[jimbokun]

'"here's an introduction to C++, read it before next week's lecture" or "for this project you must use a VCS, pick one and learn it"'

My one modification would be "here is the problem, implement a solution however you choose" (with maybe a caveat that it must be in a language that the TAs can read well enough to grade your work). Maybe some suggestions as to which languages are appropriate, especially if libraries written in a specific language are required or recommended.