Bear Necessities #195 - 4/19/24

 
Happy Friday, DHC!
 
And CONGRATULATIONS to Assistant Dean Cordingley, who, on this very day, successfully (dazzlingly!) defended her doctoral dissertation in Psychology. Balancing full-time work and a demanding boss with rigorous graduate study and dissertation writing is an enormous challenge and a heavy lift. Katie has navigated it with all with grace and class (as is her custom), never letting her commitment to the Davidson Honors College or her students slip a bit. The DHC family extends its deep pride, respect, and gratitude to Katie on this important academic, professional, and life milestone. Woo Hoo!
 
This is one of those weeks during spring semester that’s packed with ‘all the things – Donuts on Thursday, and Open Mic Night this evening. And of course, today is the University of Montana’s Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Scholarship, aka UMCUR. It’s one of the highlights of the year with many honors students presenting their capstone projects, undergraduate research, and creative work to the university and community. These projects represent the culmination and synthesis of our students' academic aspirations. Please join me in applauding and congratulating them on their UMCUR success, and thanks to the many members of our honors community who have mentored projects, served as UMCUR judges, and who have in big and small ways, contributed to the event’s success. A special shout out to Dr. Alexis Gibson, DHC alum and UM’s Director of Office Undergraduate Research, for her leadership.
 
Congratulations and DHC love to the UM Dance Team and captain DHC senior Andi Newbrough, and to our magnificent mascot Monte, on their recent success in national competition!
 
A reminder that applications for new DHC Ambassadors are open. Ambassadors are the dynamic team on the front line of the college’s student recruitment efforts; they reach out to prospective students, meet with campus visitors, and represent the DHC at a variety of events each year, performing important service to the college while also learning and growing as leaders and humans. Applications are available here, and are due April 22. https://dhc.submittable.com/submit/148317/dhc-ambassadors-application-2024-due-April-22
 
Our student-led drive to stock a food pantry in the DHC Kitchen is off to a great start. Find the tub in the DHC lobby and please be generous!
 
UM’s S.E.A. Change initiative (Go Twila!) will offer a FREE summer camp for high school students from June 10-15. Campers will address gender equity and empowerment, about opportunities, reflect, grow, and have fun! Participants will cap their week with a trip to Silverwood. Applications are due April 30. https://www.umt.edu/sea-change/summer-camp/default.php
 
DHC’s Night at the Museum (the Montana Museum of Art and Culture) is set for April 23, 6:00-7:30 PM. We’ll have the special opportunity to view the collection with Director Professor Raphael Chacon. Refreshments will be provided. Space is limited so be sure to sign up by April 19 (today!) here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1KKdfNrH6wiu24OpPtSyuve7UpzaE5gb4GcEt88ZPzNM/edit 
 
Next week is UM’s Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities accreditation team visit, so it will be another important, all-hands-on-deck sequence of activities.
 
Here’s a reminder of some of the big end-of-semester events coming up:
4/19 Open Mic Night at the DHC
4/19-20 Kyiyo Pow-Wow
4/22-26 Earth Week at UM - note the special contributions and leadership of DHC Sustainability intern, Zoe Belinda!
4/27 Clarkfork River Clean-Up with Honors Student Association
4/30 Climate Change Studies Symposium
5/2 Learning Assistant Poster Showcase
5/3 Celebration of Scholars
5/5 DHC Documentary Film Festival
5/6 College of Business Capstone Showcase
5/8 Creative Writing and Visual Arts Showcase
5/10 DHC Medallion Ceremony
5/11 UM Commencement featuring an address by DHC alumnae Lily Gladstone
 

Amidst all this busyness of spring, I’ll close with this beauty by Joy Harjo, Remember.
 
Remember the sky you were born under,
know each of the star’s stories.
Remember the moon, know who she is.
Remember the sun’s birth at dawn, that is the
strongest point of time. Remember sundown
and the giving away to night.
Remember your birth, how your mother struggled
to give you form and breath. You are evidence of
her life, and her mother’s, and hers.
Remember your father. He is your life, also.
Remember the earth, whose skin you are:
red earth, black earth, yellow earth, white earth
brown earth, we are earth.
Remember the plants, trees, animal life who all have their
tribes, their families, their histories, too. Talk to them,
listen to them. They are alive poems.
Remember the wind. Remember her voice. She knows the
origin of the universe.
Remember you are all people and all people
are you.
Remember you are this universe and this
universe is you.
Remember all is in motion, is growing, is you.
Remember language comes from this.
Remember the dance that language is, that life is.
Remember.
 
Love,