C L A R E M O N T
the
G R A D U A T E
U N I V E R S I T Y
Pedant
A newsletter for CGU students, not someone
you don’t want to sit next to at a dinner party.
December 2008
CGU news
All the campus news
that’s fit to print. Get
the skinny on
internships, cars for
rent, mailing stuff,
stopping to smell the
flowers, and who’s got
your old stove.
Page 2-3
Volume 1, Number 2
Getting
published
Find out what all the
fuss is about, how two
enterprising students
got their work into
print, and how you
can too.
Page 4
The good word
on the Writing
Center
The ominous blank page . . . perhaps no
scenario strikes more fear in the hearts of
graduate students. But fear not ye
anxious Pedants! There’s no reason to
find yourself foggy-eyed, hammering
away on your word processor, “All work
and no play makes Jack a dull boy,” ad
infinitum, late into the night. For we have
the CGU Writing Center, a shining
beacon of hope amidst the gloomy
horizon of end-of-semester papers.
Research and
awards
One student’s
research lands him in
Carnegie Hall, what
you have to say about
a World on Fire, and
padding your pockets
with fellowship
money.
Page 7
Campus events
A full calendar of
events, including
Christmas gift ideas
that the family will
love and won’t land
you in the poorhouse.
Page 8
The Writing Center provides free
consultations for all CGU students, faculty,
and staff in all aspects of the writing process.
They’ll coach you in everything from topic
formation to the subtle art of the m-dash. And
whether you use the Modern Language
Association’s guides or are forced to kick it
Chicago Manual of Style style, they can assist
you with any citation format and its rules.
And your writing instructor won’t, like some
machete-wielding camp counselor in a slasher
film, assail your work with the oft-dreaded
blood-red pen. Instead, like a holistic healer,
they’ll provide you with suggestions and
guidance to improve the conception and
expression of your ideas.
It doesn’t matter whether your paper is a
technical tract on the mathematical nuances of
String Theory or an epic poem you composed
in rhyming couplets on unicorns, the Writing
Center staff is incredibly diverse. The office’s
17 instructors come from various
backgrounds and should be able to handle
most technical questions from any field of
study. However diverse, they are all excellent
writers, recommended for the position by
their professors, and have all been graduate
students for at least one year. All have also
been trained in tutoring methods and most
have college teaching experience. A list of
their profiles is available on the Writing
Center website (http://www.cgu.edu/pages/
726.asp).
What aren’t you
learning in
graduate school?
Page 8
Also on the website is a database that lists
when the instructor you want is available. An
online reservation service allows you to
conveniently make appointments on your
computer. And if times don’t jive between you
and the instructor you’d like, you can send in
your work via e-mail and receive an online
consultation. As for walk-ins, an instructor
may or may not be available. If one is free,
they’ll be happy to help.
But please note: the Writing Center staff are
not miracle workers. If you show up five
hours before your paper is due with only the
first line, “The night was moist,” it will
seriously limit your options for feedback and
the time you’ll have to incorporate it. So don’t
gamble on your reputation of authorial
excellence; make plans early and schedule an
appointment online.
(Continued on page 6)
CGU factoid
James Blaisdell’s
beloved dog Midget is
resting in peace
somewhere on
campus. Do you know
where she’s buried?
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editor’s note:
Thank you to everyone who took the time to
provide feedback for our inaugural issue of
the Pedant! Remember that we’re always
interested in hearing from you and there are
many other ways for you to spread the word to
fellow Pedants.
First off, there’s the new CGU facebook page,
which has well over 400 members. Feel free
to post your reviews of Hagelbarger’s food
(anyone tried the chicken tacos?), make sports
predictions (Chargers all the way, baby!), or
whatever else you like. While you’re logged
on, don’t forget to friend the Pedant (listed
taxonomically as Pedant Claremonticus
Scholari) – he’s one of those guys who likes to
run-up his friend count.
You can also get involved by joining the
Graduate Student Council (GSC). Or, short of
that, you should attend one of their regularly
scheduled meetings, which are open to all
students. The GSC meets in the Board of
Trustees Room in Harper Hall on alternate
Thursdays (if you’ve never been in the Board
of Trustees Room you should definitely check
it out – it’s really nice and smells of a rich
mahogany). Even short of that, you can read
the minutes of each meeting on the GSC
website (www.cgu.edu/pages/1665.asp).
