Dean’s Weekly
Department of English and Philosophy
13 November 2013
Past Events
1. Fall Social for APL Majors
The Department hosted a Fall Social for APL majors on Tuesday, 29 October in the Haig Room in the
Jefferson Library. The Social brought approximately 50 cadets and 25 faculty members together to eat
lunch, exchange information, and socialize. Highlights included remarks by Department Head COL
Scott Krawczyk and the premier of a new APL video made by CDT Scott Filbert.
Department Head COL Scott Krawczyk addresses APL majors and faculty at the Fall Social.
Newly declared majors were welcomed to the Department at the Social.
The Social gave new majors a chance to meet and chat with faculty.
2. EP395: Guest Lectures by Department of Law Faculty
LTC Walt Narramore and LTC Mark Visger from the Department of Law guest lectured in our EP395
interdisciplinary special topics elective, “Killing in the Name Of: The Ethics, Law, and Effectiveness of
Political Violence.” On 28 October, LTC Narramore discussed “lawfare” in domestic contexts and, on
30 October, LTC Visger lectured on “lawfare” in international relations. Both lessons helped cadets
appreciate the intersections between law and the effectiveness of violence in the contemporary operating
environment.
3. Officer Professional Development Session
On 30 October, LTC Joe West led an Officer Professional Development session with the Department of
Civil and Mechanical Engineering. The OPD session, "Responding to Cadet Writing," recognized that
each department at USMA has opportunities to reinforce the lessons cadets learn in other departments.
The OPD included discussion about ways instructors could respond to cadet writing to accomplish three
goals: emphasize the importance of writing in any discipline as an act of communication; strive to help
cadets model Army writing as discussed by AR 25-50; and involve cadets in their own development.
While the OPD began by discussing how to address Civil and Mechanical Engineering writing
assignments in ways consistent with the Department of English and Philosophy Writing Standards, the
discussion soon included responding to MX400 assignments and preparing cadets to write campaign
plans, OPORDs, and other documents in the Army.
4. 2013 New York Metro American Studies Association Conference (on "American
Masculinities")
Dr. Jason Hoppe presented a paper at the annual conference of the New York Metro American Studies
Association, whose theme was "American Masculinities," on 2 November 2013. In his paper, "Long
Gray Lines in the Sand: Gender, Belonging, and Brinksmanship at West Point," Dr. Hoppe examined
media discourses surrounding the recent spike in sexual harassment and assault scandals in the military.
Focusing especially on the case of West Point, he catalogued both the great advances the institution has
made in recent years concerning matters of gender and sexuality as well as some of its more glaring
failures in those same areas. Ultimately, while he acknowledged the necessity of top-level military
leadership on these issues, his paper argued for the distinct value of the academic domain in eventuating
long-term cultural transformations among future officers. Humanities courses such as EN101 facilitate
structured yet free conversations about gender and sexuality as ambiguous matters of continuing
intellectual debate; such environments, Dr. Hoppe claimed, motivate students to drive beyond briefing
fatigue and the often pat principles of PowerPoint in order to conduct invigorating, original research of
their own and thereby to realize change from the bottom up, leading their own conversations on ways
forward for the Army.
5. Theater of War
On Sunday 3 November, LTC Peter Molin and 12 cadets attended Theater of War, a dramatic reading of
the classic Greek play Ajax by Sophocles, at Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, NY. Theater of War
specializes in staging classic theater that address military subjects associated with redeployment and the
after-effects of war. In addition to the staged reading, the event featured a panel presentation and
moderated question-and-answer session that allowed veterans, mental health professionals, and
concerned audience members to discuss their response to the play. The cadets who participated on the
trip section were drawn from the Cadet Fine Arts Philosophy Forum and a variety of Behavioral Science
and Leadership classes. The trip section was the latest endeavor of the Mellon Foundation West PointVassar Initiative designed to bridge the civil-military divide.
Theater of War Poster
LTC Peter Molin, Dr. Maria Hoehn of Vassar, and West Point cadets and Vassar students after the
performance of Theater of War
6. EN101: Composition – Future of the Environment Module
On 4 November, COL John Vermeesch (Deputy Director of the Center for the Army Profession and
Ethic) and LTC Brian Imiola (Academy Professor in the Department of English and Philosophy) spoke
to cadets in the "Future of the Environment" module of EN101 (Composition) to discuss the future of
the Army environment with a focus on professionalism, professional identity, the military ethic, and the
impact of the Millennial Generation. The panelists engaged cadets in a lively discussion about the
evolution of values and attitudes between generations and the importance of the Army ethic. Throughout
the semester, EN101 instructors have engaged the course theme in the broadest of terms, including the
exploration of natural and physical spaces as well as social and cultural identities. More recently, the
classes have begun to think about how one generation creates the future for its successors.
COL Vermeesch and LTC Imiola listen to an EN101 cadet’s question concerning the military ethic.
COL Vermeesch and LTC Imiola stand with instructors from the “Future of the
Environment” module of EN101.
