To Reflect on Another Year of Learning?

It's May! -- exams have been taken, final essays have been written, and grades have been turned in by students and faculty. It's time to think about what another year of learning has added to our brains, and about the people we'd like to thank for their contributions to our success.

First off, I'd like to thank my students and their families for choosing The College of New Jersey as their "learning destination" -- not to be confused with a vacation destination. We're proud of the education we offer, and we are pleased that you selected TCNJ.

Next, I would like to thank the residents of New Jersey for continuing to support public education for young (and not-so-young) New Jerseyans. Many many middle class families throughout the US would have never achieved economic stability without our American commitment to public education. I myself would not enjoy a nation in which only those families who could afford private schools were able to obtain degrees for their children.

Before we all get too caught up in summer, let's think about what this academic year has brought us.

To Defend 'The Fountainhead'?

I first read The Fountainhead the summer before entering The College of New Jersey. At the time, my rejection from Princeton was still a fairly fresh wound. Little did I know, the novel was incredibly relevant to my situation and would set the tone for my college career.

Political implications aside, the chief message of the novel is the idea of responsibility to oneself. To me it's an uplifting message: You have a responsibility to achieve to your highest ability. This should be your guiding virtue. No one has any right to you or your work, except you. As the hero, Howard Roark, says, "I do not recognize anyone's right to a minute of my life. Nor to any part of my energy. Nor to any achievement of mine." Do not depend on the greatness of others to define your own work because you have the capacity to create. In order to love and respect others, you need to be able to first respect yourself. This prerequisite of love, is described in the novel: " 'I love you' one must know first how to say the 'I'. "

Howard Roark refuses to remain tethered to the work of his predecessors, to cower in the shadows of what is defined as greatness and thereby admit automatic inferiority. He is determined to forge his own path. Now, as a graduating senior, I can't think of a more empowering sentiment, as my peers and I embark on what's next.

The Fountainhead has the potential to resonate with anyone with an individual dream who is willing to fight for it. It is my hope that my classmates and I follow Roark's example in our careers:

“But you see, I have, let’s say, sixty years to live. Most of that time will be spent working. I’ve chosen the work I want to do. If I find no joy in it, then I’m only condemning myself to sixty years of torture. And I can find the joy only if I do my work in the best way possible to me. But the best is a matter of standards — and I set my own standards. I inherit nothing. I stand at the end of no tradition. I may, perhaps, stand at the beginning of one.”

-Katie Brenzel

Todd Petty contributed to this blog post

To Argue With Their Sponsor About Literature?

So, here I am, Felicia Steele, earnest Sigma Tau Delta sponsor, proud bearer of my five year anniversary letter from the national organization, embroiled in a dispute about literary merit with my chapter's members. Each year our chapter has a marathon reading at the end of the spring semester, partially to celebrate the season, but mostly to come together around one text and the long-lost art of social reading. The origins of this custom are fuzzy--most people on campus credit a marathon reading of Homer's Odyssey that took place in 2003 or 2004, but I, of course, give myself credit for initiating the custom, since I insisted on reading Beowulf from "Hwaet" to "lofgeornost" (in Modern English, of course) in April of 2002, at the end of my first year at The College of New Jersey. Few remember the event, but I recall it fondly, especially since I believe it might get the prize for the shortest marathon reading ever. In the early days, marathon readings were very faculty-driven: my Beowulf, The Odyssey, Joyce's Ulysses in honor of the retirement of beloved professor Lee Harrod, Song of Myself in honor of the 150th anniversary of its publication (which fortuitously corresponded with our college's Sesquicentennial), Milton's Paradise Lost (coordinated by a senior seminar on the book).

