COLLEGE SHORTS

Author: Nicha Rakpanichmanee

Pro-Palestinian College Movement

Emerges in Middle East Violence

With the escalation of violence in West Bank and Gaza, many pro-Palestinian groups have grown more prominent on college campuses nationwide. The pro-Palestinian student groups have developed campaigns based on justice and human rights, while pro-Israeli student groups have refuted with accusations of Palestinian terrorism and, more importantly, with better funding and more established networks of activism.

However, about 100 pro-Palestinian students of the University of Michigan sponsored three demonstrations in March alone, in addition to the increase of other high- and low-profile strategies. At Berkeley University, 500 students of various nationalities and religious affiliations voted in February to support the national effort of the Palestine Solidarity Movement in sending money and supplies to Middle Eastern civilians this summer. Students from across the nation — Palestinian, Jewish, non-Arab and non-Muslim alike — have come out in support of the Palestine Solidarity Movement.

Pro-Israeli and Jewish student groups, especially national and even international organizations like Hillel, have also focused their campaigning efforts against supporters of the Palestine cause. These groups usually outnumber pro-Palestinian students. For example, there are 6,000 Jewish students and only 2,000 Arab or Muslim students at University of Michigan.

Source: The New York Times



Computer Game Design:

From Hobby to Masters Degree Program

The Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) recently established the first master's program in computer game design, in response to the exponential growths of the computer game industry and culture.

The master's program at RIT is the latest development in nationwide debates on an interdisciplinary program that combines artists with software engineers to create interactive artificial intelligence that looks like Lara Croft. In January, the Art Institute of San Francisco offered game design courses for an undergraduate degree, after Carnegie Mellon University began its Entertainment Technology Center three years ago, with a variety of non-degree computer animation and special effects classes related to game design.

The academic status of game design is still disputed at many colleges, oftentimes where there is a disparity between arts and computer science faculty and departmental resources. One certainty, however, appears to be the computer game industry, which is estimated to grow five times in the next decade, from $20 to $100 billion annually.

Yet because technology grows even faster than the business, new computer game design graduates may be rebuffed in the company of more experienced designers, since all would have to be trained on the job. While many supporters of the degree program cite employment readiness, an average entry-level designer's salary is no more than $45,000. Other scholars argue that the synthesis of artistic and technological skills is more valuable reward from a computer game design degree.

Source: The New York Times



Harvard Pleads for West to Stay

Harvard University students delivered a petition signed by 1,200 students, faculty and alumni yesterday to Professor Cornel West, imploring him not to leave his leadership role at Harvard's Afro-American studies department for a professorship at Princeton University.

West has been identified with Afro-American studies nationwide after authoring many influential works, such as "Race Matters" and "The American Evasion of Philosophy: A Genealogy of Pragmatism and Post Analytic Philosophy." He teaches an introductory course in Afro-American studies, one of the most popular at Harvard. He is also the second-most cited black scholar in the field of social science from 1996 to 2000, according to The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education.

It has been rumored that Harvard President Lawrence Summers made an offensive comment to West last fall, prompting West to consider the open position at Princeton. Summers said Monday that he has been urging West to stay.

The Princeton Board of Trustees meets today, and West would have to file an application by today in order to be considered for appointment. As of Monday, the Princeton spokesperson said West's name has not been included in the list of appointments to be discussed at the meeting.

The next opportunity, if West decides to move to Princeton, is June 3.

Source: UwireToday.com