During the closing ceremony for the spring 2015 semester, TBC’s Dean of Academics and Faculty, Russell Moses, addressed the students for a final time. When thanking certain faculty members, Dean Moses described TBC’s Academic Advisor, Fr. Eugene Geinzer, SJ as “the heart of TBC.” In my opinion, this could not be a more accurate statement.
One of the reasons TBC is such an incredible program is because of how personable and approachable the staff is. No one embodies this more than Fr. Gene. Being a professor and Academic Advisor at TBC, he has plenty of contact with students right when the semester starts. This past semester, he instantly became a favorite.
Every Sunday, Fr. Gene, along with TBC Director, Fr. Jim Caime, would offer mass to the students in their apartments. Coming to China is obviously a huge transition but being able to celebrate the Eucharist every Sunday with friends was extremely comforting. These gatherings became very intimate for those of us that attended regularly. Fr. Gene would also join us for dinner afterwards almost every Sunday. Even though he is about 50 years older than us and a professor, he was one of the easiest people at TBC to become friends with. TBC would not be the same without him.
By Tommy Sullivan, Boston College, TBC Social Media and Communications Intern and Spring 2015 Student
This is the first American edition of Anderson’s fascinating account of Britain’s first diplomatic mission to China in 1792. By the end of the eighteenth century the East India Company had been trading with Chinese merchants for two hundred years, but in a strictly limited way.
At the dawn of the Age of Enlightenment, as the 18th century drew to a close, the Western world was eager for knowledge—driven by a philosophical movement that championed reason and science. King Louis XV of France asked for the advice of his trusted Minister of State, Henri Bertin, about how to reform the spirit of the nation, after giving it some thought, Bertin famously responded, “Sire, to inoculate the French with the Chinese spirit.”