Political Science News

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   P              P O L I T I C A L

      S                 S C I E N C E

 

Newsletter from the Political Science Department                       Number 28                                               Fall  2007

 

 

 

 

ACADEMIC CALENDAR

FALL 2007

 

 August

 

 20:       Monday, classes begin.

 

 September

 

 3:         Monday, Labor Day holiday.

 

 October

 

 1–2:     Monday and Tuesday, Fall holiday.

 11:       Thursday, last day to drop a class with grade of “W”.

 

 November

 

 2:         Friday, last day to resign from the University for the semester with a grade of “W.”

 22–3:   Thursday and Friday, Thanksgiving holiday.

 30:       Friday, last day of classes.

 

 December

 

 3–7:     Monday–Friday, final examinations.

 5:         Wednesday, study day (no exams).

 15:       Saturday, Fall commencement exercises; semester ends.

 

POLITICAL SCIENCE AND PRE-LAW GRADUATES

 

A veritable slew of Political Science and Pre-law majors graduated over the course of the last academic year! We wish all of our graduates well as they begin new challenges in careers, graduate school, and law school.

 

FALL 2006 GRADUATES

 

Torrey Berard                                                  Elizabeth Bienvenu

Whitney Guillory                                             Angele Jackson

James King                                                      Danielle Malvo

Peter Mommer                                                 Melissa Monceaux

Justin Mueller                                                  Simone Nugent

Matthew Reynolds                                           Sarah Stephens

Jolie Williamson                                              Holly Witherington

 

The outstanding graduate for Fall 2006 was Peter Mommer!

 

SPRING 2007 GRADUATES

 

Victor Ashy                                                     Charles Bonvillain

Brandon Bradley                                              Aaron Broussard

Joshua Hamilton                                              Jennifer Hardy

Deyshia Hargrave                                            Angel Hines

Leigh LeMoine                                                Cody Martin

William Perkins                                               Albert Robinson

Jason Sampey                                                  William Schexneider

Page Smith                                                      Charles Snodgrass

Danielle St. Julian                                            Daniel Stelly

Alison Warner                                                 Kayla Woods

 

The outstanding graduate for Spring 2007 was Charles Snodgrass!

 

SUMMER 2007 GRADUATES

 

Jed Chapman               Loreal Jackson             Sarah Kingston

John Lulich                  Rachel Martin              Thu Huong Nguyen

 

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OUR GRADUATES!

 

 

 

 

N E W S F L A S H

 

 

 

BIENVENUE À DR. ISA CAMYAR

 

The Department is so very pleased to welcome the newest member of the faculty, Dr. Isa Camyar. A native of Turkey, Dr. Camyar received his B.A. and M.A. degrees from Bilkent University in Ankara. He then applied to the Department of Political Science at LSU to pursue his Ph.D. in 2002, and he recently (and most expeditiously) defended his dissertation in August of this year (his supervisor was Dr. Leonard Ray). His dissertation explored the different compliance patterns of European Union (EU) member states with EU rules and regulations. In the dissertation, he developed a theoretical model—the Partisan Approach to International Compliance—and applied that model to the EU. The model connects the compliance patterns of a country with international rules to domestic distributional and allocative contestations in that country. He found significant empirical support for his model. Dr. Camyar’s teaching and research interests focus on international and comparative politics. Starting in the Fall 2007 semester, he will be teaching three courses in these areas: POLS 220: World Politics (two sections); POLS 390: International Political Economy; and POLS 425: Middle Eastern Politics. In Spring 2008, he is scheduled to teach POLS 220: World Politics (both the regular and Honors section of the course) as well as POLS 360: Introduction to International Relations. He is currently working on developing a course on International Security and Conflict for the Fall 2008 semester. The Department encourages students to welcome and introduce themselves to Dr. Camyar. You will certainly be impressed by the energy, acumen, and cosmopolitanism of our newest faculty member, and you will surely see why we are so excited that he accepted to come and join this Department: Geaux Isa!

 

NEW COURSE OFFERINGS FOR SPRING 2008: POLS 390 (SECTIONS 1 AND 2)

 

The Department continues to offer a variety of 3 hour, 3 credit, variable content courses under POLS 390: Special Topics in Political Science. In the Spring 2008 semester, two new sections will be offered. Be sure to register for these courses during the Fall 2007 intensive advising period as they are likely to fill up fast!

