Ready to roll
9/1/2006The end of the first week of classes and we've welcomed the largest number of entering freshman in our history—over 360—as well as over 125 souls who had the temerity to study elsewhere before realizing their true calling and joining us over here. All's forgiven.
What will life be like when these freshmen graduate as the Class of 2010? How will the world have changed and how might we have changed each other in the process? And amid all that impermanence how might we have deepened our understanding and mindful practice of some truly core values and abiding commitments?
We've welcome several new full-time faculty colleagues in our college:
Elvira Colmenero in Spanish, with a degree from the University of Salamanca, is teaching intermediate Spanish, advanced grammar & composition, and language & culture: focus on Spain & Latin America.
Aly Dramé in History, who studied at the University of Illinois at Chicago and is from Senegal, is teaching world history before 1500, foundations of Islamic civilization, and a sophomore seminar on U.S. immigrants—the African experience.
David Dolence joins our Political Science department having completed his studies at Northern Illinois University. David is teaching American government, congressional elections & constitutional law this semester.
Kristin Schemmerhorn and Aliza Steurer have both joined the Mathematics department. Kristin"s doctorate is from Northwestern University and Aliza"s from the University of Maryland. This semester Kristin is teaching finite math, calculus & modern geometry, while Aliza is working on finite math, linear algebra and analytic geometry and calculus.
Tonia Triggiano in Italian studied at the University of Wisconsin at Madison and is teaching intermediate Italian, history of Italian language & a senior seminar on virtues & values: change for the better.
Finally, Jun Yin joins Computer Science with a doctorate from the University of Cincinnati having done her earlier studies in China, and is teaching computer networks & intro. to computer applications.
It"s a superb group of new colleagues to join our outstanding group of new students!
All in all now that it's over I must say it was an extraordinarily wild summer. With a larger-than-expected group of new students we had to add over 30 additional classes across many different disciplines. We did this in order to maintain our small class sizes. It meant lots of extra work for our department chairs and faculty but they came through beautifully. We're ready to roll.
So orientations have come and gone and now it's down to the hard and good work of study and reflection as well as all of the rest that constitutes a well-rounded college experience.
I've heard raves already from several faculty about their "brilliant" students and I know it's going to be a great year. One of my colleagues heard I'm using two of the same books she's assigned, and she's suggested that my students debate hers. I do believe she's callin' me out.