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Get out of my dreams,
and into my Zipcar
As many of you know, Los Angeles
County doesn’t have the best public
transportation. Sure, the Metrolink helps
connect Claremont to the outside world,
but what if you need a car in a pinch?
Consider Zipcar.
CGU is now a university partner of Zipcar, a
membership-based car sharing company that
bills by the hour or day. Zipcar members,
(sometimes known as “zipsters”) can rent a
car for $7/hour or $48/day. Included in those
prices are insurance, gas, and up to 180 miles
a day. Not only that, but to get the car all you
have to do is walk to Pomona College where
the Zipster fleet awaits you.
Membership applications can be found online
at www.zipcar.com under the CGU
partnership agreement.
Like Kinkos and the
post office all in one –
but cheaper (and
awesomer)
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But did you also know that the mailroom can
double as your neighborhood Kinkos? There
are black-and-white and color copiers, along
with paper of all sizes and color. If the
mailroom doesn’t have the paper you need,
they’ll happily order it for you. Additionally,
they fax and scan documents (scanning is
free). And unlike your neighborhood Kinkos,
the mailroom staff is friendly, competent, and
are sometimes known to wear sweet Pink
Floyd T-shirts.
Additionally, the mailroom offers discount
movie passes and coupons for popular
Southern California attractions. Students and
staff can purchase discount tickets for
Edwards Cinemas and AMC Theatres ($7 and
$7.50 for new releases, respectively, and $6
for films out longer than 12 days). Students
can also pick up discount admission coupons
for Legoland, Aquarium of the Pacific,
Knott’s Berry Farm, the Los Angeles Zoo,
SeaWorld, and Universal Studios Hollywood.
The mailroom is located in the basement of
Harper Hall East.
Get experience. Get
paid (maybe). Get an
internship.
Note: model shown may not be available
Special thanks
To Katy Scrogin, Carrie Kiel, Jameelah
Medina, Joel Scott Davis, Linda Warlow and
everyone at the Botany Department, the
Writing Center, and anyone else who
generously gave their time to our humble
publication; and Sprouts’ deli.
N
cgu news:
In the meantime, good luck working off all
that turkey and stuffing with high-impact
typing while you slave away on your final
papers.
the Pedant
December 2008
Volume 1, Number 2
U
Sure, you probably know that CGU has a
mailroom, most sizable institutions do.
But did you know that CGU’s mailroom is
open to students – and that it’s awesome?
The mailroom functions like a post office.
Students can receive mail, send letters, and
ship packages, including priority and
overnight options.
With finals fast approaching, the summer
may seem like a tiny speck on the horizon,
but now is the time to start looking for
and finalizing internship plans (if that’s
your thing).
In fact, many businesses and organizations are
already in the process of finalizing their
summer interns. Don’t be left behind. If
you’re relatively new to your field and lack
experience, it is a good idea for you to find an
internship. Some of the best general sites for
finding internships are: www.internships.com,
www.internshipprograms.com, and
www.internjobs.com.
Additionally, there are several websites with
listings of internships in specific fields. Many
of these are listed on the CGU website at
www.cgu.edu/pages/180.asp.
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Ahhh, the memories...
Tomorrow’s leader, Jameelah Medina.
The secret garden(ers)
The second cooking
SES student proves it:
Women Rule!
Did you know CGU has a Botany
Department? Don’t beat yourself up, there
are only 15 students and their facilities
are housed away from the main campus.
But did you also not know that their
facilities are surrounded by the largest
native-plant garden in California, and
that it’s right across the street?
Ever wonder what’s become of the stove
from the old dorms that you shared so
many unforgettable culinary memories
with? Rest assured, it’s moved on to a
better place. No, not stove heaven. But to a
home somewhere that really needed it,
thanks to the Institution Recycling
Network (IRN).
In high school, Jameelah Medina was
troubled by the racially motivated violence
she witnessed between African American
and Latino students. Fast-forward to the
present, and Medina, a PhD student in the
School of Educational Studies, has devised
the award-winning Breaking Bread
Program.
Hidden behind the new apartments and the
Claremont Golf Course, the Rancho Santa Ana
Botanic Garden might be the most
inconspicuous 86 acres of carefully planted
native California flora in the world. According
to Lucinda McDade, professor and chair of the
Botany Department, “Some people have said
that the garden is perhaps the most well-kept
secret in Los Angeles County. And we don’t
want it to be.”