 

POLS 390: Religion and Politics (team taught by Dr. Pearson Cross and Dr. Rick Swanson). As students are no doubt aware, religion is becoming more and more important in American politics. Since 1980, the religious right has become an important force in Republican politics and American politics generally. With the election of George W. Bush, and the appointment of two new judges, John Roberts and Samuel Alito, to the Supreme Court, questions of religious faith and government have come increasingly to the fore and become part of our everyday political conversation. This trend will not stop with the election of a new president and congress; faith and practice will continue to affect and inform American politics and political participation. Drs. Swanson and Cross will be probing this connection in Supreme Court cases, voter choice, education, political participation, movement politics, and other areas.

 

POLS 390: Louisiana Politics (offered by Dr. Pearson Cross). Louisiana’s cast of colorful characters, reputation for corruption, and unique politics will make for an entertaining and educational course. Louisiana government is the government we have, and the more we know about it, the better we’ll understand it, participate in it, and make it work. One problem with this course is how to limit the voluminous material that is available. We will probably read T. Harry Williams’s biography of Huey Long and Wayne Parent’s Inside the Carnival for starters. We will also hear from a number of local and state politicians and characters. It should be a lot of fun.

 

And finally, it should be noted that Politics and the Media, which was previously offered as a POLS 390 course, has now been permanently added to the curriculum as POLS 333. It will be taught this Spring 2008 semester by Dr. Sharon Ridgeway.

 

THE LAW CLUB. . . .

 

Spring 2007 was another successful semester for the Law Club, which Dr. Rick Swanson advises. The Law Club had several guest speakers throughout the year, including Dr. Swanson himself, who discussed getting into law school, succeeding at the Law School Admission Test (LSAT), writing a personal statement, and what the law school experience is like. Please contact Dr. Swanson for information about the Law Club or for any pre-law advising. It should be mentioned that the Department is also developing a minor in Pre-Law for those students who may wish to focus on pre-legal studies but whose major is not Political Science.

 

. . . . AND LAW SCHOOL SCHOLARSHIPS AND RECIPIENTS

 

In the Fall 2006 semester, the Department of Political Science awarded seven merit-based Tom and Lena Ritchie Endowed Memorial Scholarships to UL students. The scholarships were $1500.00 each and were available to then-current UL-Lafayette students in any academic major who planned on attending law school in the Fall of 2007. The seven award winners were English major Laura Brownlee, as well as Political Science majors Brandon Bradley, Cody Martin, Justin Mueller, Thu-Huong Nguyen, Jason Sampey, and Jolie Williamson.

 

In the Fall of 2007, The Department of Political Science has up to ten Tom and Lena Ritchie Endowed Memorial Scholarships to award. The scholarships are $1500.00 each for current UL-Lafayette students in any academic major who plan on attending law school in the Fall of 2008. The application deadline is October 19, 2007. For more information, contact Dr. Rick Swanson, Pre-Law Advisor at 482-6164 or at swanson@louisiana.edu.

 

CLUBS, CLUBS, AND EVEN MORE CLUBS!

 

Political science students should witness some major changes and initiatives this coming academic year that the Department hopes will facilitate a more congenial and intellectually stimulating atmosphere among students and faculty. Among the upcoming attractions are the following:

 

Film Club: Drs. Bryan-Paul Frost and Rick Swanson (along with other members of the faculty) are inaugurating a Fall semester, bi-weekly film club beginning Wednesday, September 19. The films will be shown at Moody Hall, Rm. 130, beginning at 6:00 p.m., and everyone is invited to attend as many shows as they wish. This semester’s films include a smorgasbord of classics, including the original Manchurian Candidate, All Quiet on the Western Front, The Battle of Algiers, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, The Paper Chase, and Citizen Kane. Films to be shown for Spring 2008 have not been decided, and students are encouraged to make their choices known! Nonetheless, Drs. Swanson and Frost are suggesting a semester long series on the theme of dystopia, where we would enjoy such classics as 1984, Brave New World, Metropolis, and Brazil, to name a few. The event is free of charge, so mark your calenders!

 

International Studies Society: Dr. Isa Camyar is in the initial stages of putting together a new student organization sponsored by the Department of Political Science and tentatively entitled the International Studies Society. The organization will aim at bringing together students who are interested in international affairs, US foreign policy, and the politics and cultures of other countries, and who also might wish to pursue a career in various government, international, and non-governmental institutions, and/or private industry with their education and background in international relations. He is presently working on the goals and structure of the organization. If you are interested, contact Dr. Camyar at 482-5693 or at ixc2997@louisiana.edu.

