Catch this Blog, 3

The blogs are active this week, talking about family emergencies, rush skits, stolen purses, football games, and, O yes, English essay assignments. Take a look, however, at Julia's blog. She talks about her trip to Ole Miss to see the presidential debate. Her conclusion is interesting--and not just because she references me! I hope you will enjoy her reflection and it might prompt some reflection of your own.

Banned Books, Conferences, and College

This week is the official "banned books week" as observed by the American Library Association. I always try to note that since so many of the books I have enjoyed reading over the years have ended up on the banned book list for various reasons: Harry Potter, Catcher in the Rye, Hucklebury Finn, Beloved, even the Bible. People have lots of reasons for taking books out of libraries, out of classrooms, and out of people's hands. The book banners and I have one thing in common: we both believe in the power of words. We both understand the danger of words, and we both understand how readers can change after reading a book. At least the book banners take reading seriously.

Unlike the banners, however, I don't believe that most readers need to be protected or shielded from reading. Certainly some books are inappropriate for certain age groups, but most of the banning campaigns happen, not because someone has been harmed, but because some people feel that the knowledge is not to their liking. They are trying to suppress and deny rather than liberate and open.

Which brings me to writing conferences. Ms. Furby and I have been meeting with our students all week, talking about their ideas about what Christian education is and what a Christian college should be. Arthur Holmes raised the issue of protection and academic freedom in his Idea of a Christian College. He suggests that a Christian college is not a place of protection (evil, after all, comes from inside not outside) and should be a place where faith "liberates the mind" not restricts it. The sentence that has caused us all to pause and reflect is "All truth is God's truth, no matter where it is found." Some students have felt that Holmes is wrong and that the Christian college does have a duty to protect students. Others have felt that the "Christian" part of a Christian college should not affect what is being taught in the classroom at all. Other students are trying to negotiate a position somewhere between the two. As a faculty member, this is a constant question for me in all of my classes. What do I mean by "integration of faith and learning," both in theory and in practice?

So "banned books week" and these student conferences both serve the same purpose: they open a discussion about topics which are vital. Talking to each other about knowledge and whether or not it should be forbidden or celebrated or curtailed or forced is a good conversation to be having--especially at a "Christian college."

Catch this Blog, part two!

This week we had a lot of people talking about how school had gotten more difficult than it was at the beginning. I have been hearing the same thing in most of our conferences this week as well. Maybe I started that trend with my blog entry; I'm not sure. But this week, be sure to check out Tony's blog and his reflection on diversity. In fact, if you haven't read his blog at all, take a minute to check out the other entries there as well. See you in class on Tuesday! See some of you in conferences yet this week!

Third Week Blues

After our class yesterday morning, I suddenly remembered that we were in the third week of the semester. For some reason, right about week three, college stops being fun. We all suddenly realize that this is not a sprint but a marathon. The work starts; initial quizzes and grades are in. . .in short, college stops being summer camp and becomes what it is: educational work. Several students yesterday expressed a little frustration with assignments, readings, and responses, even though the work load so far has been minimal. The contrast, however, between high school requests and college requests are often significant. Students come out of a situation where reading is often done "in class," where written assignments could be dashed off right before the morning bell rings, and where lapses in work were overlooked or excused. Suddenly the academic rules have changed. Readings not only must be completed, they must be understood and retained. Quizzes count. Absences do, too. Missed work is missed. There are consequences.

At the same time, students are faced for the first time with handling their own time schedules. Late night dorm sessions, noise, the great fall weather, athletic practices, pizza runs, all begin to infringe on study and work time. This is a time for socialization as well as education and finding the balance between friendship and classes can be difficult.

Teachers feel the same third week blues. Many of the faculty I have talked with this week have talked about the fatigue, the work load, the sudden stress with students. Faculty, too, especially in the fall semester, are adjusting to the change in the schedule that they had enjoyed most of the summer.

So we are in a transition time. Soon the schedules will seem more natural. The work loads and assignments will take on a certain rhythm. And we will start to pace out the semester: a few weeks until Fall Break, this assignment done before Thanksgiving, finishing up in early December--and the fall semester will be history! Runners talk about facing "the wall." That refers to that spot in a run where the body just wants to quit. Pushing through that "wall" mentally becomes a major goal for every runner. We can push through the third week wall as well. Much waits for us on the other side.

Catch These!

This is just a short entry to highlight two blogs you will want to check out--Peng's blog talks about hunting for alligators--and comes complete with some pictures--Dr. Randle's new blog entry talks about a conversation with a sophomore about some of the same issues we are talking about in class. Definitely give both of these and read, and watch this space for next week's "Catch These Blogs."

Mission Questions

Last Monday, I met with Dr. Price's and Dr. Jordan's ENG 101 classes and talked with them about the Mission Statement at Mississippi College. I think that our Mission Statement offers many interesting, provocative challenges. Most interesting for students are the five verbs, the five actions that the university says it will do to and for students: stimulate, promote, encourage, emphasize and reflect.

Each of those terms gives me a slightly different picture of the educational process. The college says that it will poke and prod student for intellectual development using the two "big sticks" of the core curriculum and the majors. The college will push students forward to develop spiritually, socially, emotionally and physically as well. The college will give students "heart"--in a good biblical sense of strength and courage as they pursue "meaning filled careers, lifelong learning and service to God and others." Finally the university will emphasize programs that accomplish those goals while attempting to reflect models of service itself.

These actions, of course, go beyond what most students--and most faculty--think about when they think about college. For many, it is simply an exchange of information or skills. But learning is more than memorizing body parts or accounting procedures. Development of "intellect" doesn't mean just adding information, but learning how to process, how to analyze, and how to synthesize that information. Development of spirituality means more than just chapel or Bible study; it means developing one's spirit as a motivating force. Adding social, emotional, and physical development into the educational mix each bring added challenges.

On some level, this "holistic" approach fulfills what Arthur Holmes in The Idea of a Christian College suggests when he talks about Christian education being something that prepares the whole person to meet the whole world. This holistic approach also underscores his rejection of the question, "What can I do with this," in favor of "What will this do to me." I wonder what this vision of education would do to us, to me, if we were able to implement it fully?

Alike and Different

Yesterday, we worked on reviewing the syllabus and getting our blogs set up. To be honest, I wasn't sure how the students would do with the mechanics of setting up the blogs, but, honestly, they were fine--more comfortable than I would have been in the same situation. You can see all of the blogs from the class listed down the side of this page. Take some time to browse some of them and see what has been posted so far. Each of them seemed to enjoy being able to pick colors and titles and "gadgets" to go on the blog pages. Immediately each student worked to make the blog his or her own. Some ended up pink; some ended up with polka dots; some ended up with titles; some were simply simple.

By the way, Kim wins the award for posting first! She has an interesting reflection about how and why she came to MC. Check out her blog in the list.

One thing that always strikes me when I meet a new class of freshmen composition especially is the wide variety of students that make up Mississippi College. While we all may feel that there is a "sameness" here, even in our class there are people from different regions of the country, different ethnic backgrounds, different beliefs, different goals, different family situations. I hope that the blogs will helps all of us to get to know each other a little bit better, to respect our differences and to discover the surprising ways in which we might be alike.