Congratulations to those of you graduating in May 2012! Several of you have told us you will be graduating at the end of this semester, but please contact Elizabeth Rockman at rockman@illinois.edu with the following information from all May 2012 graduates to ensure you get certified for graduation cords (whether you’re walking in ceremonies in May 2012 or not), and/or to keep in touch for the Yearbook and Newsletter!

Please e-mail rockman@illinois.edu with confirmation (or re-confirmation) that you’ll be a 5/12 grad, with the following information:

The Campus Honors Program can support up to four students in presenting their research at the Honors Council of the Illinois Region on Saturday, February 25, 2012.

La Colectiva and M.E.Ch.A. de UIUC are hosting an event called “I Have A Dream” on January 25, 2012, which will raise awareness of the DREAM Act and recruitment and retention issues. This event will take place at the Illini Union Courtyard Cafe and for this event students are planning a mock graduation in which they will read out dreams collected at sites like this. You are encouraged to participate in this event and submit your dream – let your voice be heard!

The Illinois Program for Research in the Humanities presents “Occupy! A Panel Discussion” on Thursday, January 26, 2012 at 4:00 p.m. at the IPRH Humanities Lecture Hall, 805 West Pennsylvania Avenue, Urbana, Illinois. For additional information about this event, contact: IPRH (244-3344, iprh@illinois.edu)

About this event:

Panelists: Susan Davis, Sarah Lazare, John Nerone, Christian Sandvig

Moderator: Dianne Harris (Director, IPRH)

The application process is open for women who wish to participate in NEW Leadership Illinois for 2012. The weeklong residential program for women interested in public service will be held June 3-8, 2012 at the UIC campus. NEWLeadership Illinois is hosted by IGPA in partnership with the Conference of Women Legislators in the Illinois General Assembly. Apply by March 1, 2012at http://igpa.uillinois.edu/public-engagement/new-leadership/apply

Ezra Vogel will give a CAS/MillerComm presentation, “China as Number One? Managing the End of Rapid Growth in Japan and China,” on Thursday, January 26, 2012 at 4:00 p.m., in the Knight Auditorium, Spurlock Museum, 600 South Gregory, Urbana, Illinois.

Ezra Vogel is the Henry Ford II Research Professor of the Social Sciences, Emeritus, Harvard University. He is author of “Japan as Number One: Lessons for America” (1979) and “Is Japan Still Number One?” (2001).

Join the ILC team as a Graf Intern! As an intern, you have the opportunity to use your experiences to encourage other students develop their leadership skills and help organize important initiatives within the Illinois Leadership Center, including our i-programs, marketing, assessment workshops, LeaderShape, and more! Information on the Graf Internship can be found on our website http://www.illinoisleadership.uiuc.edu/about/employment.asp. Applications will be due February 14, 2012 by 11:59 p.m.

Information Sessions: Tuesday, January 24, 2012 (217 Illini Union) from 7:30 - 9:00 p.m.

The City Year Information Session will be held on Thursday, January 26, 2012 at 6:00 p.m., at 161 Noyes Lab.

A Japanese Martial Arts Demonstration will be held in conjunction with the exhibit “Warriors, Guardians, and Demons” at Spurlock Museum on Sunday, January 29, 2012 at 2:00 p.m.

Featured martial arts:

Iaido is the art of swordsmanship as practiced by the samurai in feudal Japan. It consists of a smooth drawing of the sword from the saya (scabbard), the movements employed in cutting your opponent, and the sword’s return to the saya. Iaido is a highly refined martial art that fosters physical, mental, and spiritual discipline.

Applications are being accepted for LAS 101 intern positions for Fall 2012. LAS Juniors and Seniors with a 3.00+ GPA are eligible to apply.

If accepted, you will be enrolled in LAS 399 H, “Leadership and Professional Development,” and you will receive 3 advanced hours of honors level credit for this course. It’s an excellent opportunity to gain important skills for in leadership while leading a section of LAS 101 for incoming freshmen.

Would you like to meet people from other countries?

ConvoPartner Volunteers help Intensive English Institute students practice English and learn more about life in the U.S. Most of the IEI students are from Asia, but the diverse enrollment also includes students from Europe, Africa, the Middle East and South America.

What does a ConvoPartner do?

* Meet with 1 or 2 IEI students for 1 hour every week for English conversation/social activities. The Spring 2012 program will run for 12 weeks, from February 2 to May 2, 2012.

programs are shown on the Events Calendar at https://www.honors.illinois.edu/?q=event (click on the date of the event for a full description) and also at https://www.honors.illinois.edu/?q=kdr.

1) “February Dance” (dance performances) – February 1, 2012

2) “The Barber of Seville” (Rossini opera) – February 29, 2012

3) “Our Town” (Thornton Wilder play) – April 11, 2012

4) “Paradises Lost” (opera based on Ursula K. LeGuin novella) – April 25, 2012

The CHP’s Summer Research Awards offer Chancellor's Scholars an opportunity to develop and explore a topic of their choice, working on the Urbana-Champaign campus under the supervision of a University of Illinois faculty member. The program provides a stipend of $2,000 for eight weeks. To apply, a student must identify a University of Illinois faculty member who will help design (and plan to monitor) an appropriate research project that will culminate in a written research paper.

FYI that Krannert Dress Rehearsals will be announced by this Friday, 1/20/12, with sign-ups beginning the following Thursday, 1/26/12 for graduating seniors, and Friday 1/27/12 for everyone else.

SAS programming will be announced by early February, with sign-ups beginning a week later.

Krannert Center for the Performing Arts invites you to a very special, invitation-only concert by the Tschaikowski St. Petersburg Symphony Orchestra on Sunday, February 26, 2012, at 3:00 p.m. in the Krannert Center’s world-renowned Foellinger Great Hall. As part of Krannert Center’s commitment to breaking down the barriers to explorations of classical music, this outstanding performance will be presented FREE OF CHARGE for students from middle school through graduate school and their accompanying teachers and parents.