Annand Program for Spiritual Direction

Those of who you are seeking ordination or who are excited to come to YDS for its commitment not only to rigorous academics but also spiritual development may be interested in joining the Annand Program for your first semester. The Annand Program for Spiritual Formation provides spiritual direction for first year students through small groups, retreats, and other events. If you decide to enroll in the Annand program, you will meet with a small group of fellow first-year students led by a mentor on a weekly basis, and explore different opportunities for prayer, spiritual guidance, practice, and worship. It is also sometimes possible for students to have individual sessions with their mentor. The program is focused on spiritual formation, but in an individual rather than a denominational sense. 

This program is open to all first year students, although it is only required of those students seeking ordination and a certificate in Anglican Studies. Many students find these small groups to be a welcome rest from the stress of the first semester, where common experiences of life on campus can be shared. They provide the opportunity to refocus and practice different styles of meditation and prayer, sometimes including adventures off-campus of one sort or another. There will be an opportunity to learn more about the program during BTFO, but we want to take the time now to introduce you to the small group mentors, as well as provide some important information about getting involved in the program.

Each student interested in Annand will need to have an intake interview with Jane Stickney, who is the coordinator for the Annand Program. These interviews will allow you to select the mentor that you would like to work with for the semester. All students interested in participating must meet with Jane during the first week of classes, and you can actually sign for a time slot already by completing this survey. For additional information and clarification about the Annand progrm and whether or not it is something you are interested in pursuing, please contact Annand@yale.edu. Below, you will find brief introductions to the many mentors who will be a part of the program this year.

Bari Dworken

Bari S. Dworken is a lay leader serving in numerous roles at Congregation B'nai Israel in Bridgeport where she has been active for more than twenty five years. Bari has completed the Para Rabbinic Program of the Union of Reform Judaism and has been awarded a Keva certificate for continual advanced learning. A graduate of the first class of the two year Lev Shomea Spiritual Direction Program, she has served as a spiritual director for several years with individuals and groups and at YDS. She completed two units of CPE, worked as a part time On Call Chaplain at Bridgeport Hospital for 10 years, currently is a member of the CPE Consultation  Committee, and has published in the "Journal of Pastoral Care". Bari holds a doctorate from the University of Massachusetts and works as an Educational Consultant in Organization Development with not for profit groups and community organizations concentrating in the areas of team building, conflict resolution, diversity awareness and strategic planning. She recently retired from the faculty of the University of Connecticut and worked part time as a Hospice Chaplain.  Bari is passionate about social action issues, interfaith study and involvement, learning from the natural world, traveling and "walking" with others on their spiritual journey.

Julie Kelsey

Julie Kelsey is an Episcopal priest ordained in 1997. She has served churches in urban and suburban settings, most recently as Rector of Grace and St. Peter's Church in Hamden and currently as Associated Clergy at St. Thomas’s Episcopal Church on Whitney Ave. in New Haven.  She beginning her fifth year as

Assistant Dean of Students at Yale Divinity School where she is also a lecturer in the Practices and Principles of Preaching course and a mentor with the Annand Program. Having provided spiritual direction for years, she has a special interest in translating psychological

language into theological language, and connecting Sunday worship with daily life.

Julie is also one of the founders of Chapel on the Green where she serves on Sundays.  COG is a ministry designed especially for those who are temporarily displaced and/or without a job or home.  It features an outdoor worship service every Sunday at 2 pm on the New Haven Green (regardless of the weather) followed by a bag lunch.  The drumming circle in preparation for worship begins at 1:30.  ALL are welcome.

 Julie has led bereavement groups for adults and for children ages 6-12. She is a mother and grandmother who loves hiking, reading, writing, theatre and music. You will also be hearing more about her quite soon in another post.

Matthew Calkins

Matthew Calkins is an Episcopal priest currently serving as rector of a parish in Fairfield, CT (St. Timothy's). He has served in parish ministry for thirteen years following graduation in 1998 from Union Theological Seminary in New York City. Prior to seminary Fr. Calkins worked for twelve years as a carpenter and general contractor, and before that as a teacher of English as a second language and student of Chinese language and philosophy in Taiwan.  

His experience with spiritual direction began under Ken Swanson, now of Christ Cathedral, Tennessee, and continued with Margaret Guenther and others. He has been a mentor in the Annand Program since 2000 and is currently completing his doctorate in ministry degree from Hartford Seminary. His thesis is on the development of a congregational rule of life as a means of clarifying congregational identity and promoting Christian practices. He is pictured in front of the log Chapel of Quiet Joy he recently built on the grounds of St. Timothy's.

Judy Stone

Judy Stone is a 1970 graduate of Yale Divinity School. She has been an active lifelong member of the Episcopal Church. Judy was a member of a Spirituality Group that met weekly for 25 years, reading classics of Christian and other religious traditions. She has been part of a church choir for a number of years and preaches occasionally. For about ten years she coordinated the adult education for her local New Haven Church and served on it's Vestry and several search committees.
Judy recently retired from her career in social work, working with children and families. Midway in her career she earned a master’s in Social Work from UCONN in 1993 with a focus on casework and group work. She finds groups especially helpful personally and professionally,and is intrigued with the connection between some of the therapeutic approaches from her social work  training and traditional spiritual exercises. Judy enjoys hiking, travel, cooking and art work. During the summer she coordinates a local certified organic community garden.

