News for Students & Alumni

Al Montero traveled to Cuba last year to explore the land of his parents’ birth and gather material for a new political science seminar that takes students beyond the textbook.

Political Science Department/Alumni Newsletter

“Signing On: Stories of Deaf Breast Cancer Survivors, Their Families, and Community” (Director – Barbara Allen) won Best Documentary at the Twin Cities Film Fest.

Senior Max Bearak (Pelham, N.Y.) authored a post for the New York Times “Green” blog, recapping his experience as a wilderness ranger in Nevada’s Humboldt National Forest this summer. His main focus was mapping the unexplored areas of Humboldt NF. He secured the position through the Student Conservation Association, which places successful applicants into about 4,200 positions each year. “I’m already longing to return to the wilderness as my classes begin,” he writes at the end of this post. “Something out West really beckoned to me, and following that call is a decision I’ll never regret.”

Matthew Fink ’11 (Inver Grove Heights, Minn.), an international relations/political science major, was featured on NBC’s KARE-11 Minneapolis/Saint Paul affiliate on May 10 as he prepares to graduate from Carleton. The station previously covered Fink when he graduated from Eagan (Minn.) High School, detailing how he’d overcome disabilities that were the result of him being born without a spleen and a resulting Septis infection that necessitated the amputation of his legs and arms below the elbow to save his life. The recent segment talks about how Fink’s Watson Fellowship will allow him to explore how gaming connects people with disabilities to the outside world, how his study abroad experience in China has influenced him academically, and how Fink still hopes to attend medical school and become a surgeon.

Jonathan Capehart ’89, a contributor for MSNBC and editorial writer at the Washington Post, appeared on “The Last Word” with Lawrence O’Donnell on Wednesday, April 27, discussing potential Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump’s assertion that current President Barack Obama wasn’t a “good student” during his time at Occidental College or at Columbia University. At the end of the segment, Capehart shares with the audience how Carleton gave him a chance as a student, allowing him to develop his skills. He is now a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, having won the award in 1999 for his 16-month editorial campaign to save the famed Apollo Theatre in Harlem when he worked for the New York Daily News.

Congratulations to Beth Budnick ’11.

Political Science Department bowling night for majors and faculty is scheduled for Friday, January 14, 2011, 7:00-10:00 p.m. at Jesse James Lanes. Watch this site for more information–you don’t want to miss this fun event! Fun, food, stylish bowling shoes!

Political Science Quiz Bowl Night is Tuesday, February 15, 7:00-9:00 p.m. in Great Hall. Brush up on your knowledge of political facts! Impress friends with your knowledge!