HLS Student Government

Want a white smile? Looking for a holiday gift?

One of the Harvard dental student groups is selling discounted Oral-B Power Toothbrushes and Crest Whitestrips Professional! As this is a fundraiser, we were able to get very reduced prices from the company. SALE ENDS NOV. 24.

To purchase using Google checkout visit: http://www.oralhealthacrossnations.com/buy-toothbrush-or-whitestrips.html

1) Oral-B Professional Care SmartSeries 5000 Power Toothbrush

Amazon price: $119.81

Our price: $67

One of the best models on the market, this toothbrush promotes healthy gums and removes plaque effectively. It comes with a wireless SmartGuide brushing timer and 5 different modes.

2) Crest Whitestrips Supreme Professional Whitening

MSRP: Not available in stores

Our price: $42

Unlike Whitestrips purchased in stores, the Crest Whitestrips Supremse is the professional strength system that can be purchased in dental offices – it has 80% more effective results.

SALE ENDS NOV. 24. Items will be available for pickup only from the Cambridge and Longwood areas in early Dec. We do not ship items. All items are for personal use only. RESALE IS PROHIBITED.

To purchase using Google checkout visit: http://www.oralhealthacrossnations.com/buy-toothbrush-or-whitestrips.html

Email info@oralhealthacrossnations.com with questions.

The Harvard Graduate Council received the following e-mail about the opportunity for all Harvard graduate students to apply to the Student Advisory Board of the Hauser Center for Nonprofits.

As this is a position that runs from January 2010-January 2011, students who will graduate in June 2010 are not eligible to apply (with the exception of students at HGSE in a one-year masters program who may serve from Jan thru June 2010). More info can be found below and also here: http://www.hks.harvard.edu/hauser/students/studentadvisorycommittee/index.html

We’ve heard from a lot of students lately that would like to see a different academic advising program in place here at HLS.  Obviously, this is an issue of great importance and the administration is willing to talk with us about it, but before we get too involved in the conversation, we’d first like to hear from you.  What would you like to see in an academic advising program at HLS?  What do you like about what is in place now?  Please leave your comments below, or if you’d like them to be more private, send an email to studentgov@law.harvard.edu.

NEW to Student Government (new! how exciting!): our weekly comment box. Of course you can always email us with concerns ( studentgov at law.harvard.edu) but if there’s little things around campus that need fixing but don’t need a whole email (aka: this bathroom door is busted, this printer isn’t working etc) feel free to quickly post it here, too, if it’s easier for you.

It was brought to our attention that many of you may have to travel long distances, and/or to places that are not well served by public transportation to get to your test location.

The Harvard Law School Association has set up a Facebook group! Current students are welcome and encouraged to join. Link is below:

http://www.facebook.com/search/?q=hlsa&init=quick#/pages/Harvard-Law-School-Association-HLSA/146575881880?ref=ss

A quick look at our recent accomplishments:

• Student Government Pub Nights: very popular weekly happy hours for students, with free beer and wine (starting this year on Thursday, Oct. 1!)
• Faculty-Student Lunch Program: every year, we arrange for students to have free lunches with distinguished HLS professors.
• Organize and distribute Unofficial Course Evaluations each semester.
• Solicited, collected, and presented student feedback regarding the grade change to Dean Kagan.
• Solicited, collected, and presented student feedback regarding the switch to the Early Interview Program to Office of Career Services.
• Formed and headed a student committee to meet with President Faust on the new dean search.
• Changed news@law in order to allow students to plan their weeks more conveniently.
• Convinced administration to buy toasters for the 2008-2009 free Monday morning bagel breakfasts.
• Obtained Splenda, strawberry cream cheese, and Heinz ketchup in the Hark.
• Worked with Restaurant Associates to respond to vegetarian students’ needs, including increased quantity of vegetarian sushi and better vegetarian labeling.
• Increased quantity of sweat towels at the Hemenway gym.
• Successfully advocated to see the Hark re-open from 2:30-5:00 to serve students’ needs in 2009.
• Distributed bags filled with candy and faculty advice to the 1Ls when they received their grades.
• Created a database of 3Ls willing to give 2Ls advice on applying to law firms.
• Dodgeball tournament (co-sponsored with HL Central and the intramural sports).
• Approved of many new students groups in 2008-2009.

As many of you know, Harvard has been working hard to unify the different schools within the university. (This is the reason for the changes in the academic calendar this year). In order to help the administration with this goal, we would love to hear how your experiences have been with cross-registration. Please be as specific as possible so we can try to streamline the process (aka what elements have and have not worked for you).

