Blog 3 Columns

Liberal Academics Are ‘Open’ But Are They Truly Tolerant?0
- Culture
- August 26, 2016
One of the purposes of university is to challenge the opinions of students. This requires freedom of thought and a variety of voices. But academic departments today, especially in the social sciences, are far more liberal or progressive than the population at large. Conservative views are notably underrepresented. One survey even suggests that approximately 20
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College Students (and Colleges) Should Listen to Obama’s Advice 0
- Culture
- August 26, 2016
In Des Moines last year, President Obama told gatherers at a town hall that one of the primary benefits of college is that it challenges the assumptions and ideas of young minds. Or at least college should do that. Look, the purpose of college is not just…to transmit skills. It’s also to widen your
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CNN Blames U.S. Workers, Smartphones for Sluggish Economy 0
- Economics
- August 26, 2016
U.S. GDP was revised down to 1.1 percent growth in the second quarter, the Commerce Department said Friday. This comes after the U.S. economy grew by just .08 percent in the first quarter, so pundits are beginning to publicly muse on what’s wrong with the U.S. economy, which has not cracked 3 percent annual growth
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Why is the Influence of Literary and Religious Figures Often Overlooked by Historians?0
- History
- August 25, 2016
In my last article, I lambasted the historians at National Geographic for their bias in the list of “the most influential figures of ancient history.” I asked why they favored secular rulers whose “influence” consisted of brute force and manipulation, i.e. military conquest and Machiavellian realpolitik. The National Geographic list was a litany of “mighty
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Univ. of Chicago Students and Alums Respond to ‘Safe Space’ Letter 0
- Education
- August 25, 2016
John Ellison, dean of students at the University of Chicago, recently sent letters to incoming freshmen detailing the school’s commitment to academic freedom and inquiry. “Our commitment to academic freedom means that we do not support so-called ‘trigger warnings,’ we do not cancel invited speakers because their topics might prove controversial, and we do not
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Student Explains Why Pokémon Boom is Actually a Great Thing 0
- Culture
- August 25, 2016
On the surface, Pokémon Go players appear to be zombified millennials walking aimlessly, eyes fixed on their cellphones. But in reality they are engaging with a new community of young adults who are embracing a healthy, stimulating, and socially beneficial technology. The game, which has become a global sensation, brings out the best in those
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Minnesota Headmaster: Education ‘is a Dangerous Business’0
- Education
- August 25, 2016
As many of you know, our story on the University of Chicago’s recent letter to incoming students has gone viral. In the refreshing letter, Dean of Students Jay Ellison tells incoming freshman that the university does not peddle in the realm of “trigger warnings” and “safe spaces,” and that potentially controversial speakers will not be
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Failure Can Inspire Humility (If You’re Wise)0
- Culture
- August 25, 2016
Failure is like the original sin in the biblical narrative: everyone has it. Regardless of class, caste, race, or gender, we are all born to fail, we practise failure for as long as we live, and pass it on to others. Just like sin, failure can be disgraceful, shameful and embarrassing to admit. And did
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Can we learn from Thucydides’ writings on the Trump of ancient Athens?0
- History
- August 25, 2016
There is much consternation, and quite a bit of alarm, at the recent vote of the British people to leave the EU, and the equally astonishing emergence of Donald Trump as the Republican candidate for the US presidency. Early on in these campaigns there was a tendency to mock Trump as a bit of a
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Liberal Academics Are ‘Open’ But Are They Truly Tolerant?0