Mary Bilder, professor of law at Boston College Law School, recently received a grant from the William Nelson Cromwell Foundation to continue research on her forthcoming book on President James Madison. "Madison's Hand will combine traditional political and constitutional approaches to Madison's notes with an emphasis on biography, cultural history, and constitutional historiography," Bilder told reporters. "The book will argue that our ability to see what happened at the convention is nearly impossible except through Madison." The award cited the "importance and originality" of Bilder's work.
ON CAMPUS
Student profiled by 'Globe' about his experiences abroad
Luke Hughes, A&S '10, who is currently studying abroad in Cape Town, South Africa, was recently profiled by The Boston Globe. Hughes told reporters of the benefits of studying abroad, such as introduction to different cultural traditions, foods, and nightlife. "I often tell friends and family of my experience in Zimbabwe over spring break and of how I gained a new understanding of poverty and need in my travels there. It is unlike anything I have ever experienced," Hughes said. Hughes was particularly attracted to South Africa due to the country's long and diverse racial history. He said that students in the country tend to appreciate education more due to its scarcity.
UNIVERSITIES
Institutions urged not to forget the global market for education
University presidents and provosts who gathered for a conference in New York last week expressed fears that higher education might draw back from globalization as a result of the declining economy. "Especially at a time like now, we run the risk as a country of being too insular and pulling back too much," Mark S. Wrighton, chancellor of Washington University in St. Louis, told reporters. "American higher education is one of our strong cards, and we don't have many." Fareed Zakaria, an editor of Newsweek International, said in his speech at the two-day event that the United States has a unique advantage in the strength of its colleges and universities, a quality magnified through the acceptance of foreign scholars.
Students find Milton through
'Paradise Lost' group reading
Students and professors gathered at St. Olaf University, Minn., for a complete reading of John Milton's Paradise Lost in honor of the poet's 400th birthday. The reading took a full 12 hours, from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. The event, organized by Richard J. DuRocher, professor of English, envisaged the reading as a kind of marathon. The metaphor continued through the reading: As the readers worked their way through the 11th of the poem's 12 books, one of them asked DuRocher, "Have we hit the wall yet?," according to the Chronicle of Higher Education. "Oh, we're way beyond the wall," DuRocher said. Those who participated said the event was well worth the while. "It's a really cool story, which I wasn't expecting," said Anna Coffey, a sophomore at St. Olaf.
UNDER REPORTED
Escaped inmate returns to prison, regrets bid for freedom
An escaped inmate in Kentucky surprised jailers when he returned to prison of his own volition on the afternoon of his escape. Chad Toy told reporters, "When I rang the bell at the jail and told them who I was, they were surprised." The 21-year-old man is serving a four-year sentence for theft as well as awaiting trial for charges of home invasion. Toy said of his escape from the prison, "It was a spur-of-the-moment decision. I saw an open door and just ran through it." He said, however, that his family worried for his safety and encouraged him to return. "I am sorry about what I did," Toy said. "If I had it to do over again, I would have never run out the door."
Spring Break