 

The Politics Club: Plans are under way by the Department as a whole to create a “Politics Club,” the purpose of which would be to sponsor films, forums, and speakers (to name just a few activities) having to do with the broad theme of politics. The club would be open to any and all students who are interested in politics. We will disseminate more information as soon as it becomes available. At all events, please be on the lookout for possible forums and speakers this Fall semester as we begin to gear up in anticipation of the creation of this new student organization.

 

INTERESTED IN INTERNATIONAL POLITICS?

 

In addition to the Political Science degree program and the Pre-Law concentration, the Department has recently created a new and exciting concentration in International Relations. This increasingly popular program includes:

—30 hours in Political Science, but with a focus on Comparative Politics and International Politics;

—More courses in Economics, Geography, and Modern Languages;

—Other required courses and electives with a cross cultural and international orientation; and

—Recommended minors in Modern Languages, Economics, or World History.

 

See Mrs. LaPorte for more details, or any member of the Department. It should be mentioned that we are also developing a minor in this concentration for those students who may wish to focus on international relations but whose major is not Political Science.

 

SPRING 2008 ADVISING AND DEGREE PLANS

 

Just a reminder for those of you who are planning to graduate in Spring 2008 that you will want to complete a degree plan with your advisor no later than November 2, 2007. A degree plan lists the courses that you have taken and are planning to take. It is necessary for you to complete this as soon as possible so that you know exactly what courses you need to take to meet all the requirements for your degree. The form must be signed by your advisor and the Chair of the Department, and it is then sent to the Dean of Liberal Arts for approval.

 

In addition, for students who wish to have priority scheduling, they must pay their diploma fee by September 21, 2007 to obtain an early telephone appointment time for registration. Application for the diploma can be made at the Registrar’s office.

 

And finally, mark on your calendar that the intensive advising weeks are October 15–26, 2007. Check with Mrs. LaPorte or your advisor to see what their advising schedule is. The Department of Political Science cannot emphasize enough how important it is to get advised early so that you can schedule the classes that you need and that interest you most!!!

 

UL–LAFAYETTE HONORS PROGRAM

 

For those of you who are looking for new challenges—for getting the most out of your educational experience—please remember that UL-Lafayette does indeed have an Honors Program. Even if you were not originally invited to join the program as a freshman or freshwoman, you may join the program if you have a cumulative GPA of 3.2. Honors students have a host of unique opportunities available to them, including the chance to write an Honors thesis on a subject of their own choosing. If you are thinking about going to graduate school or law school, give serious consideration to joining this program. For further information, contact the Honors Program directly, your advisor, or any member of the Department.

 

INDEPENDENT STUDY: POLS 497 AND 498

 

Students should remember that it is possible to receive credit for research and writing on a project that is not covered by the Department’s existing courses. Creating an independent research project is not only a great way to look in-depth at a particular problem or issue that fascinates you, but the resulting research paper can be used as a writing sample for graduate school, law school, and/or other employment. Interested students should contact any member of the Department with whom they would wish to work for further information.

 

CELEBRATE CONSTITUTION DAY

 

Monday, September 17, is the 220^th birthday of the U.S. Constitution. UL-Lafayette will be celebrating the occasion in several ways. First, there will be a public reading of the Constitution in front of Dupre Library from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on Monday, September 17. Fifteen readers representing the University (including Dr. Rick Swanson) and the broader Lafayette community will participate as readers and students may stop by and listen on the way to class or may listen to and watch the entire reading. Second, a series of documentary films from “Points of View” addressing Constitutional issues will be aired on Tuesday (18^th), Wednesday (19^th), and Thursday (20^th) at 3:30 p.m. in the Bayou Bijou Theatre. The Tuesday film, Waging a Living, “chronicles the day-to-day battles of four low-wage earners fighting to lift their families out of poverty.” The Wednesday film, Chisholm ’72—Unbought and Unbossed, highlights the campaign trail adventures of the “motley crew of blacks, feminists, and young voters” who supported Shirley Chisholm in her 1972 run for the presidency. The Thursday film, The Fire Next Time, “follows a deeply divided group of Montana citizens caught in a web of conflicts intensified by rapid growth and the power of talk radio.” A third event in commemoration of the birthday will be an exhibit in the Student Union Art Gallery. The exhibit is entitled “TO FORM A MORE PERFECT UNION: The Promise, The Challenge.” First year design students will explore graphically their interpretation of the first phrase of the preamble to the U.S. Constitution.

