academy and training programs."

This book "answers many important questions on how to write an outstanding international resume or CV." It contains sample resumes and advice from professional resume writers who work with international clients.

Also a replacement, it provides information about thousands of non-governmental volunteer opportunities throughout North America and the rest of the world.

This is a replacement for a missing book. "All the advice a student will need not only to survive but to thrive in graduate school, including instructions on how to apply to school and for financial aid, how to excel on qualifying exams, and how to land a job when you graduate."

by Grant Quertermous, grantq@sc.edu

The time is nearing for all of you graduating Seniors to start the Grad. School application process. This column is a reflection of my experiences when I was in your shoes, just about a year ago. I guess the most appropriate title for this column would be "A Day in the Life of a Grad School Applicant".

The Grad school application process can be one of the most stressful events you've ever undertaken in your 4 (or 5) year academic career. Choosing a school is one of the biggest decisions you will ever make regarding your future. I'm hoping that by reading this, you'll be able to benefit from my experiences (as well as my mistakes) during this process.

My first bit of advice regards the GRE (Graduate Record Exam). The GRE can either be your best friend or your worse enemy. For me it was a little of both. Your GRE score is one of the main criteria that most graduate programs look at when they are considering you as a possible candidate to their program. Like the SAT, the GRE can be taken over again if you are unsatisfied with your score, so my advice is to take it early in your senior year. I made the mistake of putting off taking the GRE. Testing Centers have limited spaces that fill up fast, so keep that in mind. I didn't get around to signing up for the GRE until December of last year. What I hadn't taken into account was that every other graduating senior also needed to take the test, and many of them had gotten there to sign up months ahead of me. I wasn't able to take the test until the end of January, but luckily for me, no graduate schools had deadlines for application before this date.

My second piece of advice regards attending conferences. Academic conferences are a great place to network and meet faculty and students who are in the same field as you. I for instance, attended the SHA (Society for Historical Archaeology) Conference last winter, and used that conference as an opportunity to meet some of the faculty members and graduate students from several of the programs I had applied to. You might also have the chance to meet people who were graduates of the program you're applying to; and they will gladly give you their perspective on a number of things including how successful they were in finding a job at the completion of their degree. Plus, conferences are just really neat events. At what other time in your life will you see that many anthropologists or archaeologists gathered in one location?

While I'm on the subject of professional conferences, let me say that if you are ever given the opportunity to present a paper or a poster at a conference, please don't pass up this opportunity. It will be very beneficial to you when you apply to graduate school. I was fortunate enough to have an undergraduate professor who really encouraged me to present my research at conferences, as well as publish some of my papers in regional journals. By doing this, you very well might have an advantage over less experienced applicants to a program. Remember, the Grad school application process is competitive. Anything you have done that might set you apart from another candidate (i.e. paper presentations, publications, field schools, internships, and related jobs) will be to your advantage.

Thirdly, many programs require you to submit a "Statement of Purpose" or a similarly titled work in which you outline what area of anthropology you are planning to concentrate in, as well as any research interests you have, and your reasons for applying to their Graduate program. Some departments even want you to state the professors you would want to work with if you are accepted to their program. My advice regarding these statements is to be specific in what you say. The more specific you are, the better idea the acceptance committee has of what kind of research you want to do and what kind of student you will be. Remember, this is another way you can distinguish yourself from other applicants. In my statements, I basically said why I was interested in pursing a graduate degree in archaeology, the areas of archaeology that I wanted to concentrate in, as well as some of my experiences in the field.

Lastly, many programs also want you to include a research paper that you have written as an undergraduate. This research paper will show the application committee your writing abilities as well as your ability to defend an argument or hypothesis. I would recommend including a piece of work that is the product of an independent study, a field report, or a paper that reflects your writing ability from your sub-discipline. Before you submit this paper, proof it several times, and beg your advisor to proof it again. I had a friend, who I know had our advisor proof her writing sample at least 15 times. Typos and grammatical errors (however unintentional they may be) make the paper look like it was written by your little brother in 8th grade.

I hope this column is able to help you in some way during your journey through the grad school application process. If you have any question about my experiences and mistakes during this process, please don't hesitate to contact me or just stop me in the hall and ask me.