The following minutes were unanimously approved with edits on November 8, 2017.

Opening

The regular meeting of the DTSA was called to order at 6:05 pm on October 11, 2017, in Room 5489.

Present

Sarah Lucie (President), Cory Tamler (First Vice President), Hansol Oh (Second Vice President), Ash Marinaccio (Secretary-Treasurer), Christine Snyder (Professionalization Representative), Mara Valderrama (Admissions and Awards Representative), Amir Farjoun (Curriculum and Exams), Eylul Akinci (International Student Representative)

Absent

Joseph Paul Hill (Digital Initiatives Officer), Kyueun Kim (DSC Representative), Jared Pike (Grad Council Representative)

Approval of Agenda

CT motioned to approve agenda. Agenda was approved with edits.

Approval of Minutes

CT motioned to approve the minutes. CS seconded. Minutes unanimously approved as submitted. No abstentions.

Reports

President, Sarah Lucie

Hansol and I attended the first Executive Committee Meeting of the year. A few relevant highlights are as follows:

  • There is a GC transition to CUNYFirst underway, scheduled for April 2018. There may be a lag in checks during that time, so the university is doing what they can to pre-pay everyone. Be sure to check GC email accounts, as this is where news will be delivered. International students will have a representative to deal with issues surrounding this update.
  • Peter encourages students to self-nominate for the teaching and mentoring awards, which are due February 1.
  • A delegation from Shanghai will be visiting the GC in the second week of November.
  • A partnership with America University of Beirut is in its initial stages. There is talk of two GC students receiving awards to travel to a conference in Beirut in April 2018.

We have the table in the lobby confirmed for Nov 14 and 15 from 11 am – 5 pm each day. We will circulate a call for books and begin collecting in the Green Room two weeks prior to the event.

The Open Executive Committee Meeting is scheduled for Friday, December 15, and the Christmas gathering will follow, so save the date!

First Vice President, Cory Tamler

Karaoke night on September 28 was a success, with 14 DTSA members plus one guest attending. We sang, drank, and ate pizza for two hours at Karaoke Duet 35. Thanks to everyone who made it fun and easy to plan!

Thanks also to everyone who has contributed to the Upcoming NYC-Area Theatre Resource List. It’s here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JmvVSzHpiYbJcJmd6Jv1Ri43FHP8W6ILxOeGnoSZPys/edit?usp=sharing. I’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback about it, so please keep sending me shows throughout the year. I plan to send out occasional reminders to the listserv (no more than twice a semester) about contributing to/using the list.

Three theatre/theatre-related outings for the fall semester have been planned, one per month; all are suggestions drawn from contributions to the resource list:

  1. October 13: Diana Oh’s {my lingerie play} at Rattlestick (12 confirmed attending). Those who are up for it will go to late-night burlesque at the Slipper Room after.
  2. November 11: Lope de Vega’s El Caballero de Olmedo at Teatro Circulo (15 confirmed attending). Drinks afterward at location TBD. This is partly in collaboration with Jean’s Spanish Golden Age and Transatlantic Theatre class and as a result, a number of the group are from the Center for Latin American, Caribbean & Latino Studies department.
  3. December 1: Group outing to Guggenheim exhibition: Art and China after 1989: Theater of the World, plus screening (as part of the exhibition) of In Search of Lin Zhao’s Soul. I will ask for (casual) RSVPs closer to the date, as tickets don’t need to be purchased in advance. Lunch afterward.

Those who have not RSVPed to the October/November shows are welcome to join by purchasing tickets on their own, and/or join the group for post-show activities. Feedback about the types of shows, dates/times, frequency, and anything else is welcome and will help me plan next semester’s outings. I would also like to hear about ideas for making these outings into opportunities to mingle with other departments, as we’re doing with El Caballero de Olmedo.

The Shanghai delegation will be in town Nov. 13 – 20 and Marvin suggested a theatre outing while they are here.

Second Vice President, Hansol Oh

Voting for Booth Award closes tonight. Everything is going well. Before announcing recipient Peter and Frank will be contacted. Hansol will also contact the recipient to make sure that they will accept the award. Hansol is putting together documents.

