Hello Honorables,

Today is International Translation Day! Did you know that translation is so intrinsic to the literary culture and scholarship at the University of Iowa? The International Writers Workshop has facilitated translation collaborations between writers from around the world, and we house so many great translators in residence. Learn more about the history and practice of translation at Iowa here.

Today's edition of the Honorable Messenger brings you some important deadlines, information about great upcoming events, and reminders about Honors Program requirements. If you are interested in submitting content for the Honorable Messenger, you can do so by clicking the button below.

Don't forget to mask up, be safe, but have fun with your classes!

Submit to the Honorable Messenger

Virtual Learning Tip of the Week

 Avoid Multitasking

It's tempting to check Instagram or answer emails, but staying focused during your entire recorded lecture or Zoom lecture is just as important as staying focused while sitting in a classroom. But the brain can't focus on 2+ tasks at once! When you multitask, your mind is having to switch mental processes between tasks and this reduces productivity. You actually retain less, lose efficiency, and impair your best thinking!

Announcements

Honors Contract Forms Extended to October 16th

The deadline to submit an Honors contract for a non-honors class has been extended to October 16th! If you want to learn more about contracting a class, make an appointment with a peer mentor and discuss your options. Reach out to your instructor as soon as possible if you are interested. For more information visit our website or email our Assessment Manager at addison-woll@uiowa.edu.

Support Groups by University Counseling Services

University Counseling Services offer support groups for specific communities and student groups, such as Black Student Support Groups, ADHD Support Group, Living Through Loss, International Student Support Group and sessions about COVID on campus. Students are welcome to attend these sessions, and these groups hope to help students through any challenges or concerns they might be facing. You can find more information about these sessions and timings here.

Kay Keeshan Hamod Scholarships

This scholarship applauds a history major for designing a distinguished Honors Thesis or Project. You must be a member of the Honors Program and a History major enrolled full-time as a junior or senior in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences in Fall 2020. Application materials include a letter of application (300 words), copy of academic record, statement about Honors project or thesis (200 words), and name of a faculty member for a letter of recommendation. Applications should be submitted electronically to kasey-befeler@uiowa.edu by October 15, 2020.

Join the Book-ish Club!

Are you looking to take a break from classes by getting some fun reading done? The Book-ish Club will have its first meeting via zoom on the 9^th of October at 5.30 PM. For our first meeting, we will be reading The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros, to highlight a Latinx alum from the Iowa Writer’s Workshop during Latinx Heritage Month! If you need a free e-copy of the book, please email mishmastefni-nixon@uiowa.edu.

Gilman Scholarship Information Sessions

The Gilman Scholarship Program aims to diversify the kinds of students who study and intern abroad, including virtual academic and internship programs. It is open to U.S. citizen undergraduate students who are receiving Federal Pell Grant to participate in study and intern abroad programs worldwide. Applications are due October 6th. For more information, register here to attend the information session on the 1^st of October from 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM.

Drop-in Draft Reviews for UI Undergraduate Fellowships

Need to talk through an essay draft before the weekend, but don't have an appointment? Every Friday from 2:00 PM - 3:20 PM, Kelly Thornburg will be holding drop-in advising sessions via zoom to offer help on application essays and personal statements. These conversations must be quick, so it is best to come with a couple of questions, a problem paragraph, or a page of text you want to run by someone with some experience. If you've got a draft to share, please email it to kelly-thornburg@uiowa.edu before you drop-in. To schedule a full draft review conversation or fellowships consult, make an appointment here.

Events

Attend the Honors Open House

Things look a lot different this semester, but the Honors Program has developed some new social events, groups, and opportunities to keep you connected to your peers! Join us on Monday, October 5^th from 4:00 PM to 4:45 PM to hear from the new Honors Diversity Council, Honors Admins, Honors Ambassadors, and Professional Staff. Register here to attend and contact honors-program@uiowa.edu if you have questions!

Why Being an Archeologist Is Actually Cool – Virtual Lecture

Join Eta Sigma Phi for our virtual lecture series, The Little Things, as we celebrate the little things in Classics that bring us joy. Our next presentation will be on Wednesday, October 7th at 5:30 pm on Zoom. The guest speaker will be Daira Nocera, a professor of Roman history and archaeology at IES Abroad Rome. Her presentation “Why Being an Archaeologist is Actually Cool” focuses on the myths and facts about the profession of a field archaeologist and a scholar of the ancient world. She will talk about the thrill of discovery and the reward of getting your hands “dirty”.

From the Blog

Discover Internships: Exploring New Avenues

Are you uncertain about what an internship can do for you? In his post-experience narrative, Jacob Wendell details what he learned through his time at Ultra-Vue. While he does not expect to work in the field, he shows the value in doing something outside a chosen realm of study. Read his post here to see how this experience steered him in a surprising direction!