Student-Faculty Collaborative Research
In an effort to support Student-Faculty Collaborative Research projects, the Alumni Association Board of Directors have committed $15,000 to be spent over the next three years. This summer, the Board’s contribution will allow Assistant Professor of Religion Mario D’Amato and Rob Moore ’10 to continue their research of On Hegel on Buddhism.
Their project for the Collaborative Scholarship Program is titled, “The Specter of Nihilism: On Hegel on Buddhism.” Its aim is to examine and assess the interpretation of Buddhism offered by Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (1770-1831), one of the most influential western philosophers of the nineteenth century. One aspect of the study of Buddhism is studying how Buddhism has been interpreted by Western thinkers. In other words, scholars of Buddhism must not only ask, “What is Buddhism?” but should also ask, “How has Buddhism been represented, and/or misrepresented, in western culture?” Addressing such questions not only tells us something about Buddhism, but also tells us something about our own culture’s fascination with what has been understood to be an “exotic” religion—the “religion of nothingness,” to paraphrase the title of one recent scholar’s work on the topic. According to Hegel, in Buddhism “the ultimate or highest [reality] is . . . nothing or not-being,” and his interpretation of Buddhism as the religion of nothingness would go on to have a decisive influence on the western cultural imagination of Buddhism.
After explaining Hegel’s views on Buddhism, D’Amato and Moore will also offer their own philosophical conclusions: Was Hegel right about Buddhism? Their response, of course, is not a definitive “yes” or “no”; while there are some things that he’s certainly wrong about, there are other things that are not so far off the mark philosophically. Their thesis, in short, is that Hegel was onto something in his interpretation of Buddhism, that nihilism is the “specter” that continues to haunt Buddhism.
The idea for the project came from a combination of Professor D’Amato’s interest in exploring Buddhism in relation to Western philosophy, and Rob Moore’s interest in studying both Religion and Philosophy, and the connections between them. The two began their project during the summer of 2007, and plan on completing a paper on the topic by the end of the summer of 2008. Their goal by the end of this year’s program is to write an article which offers a solid contribution to scholarship on the interpretation of Buddhism. They plan on submitting the article for publication to a peer-reviewed journal.
Mario D’Amato (B.A., Loyola University Chicago; M.A. and Ph.D., University of Chicago) is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Philosophy and Religion at Rollins College. He specializes in the study of Buddhist philosophy, especially focusing on the study of Mahayana Buddhist texts. He has published articles in the Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Studies, the Journal of Indian Philosophy, the Indian International Journal of Buddhist Studies, and Semiotica, and is currently completing a book-length study and translation of a Buddhist text titled Distinguishing the Middle from the Extremes.
Rob Moore is finishing his second-year as an undergraduate student at Rollins College. He is a double-major in Philosophy and Religion, and a member of the Varsity Debate Team, the Philosophy Club, and the Academic Honor Council. He feels that his participation in the Collaborative Scholarship Program has been an excellent opportunity to develop his scholarly abilities in an enjoyable way.
To learn more about the Student Faculty Collaborative Research program and to read about some of last summer's projects, click here.
Thomas Edison: Man of the Millennium
A special production of the life of Thomas Edison '30H will be performed at the Annie Russell Theatre. A one-man play, written and performed by Frank Attwood, tells the story of how one man’s vision, imagination, and creative genius changed our world forever. Thomas Edison: Man of the Millennium will take you on a fascinating journey from struggling in school to igniting the technological revolution. To view a flyer, click here. To read about Thomas Edison's receiving an honorary degree from Rollins in 1930, click here.
Saturday, May 10
2:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
Annie Russell Theatre
$19.00 adults $9.00 students & children
For tickets call 407-691-1468
All proceeds will benefit the Five Stones Project, a student-run 501(c)3 organization dedicated to poverty alleviation in the Dominican Republic since 2003. The Five Stones Project was founded by graduating senior Tessie Swope ’08 as a grass roots, non-profit organization whose mission is to provide long-term economic security to poor villages in the Dominican Republic. To learn more about the project, click here.
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Even Though You're Years Away, Remember the Good Ol’ Days
Wondering what’s going on at the school where you spent the best four years of your life? Well, now you can really stay connected to your alma mater!
Introducing The Sandspur Subscription Program. For just $80, you can receive an issue of The Sandspur, Rollins College's ONLY totally student run source for information, once a week throughout the school year.
Interested? Send a check for $80 payable to The Sandspur addressed to
The Sandspur
Rollins College
1000 Holt Avenue - 2742
Winter Park , FL 32789.
Checks must be received by August 1, 2008 for a subscription for the 2008 -09 school year.
The Pedro Pequeño Scholarship Fund
“How you touch these young lives is the most important aspect of teaching. You need to see their potential and challenge them. Think of the miracles, and help them achieve their dreams.” -Pedro Pequeño
Beloved Professor of Anthropology and Coordinator of Latin American and Caribbean Affairs Program Pedro Pequeño will be retiring--after 37 years--at the end of this academic year.
Through the generosity of family, alumni, and friends, an endowed scholarship has been established in Pequeno’s honor. The scholarship was announced at his retirement party on May 1, and will be awarded annually to a deserving Rollins student.
If you wish to honor Professor Pequeno by participating, simply click here and choose "The Pedro Pequeno Scholarship Fund" from the "Use My Gift For" dropdown menu. If you have questions or would like to discuss the scholarship in more detail, please contact Assistant Director of Development Tatjana Chenoweth '07MBA at 407-646-2238 or cchenoweth@rollins.edu.
To read an article on Pequeño from the Rollins Alumni Record magazine, click here.
