Blog 3 Columns

The Disappearing Valedictorian: Another Victim of the Participation Trophy Generation?0
- Culture
- June 15, 2017
One of the central plots in Lucy Maud Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables concerns the fractious relationship between Anne Shirley and Gilbert Blythe. This friction primarily plays out in the classroom where Anne determines to get ahead of Gilbert in every subject even if it kills her: “Now Gilbert was head of the spelling class;
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NYT Writer: Cultural Appropriation is the New Blasphemy 0
- Culture
- June 15, 2017
Whether it’s hoop earrings, dreadlocks, or Taco Tuesdays, America seems to have a fascination with cultural appropriation. So much so, that it appears things are getting a little out of hand, a fact which author Kenan Malik noted in the New York Times the other day. According to Malik, various editors and artists who reference
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Is Our Culture’s Focus on Gender Childish?0
- Culture
- June 15, 2017
One of the joys of being a parent—I have three children, ages 6, 4, and 8 months—is that one gets to witness individual case studies in human nature. It’s no secret that small children are basically all id. They are capable of warmth and compassion, but those traits often disappear as soon as
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Four Reasons Why College Degrees Are Becoming Useless 0
- Culture
- June 15, 2017
Students are running out of reasons to pursue higher education. Here are four trends documented in recent articles: 1. Graduates have little to no improvement in critical thinking skills The Wall Street Journal reported on the troubling results of the College Learning Assessment Plus test (CLA+), administered in over 200 colleges across the US. According to the
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Can Western Civilization Survive the Next Stock Market Crash?0
- Economics
- June 15, 2017
In a recent interview, legendary investor and author Jim Rogers forecasts a financial market crash that would be the “biggest in my lifetime.” Such dire forecasts are not hard to find, but, with the stock market hovering at all-time highs, it is easy to dismiss doomsayers. Given sustained, problematical monetary and fiscal policies, the odds
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‘Fear of Missing Out’ is Not a New Condition 0
- Culture
- June 15, 2017
Everyone has seen it happen. Suddenly, in the middle of a conversation at an event, a person feels compelled to answer an “urgent” message, frequently without bothering to offer any explanation. This compulsive behavior is triggered by the fear of missing out on some social interaction which the person judges as critical. Courtesy and good
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‘The Screwtape Letters’: 8 Facts 0
- Literature
- June 15, 2017
Though many are only familiar with C. S. Lewis’ children’s works, The Chronicles of Narnia, he gained fame and recognition through his penning of The Screwtape Letters. Initially published individually through The Guardian on a weekly basis in 1942, the volume is still a widely hailed work. It records the advice of one devil –
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Why Americans Must Once Again Become ‘Good Pagans’0
- History
- June 14, 2017
Many of you know C.S. Lewis as a Christian apologist. But in an interesting and little-known letter, C.S. Lewis told a Roman Catholic priest in 1953 that he thought it was crucial to worry first about making the younger generations “good pagans” before trying to make them Christians. Here is the relevant paragraph: “For my
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The Warriors Won’t be Visiting Trump’s White House, and that’s a Shame 0
- Entertainment
- June 14, 2017
Via Yahoo News: The 2017 NBA Champions Golden State Warriors unanimously decided as a team not to meet Donald Trump in the White House, as is custom for winning teams. The Warriors beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 129-120 to seal the hard-fought series 4-1. It is the second championship for the California team in three years,
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The Disappearing Valedictorian: Another Victim of the Participation Trophy Generation?0