Anne Rasmussen Addresses PBK Triennial in Boston
Summary
Alpha Chapter VP Anne Rasmussen Addresses PBK 2018 Triennial in Boston
Full Description
Thank you, Secretary Lawrence. Good morning colleagues and distinguished panelists. It is an honor to share this table with you. I represent Phi Beta Kappa Alpha Chapter of Virginia and would like to tell you about one of the ways we are taking on issues of free expression. Inspired by the National Arts & Sciences Initiative of the Phi Beta Kappa Society, in Fall 2014, my senior colleague, George Greenia, suggested that our chapter do “something” and I took the bait. Elected to the National Organization’s senate in 2009, having served six years on the executive committee, and a recipient of the President’s Award and the Judith F. Krug medal at the last triennial in Denver, I would imagine that Professor Greenia is known to many of you. And given his zeal for this organization and its mission, you can imagine the kind of a PBK mentor George has been for everyone at William and Mary and especially for me. And so (we) began our semester-ly salons.
Rather than to simply award one more accolade to these extraordinary young people upon graduation, we wanted to create a context for our new initiates to DO something as a PBK-Alpha-of-Virginia-Community. We schedule our Salons just after the new crop of initiates is notified by letter but before the busy end of the semester. We extend an invitation to the entire community of PBK members: faculty, staff and town folk but our gatherings are intimate, usually around 30 souls. Our Salons also give students an opportunity to convene, as did their PBK ancestors, in the historic, reconstructed Apollo Room of the Raleigh Tavern — an almost sacred space on the W&M campus, and to experience the material culture and ideological legacy of their PBK forbears and indeed to extend those very traditions.
All of our topics have been grounded in current events and urgent issues. With our invitation, we have suggested a timely piece to read and we invite a faculty colleague or two to offer some expertise or relevant experience. After we get the ball rolling the free and respectful exchange of ideas unfurls naturally, aided perhaps by candle-light, snacks, and sherry, a PBK-Alpha of Virginia ritual.
Fall 2014 our topic was “The Free Exchange of Ideas and Freedom of Speech ON Campus”
We chose “Sexual Assault” for our second Salon, Spring 2015. (There had been some deeply disturbing shenanigans among our fraternities and the issue was raw and timely.)
Fall 2015 we discussed our responsibility toward “Relics of the Confederate Past” and yes, we have a few of those at William and Mary!
“Intolerance in the News: The Rise of Political Xenophobia” was the topic of Spring 2016.
In 2016-17, I was on sabbatical in Indonesia when I was voted in as Vice President chapter (proof that one should exercise caution in answering emails when on leave).
You should know that our National President Lynn Pasquerella, ALSO serves as President of Alpha of Virginia. Our antique charter stipulates that the President and VP be physically separated in case of war or death. So, Lynn’s got me covered!
Back on campus this year we commemorated 50 years of African Americans in residence on campus, and the three original African American students at W&M, all of the women, came to our Salon this past fall. That was a treat!! And this spring, we discussed “immigration and DACA” and the way that shifting policies and incessant vitriol effect our campus community.
I’ll stop there and save my “lessons learned” for the Q&A when I am prepared to share the many other ways that we spread the mission of Phi Beta Kappa on our campus and in our community, from our Life Long Learner Awards, to the $50,000 we give annually in scholarships, to the regular recognition of teaching and research among faculty. Attending this conference has clarified for me the relevance, “now more than ever,” of our collective work and I will return to my post this fall energized and inspired by your example. Thank you!
