Notes and News – Week of 2/18/2019
HL’s Pieces
Dear Red Lions,
I begin this week’s Notes and News with this week’s “photo of week” titled “TD Frocos Go to Masquerade”. Dean Mahurin took this great photo this and June got into the fun with her sparkly tutu!
Speaking of Dean Mahurin – just a quick reminder and follow up that she is away in Kentucky this week to be with her father while he is having surgery. You can still reach her via email but if you need quick assistance for anything related to academic affairs such as course withdrawal then you can work with another dean as noted in her note below. Please remember that you may stop by my office or make an appointment to speak with me on anything that is TD-related.
I am excited to announce that we are bringing back the TD ice skating outing to the Ralph Walker rink this Saturday 2/23 from 8-9:30pm! Our TD seniors will remember that in the fall of their first year at Yale, we had a TD ice-skating trip to our local rink with a wonderful hot chocolate bar. Sadly, the city’s park district ran out of funds to reopen the rink the following year. But I learned last week that the Ralph Walker Rink has reopened just for this month! I am now working on finalizing the details for our outing. So save the date and I’ll be back with more info this week once the details are finalized!
TD has 4 tickets available to attend a special dinner in support of LEAP (Leadership, Education & Athletics in Partnership) a local organization that brings New Haven college and public high school students to work with younger children through a wide range of activities. (This year’s first-years outing to Sunnyside Farm in Bethany, CT is also the location for LEAP’s summer camping trip.) To see which dinners are availableplease go to this link and note the ones that are NOT marked “sold out”. Then email me directly at mary.lui@yale.edu to claim a seat. In the email please note your top 3 choices. If you wish to go with another TD student, please put down both of your names. You must sign up no later than this Wednesday 2/20 to claim one of the two tickets.
Here are our events for this week:
Friday 2/22 7pm Senior Red Wine Tasting with David Swensen
TD is excited to welcome back David Swensen for another evening of tasting and talking! All 25 seniors have been notified and we will call folks on the waitlist if anyone drops out.
Saturday 2/23 TD 7:30-9pm Goes Ice Skating (Ralph Walker Rink)
All entry fees and skate rentals will be provided. We will provide a bus to bring TDers to and from the rink. More info will be forthcoming once we finalize the details with the New Haven Park District.
Here are important dates and events for next week:
Thursday 2/28 6-7:30pm TD Sophomore Class Dinner (TD House)
Please save the date for the sophomore class dinner! You will be hearing more directly from your sophomore class dinner committee.
Without further ado, here is a word from Dean Mahurin…
Àshe,
HL
***
The Gift
Li-Young Lee
To pull the metal splinter from my palm
my father recited a story in a low voice.
I watched his lovely face and not the blade.
Before the story ended, he’d removed
the iron sliver I thought I’d die from.
I can’t remember the tale,
but hear his voice still, a well
of dark water, a prayer.
And I recall his hands,
two measures of tenderness
he laid against my face,
the flames of discipline
he raised above my head.
Had you entered that afternoon
you would have thought you saw a man
planting something in a boy’s palm,
a silver tear, a tiny flame.
Had you followed that boy
you would have arrived here,
where I bend over my wife’s right hand.
Look how I shave her thumbnail down
so carefully she feels no pain.
Watch as I lift the splinter out.
I was seven when my father
took my hand like this,
and I did not hold that shard
between my fingers and think,
Metal that will bury me,
christen it Little Assassin,
Ore Going Deep for My Heart.
And I did not lift up my wound and cry,
Death visited here!
I did what a child does
when he’s given something to keep.
I kissed my father.
UPCOMING DATES AND DEADLINES:
February 15, Friday Last day to withdraw from a course offered in the first half of the spring term. See Withdrawal from Courses and Grades.
Deadline for applications for Yale Summer Session Programs Abroad.
February 27, Wednesday Classes begin for courses offered in the second half of the spring term.
March 1, Friday Deadline to apply for Non-Yale Summer Abroad.
March 8, Friday Midterm. Spring recess begins, 5:30 p.m.
Last day to withdraw from a spring full-term course without the course appearing on the transcript. See Withdrawal from Courses and Grades.
Last day to convert from a letter grade to the Credit/D/Fail option in a spring full-term course.
Deadline to apply for double credit in a single-credit course. See Special Arrangements.
