Phi Sigma Tau International Honor Society in Philosophy Newsletter
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Phi Sigma Tau International Honor Society in Philosophy Newsletter Issue #157 August, 2019 2018-2019 Financial Report The Executive Council (Category) (Dollars) (Percent) Longtime Executive Council Member, Dr. Anne INCOME Wiles of James Madison University, has retired Initiation fees 31,025.00 97.81 from the Council. Dr. Wiles served many years as Dialogue subscriptions 138.50 0.44 an Area Representative for the Executive Council NAC dues 165.00 0.52 of Phi Sigma Tau, and more recently she has been Charter fees 300.00 0.95 the Vice President of our organization. Dr. Wiles Gifts 30.00 0.09 has been a dedicated supporter of Phi Sigma Tau, Retained Earnings 203,142.87 (not included) an admired teacher, and a very welcome Other income 62.00 0.19 contributor to the work of the Society. We want to Total 31,720.50 100.00 thank her for her dedicated service to Phi Sigma Tau and wish her well in her retirement. EXPENSES In accordance with the procedures specified in Supplies 727.63 3.71 our Constitution, the Council has selected Dr. Printing costs 704.73 3.60 Charlie Huenemann of Utah State University, Postage 2,203.05 11.24 where he is a professor in the Department of Dialogue printing 14,962.82 76.36 Languages, Philosophy, and Communication ACHS dues/expenses 546.00 2.79 Studies, as Dr. Wiles' replacement as Vice Website 192.00 0.98 President of Phi Sigma Tau. Dr. Huenemann Other expenses 259.00 1.32 has served since 2012 as an Area Representative, Total 19,595.23 100.00 so he knows the work of our organization. Welcome to Dr. Huenemann. Retained Earnings $ 217,263.59 The retirement of Dr. Wiles leaves our Executive Council one short of its full complement of seven At the end of our fiscal year 2019-2019, we had members. So, we are opening up nominations for a balance in various accounts: the position of Area Council Representative; we Checking $115,168.14 are not overly concerned about geographical areas, Credit Union Account $100.16 though the Constitution does specify that as the CDs (3) $101,995.29 title of the position. The Council does have a nomination for the position; we nominate Dr. TOTAL $217,263.59 Dawn Hutchinson, who is currently an Adjunct Council Member and teaches at Christopher §§§ Newport University in Virginia. Dr. Hutchinson has agreed to accept the position. However, our Constitution does specify that advisors of chapters may make nominations, and we solicit other nominations for the position. Self-nominations are 1 Phi Sigma Tau - Newsletter in order here. If there are no other nominations, selecting articles for our April 2020 issue, so if you we will assume that Dr. Hutchinson is elected to have a paper you are preparing for a class, feel free the position. Nominations may be made until to work on it during the fall term and then submit it September 30, 2019. to our editor, Dr. Steve Barbone, by email Finally, we are looking for new blood for the attachment ([email protected]). The success of Executive Council. If you are able and willing to our journal does depend upon student writing and serve students, we would like to talk with you. inquiry. Please note that we only publish student Through the years, the work of the Society has writing by those who have not completed doctorate increased along with the number of our chapters. degrees; your senior paper is eligible for (This will be my fifteenth year as Executive publication even if you have graduated with your Secretary, and there are more expectations now for undergraduate degree. Honor Societies than when I began.--DEG.) We announced last year that we would like to form an Killing, Consent, and Kinky Sex: An Ethical Adjunct Executive Council composed of those ‘‘in Defense of Autassassinaphilia training’’ for full Council membership. We need Aynabeth Anderson, Rhodes College faculty who can devote some time to the work of Merciful Heaven: God’s Love Confronts Horror the Society and would be willing to take on some Jake Beardsley, College of William and Mary responsibility. Unfortunately, the work of the So THAT’S ‘‘What It’s Like to Be a Bat’’: How society has become too great for a current faculty We Might Get Accustomed to Physical Reductions member to take it on without assistance. Without Daniel Cappell, Rutgers University some assistance, we fear for the future of Phi Sigma Tau as an entirely volunteer society. Global Justice: Practical Approaches to Discharge Responsibility §§§ Joshua Stephen Ebiner, California State Polytechnic University Other Society News A Time to Die: Moral Considerations in Dutch Euthanasia Policy Check out our updated website at Ra’phael Davis, University of Arkansas at www.phisigmatau.org. This is the first major Little Rock update of the website and should make it more Public Health and Personal Choice: The Ethics of convenient for cell-phone use. You can find Vaccine Mandates and Parental Refusal in the information about Phi Sigma Tau at the site. United