The IRN, a cooperative that manages largescale recycling and waste management
efforts, has been recruited by CGU to help
with the gradual demolition of the old CGU
dorms. They helped salvage various
household items to be donated to families
across the globe in need.
The Breaking Bread Program is designed to
bring African American and Latino high school
students who’ve been involved in race-related
violence together in a spirit of mutual
understanding. The 14-month program would
educate students in the two cultures’
commonalities, including shared history and
struggles.
These particular items have been slated to go
to three different locations. One load has been
shipped to the town of Colonia El Rosario,
Guatemala, and another to the Republic of
Honduras. The final load went to a mission in
Chula Vista, California.
“It’s a cultural empowerment program,” says
Medina. “Students will build a sense of where
they’ve come from as a people and then
collaborate to understand what each ethnic
group has contributed to society, and how and
when they’ve done it together.”
Where the sylvan scenesters tread.
The garden actually originated in Orange
County back in 1927, conceived by Susanna
Bixby Bryant to conserve the natural diversity
of the state’s native vegetation. Then in 1951
the garden was relocated to Claremont (to be in
close proximity to institutions of higher
learning), where today it serves not only
educational, but horticultural, scientific, and
community functions as well.
The garden is divided into three distinct areas
displaying a variety of plant communities from
all of California’s remarkably biodiverse
regions. There are a number of rare and
beautiful species, including a collection of
Manzanitas just starting to flower.
The gates open daily at 8 a.m. and close
promptly at 5 p.m., so don’t dawdle in the
desert dandelions too long or you’ll be
spending the night with the squirrels. A fourdollar donation is appreciated, and don’t forget
to visit the Garden Gift Shop full of all sorts of
botanical wares, books, and gift items. For
more, go to www.rsabg.org.
All the items salvaged by the IRN had been
targeted for immediate reuse. In the event that
various articles of bedroom furniture,
refrigerators, or stoves needed repairs or
maintenance, the IRN performed them. And
according to the IRN’s assessment of “fair
market value,” the worth of the three
shipments totaled $188,390. Apparently that
stove had more than just sentimental value.
For more information on the IRN visit its
website at www.ir-network.com.
Medina has been developing the Breaking
Bread Program for two-and-a-half years. When
implemented, the program will offer convicted
students the option of satisfying their
community service requirements with their
sustained involvement.
Earlier this year, Medina’s efforts were
recognized by Women Rule!, a contest
sponsored by O, The Oprah Magazine, in
which Medina was chosen from out of 3,000
women and was among the final 80 considered
“tomorrow’s leaders.” They were all featured
in O and invited to New York City to attend
O’s White House Leadership Project. Over the
course of the three-day program Medina and
others were mentored in leadership and
administrative skills by some of the top female
leadership trailblazers in the country.
Currently, Medina is involved in the grant
writing process, but hopes to launch the
program very soon. “Everything is planned to a
T,” she says.
Leisure with dignity 3
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William Blake’s Circle of the Unpublished.
Publish and Flourish
“Publish or perish!” So goes the
threatening epigram that greets every
new untenured professor like some
warning echoed by condemned faculty
wandering Dante’s Hell. Though this
dictum is less imposing on the
professional (and metaphysical)
predicaments of graduate students,
maybe a better one to remember is:
publish and flourish! If you’re looking for
a way to watch your graduate career
thrive – like CGU religion student Katy
Scrogin and CGU botany student Carrie
Kiel – set aside your Hagelbarger’s sushi
a moment, and read on.
Though getting published might not yet be
high on your academic agenda, it’s never too
early to start building that curriculum vitae.
Says Scrogin, “For the future, I’d say getting
your work published is essential, especially if
you’re looking to eventually find a tenuretrack position.”
Or a position in any profession. Publishing
records aren’t just something faculty-hiring
boards look at; it’s important for any number
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of fields. According to Kiel, “It will definitely
make you more competitive in the future job
market.” At the very least, it will lend another
dimension to your resume.
So with our professional futures in the
balance, we might ask: what is this arcane
world of the academic journal? And how do I
get a piece of the action?