But last year we decided to open the competition up to student preference. As a result, I had to face one of my demons: books I don't like. It started with Catcher in the Rye. I acknowledge Salinger's importance to our culture and recognize that it would have been appropriate to read his most famous and influential book right after his demise. But I really hate Holden Caulfield. I wanted us to read Chris Abani, since I was so impressed with the talk he gave at last year's convention. Nonetheless, I was happy to read the birthday party episode from The Lord of the Rings in my West Country accent. Yet this year...this year. We have reached a bridge too far my friends--what do I do now? The students have selected Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead as one of the three candidates in the penny wars they're conducting to choose the book (and to support the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen). Ayn Rand's ideological rant faces up against Sense and Sensibility and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I've been ranting and raving, scowling and snarling about this choice for over a month now, but I finally decided I needed to lay out my reasons against this book. The penny war is a contest, so I can be overruled, and I refuse to be the principal donor in the war, but I wanted my chapter members know why I object so viscerally to this novel, especially since I pride myself as a champion of academic freedom. And I invite my opponents to provide their reasons for the texts in question. Thus, patient reader, allow me to put Rand's The Fountainhead on trial.

My charges are thus: one count of bad prose, one count of bad economics, and one count of irredeemable misogyny. My evidence follows.

First, I'm working from Google books, so I do not have a page number for this Penguin edition. My apologies:

"Keating looked at the sketch. He had known for a long time that Howard Roark had been chosen to build the Enright House. He had seen a few mentions of Roark's name in the papers; not much, all of it to be summed up only as 'some young architect chosen by Mr. Enright for some reason, probably an interesting young architect.' The caption under the drawing announced that the construction of the project was to begin at once. Well, thought Keating, and dropped the paper, so what? The paper fell beside the black and scarlet book. He looked at both. He felt dimly as if Lois Cook were his defense against Howard Roark."

My evidence from this one paragraph suggests that Rand 1) overuses pronominal constructions making it difficult to follow the logic of her narration, 2) overuses past perfect constructions so that the text exists in a time vacuum, 3) lacks a narrative perspective. I consider all three of these traits to be sins of prose fiction and poison to an extended live reading.

Second charge: bad economics. Take this one quotation, admittedly with little context:

"He's only a common worker, she thought, a hired man doing a convict's labor."

The suggestion of a 20th century author that labor is something appropriate only for convicts is abhorrent to me--I cannot suffer to hear this kind of thing.

Third (and damning) charge: irredeemable misogyny. I somehow doubt that the students who have not yet read The Fountainhead know that it includes, as one of the actions of its nearly divine hero, the architect Roark, one of the most appalling rape fantasy scenes in all literature. I won't quote the rape itself, but from its aftermath--from what it does to the character of Dominique.

"She could accept, thought Dominique, and come to forget in time everything that had happened to her, save one memory: that she had found pleasure in the thing which had happened, that he had known it, and more: that he had known it before he came to her and that he would not have come but for that knowledge. She had not givene him the one answer that would have saved her: an answer of simple revulsion--she had found joy in her revulsion, in her terror and in his strength. That was the degradation she had wanted and she hated him for it."

Now, as many of my students know, I'm no shrinking violet, and have taught some graphic, quite horrifying literature in my classes. I think most fondly of Last Exit to Brooklyn, which one of my students thought was too scandalous for a woman to read while pregnant, as I was when I taught the book. I'm not queasy about violence. But I simply am horrified by the idea that my students will sit around a lounge, many of them in their last year of college, after having participated in presentation and event after presentation that says that "No means no," that "No woman deserves or asks to be raped," and have to listen to this indictment of female sexuality. I confer the matter to the jury, respectfully. May you vote with your spare change and pennies. --Felicia Steele

To Compete In A Scrabble Tournament?

Last Wednesday, word lovers joined in Bliss Hall Lounge for the first Sigma Tau Delta Scrabble Tournament at TCNJ. Sixteen players competed in the tournament, hoping to win prizes including TCNJ library-approved mugs, Sigma Tau Delta swag, and Amazon gift cards.

The tournament used a single-elimination bracket.

Eric and Frank battle it out in the first round.

Lou contemplates his next move while Becca prepares to put down a word.

Ten players anxiously await the end of the first round, hoping they will advance in the tournament and gain the fame and glory they so crave.

Emily watches as Jenna plays another made-up word.

