School Notes: Yale College
May/June 2011

Director of Yale Journalism Initiative honored for work in the humanities

Mark Oppenheimer '96, '03PhD, director of the Yale Journalism Initiative, won the 2010 Hiett Prize, which recognizes the accomplishments and potential of future leaders in the humanities. Since earning his doctorate in religious studies from Yale in 2003 and receiving the John Addison Porter Prize for best dissertation in the humanities, Oppenheimer has authored three books: Knocking on Heaven’s Door: American Religion in the Age of Counterculture; Thirteen and a Day: The Bar and Bat Mitzvah Across America; and Wisenheimer: A Childhood Subject to Debate. He also writes a biweekly Beliefs column for the New York Times, and his work has appeared in other publications such as Harper's, Slate, and Mother Jones. Oppenheimer is also a lecturer in Yale’s English and political science departments and a creative writing fellow at Wellesley. For further information on the YJI, visit http://writing.yalecollege.yale.edu/yale-journalism-initiative.

Global Health Initiative names fellows

Yale College is proud to announce the inaugural cohort of 14 Yale Global Health Fellows, an offshoot of the Jackson Institute’s Global Health Initiative. Under the supervision of Professor Kaveh Khoshnood, the group of sophomores and juniors will develop expertise in global health through an interdisciplinary course of study and a minimum of eight weeks of field research and practice. Approaching global health challenges demands an understanding of relevant economic, political, social, cultural, biological, and scientific issues. Program participants fittingly represent a diversity of expertise, with majors ranging from international economic policy to neuroscience. Their geographic interests span the globe, from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to Seoul, South Korea. For profiles on each of the Yale global health fellows, please visit http://ghi.yale.edu/yale-global-health-fellows-announced.

Whiffenpoofs face off with nation’s top a cappella groups

For two nights in December, the illustrious Whiffenpoofs appeared on NBC’s second season of The Sing Off. The competition, hosted by Nick Lachey and featuring a panel of celebrity judges, brought together ten of the country’s best a cappella groups to vie for $100,000 and a Sony Music recording contract. Known for their diverse repertoire, the Whiffs performed "Grace Kelly" by Mika and "Haven’t Met You Yet" by Michael Bublé. Though judge Ben Folds complimented the group’s Broadway style, and Nicole Scherzinger (The Pussycat Dolls) affectionately called them her "little Whiffenpoof penguins," the Whiffs were soon eliminated. For their swan song, the Whiffs sang "Home Sweet Home" by Mötley Crüe. The group also had the opportunity to record a song for the show and fly to Los Angeles for the live finale. Whiffenpoof Ben Wexler '11 reflected, "We got to branch out and expose ourselves to a lot of different styles. Overall, it was a really positive experience." For show highlights, visit http://www.nbc.com/sing-off/. Further information about the Whiffenpoofs, including a tour schedule, can be found at www.whiffenpoofs.com/.

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