 

 

 

STUDENTS

 

 

 

The Political Science Department would like to extend a warm word of welcome to all new and continuing students. For those who are new to the Department (freshman, transfer students, and returning students), and who have specific questions about the Political Science, Pre-Law, and International Relations programs, we encourage you to speak with your advisor. At all events, we hope that everyone has an enjoyable and productive semester.

 

Although it should go without saying, students should inform the secretary, Mrs. LaPorte, if they are not receiving the Department’s newsletter and/or if they have recently moved and changed their address.

 

DENNIS ROSS LECTURE AND LUNCHEON

 

Thanks to the incredible generosity of The Independent Weekly, and especially Drue Kennerson, the Department of Political Science received eight free tickets to the recent public lecture by Ambassador Dennis Ross on his book Statecraft, And How to Restore America’s Standing in the World. Ambassador Ross has worked with both Democratic and Republican administrations, and has held countless important diplomatic posts and assignments, from the Middle East to Yugoslavia and the former Soviet Union: indeed, he is a “regular” on all the major news organizations. In addition to Drs. Isa Camyar and Pearson Cross, six additional students represented the Department: Matthew Handy, Simon Hays, Emily Berard, Vincent Trombatore, Christopher McNeil, and James Sandoz. By all accounts the lecture (and luncheon) were quite good, and several students were able to purchase books and have them autographed by the ambassador himself. Thanks to everyone involved for representing the Department at this unique and exciting event!

 

ANNE BODINE: TULANE’S DIPLOMAT IN RESIDENCE

 

Dennis Ross was not the only high profile diplomat the Department was exposed to: Tulane’s Diplomat in Residence, Ms. Anne Bodine, twice came to campus and spoke to Political Science students and classes, as well as held an informal luncheon about the prospects and challenges of joining the US Foreign Service Officer Corps. Her talks were entitled “An Overview of the State Department’s Role in U.S. Foreign Policy,” and “The Challenges of Building a Rule of Law in Iraq: The Politics Behind the Violence.” Ms. Bodine (who speaks German and Arabic) is a 20-year career Foreign Service Officer, whose recent tours include:

—A 10 month assignment as the Media Development Advisor to the Public Affairs Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq;

—An 8 month assignment as the Principal Officer at the U.S. Regional Embassy Office in Kirkuk, Iraq; and

—One year as the Department of State and USAID representative to the Provisional Reconstruction Team in Herat, Afghanistan.

Students should be aware that we are presently trying to contact the current Diplomat in Residence in the hopes of having that individual come and speak to the Department both this and the following semesters.

 

CRISLER-LEVINE AWARD

 

The winners of the Dr. Robert M. Crisler–Herbert M. Levine Scholarship for the best paper written by a Political Science or Pre-Law major during the Fall 2006 semester were Thu-Hyong Nguyen and Peter Mommer. Their paper was written for POLS 395: Research Methods (taught by Dr. Rick Swanson) and was entitled “Do I Have What It Takes To Succeed At The LSAT? A Characteristic Model.” Congratulations to both!

 

SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS FOR SPRING 2007

 

The Department of Political Science each year has the pleasure of nominating some of our majors for various scholarships. All of the scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic excellence, but a number of these include additional criteria such as what high school a student attended or what you plan to do with your degree. To be fully considered for these awards please see Mrs. LaPorte in the Political Science office and fill out the scholarship form.

 

The following is the list of winners from Spring 2007:

 

Danielle St. Julien won the Edward D. Mouton Award.

 

Simon Hays was the recipient of the Police Jury Association of Louisiana Scholarship.

 

Jessica Pizzolato was a recipient of the Walter R. Craddock Endowed Scholarship in Liberal Arts.

 

Justin Broussard won the Colonel Thomas Ritchie Memorial Endowed Scholarship.

 

A NEWLY ESTABLISHED SCHOLARSHIP FOR STUDENTS! THE DURAND OUTSTANDING STUDENT IN POLITICAL SCIENCE!!