The tournament was set up so that no matter when a player was eliminated, he/she would receive a prize. This element of the tournament was important to the two Sigma Tau Delta students who organizes the tournament, seniors Enrico Bruno and Todd Petty. They wanted to make sure that each player left the tournament with a prize, even if they were eliminated in the first round.

Eight players made it to the second round, four advanced to the semi-finals, and finally Frank and Alexa played in the final match.

Frank and Zach begin the game that will determine who will make it to the final match.

Alexa organizes her letters while Kristen eyes her tiles suspiciously.

Congratulations to Alexa for winning the tournament and taking home the grand prize of a $30 giftcard to Amazon.com.

And thank you to all sixteen players who competed in the tournament!

To Read Dr. Seuss Books?

Thank you to everyone who came out and supported our Dr. Seuss Day on Wednesday, March 2nd. Below are some pictures from the event. Special thanks to our member Cynthia, who organized the event and brought ample Dr. Seuss books for us to select and read!

The wonderful selection of books we could read.

Some of our audience members.

We can't forget to mention the delicious cake!

Kim reading Daisy Head Maize.

To Celebrate Read Across America Day?

Remember having fun with these?

If you are reading a book for class, which seems to grow extra pages the longer you read it, you might realize it’s time for a break. But you’re still a book-loving English major (minor, etc) and you don’t quite want to move away from your books.

Let me introduce you to Dr. Seuss Day on March 2nd. Clearly, an event all fans of the printed word would be interested in. Who doesn’t remember those early years when fish were red or blue, one or two? Look fondly back on the days when green eggs and ham didn’t refer to a bad dinner pick from our Eickhoff dining hall.

Come join us from 1-3 in Bliss Lounge. Why? Because we’re fellow adults who still love hearing Dr. Seuss. And eating cake. Did I mention the Dr. Seuss themed cake that will be available for free? Well let me now: there will be a Dr. Seuss themed cake that will be available for free. At 1:30 and 2:30 we will have marathon readings. If you want to read, go stop by and sign up; if you don’t, then sit back and have a story read to you for once in way too long.
At the end, don’t forget to sign the guest list and get your certificate e-mailed to you!

Check out our Facebook event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=198371190191289

Hope to see you there! Wed March 2nd. Bliss Lounge. 1pm-3pm. Cake and other goodies from 1pm-3pm. Marathon Readings 1:30 and 2:30.

-Cynthia

To Learn Teenage as a Second Language?

As English majors, we are all required to take at least one linguistics course, but even learning about code-switching and vernacular was unable to prepare me for what I stumbled upon while surfing the Internet...a new book entitled, Teenage as a Second Language: A Parent's Guide to Becoming Bilingual.

It wasn't long ago that I was part of the teenage generation that made words like whatever and fine into dangerous verbal daggers. Whenever I wielded one of these words my parents instinctively knew I meant business and adolescence was rearing its ugly head.

I remember getting my first e-mail address, along with most of my friends, in 1999 when I was in fourth grade. My friends and I quickly integrated computer slang into our own e-mails and instant messages, asking each other wu? and telling each other we'll brb or we've gtg. And who can forget being warned about instant messages from strangers requesting our A/S/L?

But computer language is one thing--verbal speech is another scenario entirely. Would you consider "teenage" to be a separate language? Any thoughts?

-Kristen

To Discuss Pride and Prejudice?

Our chapter of Sigma Tau Delta recently met for another book club meeting. This time around we discussed the Jane Austen classic, Pride and Prejudice.




Sigma Tau Delta advisor Professor Steinberg began the meeting with a reference to an article she had recently read. The article stated that the American education system failed to teach one important lesson to teens: how to pick a suitable marriage partner. Professor Steinberg asked, is this one of the functions of teaching Pride and Prejudice?

Other topics of conversation included the original title of the novel (First Impressions), Austen's prose, and social norms in Austen's England, especially regarding marriage and the expansive age gap common in marriages at the time. The role of women in the novel was discussed at length, primarily the binary of the intelligent, composed female and the frivolous, rash female so common in Jane Austen novels.

