I know I’m a little late for Father’s Day, but I thought you might be interested in this article about parenting among bony fishes. It’s a summary of this paper from last October, exploring the evolution of father-only care, a parenting style much more common underwater than it is here on land. The reality of that care is far from Finding Nemo‘s charming songs and walks to school. Real fish dads’ guidance often ends where the movie begins, with the hatching of the eggs. Still, the sheer number of fish species which exhibit this behavior and the contrast with how other animals rear their young makes for an interesting puzzle to solve.
[Read more…] about Science Corner: Raising Nemo
parents
Book Review: The Soul of Atlas
The Soul of Atlas: Ayn Rand, Christianity, a Quest for Common Ground, Mark David Henderson. Lexington: Reason Publishing, 2013.
Summary: Is there any way to reconcile the thought of Ayn Rand and the Christian faith? Through a personal narrative of dialogues with his two fathers, one a Christian, and one an adherent to Ayn Rand’s philosophy (Objectivism) the author explores what possible ground could exist between Objectivists and Christians.
Book Review: Soul Searching
Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers by Christian Smith (now William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of Sociology and Director of the Center for the Study of Religion and Society, University of Notre Dame) with Melinda Lundquist Denton (now Assistant Professor, College of Business and Behavioral Science, University of Clemson) is an important study of the spiritual lives of American teenagers. Not surprisingly, Smith and Denton find that teenagers are significantly influenced by the religious choices and practices of their parents and that the vast majority of American teens embrace some form of religious identity. Also not surprising is that fact that the Mormon (Latter Day Saints) church probably does the best job of anyone in influencing the religious beliefs and lifestyle of its teens. [Read more…] about Book Review: Soul Searching
Do Doctors Make Bank?
Summer had finally emerged and we were sitting out on my front steps, enjoying the afternoon heat and watching some of the other kids play out on the street. Â Some of the teenagers were casually tossing a football around, throwing it high and watching it bounce among the electrical wires, tree branches, and car windows before skittering along the pavement to be chased endlessly by the smaller children. Â Others were riding their bicycles for show, popping up the front wheel as they furiously pumped their pedals to maintain balance. Â It was idyllically urban, and I was thoroughly enjoying the leisurely scene after a month of long and hectic hours working at the hospital.
“Your parents must be rich, right?” Â It was an odd, abrupt question, and I pulled my eyes away from the street to take a moment and try to understand exactly what had just been asked. Â The twelve-year-old sitting next to me looked my way, waiting for a response. Â I stalled.
“What?”
“Your parents, they must be rich right?” Â If there was any ambiguity in the question, he eliminated it. Â “For you to go to medical school. Â Your parents must be rich, right?”
It was not the first time we had talked about money. Â He lived down the block, and though we had come to be good neighbors and friends over the past year, he would say things that had a similarly peculiar way of making me fumble for words. Â Before, they had been questions or comments like, “Why would you want to live here?” or “I know a doctor makes bank; you must be making bank” Â One eight-year old quipped to me, “Nobody wants to move into the North side.” Â When I first heard it, I thought it was sad and troubling that a child could grow up knowing that his neighbors lived there out of obligation instead of choice. Â When I hear it now, I still think that.
But this question had a different flavor to it. Â “Why do you have to be rich to become a doctor?” I asked.
“Cause, school is expensive. Â So you need to have a lot of money to be able to get there, right?”
“Well . . . you have to borrow a lot, and then pay it back.” Â That answer didn’t sit well with me, so I tried to explain. Â “I mean, isn’t that why doctor’s make money? Â Cause they’re in debt, and they need to pay it back?” Â That answer wasn’t any better, so I shut up.
“Whatever. Â Doctors make bank.” Â He couldn’t be shaken from this thought. Â Neither could I.
PhD or No PhD. That is the Question.
Although Kate’s a professor in the Humanities and as such adds to the archive of material addressing Why Get a PhD in the Humanities?, she also opens up the question to PhD or No PhD? In response to her excellent post, I desire to take the opportunity to extend a call more broadly to faculty across higher education to share their reflections on the topic by leaving a comment/reflection below or by contributing a post of their own. To learn more about posting on the blog, click here. Note: if you are a student who has a significant faculty mentor who you desire to recommend as a contributor, please email me. Thank-you. — Thomas B. Grosh IV, Editor
——————
Every year, as a new crop of seniors realizes that the end (of college) is in sight, there are those who consider going straight on to a PhD. For some of them, college has been a time of growth through exposure to new ideas. They may have conducted independent research or joined honor societies or attended conferences where they had deep conversations with intelligent people who shared their interests. They don’t want to lose that. I don’t blame them! Others, perhaps, don’t know what to do with their lives, but figure they’re pretty good at school, so they may as well continue. For others, there are simply no job opportunities in sight, and further education lets them defer student loans.
There’s no consensus among faculty whether to encourage or discourage these often idealistic dreamers in their quest for higher learning. It’s popular these days to discourage them, pointing to their (often) unrealistic expectations, the inadequate funding of higher education, and the poor job market. By encouraging them, are we setting them up to fail? I’ve encountered the argument that, given the limited resources for higher education, it should go to only the very best, who will advance the discipline. And even they aren’t guaranteed employment.
But there’s also pressure to encourage our students to pursue PhDs. At my university, we have an entire office devoted to helping students apply for prestigious fellowships. If our students get into recognized graduate programs, our rankings go up. Our department looks good if our recent graduates are pursuing PhDs. It certainly beats the alternative, which may be moving back home and working at Starbucks.
But frankly, as a Christian, I believe in higher education. [Read more…] about PhD or No PhD. That is the Question.