On June 30, 2017, I retired as president of Germanna Community College.
My deepest thanks to all the students, faculty, staff and stakeholders for all they did to help make my 10 years enjoyable---but more importantly productive.
This Blog will now become inactive.
If you want to see what is going on at Germanna, go here:
http://germannanews.blogspot.com/
OR here:
https://www.facebook.com/gccva?ref=ts
Should you want to keep up-to-date with my poetry and other writing, please go to any of these:
My web page:
http://www.davidanthonysam.com/
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/DavidAnthonySamPoetry/
Poets and Writers Site:
https://www.pw.org/content/david_sam
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/dasam
Blog:
http://becomingnovember.blogspot.com/
Linkedin:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dasam
All the best to you and to Germanna.
David
Monday, July 31, 2017
Tuesday, November 8, 2016
The Hard Rules of Civil Discourse
The Hard Rules of Civil Discourse
1.
Begin by assuming that about something you believe
most intently it is at least theoretically possible you are completely wrong.
2.
Begin by assuming that those who disagree with
you are not crazy, stupid or evil.
3.
Do not accuse those whom you disagree with of
being crazy, stupid or evil. All discussion stops at that point.
4.
Accept your opponent as a fellow citizen and
patriot.
5.
Try to go to where your opponent is to understand
their thinking and feeling. Do not fake this by false feeling and straw man
thinking.
6.
Study your own position for its logical
fallacies and emotional blind spots. Do not fake this by false feeling and self-confirming
thinking.
7.
Be aware of confirmation bias, our tendency to
reject evidence that we don’t like and accept blindly as evidence what confirms
our thinking.
8.
Ask your opponent to guide you through their thought
process so you can understand where they are.
9.
Repeat in your own words what your opponent
believes until they agree you understand.
10. Now
guide your opponent through your though process to show how you got where you
are.
11. Present
your opponent with flaws in their thinking and data and listen to their criticisms
of yours.
12. Do
not yell, name call, use innuendo, or otherwise slander your opponent.
13. If
your opponent name calls, uses innuendo, or slanders you, call them on it. If
they continue, walk away from what is not civil discourse.
14. Do
not make threats as this can only poison the discourse and may even lead to
violence.
15. Accept
that at the end of civil discourse, you may not have persuaded your opponent.
If all that results is better mutual understanding, civil discourse has still
proved useful.
Monday, November 2, 2015
Astonish - not shock.
The important thing in writing is the capacity to astonish. Not shock—shock is a worn-out word—but astonish. - Terry Southern
Saturday, October 17, 2015
The October 2015 Issue 16 of Vine Leaves contains my poem "Taconic Orogeny"
The October 2015 Issue 16 of Vine Leaves contains my poem "Taconic Orogeny"
http://www.vineleavesliteraryjournal.com/issue-16-oct-2015.html
Friday, October 16, 2015
My poem "Ghosts: Paper or Plastic" is in the October 2015 Yellow Chair Review
My poem "Ghosts: Paper or Plastic" is in the October 2015 Yellow Chair Review http://ow.ly/TuyH5
Two of my poems are in the October Issue of the Birds We Piled Loosely
Two of my poems are in the October Issue of the Birds We Piled Loosely http://ow.ly/Tuhz0
My poem "Still Life: Old Man with Mockingbird" is in the Autumn/Winter 2015-16 issue of The Write Place at the Write Time
My poem "Still Life: Old Man with Mockingbird" is in the Autumn/Winter 2015-16 issue of The Write Place at the Write Time http://ow.ly/TufPT
Two of my poems are in the Fall 2015 issue of The Scapegoat Review
Two of my poems are in the Fall 2015 issue of The Scapegoat Review http://ow.ly/TuduJ
Attending Culpepr Authors Extravaganza
Join me and other Culpeper area writes Saturday Oct 17 at the Culpeper Library. http://ow.ly/Tu9OO
Tuesday, October 13, 2015
Aji Magazine will publish 3 of my poems in its Spring 2016 issue
Aji Magazine will publish 3 of my poems in its Spring 2016 issue. http://www.ajimagazine.com/
Thursday, October 8, 2015
National Moment of Silence for Umqua Community College
PLEASE REMEMBER #IamUCC
National Moment of Silence
Today, 11 a.m. Pacific / 2 p.m. Eastern
There is no real ending.
There is no real ending. It’s just the place where you stop the story. -Frank Herbert
Friday, October 2, 2015
Germanna President's Statement on Umpqua Community College
To the Germanna Community
After yesterday's
tragic shooting at a sister college in Oregon, we all are appalled and in
mourning. Sadly, we may no longer be shocked by such events that seem to recur
too often. I know you all join me in expressing our deepest condolences to the
students, faculty, staff and family members directly or indirectly affected at
Umpqua Community College. I ask that you join me in a moment of silence today
at 12 noon, Friday October 2.
Please know that we
at Germanna keep continuing watch and regularly prepare for all manner of emergencies.
Our police and security coordinate with local police agencies and State Police
and have practiced actions together. Our staff and security have procedures to
review possible threats, from weather and natural disaster to human-created
events. Like you, we do not wish this to happen at Germanna, or anywhere else
for that matter.
I encourage all
students and employees to report any appropriate observations using our TIPS
hotline. If someone seems deeply troubled, please let us know via this hotline
or by talking to a Germanna official and we will try to help them:
Please keep yourself aware of our emergency
procedures:
Our Counseling
Department and Veteran Center have outplacement services available for those in
crisis:
And in light of the current weather situation, and to
be aware of any emergency, please sign up for e2Campus alerts and encourage
your family to do so, too:
I join all of you
in sadness today. Keep yourself and each other safe. And keep all those at Umpqua Community College
in your thoughts and prayers.
David A. Sam
President
Thursday, October 1, 2015
Two of my poems are included in the latest BPL issue.
Two of my poems are included in the latest BPL issue. https://birdspiledloosely.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/issue-51.pdf
Emergency Alerts at Germanna
As we watch the weather, Germanna encourages students, staff & community members to sign up for emergency alerts. http://ow.ly/SU9yD
My poem "Ghosts: Paper or Plastic" Published
My poem "Ghosts: Paper or Plastic" is included in the Yellowchair Review October "Horror" issue. http://issuu.com/yellowchairreview/docs/ycrhorrorissue
Monday, September 7, 2015
Vine Leaves Literary Journal has accepted my poem “Taconic Orogeny” for publication in its October issue
Vine Leaves Literary Journal has accepted my poem “Taconic Orogeny” for publication in its October issue.
Saturday, August 29, 2015
Allegro Poetry Magazine will publish my poem "Happy Halloween" in November
Allegro Poetry Magazine will publish my poem "Happy Halloween" in November 2015 http://allegropoetry.org/
Monday, August 24, 2015
Empty Sink has published 2 of my poems
Empty Sink has published 2 of my poems: http://ow.ly/RiACD #yam
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