Humanities & Society

Planning to negotiate a raise? Try not to discuss it with the boss in his or her office, suggests a new study by an organizational behavior expert at Washington University in St. Louis.

A government shutdown is looming and many politicians who are claiming “we’re broke” are proposing short-term or long-term federal budget plans with steep budget cuts as the only option to reduce the deficit. “But it looks like budget deficits are being driven in part by a deliberate strategy to sustain them, so policymakers are forced to cut spending,” says Timothy McBride, PhD, economist and associate dean for public health at the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis. “The evidence certainly supports the theory that the Republicans are using a strategy of ‘starving the beast,’” he says.

The Campus Diversity Collaborative (CDC), which aims to increase awareness of diversity and inclusion issues at Washington University in St. Louis, is seeking new members among faculty and staff. The CDC was founded in 2007 to make diversity and inclusion of all individuals, regardless of race, creed, religion, sexual orientation or gender, a priority.

Christina D. Romer, PhD, former chair of President Barack Obama’s Council of Economic Advisers, will deliver a keynote address to open a panel discussion on “The Continuing Unemployment Crisis: Causes, Cures, and Questions for Further Study” at 3 p.m. Tuesday, April 12, in the Bryan Cave Moot Courtroom of Anheuser-Busch Hall.

The Campus YMCA, the largest student-volunteer organization at Washington University in St. Louis, celebrates its 100th anniversary this year. Since its incepiton, Campus Y was one of the few places where male and female students could collaborate on community-wide projects, such as 1938’s International Bazaar that evolved from an exhibition to sales of global handicrafts. Events kick off at 6 p.m. Friday, April 8, in Holmes Lounge with a dinner and anniversary celebration.

Students, faculty, staff and members of the St. Louis community are invited to the fourth annual Faces of Hope, a celebration of civic engagement and community service, at 4 p.m. Thursday, April 7, in Whitaker Hall Atrium and Auditorium. The event is sponsored by the Gephardt Institute for Public Service.

The meltdown of private pension plans, 401(k)s and Individual Retirement Accounts during the recession demonstrates that Social Security is more essential than ever, says Merton C. Bernstein, LLB, the Walter D. Coles Professor Emeritus at Washington University in St. Louis School of Law. Bernstein discussed the crucial role of Social Security in a report for the university’s Weidenbaum Center on the Economy, Government, and Public Policy.

The 21st annual Pow Wow at Washington University in St. Louis, a festival of American Indian cultures, will be held Saturday, April 9, in the Field House. This event, hosted by the Kathryn M. Buder Center for American Indian Studies at the Brown School, is free and open to the public. Visitors and participants will be able to enjoy dancing, singing, drumming, arts, crafts and food. Intertribal and contest dancing take place at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. Traditional arts and crafts booths and community information booths open at 10 a.m.

The insult-laden screaming matches that often mark today’s political and religious disagreements don’t have to dominate the national dialogue, suggest two former St. Louis clergymen. A panel discussion on the future of interfaith cooperation, featuring Rabbi Steve Gutow, JD, and the Rev. Michael Kinnamon, PhD, is set for 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 6, in the Bryan Cave Moot Courtroom of Anheuser-Busch Hall on WUSTL’s Danforth Campus.

The New York Times will begin charging users for online content March 28. No American news outlet as big as the paper has put its content behind a paywall after offering it for free. Will it be successful? Two marketing professors at Olin Business School, Washington University in St. Louis debate the merits of a paywall.