Current and Recent Activities

In collaboration with Sam Houston State University’s American Democracy Project, The New York Times Knowledge Network will host a luncheon for faculty on how to integrate The New York Times into the classroom. The Times is more than just the news, it is material for class discussions, topics for research projects and the starting point for new ideas.

Many educators think of The Times as a living textbook, and find it invaluable for keeping students engaged. The program is designed to:

1. Encourage critical thinking
2. Promote global awareness
3. Cultivate social responsibility
4. Bring relevancy into the classroom
5. Foster serendipitous learning
6. Develop a habit of daily reading

Furthermore, this workshop will provide an overview of The Times resources such as campus speakers, use of TimesSelect, sponsored events and more. Teaching strategies will help you to enrich your curriculum, stimulate discussion, nurture your student's intellectual curiosity and deepen their knowledge. In addition, if a faculty member incorporates The New York Times into a course syllabus with at least 10 or more students in the classroom, they can get a copy of The New York Times daily (M-F home delivered during the semester) for free.

The faculty workshop luncheon will be held on Wednesday, November 29, 2006, from 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM, in the Lowman Student Center, Room 320. Please R.S.V.P. to Linda Meyer either by email at lib_lsm@shsu.edu or via phone at 294-3551 by November 15, 2006.

The American Democracy Project, along with SGA and The New York Times welcome Ralph Blumenthal to speak on November 2, 2006 at 1 p.m. in the LSC Theatre. Mr. Blumethal, Houston Bureau Chief of the New York Times, will be addressing the audience with "Blood Sport: Texas Politics and the Govenor's Race as reported by The New York Times."

View the Presentation Flyer

The SHSU American Democracy Project, the Political Engagement Project and students in the introduction to collegiate studies class, SAM 136, are registering students to vote this November and providing election information as part of the ADP's Fall 2006 Election Initiative.

Student volunteers and ADP members will be running voter registration tables through Oct. 6 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Students must be registered to vote before Oct. 6 in order to participate in the election, according to Dana Grant, ADP steering committee member for ADP.

"The Initiative seeks to maximize college students' participation in and exposure to the election process by encouraging student voter registration and distributing information about the November 2006 elections," Grant said.

Election information will also be distributed Oct. 9 through Nov. 7, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The voter registration and election information tables are located in front of the main entrance of the Lowman Student Center.

For more information about voter registration and the elections, contact Tamara Waggener, assistant professor of political science, at 936.294.1466 or pol_taw@shsu.edu.

The Center for Community Partnerships at Sam Houston State University hosted it's 3rd Annual Volunteer Fair in September, 2006. Eighteen organizations from the Huntsville community set up booths in the outdoor mall area to inform students about their mission. These organizations encouraged students to volunteer their time and energy to increase social change in the local community.

The Center for Community Partnerships was developed as a collaboration between Student Activities and the American Democracy Project in 2005. The center strives to maintain connections with the student body and the Huntsville community.

The Sam Houston State Univeristy Constitution Day celebration was held on Tuesday, September 19th.

This years featured speaker was Paul Finkelman, the President William McKinley Distinguished Professor of Law and Public Policy at Albany Law School. Dr. Finkelman gave an address entitled "Civil Liberties in Time of War: What We Can Learn from History."

Dr. Finkelman served as the SHSU Distinguished Lecturer last spring and received rave reviews for his talk on the Ten Commandments and the Constitution.

The event was organized by the SHSU American Democracy Project Steering Committee and by the Departments of History and Political Science.

THE SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

DATE: Tuesday, September 19, 2006

VENUE: Lowman Student Center, Room 320

8:30 - 9:20 OPENING CEREMONY AND INTRODUCTION
Welcome from the SHSU Provost, Dr. David Payne
Showing of a video: "Are We to be a nation?", "Liberty: The American Revolution"
Recitation of the Preamble

9:30 - 10:50 DR. TOM COX (History) and DR. JEFF LITTLEJOHN (History)
"The Civil Liberties Tradition in Modern America."

11:00 - 12:20 DR. JOHN DOMINO (Political Science)
"Making Sense of the Fray over Judicial Activism: Originalism, Strict Construction, or a Living Constitution?"

12:30 - 1:50 DR. GLENN SANFORD (Philosophy)
"Science and the Constitution: The Scopes Trial and the Continuing Controversy over Creation and Evoluction"

2:00 - 3:20 DR. PAUL FINKELMAN
"Civil Liberties in Time of War: What We Can Learn from History"

3:20 - 3:30 CLOSING CEREMONY