Face to Face in Costa Rica

While still in the midst of their study abroad experiences, students at Linfield College write reflective essays. Their essays address issues of cultural similarity and difference, compare lifestyles, mores, norms, and habits between their host countries and home, and examine changes in perceptions about their host countries and the United States. In this essay, Felicia Weller describes her observations during her study abroad program at Centro Cultural e Historico Jose Figueres Ferrer, in San Ramón, Costa Rica

French-Asian connections : the Compagnies des Indes, Frances's Eastern trade, and new directions in historical scholarship

With the recent rise in global history as a discipline, early modern Europe's Asian trade has become a new focus of interest. In French historiography, however, this still remains marginalized. Some studies of the French East India Companies and the French presence in Asia exist, but the impact of this on metropolitan France remains woefully underexplored. This article outlines the history and historiography of the French East India Companies and their wider role and importance, outlining pathways of both existing, current, and possible future research

Spiritual Literacy: a New Concept for a New Reality

The idea of literacy is prevalent in today’s society, especially among librarians.There is much discussion of technological literacy and the digital divide. There are volumes written on cultural literacy and how we interact with different groups such as younger generations. There are books dedicated specifically to literacy in the 21st century. There are growing specialized “literacies” but none dealing with religion, per se. It is critical that librarians are aware of spiritual undertones inherent in information, in order to provide balanced information to patrons

Rank jumps in Codimension 2 A-Hypergeometric Systems

The holonomic rank of the A-hypergeometric system H_A(\beta) is shown to depend on the parameter vector \beta when the underlying toric ideal I_A is a non Cohen Macaulay codimension 2 toric ideal. The set of exceptional parameters is usually infinite.Comment: 24 page

\u27La Maggior Porcheria Del Mondo\u27: Documents for Ammannati\u27s Neptune Fountain

The story of the creation of the Neptune Fountain on the Piazza della Signoria in Florence is long and tortuous. Scholars have drawn on a wealth of documentary material regarding the competition for the commission, the various phases of the fountain\u27s construction, and the critical reception of its colossus, both political and aesthetic. A collection of unpublished letters at the Getty Research Center in Los Angeles offers a new perspective on the making of this major public monument. Sent by Bartolomeo Ammannati to the prvveditore of Pisa, they chronicle the artist\u27s involvement in the procurement and transportation of marble from Carrara and Seravezza for the chariot and basin of the fountain during the years 1565-73. The correspondence, excerpts from which are published here, shows that Ammannati faced numerous delays and mishaps, and continual pressure from his patrons during this second phase of the fountain\u27s construction. The letters provide further insight into the personality of one of the most important artists at the court of Duke Cosimo I, whose role required the skills of a project manager and negotiator. The commission for a grandiose fountain in Florence\u27s main square took much longer to complete than had been expected and taxed the artist\u27s patience, persistence and resourcefulness. [excerpt

Risky College Investment under Alternative Bankruptcy Regimes for Student Loans

I consider the implications of alternative bankruptcy regimes for student loans ina heterogeneous model of life-cycle earnings and risky human capital accumulation. Findings suggest that the ability level of high-school graduates drives the decision to enroll in college, while the initial human capital level is crucial for completing college. Also, the correlation between parental wealth and ability and human capital stock is key in delivering enrollment and completion rates across income groups consistent with empirical findings. The model delivers higher college enrollment, dropout, and default rates when loans can be discharged. Under liquidation, financially constrained borrowers choose to default, whereas under reorganization borrowers default for other reasons rather than financial constraints. Dischargeability benefits college dropouts and students with low assets. It induces more human capital accumulation over the life-cycle relative to the reorganization regime.Bankruptcy, Student loans, College Risk