All posts by mpalermi

The History of CELOP

November 2015, ,
Celop Timeline 75-85
Celop Timeline 86-95
Celop Timeline 96-05
Celop Timeline 06-15

The Founding

CELOP was founded in 1975 by Robert Saitz and Francine Stieglitz who were both professors teaching in the English Department at that time. The center was their brainchild. Before CELOP was created, English Department instructors held classes for international students in that department.   Francine Stieglitz was the first director.

Development and Growth

The center was first located at 730 Commonwealth Ave., and in the very first year there were 345 students; however, that number grew to 840 in 1978 and 1100 in 1980.   In the very early years, scholarship students sent from Venezuela and Iran made up the student body. There were also students from Saudi Arabia, Japan, and other Latin American countries.

Susan Doll became the next director of CELOP in 1984. Then, the very next year when Margot Valdivia became the associate director, a large number of students from Beirut, Lebanon arrived; they were the Hariri students. The business tycoon and former Prime Minister of Lebanon, Rafic Hariri, sponsored this group. They continued to come for about a year or so. CELOP has continued to grow and attract students from different parts of the world since then.

Students Today and Famous Alumni

Margot Valdivia became the director and Bruce Rindler the associate director in 1988.  Six years later, in 1995, CELOP moved to 890 Commonwealth Ave. At that time, CELOP continued to grow and attract students from different parts of the world. One of our more famous students was Psy, the Korean pop culture sensation who started the Gangnam Style craze. Psy studied at CELOP in 1996. Another famous student was A-Mei, a famous pop singer and songwriter from Taiwan, who studied at CELOP in 2005

Cooperation with Foreign Universities, Companies and Cultural Mission

Nowadays, CELOP students come from many parts of the world as well as from many famous universities and company sponsorships. These include Waseda and Hosei universities in Japan, the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), the Saudi Arabia Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC), and the Saudi Arabian Cultural Mission to the US (SACM). CELOP students continue on to prestigious undergraduate and graduate programs such as the Harvard Graduate School of Design, BU College of Engineering, BU School of Law, BU Questrom School of Business, and many more. CELOP continues to be a vibrant leader in English as a Second Language training and special orientation programs under the leadership of Alan Broomhead, Managing Director, and Colin Large, Associate Director.

Legal English Certificate Program 2015-2016

October 2015
LECP Participants with Judge Hoffman
LECP Participants with Judge Hoffman at the Bankruptcy Courthouse in downtown Boston

The Legal English Certificate Program (LECP) is the collaboration between CELOP and the BU Law School (BUSL), which offers foreign lawyers the chance to pursue a graduate law degree at Boston University. Begun in September 2014, the program provides participants the opportunity to brush up on their legal English skills and take law classes in the first year of a two-year LLM degree at Boston University.  In the second year, students then begin their graduate law program at BUSL. Before the second year starts, students choose to specialize in American Law, Banking and Finance, Intellectual Property, or Tax law.

Among the participants this year are individuals from Saudi Arabia, Oman, Russia, the People’s Republic of China, Taiwan R.O.C., Thailand, Mozambique, Turkey, Italy, and the Republic of Korea. In this program, some students complete the certificate program and then return home after the first year. Yet, usually the majority stays for the second year to complete the LLM. Upon finishing this degree, these individuals can sometimes find an internship and work in the legal field for a year in the US. Nevertheless, most of these students return home to their previous work or seek a new position.

 

 

Legal Programs at CELOP – Education and Fun for Teachers and Students

August 2015

For those of you who are not aware, among our professional programs, CELOP offers Legal English for Pre-LLM Students (EN026) for 6 weeks and Legal English for Practitioners (EN006) too, for 4 weeks.

In the former program, practicing lawyers and recently graduated law students come to hone their English skills to start an LLM program in the fall. What does that mean, you say? An LLM is a masters degree in law designed specifically for international students. Once they finish the Pre-LLM legal English program at CELOP, the majority of students will study at the BU Law School. However, as in past years, there are others who are going to Harvard, Emory College, Boston College and others. In the EN026 program, pre-LLM students study both legal English with CELOP faculty and legal cases and concepts with a law professor from BU.

The other program, Legal English for Practitioners (EN006), is a little different. This course is designed for lawyers (and on occasion law students) who only have 4-weeks to stay and study. In this program they learn about the American Legal System and also work on establishing a law partnership agreement. Just as in the Pre-LLM program, these individuals practice their legal English skills and learn about the law from a BU law professor. Sounds like fun, right?

