November 9, 2014
Dear Students:
Twenty-five years ago today – the world changed. It changed because thousands of people in East Germany decided to go outside their comfort zone, taking their leaders’ words at their worth. You see, the leadership in East Germany, challenged by Soviet President Gorbachev’s promises of openness, agreed to allow East German citizens to travel freely beyond their country’s borders. Hearing this, the people went to the Berlin Wall and demanded to travel. The border guards at the Wall sought guidance from the East German Communist Party leadership, but got none. So the border guards went beyond their comfort zone. For years these particular young men and women had not allowed their compatriots to cross this boundary. But on this particular evening, twenty-five years ago, they did. And then thousands and thousands of East Germans went beyond their comfort zone to cross into West Berlin, to see this part of their city that had been forbidden to them since 1961. And it all happened because people chose to go beyond their comfort zone, from Gorbachev to the East Berlin teenagers and widows and everyone in between. And in doing so, they saw the world, their world, from a new perspective. The world has never been the same to them, or to us. (We’ve been learning more about events of this period through the 1989 series this fall, so thanks to Team History for making that happen here at TCNJ.
(Now I’m going to talk about stepping out of your comfort zone at TCNJ, but I don’t mean to compare the Berlin Wall to the walls of your own comfort zone. I know that no one is shooting at us if we try to do something outside of our comfort zone, which is very different from what happened at the Berlin wall for more than 25 years of its existence. Thanks for extending to me some poetic license to compare these two different things!)
This coming week HSS will be sponsoring a lot of events, including several on Wed., Nov. 12: I encourage you to take a moment to challenge yourself by stepping out of your comfort zone. By disrupting your routine you will create the opportunity to see the world from a new perspective. Doing so requires some element of risk. I heard the other day that if we move with a turtle’s pace, we can only get ahead if we stick our necks out. It’s great to take the risk to try things that are outside of your comfort zone, but OF COURSE I am not advocating for you to do things that could harm you or others. Rather, I’m suggesting that you attend a lecture or a film on a topic with which you’re utterly unfamiliar in order to experience something new, see the world differently.
When you look back at your college experience, will you be satisfied that you stretched your mind and your imagination? Or will you realize that you sought the path of least resistance, completing assignments and checking off required courses as you moved along.
It’s your education: don’t wait for it to fall from the sky like manna from heaven. Make it happen.
When you were little, it’s possible that you used to read books from the “Choose your own adventure” series. In those books, you would read a page that would end with a question, perhaps along these lines:
- If you decide to go to the Blinder lecture on Nov. 12, turn to page 33.
- If you decide to attend the Visiting Writer Series author talk on Nov. 12, turn to page 74.
So you would make your choice and then turn to the corresponding page to create or continue the adventure of the story.
So, too, your college education: if you don’t go to the lecture or attend the author talk, you may stay forever on the same page and not have the adventure at all.
Lastly, Tuesday is Veterans Day (11/11). So please give a shout out of thanks and appreciation to the veterans in your lives.
Sincerely,
Your friendly neighborhood dean,
BR
——————————
Benjamin Rifkin
Dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences
The College of New Jersey
(v) 609.771.3434
(f) 609.637.5173
Congratulations
Congratulations to TCNJ’s debaters who participated in a debate tournament at Fordham University this weekend. Miguel O’Malley and Joey Worthington lost only to one of the top teams in the country. The second TCNJ team, consisting of Jackson Ganem and Eric Tannenbaum, also did well. Let’s all wish our debaters the best of luck as they head to American University next weekend.
Congratulations to Professor Kim Pearson (Journalism & Professional Department) who was honored by the Faculty Senate to give a presentation on computational journalism and its potential to enhance our democracy. Her presentation was both inspiring and thought provoking.
Congratulations to Professor Row (Creative Writing / English): first his novel was published to critical acclaim, then he had a short story published in The New Yorker, and now he has been interviewed by that magazine. You can read his interview here: http://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/fiction-this-week-jess-row-2014-11-03
Opportunities
On Tuesday, November 11 America’s Unofficial Ambassadors will have an information session from 12:30 to 2 pm in the Business School Lounge to introduce students to internship opportunities in the program (internships in Morocco, Indonesia, Zanzibar, Tajikistan, and Turkey). For further information, visitwww.Unofficialambassadors.com, or contact Bridget Quinn (Quinnb2@tcnj.edu) or Prof. Jo-Ann Gross (gross@tcnj.edu).If you plan on attending one of these sessions please RSVP: https://tcnj.qualtrics.com//SE/?SID=SV_etuYBiwvg8E3b0N
On Thursday, November 13, there will be an info-session about TCNJ’s summer Spanish language program in Madrid, at 5:30 pm in Bliss 233.
