As community hour begins at John Jay College, students rush out of class to grab lunch, catch up on social media and hang out with friends, but in a corner of the New Building, room 1.127 to be exact, 25 students gather weekly to read the New York Times. The “Times Talk,” as it’s called by students, is led by Professor Greg Donaldson, from the Communication and Theatre Arts Department, who has been hosting these sessions for five years. “This is all voluntary. We have people who come back year after year. We have students from other colleges who attend. We even have graduates come back and join in,” says Donaldson. “Instead of sitting around texting, students are in here expanding their thinking, broadening their vocabulary, and partaking in spirited and respectful debates.” He continues, “What many people don’t realize is that this is about more than reading the paper. It’s about identity. Asking students, ‘How do you see yourself? Are you just someone who comes to college to get a degree, or do you see yourself as a thinker and a person who prides themselves on their knowledge and critical thinking skills?’ As educators, we have to keep pushing our students to think about how they see themselves and their place in the world.”

Each Times Talk follows a similar process. Professor Donaldson greets the class—he’s got cool nick names for each of the students, including The Asset, The Barrister, and Real Time. He then reviews the vocabulary words and stories they went over during the previous session, making sure the words stick with the students. Then it’s on to the day’s paper. Each student gets a copy of the New York Times—which they then get to take home—and selects an article to read. Then, as a class, they discuss the article, identify new vocabulary words, define what those words mean and debate the contents of the piece. “We keep our debates clear and crisp,” says Donaldson. “You’re dealing with some of the best minds at John Jay. I look around this room and see highly intelligent people to the left and right of me.”

One student says, “Reading the New York Times every day becomes a lifestyle.” The words bring a smile to Donaldson’s face. He quickly jots them down on the white board and reiterates the point. “When you’re a professional person, you can’t do without reading the New York Times. You read other papers and you’re bound to get spooked by the shallow things in there. But with the Times you’re dealing with the truth. You’re dealing with high-leveled people.” And that’s what Donaldson wants for his students, he wants them to see themselves as the intelligentsia. “Someday they’re going to be surrounded by highly-intelligent people and when that happens I want them to be prepared to understand, maintain and participate in those conversations,” says Donaldson. “It’s like I always tell them, ‘Don’t prepare for the life you have, prepare for the life you want.’”

Once the talk is over, Donaldson says goodbye to each student, thanking them for their participation and offering encouraging words. When asked what he hopes the students walk away with, Donaldson says, “I hope they gain confidence in themselves. I hope they acquire lifelong habits, vocabulary, good media consumption and critical thinking skills. And mostly, I want them to know that they are sophisticated bunch.”

Before the Times Talk, we spoke with several students to learn what the series has taught them.

Xamir Peña 
Hometown: Bronx, NY
Major: Political Science

One of the jokes that our professor makes is that this talk helps you live longer. It certainly helps us lead better lives. I come here to keep up with what is happening in the world. There are so many things that happen every day and all of them, in some way, affect us. It’s important to stay up-to-date with the news because if you’re ignorant to what is going on around you, then you won’t be able to contribute to society.

Anum Bokhari
Hometown: Brooklyn, NY
Majors: Economics and English

My favorite thing about these New York Times Talk sessions is that we get to talk about social issues that we normally don’t speak about in other classes. While here, we can expand on our own opinion, expand on the opinion of others, and debate about these topics. All this gives us a broader perspective about what other people say about the issues that are going on around the world.  
 

Bryan Lopez
Hometown: Bronx, NY
Major: Criminal Justice

A lot of my friends ask me what do I get out of the New York Times Talk. I say, first and foremost that it educates me. It increases my communication skills. Second, it brings different experiences to life for me. In the classroom I get to meet a lot of different people who bring their own experiences into the conversation. With each talk, we get to learn what is going on in this country and how the U.S. affects other countries around the world. I’ve also become a fluent writer since reading the times. Reading leads to better writing.

Renalle Julien  
Hometown: Brooklyn, NY
Major: Criminology

This Times Talk series broadens how we acquire information, how we retain that information and how we dissect that information. I’ve gained so much through this experience. A lot of the new vocabulary words I’ve learned in this class I’ve been able to use in other classes. It’s all about connecting the dots and seeing how things progress.
 

Michael Lue
Hometown: Bronx, NY
Major: Criminal Justice

The New York Times Talk provides me with a chance to expand my vocabulary and to become more informed about the current events in my community and around the world.