In these programs we teach and learn and have fun. Both groups of students met at a welcome lunch, and they also went on a sunset cruise just for them a few weeks ago. What is better than a warm evening on the harbor, the setting sun, a cold drink, wind blowing through your hair, and laughing with your colleagues and friends. Not much! This program is educational and fun for all—students and teachers alike.

If you have any questions, write one in the comment section below!  Or email me at mpalermi@bu.edu.

Enjoy the picturesque photos!

image3
Students at the John Joseph Moakley United States Courthouse
Sunset Cruise 1
Students on the sunset cruise
Lynn Sunset Cruise-1
Lynn Bonesteel, Coordinator for the Pre-LLM program, and a student talk on the sunset cruise

My Mother’s Guiding Light

March 2015,

Burning ever so brightly, my mother’s light saves me

from the hardships I face daily, the fires I put out;

That beacon streams through the darkness and calls me to reflect

on troubles that beset me, those I cannot neglect;

my mother shines her goodness, nurtures my soul, and replenishes my cup,

because she and I are of the same heart, the same heart, the same heart,

the one that guides us through to the other side.

Thank you, mom.

 

Maria Palermino

October 30, 2014

 

 

50th Birthday of the Civil Rights Movement in the US

January 2015,

The civil rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s was started by people in favor of giving the same rights to African-Americans as those of the white population.  Fifty years have passed, since people of all ethnic and racial backgrounds began to protest about inequality and discrimination.  The Civil Rights Act of 1964 became a law and banned segregation and discrimination in the workplace against African-Americans.  To remember this significant change fifty years later, celebrations across the states have been going on since 2014 and continue to go on today to show great appreciation for the change.  Last year was the 50th birthday of this law.

Why did the civil rights movement take place?

Segregation

www.crmvet.org/images/imgyoung.htm

In the 19th century, there were laws that favored segregation and discrimination against African-Americans.  They were relegated to separate schools; they had to use public restrooms designated “colored” or “negro”, and were denied service at many restaurants; and voting qualifications were constantly changed and limited their right to vote.  These were only some problems they experienced in the 1950s and 1960s when something began to change.

That change happened when people like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., along with many others, began fighting for equality.  He wanted all minorities, African-Americans, women, Hispanics, and others to share the same constitutional rights.  His tireless work along with that of many others helped foster the women’s movement and others in later years.  Therefore, we consider Dr. King a national hero who was seeking equality for all people no matter who they were.

For additional information about this historic event, take a look at this link:
http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/civil-rights-movement-overview.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the States

January 2015, ,

King Dream SpeechOn the third Monday of January every year, the US celebrates Martin Luther King, Jr. day to honor the memory of this important freedom fighter during the civil rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s.  Above is Dr. King speaking to the people during the March on Washington when he gave his famous “I have a dream” speech.

King in Jail
King sitting inside his Birmingham jail cell

Dr. King was a political activist who supported equality for everyone regardless of color, gender, or nationality.  He led African-Americans in their fight for freedom at a time when the country was suffering from intense hatred between the white population and the African-Americans, especially in the south.

To work toward ending racial segregation and discrimination, Dr. King at times put his life in danger and was even imprisoned during a march in Birmingham, Alabama.  This man was an advocate for all people who suffered inequalities and discrimination, including women and immigrant groups.  Dr. King fought hard until the end of his life when he was assassinated in 1968.

Free At Last Sculpture
Martin Luther King Jr. obtained his doctorate degree in theology at BU. The "Free at Last" sculpture of 50 doves in the center of Marsh Chapel commemorates Dr. King, and his dream for peace in the 50 states of this country

 

To honor the life and legacy of this important freedom fighter, a movement started to make Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday a holiday after he died.  After a bill was introduced in congress, it gained support in 1976.  The bill became law in 1983, and in 2000 this holiday was finally observed in all 50 states.

For more information about Martin Luther King, Jr. and this holiday, please visit this site:  http://www.thekingcenter.org/king-holiday.

Photo Credits in order of appearance

  • andreakrobson.wordpress.com/2013/06/25/the-new-civil-rights-movement-a-new-generation-begins-the-fight-for-civil-rights/
  • www.crmvet.org/crmpics/mlk-jail-a.jpg
  • www.bu.edu/today/2012/celebrating-mlk-day-at-bu/

Thanksgiving at My Sister’s House

December 2014,
Maria Thanksgiving 1
my niece,  nephew, and  sister Maria Thanksgiving 2
my brother-in-law carving the turkey
Maria Thanksgiving
A Thanksgiving Feast!