Oscar Brockmeyer

Oscar Brockmeyer is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ (UCC). He has pastored churches in northeast CT since 1993. For five years, he chaired an ecclesial Committee on Ministry, providing support and guidance to people discerning calls to ordination. Oscar provides spiritual direction to individuals and groups.  He also trains new directors, and supervises experienced ones, for the Spiritual Life Center (West Hartford, CT).

 Oscar resides with his wife, Bethany, in Pomfret, CT.  He enjoys gardening, painting, and ministry with children. He is grateful to all those who have had a part in his own formation. These include the Roman Catholic teachers of his youth, those who shared Zen perspectives with him in young adulthood, the warm-hearted members of a Baptist church who welcomed him back to Christianity, and those who called forth his gifts for ministry in the United Church of Christ.  Not surprisingly, Oscar enjoys companioning people of diverse faith traditions as they explore and encounter the Sacred in their lives.

Barbara Cheney

Barbara Cheney is an Episcopal priest ordained in 1980. She served as assistant Rector at St. John’s Royal Oak MI and Rector of St. Gabriel’s East Detroit MI. She and her husband, the Rev. K. Dexter Cheney moved to CT in 1993 when she was called to be Rector of St. Paul’s New Haven where she served for seventeen years and oversaw its merger with St. James Episcopal Church in Westville. The St. Paul and St. James congregation, affectionately known as St. PJ’s, has a history of diversity, social outreach, and advocacy for the marginalized. During her time as Rector she and Associate Rector, the Rev. Harlon Dalton, began St. PJ’s Jazz Vespers leading to that congregation’s present Sunday morning focus on jazz music. In 2010 she retired from active parish ministry and is currently working in a newly created Companion Priest relationship with St. James Episcopal Church in Fair Haven Heights. For 7 years she was a Practicum lecturer with the Supervised Ministries program at YDS.
This is her second year working with the Annand program in spiritual formation. Her heart is one for social justice and a concern for the well-being of all people, along with bringing people together in faith communities that reflect the wide, inclusive embrace of God’s love. Her personal discipline of spirituality is nurtured not only through prayer and worship, but also through relationships of intentional prayer and accountability, a focus on health and creative expression through the arts, and delight in God’s gracious gift to us of the natural world around us. She is both a dancer and drummer.

Jane Stickney

Jane Stickney was ordained an Episcopal priest in 1987. She began her ministry in 1972 as a pastor in the United Church of Christ. She understands and is open to working with students from reformed and liturgical traditions. She has served in large and small parishes and was a Christian Education consultant for the Connecticut Conference of the UCC. Jane received an STM in Spiritual Direction in 1987 from the Center for Christian Spirituality at General Theological Seminary, and served on the GTS Summers staff as a small group supervisor between 1991 and 1997. Jane has served as an Annand Mentor since 1994 and became the coordinator of the program in 2005. Her husband is a retired UCC pastor and interim ministry specialist.  They have a married daughter and a grandson and granddaughter.  Jane is a weaver and has taught in the Graduate Liberal Studies Program at Wesleyan University: Psychology, Spirituality, and Celtic Art.  She is interested in the value of creativity in a healthy spiritual life.

Susan Fowler

Susan Fowler has served the community in a number of richly diverse ministries, holding leadership positions in pastoral and healthcare ministries, in higher education and in human services organizations.  She holds ordained ministerial standing in the United Church of Christ..         

Teaching, mentoring and social justice ministries have been her passions throughout her career.  She founded or led several nonprofit agencies focusing on social justice work – i.e. grassroots empowerment efforts that included working to ensure access to services and full participation in the life of the community. Her passions came together during her tenures, first as Executive Director of Dwight Hall at Yale, training and mentoring student volunteers and activists, and later when she co-founded the Community Leadership Program at the Graustein Memorial Fund, and trained and mentored community leaders in the art and practice of transformational leadership. 

Rev. Fowler holds the  MDiv degree  in pastoral counseling and an STM in Ethics, both from YDS.  For her PhD work, she served as principal investigator on a five year research study that explored the relationship between individual transformation, transformational leadership and social change.  This study led to the publication of her book, Leading with Spirit: Transforming Leadership for Social Change. Rev. Fowler completed advanced spiritual direction training and received her certification from Sacred Heart University. She served as a spiritual director at Fairfield University, providing direction in the Ignatian spiritual tradition.  She currently serves on the spiritual direction team in the Annand Program at YDS and is an adjunct professor at Quinnipiac University, where she teaches philosophy and ethics and served as Interfaith Chaplain.   

Merle Marie Troeger (not pictured) is a spiritual director, retreat facilitator and Bible study mentor.  She serves as a part-time Associate for Spiritual Life at Christ Episcopal Church in Bethany, CT and also offers retreats and spiritual direction beyond the parish.   She accompanies and guide individuals, groups and congregations as they reflect on the Spirit’s action in their lives, gain fresh language to express their experiences and discern faithful ways to respond to their discoveries.  She is a former lawyer and a recent YDS graduate.  

