Humanitarian Samantha Nutt, an authority on how war impacts civilians, will address honors students from across the nation Jan. 13 when North Central College hosts the 2012 Blue Key National Conference.

The Blue Key Honor Society recognizes college students at senior institutions of higher education for balanced and all-around excellence in scholarship, leadership and service. Nearly 120 students are expected to participate in the three-day national conference Jan. 13-15.

Stephania Rodriguez, a sophomore human resource management major from Aurora, has been selected for a prestigious program that offers networking, mentoring and other opportunities for students interested in learning about careers as higher education administrators.

Rodriguez has been accepted into the 2011-2012 class of the Undergraduate Fellows Program of Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education, formerly known as the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA).

Stephen Maynard Caliendo, North Central College associate professor of political science, is cited in a Sunday, Nov. 6 Daily Herald article about how the Tea Party and Occupy movements are spurring citizen involvement in America's political process.

Caliendo told the newspaper his North Central students are watching both the Tea Party and the Occupy movements with great interest.

North Central College invites the public to a free presentation Nov. 2 on the benefits of learning the Chinese language.

The presentation, “Why Chinese?” will feature three guest speakers who speak fluent Chinese and who are Chicago-area managers of international business operations. The presentation will be particularly beneficial to high school and college-aged students considering Chinese studies, and for adults considering learning to use Chinese in their careers.