By Maria Palermino

What do you get when you mix 2 Italian-American sisters who are both teachers at CELOP, 46 lawyers, 4 Fulbrighters, and children?  You get Thanksgiving 2014 with my sister, Donna Palermino.

Thanksgiving Food Italian Style

Food at Thanksgiving is a lot or “abundante”, as we say in Italian. First, we first had munchies: nuts, chips, and cheese and crackers, Then, there was turkey and lasagna, homemade meatballs and sausages, and all kinds of veggies, cranberry sauce (dark red jelly-like sauce eaten with the turkey), a chicken macaroni dish (from a student’s wife), and Korean food.  The desserts multiplied; almost everyone brought something sweet.  Pies were plenty, including Terry’s famous homemade apple pie that disappeared fast!!

The Guests—Our Students and Fulbrighters

Our guest list was very interesting: international lawyers, a couple of judges, recent law school graduates, 3 Fulbright students and 1 scholar, and several children.  Donna teaches law to lawyers and judge(s) from across the globe in the summer at CELOP.  (Another instructor teaches English, as well). This international group while very serious really knows how to party!   I am fortunate to teach legal English to other international lawyers and some law graduates in the summer.  They, too, came and had a great time.  Still, another legal group came!  I teach legal English presently to international students at the BU law school.  They also came with friends and children and partied. Every year I invite a Fulbright group, since I am on the board of the Massachusetts Chapter of the Fulbright Association.  Fulbright alumni (people who had a Fulbright scholarship) and board members invite students to spend Thanksgiving dinner with their family.

Maria Thanksgiving 3

The Party’s Over

This celebration was fun, exciting, and exhausting.  For Donna and me this is a those special event we look forward to each year.  Why?  Coming from a very big Italian family that has shrunk (gotten smaller) over the years, we miss not sharing this time with family and friends.  So, this our way of showing thanks.  We are both thankful for our closeness in our nuclear family and our opportunities at CELOP, which have offered us many occasions to work with and socialize with gifted people from all around the world.  Here’s to you!!

Maria Thanksgiving 5

Maria Thanksgiving 6

December Holidays Come in Many Flavors

December 2014, , ,

By Maria Palermino

Everyone is familiar with Christmas, Santa Claus and his sleigh filled with toys, right? The Jewish festival, Hanukkah, a time when the family unites, celebrates the history of the Jewish people and their religion, Judaism. Is this new for you?  Have you heard of Kwanzaa, the African-American holiday originating in Africa?  The family gets together to celebrate and give thanks. Let’s find out more about these, shall we?

Christmas - The True Meaning

Christmas
http://clasificadosde.com/the-true-meaning-of-christmas.html

In the Christian holy book, the Bible (Old Testament), a person can read this:

An angel of the Lord appeared to them…and said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord….This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger” (Luke 2: 4-19, Source:  http://www.cbn.com/spirituallife/Devotions/Noebel_MeaningofChristmas.aspx)

So, we can see that Christmas according to Christianity celebrates the birth of Jesus, the little infant pictured here.  Over the years, in churches across America on December 24, Christmas Eve, and December 25, Christmas day, many Christians attend mass (a church gathering where people pray to praise the birth of the son of god) to celebrate this day.

Hanukkah (Chanukkah)--The Festival of Lights

Hanukkah
www.gatesmillsvillage.com/homepage/news/chanukah-festival-lights

The celebration of Hanukkah is based on the Hebrew calendar and takes place in the autumn month known as Kislev.  This holiday usually lasts 8 days and celebrates an important military win of the Jewish people and “a miraculous supply of oil for the Temple.” Here you can see the Hanukkah menorah that has nine candles; each candle represents 1 of the eight nights, and the extra one is for lighting all the others.

Like other holidays in December, Hanukkah is a time for families to reunite, to eat special food, to give gifts, particularly to children, and to have fun playing the dreidel game, spinning a special top.  You can learn more online about the dreidel (www.wikihow.com/Play-Dreidel), and the history of Hanukkah (judaism.about.com/od/holidays/a/hanukkah.htm).

Kwanzaa--The Celebration of the First Harvest

Kwanzaa
http://www.euclidlibrary.org/kids/tickle 1

Beginning in Africa and celebrated in North, South, and Central America, and the Caribbean, Kwanzaa is from December 26 to January 1. The name comes from Swahili, “matunda ya kwanza” or “first fruits”. The African people originally celebrated the first harvests during this time.

