March 16, 2014
Dear Students:
I hope you had a restful and productive spring break. I spent the past two weeks reviewing study abroad programs for you and I am very excited about the opportunities you have in Bologna, Strasbourg, and Heidelberg, whether or not you speak or have studied Italian, French, or German, as well as an opportunity for you to study in Istanbul. In Bologna, you can study Italian language and culture and learn about social justice issues in Europe with community-engaged learning working with immigrants to Europe. In Strasbourg, you can live in a chateau and engage in research about the European Union; in Heidelberg, you can also engage in research about the European Union (sorry, no chateau there – but what a city!) In Istanbul, you can study at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, taking classes taught in English with Turkish and other international students. Our friends in the Center for Global Engagement in 111 Green Hall can steer you to information about these terrific programs. One of your goals in college is to learn about other cultures, and these are great opportunities for you to do so.
Speaking of other cultures: tomorrow is St. Patrick’s Day, a day when people all over the US (and in many countries around the globe) celebrate Irish culture. For many of us, this is our culture. For many others, it is a culture we can enjoy on this day. It is of course one of many holidays that celebrate a world culture and I’d like to ask you on this day to consider that two of the goals of a college education are:
a) to learn more about yourself and your own past, present, and future; and
b) to learn more about others who come from different backgrounds and appreciate those cultures in their own right
So, if you are Irish or of Irish descent: Happy St. Patrick’s Day! And if you are neither Irish, nor of Irish descent: Happy St. Patrick’s Day, too! (No matter how you celebrate, please celebrate safely.)
For those who are learning about other cultures right now, on study abroad, please see my invitation to send me your stories and photographs under “Opportunities” so we can celebrate your study abroad experiences later this semester.
I hope that you can take advantage of several opportunities this month, including two tomorrow, to explore cultures and histories that may be distant from your own life experience and the life experiences of your own families. Tomorrow, we have two major events on campus, one joyful and one very serious.
First, Nowruz is the celebration of the Persian New Year. What’s not to like about that? Go and enjoy food, music, and dance. (See “events” below for more details.)
Second, tomorrow evening we will have a serious and important lecture by Dr. Natalie Byfield about an infamous legal case from before most of you were born: the 1989 Central Park Jogger Race Case. Byfield was a young reporter for the New York Daily News in April 1989 when she became part of the reporting team covering the brutal rape and beating of a young investment banker who was jogging in Central Park. In the media and political frenzy that followed, five black and Latino teenagers were arrested and ultimately convicted of the crime, despite fundamental holes in the prosecution’s case and evidence pointing to a different perpetrator. The accused young men, who became known as the Central Park Five, served a decade in prison before being exonerated when the real rapist was ultimately found. Dr. Byfield has written about issues of sociology and journalism to help us understand the case. (See “events” below for more details.)
Lastly, I am taking this opportunity to point out that our community has been discussing the advisability of adding a public speaking requirement to all HSS majors. A group of faculty, staff, and students has developed a proposal, a copy of which is attached to this message. The proposal will be discussed at a public forum this week on Thursday, March 20 at 11:30 am in room 328 of the Social Science Building. I strongly encourage you to read the proposal and attend the forum to share your thoughts about what this means to you. Be an engaged citizen in our community!
Sincerely,
Your friendly neighborhood dean, BR
Congratulations
Congratulations to Danielle Leng and Sorraya Brashear-Evans who have won scholarships to go to Arizona later this month for a biotech seminar to discuss issues in reporting about biotech.
Congratulations to December 2013 graduate Jigna Rao, who has been named a recipient of the Princeton YWCA Tribute to Women Award. You can read about her accomplishments here: http://www.mercerspace.com/features/ywca-to-honor-healthcare-social-justice-advocates/
Congratulations to Dr. Daniel Bowen (Political Science), who was interviewed by Brian Lehrer about on CUNY-TV, about redistricting. You can find the interview on line at www.cuny.tv/show/brianlehrer; his segment starts at the 25-minute mark and runs about 13 minutes.
Congratulations to all the faculty and students who participated in last spring’s faculty-student collaborative research seminar. Their work together was written up in an article published in the Spring 2014 issue of the CUR Quarterly, just published. And special congratulations to Dr. Ellen Friedman (English) and Dr. Margaret Leigey (Criminology), who co-authored the article.
Congratulations to Dr. Lowi on the publication of her essay about water use and conflict in the Middle East: http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2014/03/debunking-some-myths-about-isra-201431041151246684.html
Congratulations to Professor Diane Steinberg, who was elected national historian for Sigma Tau Delta, the National English Honor Society.
Opportunities
This is the time to register to present a poster or paper at TCNJ’s annual Celebration of Student Achievement (COSA 2014) which will be held on Wed., April 30. The deadline to register is Wed., March 26. To find out more about this year’s celebration and to register, go to: http://celebration.tcnj.edu/forms-and-documents-2/.
For those students currently on a study abroad program anywhere in the world during the Spring 2014 semester: I invite you to send Jack Meyers, our HSS webmaster, a favorite photo you have taken that conveys some of the reasons you are excited about your study abroad experience. With the photo, send also a few sentences explaining the photograph and telling us where you are and what you are studying. We will put together a website featuring HSS on Study Abroad in Spring 2014: your photos may be included! (Send the photo and explanation to Jack at this address: meyersj2@tcnj.edu.)