One student questioned the recent phenomenon of infusing Austen's novels with monsters; does Pride and Prejudice and Zombies bring Austen's work to a wider audience, or is having the Bennett sisters protect a ball from a zombie attack sacrilegious?

If you weren't able to attend the meeting, sound off in the comment section!

To Host A Scrabble Tournament?

This year our chapter of Sigma Tau Delta will be hosting its first campus-wide Scrabble tournament.

We got the idea while in St. Louis during last year's convention. After spending the better part of our days attending each others panels and wandering the streets of St. Louis, we would often end our nights with friendly games of Scrabble. This attracted a lot of attention, both from members of Sigma Tau Delta as well as from various passerby in the hotel. It gave us the idea that we could possibly plan an event that would get not only members of Sigma Tau Delta and the English department involved, but professors and students from other disciplines as well.

The tournament will be held on March 16th, from approximately 1:00pm-4:00pm in the main lounge of Bliss Hall - the nexus of all things literary at The College of New Jersey. Participants will be randomly paired in brackets. Games will be timed (1 hour long) to ensure that the pace of the tournament is fair. We are currently in the process of selecting prizes, although there will be a prize for every participant. Although we are still in the planning process, we have already generated a considerable buzz on campus.

Please email us at enghonor@gmail.com if you are interested in joining!

To Teach in a Foreign Country?

YES. Do it. If you have the opportunity, it is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

I have been in Rome, Italy since the beginning of January. TCNJ has a unique program that allows Education majors to complete half of their student teaching overseas and I immediately jumped at the opportunity.

A long and arduous application process many months later and… here I am! A true Roman… kind of. There is nothing like spending two months in a foreign country to make you realize how hard communication can be when you don’t speak the same language as most people around you, and need to communicate using hand gestures that you silently pray are not rude or obscene.

My student teaching placement is in a 3^rd grade classroom at an American school here in Rome, and even if you feel as though you have experienced diversity within a classroom, you probably haven’t seen what I have. There are 22 children in my class, only half of which are native to Italy. The remaining half comes from the United States, Egypt, Israel, India, and China. Only the English language is permitted within the classroom because some of the children are still learning it, but the languages native to the various students are Italian, English, Arabic, Hebrew, Chinese, and Hindi. On my third day in the classroom, it was a child’s birthday and I listened to the “Happy Birthday” song in English, Italian, Arabic, French, Hebrew, Spanish, and Chinese. It was one of those eye-opening experiences that gave me goosebumps and made me realize just how lucky I am to be able to experience all of this.

While the variation of English language skills in the classroom ranges from late kindergarten to 11^th grade, I have not yet found teaching the children in English to be that challenging. There are a handful of students who leave the classroom daily for ELL, and I have to be careful not to talk too quickly, but the children are all wonderful and have a passion for learning that you don’t really get to see that often. Occasionally, they will have one of those moments where they slap their hand to their forehead and go, “Ohh…uhhh… ummm, Miss Gargiulo, what is the word for ‘[insert Italian word here]?” or “Miss Gargiulo, how do you say [insert Italian word here] ?” When this happens, I try to exercise the little bit of Italian I know or ask one of the students around us, who usually seem to know the answer.

To say the least, it has been an adventure and an experience that I know I will never forget. I will be sad to go but will be walking away with a newfound appreciation for those children who are bi- or tri-lingual and have acquired more language skills in their lifetime than I could ever hope to obtain.

-Katie G.

To Nominate?

In preparation for what is likely to be a very heated penny war, Professor Steinberg is accepting nominations for Sigma Tau Delta's annual 24-hour Marathon Reading. The first ten nominations will enter the competition. Thus far, we have received three nominations:

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
American Gods by Neil Gaiman
The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K Rowling

Unhappy with the selection so far? Nominate your choice! Stop by Professor Steinberg's office in Bliss 205 with $5 to propose your pick!

To Raise Money for The American Cancer Society?