The Giveaway Room

Deep in the recesses of YDS campus housing there is a magical land filled with memories, fantasy, and near-complete dining sets. Known as the Giveaway Room, this special place could possibly be the answer to some of your new apartment needs. The word has gotten out, and so we wanted to take this opportunity to run down some of the logistics of taking what we're giving away.

And this isn't even full.

At the end of each school year, graduating students, folks who are moving, and even  faculty/staff have the opportunity to donate furniture, small appliances, linens, clothing, and miscellany to the Giveaway Room, and they respond to the call with fervor and generosity. The only restriction is that donations have to be in clean, working condition and they have to be able to fit in the space. As the room has filled up with larger pieces of furniture, this last issue has become more significant than you might expect. The room is jam-packed, and try though we might to keep some semblance of order as the donations poured in, we have no shame telling you that it is vaguely reminiscent of a Hoarders marathon. 

There are couches, beds, dressers, bookshelves, kitchen supplies, clothing, books, and all manner of household accoutrements, all somewhat thrown into a loosely defined organizational system awaiting the arrival of the new class. During BTFO there will be designated times when the Giveaway Room will be open for new students to come and take anything they'd like for their own use. 

Before everyone gets too excited, there are some details that everyone who plans to utilize this resource needs to be aware of because they are non-negotiable:

• Regardless of when you arrive in New Haven, you will not have the opportunity to get into the Giveaway Room before the designated times.

• We do not have a system of saving items or setting particular pieces aside for individuals—everything is first come, first served. (The only exceptions are certain items passed down from international exchange students each year—these items are marked as being intended for new international exchange students). The room will be open throughout the week, but certain items will disappear quickly so if you are relying on this for furnishing your apartment you should get there as early as possible. There will still be lots of stuff left by the end of the week, however, and you might find some buried treasures overlooked by the stampeding masses on the first day.

• While the BTFO volunteers are all friendly and charming people, we do not provide any assistance getting items from the room to students' apartments. If you're hoping to grab some larger furniture you should rally some new friends and roommates to your cause. 

• The Giveaway Room is a cave of wonders, but we cannot promise that you will get what you are seeking. Please keep this in mind as you consider leaving behind necessary items in your move if you would not be able to replace them another way.

There are some really great items in there, and we're looking forward to letting you loose, come BTFO. For anyone who is not attending orientation, we will be able to open the room at some point during the following week as well.

Queering Divinity: LGBTIQ life at Yale

One of the biggest worries among incoming students is how they will fit in, if they will find their place and voice (anyone feeling that yet?) Things get even more complicated for LGBTIQ folks, for whom questions of acceptance play a major role in this. We are here to tell you that not only is YDS a welcoming and affirming place for LGBTIQ folks, but is oft reputed as the "gayest" graduate/professional school at Yale. Not only are queer-identified folks numerous, but play a central role in student life, both at YDS and the University more broadly. Here are a few of the ways to get involved (moving from YDS-specific outwards).

The Coalition

Founded in 1979 from a merger of the gay and the lesbian groups on campus, the LGBTIQ Coalition strives to provide an environment at YDS in which students can frankly discuss issues of sexuality and how they intersect with their academic pursuits, ministries, theologies, and above all, their lived experience at YDS. The numerous identities referenced by the acronym and the various purposes for which students come to YDS give the Coalition a complex composition, which finds expression in academic pursuits (reading groups, talks), occasions for worship, social events, and institutional engagement at YDS. The Coalition endeavors to work with other queer groups on campus as well as in the community more broadly. Their activities at YDS serve not only to support one another, but are also done with the aim of engaging and educating fellow students, who will serve in congregations and classrooms which will be as composite as our YDS community currently is, if not more. In doing so, the Coalition hopes that they can act together to make the church and the academy more reflective on issues of sexuality, and thus more appreciative of the unique ways in which members of the LGBTIQ community enrich them.

The Coalition sponsors several main events during the academic year:

• Coming-out Week: every year in October, the Coalition hosts a series of events focused on queer identities, ranging from workshops to film screenings. The week culminates in the LGBTIQ Eucharist in Marquand Chapel on Friday, which is known for being one of the most powerful Eucharists of the whole year.
• Big Thing in the Spring/Gayla: this event has gone through many names and styles (from a progressive dinner to a dance party), but is a major fundraiser for a local LGBTIQ non-profit that takes place in the last weeks of the Spring semester.
• Big Gay Brunch: a rotating brunch for LGBTIQ folks and allies that happens on a regular basis.
• Advocacy: advocacy takes many different forms in the Coalition, this past year ranging from a  counter-boycott of the Girl Scouts by helping to sell cookies, working with the administration for gender-inclusive single-stall bathrooms,  advocating for queer faculty in search committees and for LGBTIQ inclusion in coursework.

Two years ago, the Coalition put together an "It Gets Better" video, which everyone should watch, but especially any of you who are LGBTIQ for a sense of the welcoming and affirming environment at YDS.

Queer Grads list

There isn't too much to say about this, except that if you are interested in all-graduate/professional school LGBTIQ events, you should subscribe to the Queer Grads mailing list. Most of the events advertised are social, which means it is a great way to meet other LGBTIQ folks outside of the YDS community. 


Outland!