Seven major principles are celebrated at this time: unity, self-determination, work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith. Similar to the other holidays, Kwanzaa is a time to celebrate the family, the community, and religion.

In 1966 Maulana Karenga, an Africana Studies Professor at California State University, Long Beach, established this holiday here in the US.  He started it as a way to resurrect (to bring back) the African roots and culture of African-Americans.  To learn more about the origins of this holiday, just look at this link: www.holidays.net/kwanzaa/sitemap2.htm

And if you’d like to have more detailed information about these holidays and other types of Christmas celebrations around the world, you can read this very interesting article: www.unitedplanet.org/blog/2013/01/03/from-christmas-to-diwali-winter-holidays-around-the-world  (United Planet Blog)

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

An Interview with the Friends of Society

December 2014

By Maria Palermino

Friends of Society
Friends of Society LogoThis is the logo of Friends of Society (designed by Faisal Alamsari), the group of SACM students (Saudi Arabian Cultural Mission).  According to Maysar Jabr, a journalist for the Makkah Newspaper in Saudi Arabia, and the young woman who is spearheading the group, this logo is “a small picture with a big meaning.  Friends of Society is a Saudi student group that does volunteering.  Our goal is to make people happy and make them smile.  This includes the young, the elderly and many others”.  

I had the opportunity to meet with 4 representatives of this 13 member group – Maysar Jabr, Shatha Alghamdy, Ammar Alsallumi, and Anas Albuzaid.  The following is what I learned from interviewing these members.  These answers are paraphrased from our conversations.

What is the Friends of Society?  How was it formed?
Friends of Society at Beth Israel 1
Friends of Society is a Saudi student group that strongly believes in helping others and volunteering, which is a devout belief in Islam.  We are part of an organization known as Hand by Hand; this concept originated from SACM sponsored students’ wanting to offer their kindness to others in need.  To promote volunteerism, Hand by Hand is planning a contest to celebrate the work of groups at institutions across the US.

As students at Boston University CELOP, we want to be a model for other teams across the country to follow. In the future, each of us wants to create a new group at the institutions where we will study, maybe outside of Boston.  Now we are planning for the long term. In fact, we’d like to encourage other international students to join us; all are welcome.

Glossary

  • Spearheading: leading, taking charge
  • Paraphrase: summarize, not the original words
  • Devout: heartfelt
  • Promote: increase, encourage
  • Bestowment: giving, donating

What is the group's vision/goal?  Who is the target population?

Our vision:
We believe that bestowment is not by participation only, but also by perseverance.

Our goal:
Our goal is to introduce western countries to the fact that the culture of volunteering is a significant part of our Islamic religion culture, which induces us to help and support all members in all societies.

Our Target:
The whole community is our target: international students, Saudi students in Boston, Saudi patients in Boston, Orphans and people in need, and parents and families.

Friends of Society at Beth Israel 2Tell me about some major activities of the group.

  • Volunteered at Community Servings to box and pack food
  • Collected and delivered clothes and toys for kids and people in need.
  • Helped Shelley, the CELOP Student Life Coordinator, organize social activities
  • Act as a resource for new Saudi students, for example helping them get their state IDs and drivers licenses, moving into new apartments, etc.
  • Visited Saudi patients at Massachusetts General Hospital and Dana Farber Cancer Institute to help them change their routines.
  • Visited premature infants and their parents in the Beth Israel Hospital neonatal intensive care unit and distributed gifts for moms and babies.
  • Packed winter supplies, such as scarves, gloves, hats, and socks to give them to the homeless in Back Bay, and Harvard Square.
  • Made boxes of food with macaroni, canned food, dry milk, jello, and cereals.

Friends of Society Community Service

Is there anything else that you would like to explain?

Shatha Alghamdy explained,

During the Thanksgiving break it was a real vacation for the group because we were able to do things to make and see people smile.  When we woke up in the morning, just knowing that you have only 1 objective:  to distribute things to the needy.  They smile, and they make me smile.  Every member knows what he/she does.  It doesn’t happen in other groups.

To follow the Friends of Society, you can find them on social media
Twitter:  @Societyfriends
facebook: facebook.com/friendsofsocietyusa
Instagram:  @Friends_of_Society

Photos courtesy of Friends of Society