This year, we are proud to announce that Sigma Tau Delta will have its very own Relay For Life team. Each year for the past several years at The College of New Jersey, an organization called Colleges Against Cancer (CAC) has organized this event, raising money for The American Cancer Society. Relay For Life will be held at The College of New Jersey from Friday, April 1st until Saturday, April 2nd.

If you would like to sign up for our team and walk with us (the registration fee is $10), please go to the event's homepage at the following link: TCNJ Relay For Life Registration. Once you get to the website, click on "Join a Team" and select "Sigma Tau Delta" from the drop-down menu. Each member who raises at least $50 will also receive a free t-shirt!

Check out our team page, and please donate to our team.

Our goal as an organization is to raise at least $1000! After only two days, we are already 12% towards our goal. With the event 56 days away, we can possibly double or triple our donation to The American Cancer Society!

To Meet Online?

Due to today's inclement weather, our first Sigma Tau Delta meeting of the Spring 2011 semester will take place in the "logged chat" section on SOCS. Our president, Todd, sent out the following message to members this afternoon:

Because of cold, wet, icy and generally treacherous weather today, we have decided to not meet on campus. Instead, we will hold our meeting in the "logged chat" room on SOCS at 4:30 today. You can join us in ENGL HONR in SOCS. Then click the "logged chat" tab on the lefthand side toolbar.

If you can make it please join us as this is our first meeting of the semester and we will be talking about lots of fun and interesting things like: an upcoming Applebee's fundraiser, scrabble tournament, the conference in Pittsburgh, etc. However, if you cannot make the meeting, the logged chat will record what has been said so that you can read it at your leisure. Take care and I look forward to meeting with you all in cyberspace!

To Trade Books?

Photo courtesy of bookmooch.com

Have you ever heard of a swap meet? Have you ever heard of a swap meet for books?

I just learned about a new website, called BookMooch where people can trade books that they don't want anymore for books that they do want, which another user has posted. Apparently the website is free to sign up for, and all a person needs to pay for is shipping.

How does the website work? People can search for books in a variety of ways: by genre, by recently added, by country (yes! the website is International), by language, by title/author, by topic, etc. Then, once a person finds a book they want, they can swap a book of their own with that user.

Skeptical? Intrigued? Would you be willing to swap your books for "new" ones?

~Kristen

To e-read?

This Christmas I was turned into a hypocrite.

Since the advent of the e-reader, I've been a fierce opponent. Nothing compares to holding a book; it's weight, it's smell, it's texture. I demonstrate my love for literature by demolishing books. I fold pages, highlight, write myself notes, write "witty" remarks that I hope someone someday sees. And the Kindle? The iPad? The Nook? Where is the new book smell? It's replaced by cold, clean, computer screens. Sure, it's "green," but in this case, I shut out the pleas of the sprouting resident Loraxes and acquire books like an addiction. Sorry, trees.

Materialism and book sniffing aside, the e-readers have always frightened me as an aspiring writer. What does this new technology mean for writers? Is it good or bad? What will happen to bookstores? The only bookstore in my town, an Annie's Book Stop, recently went out of business. I'm devastated. Is this just a prelude of what's to come? Will there be a time when bookstores will be completely extinct?

I received a Kindle for Christmas.

Though I am still terrified for the future of bookstores, though I prefer print above all technological advances, I'm afraid I've been won over. Here's how I am choosing to justify myself: I am not replacing my beloved books. The Kindle is merely allowing me to mobilize my addiction. I can be a nerd everywhere and instantly, download the classics for free (it is unbelievable how many books are free), listen to a book while I'm driving, play electronic Scrabble and read the newspaper on a train. I can even write notes and highlight passages.

I will still buy print books. There are certain authors' work of which I need the physical representation. I don't foresee that ever changing. It's my perhaps naive hope that there are enough people who share my "archaic" need for paper. Hopefully they will be enough to save bookstores (and newspapers for that matter). I'm hoping that the e-reader will remain a supplement to print, rather than render it obsolete. Again, I know it's naive. For the time being, however, I'm enjoying the coexistence of the two.

-Katie Brenzel