My Life

A couple students sat with me at lunch in the cafeteria the other day. At one point in our conversation, it came up that I want my students to genuinely learn the material in my courses. This seemed authentically surprising to both students. As I recall, one of them even asked me why. I admit I was taken aback. I understand that many students only go to college to get a degree, not to actually learn. There may be many reasons for this, but I suppose the largest is the pressure from society to get a degree--even if the degree is never necessary for the position that requires it. I have said before, and I still firmly believe, that this is harmful rather than helpful. Pressuring (or forcing) people to go to college who would not have elected to do so on their own--while perhaps granting job security to me--seems to be detrimental to education. While I understand the reasons why students may go to college that are different from actual learning, I cannot relate to it personally. Ye...

I feel compelled to voice my feelings on this matter. I wish for it to be understood in no uncertain terms where I stand on the matter. I have been vocal in my opposition to Trump and his policies ever since he first started campaigning for president. I continue in that opposition now and do not see a future wherein I do not oppose him. The matter currently at hand is that of children being torn from their parents at the border. Border patrol has been instructed by the administration to have a zero-tolerance policy and to separate families who are attempting to cross the border. Infants as young as 8 months old are being held captive, forcibly separated from their parents. At least one pregnant woman was among those who have been kidnapped and held in these unspeakable detention centers for weeks so far. I denounce this practice as being immoral, unnecessary, and purely disgusting. It should offend any person with any shred of empathy. It is highly ironic that conservatives who hav...