Drum Major Institute for Public Policy Summer Program

The Drum Major Institutes DMI Scholars program takes 14 politically active students, trains them for careers in public policy at an intensive two-week Summer Institute in NYC, provides ongoing training during the school year, and places them in paid full-time policy internships.

Sophomores and Juniors are eligible to apply to the DMI Scholars program. The deadline is February 1, 2009. You can find the application and more details about the program here.

Gaza Antiwar Panel in Middletown

If you're on campus tomorrow afternoon, a panel discussion and strategy session is being held at the Church of the Holy Trinity, about how to build the antiwar movement in the Obama era and help end the conflict in Gaza.

A Panel Discussion and Strategy Session with . . .

• Chris Grohs, CT Iraq Veterans Against the War
• Mike Winterfield, Working Families Party Steering Committee Member, West Hartford Citizens for Peace Justice Board Member
• Youness Bakr, Palestine American Congress, organizer of recent Gaza actions
• Marissa Blaszko, CCSU student antiwar activist, recently returned from the UFPJ convention
• Tahnee Stair, ANSWER Coalition (Act Now To Stop War and End Racism)
• Chris Gauvreau, National Assembly to End the Wars in Afghanistan & Iraq

The U.S. Congress is backing the invasion of Gaza to the hilt. Obama's political appointments make it clear, the Status of Forces Agreement not withstanding, that a real end to the occupation of Iraq is not assured. Violence is on the upswing in Iraq and few displaced Iraqi civilians are ready to go home. In addition, plans to send a minimum of 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan are not being challenged by anyone in the US government. US bombings of Pakistan are threatening an even greater destabilization of the region. How can we build a movement to force the US government out of this quagmire? How can we force Congress to spend the money on human needs and not war, occupation, and the bailouts of the corrupt financiers? What antiwar activity is planned for Spring 2009 and how can we engage the not-yet-mobilized part of the population? Come discuss with activists committed to mass mobilizations & door-to-door work this spring.

Refreshments will be served. Humanitarian Fundraiser for Gaza at 5:30.

Date: Sunday, January 18
Time: 2 pm-3:30 pm
Place: Church of the Holy Trinity, 134 Main St.

WSA Releases Fountain Ave Policy Recommendations

The WSA's recommendations in response to last May's incident on Fountain Avenue have been adopted by the Assembly and are now available on the WSA homepage. The WSA will use these recommendations as a starting point to work with the administration to make improvements to University policy. Real change is possible, and we will work to make it happen.

Here is a direct link to the recommendations: http://www.wesleyan.edu/wsa/legislation/fountainrecs08.htt

The Wesleyan Student Assembly

The WSA's recommendations include a broad range of policy suggestions on issues such as social event registration, handheld cameras, and Public Safety protocol in dealing with violations of the Code of Non-Academic Conduct and calling MPD.

The recommendaitons also put forth ideas for educating students on their rights and responsibilities, improving relations between students and the community (including Public Safety and MPD), and creating safe social spaces on campus.