FB: Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference

[Ralph Turner]

You really think so? 

I never took a history course in college.  I satisfied my humanities requirements through psychology, sociolgoy and language courses. 

I don't disagree with you at all, personally.  But for the sake of the arguement, I do think that it's always important to keep in mind the "lies, damned lies and statistics" undercurrent inheirent in these types of reports.

"lies, damned lies and statistics"

...until you take the sample survey yourself, and respectfully, I will bet that you had a high school teacher who first introduced those concepts to you!  Josh, I know you, and you have had a truly outstanding education from some brilliant, yet humble, educators.  IMHO, you are bound to have answered those questions from keeping track of current political debate on top of a learning foundation gained in your secondary education.

There is no doubt that there is an undercurrent in this survey.  Current progressives have been unable to achieve the changes that they wish thru the legislature or the executive, so they have focused on the Judiciary where there are lifetime appointments and minimal further accountability once someone is on the bench.  The other bastion of progressives/liberals has been in tenured academia.  If you do not teach this stuff, then the student has to learn it somewhere else, if they ever do.  Thus dumbing down has the political benefit that it does.

It does not surprise me that the best schools on the survey were the ones that did well.  It also did not surprise me that Williams and Johns Hopkins finished where they did either.

de Tocqueville was impressed with how conversant that the yeoman farmer and simple land owner was with the issues of the day.  The pamphlets and what served as newspapers, partisan as they were, stimulated much political thought.  The Douglas-Lincoln debates of 20 years later are classics in American political thought, and they occurred in the backwoods of an Illinois election for the House of Representatives. (Remember that State Legislatures selected Senators at that time.  The Constitutional Amendment for the popular election of Senators did not pass until ratified as the 17th Amendment in 1913.)

Congratulations to Rhodes!  I am sure that your Board, Administration and Faculty are grateful for the publicity!

[Josh Bowerman]

Very early when working on my MBA, one of my graduate school professors once made the following statement in class, and I think it's rather appropoit here:

"Education is the only thing in this country where the consumer seems to want as little service and value for the money they exchange for the product.  Don't let yourself get short changed."

That statement really resonnated with me, and I credit this professor for helping me, personally, to take the step from being a student that kinda went through the motions to one that actively took part in the educational process.  Now when I look back on it, I just wish that I'd achieved that same level of maturity about six years earlier.

Thought that you, and others that may be lurking, might appreciate that, Ralph. 

[Josh Bowerman]

The other bastion of progressives/liberals has been in tenured academia.  If you do not teach this stuff, then the student has to learn it somewhere else, if they ever do.  Thus dumbing down has the political benefit that it does.

I'm going to take a middle-of-the-road stance on this one, Ralph--even though you know which side of the argument I'd choose if forced. 

While it may be true that academics, in a generalized, sterotypical sense, tend to lean toward the progressive side of things (if for no other reason than their inherient questioning of everything in the quest for new knowledge), I do think that the majority of faculty members nationwide would much rather see their students master these foundational concepts and ideas--along with other concepts and ideas that they may have not yet been exposed to--rather than inculcating the young and impressionable with what may be their personal views on a given subject. 

I personally know far too many faculty members across this great country to believe that the folks that have recently made headlines for their "interesting" views are anything but the exception, and not the rule.

Unfortunately, it's only the wackos that get the publicity--which leads to further generalizations and stereotyping.   

[Ralph Turner]

Very early when working on my MBA, one of my graduate school professors once made the following statement in class, and I think it's rather appropoit here:

"Education is the only thing in this country where the consumer seems to want as little service and value for the money they exchange for the product.  Don't let yourself get short changed."

That statement really resonnated with me, and I credit this professor for helping me, personally, to take the step from being a student that kinda went through the motions to one that actively took part in the educational process.  Now when I look back on it, I just wish that I'd achieved that same level of maturity about six years earlier.

Thought that you, and others that may be lurking, might appreciate that, Ralph. 

I am blessed with parents and grandparents who craved education.

My paternal grandfather was an instructor at Southwestern in the 1920's.  His wife was a pre-WW I high school graduate.

My maternal grandfather went to "Business College" at the turn of the 20th century, long before we had the discipline of Business Administration, and his wife got her "normal" certificate from North Texas.  Your History of Education Theory course that you took will give you those insights.  (We don't even have the foundations for modern medical education until the Flexner Report in 1906.)

I must credit them and my parents for an insatiable curiosity.  I think I became a serious consumer of education before I even knew the concept.  I know my parents were.

I always enjoy our dialogues.