States Among things you can find are lists of advisors for Rebecca Amelia Horan, Eastern Illinois chapters (at the end of the email version of the University Newsletter), the current Newsletter, the current The Way Fish Live in Water: Autonomy, Alumni Bulletin, information about submissions to Femininity, and the Kantian Duty to Resist the journal, information about graduation regalia Oppression and Phi Sigma Tau keys, and other things. If you Giulia Piazza, University of Stirling, Scotland see something amiss on the site, please let me know; though we try to make it error-free, there always seems to be one more glitch. §§§ Dialogue Chapter News AL-BETA(0102) [Auburn University; advisor, Our October issue is now in preparation and will Keren Gorodeisky] NEW ADVISOR. contain the articles listed below. Our CO-GAMMA(0603) [Fort Lewis College; congratulations to all those whose papers are being advisor, Justin P. McBrayer] President: Sophie published in the issue, and our thanks to all who Schwartz, Vice-president: Rachel Lee, Secretary: submitted work. We are now in the process of 2 Phi Sigma Tau - Newsletter Mikayla Bennion, Treasurer: Emily Sorenson. Our ME-BETA(2002) [University of Maine; advisor, Fort Lewis chapter extended an invitation to Dr. Kirsten Jacobson] RETURNING ADVISOR. Our Peter Vallentyne to lecture on left-libertarianism chapter at the University of Maine inducted four and egalitarianism. In addition, our chapter plans to new members in May. During the year, students develop an Ethics Bowl team for the 2019-2020 met regularly to discuss philosophy; in addition, school year. we had a couple of movie nights. We also CT-GAMMA(0703) [Southern Connecticut participated in a major project that was open to State University; advisor, Chelsea C. Harry] students who were not members of Phi Sigma Tau: RETURNING ADVISOR. the second volume of an undergraduate philosophy FL-IOTA(1009) [Jacksonville University; journal, Dwell. The journal was funded by several advisor, Matthew Groe] President: Patrick Farrell, sources on campus and represented the joint effort Vice-president: Samuel McIntire, Secretary: Jared of many students at the University of Maine. We Taylor, Treasurer: Leah Finsie, Social Chair: Zac are postponing election of new officers because of Christensen. These officers were elected in our low attendance at the induction ceremony. April meeting. Members gav etheir reasons for MA-DELTA(2204) [Boston College; advisor, their interest in philosophy, and new members Stephen Hudson] NEW ADVISOR. signed the chapter roll. MN-BETA(2402) [St. Olaf College; advisor, GA-BETA(1102) [Emory University; advisor, Danny Muñoz-Hutchinson] At our February 11 George Yancy] NEW ADVISOR. meeting we planned a Colloquium on the ethics of GA-DELTA(1104) [Mercer University; advisor, illegal kidney markets; this was presented by Ian Rosalind Simson] During the 2018-2019 school Carlos. We looked at a possible colloquium day year, the Mercer chapter held five well-attended and a presenter for April and may ask a faculty meetings (10 to 25 students at each meeting). Four member as well. We are also considering a movie of the events were structured discussions on night with a philosophical topic and planning a philosophical topics of broad interest. Students date for A Ringstad/Distinction peer review from the chapter came with a series of four or five workshop for students interested in submitting questions to pose to the group, and discussions work to either place. And finally, we will discuss were strictly limited to fifteen minutes for each and plan potential advertising in Introduction to question. So, each discussion was about sixty to Philosophy classes for associate membership in Phi seventy-five minutes long. Students mediated the Sigma Tau. discussions to assure that everybody stayed on NM-ALPHA(3201) [University of New track. The topics were: Is it ever OK to lie? Does Mexico; advisor, Pierre-Julien Harter] Because of God exist? What is love? (A discussion appropriate the press of other responsibilities, some officers for a Valentine’s Day meeting.) and What makes were unable to participate in activities; Daniel art beautiful? One of the events was a philosophy Hund will now serve as Vice-president, and Jalyn game tournament. The games were for fun and not Miller will serve as secretary. At our February for ‘‘showing off.’’ For example, one game was a meeting, we discussed potential for growth, hot potato game where each participant had to interest among members in growing the chapter, name a philosopher (honor society students were strategies for growth, and group interest in possible final arbiters of who was a philosopher). The ev ents. We planned to host a screening of ‘‘Tree of Philosophy Department gav e$100 to the society Life’’ later in the term, considered a collaborative for the year, and members used the money to buy ev ent with the Chinese club (the club is hosting a silly, dollar store prizes and snacks for porch meeting on Eastern Philosophy on March 26), and parties.