The office of Congressman Rush Holt, 12th Congressional District, is looking for District Office interns. Interns will have a variety of opportunities to participate in the daily operations of a Congressional office. Interns will be responsible for responding to constituent requests, assisting with constituent casework and congressional events, drafting correspondences, data entry, assisting with special projects and serving as the Congressman’s first line of communication with the public, via phone and in person. Summer interns are expected to work about 16-24 hrs/week, but we are flexible. If interested, please fill out the application at www.holt.house.gov/intern by April 1, 2014. Return all applications to the address listed below. If you have any further questions, not explained on the web page, please contact Stephanie Hulette at (609) 750-9365 or via email at stephanie.hulette@mail.house.gov.
The University of Pittsburgh offers instruction this summer in Arabic, Farsi, or Turkish – a year’s worth of instruction in just 8 weeks. The deadline to apply for scholarships is March 31, 2004. For more information and to apply, go towww.slavic.pitt.edu/sli.
Teach for Mexico is looking at ways of bringing Spanish-speaking, recent (or soon-to-be) graduates to come to Mexico to teach for two years after graduation. If selected, new teachers receive a five-week intensive training, a monthly living stipend, and health insurance. Teach for Mexico is now recruiting new teachers to be placed in schools in Guanajuato, Puebla, Nuevo Leon, Jalisco, Michoacan, and Baja California. Note that security is a top priority for Teach for Mexico, so no new teachers will be placed in high-risk areas. Teach for Mexico will arrange for selected international teachers´ visas. In order to be eligible, prospective teachers from abroad (i.e. not Mexican nationals) must apply at the following link by Monday, March 31, 2014: http://ensenapormexico.org/site/
Events
Mon., March 17 The Eurasia/Middle East Society (EME) is sponsoring its Annual TCNJ Nowruz (Persian New Year) Celebration, which features a concert of Persian and Central Asian music by the distinguished composer and vocalist of Persian, Turkish and Central Asian Sufi and folk music, Amir Vahab and his Ensemble, followed by free Middle Eastern food and dancing. Education Building 212, 7:00 pm.
Mon., March 17 The Annual Gloria Harper Dickinson Lecture: Dr. Natalie Byfield, Associate Professor of Sociology at St. John’s University, will give a talk at 5:30 pm in the Library Auditorium entitled “Savage Portrayals: Race, Media, and the Central Park Jogger.” She has focused much of her work on the infamous 1989 Central Park Jogger Rape Case and her book places that case in a larger sociological and historical context. There will be a book signing and reception at 4:30 pm immediately prior to the lecture.
Tues., March 18 Wellness Expo in the Brower Student Atrium from 10 am to 3:30 pm with information, food, and activities related to health, wellness, and safety.
Wed., March 19 Screening of film “Liberty in North Korea” from 4-5 pm in Science P101 (Physics Building).
Wed., March 19 TCNJ Center for the Arts: “History of Histories: Afghan Films, 1960-Present” by Artist Mariam Ghani. Education Building, 212. 6:30 – 9:00 pm. This lecture is in conjunction with the ongoing exhibit of Art Amongst War (Visual Culture in Afghanistan 1979-2014) in the TCNJ Art Gallery through April 17. This is an extraordinary exhibit; don’t miss the chance to see it.
Wed., March 19 Lecture by Lillian Faderman, internationally known scholar of lesbian history and literature, whose works have been translated into many languages and who has won many awards include six Lambda Literary Awards, two American Library Association Awards, Yale University’s James Brudner Award, the Monette/Horwitz Award, and several lifetime achievement awards for scholarship among many others. Lecture on legalization of same-sex marriage and lesbian love in Education 115 at 1:00 pm. This event is part of Women’s History Month.
Thurs., March 20 Public Forum on Proposal for a new public speaking requirement for all HSS majors. The forum will be held in Social Science 328 from 11:30 am to 12:20 pm.
Thurs., March 20 TCNJ Center for the Arts: Dido and Aeneas / Presented by the TCNJ Lyric Theatre & Orchestra. The College of New Jersey Department of Music is pleased to present Henry Purcell’s opera Dido and Aeneas. The evening will feature the student soloists of TCNJ’s Lyric Theater and Orchestra, and is directed by Professor Lars Woodul and conducted by Professor Michel Galante. Don Evans Black Box Theater, 8:00 – 10:00 pm.
Fri., March 21 TCNJ Center for the Arts: Dido and Aeneas / Presented by the TCNJ Lyric Theatre & Orchestra. Don Evans Black Box Theater, 8:00 – 10:00 pm.
Fri., March 21 Lunafest at 7:00 pm. This event is part of Women’s History Month.
Sat., March 22 TCNJ Center for the Arts: Dido and Aeneas / Presented by the TCNJ Lyric Theatre & Orchestra. Don Evans Black Box Theater, 8:00 – 10:00 pm.
Sun., March 23 TCNJ Center for the Arts: Dido and Aeneas / Presented by the TCNJ Lyric Theatre & Orchestra. Don Evans Black Box Theater, 2:00 – 4:00 pm.