7. Environmental Ethics in the 2013 SIMEX
On 23 October, 29 October, and 31 October, the Department of English and Philosophy participated in
the SS202 (American Politics) Congressional Simulation Exercise (SIMEX) for the first time. This year
SS202 cadets are simulating the establishment of a new national energy policy by members of Congress
and various interest groups. In support of this effort, MAJ Sean Dansberger gave a brief lecture on
environmental ethics to the SS202 cadets. MAJ Dansberger highlighted specific areas of ethical concern
for the cadets to consider as they participate in the SIMEX. These concerns included: the direct harm
caused to present and future citizens by the pollution and waste by-products of non-renewable fuel
production and consumption; the indirect harm caused to present and future citizens by excessive
greenhouse gas emissions; the potential harms caused by hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking”; the
government’s responsibility to provide its citizens with the means to live a healthy life, including clean
air and water; and the government’s obligation to balance the investment and implementation of a
sustainable energy system with its citizens reliance on cheap energy.
8. Presentation by Israeli Defense Force Colonel Bentzi Gruber: “Ethics in the Field: An
Inside Look at the Israeli Defense Forces.”
On 6 November, Israeli Defense Force (IDF) Colonel Bentzi Gruber gave a presentation titled, “Ethics
in the Field: An Inside Look at the Israeli Defense Forces.” COL Gruber’s presentation used first-hand
accounts of IDF counter-insurgency operations to highlight the legal and moral dilemmas of waging
counter-insurgency operations and the challenge of making life and death decisions in a matter of
seconds. Over 250 cadets from EP395 (Killing in the Name Of: The Ethics, Law, and Effectiveness of
Political Violence), PY201 (Philosophy), and the Defense and Strategic Studies major attended the
presentation. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Representative cadet comments included, “… it
was the one of the best briefs/talks I have been to at West Point yet...” and “I attended today's lecture
and it was quite honestly one of the most stimulating lectures I have attended so far in my cadet career.”
Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) Colonel (Reserves) Bentzi Gruber lectures cadets on the ethical
challenges facing IDF soldiers in counterterrorism operations.
9. EP361: Western Art, Prehistory through the Middle Ages class visited the Metropolitan
Museum of Art in New York City
On 1 November, Dr. Betsy Chunko took her EP361 (Western Art, Prehistory through the Middle Ages)
class to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Cadets walked through the museum's
collection together, looking at objects they had studied in their textbooks and discussed in class; they
also created discrete object analysis papers focusing on an object or exhibit in the collection that was of
special interest to them. Following the museum visit, they took a walking tour of Manhattan's Upper
East Side to see Gothic Revival churches designed by Ralph Adams Cram and Bertram Goodhue, two of
the architects responsible for the major early twentieth century neo-Gothic structures on West Point.
10. Film Forum – Department of English and Philosophy Cadet Fine Arts Forum
On 5 November, Dr. Keith Hamel (Editorial Manager, West Point Association of Graduates and a film
studies PhD) led the Cadet Film Forum in a lively discussion of Quentin Tarantino’s critically acclaimed
film, Reservoir Dogs. Dr. Hamel, a former professor of film at Mount Saint Mary College and Marist
College, provided in-depth analysis to twenty-seven cadet film enthusiasts. The discussion ranged from
film production aspects to narrative pacing and critical reception. In a follow-up email, Dr. Hamel
offered that the cadets, “demonstrated that they have an impressive background of film knowledge” and
were capable of “more in-depth analysis of the film at hand.” The Cadet Film Forum looks forward to a
visit from Dr. Hamel next semester.
Dr. Hamel explains directorial methodologies and discusses the narrative connections present throughout
Tarantino’s body of work. Reservoir Dogs, known for its intense dialogue, violence, and character acting, is
emblematic of the types of films that the Cadets screen in the Forum.
11. Vassar Students visit West Point: A “day-in-the-life-of-a-cadet.”
On 8 November, the Department of English and Philosophy’s Mellon Foundation West Point-Vassar
Initiative hosted 15 Vassar students for a "day-in-the-life-of-a-cadet." Vassar students attended classes
with cadet sponsors, ate meals in the Cadet Mess Hall, engaged targets at the electronic simulation
range, and ran the Indoor Obstacle Course. On 9 November, 50 Vassar students, family members, and
faculty members attended the Army football game against Western Kentucky University. Among the
Vassar guests were Vassar's president, Dr. Catherine Hill, and 11 military veterans attending Vassar on
full scholarships as part of Vassar's commitment to "bridging the civil-military divide."
West Point Superintendent LTG Robert Caslen and Vassar President Dr. Catherine "Cappy"
Hill greet cadets and Vassar students in the stands at the Western Kentucky game.
LTG Caslen leads cadets and Vassar students in "The Rocket" at the Western Kentucky game.
Vassar student Kyle Tam negotiates the Indoor Obstacle Course under
the watchful eye of CDT Matt Williams.
West Point cadets and Vassar students with COL Scott and Madonna Krawczyk and Vassar's
Dr. Maria Hoehn at a tailgate at COL Krawczyk's quarters after the Western Kentucky game.