Withdrawal from Yale College on or before this date entitles a student to a rebate of one-quarter of the spring term’s tuition. See Undergraduate Regulations.
NEED DEANLY HELP THIS WEEK?
Remember, even though I’ll be out of the office, if you find yourself really hoping to speak to a dean in person (because you are seeking a Dean’s Excuse, are considering a course withdrawal but wish to discuss face-to-face, or have something else on your mind about which you’d prefer a conversation over an email), you can make an appointment through Trish to see one of my colleagues. Yale’s Director of Academic Affairs – and former Dean of Morse College – Joel Silverman will be in my office from 2:00-4:00pm on Tuesday 2/19, Wednesday 2/20, and Thursday 2/21. Dean of Benjamin Franklin College Jessie Hill will be in my office from 10:00am-noon on Friday 2/22. Dean Hill will also be able to see walk-in TD students in her Franklin office if necessary; please email her assistant at michelle.tracey@yale.edu if that option appeals. And remember, I’ll be available via email as always!
WALDEN PEER COUNSELOR APPLICATION AVAILABLE
Walden is a peer counseling and referral service. We are currently looking for dedicated and caring individuals with diverse experiences to serve the Yale community. Our hotline and walk-in services aim to provide a very low stakes anonymous, confidential, and nonjudgmental counseling environment for Yale undergraduates. All Walden counselors are trained by professionals from Yale University Health Services and from private practices in the New Haven area. We are equipped to handle a variety of issues, including but not limited to depression, relationships, academic stress, and identity concerns related to sexuality, race, and ethnicity.
Being a Walden counselor is a serious time commitment, and counselors are expected to attend weekly meetings/training sessions and weekly shifts. All counselors are required to attend a two-day training session in the fall. This training typically takes place in August right before shopping period begins.
Please contact walden.counseling@gmail.com to receive application materials. Also feel free to use this email to ask any pressing questions you might have about the process. The first (priority) application deadline is Friday, March 8th, 2019 at 11:59 PM, and the final deadline is Friday, March 29th, 2019 at 11:59 PM.
FIRST-GENERATION/LOW-INCOME COMMUNITY INITIATIVES
FGLI Guest Speaker: Tara Falcone, YC’11: Giving Back
https://www.facebook.com/events/1152975774894285/
Join us on Thursday, February 21, at 4 pm in the Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning for a conversation with FGLI Yale alumna Tara Falcone. Tara is a Certified Financial Planner, a former hedge fund analyst, and founder of ReisUp LLC. She will discuss her experience as first-generation/low-income student at Yale and her journey since graduation.
FGLI Financial Literacy featuring Tara Falcone, YC’11:
https://www.facebook.com/events/328963247826575/
Yale alumna Tara Falcone will lead a workshop on financial literacy on Thursday, February 21 at 7:30 pm in the Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning. Learn new ways of thinking about your finances, and how to manage your finances for the short and long term!
FGLI Guest Speaker: Prof. Anthony Jack: The Privileged Poor
Thursday, February 28 @ 4 pm, Saybrook College
https://www.facebook.com/events/238908880382072/
Join the First-Generation Low-Income Community Initiative in conversation with Dr. Anthony A. Jack on his research and his personal experience. Dr. Jack’s recently published book, The Privileged Poor, focuses on the inclusivity of low-income students from different backgrounds in elite colleges and makes recommendations for a more inclusive college campus. His opportunity to teach extends beyond his work, however, given Dr. Jack identifies as a first-gen alum. We invite you to join us in this unique opportunity to learn about Dr. Jack’s implications for a more socioeconomically inclusive campus from an academic leader who understands the experience personally. Students interested in joining a follow-up dinner with Dr. Jack must fill out the following form by February 24th: https://goo.gl/forms/ptL6HxTp9RDJUVfi2
Yale College Dean’s Office Resources: Check out the resources available for students on significant financial aid, including the Loaner Laptop program, the Career Closet, and the Winter Clothing Grant: https://fgli.yalecollege.yale.edu/financial-resources/deans-office-services. For emergencies or unexpected expenses, talk to your RC Dean or HOC and check out our SafetyNet system.
YALE LIBRARY EVENTS
This month, the Yale University Library is offering a number of events for undergraduates, from learning research strategies to make database searching easier, visits from a therapy dog, and drop-in consultations with a librarian over coffee (and get a free mug!). We hope to see you there!