November 15 is the deadline to register to participate in this semester’s HSS Celebration of Student Achievement on December 3. Register here: http://hsscosa.tcnj.edu.
Events
Mon., Nov. 10 War of the Words: Come see (and perhaps participate) in brief debates, serious and funny, at 5 pm in the Social Science Atrium. Among the debaters will be members of TCNJ’s Society for Parliamentary Debate and members of TCNJ’s Philosophy Society. But you don’t have to be a member of either to come and join the arguments, er, I mean, fun! Did I mention there will be snacks and prizes, too?
Tues., Nov. 11 Politics Forum: Dr. Dan Bowen (Political Science) will give a talk entitled “The 2014 Midterm Elections: What Happened and Where Do We Go From Here?” at 12:30 pm in Social Science 223.
Wed., Nov. 12 Dining Out in Professional Style from noon to 4 pm (you don’t have to be there the whole time). Register here: http://bit.ly/1xOl3ZG. Send your questions to Ms. Lynette Harris at lharris@tcnj.edu
Wed., Nov. 12 “Beyond Success: Finance and Compassion,” a presentation by Jeff Gitterman, award-winning CEO and author, will be held from 1-2 pm in the Library Auditorium. Gitterman will discuss how to lead a truly successful life with compassion. Complimentary copies of his recent book “Beyond Success: Redefining the Meaning of Prosperity” will be distributed while supplies last.
Wed., Nov. 12 Presentation by Dr. Alan S. Blinder of Princeton University entitled “The Backlash: How Good Policy Became Bad Politics” at 4 pm in Kendall Hall. Blinder is the author of numerous work including “After the Music Stopped: The Financial Crisis, the Response, and the Work Ahead” which was named one of the 10 Best Books of 2013 by The New York Times. A Princeton University faculty member since 1971, Dr. Blinder took time off in the 1990s for service in the U.S. government—first as a member of President Clinton’s original Council of Economic Advisers, and then as Vice Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. For more information, see http://business.tcnj.edu/2014/09/23/speaker-dr-blinder/.
Wed., Nov. 12 Visiting Writer Series: Poet Matthea Harvey, author of four poetry collections and three children’s books, will give a reading at 5 pm in the Library Auditorium with refreshments following. Books will be available for purchase. She was the winner of the 2009 Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award.
Wed., Nov. 12 Sarnoff Lecture: David C. Brock, “RCA and the Early History of Microcircuitry,” at 5 pm in Roscoe West 201.
Thurs., Nov. 13 Exploring Economic Justice Series: Lecture by Dr. Robert Pollin, Distinguished Professor of Economics at U. of Massachusetts-Amherst, on “The Economic Logic Moral Imperative of Full Employment” at 7 pm in the Library Auditorium.
Thurs., Nov. 13 Screening of the Film Sleep Dealer, “a dystopian fable disguised as sci-fi adventure, exuberantly entertaining” (NY Times), by Sundance award-winning filmmaker Alex Rivera, in Education 115 at 6:30 pm. (A discussion with the director will be held on Mon., Nov. 17 in Education 212 at 7 pm)
Fri., Nov. 14 Talk by Dr. Margaret Martinetti (Psychology) entitled “From Dollar Bud Bottles to Cristal Champagne: The Behavioral Economics of Alcohol Consumption” at 12:30 pm in Education 113
Fri., Nov. 14 “Overcoming Inequality in Health Care Access: The Contribution of Health Communication” by Dr. K. Viswanath from the Harvard School of Public Health at 12:30 in Mayo Concert Hall
Fri., Nov. 14 1989 Series: Dr. Jiayan Mi (English / Chinese) will give a reading of poetry and a lecture entitled “Poetry of Protests and Mourning for the 1989 Tiananmen Massacre,” at 5:30 pm in the Library Auditorium.
Fri., Nov. 14 Interactive Murder Mystery Dinner Theater Show: “The Mile Die Club,” doors open at 7 pm, show begins at 8 pm in Brower Student Center 202. Tickets cost $8 for students and $10 for non-students. Tickets include dinner and dessert: gluten-free and vegetarian opens are available.
Sat., Nov. 15 Interactive Murder Mystery Dinner Theater Show: “The Mile Die Club,” doors open at 7 pm, show begins at 8 pm in Cromwell Hall Main Lounge. Tickets cost $8 for students and $10 for non-students. Tickets include dinner and dessert: gluten-free and vegetarian opens are available.
Save the Date: Monday, Nov. 17 – Discussion with filmmaker Alex Rivera at 7 pm in Education 212. (He’s the director of Sleep Dealer.)