FINAL ASSIGNMENT

We've studied 16 categories of First Amendment law this semester. Choose the one that interest you the most. Pick one case . Read the original court opinion for each case. (You might find it on the Internet, or you can go to the library and ask the librarian to help you.) Look up scholarly and/or periodical articles about the case. Read them. Write an essay of 1000-1200 words about the case, why it's important and what can be learned from it. Please use APA style and attach a bibliography. Please use at least three sources besides the court opinion. Due by 8 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 12. E-mail to me.

CONSIDER EUROSPRING 08

I HOPE YOU WILL THINK ABOUT EUROSPRING 08 AS A POSSIBILITY IN YOUR ACADEMIC FUTURE. I WILL BE THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR NEXT SPRING, AND THIS TRIP SHOULD BE THE BEST ONE EVER!!

Eurospring was the first study abroad program at BSU, begun in 1979. Having done the trip two times, I can personally attest to its high quality and its power as a life-changing experience. You leave in mid-March for five weeks of study at Wycliffe Hall in Oxford, England. Then you travel to Paris to begin an incredible 3-week tour of central Europe, including Switzerland, Florence, Rome, Venice, Austria and Germany. You earn 15 credits for the two months of the program. Financial aid is available. The cost will be approximately $6000, which includes airfare, most meals, accommodations, etc. All you need is spending money. Tuition is extra. That may sound like a lot of money (and it is!); however, keep in mind that you could never do such a two-month trip to Europe on your own for that price. In addition, the value of this experience appreciates over the years, unlike a $6000 car, for example, which depreciates the moment you leave the car lot.

We are having an informational meeting Wednesday, May 2 at 3 p.m. in HS 112. If you can't make that meeting, contact me for more information, or next year's academic director, Prof. Pat Donnay (pdonnay@bemidjistate.edu) or LaMae Ritchie in the International Program Center in Deputy 103 (lritchie@bemidjistate.edu).

Also keep in mind that the Eurospring head lecturer, Prof. Allan Chapman of Wadham College in Oxford, will be here September 24 for his annual lecture. He's the most dynamic lecturer you'll ever meet and that experience may help you make that decision. Watch for more information on that even when classes resume in the fall.

EXTRA CREDIT OPPORTUNITY!!

Attend this event. Write a 500-word summary and response that a) proves you were there and b) discusses how such a live event is different from mass communication and c) tells what you learned.

Gary Clayton Anderson, Professor of History at the University of Oklahoma,
will speak on Monday, May 7, at 7 pm in the American Indian Resource Center.
His talk, entitled "Ethnic Cleansing & American Indians," is free and open
to the public. Faculty should encourage their students to attend.

Professor Anderson is a preeminent scholar of American Indian history. His
book, The Conquest of Texas: Ethnic Cleansing in the Promised Land,
1820‑1875 (2005) was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize, and his other works
include studies of the Dakota in Minnesota and biographies of Sitting Bull
and Little Crow.

If anyone has questions, contact Tom Murphy in the History Dept at 4355 or
jmurphy@bemidjistate.edu.

The lecture is sponsored by the College of Arts and Letters, College of
Professional Studies, Indian Studies, Department of Education, Department of
History, and Department of Sociology & Social Work.

ASSIGNMENT FOR TUESDAY, MARCH 27

Read the following article and be prepared for a brief quiz about it:

"A State's Files Put Doctors' Ties To Drug Makers on Close View: Debating Whether Payments Affect Patient Care"
By Gardiner Harris and Janet Roberts
The New York Times
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Page A1

EXTRA CREDIT -- FILM FESTIVAL!!

See the link on this blog for the 2nd Annual Northern Lights Indigenous and Independent Film Festival right here in Bemidji. Volunteer or attend at least 2 hours of the festival and write up a 500-word report for extra credit points.

ONE MORE EXTRA CREDIT OPPORTUNITY!!

TO EARN YOUR EXTRA CREDIT POINTS, ATTEND THE EVENT AND WRITE A 500-WORD SUMMARY AND RESPONSE. THIS SHOULD BE VERY INTERESTING!!!


Jentz to Tell Survivor’s Story March 26
3/13/2007

26
BREAKING THE SILENCE CONFERENCE SPEAKER FEATURES
SURVIVOR TELLING OF 15-YEAR SEARCH FOR ATTACKER

On June 27, 1977, college students Terri Jentz and friend Shayna Weiss were seven days into an 80-day bicycle trip across the United States.

They never made it back on their bikes for day eight.

That evening, a stranger in a high-clearance pickup drove over their tent as they slept in a state park in Cline Falls, OR. After exiting the vehicle, the man in western cowboy attire attacked them with an ax, and disappeared into the night.

Both Weiss and Jentz survived, but carried scars for the rest of their lives.

On March 26, Jentz will tell attendees of the Breaking the Silence Conference at Bemidji State University of her 15-year journey to uncover the facts of that June evening as she searched for and eventually confronted her alleged attacker. Her session is scheduled during the 4-8 p.m. evening program.

The presentation will take place as part of the March 25-26 conference to build a civil community through the comprehension, education and prevention of domestic violence and sexual assault. Open free to participants, Breaking the Silence will be held in the American Indian Resource Center and Hagg-Sauer Hall on the BSU Campus.

Jentz, plagued by memories and the knowledge that no one was ever arrested for the crime, returned to the scene of the attack in 1992 to, “solve the crime that would solve me.”

