Germanna Community College President's Blog

Farewell

2017-07-31T08:17:00.001-04:00

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

The Hard Rules of Civil Discourse

2016-11-08T09:03:00.001-05:00

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.

Astonish - not shock.

2015-11-02T14:42:00.001-05:00

The important thing in writing is the capacity to astonish. Not shock—shock is a worn-out word—but astonish. - Terry Southern

The October 2015 Issue 16 of Vine Leaves contains my poem "Taconic Orogeny"

2015-10-17T08:20:00.001-04:00

The October 2015 Issue 16 of Vine Leaves contains my poem "Taconic Orogeny" http://www.vineleavesliteraryjournal.com/issue-16-oct-2015.html

My poem "Ghosts: Paper or Plastic" is in the October 2015 Yellow Chair Review

2015-10-16T12:29:00.001-04:00

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

2015-10-16T11:03:00.001-04:00

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

2015-10-16T10:54:00.001-04:00

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

2015-10-16T10:43:00.001-04:00

Two of my poems are in the Fall 2015 issue of The Scapegoat Review http://ow.ly/TuduJ

Attending Culpepr Authors Extravaganza

2015-10-16T10:25:00.001-04:00

Join me and other Culpeper area writes Saturday Oct 17 at the Culpeper Library. http://ow.ly/Tu9OO

Aji Magazine will publish 3 of my poems in its Spring 2016 issue

2015-10-13T21:35:00.001-04:00

Aji Magazine will publish 3 of my poems in its Spring 2016 issue. http://www.ajimagazine.com/

National Moment of Silence for Umqua Community College

2015-10-08T13:05:00.001-04:00

PLEASE REMEMBER #IamUCC National Moment of Silence Today, 11 a.m. Pacific / 2 p.m. Eastern

There is no real ending.

2015-10-08T13:04:00.001-04:00

There is no real ending. It’s just the place where you stop the story. -Frank Herbert

Germanna President's Statement on Umpqua Community College

2015-10-02T09:46:00.002-04:00

October 2, 2015

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:

https://va.moatusers.com/IncidentReport/Introduction/792

Please keep yourself aware of our emergency procedures:

http://www.germanna.edu/college-police-department/

Our Counseling Department and Veteran Center have outplacement services available for those in crisis:

http://www.germanna.edu/counseling-center/

http://www.germanna.edu/veterans/contact-information.asp

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:

http://www.germanna.edu/e2campus/

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

Two of my poems are included in the latest BPL issue.

2015-10-01T19:41:00.001-04:00

Two of my poems are included in the latest BPL issue. https://birdspiledloosely.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/issue-51.pdf

Are you ready?

2015-10-01T14:47:00.001-04:00

Do you have your emergency plan in place? Use ReadyVA. http://ow.ly/SU9Y2

Emergency Alerts at Germanna

2015-10-01T14:44:00.001-04:00

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

2015-10-01T09:18:00.001-04:00

My poem "Ghosts: Paper or Plastic" is included in the Yellowchair Review October "Horror" issue. http://issuu.com/yellowchairreview/docs/ycrhorrorissue

Vine Leaves Literary Journal has accepted my poem “Taconic Orogeny” for publication in its October issue

2015-09-07T08:43:00.001-04:00

Vine Leaves Literary Journal has accepted my poem “Taconic Orogeny” for publication in its October issue.

Allegro Poetry Magazine will publish my poem "Happy Halloween" in November

2015-08-29T07:19:00.001-04:00

Allegro Poetry Magazine will publish my poem "Happy Halloween" in November 2015 http://allegropoetry.org/

Empty Sink has published 2 of my poems

2015-08-24T12:53:00.001-04:00

Empty Sink has published 2 of my poems: http://ow.ly/RiACD ‪#‎yam‬

Remembering Julian Bond

2015-08-16T08:32:00.001-04:00

Germanna was honored to have Julian Bond visit with us in February of this year, and share his thoughts and experiences. We now honor him and his legacy. http://livestream.com/accounts/10806076/events/3744939

"Stars, Drought, and Adam" is available now in On the Rusk

2015-06-08T15:00:00.001-04:00

My poem "Stars, Drought, and Adam" is available now in On the Rusk Issue 7 https://ontherusk.files.wordpress.com/2015/05/on-the-rusk_7.pdf

"Flowing into the Adjacent Possible" is in the Spring issue of Scapegoat Review

2015-06-08T14:57:00.001-04:00

My poem "Flowing into the Adjacent Possible" is in the Spring issue of Scapegoat Review http://www.scapegoatreview.com/spring-2015/david-anthony-sam

Buddhist Poetry Review has published 3 of my poems

2015-06-08T13:47:00.001-04:00

The Buddhist Poetry Review has published 3 of my poems: http://www.buddhistpoetryreview.com/v2-issue1/david-sam

UMW and Germanna sign business student transfer agreement

2015-06-03T11:58:00.001-04:00

Coverage of a new option for students. Thank you Rick Hurley for a great partnership. http://ow.ly/NPn6G #germannacc #umw #yam http://ow.ly/NPrz2