Greetings from the Chair - College of Liberal Arts & Science - Wayne ...

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www.clas.wayne.edu/languages
Jerry Klaft - Alumni Update
Jerry Klaft is currently employed
as an adjunct instructor in Spanish at
Alpena Community College. A 1994
graduate with an M.A. in Spanish,
he retired from Comerica Bank in
2004. Jerry currently spends his
summers in Rogers City, and winters
in Boynton Beach, Florida. “I have
fond memories of many wonderful and
helpful colleagues. I hope to be able
to read and hear about their news in
a future newsletter. I miss them and
wish everyone the best.” Jerry’s e-mail
address is pier410@charter.net. n
Ann Mandelbaum - Alumni Update
Ann Mandelbaum (Spanish) received her Ph.D. in 1987. A
resident of Franklin, MI, she is Director of the Hispanic Education
for Lifeskills Project. The Lifeskills Project is a free, all-volunteer
Fall 2011
Margaret Winters Participates in Far Eastern Conferences
Professor Margaret E. Winters (French,
CMLLC Chair) recently presented two
papers at linguistics conferences in
the Far East. The first titled “Syntax:
Symbolic or Autonomous,” was
presented at the Eleventh International
Cognitive Linguistics Conference in
Xi’an, China. The second presentation
titled “Prediction and Language Change,”
was presented at the International
Conference on Historical Linguistics in
Osaka, Japan, with Dr. Geoffrey Nathan.
This was Professor Winters’s first visit
to these countries, and she appreciated
the opportunity to experience first-hand
some aspects of two cultures which
form part of the Department’s degree
offerings. n
program, and teaches English to the Hispanic community in the
city of Pontiac and greater Oakland County (MI). n
Near Eastern Studies Faculty Participate in
National Conference Roundtable
Are you Shi’a or Sunni?” This was just one of the
subject areas covered in a roundtable discussion for
Islamic Studies instructors at the Middle East Studies
Association annual meeting in San Diego. Organized by Saeed
Khan, with participation from Near Eastern Studies colleagues
May Seikaly, Soraya Saatchi, and Vanessa DeGifis, the session
explored the challenges that Islamic Studies faculty experience
in approaching the subject of Islam. According to the
participants, the past decade has witnessed an unprecedented
interest in Islamic Studies, though this interest has been
fostered in a polarized world. Today’s instructor, they maintain,
must confront the preconceived notions about Islam among
Muslim and non-Muslim students. There may be instances
when instructors face direct challenges to their authority from
students suspicious of an instructor’s political or religious
orientations. “The dynamics within the classroom are often
directly influenced by public discourses on gender, human
rights, law, war, citizenship, and identity politics,” according
to Khan. How then can an instructor navigate the contentious
fault lines that may exist in the class room and still provide
a healthy class environment on a social phenomenon such as
Islam? The design of the session was intended to create an
ongoing dialogue. Hopefully, it will continue into the future,
addressing both challenges and potential solutions. n
World Talk
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