Welcome to the class blog! The John Jay - Vera Fellows Program is a collaborative effort between John Jay College and the spin-off agencies of the Vera Institute of Justice, combining an internship and participation in a seminar taught by faculty from John Jay's Interdisciplinary Studies Program. (To see a video about the John Jay - Vera Fellows Program, click here.) Part of the seminar experience is weekly participation in the class blog, which keeps the conversation going from week to week and will be a place for you to share your thoughts and concerns about the materials discussed in seminar as well as the internship experience. The opinions expressed on this blog do not necessarily reflect the views of the Vera Institute of Justice or its spin-off organizations. While the blog is open to the public and anyone, theoretically, can comment, only class members and invited guests will be able to post. You can also look for us on our student and alumni page on Facebook.
Each student has been assigned one week to write the "post." Please post within 24 hours after class. Every week, each student must comment on the post (feel free to comment more than once). Please comment by Monday afternoon to allow time for further questions and responses and so that we can read all the entries before class.

Thursday, August 27, 2015

Welcome Wonderful Verons, Class of 2015-2016! It's going to be a great year--I feel it in my bones, and am so glad we got off to a very interesting start this morning (all the moving around, being outdoors, enjoying the sunshine, getting shut out by NYC noise, regrouping, and getting a start on what will be many fruitful, intense, stimulating discussions. Yes!!!

So here's how I want to lead off this semester's blog:

It is August 27, 2015. At this moment in time, what do you consider are the greatest threats to the world and to humankind? List three threats. Tell us about one of those threats using any medium you like: write something, provide a link to a video, show us a photograph, use poetry--yours or some else's--talk to us through music, use whatever medium best captures what you think and feel. Let us know why the thing you choose to share captures what you're thinking about, what you're feeling.