Secretary-Treasurer, Ash Marinaccio

There will be a donation jar set up in the Green Room to collect money for coffee. It will be next to the coffee-maker. Please consider making a donation and pass the word along.

Digital Initiatives Officer, Joseph Paul Hill

I have obtained access to the DTSA website (The Green Room) and the DTSA Resource Exchange. I have already begun making minor content and cosmetic changes. The area in most desperate need of content updating is the webpage of current students. This page will receive an overhaul in the upcoming month.

I received zero responses to my call for participants to form our standing Website Committee. As the committee is mandated by the DTSA Constitution, I will be putting out subsequent calls until a committee can be formed. Please encourage interest among fellow students.

Professionalization Representative, Christine Snyder

Everything is going wonderfully. Tomorrow is the event on grants and travel. Jean will be doing two special workshops with Level 3’s in October.

Admission and Awards Representative, Mara Valderrama

I have met with Peter a couple of times to plan the Open House event. It will take place on Wednesday, November 29. I have revised the list of Theatre programs and program chairs compiled by Sarah last year.

This year, we would also like to extend the invitation to programs and prospective students outside of the NYC and surrounding states area. Therefore, we are going to have a Skype event on Tuesday, November 21. I will compile new contact information for universities in other areas of the US and abroad. I will email international students to help me with information about Theatre MA programs in their countries of origin.

I am also trying to think of other ways to advertise. Perhaps on places like the Grad Cafe …

Curriculum and Exams Representative, Amir Farjoun

After conducting the town hall session (see here for the sum-up), I met with both Peter and Erika. There’s a strong encouragement from both, especially in mobilizing the “independent study” slot. A student remarked after the meeting that this might be counter-productive: since it is something that’ already more or less in place, stating it can agitate Marvin and others (mainly David). However, peter thinks that these are important declarations of direction, and that these things have meaning upstairs. Basically, the provost is in a process of re-thinking what a ph.d is, what it means and what do people do with it other than adjunctly beg for tenure. So now is a good time be a part of the discussion. In order for this to pass through the curriculum program, we’ll need to create a documents that basically states it clearly, sets up standards, and perhaps make it publicly available (the last one is my spontaneous idea).

My meeting with Erika is described in detail here. On the question of practice, she’s onboard. Other issues were raised to continue Joseph’s acts from last year and to answer some of the faculty’s immediate concern:

  1. “Advance Research Course”: it seems that the faculty doesn’t have a clear Idea of what this course should be about, or for. Some problems: students coming at different stages; ever-changing concept of “field”, and of methodologies. Erika asked me to consult with students and name 3 things that don’t work. I asked her to consult the faculty and see what they think is critical.
  2. Course evals: in the process of re-articulating it, what questions do we think are important? I think I’ll ask on facebook if the board agrees.
  3. Yearly curriculum Survey is also problematic. See doc for details. I’d like to ask the board if the open exec meeting can be constructed as more open discussion with students to get and receive feedback. I think we need to promote a culture of (public) dialogue rather than mediated feedback.

I have also (just now) sent Jean an Email to let her know about the town hall and my meetings with E and P.

Next to be done: meeting Frank.

For the discussion part of the board meeting: Talk about Professionalization; Talk about the survey; Advanced research (facebook tolling).

DSC Program Representative, Kyueun Kim

I attended the DSC plenary meeting on September 15 and was officially approved as a DSC rep in the meeting.

Graduate Council Rep and Alumni Engagement, Jared Pike

Nothing to report.

International Student Representative, Eylul Akinci

I will meet the international students of the most recent cohort on October 13.

New Business

Booth Award Committee

We must make sure that students are more visible and it’s a student-centered event.

Fundraising Brainstorm

Woodland Cemetery Tour – The Woodlawn Cemetery is full of dead actors. We should have a DTSA Woodlawn Halloween tour of the Woodlawn Cemetery. Many NY Theatre luminaries buried here. “Ghosts of Christmas Past” – Holiday tour.

Bake Sale – This will correspond with the book sale.

Eylul will read charts in the fall or spring.

Old Business

Approve Budget

Motion to Approve. All approved.

Book Sale

Adjournment

The meeting was adjourned at 7:06 pm. CS motioned and CT seconded.