A Good Week
4/3/2006I met with the Study Abroad Committee, and we’re looking into adding some more programs to augment what we already have in London, Nantes, Fanjeaux, Florence, Milan, Rome, Salamanca, El Salvador, South Africa and China. Any suggestions? If we send you there just make sure to come back so we get to hear about it.
Francis Cardinal George was on campus yesterday to give a presentation on “Pope Benedict XVI, A Year in Review,” having been invited by the students in our Theology Club. In a couple of categories the Pope got a grade of “incomplete” but mostly he passed with flying colors—don’t ask me about grade inflation! Seriously it was an excellent talk that tackled some heavy issues, including the increasing prominence of Islam as a theological question for Christianity but also an opportunity for dialogue and cooperation. He spoke powerfully about the decline of Catholic religious involvement in the United States as a byproduct of continuing secularism. The Cardinal’s a former professor who obviously enjoys hanging out in universities and interacting with students and faculty. Maybe we can get him to teach a course some time.
Our current students started registering this week for the 2006-2007 academic year. It’s amazing to be able to pull up a roster already of some of the students I’ll have in September, and even in January 2007! I’d like to meet with them now to ask what they want and what they hope for, but I’m trying to restrain myself. I may send an email asking for book suggestions!
Meanwhile during advising I was reminded of some of the brand new courses we’ve offering next year. Lots of great things across different departments and we’re bringing in new faculty in such areas as history, political science, mathematics and computer science. Some of these new courses are in the Freshman Seminar program, so none of our current students get to take them—only those who will join us for the first time in the fall. All of these Freshman Seminars are on the theme Dimensions of the Self, but then faculty give their own spin and subtitles. The new ones that caught my eye:
Doing That Thing You Do explores the rational self interest model of who we are, and why we do what we do, in the context of other views of human behavior, as illustrated by parables, short stories, novels, plays and movies.
Lost and Found in Gotham City moves from the City as a place where dreams come true, where one is “self-made,” and where the individual is “self-determined” to a much darker place as suggested in studies ranging from Pietro Di Donato’s incendiary novel “Christ in Concrete” (1939) to Frank Miller’s movie, and visual masterpiece, “Sin City” (2005).
i am my iPod examines the interplay between technology and identity development. Whether it is the iPod and what your music collection has to say about who you are and what you find meaningful, email, IM, the personal computer, cell phones, video games, or applications like mySpace and Facebook, technology plays an important role in how we define ourselves and how we relate to others.
People of “the Story” explores the spiritual, moral, faith and cultural dimensions of the journey and story of life. The seminar does not presuppose literary background or religious commitment, but both are welcome.
The Self—Stranger or Friend studies writings from philosophy to psychology, science to religion, to explore the different sources of the self--our genes, our emotions, our minds, our souls, and even external sources.
This weekend I’ll go to our annual Fashion show! “Some Like it Haute” will feature more than 85 pieces created by Dominican students majoring in fashion design. A highlight of the show will be selections inspired by famous artworks. It’s our annual showcase to preview the fashion—and designers—of the future.
Meanwhile I’m headed over to our Priory Campus down the street, where Dominican is hosting the American Academy of Religion midwest region annual conference, today and tomorrow, bringing many fine scholars to our campus—another great opportunity for our students, especially those interested in the conference’s theme of Religion and Violence.
Finally, we all experienced a blessing yesterday. My faculty colleague Peter Alonzi is a cousin of Jill Carroll, the abducted journalist who was released after three months in captivity in Iraq. Peter’s been walking on air all day, and as he put it: “The family is ecstatic and looking forward to being with Jill.” A very good week.