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Dean’s Letter: Oct. 14, 2014

Tuesday, October 14

Dear Students:

I know that our entire community was saddened to hear the news that a TCNJ student took her own life.  If you need someone to talk with in light of this news, please do reach out to someone you trust, perhaps a counselor at CAPS or a close friend or spiritual advisor.  No one on this campus need grieve alone.  I urge you to exercise compassion not only for those in our community who are feeling this loss especially sharply, but also for yourself at this time of profound sadness.

 

And I ask you for your forgiveness. I need to share other information with you this week, but how can I transition to that in the context of the profound loss our community has suffered?  There is no way to do this gracefully:  the truth is impossible, and so is the lie.  So I have no transition:  I just ask for your understanding.

 

I hope that even in the midst of the sadness you have had some time during fall break for yourself.  We expect that this time is a time we can use to catch up on school work or to recharge our spiritual batteries with time with family and friends.  This is the disruption of expectations of our normal work rhythms.

 

Expectations are important:  Some of you were probably expecting to see my weekly message in your in-box on Sunday morning.  It’s interesting to think about expectations, to question them, and even to struggle with them.

 

Indeed, I’ve been thinking about our community learning day lecture by Wes Moore, the author of our summer reading book, The Other Wes Moore.  Among other things, Mr. Moore said:

 

We are products of our own expectations.

 

I think that’s an interesting assertion.  I ask you to consider your own expectations are for yourself.  Are you satisfied with those expectations?  If not, I encourage you to establish new expectations for yourself.  And, most importantly, I ask you to consider what you are doing and what you will do to meet your own expectations in terms of your professional and personal (life) goals this week, this month, this semester, this year, and beyond.

 

One of my expectations for you is that you will be great alumni, which means you will come back and visit with us (and future students) to share and inspire.  Please look at the events listing for this week to see that we have some alumni coming back to share and inspire:  don’t miss these special events!

 

Sincerely,

BR

P.S. Due to Fall Break, I won’t be having any lunch or coffee breaks with students this week, but I will have two the following week.

 

——————————-

Benjamin Rifkin
Dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences
The College of New Jersey

 

PO Box 7718

Ewing, NJ 08628

hss.tcnj.edu
(v) 609.771.3434

 

(f) 609.637.5173

 

 

Opportunities

 

The Lions Leadership Institute is a 10 week leadership program offered to first year and sophomore students. The program is designed to engage participants in recognizing and developing their leadership potential. This program is a great stepping stone for potential leaders.  The application deadline for the program is October 24th.  Check out http://leadership.tcnj.edu for more information.

 

The Arizona State University Critical Languages Institute is accepting applications for its 2015 summer language programs in the U.S. and abroad. CLI offers intensive courses in Russian and in East European, Mediterranean, and Central Asian languages, either in the U.S., overseas, or in integrated “combination” courses that include both U.S. and overseas components.  Scholarships are available for undergraduate students, graduate students, and non-students. ROTC Project GO funding is available for selected languages.  You must clear courses taken elsewhere for transfer credit at TCNJ prior to taking those courses by talking with your advisor and R&R.  The priority admission deadline for the CLI program is January 30, 2015.  For more information, seehttps://melikian.asu.edu/cli.

 

We’ve extended the opportunity to buy HSS t-shirts, so look for your classmates from Student Government who are taking orders this week.

 

Events

 

Wed., October 15        Dr. Jesse Bucher, TCNJ Class of 2003, now Assistant Professor of History at Roanoke College, comes back to TCNJ to give a lecture entitled “Mandela and 1989,” as part of the 1989 Lecture Series and the Exploring Justice Series.  Lecture at 5:30 pm in the Library Auditorium.

 

Wed., October 15        International Film Festival showing of “The 12,” in Russian with English subtitles. This 2007 release is a reworking of Sidney Lumet’s 1957 film, “12 Angry Men,” featuring Henry Fonda: from the American version’s investigation of racism in the American justice system, Nikita Mikhalkov, director of “The 12,” considers discrimination against Chechens in the Russian justice system.  At 7 pm in Education 115.

 

Thursday, October 16 Free concert of China’s most popular rock band, Second Hand Rose, from 5:00 to 6:20 pm in the Don Evans Black Box Theater (in Kendall, enter from the side closest to Armstrong).  You will be able to buy CDs after the concert.

 

Thursday, October 16 Dr. Bryant Simon of Temple University will give a lecture entitled “Atlantic City and the American Dream” as part of the NJ 350 Series at 5:30 in the Library Auditorium.

 

Friday, October 17      Film Screening:  “The Trenaissance: A Better Way for the Capital,” at 12:30 pm in Mayo Concert Hall

 

Friday, October 17      Psychology Lecture Series featuring Dr. Shana Cole (TCNJ Class of 2003, now a professor at Rutgers) at 12:30 in Science Complex P101:  Seeing Is for Self-Regulating:  Motivated Perceptual Processes Aid Goal Pursuit.”

 

Friday, October 17      Noah Bullock, Executive Director of Cristosal, Human Rights Organization in El Salvador, will give a lecture entitled “Children Fleeing for Their Lives,” about the crisis on our southwestern borders involving minors fleeing to avoid human trafficking.  Lecture at 3 pm in the Spiritual Center.

 

Friday, October 17      TCNJ Chorale performance at 8 pm in Mayo Concert Hall.  This is a ticketed event.

 

Save the Date / Buy Your Ticket:

 

Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry Festival featuring over 70 poets, including Rita Dove, Billy Collins, Robert Pinsky, Gary Snyder, and Marie Howe:  Tickets cost $20, which includes bus to Hamilton and round-trip train to Newark, and admission to the festival.  Buy your ticket at the English Dept. office in Bliss 129.  The bus leaves at 8:30 am from the Student Center and returns to the Student Center by 6:30.

 

Contact

School of Humanities and Social Sciences
Social Sciences Building, Room 302
The College of New Jersey
P.O. Box 7718
2000 Pennington Rd.
Ewing, NJ 08628

609.771.3434
hss@tcnj.edu

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