I have completed all of my grading for the fall semester, made it through the stress and hustle of the holidays. Some time to reflect, before the next semester begins in a couple of weeks. The final essays written by students in my Western Humanities course inspired me. We can read so many laments about “kids these days,” so many ill-informed condemnations of “campus climate.” God knows, there is a lot to worry about in this world, but these kids…
Those of us who teach the liberal arts at times feel under siege. Too often we reply to those who challenge our enterprise with arguments that students who major in the liberal arts do well after they graduate, that they have skills that are indeed employable, and that they will make as much money as students in other academic fields. I agree with all these points, but I believe that in a way, they concede too much to those who…
I gave the following keynote address to the annual meeting of NYSACAC, the New York state organization for high school and college admissions counselors, which took place at SUNY-Geneseo earlier this month. In some ways, it encapsulates what I tell my students each semester on the first day of class in my Humanities class. I am delighted to be here, and to join those who have welcomed you here to our beautiful campus. Geneseo, as a place, shows up…
