EARLHAM COLLEGE PODCAST - FOR THE BIRDS

(Length 7:32) - Mark Brim brings us another in our occasional series of "Profiles@Earlham." Mark chats with Biology Professor Bill Buskirk about his long tenure at the College, his love for birds, the 27-year history of "Birding Big Day" and his impending retirement.

The easiest way to make sure you get the Earlham College podcast each month is to subscribe. There is no cost and the program will come to you automatically. Use the XML feed to subscribe using the feed aggregator of your choice or, if you use iTunes, simply click the iTunes link. The iTunes program will check for new podcasts automatically each time you open the program.

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EC'S JEFF RICKEY MEMBER OF NATIONAL PANEL ON USE OF STANDARDIZED TESTS IN ADMISSIONS

Among those sitting on a blue ribbon panel to study the use of standardized tests in the college admissions process was Earlham College Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid Jeff Rickey. The report of the panel's year-long study was released at the annual gathering of the National Association of College Admission Counseling (NACAC) in Seattle. Will Earlham elect to make the SAT and ACT exams optional for admissions in the future? "Stay tuned," says Rickey.

Comprehensive Coverage:
The New York Times (excerpted in The Tampa Tribune)
The Chronicle of Higher Education
Inside Higher Ed

EARLHAM FACULTY, STUDENTS RESEARCH TSUNAMIS IN JAPAN

Earlham College Assistant Professor of Geology Andrew Moore and senior geology major Wesley Nutter were among a group of researchers studying the soil of the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido this summer. The researchers took soil samples to study the island's history of tsunami activity, which Nutter says show that enormous waves, at least 33 feet high, battered the island before the dawn of civilization there, according to Discovery News and MSNBC.

SENIOR EARMS WEEKLY ATHLETIC HONOR

Michelle Crane is the North Coast Athletic Conference's "Athlete of the Week" for women's cross country. She placed 12th in the Indiana Intercollegiates on Sept. 19.

FIRST-YEAR STUDENT COMPLETES 2,175-MILE APPALACHIAN TRAIL THRU-HIKE

Earlham College first-year student Tory Smith completed hike of the entire Appalachian Trail days before classes began. The five month long trek was "the hardest thing I've ever done," says Smith. Only about a quarter of those who begin a thru-hike actually complete the trail.

SOUNDS OF SWEET HONEY TO FILL GODDARD AUDITORIUM AT HOMECOMING

Sweet Honey in the Rock® sings songs of peace, justice, love and hope during two Homecoming and Reunion Weekend concerts on Friday, Oct. 17, 2008. Founded in 1973, Sweet Honey is a world-renowned all-female a cappella vocal ensemble committed to creating music out of the rich textures of African American legacy and traditions, including blues, spirituals, gospel, reggae, African chants, hip hop, ancient lullabies and jazz improvisation.

STUDENTS SPREAD PEACE WORLDWIDE WITH INNOVATIVE SUMMER PROJECTS

The hard work of Earlham students on projects related to peace and implemented throughout the world this summer highlights the importance and passion of young people. Two of the projects were funded by the Kathryn Wasserman Davis 100 Projects for Peace program and the third was funded by Earlham President Douglas C. Bennett. This is the second consecutive year that Earlham has participated in the peace projects program.

ROLE OF STANDARDIZED TESTS IN ADMISSIONS STUDIED BY NATIONAL PANEL, INCLUDING EC'S JEFF RICKEY

The National Association for College Admissions Counseling (NACAC) will release it's eagerly awaited "Report of the Commission on the Use of Standardized Tests in Undergraduate Admission" this week. The Chronicle of Higher Education obtained a pre-release copy of the report which stops well short of condemning admissions tests but it delivers the association's strongest statement to date on one of higher education's most controversial issues. Says panel member Jeff Rickey, Earlham's dean of admissions and financial aid, "We have, as a profession, neglected stewardship of this conversation."

EC PSYCH DEPT RESOLUTION LED WAY FOR NATIONAL CHANGE IN POLICY AT APA

After a year of helping lead the charge for a change in the American Psychological Association's (APA) stance on allowing members to participate in certain interrogations, the Earlham College Psychology Department and associate professor Michael R. Jackson can claim victory. This week APA announced that its membership has voted in favor of a petition resolution to specifically bar members from working where "persons are held outside of, or in violation of, either International Law or the U.S. Constitution."

Last year, the psychology department at Earlham passed a resolution calling for a change in the interrogations policy of APA. Breaking new ground by taking this national leadership role, Earlham's Resolution Regarding Participation by Psychologists in Interrogations in Military Detention Centers was the first of its kind issued by an American college or university academic unit. Nearly a dozen additional colleges have since signed onto the Earlham resolution.

EARLHAM PROTESTS AGAINST APA STANCE YIELD RESULTS

Members of the American Psychological Association have voted to amend its code of ethics to specifically bar members from working in settings where people are held outside of the protections of international law or the U.S. Constitution. Earlham Psychology Professor Michael R. Jackson has been spearheading the call for change within the APA. In today's Inside Higher Ed, he calls the change "an inspiring development."

EARLHAM COLLEGE PODCAST - EARLHAM'S RABBI

(Length 13:58) Earlham College was founded by the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in 1847. Since that time, the College has found much strength in its Quaker identity and its Quaker roots make it one of America's most distinct colleges. Still, Earlham practices diversity on a variety of levels -- including religious diversity. As Jewish students make up a percentage of its student body, the College has provided outreach to these students in any number of ways, including hiring a Campus Rabbi. We talk to the Quaker college's rabbi, Rachel Gartner about Judaism, religion and diversity on campus and let you know how and interested student can participate in campus activities. We also check in with Around The Heart editor Polly Wilde and get the scoop on some of the events coming up on campus.

The easiest way to make sure you get the Earlham College podcast each month is to subscribe. There is no cost and the program will come to you automatically. Use the XML feed to subscribe using the feed aggregator of your choice or, if you use iTunes, simply click the iTunes link. The iTunes program will check for new podcasts automatically each time you open the program.

Podcast Options:
GET THE MP3 - Click here if you only want to download this episode
GET THE FEED - Click here to access the XML feed to subscribe
JUMP TO iTUNES - Click here to subscribe or listen using iTUNES

PRESIDENT BENNETT CHOSEN BY SELECT MEDIA GROUP

Earlham President Douglas C. Bennett today joins a select group of 76 college and university leaders for the inaugural meeting of the New York Times/Chronicle of Higher Education Cabinet. Bennett was nominated for the Cabinet earlier this year because of his leadership in a variety of issues affecting higher education. The goal of the group is to identify trends and direct discussions about the most pressing issues facing higher education today.

EARLHAM STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN CREATION OF REGIONAL NEWS SERVICE

Excitement over the joint Earlham-Miami University project to create a regional news network extends from Cincinnati to New York. The project, known as the Miami-Whitewater Valley Public Media Project, will partner higher education with public and commercial media to create a new regional newsgathering model. Read our original release.

CONVOCATION SERIES BEGINS WITH AUTHOR DINAW MENGESTU

Speaking on immigration, class and social engagement, internationally acclaimed author Dinaw Mengestu opens Earlham's fall Convocation series on Wednesday, Sept. 10. Mengestu's novel, The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears, was selected as required summer reading for Earlham's first-year students.