Essentially, scholarly or peer-reviewed
journals are publications that either present
new research or critique existing research for
the rest of the academic community. These
journals are crucial outlets for the
establishment of credible sources of discovery
and knowledge. I say credible because the
information contained within is scrupulously
reviewed by your peers or referees (outside
scholars), who don’t wear striped shirts and a
whistle around their neck, but do assess the
legitimacy and importance of the submitted
work. However, much like their football
counterparts, their judgment is often called
into question.
Roughly, there are three types of papers that a
scholarly journal will publish: there are
regular academic papers that describe research
and propose new findings; review articles that
critique previously published papers; and
book reviews, which are similar to what you
did in the fifth grade, but with bigger words.
The academic publishing world is a dynamic
and diverse place. There are academic
journals for everything. No kidding,
everything. Just take a cursory glance through
journalseek.net, the world’s largest
categorized online database of academic
journal information, and you’ll find listings as
varied as the International Comet Quarterly
to Studies in Dance History.
Because of this diversity, the subject of your
paper can be as yesterday as Paleolithic dust,
as tomorrow as space travel to Jupiter, or as
topical as last month’s historic elections. The
possibilities for your paper are boundless, as
unstuck in time and space as a character in a
Kurt Vonnegut novel.
Take Scrogin, for instance, who recently
published “The War on Concepts: The
Thought of Jan Patocka and the War on
Terror,” in the journal Kritike. In other words,
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Before applying, you should always make
sure that the journals you send your work to
are appropriate. There’s no point in sending
your sociology paper on Alcoholics
Anonymous to the Journal of Wine Research.
No matter how good the paper may be, it will
likely find the nearest wastebasket. The best
thing to do is check the Libraries of the
Claremont Colleges website or the journal
stacks on the ground floor of Honnold Library
for past issues to read to ensure you’ve found
the right venue for your work. Furthermore,
editors generally appreciate it if you mention
something that suggests you know a little
about their publication history in your cover
letter. In fact, why not subscribe to one or two
of the more important journals in your
discipline?
Carrie Kiel reinterprets the lab coat.
she’s a religion student who published a paper
that discusses contemporary American
political events using the work of a twentieth
century Czech philosopher in a journal based
out of the University of Santo Tomas in the
Philippines. And I’m not even going to start
with Kiel’s “Phylogenetic delimitation of
Isoglossinae (Acanthaceae: Justicieae) and
relationships among constituent genera.”
Whew! Are you still with me? Good. I say
this not to overwhelm you with the dizzying
range of possibilities for you to publish on,
only to drive home the point that no matter
how obscure, if you work hard enough,
somewhere there’s a home for that paper on
applied mascot myrmecology.
And with the advent of the Internet, it’s now
easier than ever to get published. The web has
radically transformed how academic journals
are produced and accessed. Because print
journals are time-consuming and expensive,
and because online journals are so much
easier to produce and at a fraction of the cost,
dozens of new online publications are
cropping up each year, meaning there are that
many more outlets for your work.
Even many of the most distinguished print
journals have created web-formats where you
can access their content from the comfort of
your own home. (Note: if you use the
Claremont Colleges online database, you
won’t have to pay the fees some journals
charge to view their articles.)
According to Kiel: “If you’re a graduate
student you should always keep up with the
current literature, especially when you’re in
the sciences. It’s very important to know
what’s going on in the field.”
If what’s going on in your field is in line with
what you’re working on, why not shoot for
the stars and send your work to the best
journals? There’s nothing to lose except
postage! Of course, prestige is not always the
most important thing. Says Scrogin: “If I
respect the quality of the journal and/or enjoy
reading it, I'll send something in.”
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name on the work. Another option is to ask
journal editors if they’re looking for someone
to review books or articles. “For assignments
like this, they'll send you the book or article in
question, usually based on your area of
interest,” says book review maven Scrogin.
Once you’ve found the right journal and sent
the work off, don’t fret if you don’t get a
response right away. The peer-review process
can take a while, sometimes up to six months
or more.
Finally, if after all that time you get a
rejection letter, don’t quit school, stuff all
your possessions into a hobo bindle, and hit
the road in despair. Rejections are far more
common than acceptances. As Scrogin says,
“Even if your article is rejected, it may give
you a new perspective on what you're
thinking. You might begin to ask: how can I
shore up my ideas? Was I completely off
base? I didn't even take Fundamental Factor X
into consideration and look at what a great
argument I could make if I did!”
If at first you don’t succeed, work on it some
more and send it out again, and again, and
again, darn it! Pedants never say die!
