Student Insider's Guide

September 2008 - May 2009  

Greetings to all.

Water both unites and divides. Too much or too little of it can cause devastations on grand scales. Water can be inspirational to artists and the raw material for health care professionals, engineers, environmentalist, and researchers of all stripes.

World literature is full of tales of rafts, whaling, sailing, ponds, rivers, and ocean voyages. From the folk song to the symphony, water flows through the lyrics, harmonies and melodic lines. Tides roll in and out.    

I think of my great grandmother who at 6 years of age came to the United States from Ireland and what it must have been like sailing across the Atlantic into New York’s Ellis Island for processing. Many of our students, faculty, and staff crossed rivers and oceans to get here. The great wide waters: uniting and dividing.

During the 2008-2009 academic year the Takoma Park/Silver Spring campus community will have many opportunities to participate in the First Year Experience (FYE) theme “The Poetry, Purity, and Politics of Water.” The accompanying booklet -linked to this web site- holds the common readings as it contains water related poems, short stories, factoids, scientific reports and resources.

The college experience is about expansion. One can expand by looking into areas unknown or getting below the surface of a familiar topic and discovering how it relates or is connected to other areas. For example, music and math, science and poetry, or economics and art. The college experience is also about learning where the people are who can help you as the semester ebbs and flows. Partaking in this experience will expand your vision and help you make connections to people who can potentially lead you in new and satisfying directions. 

During the year there will be related field trips, films, and internship possibilities related to water.  These will be announced on the Montgomery College Takoma Park/Silver Spring First Year Experience (FYE) website.

Thank you for joining us. See you at the local the water fountain!

Jay Marciano

Jay Marciano, Ph.D., is the First Year Experience Coordinator, Montgomery College, Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus, 7600 Takoma Ave., Takoma Park,  MD  20901. (240) 567-1467   jay.marciano@montgomerycollege.edu