# Week of November 11, 2013 November 06, 2013 ### ![logo_universals.png](/sites/g/files/omnuum5001/files/styles/hwp_1_1__100x100_scale/public/linguistics/files/logo_universals_1.png?itok=CKM5kxMv) Language Universals and Linguistic Diversity Colloquium [Jürgen Bohnemeyer](http://www.acsu.buffalo.edu/~jb77/) (University at Buffalo - SUNY) *The linguistic transmission of cognitive practices: reference frames in Mesoamerica* Friday, November 15 | 4:30pm | Boylston 103 Please go to the [Universals Workshop page](/event/juergen-bohnemeyer) for the abstract. ## SNEWS 2013 at MIT On Saturday, November 16, MIT will host this year's Southern New England Workshop in Semantics (SNEWS). For more information, please visit the [website](http://web.mit.edu/wuegaki/www/snews/program.html). Two students from Harvard will present their work at the event: - **Teodora Mihoc**: *Romanian Presumptivity: The Future Case in Point* - **Yimei Xiang**: *Covert only versus overt only: evidence from NPI-licensing* ## Open House We had a great turnout at the Department Open House that took place last Monday. The event featured a "Why I chose to concentrate in linguistics" speech by Professor Jay Jasanoff, a presentation of program requirements, and descriptions of ongoing research by the current concentrators. ![dsc01816.jpg](/sites/g/files/omnuum5001/files/linguistics/files/dsc01816.jpg) ![dsc01819.jpg](/sites/g/files/omnuum5001/files/linguistics/files/dsc01819.jpg) ## Miriam Farkas elected to PBK Miriam Farkas ('14), one of our concentrators, was elected to Alpha-Iota of Massachusetts, the Harvard College chapter of [Phi Beta Kappa](http://isites.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do?keyword=k19082) (PBK) from the Humanities division. Congratulations, Miriam! ## Department Updates Our Department Administrator Cheryl Murphy is out on medical leave until the beginning of February. Mary Violette will cover the department as a part-time temporary adminstrator during the months of November, December, and January. Mary can be reached at: | 495-4006 (Hours: MW 9-1:30; TuTh 10-3:30). Share on:- [ Facebook ](#) - [ Twitter ](#) - [ Linkedin ](#)