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Under the name of France’s long-standing tradition of secularism, called laïcité, French law has restricted many Islamic religious practices in the last decade. These new laws, often dubbed Islamophobic by the international community, include banning the burqa and niqab in public spaces, forbidding headscarves in public schools and restricting public prayer. Victoria Lin ’15 examined the impact of these laws on Muslim identity through her Emerson Grant.

Ashlie Flood ’15 combined her interests in art, photography and museums in her  internship at the Smithsonian Gardens in Washington, D.C. this summer. The Gardens, created in 1972, are an extension of the Smithsonian Museum complex. They include not only public outdoor gardens, but also interiorscapes and horticultural exhibits. As the Katzenberger Art History Intern for the Smithsonian Gardens, Flood is one of six undergraduates to be offered a 10-week position with the Museum.

For her Emerson Grant this summer, Hannah Chappell ’15 is working with Professor of English Onno Oerlemans on a project titled “Moving Through Language: The Intersection of Literature, Dance and Performance.” She'll research authors whose texts contain elements of dance; choreographers and dancers whose work includes elements of literature;  and examine how literary theory can be applied to dance.

Hallie Loft ’15, an English major, spent the summer interning in the newsroom at New Hampshire Public Radio (NHPR). Loft explained that she has always enjoyed writing, but has been seeking an outlet that would allow her to share her thoughts and ideas with a public audience. Furthermore, as a New Hampshire resident, she has been an avid listener of NHPR since a young age.

Roughly every five or six years, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) publishes a report that indicates the current impact of climate change and consequent policy recommendations. The most recent report, the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report, contains three separate reports based on the IPCC’s working groups. Ming Chun Tang ’16, under the guidance of Professor of Government Peter Cannavo, is researching online news media’s coverage of the IPCC’s Fifth Assessment Report for his Levitt Fellowship this summer.

Courtney Smith ’86, P’16 has created several internship opportunities for Â鶹¹ú²úAV students this summer through the Greenbrier Valley Community Foundation in Lewisburg, W.V. As the executive director of the foundation, Smith contacted local nonprofits to see if any of the organizations would be interested in taking on summer interns. Several offered to host interns and Meredith Garner ’15, Liz DaBramo ’15, and Medjine Lucien ’16— were selected. 

This summer Brendan Cunningham ’15 is interning with the re-election campaign for Rep. Steve Israel of New York’s 3rd Congressional District on Long Island. Israel has served in the House of Representatives since 2001 and currently chairs the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

Zoe Tessler ’16 is interning this summer at the Wild Center in Tupper Lake, N.Y, with support from the Jeffrey Fund in the Sciences, which funds students who intern at organizations that promote wildlife conservation or animal care. The Wild Center, located in the Adirondack Park, is a nonprofit organization that educates visitors on the Adirondacks’ rich biodiversity and natural history often through interactive exhibits.

This summer, Mackenzie Leavenworth ’15 is interning at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. It is one of the largest art museums in the country, and houses many famous works including those of Marcel Duchamp, Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, and Paul Cézanne. The museum’s campus consists of the Perelman Building, the Rodin Museum, two historic houses in Fairmount Park, and the main building, whose steps became world-famous after the debut of the film Rocky.

Amy Defnet ’16, through the support of the Scott Steven Morris ’86 Fund, is interning this summer at Aadmi Consulting in Boston. Aadmi, a human resources consulting firm, specializes in helping its clients develop employee recruitment strategies and adhere to the confines of local tax and labor laws. Aadmi’s clients consist mostly of small businesses local to the Boston area as well as international non-profit organizations.