 

John and Mary Durand, parents of Kendall Durand, a graduate of UL Political Science in 2006, graciously donated money to the UL Foundation to be used in support of Political Science at UL. Their donation, which was matched by Chevron USA, was in appreciation of the education and support the Political Science faculty provided to Kendall during his time at UL. With this donation, and in recognition of the Durands’ contribution, the Department of Political Science established the Durand Outstanding Student in Political Science scholarship, available to four students in the amount of $500 each. The first four recipients in the Spring of 2007 were Kathryn Zeringue, Braden Lagrone, Karl Helo, and Jillian Rivers. The Department wishes to express its deepest appreciation to the Durands, as well as Chevron USA, for their generous gift. Other students, alumni, or their families wishing to support Political Science Department through a financial gift are encouraged to contact the UL-Lafayette Foundation at 482-0700.

 

INTERNSHIPS

 

The Department of Political Science offers a three-credit internship program every Spring semester to majors with a GPA of 3.0 or higher. Internship sites include the offices of Representative Charles Boustany, Senator David Vitter, and the Lafayette Consolidated Government Planning Office. Any majors interested in pursuing this program should contact Dr. Sharon Ridgeway before advising for the Spring 2008 semester.

 

DEAN’S LIST

 

The Political Science Department would like to recognize the following students for making the Dean’s List for the Spring 2007 semester. Congratulations to everyone!

 

Abadie, Rachel                        Abdelfattah, Amenah

Albert, Lanise                          Allen, Sarah

Berard, Emily                          Bonvillain, Charles

Boquet, Bobby                        Bordelon, Shawn

Bourgeois, Amanda                 Boustany, Alfred

Bradely, Brandon                     Brandt-Guy, Patricia

Breaux, Stuart                          Broussard, Justin

Broussard, Kandi                     Busch, Natasha

Callegari, Jesse                         Cragwall, Bobby

Culotta, Alexandra                  DeRouen, Charles

Faul, Cody                               Fava, Nicole

Ferguson, Brett                        Fontenot, LaSaundra

Gambino, Lauren                    Gauthier, Camille

Gelpi, Joyce                             Goode, Rich

Guidry, Michael                       Gunderson, Ellen

Gustin, Danielle                      Haberer, Kyle

Hamilton, Joshua                     Handy, Matthew

Hardy, Jennifer                        Hays, Simon

Helo, Karl                               Holloway, Eric

Jessen, Lauren                         Kelly, Alexander

Kindinger, Whitney                 Kingston, Sarah

Kleiser, Katherine                   Lagrone, Braden

Landry, Jill                               Lecompte, Tyler

LeMaire, Joshua                       LeMoine, Leigh

Lulich, John                             Mackey, Stephen

Martin, Cody                           Massey, Christina

Matis, Richard                         McGaughy, Chanell

Melancon, Huey                      Miller, Mollie

Miller, Rachel                          Milton, Constance

Mirdamadi, Jhiela                    Myrick, Marcus

Ngo, Bau                                 Nguyen, Thu-Huong

Oliver, Amanda                       Osburn, Courtney

Peeler, Ashley                          Perkins, William

Piccione, John                         Pizzolato, Jessica

Price, Claude                           Rankin, Currie

Ray, Scotty                              Redenbaugh, Tyler

Rivers, Jillian                           Robinson, Albert

Sadreddini, Roya                     Salazar, Daniel

Saloom, Jesse                           Sampey, Jason

Sandage, David                       Savoy, Sy

Schexneider, William               Sibley, Holly

Simon, Justin                           Smith, Misti

Snodgrass, Charles                   St. Julien, Danielle

Stelly, Daniel                           Sweet, Jenny

Sykes, Corinne                         Theriot, Mia

Thibodeaux, Nicole                 Thomas, Dionsyvia

Trahan, Brett                           Trahan, Shari

Ulliman, Heather                     Ward, Kyle

Warner, Alison                        Watkins, Leah

White, Nicholas                       Williams, Amber

Williams, Crystal                     Williamson, Niall

Zeringue, Kathryn

 

BEWARE OF PLAGIARISM!

 

Because of the seriousness of the offense, the Department as a whole would like to remind students precisely what constitutes plagiarism in an essay, and how to avoid it. Do not hesitate to talk to your professors if you ever have a question concerning this most serious of academic offenses:

 

PLAGIARISM (Quoted from the UL-Lafayette Undergraduate Bulletin):