Persistence will serve you well in the wild
world of publishing, and the more you
participate in it, the more you’ll watch your
graduate career flourish, right before your
(hundreds of Pedant) eyes.
Regardless, if you’re not already familiar with
what kind of work is being published in your
discipline, it’s probably high time you find
out. Besides our own libraries, which are your
best resources, some other places to look are
online searchable databases and archives like:
www.journalseek.net, www.jstor.org,
www.webofknowledge.com, or Google
Scholar.
And yes, I know, we went through this in the
previous issue with the conference article:
who has the time to write an extra paper when
your dog has the flu and your parents won’t
leave you alone about making travel
arrangements for Christmas? Again, the trick
isn’t sparing time to write another paper, but
taking what you’ve already written and
sending it out. Why not get credit twice for
your hard work?
Other options, like joint-publishing
assignments or book reviews, are available to
you as well. Last year, Kiel worked closely
with her advisor to write a manuscript that
resulted in her coauthorship of the paper. It
never hurts to ask around if a professor is
looking for a student to help with their
research. Aside from getting a possible
glimpse of your future, you may also get your
Katy Scrogin, the word-smithstress.
There are a handful of excellent academic
journals here at CGU, for example the
Cultural Studies Department operates
culture critique and the Music Department
runs Performance Practice Review. Check
with your department office to see what sort
of publishing affiliations or opportunities
they may have.
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There is a limit of one consultation per week –
either in person or online – and you get eight
sessions a semester. (And don’t think gluing
on a fake mustache is going to get you an extra
session; staff members will recognize your
syntax.)
The website also has an excellent list of
resources on writing, largely composed by
current and former Writing Center staff. This
virtual master class on academic writing offers
tips on working with source material, writing
for specific fields and writing assignments,
help for international students, and general
writing tips. There are also dozens of useful
links to reference and style guides so you’ll
know the when-to-use rules for hyphens, what
the heck a gerund is, or if you’re superfluously
employing adverbs, superfluously.
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bulletin board:
What do rugby and
Freud have in
common?
The Writing Center office is located on the
ground floor of Harper Hall in Room 14.
Office hours are Monday through Friday, 9
a.m. to 5 p.m., but it’s recommended that you
check the online schedule before you drop by.
For questions e-mail writecenter@cgu.edu or
call (909) 607-2653.
Ain’t no party like a Writing Center party.
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Charles Young’s guide
to eating: BBQ
Charles Young, professor of philosophy in the
School of Arts & Humanities, has put
together a list of local good eats for those
new to the Inland Empire. We’ve serialized it
and will be publishing extracts over the next
couple of issues:
Here are some BBQ places to eat at. Most of them
are dumps, more or less, so you won’t see them on
most lists. The food is what counts.
Joey’s
Texas-style BBQ. The sauce is on the sweet side,
and they’ve got their own idea about what counts
as brisket, but it’s pretty good stuff.
(1964 W. Foothill Blvd., Upland)
The Writing Center can also help you with
other types of work, like resumes, curricula
vitae, cover letters, scholarship proposals,
class and conference presentations, love
letters, ransom notes – whatever you need help
writing. (Quick tip: if you cut out the letters
for your ransom note from issues of the
Pedant, it’s more likely you’ll get paid.)
Moreover, adds Writing Center Director Katya
Fairbanks, “If students are successful in
improving their writing or receive grants, jobs,
awards, or finish qualifying exams or
dissertations after working with the Writing
Center, we want to hear about it so that we can
put it on our ‘Writing Center Successes’
column on our website.”
U
The Pit
Mom and pop place. Down home, often don’t
have everything on the menu, at least at lunch –
depends on what got sold the night before and
when Mom got up. Terrific sides, ribs; the beef
(get the sliced) is not brisket, but it’s tasty. Soul
food on weekends.
(8661 Baseline Rd., Rancho Cucamonga)
Civilization and its Discontents: herr doktor inspects
the rabble.
Aside from providing ways to alleviate
neuroses, they’re both clubs on campus.
Hungry Al’s
Famous inner-city place gone Inland Empire. Ribs
are great.
