Academic Group & Pastry Thursday

Dear fellow students,

I am writing this brief email to let you know about two items of interest.

First, we have officially started the new online Academic Group!

The DSPT is host to a GTU-wide group for M.A. students who are interested in pursuing a PhD. The group was created to open up a discussion space for students who had questions about what to do to increase their chances of getting into a good PhD program. It is primarily based online, but also hosts social events and informational events, like the PhD Admissions Panel, during the year.
http://groups.google.com/group/gtu-academic-group

If you are at all interested, or just curious what it's all about, please join! I believe that this can be a good resource for students, especially once some of us actually begin the application process. If you've already joined and listed your preference to not receive email, check out the new items that have been posted!

Second, please take a moment to see if you would be able to bring something for a pastry Thursday this semester. Remember, you are only spending $35--which will be reimbursed by the Council! If you've been enjoying the pastries that have been brought in by other students, maybe you would consider signing up for a week to bring some yourself!

Thank you!

Sincerely,
Elissa McCormack
ASDSPT President

PhD Admissions Panel Hosted by DSPT

On Tuesday, February 6, the newly-formed DSPT Academic Group hosted a GTU-wide PhD Admissions Panel. The panel consisted of Joseph Duggan, Associate Dean of the Graduate Division for Degrees, Admissions, and Appointments at UC-Berkeley, Kathleen Kook, Assistant Dean for Admissions at the GTU, and John Campbell, Professor of Philosophy at UC-Berkeley. The panel opened with an introduction by Elissa McCormack, ASDSPT President, followed by short talks by each of the panel participants and ending with time for questions.

(Read more...)

GTU Beatitudes Society

Greetings DSPT folks,

The GTU Beatitudes Society is hosting a stellar guest.

Thursday, Feb 8, 6:30, Mudd 103 _______________________________________________________

Sara Miles is a left-wing journalist, cook and activist, a blue-state lesbian raised as an atheist, who lived an enthusiastically secular life--until she wandered into a San Francisco church, ate a piece of bread, took a sip of wine, and found herself radically transformed by her first communion.

Her new book Take This Bread--A Radical Conversion is the story of her journey to faith, and of her decision to take Jesus' call to feed others literally, by organizing food pantries run by poor people. Phyllis Tickle calls this book "the finest confession of faith I've read in years....an astute assessment of the present intertwining of politics and Christianity in American culture." And our Anne Howard says: "this is the BEST description of Christianity, and the most HONEST description of church life, that I've ever read."

Her work has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, The New Yorker, Out, The Progressive, La Jornada and Salon, among others. She has written extensively on military affairs, politics and culture. She is the founder of St. Gregory's Food Pantry in SF. _______________________________________________________

And if that's not enough to convince you to blow off everything else, check out her short sermon on the radical Gospel about gay marriage and little children.

http://www.saintgregorys.org/Liturgy/Sermons/AudioFile/061008-1030-miles.mp3

She is also blogging for the Beatitudes Society and is keen to get to know us at the GTU.

Everyone is welcome. Feel free to bring any friends and lovers, there will be enough pizza and wine and conversation for all. If you need transport, let me know.

If you want to know more about the Beatitudes Society and its paid fellowship program for GTU students, that's a good reason to come as well.

Pax,
Alexander