Outland is the all-graduate/professional student group at Yale. Much of what they do is advertised on the Queer Grads list, but a major event you should have on your radar is the LGBTIQ grad/prof student pizza party that usually happens at the Hall of Graduate Studies right before classes start.


GPSCY

Every Thursday night, GPSCY hosts a dance party in the Ballroom upstairs. But on the first Thursday, the dance party "transforms" into the Big Gay Party, a specifically LGBTIQ event (though, let's be real, every other Thursday night might as well be "gay," too.) They have $2 well drinks until 11pm and great music to shake your groove thang to.
 

Yale Office of LGBTQ Resources

Though Yale is extremely decentralized, the LGBTQ office is one of the only hubs that manages to connect each school's disparate LGBTIQ organizations. The Office serves a couple of major functions: first to organize campus-wide events for the LGBTIQ population, and second to advocate for and counsel those working against discrimination or marginalization.

On the first front, the Office has two major events: Trans Week (held in November) and Pride Week (held in April). For each of these events, there are seminars, panels, speakers, worship services, etc. that work around the given theme for the week. They also have the best working calendar of campus-wide events of any sort that we've ever seen at Yale. On the second, they offer one-on-one meetings for support, help offer development and facilitation for conversations, offer leadership roundtables, and provide co-sponsorship for LGBTIQ-related events inside or outside of Trans and Pride weeks.


New Haven Pride Center

The NHPC is geared not towards Yale, but the rest of the LGBTIQ community in New Haven. Because New Haven is generally a LGBTIQ-friendly place and most people in the area are affiliated with one of the universities in the area, the NHPC is rather small (we hadn't heard of it until we started Googling.) Nevertheless, they probably have the best resource guide to LGBTIQ life in New Haven rather than just at Yale.


Bars

168 York St.

Finally, and necessarily, there are a few nightlife options that are specifically aimed at the LGBTIQ population in New Haven.

• 168 York Street — this is easily the best known and most attended of all the gay bars in New Haven, largely because of its proximity to Yale's campus. It's relatively standard fare as it goes, with some drag shows, leather/bear nights, etc. It is also popular across the board age-wise, so don't expect it to be an entirely 20-something kind of place. They also are a café, and serve dinner and Sunday brunch.
• Partners — the somewhat edgier cousin of 168; it's further from campus and not as well known. It also has regular bear/leather nights, dancers, etc. A major plus, is that the last Saturday of the month is Ladies' Night, which is a major draw.
• Center Street (29 Center St.) — not a gay bar, but they have "alternative" (read, gay) night on Fridays, which tends to attract a younger (or younger looking) crowd than the other two. This is a club rather than a bar, so come expecting to dance.

Community Life Committee (CLC)

One of the most important parts of student life at YDS is the Community Life Committee, commonly referred to as the CLC. As the name implies, the CLC is responsible for supporting the life of the YDS community and serves as the hub of YDS student organizations. The CLC is headed by two co-coordinators and elected representatives from each class and degree program (watch for elections in early in September for the first-year MDiv and MAR representative for the CLC and other groups.) This year's co-coordinators are Brin Bon and Whitney Waller (the fact that both have alliterative initials is pretty awesome.)

Brin Bon

Whitney Waller

Q. Alright friends, who are you, what have you done with CLC in the past, and why did you want to take it on for next year?

BB. I'm a third year MDiv, a postulant for the priesthood in the Episcopal Church, a wife, and mother of three.  My family and I love a good party and have gone to just about every CLC organized event ever planned since we got here, so I thought I'd try my hand at being a coordinator.

WW. Last year I served as the 2nd year CLC rep, and I had such a great time that I wanted to have a more involved role in creating an facilitating community life events for next year.


Q. In the most thorough yet succinct way possible, what exactly is the Community Life Committee?

If you don't want to go to an event hosted
by Whitney in a moustache, you should check
your pulse because you might be dead.

WW. Essentially, we're a committee concerned with making community life as awesome as possible. And it really is as great as it sounds. We help encourage and fund student organizations, so that they can do interesting and fun programming throughout the year for their specific group and the entirety of YDS. Our committee also hosts events for all of YDS that provide either an opportunity to socialize and shake your groove thang (like Advent Party and Spring Fling) or a chance to engage and talk with one another outside the classroom (like All-School Conference).

BB. It's the "let's have a party or talk about that" committee for all of YDS.


Q. What is the best way for incoming students to get involved in clubs that interest them on campus?

BB. Come to the activity fair at BTFO to see who's doing what and be sure to read your Dale Mail to find out what's going on and who's planning it.

WW. It's a two step process: 1. You should come to the activities fair and see all the wonderful clubs and groups that are on our campus.  2. Attend meetings for the clubs and groups that interest you. It really is that simple. Everyone from every group will be so excited that you're interested in joining them!



Q. (In your opinions) What is the best part about being involved with CLC?

Brin in a moment of laughter in her kitchen

WW. I love being involved with CLC because it is my job to make sure people have fun. How is that not the best job description ever?

BB. Um, the parties.


Q. What was your favorite event this past year? Why? Was it because of Patrick's dancing? (For clarification, Esther wrote these questions; Patrick is not that egotistical, nor is his dancing that awesome.) (For more clarification, Patrick's dancing is pretty entertaining.)

BB. It was the Space Formal, and if it hadn't been for Patrick's dancing I just wouldn't have even come.