(116 N. Vincent Ave., West Covina)
According to CGU student Micheal
Contreras: “Rugby is about the dignity of
collective human suffering.” So come on and
join the dirty and the dignified, become a
member of the Claremont Exiles Rugby
Club! All skill levels are welcome and all you
need are soccer cleats. The club competes
against other clubs and colleges throughout
the year. Practices are Tuesdays and
Thursdays, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. You’ll find the
“pitch” on the Northeast corner of Harvey
Mudd next to the Ronald and Maxine
Residence Hall. For more information contact
michael.contreras@cgu.edu.
Also, you’re invited to participate in the
Claremont Freudian Group (CFG). CFG was
conceived to bring together students
interested in the study of historical and
contemporary psychoanalysis and its singular
impact on the arts and sciences. For more
information or to join the CFG send an email
to claremontfreudiangroup@gmail.com.
The author at work.
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research and awards:
Music student hits the You bring the
big time in the Big
conference paper and
Apple
I’ll bring the
marshmallows: World
After nine months of hard work and research,
music student Joel Scott Davis recently had
on Fire!
an original piece of his performed at the
famed Carnegie Hall in New York.
Songs About God, a chamber piece written for
low voice and piano, was performed by (and
is dedicated to) Kathryn Fouse and G.
William Bugg, previous professors of Davis’
at Samford University, where he was an
undergraduate. Fouse and Bugg (who’ve both
performed at Carnegie Hall before)
commissioned the work in January just for the
occasion, which was a tremendous success.
Says Davis: “Being in the audience that night
gave me a strong feeling of accomplishment. I
felt a part of a great American tradition of
music-making.”
Based on Davis’ research of the Southern poet
John Crowe Ransom, Songs About God can
be heard online at Davis’ website:
www.songalwaysknown.blogspot.com.
Dollar, dollar bills,
y’all: fellowships
Arnold L Mitchem Dissertation Fellowship
Program
It’s time for submissions to CGU’s 10th annual
Student Research Conference and Art Exhibition.
This year’s combustible theme: World on Fire: an
examination of dynamic debates, shifting
paradigms, and provocative conversations.
Applications are being accepted for the
Marquette University Arnold L. Mitchem
Dissertation Fellowship Program. The goal of
the program is to increase the presence of
currently underrepresented racial and cultural
groups in the US professoriate by supporting
doctoral candidates in the process of writing
their dissertation.
All academic disciplines are invited to submit
proposals that address challenges affecting local
communities, the nation, and/or world. The
conference encourages students to utilize the
unique qualities of their disciplines to ponder/
generate possible solutions to these issues. In
addition to presentations, the conference will also
feature panel discussions facilitated by CGU
faculty and will showcase art installations.
The fellowships provide two students with one
year of financial support, including a stipend,
fringe benefits, and research and travel funds.
The fellows will be in residence at Marquette
University for an academic year, during which
they will teach one course in their area of
specialization while completing their
dissertations. They will also participate in a
formal mentoring program.
Make your voices heard Pedants! This is an
excellent opportunity for you to develop your
presentation skills, activate the “Conferences”
section on your c.v., and get to know your peers
by being a part of an important conversation
unfettered by disciplinary constrictions. And, you
don’t have to leave campus to be part of it.
More information is available at: http://
www.marquette.edu/as/graduate_mitchem.shtml
or e-mail mitchem.fellowship@marquette.edu.
For more information, or to submit your 250word proposal, go to: www.cgu.edu/WF.
Submissions must be made by Friday, December
12 before 5 p.m. The conference will be held on
Friday, March 6, 2009.
Davis playing the captivating music that be
cultivating me.
Leisure with dignity 7
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cgu events calendar
Dec. 2 – Calling all
mathletes! Algebra/Number
Theory/Combinatorics
Seminar: Mike Kerbs on
“Using Group Theory and
Graph Theory to Build Fast
Communications Networks:
A Brief Introduction to
Expanders and Ramanujan
Graph.” 11:15 a.m. to 12:10
p.m. at Pomona College’s
Millikan Labratory 211.
Tally ho Cromwell buffs!
History Forum: Student
Symposium Special
Collections Exhibition on
“The English Civil War,
1640-1648.” 4:00 p.m. at the
Honnold Library’s Founder’s
Room.
Dec. 5 – Friday Noon
Concert: “Works of Haydn
and Schubert by Quartet
Euphoria.” 12:15 p.m., Balch
Auditorium.
Dec. 3 – Visiting Artist
Lecture Series: Tomory
Dodge at 4:30 p.m., Albrecht
Auditorium.
