HLS Student Government

More than 800 students have voted in the student government election, and here are the results. Congratulations to the 2009-2010 Student Government!

President: Brian Aune ‘10 

Vice-President: Jennifer Dein ‘11

Treasurer: Hrishi Hari ‘11

Student Advocate: Marissa Ronk ‘11

Internal Affairs Coordinator: Ilana Ettinger ‘11

3L Representatives

Sheila Lopez ’10

Andrea Miller ’10

Jessica Nachman ’10

Peter Ostrovski ’10

Maxine Perkins ‘10

Nilab Rahyar ‘10

2L Representatives

Jon Kurland ‘11

Sam Matthew ‘11

Pablo Ros ‘11

Will Scharf ‘11

 SEVEN

SEVEN is a groundbreaking work of theater that captures the remarkable lives of a diverse and courageous group of women leaders around the world. A collaboration by seven playwrights, the play is based on personal interviews with seven women who have triumphed over enormous obstacles to bring about major changes in their home countries. SEVEN is one of the most inspirational plays being performed around the world right now and will be performed right here in Burden Auditorium for the Harvard Community. The same actors will be performing SEVEN at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC on March 19th!  Find out more at www.sevenplay.org.

In addition to the performers, we are fortunate to be able to have the women leaders present for the event for a panel session after the hour long performance.   

 

The performance will be open to the Harvard Community – you can secure a ticket ($7) at: 

www.sellyourevents.com/Seven2009.aspx

Here’s an event for tomorrow night that is sponored by the HGC that sounds like a lot of fun:

Brian

———-
It’s a (pre-emptive) St. Patrick’s Day Celebration…

“Your Lucky Night”

Thursday, March 12th
9 o’clock pm

McFadden’s Restaurant and Saloon (near Faneuil Hall)
148 State Street, Boston
http://www.mcfaddensboston.com/

*NO cover charge
*FREE pint of Guinness for first 100 to arrive

LIVE Irish music 9:30-10:30pm

Grab a buddy and join us at one of Boston’s most dynamic establishments for a
night of Irish-themed revelry. Come early to get your FREE pint o’ Guinness and
stay to enjoy the lively music and pleasant company.

Brought to you by Harvard Graduate Council

There is a great event being put on today by the Program on Law and Social Change that promises to bring together several of HLS’ top minds.  See the information below for details.

Brian

“Event: Open conversation on comparative “modes” of social change with HLS professors (Wednesday, Feb. 25, 5:00-6:30pm, Austin East), followed by refreshments and mingling.

Dear Law & Social Change-ers,

We are very excited to announce our first formal event of the semester! Our Program of Study thinks about law and social change not only along subject matter lines (like the environment, religious freedom, or criminal justice) but also according to different modes of action (like institutional reform, social movements, and litigation). Last semester, at a focus group discussion with our faculty co-directors, Professors Martha Minow and Ben Sachs, students expressed a great interest in exploring the comparative utility of these various modes of social change. (You can find a description of the Program of Study at http://www.law.harvard.edu/academics/degrees/jd/pos/lawsocchange/index.html).

Next Wednesday’s event will bring together over 15 HLS professors and students in our Program to explore this topic. Professors who have already expressed an intention to participate include Larry Tribe, Charlie Nesson, Mark Tushnet, Bill Rubenstein, Carol Steiker, Lucie White, Rachel Brewster, Phil Heymann, Bill Stuntz, Yochai Benkler, Brian Price, Phillip Malone, Joe Singer, Terry Fisher and Jed Shugerman.

Professors Minow and Sachs will start the conversation and then invite comments with an emphasis on four topics:

(1) reflections on distinctive modes of effective law and social change work;

(2) narratives of effective law and social change efforts;

(3) lines of research that shed light on this topic; and

(4) comments on how students who are interested in law and social change can and should spend their time in law school.

Profs. Minow and Sachs have generously offered to provide refreshments after the discussion so that faculty and students can continue the conversation in a more casual setting. If there is a good chance (about 70%) that you will attend the event, please let us know by Monday (2/23) at noon so that we can purchase an appropriate quantity of food and drink. Please RSVP to ahalegua@law.harvard.edu.