WW.  The Advent Party was the best ever (ever!) because all the planning we did was executed really well. There was something everyone could enjoy: lounge singers, a snazzy a Capella group, delicious food, yummy beverages, beautiful Christmas lights, Santa Claus, and dancing. And while Patrick's dancing was magnificent, precious little can compete with the awe one experiences watching Dale Peterson do the Cha Cha Slide and swing dance. Yes. That happened. More than once.


Q.  If you could see one big change to how community life was approached on campus next year from this past year, what would it be? How can the incoming class work be a part of that change? 

Brin and her freaking adorable children

WW. We are wanting to do an even better job of having events for students and their families. If you're a student who is coming with a spouse and/or children, let us know what kinds of events your family would like!

BB. More events for families!  The best way for this to happen is for students to bring their families with them to YDS events so we know there are folks with families who want to come.


Q. When you're not running CLC, what types of shenanigans do you get up to?

BB. Did I mention that I have three kids? Hahaha! I am also a major foodie, so I spend a lot of time cooking (I've been making jam and pickling everything I can fit in a pint-sized jar lately) and talking about food. Sometimes I even blog about it (gastromomica.com). If I'm not at school, I'm probably in my kitchen.

Whitney as a pretty princess (her words)

WW. I spend much of my time laughing with friends and being amazed by how cool they are, eating Miya's, and sometimes I manage to read for class.


Q. Now for the hard questions. What is your favorite place to get pizza in New Haven and what do you order? 

WW. Bar. Bar is where it's at, y'all (sorry for the Texas). Their pizza tastes like all New Haven apizza (floury, slightly burnt, and light on the cheese [which are actually things I like about pizza]). Personally, I am into a pizza plastered with vegetables, but many folks go wild for their mashed potato pizza. However, it should be known: I go to Bar for the salad. It is amazing. I dream about this salad sometimes. And am a little mad at Patrick and Esther making me think about it when going to get some isn't possible because Bar is currently closed and I am 1700 miles away.

BB. I like Modern, but I'm no pizza snob. I LOVE all thin-crust pizza, which is why we had to come to New Haven and why I can't ever do a PhD at the University of Chicago. I'm a vegetarian so I usually order the veggie pizza, which has spinach and broccoli on it. Yum!


Q. And most importantly, what is your favorite thing about Patrick and Esther?

BB. Their patience. Thanks! [It took Brin awhile to respond to us.]

WW. Unclear. I am really upset with them right now about the pizza thing. So, I would have to say my favorite thing about them is that they will be mailing me Bar salad and pizza as an apology, because they are that considerate, folks. [We aren't.]

A Summer in New Haven

There are many incoming students who are already living in New Haven—good for y'all! Way to be ahead of the rush! If you are already in our lovely town, or if you will be soon, there are some great places and events you should consider checking out this summer. If you are not going to be in New Haven at any point throughout the summer, you should consider them and file them away for future summers when you may find yourself here!

First, if you want to be kept in the loop on what's happening in New Haven, whether it's during the summer or throughout the year, you should sign up to receive weekly updates and daily spotlights from The Daily Nutmeg. Actually, even if you don't want to be in the loop, you should subscribe. They include a wide range of events, as well as introductions to classic establishments and new openings all over town.

If you enjoy theater, there are shows running throughout the summer at Yale Cabaret, and this Thursday (July 5th) is actually Grad Student night! Tickets are $10 for students, and the shows are always something a little unexpected and often totally new. Several local theaters such as Long Wharf Theatre also have summer showcases for reasonable prices, and the productions are outstanding. The Elm Shakespeare Company presents Shakespeare in the Park, in nearby Edgerton Park only a few blocks away from the Div School. This year's production of Macbeth runs Aug. 16 - 19, 21 - 26, and 28 - Sept. 2. Tickets are free, and picnic blankets are encouraged. If your more of a film buff, head over to Mansfield (the town, not the street) for the Mansfield Drive-In Theater, showing movies every night of the week! It's about an hour away, but each showing is a double feature of films currently in theaters for less than you'd pay at the box office. Plus, who doesn't love a drive-in?

Elm City Market, everyone's favorite food co-op in downtown New Haven, hosts a plethora of events throughout the year, including wine and cheese tastings, discount burger days, and workshops on healthy vegetarianism and homeopathic remedies for summertime injuries. While you're there you can pick up some farm-fresh veggies, or even become a member of the co-op to enjoy discounts on some amazing food. Or go pick your own fruit at nearby Bishop's Orchards!

We recently posted all about biking in New Haven, so why not get involved with Elm City Cyclists and hop on a bike tour to get to know some fellow cyclists (and probably catch Patrick there)? Or maybe register for the annual scavenger hunt Cluefest to get to know more about your new city and your new neighbors!

If you like bars with live music, you should be sure to check out Cafe Nine, Toad's Place, or Stella Blues Bar, depending on which strikes your fancy. And of course, you cannot miss The Space, which offers all manner of events fun and musical. There is live music all over New Haven and the summer means there will also be a number of opportunities to enjoy it outside, so keep your eyes and ears open for information or upcoming lawn concerts. There are also several music events in nearby towns, such as the Hamden Summer Concert Series.

