Assistant Dean Offers Insights on Campus Life, TAC Rules

TAC-New England students took a break from their studies on Wednesday evening to ask questions of their recently installed assistant dean, Dr. Stephen Shivone, at the annual Assistant Dean on Tap.

Over the course of two hours, Dr. Shivone candidly answered any and all questions that students posed. Students had fun asking about how he met his wife, his favorite novel, and even his opinion of dinosaurs. He also answered questions about the College’s plans for adapting to the growth in the student body next year, as it takes in an additional section of freshmen.

As the assistant dean, Dr. Shivone’s most popular answers pertained to queries about campus rules, including those regarding the dress code and conduct in the classrooms. “Rules are like guardian angels, meant to guard you and light your way,” he said. “The law makes it clear what the virtues are in a concrete way, and as young adults living a life dedicated to your studies, the rules here give you a determinate view of what is good and evil with reference to the life you are trying to live.”

He went on to explain that, while some of the things the rules guard against aren’t intrinsically evil, there are lines that need to be drawn in order to maintain the culture that the College seeks to uphold. “Though some of those lines may seem arbitrary, they are drawn with a view to your benefit and the benefit of the community as a whole,” he added. “The first purpose of the law is to educate, and with the implementation of the specific rules at TAC, we hope to educate you in how to live a dedicated, ordered life while you are here.”