This promises to be an extremely exciting event and a very electrifying start to our semester. We hope that you will be part of it!”

The Committee on Sports and Entertainment Law is hosting a symposium on March 13 and 14 entitled:

Resisting the Recession:

Growth Opportunities for Sports in an Economic Downturn

The keynote speaker will be Andrew Zimbalist.  Admission is free.  See the following link for more info:

http://csel.wordpress.com/spring-2009-symposium/

Brian

The following update is from one our HGC Reps, Annie Levin:

Here’s the report from tonight’s meeting:

1.  The Advocacy Committee is restructuring, becoming one larger committee rather than several smaller ones, in order to better coordinate advocacy issues.  The committee would like at least one representative from each school; we need to determine which of our reps will serve on that committee.

2.  Every year the HGC sponsors a “Presidents’ Summit” for the student government presidents from each grad school.  This year, they are thinking of combining it with the Harvard College “Club President Summit” in April.  More details at the next meeting.

3.  There is potentially a “town hall” meeting in the works, to allow graduate students to voice concerns with a high-ranking Harvard official.  Date and time (and Harvard official) still pending.

4.  The Events Committee is working on a “Developing Dialogues” event to bring students from different schools together in an academic setting.  Ideas of speakers and topics are welcome from all HGC reps.

5.  There is a speed dating event next Wednesday, March 4.  The following advertisement should be made available to the student body:

Single?  Want the chance to meet other single Harvard graduate students?
Try Speed Dating!

When: Wednesday, March 4th
Appetizers begin at 6:30pm–Please arrive on time.  We need everyone there for
dates to begin.

Where: Vinalia Restaurant Lounge and Wine Bar
101 Arch Street
Boston, MA 02110
(Near Park St. and Downtown Crossing Stations)
www.vinaliaboston.com

Cost: $10 (via pay pal)

Registration Details:  Due to the popularity of these events, and to make the
registration process more fair, everyone who registers for opposite sex speed
dating will be placed in a lottery for a spot at the event.  We will notify you
if you have been randomly selected by email on Saturday February 28th.  If you
are not selected you will be refunded your registration fee.  We hope that this
change ensures that even if you’re not at your computer the moment registration
opens, you still have an equal chance of going to the event!

Dating: Round robin style, 2.5 minute dates.  We have space for opposite and
same-sex speed daters.

Sign up online at:  http://harvardspeeddating.com/

The HGC is sponsoring Beer School tonight and Queen’s Head.  And while it’s not free, it still looks like a pretty good opportunity to try some great beer.  Details below.

Brian

“BEER SCHOOL WEDNESDAY 5 PM!

Come grab your tickets for HARPOON BEER SCHOOL, Wednesday at 5 pm at the Cambridge Queen’s Head!

Harpoon will be bringing and speaking about their signature 100 Barrel and Leviathan Series, as well as their Celtic Ale and our very own 1636. Tickets are $10 at the bar, grab them any time during the day.

$10 buys you at least 4 frosty beverages with matched food to go with each. Tickets are going fast, so grab yours today!”

The Dean of Students office is sponsoring a screening today that looks to be a very interesting event.  It is today, Wedensday 2/25, from 4:00 – 6:00 in the Ames Courtroom.  See below for more info.

Brian

“There will be a screening of Barry Hershey’s (LLB ‘67) film, “Leading to War”, Wednesday, February 25 at 4 PM in the Ames Courtroom in Austin Hall. The film focuses on the evolution of the US government’s case for military action against Iraq. There will be a brief introduction by Mr. Hershey and a Q&A at the end of the film. The film is a little over an hour long.

Pizza will be served.”