If you are here for the 4th of July, head on up to East Rock Park for the annual New Haven fireworks! The show starts at 9pm, but starting at 4pm there will be live music, great food, and summer fun on New Haven's beautiful local geological landmark.

Speaking of geology, if you are around this summer and want to enjoy the great outdoors, we suggest Sleeping Giant State Park or the Branford Land Trust for some hiking or Hammonasset Beach (or the not-as-amazing but certainly closer Lighthouse Point Park or Silver Sands State Park) for some sand-bound lounging. There will be a whole post on the local Great Outdoors coming soon, but if you're around, why wait? Check them out for yourself, and then share your stories with us and your fellow incoming classmates!

A Day in the Life: Everyday Life at YDS

One of the easiest ways to get a perspective on what being at YDS is like is to spend a day wandering around the Quad with a student as they go about their day, and absorbing things as they come. This is actually a regular offering of the Admissions Office and we're sure many of you took advantage of it during your search process. But for those of you who didn't have the chance, and have no idea what you're getting yourself into, here's a look at a typical day in Patrick's first semester (specifically September 26, 2011.)

7:30 — Wake up, shower, get dressed, make coffee, head to campus

Prof. Carolyn Sharp

9:30-10:20 — Hebrew Bible lecture with Prof. Carolyn Sharp: the Golden Calf and introduction to Leviticus. Take-home points: golden calf story is a polemic against Aaron (and his progeny, the Aaronide priesthood) and against the Northern Kingdom of Israel (cf. Jeroboam's golden calves in the Samarian temple); also sets up the legacy of the productive crisis between disobedience and forgiveness in Israelite history and theology.

10:30-11:00 — "Harvest" service in Marquand Chapel, all about the abundance of life and the steadfastness of God in bringing forth fruit from seeds. Complete with local apples!

11:00-11:30 — Coffee Hour, catching up with folks about their weekends, discussing the service in Marquand, last minute review of readings from Free of Charge for Systematics lecture.

Prof. Miroslav Volf, in his
element

11:30-12:20 — Systematic Theology lecture with Prof. Miroslav Volf: Volf's theology of God as giver. Take-home points: God is not a negotiator or Santa Claus, but a giver; God's love is to be received in us as a conduit, receiving and passing love along to others as a similar free gift.

Eucharist in Marquand

12:20-1:30 — Lunch meeting in the Common Room with the Chapel Team, planning the LGBITQA Coalition's Friday Community Eucharist in Marquand during coming-out week; picking music, readings, themes, preacher, etc.

1:30-3:00 — Work study with the Office of Alumni Relations, today helping to plan the student worker schedule for Convocation and Reunions, which overlaps with October reading week.

3:30-4:50 — Annand First-Year Spiritual Direction group, today on centering prayer. More on this later, but the Annand program offers small weekly spiritual direction groups during the fall term for all first-year students who want to participate.

6:30-7:30 — Dinner at Thai Taste with friends.

8:00-11:00 — Reading, studying

11:00 — Decompress and bed

The Refectory

If you can't tell by the regularity with which we post on food-related things, food is particularly important to us individually and to YDS as a whole. We've covered where to buy groceries and some restaurants to buy food, but we have yet to talk about YDS's own offering: the Refectory. A "refectory" is not some sort of skin disease, but a name for a dining hall in religious communities (monasteries, boarding schools, and other academic institutions, like seminaries and divinity schools.)

The Refectory is located on the second floor of the Div School between the Common Room and Marquand Chapel. (Take an interactive tour here.) It opens for a continental, limited hot breakfast from 7:30-11:00am, when it transitions to lunch. There are also three selections of coffee: two caffeinated options (usually one dark roast and one medium roast), and decaf.

For lunch, there are several options for food:

• Hot entrée: Everyday there is an entrée in veggie and meat-eater varieties, on a two-week rotation. These include everything from sloppy joes to chicken tikka masala and saag paneer to stuffed shells. 
• Salad bar: One of the lovely women who run the Refectory, Julia, puts together the salad bar every morning. It has a wide array of options for vegetables and meat to adorn your mesclun, iceberg, romaine, or spinach. And if you ask nicely, Julia will often take requests for things to include. She is always extremely delighted when she hears someone enjoying what she spends so much time on.
• Grill: The grill offers relatively standard dining hall grill food—burgers, veggie burgers, chicken sandwiches, chicken fingers, fries (in Idaho and sweet potato varieties), grilled cheese, and so on.
• Refrigerator options: The refrigerator has a mix of things from prepared salads to sandwiches to sushi and bento boxes, and standard fare like yogurt, juice, and fruit.

The options are occasionally limited, which is occasionally frustrating as the semester passes, but this is a normal part of dining hall life. Regardless, as you purchase your meal, make sure to say hello to Miss Sandy, who is one of the most delightful people at the Div School, and will often be a warm smile on otherwise cold and stressful days.

The Refectory is open in the early evening to provide food for those in evening/night classes, but there is not hot food or salad bar—leaving the refrigerator options. It's not much, but it's better than nothing. The Refectory also offers some grocery options and snacks, and has a white board near the door to take requests. The prices are usually rather steep, but you can pay for the convenience of not having to run to the store for eggs or cereal.

