Alphabet Soup

There are so many acronyms out there and it’s hard to keep them all straight. I have attended meetings in which everyone spoke in acronyms, assuming everyone else in the room understood their shorthand just fine. Often, I jotted down the acronyms so I could look them up at a later time. I listened intently for context clues so that I could understand the jargon and get the gist of what was being said. Occasionally, I recognized an acronym right away. In those moments, I am pretty sure that I reacted like a dog who perks up its ears after hearing the word, “walk”. For the most part, I tried to downplay my ignorance of the industry-specific acronyms that didn’t pertain to my industry. I'm convinced that some acronyms were created to keep us immature folks from snickering during E.D. commercials, while other acronyms are meant to succinctly communicate complex ideas in a string of letters. For example, I have become involved in several DEI committees where we discuss issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion. In one such committee, we talk about the necessity for additional letters to encompass the ideas of justice and belonging. You’ve undoubtedly heard of CRT—critical race theory—because it has become politically charged in educational circles and beyond. We have a class about CRT this semester because people are so curious about what it is and, just as importantly, what it isn’t. It’s easy to skim over the acronyms we see and tune out the ones we hear, but it sure is nice to understand what everyone is talking about.

Stay safe and healthy,

Tracy Jacobs

SPARK is the perfect opportunity for curious minds, empty nesters, and retirees to explore topics in a relaxed environment. SPARK is divided into three courses. Each course meets once per week on TU’s campus for a total of six sessions per course.

Pricing is $145/non-members, $110/Osher members, including parking.

Bombers & Masterpieces:
Recovering the Life, Art and Diary of Rene Gimpel

Co-Directed by Greg Faller and Lillian Bowers

Wednesday, March 29, 2023 | 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
College of Liberal Arts, Room 4310

This is a free event with complimentary parking upon registration.

EVENT DETAILS

The College of Fine Arts & Communication’s Associate Dean, Greg Faller and his filmmaking partner, Lillian Bowers, present a new documentary recounting the life, times, and diary of Rene Gimpel, an important Jewish art dealer, friend of almost all major French artists of the first half of the 20th century, and resistance fighter who died in the Neuengamme concentration camp. The film also narrates his heirs’ efforts to recover artworks stolen by the Nazis. Ms. Bowers, who read Gimpel's significant Diary of an Art Dealer, approached Faller about working together to create the 75-minute film.

Sol Davis, director of the Jewish Museum of Maryland, will introduce the film. A Q&A session with both Faller and Bowers will be held after the screening followed by a Kosher dessert reception.

• 6:30 – 7:45 p.m. / Film
• 7:45 – 8:15 p.m. / Q & A
• 8:15 – 9:00 p.m. / Reception

The theme for the 2023 One Maryland One Book is “Connection”

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