Dean’s Weekly
Department of English and Philosophy
5 February 2014
Past Events
1. Class of 2015 APL Majors Attend Honors Thesis Information Briefing
On 29 January, Art, Philosophy, and Literature majors from the class of 2015 attended an
information brief & lunch introducing them to the department Honors Thesis process. LTC Dave
Harper, Department Head COL Scott Krawczyk, and other faculty members explained the value
of writing a thesis and the process for proposing a thesis topic. About fifteen future and current
thesis writers attended the brief, with many staying behind to talk about their exciting potential
thesis ideas with faculty and other APL cadets.
Cadets Adrienne Duke (’15, seated) and (L-R) Sam Somers (’15), Havana Schmidt (’14), Chanice Alexander (’15),
and John Jesus (’14) talk about senior thesis projects following the APL Honors Briefing.
Cadet CJ Koch '15 speaks with LTC Molin and
Dr. Napolitano
2. Cadets in the African American Arts Forum visit New York City
On 29 January, Dr. Jason Hoppe led ten cadets in the African American Arts Forum to New
York City to explore “Harlem and the Arts, Then and Now.” The group began with a walking
tour of Harlem, starting out at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture and briefly
stopping by the longtime home of the famed poet Langston Hughes. While lunching at Sylvia’s,
a landmark soul food restaurant, they happened to meet the Reverend Jesse Jackson, who eagerly
talked with them about their experiences at West Point before leading them in a brief prayer.
Next, the cadets took the subway to midtown for a matinee showing of the brand new Broadway
musical smash After Midnight, which celebrates the music of Duke Ellington and Harlem’s
Golden Age. Finally, the group returned uptown for the electrifying opening performances of the
season for the Apollo Theater’s legendary Amateur Night.
Cadets in the African American Arts Forum posing with the Reverend Jesse Jackson, whom they
met by chance during lunch in Harlem at Sylvia’s, a landmark soul food restaurant. From there, the
cadets took in a Broadway musical celebrating the age of Duke Ellington, as well as the first
performance of the season for the Apollo Theater’s legendary Amateur Night.
Cadets with Dulé Hill, actor in Broadway’s new show
celebrating of Harlem’s legendary nightlife, “After
Midnight”
3. LTC Chris Mayer attended a Multinational Capability Development Campaign
From 28 to 30 January, LTC Chris Mayer attended a Multinational Capability Development
Campaign (MCDC) seminar focused on the human, technical, legal, and operational implications
of increasing autonomy in systems used by military forces. During the seminar, LTC Mayer led
a discussion on the ethical considerations of developing and using autonomous systems. The
seminar was attended by participants from seven countries and is part of a NATO-led effort that
will produce policy guidance for defense leaders of the 21 countries participating in the MCDC.
LTC Mayer will be one of the authors of the policy guidance section that addresses ethical
considerations.
4. LTC Peter Molin hosted a visit of a Horace Mann Preparatory School Class
English instructor LTC Peter Molin hosted a visit to West Point by a Horace Mann Preparatory
School class studying war and literature and reciprocated with a classroom visit to Horace Mann,
located in the Bronx, NY. The visit to West Point included a brief at the Admissions Office, a
tour of West Point led by cadets, and a discussion of Iraq war poems written by veteran Brian
Turner. Horace Mann, one of the nation’s premier prep schools, is the alma mater of James
Salter, a West Point graduate widely acclaimed as one of America’s finest living novelists.
CDT Victor Ladd, a Horace Mann graduate, with current Horace
Mann students and their teacher Ms. Rebecca Bahr, at the Arvin
Gym rock-climbing wall.