Cognitive Brown Bag Lunch
Series: Paul Zak on “Positive
Psychology and
Neuroeconomics.” Noon to
1:15 p.m. at ACB 211.
Dec. 4 – ISS Brown Bag
Lunch: Quynh-hoa Nguyen
on “Charity as Return: the
Bible and Vietnamese
Americans in Los Angeles.”
Noon at the ISS office.
Dec. 6 – A great day to cross
off some names on your
Christmas list:
New books sale at the Stone
Center. Choose from a wide
selection of books for kids,
young adults, and graduate
students who need a break
from Kantian theory. 8:00
a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at 740
North College Avenue.
Dream of a green Christmas
this year: visit the Holiday
Shopping Open House at the
Rancho Santa Ana Botanic
Garden’s gift shop. 9:00 a.m.
to 5:00 p.m. at 1500 North
College Avenue.
Graduate tips
CGU Professors Paul Gray and David E.
Drew, authors of What They Didn’t Teach
You in Graduate School: 199 Helpful
Hints for Success in Your Academic
Career, have been kind enough to allow
us to publish one helpful hint from their
book in each issue. This is so that one
day you don’t raise your fist in the air
and curse CGU for not teaching you
to . . .
138. RECOGNIZE THE DIFFERENCE
between writing the first paper on a
subject and writing the nth one. Writing the first paper requires a
special knack for originality that few people have. A first paper
usually is not very deep, but it creates enough of an impact that
others follow your lead and write deep, scholarly works. The
advantage of the first paper is that it is always referenced, giving
you a long list of citations. If you are fortunate enough to have a
knack, you will need to market your output carefully. Journals (and
reviewers) look for the tried and true. Journals, after all, publish
almost exclusively on subjects they published previously. Tenure
and promotion committees will read the paper and say that it is
trivial because they read the more careful papers that others wrote
later based on your idea. It has been our observation that people
who write first papers possess a different set of skills than those
who write the nth ones and should leave the writing of the nth
papers to someone else.
8 Leisure with dignity
the
Dec. 11 – ISS Brown Bag
Lunch lecturer Katrina Van
Heest: “Grafting Dominance:
Scriptural Logics and their
Afterlives.” ISS office at the
crack of noon.
Dec. 14 – Pizza Night! Open
to all students to alleviate
end-of-the-semester blues.
8:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Honnold Library’s Founder’s
Room.
Dec. 12 – Friday Noon
Concert: “A Holiday
Concert,” by the Claremont
Chamber Choir.” 12:15 p.m.,
Balch Auditorium.
Dec. 15 – Pizza Night: Part
Duex. If you didn’t get
enough the night before. 8:30
p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Honnold
Library’s Founder Room.
Final date for completion of
all requirements (except
masters course work),
including payment of any
fees for degrees to be
awarded for fall, and to file
dissertations/theses and
masters final approval forms
in the Office of Admissions
and Records. So get on it!
Dec. 19 – Ho, ho, ho,
semester’s done! Have a
great holiday and take it easy
on the eggnog. We all
remember what happened last
year . . .
For more CGU events and
important dates visit:
www.cgu.edu/pages/2059.asp
Pedant is . . .
Brendan Babish — Managing editor
Kevin Riel — Head writer
CGU factoid
Midget is pushing daisies somewhere behind the Humanities Resources
Center Building (Blaisdell’s old home). Midget used to follow Blaisdell
all over campus, even accompanying him to the occasional board
meeting. Whenever the board was feeling uninspired, an annoyed
Blaisdell would sometimes begin to ask Midget for advice on important
matters. In fact, it is said that if one is having trouble with a paper, one
need only leave a dog treat somewhere in front of Harper Hall (her old
stomping grounds) and the spirit of Midget will later seize that person
with a brilliant idea.
James Blaisdell (1867 – 1957) was a minister, theologian, university
professor, and is the father of the Claremont Colleges. After becoming
president of Pomona College in 1910, the finances, success, and
reputation of the school quickly increased. To combat the problem of
ballooning enrollment, instead of expanding the college, he envisioned a
number of schools that would share common facilities. Based on the
University of Oxford model, the Claremont University Consortium was
established in 1927 and was headed by Blaisdell. Since then, the colleges
have maintained the intimacy of a small school while providing the
services and amenities indicative of a large university.