The Center for Teaching & Learning in conjunction with several other campus units is looking for students interested in participating in a panel discussion on Critical Reading in the Digital Age early next semester. During this session we will discuss the impact of new technologies (e.g., Google, Blogs, Facebook) on the process of reading and how this is affecting our teaching and learning practices. In a multimedia era, what’s the role of the printed word? Do you read more, or at all? How do you handle class assignments? Can you multitask and still be a critical reader? Even if you don’t use much technology, you probably have dealt with these issues. If you are interested, please fill out the form available here.

Participants will receive a gift certificate to an online bookstore. This event is sponsored by The Dean of Faculty’s Office, The Center for Teaching and Learning, Academic Computing, The Blume Language & Culture Learning Center, the Trinity College Library and the Allan K. Smith Center for Writing and Rhetoric.

According to an article in today’s Hartford Courant, Senator Barack Obama will be coming to Harford on Monday.

Senator Hillary Clinton will also be returning on that same day.

To read the article click here.

The most recent Rasmussen poll shows that in Connecticut there is a close struggle for the nomination between the Democratic candidates: Clinton 40% and Obama 40%. Clearly, February 5th will be a serious battle between Senator Barack Obama and Senator Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination.

I want to alert student supporters for Barack Obama that there will be an organizational summit here in Hartford tonight, Thursday, January 31 at 7:00 PM at the The Foot Stop. If you have questions please call (860) 729-4632.

The address is:
89 Pratt Street
Hartford, CT 06123

Hopefully, with the current political climate, Barack Obama will also consider visiting Hartford, CT.

Breaking News

Hillary Clinton is coming to Hartford Tomorrow, January 28, 2008. Clinton will hold a “town hall style” meeting in the Learning Corridor (Commons Gymnasium) to discuss “solutions for the American Economy.”

The event is scheduled to begin at 9:30 am and last about 2 hours. The meeting is open to the public and you are welcome to bring your friends and family.

More information can be found at the official Hillary Clinton website.

Ishmael Beah, author of A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier, is scheduled to make an appearance here at Trinity on April 8th, 2008. The book, written by Beah at age 26, recounts his often stunning experiences as a young child experiencing the violence occurring in Sierra Leone and taking up arms for the government army at the age of 13. Beah recently appeared as a guest on The Jon Stuart Show. Enjoy watching this video clip from Comedy Central and stay tuned for more specifics as the event date draws near.

I have been in contemplation for around a week already. “What to write? How to write? What’s my angle?” Writing for a blog is nothing like writing for the Tripod, right? So, here’s my opinion - facts aside.

Text books are too expensive! No matter what PIRGs or politicians claim they’re going to do about it, textbook prices are undeniably overpriced and on-the-rise. I know that many of you do not pay out of pocket for your books, nor do you pass tangible notes to pay for them. But every semester, I go to the bookstore dreading the final tally as the cashier rings me out. My hands even shudder, occasionally, as I try to nonchalantly fan out my pay check and extend my arm to trade-in SEVERAL hours of hard work.

I swear it wouldn’t hurt as bad if I didn’t know that there must be more cost-effective ways to round-up textbooks. Why is it that students, and teachers, are in denial about the handle these publishing houses and book chains have on us? Should your/my Economics textbook really cost $160? Time-and-again I have attempted to shame my professors into finding more equitable publications. Often, they explain that the reason we cannot use last semester’s text (ones the bookstore would at least have cheaper used copies of) is that the publishing house closed-out one edition and released a “more up-to-date” edition. How much can really change from one year to the next when it comes to Algebra!? Has the primary number system changed, or something? Does E no longer equal mc2? Read the rest of this entry »