Thanks!

Join Reading Buddies/Lectores y Amiguitos Today!

The Reading Buddies Program pairs HGSE students, staff and other Harvard affiliated volunteers with second graders at the Amigos Elementary School, a dual language immersion school in Cambridge. During weeks when the second grade student group is instructed in English, Reading Buddy Volunteers read aloud and share conversation with students on designated Thursdays listed below from 12:05 to 12:45 pm.

Reading Buddy volunteers learn how reading aloud promotes literacy in a training session led by Amigos School educators and CSV staff. Several other activities are a part of the program such as events around the holidays and a year-end picnic for students and volunteers.

Lectores y Amiguitos, the partner program to Reading Buddies, is a Spanish language volunteer program in which fluent Spanish speakers from HGSE and the Harvard community read to second graders at the Amigos Elementary School. Volunteers read aloud and share conversation in Spanish with students approximately every Thursday from 12:05 – 12:45 pm.

There are four different ways in which you can volunteer your time: If you would like to sign up for the Reading Buddies Program, there are two different groups that each read to their student every other week. You are free to sign up for one or both of those groups.
For the Lectores y Amiguitos Program, there is one group that reads to their students each week.
Because the program focuses on the one-to-one interaction of the student and the reader, we do ask that you make a commitment to read to your student on each day that your group is scheduled. To view the schedule for each group, visit the Reading Buddies website.
Additionally, if you feel like you cannot commit to reading each week or every other week, you can also sign up to become an on-call substitute reader.

To sign up for the Reading Buddies/Lectores y Amiguitos Program, please view the sign up sheet.

To learn more about these programs, contact the Office of Student Affairs at 617-495-8035 or Reading_Buddies@gse.harvard.edu.

Is your room looking a little. . .  inorganic? Spruce it up!

All proceeds will benefit the Phillips Brooks House Association,
a non-profit public service program
run by Harvard Undergraduates.

Friday, Sept 4       during Open House (2-5pm)
Saturday, Sept 5                 10am – 6pm
Sunday, Sept 6                   11am – 6pm
Monday, Sept 7                   11am – 6pm
Tuesday, Sept 8                    9am – 7pm
Wednesday, Sept 9               9am – 5pm

In response to your requests, here are some things we are working on, but haven’t yet been able to make happen.  Any input is welcome.

• Duplex printing.  In an effort to make HLS more eco-friendly, we have been pushing to get all printers to be set to default to duplex printing.  The complication, aside from just communicating what this would entail to all students, is that not all printers currently have duplex capabilities and upgrading the printers in this economy is likely to be difficult.
• Textbook requirements.  Right now there is no easy way to find out what books are required for your classes.  In most cases you have to physically go to the Coop to find out.  This should change.  The challenge is creating a technical system that can convey this info and/or getting faculty to consistently list this info in their course descriptions.
• Administrative Updates.  We’re looking for a better way to get Administrative Updates to students.  Right now, to read the administrative updates you have to either check myHLS or subscribe to the RSS feed.  Neither is very hard, but it would be great if it was even easier.  The challenge is figuring out how to get this info to students without overwhelming and watering down the usefulness of things like news @ law.

That’s it for now.  But we’ll keep working to find more to work on for you.

Brian

The following is a letter recently sent out from Drew Faust about the improved policing efforts througout Harvard.

-Marissa

————–

Last week we sent out the following email seeking feedback for the Visiting Committee.  We’re still looking for more feedback.  See the email below for details.

Every week we hear from several students about concerns they have or changes they would like to see that would make their lives better.  At any given time, we’re working on several of these small(er) projects.  Here’s a sampling of what we’re working on now.  Be sure to let us know if there’s something we can be doing for you!

- Working to see that Hemenway doesn’t run out of sweat towels quite so easily, especially during those peak exercise times.

- Working to get exercise mats at Hemenway for the use of a prospective HLS grappling club.

- Working on improving/increasing the laundry facilities in the North dorm building.

- Getting a rug out in front of Lewis to avoid slipping on the abundance of ice and marble.  UPDATE: We hear there is a rug out there now.  Is that so?

- As a long term project, working on getting the tunnel lights on motion sensors rather than standard switches.  A move that would both help the environment and avoid those late night, dark tunnel walks during finals time.

Bear in mind, this is not all that we have going on.  So, if you’ve expressed a concern to us but don’t see it here, don’t worry… we’re getting to it.

We look forward to hearing your thoughts on the above projects or anything else that is on your mind.

Brian