There is a break from 12:30-1:20 every day for lunch, with the eye to having people eat together. This has long been a tradition of YDS, and something we try to preserve. (There used to be formal, shirt-and-tie, sit-down dinners every day when students still lived on the Quad itself before the renovations in 2001.) The Refectory is a great place to catch up with people, to talk to faculty (many will eat in the Refectory too), and to spend some time building the sense of community you will begin to hear so much about. Space is limited in the Refectory itself, so the crowd often expands into the Common Room and Commuter Lounge. This is also a popular time for student groups to have meetings, or for other special events to take place.

Part of your student fees include a $450/sem. meal plan ($230 for part-time students) to use over the course of the semester. The meal plan is a declining points plan, where points are spent like money. Divinity points, however, are accepted at all Yale Dining locations open to graduate and professional students, and at the Blue Dog Café in the McDougal Center at the Hall of Graduate Studies (HGS). We also receive $1 off the cash price at the HGS Dining Room (which is still $9.25 for lunch, and $12.25 for dinner.) As with any Yale student or affiliate (including alumni, believe it or not), we also have access at Commons, which at one time was Yale's only dining room, but now serves as a "common" dining room for all students. (A fun trick at Commons is that they don't kick you out once you're in, so you can pay the breakfast rate and stay through to lunch without having to pay again; some students—including one of the Food Coordinators for BTFO—have been known to bring computers and homework and set up for a whole day.)
 
Starting last year, all "disposables" in the Refectory are recyclable. And this year, everything will be compostable, too! So before you toss that clam-shell salad container in the trash, aim for the compost bin instead. To be even more sustainable, there are a limited number of china plates and silverware outside the Refectory to wash yourself. These are even weighted in the system for the salad bar, so that you can use them for salads without being charged the weight of the plate. Alternately, several people bring Tupperware from home to use instead.

While the Refectory will not be open during BTFO—we cater all of the meals from local restaurants—it will quickly become a very familiar and dear space for you. A place to eat, a place to talk, and a place to share time with students and professors.

Community Dinners

Students at YDS have been described (by fellow students) as possessing certain rat-like qualities. Before anyone feels insulted, allow us to explain. The easiest way to attract them is to lay out free food. When they find the food, they will take some and then go tell all of their friends so that pretty soon you are overwhelmed with hungry and enthusiastic Divvies, lining up for whatever delicious treats you have on hand.


Throughout the semester, YDS hosts fellowship meals on campus that are open to students, faculty, families, administration, staff, and other loved ones, and these meals are affectionately known as Community Dinners. Depending on the weather and the season, these meals could be anything from barbecue to tapas, but they always include plenty of delicious food - often from local restaurants - and wonderful company. There are always beverages on hand, usually an alcoholic option as well as a variety of attractive and robust non-alcoholic choices...or sometimes Diet Coke. Despite the smorgasbord provided, attendees are always encouraged to bring along a little something to share, whether its greens from the garden, baked goods for dessert, or maybe just some chips and salsa. The primary goal of these Community Dinners is to take the time out of one's busy evening to sit and talk and share with other members of the YDS community, and maybe meet some people you wouldn't normally run into throughout the day. Community Dinners provide great opportunities to get to know fellow students and faculty outside of the classroom, meet colleagues' families, or just get to know someone new. The dinners are scheduled and managed by a group of dedicated and community-oriented students, and so if you are interested in becoming involved you should certainly seek out the chance to help with the planning and implementation of these fellowship meals.


The dinner is only the beginning, as many Community Dinners are scheduled in tandem with other community events. The Yale Divinity Drama group will often host a sketch show after a Community Dinner, and sometimes there are events such as the Taylor House Lectures or ISM concerts that might draw new folk out of the woodwork. Community Dinners are often but not always held on Friday evenings, and they have a wonderful habit of coming around just when you are in desperate need of a study break and some Thai food. Or pizza. Or burritos. Or...just about anything!


In keeping with YDS' sustainability efforts, most attendees will bring their own plates and cutlery to cut down on waste and clean-up, but this green practice has an added bonus: if you bring tupperware, you can usually go back for seconds to snag a snack for later.

Get off the Hill: YDS Committee on Community Engagement (YCCE)

One of the great ways to get plugged in at YDS is through one of the various student groups supported by Student Council and the Community Life Committee (more on those later). Most of these groups are focused primarily on students at the Divinity School, but one in particular seeks to broaden the scope of YDS's efforts from our perch atop Prospect Hill to the rest of New Haven, and to work for justice in the local community: the YDS Committee on Community Engagement (YCCE).

Dean of Students, Dale Peterson, and
graduating student Willie Barnes '12 M.Div.

YCCE seeks to speak with a prophetic voice on issues of social justice in the YDS community. To this end, YCCE is committed to being firmly rooted in local, sustained community engagement. YCCE understands community engagement to include:

• volunteer service, 
• advocacy, 
• solidarity, 
• political participation, and 
• community organizing. 

YCCE believes that by walking with, working alongside of, and serving our neighbors in New Haven, we will better come to understand larger issues of justice.

YCCE is responsible for many aspects of life at YDS. One of cornerstones of its work is are the Days of Service, held during BTFO and once each semester. Teams of students are deployed to various nonprofits and community organizations throughout New Haven and neighboring towns for an half-day of service to contribute to our community in a tangible way, to learn about the good work being done in our community, and to find ways to get involved long-term with these organizations.

