‣ Committees

Since the inception of the Euphrates Fellows Program in August 2009, Fellows have formed themselves into various committees to focus on areas of interest within the greater program goals.  Below are some of the most popular examples — including work in social media and video production, to more traditional and the always-needed research, writing, and event planning.  Together, a team of Fellows can spread the word far and wide in their community, using lots of different avenues.  Read on to see how you could be involved, and feel free to create new ways to contribute!

• Interfaith: Fellows who are interested in religion are encouraged to join the Interfaith committee. The purpose of our interfaith work is to build bridges between faiths and break down cultural divides. Fellows on this committee will attend several interfaith events in St. Louis and have opportunities to learn more about the three monotheistic faiths and present their research to the community and updates through the Euphrates website. Because of the high level of work involved and the possibility of travel to and from St. Louis, Fellows are not expected to serve on other committees.

• Blogging: Another great avenue for reaching individuals beyond just our campus community is through blogging. The Euphrates website has a specific section devoted to Fellows and their writing (Campus Base page). These short essays can be about any topic of your choice relating to the Middle East, whether that is women’s rights, politics, sustainability practices or a specific religion. If you enjoy keeping up with the news and sharing with others through writing, this is definitely a great committee for you. What’s most important is that you are writing about a topic that interests you! We expect these Fellows to write three blogs a semester which will be posted on the Euphrates website by the Fellows Program Manager. Blogs will be submitted in a Word document format.

• Campus Events: Fellows always have such great ideas for campus events that engage students and community members in cultural experiences, while learning more about the Middle East. These events can range from cultural activities such as preparing a booth for the Whole World Festival and organizing a Middle East dinner to movie/documentary screenings and celebrating religious holidays. Fellows are responsible for each and every part of the event, including all set up and take down. They will start by coming up with a clear idea and taking care of all of the logistics that are required to carry the idea out. This includes contacting all people who will need to help – from Dining Services, Media Services and Facilities to any guest speakers and prospective guests, making sure all of the facilities are available and preparing any presentations, displays and activities that might be included. Fellows are also responsible for all advertising.  If you enjoy event planning and seeing your ideas carried out into the community, this is the committee for you!

• Social Media: We recognize the increasing importance of social media in today’s world. Euphrates maintains a Facebook page, as well as a Twitter Feed (Campus Base), as a way to reach out to an even greater audience beyond the communities that we live in. We are looking for students to help keep our Euphrates Facebook page alive and up-to-date. We are also looking for students who know how to Tweet and can collectively Tweet daily about Middle East current events, exciting things coming up for Euphrates and positive or hopeful stories about or in the region. Both the Euphrates Twitter feed and the Campus Base Twitter feed will be linked to our Facebook page. This committee requires familiarity with Facebook and Twitter and an excitement to share what you’re learning about the Middle East!

• Video Production: There are many opportunities for creativity through video. More and more we are told about the importance of having videos, for both advertising and informational purposes, on our website. Besides for the website, students may also choose to create videos for the campus. Fellows are free to come up with their own ideas for a project, though they must be approved. A video team is expected to produce three videos per semester, at minimum.

• Lunchtime Discussions: Another great way to educate others about current events is through putting on lunchtime discussions. These discussions are on a topic of your choice and are open to faculty, staff and students. In order to create a successful lunchtime discussion, Fellows are must brainstorm a topic, take care of all the set-up, advertise, invite faculty and staff speakers and run the discussion, which is typically held in a glassed in dining room. Fellows must be knowledgeable about the topic themselves and ready to facilitate the discussion.

• Middle East Resources Research: In order to increase the resources that we have available to others who are interested in the Middle East, we need your help! These resources include books, articles, newspapers, travel opportunities, blogs, movies, maps, documentaries, videos and scholarships. One of our most important committees, this is a really good opportunity for Fellows who are looking to strengthen their research skills, while learning a lot about the Middle East in the process.

• Middle East Updates: Sharing with others what we are learning about the Middle East is extremely important at Euphrates. Not only are we here to inform and inspire each other, but also the community in which we are living. The Fellows on this committee can decide how they would like to do that, whether posting updates posted outside the Euphrates Office, putting together presentations for the campus, creating a bi-weekly/monthly bulletin or specific videos for the website. It’s up to you! If you are interested in taking time to inform others about what is happening in the Middle East, this is the committee for you.

Return to the Campus Base homepage.