In elementary school, students are taught various types of figurative language—idioms, metaphors, and hyperboles. Most students quickly learn that words must be taken in context to properly understand their intended meaning. We also learn that many words and phrases have more than one meaning. “Stand up and be counted.” Is a person in a
READ MOREIt’s graduation season and everyone is talking about success and how best to achieve it. This, of course, includes encouraging those who are victims of tragic circumstances to overcome their difficult pasts. One student who has done just that is Rob Henderson, a 2018 graduate of Yale University. Henderson’s story, which he explains in the
READ MOREPolling numbers tell the story. According to a recent Harvard University poll, 51% of those between 18 and 29 reject capitalism, while fully one-third support socialism. How to account for such numbers? Is it simply affection for a kindly Uncle Bernie (Sanders), coupled with disdain for an over-bearing Uncle Donald (Trump)? Or is it something
READ MOREOn August 22, 1831, a group of slaves began a revolt in the county of Southampton, Virginia, that would go down in history as the largest uprising against the Peculiar Institution in nineteenth-century America. The rebellion was led by Nat Turner, a slave from Southampton, one of the few southern counties where black Americans were
READ MOREIn his controversial tweet on Sunday, President Trump indicated that he would direct the Justice Department to investigate “whether or not the FBI/DOJ infiltrated or surveilled the Trump Campaign for Political Purposes—and if any such demands or requests were made by people within the Obama Administration!” Is the president hinting that he thinks Michael Flynn,
READ MOREWhen Jesus visited his disciples after his execution, they were terrified. They expected him to bring the standard justice of the ancient world: vengeance. Instead, Jesus said, “Shalom.” This greeting was more than a cessation of violence; it was the start of a new order of harmony grounded in Jesus. Shalom means “no space between”
READ MOREI had a fair number of birthday parties during my childhood years. They were highly anticipated and often featured my favorite foods, a few simple games, and a handful of friends. But while they were thematic in nature, they never extended beyond decorations and ideas that my family and I couldn’t execute inexpensively on our
READ MOREWhen entrepreneurs recently gathered for a retreat at an exclusive resort in Utah, one participant expressed concern about what he observed as a lack of commitment to achievement: “Everyone wants to work at SpaceX; no one wants to go to engineering school.” On a recent walk, I encountered a neighbor who shared her concerns about
READ MOREIn the wake of recent tragic school shootings, anxious parents are contemplating homeschooling to protect their children. After February’s school shooting in Parkland, Florida, the Miami Herald reported that more parents were considering the homeschooling option. And after Friday’s disturbing school shooting in Sante Fe, Texas, a local ABC news affiliate in Alabama reported the
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