Through extensive interviews over many visits, she discovered a small community traumatized by the violence that had cost Jentz her youth. Along the way, she came to terms with the wounds that broke her life and ultimately found herself face-to-face with the alleged assailant.

Her story became a best-selling book, “Strange Piece of Paradise,” that both reflects on the violence and the myth of American individualism as well as records a brave journey from violence to truth.

The Breaking the Silence conference has been designed for victims, volunteers and students as well as professionals in law enforcement, health care fields, advocacy roles, and education. The schedule includes panels and individual talks on sexual assault, abuse, surviving, rape, and legal issues.

The event is co-sponsored by the Sexual Assault Programs of Beltrami, Cass and Hubbard counties; Anishinabe Legal Services; and Bemidji State University’s Women’s Studies Program, Criminal Justice Department, Social Work Program, Psychology Department, Counseling Center, Student Health Services, and Women’s Center.

ANOTHER EXTRA CREDIT OPPORTUNITY

FOR EXTRA CREDIT, ATTEND THIS EVENT AND WRITE A SUMMARY AND RESPONSE OF AT LEAST 500 WORDS

Irony in Film is Topic of March 21 Lecture
2/20/2007


IRONY IN FILM IS TOPIC OF
MARCH 21 HONORS LECTURE

Virgil Bakken will explore the use of irony in film as social criticism during a March 21 Honors Lecture in room 112 of Hagg-Sauer Hall at Bemidji State University.

The 7 p.m. program is open to the public at no charge.

An assistant professor of mass communication at BSU, Bakken feels ironic humor in film is one of the most effective tools for understanding today’s values and norms.

“Currently, cinema serves as the primary mode of communal storytelling in American popular culture,” he said. “Therefore, exploring the use of irony in film as social criticism is quite valuable in understanding how we view life in these United States.”

During the lecture, Bakken will address film irony as a tool for translating real-life experience, as a vehicle for understanding cultural values within an increasingly post-modern society, and as a communal space that promotes mutual understanding.

Bakken joined the BSU faculty in 2005 after a career as a screenwriter, producer and director in broadcast and film. He is the owner and operator of Montage Creative Group, a network of media professionals working together to promote local and international non-profit and human service organizations through film and digital media.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in broadcast communications from Evangel University in Springfield, MO, and a master of arts in film from Regent University in Virginia Beach, VA. He is currently enrolled in the doctoral program at Regent University.

Sponsored for 32 years by the Honors Program, Honors Lectures are designed to cultivate interest and promote discourse among faculty, staff, students and the public.

More information is available by contacting the Honors Program, Hagg-Sauer Hall, Bemidji State University, 1500 Birchmont Drive NE, Bemidji, MN 56601-2699 (218-755-3984).

EXTRA CREDIT OPPORTUNITY!!!

TO EARN EXTRA CREDIT, ATTEND THIS EVENT AND WRITE UP A SUMMARY AND RESPONSE OF AT LEAST 500 WORDS.

The College of Social and Natural Sciences, the Criminal Justice Department and the Psychology Department have joined together to sponsor an important offering. Susan Macpherson from the National Jury Project--Midwest will be coming to BSU on March 26th for a presentation on jury work. She has been conducting jury research as a staff member of the National Jury Project since 1976. She is a founding member and Vice-President of National Jury Project's Midwest Regional Office. Ms. Macpherson specializes in research on jury decision making in complex civil and criminal cases. Her other current professional activities include chairing the American Society of Trial Consultants' committee on Jury Trial Innovations, and working with national and state bar organizations on those issues.

The National Jury Project is a private, nonprofit organization founded in 1973 to conduct jury research and to advise attorneys on a variety of issues including: case presentation strategies, venue surveys, voir dire and jury selection procedures, and procedures designed to improve juror comprehension. National Jury Project staff members have been qualified as experts on venue surveys and voir dire procedures in state and federal courts.

Bemidji State University is extremely fortunate to have Ms. Macpherson here to present information on various topics, including current statewide practices and policies related to jury selection and function. She brings with her great experience in jury work, tremendous knowledge of the legal system and a desire to share her understanding with interested students and faculty.

The presentation will be held from 6:00-7:30/8:00 in Hagg-Sauer, room 100. All students, faculty and the public are welcome.

NOTE: Final Exam Time

The final exam will be Thursday, May 10 at 10 a.m.

FINAL PAPER TOPIC NOT DUE UNTIL MARCH 9

Please hand in your topic idea the last day before spring break. We will respond when you return with our take on whether you're on the right track or not. We will also be available to consult with you during April while you're working on it. We look forward to reading what you have to say!

THE GHOSTS OF ABU GHRAIB

Only one person in class thought this documentary did NOT qualify as alternative media. His reasons? HBO is a subscription ENTERTAINMENT channel aimed at a targeted audience, not a broad one; and the structure of the movie is very traditional. It breaks no new ground.

One person expressed a bit of doubt, but everyone else was pretty certain. Your reasons? In order of how often they were mentioned:

1. Treats viewers as citizens, not primarily consumers
2. Not made primarily for profit
3. Challenges the status quo, specifically the policy of the US Government and/or our attitudes toward the US military and war
4. Goes beyond or in a different direction than conventional media coverage
5. Interested not just in facts, but in finding out the truth even though it might be unpopular
6. Exposes truths we don't necessarily want to know -- "harsh" things
7. Unbiased
8. Biased
9. Uses ordinary people on both sides of the war as sources
10. Tries to educate

Interesting comments:

"I had no idea this place existed."

“If Rumsfeld watched this, he’d turn Miller loose on those who participated in its production.”