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Blog 3 Columns

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Blog 3 Columns

The Tragic Decline of Music Literacy (and Quality)54
- Culture
- August 16, 2018
Throughout grade school and high school, I was fortunate to participate in quality music programs. Our high school had a top Illinois state jazz band; I also participated in symphonic band, which gave me a greater appreciation for classical music. It wasn’t enough to just read music. You would need to sight read, meaning you
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Stoneman Douglas at 6 Months 0
- Education
- August 16, 2018
It was six months ago but feels like just yesterday. On Feb. 14, a deranged teen attacked students and staff members at Parkland, Florida’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, killing 17. Like millions of parents and grandparents across America, I was transfixed by the news that day, watching the coverage with horror. I grieved for
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Finding Positive Masculinity in Pulp Fiction 0
- Culture
- August 16, 2018
In my first installment about the film Pulp Fiction, I used Jordan Peterson’s theory of order, chaos, and personal responsibility to interpret the actions of Jules (Samuel L. Jackson) and Vincent (John Travolta). In this second installment, I want to focus on one of the film’s most important characters: Butch (Bruce Willis). For those unfamiliar with
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Actress: Entitlement is Not the Secret to Success 0
- Culture
- August 16, 2018
Once upon a time on a dull afternoon, I consulted my bucket list. The item written, “Be in a play at Guthrie Theatre; any size role will do,” stood out as an interesting option. I knew such an idea was rather ambitious, as the Guthrie holds national acclaim and I have very little training as
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‘Social Justice’ is Overrunning the University of Texas 0
- Culture
- August 16, 2018
The latest racket in higher education, evident at my alma mater, the University of Texas at Austin, is the disturbing proliferation of “social justice” as a degree program, a course topic, an academic emphasis, and even as a prerequisite in campus job descriptions. “Social justice” is a seemingly innocuous term with no established definition. Many
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Why Minimal Sleep is Not a Badge of Honor 0
- Culture
- August 15, 2018
“I need you to make sure that I don’t walk into any walls or trip on the stairs,” one of my friends recently informed me. Her reason? She was running on about three and a half hours of sleep and was struggling with the simple task of walking. I hadn’t gotten much more sleep than
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Soulmate Marriage: An Unrealistic Goal?1
- Culture
- August 15, 2018
A recent edition of the NPR program “Hidden Brain” asked an increasingly prevalent question: “When Did Marriage Become So Hard?” The idea that marriage is difficult is underscored by the fact that nearly 40 to 50 percent of all marriages end in divorce. And although divorce rates are supposedly falling, the numbers of divorced couples
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Does the Old-Fashioned Art of Visiting Need Reviving?0
- Culture
- August 15, 2018
In the novels of Louisa May Alcott, a time prior to the invention of the telephone, and even into the middle of the twentieth century with telephones in most homes, neighbors and families practiced the art of visiting. Sundays and holidays were especially the times that encouraged this sociable aspect of ordinary life. These visits
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Amish Uber Shows that Entrepreneurship is Contagious 0
- Culture
- August 15, 2018
The ridesharing economy seems to know no bounds. From bike-sharing to platforms that pair riders with drivers who accept cryptocurrency to the most recent trend of motorized scooters, there seems to be something for everyone. But now, this service has entered a whole new market and is being extended to include even those who are religiously
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