[Olinemom]

The other bastion of progressives/liberals has been in tenured academia.  If you do not teach this stuff, then the student has to learn it somewhere else, if they ever do.  Thus dumbing down has the political benefit that it does.

I'm going to take a middle-of-the-road stance on this one, Ralph--even though you know which side of the argument I'd choose if forced. 

While it may be true that academics, in a generalized, sterotypical sense, tend to lean toward the progressive side of things (if for no other reason than their inherient questioning of everything in the quest for new knowledge), I do think that the majority of faculty members nationwide would much rather see their students master these foundational concepts and ideas--along with other concepts and ideas that they may have not yet been exposed to--rather than inculcating the young and impressionable with what may be their personal views on a given subject. 

I personally know far too many faculty members across this great country to believe that the folks that have recently made headlines for their "interesting" views are anything but the exception, and not the rule.

Unfortunately, it's only the wackos that get the publicity--which leads to further generalizations and stereotyping.   

Well stated, Josh.

[roocru]

O boy, are you guys in for a treat?     The normal color guy for the Austin College website broadcast is unable to be at Trinity this week and yours truly has been asked to sub in for him!!   

Just wanted to let any interested parties know that this reporter will be doing his first radio gig this week.   All prayers are welcome.     Radio star, that's what I are !!   

[Josh Bowerman]

Way to go, roocru--moving up to the media!  Make sure to give d3football.com (and the photo galleries) a plug!

[DPU3619]

Meanwhile... it's time for the annual "root for every team that Trinity's playing" to begin.

You go Kangaroos!

[Olinemom]

O boy, are you guys in for a treat?     The normal color guy for the Austin College website broadcast is unable to be at Trinity this week and yours truly has been asked to sub in for him!!   

Just wanted to let any interested parties know that this reporter will be doing his first radio gig this week.   All prayers are welcome.     Radio star, that's what I are !!   

I think that is so neat.  You will follow in the footsteps of your son!!  I seem to remember something about him doing a gig to help out last year.  I predict a spanking new career, but don't let them know back at the school district.  They'll just make you clone yourself and be everywhere on Friday nights

[roocru]

O boy, are you guys in for a treat?     The normal color guy for the Austin College website broadcast is unable to be at Trinity this week and yours truly has been asked to sub in for him!!   

Just wanted to let any interested parties know that this reporter will be doing his first radio gig this week.   All prayers are welcome.     Radio star, that's what I are !!   

I think that is so neat.  You will follow in the footsteps of your son!!  I seem to remember something about him doing a gig to help out last year.  I predict a spanking new career, but don't let them know back at the school district.  They'll just make you clone yourself and be everywhere on Friday nights

That's right Olinemom.  CruAlum39 did a game for UMHB last year.  I couldn't let him show me up !!!   

[Ron Boerger]

roocru, good luck on Saturday!  Just keep it simple - you know more about the program than most of the listeners and all you need to do is share that knowledge and enthusiasm. 

[HunterT]

so back to football, what are the most important games in the SCAC this weekend? and some predictions? just a thought since the games are 2 days away...

Trinity big over Austin. I don't even want to try to attempt a score prediction. But as was said earlier, time to cheer for whomever is playing Trinity.

Sewanee at Centre. Centre wins, but not too easily. 24-10.

Depauw at Chicago. Don't know much about Chicago, so go Tigers. gotta support the SCAC.

I know nothing about Lincoln, so I won't even comment. Once again, go SCAC, go Millsaps.

Wash U. at Rhodes. I'll be at this one, and expect that Rhodes will want to take out their frustration from last week on somebody. This game has always been heated and always been close. I played in two overtime games, as well as a great game last year in St. Louis. I expect this one to be another classic. Rhodes 20-17.

GO LYNX!

[frank_ezelle]

It's nice to see SCAC fans pulling for other SCAC teams.  I haven't heard much at Millsaps about the game coming up this weekend but here is a link to a story in the local paper that gives a short preview:

http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060928/SPORTS030105/609280339/1085

[Hawks88]

When I saw this headline ,'Shook, Worthy win QB Club weekly honor', to the following article I thought that Huntingdon's Granger Shook and Chas Worthy had been picked for an award. Turns out to be two high school players who I assume are the younger brothers of the current HC players since they come from the same high schools. Maybe more good help coming to the Hawks in the future!
http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060929/SPORTS/609290354/1002

Go Hawks!!

[gil68]

Any DePauw alums going to the Univ of Chicago game on Saturday? Guff, Tyler and I will be there.