YCCE is also responsible for facilitating the work of YDS's Volunteer Coordinator, who keeps a running database of short- and long-term volunteer opportunities in the area, which will be available on the new YCCE website later this summer. On a monthly or biweekly basis, YCCE hosts brown-bag lunches to talk about different aspects of social justice and community engagement with an eye towards praxis; according to Gustavo Gutiérrez, the father of liberation theology, theology is "critical reflection on praxis in light of the Word."

Various students sorting donations at
Integrated Refugee and Immigration Services (IRIS) 

YCCE is also constantly looking for new ways to engage YDS with the broader community, helping to organize and sponsor events and volunteer opportunities in conjunction with other schools at Yale, with nonprofits in the area, and with social movements seeking justice and reconciliation among people. Be it hosting a training on Non-Violent Direct Action, discussing the history of justice movements throughout YDS's history, or any number of other possibilities, YCCE is dedicated to helping YDS prepare to engage the world we seek to teach and minister to, both in the future and while still on the Hill.

Sustainability at YDS

One idea that we hope to instill in all incoming students is that YDS is more than a school - it is a community. As such, students are expected to feel and enact a certain level of responsibility for the campus, the facilities, and its impact. You will quickly learn that sustainability is an important aspect of YDS culture, and we hope that this idea is exciting for you - spending so much time and energy in a community that works to be green and ethical is something to be proud of - but it does take some work.

You will undoubtedly hear more about sustainability culture at YDS during BTFO as well as throughout your time here, but we wanted to just highlight a couple of practices and issues that we want you to be aware of before your arrival. Many of you may already know that we prefer to use reusable mugs and dishes for Coffee Hour and meals in the refectory, and that washing one's dishes after a meal is a standard part of eating together. We are also proud to announce that YDS has single-stream recycling, which means that you don't need to worry about sorting through paper, plastic, and metals, but can toss all recyclable items into the bins located around campus. You'd be hard-pressed to find a trash can where there isn't also a recyclables bin, and all plastics used in the Refectory are recyclable. We are thrilled that starting next year all serving utensils and plates in the refectory will either be reusable or compostable - no trash!

YDS has recently begun its own compost initiative, and there is a compost in located in the Refectory kitchen where students can deposit food waste. The compost is used for the YDS farm, which also accepts composts from student homes. Esther, who makes good use of the YDS farm, brings compost from her apartment each week to the giant compost bins on campus. In addition to the individual plots, the YDS farm has community plots that can be used by anyone affiliated with YDS, and which are often tapped for greens or goodies for Community Dinners or other campus events.

This directly relates to BTFO because during BTFO, everyone is expected to provide their own non-disposable dishes, cutlery, and drinking vessels for every meal.  Many meals during the week of August 20-24 will be provided for incoming students, but we do ask that you provide your own dishes. This will help to streamline the clean-up of each meal, instill a sense of personal responsibility for the cleanliness of campus spaces, and reduce waste. We are hoping to produce a BTFO that is entirely landfill-free, and using reusable dishes for each meal is a huge part of that initiative. Everything else you see and use will be either recylcable or compostable, and there will be bins provided for both around campus. It's simple - some students bring canteen equipment from camping trips, but many also just bring less fragile dishes from home with regular silverware. Who knows? You might meet your new best friend through a conversation about their Hello Kitty travel utensils (true story - kinda).

We will talk more about food later in the summer when we introduce you to the two lovely ladies who will be coordinating the food for ya'll during BTFO, but we do want you to be aware that sustainability is a significant factor in determining which local restaurants and eateries we choose to cater events at YDS. As a school, and as a community, we have taken great strides in the past few years towards limiting the impact of our waste and creating an eco-friendly campus environment. We look forward to welcoming you into this sustainable community, and to seeing the ways in which members of the incoming class can further our greener goals.

Daily Coffee Hour

While we're on the subject of coffee in New Haven, we wanted to let you know about one of the daily joys of life at YDS: Coffee Hour! This short segment of each day is just one example of how YDS strives to cultivate a sense of unified community among its students, faculty, administrators, staff, and families by creating space and time for daily fellowship.

Every weekday morning from 11:00am - 11:30am, the YDS common room becomes the center of life for Div students. It's a great place to grab a warm beverage and a snack, chat with professors, meet up with fellow students and club members, or to check in with what's happening around campus. For anyone who has dietary restrictions, there are always some gluten-free and vegan options as well as donuts or coffee cake. Students will often use this time to host sign-ups for events or volunteer opportunities, make public announcements, or do something crazy like pie one another in the face (hey, it happens). Whether or not you choose to attend Marquand Chapel that day, coffee hour provides a great chance to debrief with classmates about the service or a morning class, and to check in with one another with concerns and well-wishes. We all need study breaks sometimes, and they might as well be tasty.

Coffee Hour can be a great opportunity to become involved in the daily life at YDS, and there are a handful of students who run the event each day. You don't have to officially be a part of the Coffee Hour team to participate, however, and donations of baked goods and beverages are always welcome and appreciated! If you love to share with others, Coffee Hour may quickly become your time to shine.

We'll see you there!