Today Howell Jackson, prospective interim acting Dean, hosted a town hall meeting with HLS students. Because some students were unable to, we wanted to fill you in on some highlights:

• Faculty departures for DC: All courses this year were covered by HLS faculty or visitors. Next year’s curriculum will feature many great visiting professors (especially in environmental law), and there should be no significant effect from the faculty departures.
• Curriculum in general: Along with picking classes this Spring, students will be able to fill out a poll about which courses they’d like to see offered. Some of those courses might be added by next year, but some certainly will be added by the year after.
• OCI will be the week before school starts. Flyout week will be the week of September 14th. There may be events for 3Ls during that time, such as symposia on research opportunities or empirical methods classes. In addition, the school will celebrate Columbus Day, creating a small break later in the fall.
• Financial crisis: HLS’s three priorities are “building a terrific faculty, having terrific teaching, and honoring financial aid commitments.” There may be cuts in other “not central” areas (but not coffee). In addition, the NW Corner project will proceed as planned. Furthermore, Harvard University is working with JP Morgan to ensure that all international students have access to loans similar to those that were suspended because of the financial crisis.
• The search process for a permanent Dean, led by President Faust, has begun. She will likely reach out to students, staff, alumni, and even employers during the process.
• 2L Mixed Transcripts: 2Ls will graduate with Latin honors, based on an averaging of their A/B/C and HP/P/LP grades. The algorithm for that weighting is not public, however.
• Next year’s academic calendar has almost no time between Winter Term and Spring Term. On the other hand, synchronizing with the rest of the University allows for much better cross-registration opportunities. 
• The “Programs of Study” are in beta-test mode now. They will become more significant in the future.
• MyPlan will be fixed, but slowly.

David

From one of HLS’ reps to the HGC, Philip Foust:

1. Richard Townsend was elected VP of Internal Affairs.
2. Our next meeting is scheduled for 2/24. Location TBD.
3. HGC is putting on a Valentine’s Day Party ath the Estate at 7:30PM. Does anyone know how we usually go about advertising these events?
4. Several other possible events and opportunities were discussed, but details were not settled:
   a. Greater collaboration with other universities, including MIT and Tufts.
   b. Another speed-dating event is in the works. If anyone has suggestions for locations, please contact the events committee.
   c. The Harvard Alumni Association is interested in greater interaction and input from the HGC, and there may be an opportunity for members to attend the next HAA meeting.

David

Today the 1L class received its first set of grades, officially marking the completion of that class’s first semester at HLS. In celebration, the Student Government handed out more than 250 bags of candy. In addition, each bag contained a letter which, among other things, listed some less-than-stellar grades which HLS’s star faculty earned in their respective first years at law school.

David

The HLS Graduate students have put together another great International Party.  Info below.

Brian

HLS International Fair & Party: It’s your Small World… Love It!

Come celebrate this Valentine’s Day with free exotic food, music and performances from around the globe.

Date:  February 14, 2009

Time:  7 p.m to Midnight

Venue:  Ropes-Gray Room

Drop by this international carnival with your friends and loved ones to enjoy the best of what your colleagues have to offer from around the world.

The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences is hosting a party this Friday and they are opening it up to HLS students, hoping to encourage a little cross school socialization.  The party is the Friday 2/7 from 9:30 – 12:30 at Dudley House.  See the flyer below for more info.

Brian

See below for a Valentine’s Day event sponsored by the Harvard Graduate Council.

Brian

Harvard Graduate Council Presents
Heart/Beat
A Valentine’s Social

This Valentine’s Day, all students of the Harvard Graduate Schools are invited
to one of Boston’s hottest clubs for free appetizers, good company, and
late-night dancing. Whether you’re blissfully in love, bitterly heartbroken, or
anywhere in-between, you won’t want to miss this lavish affair!

When: Saturday, February 14

Where: THE ESTATE, 1 Boylston Place, Boston
www.theestateboston.com
Just a few blocks from the Boylston T stop on the green line.

Time: 7:30pm

Cost: Free admission before 9:30pm.
$20 cover after 9:30pm

See you there…

The Student Government and Miriam Glaser organized thank-you cards for departing Dean of Admissions Toby Stock. HLS Students filled three poster-boards with comments for the brick-lover, who’s leaving HLS for Washington, DC. Thanks to all who participated, and good luck Toby!

David