Connecticut College

Last night Delycia and I attended a presentation at Connecticut College by the college’s Center for the Comparative Study of Race and Ethnicity (CCSRE), and it was rewarding to be among such obviously devoted academic people. A group of professors had spend several weeks last summer traveling in Turkey in order to further develop the college’s Global Islamic Studies program, and last evening they discussed their travels and their findings, and how they might impact their courses in the future. Two professors of Religious Studies were in the group, as well as professors of History, Art History, and English, and their conversations with us were both erudite and easygoing, as though they were simply meeting with colleagues to share their excitement. For me, it brought back the enthusiasm of the classroom, the feeling of being involved in learning that was both deep and wide-ranging. I learned much about Turkey, Islam, archaeology, medieval history, and the history of religion. I’m grateful to the professors for providing an evening of education and entertainment, of enlightenment and just plain fun.