University Discussions

“So many are so depressed!”   A remark from a student tutor created a discussion about why college students may be depressed. A few at the lunch table began to offer suggestions toward help. “What if you created a short questionnaire? The questions might prompt student reflection and an opportunity for practical suggestions.” The discussion … Read more

“The only way we can judge if someone’s feelings are hurt is if absolutes of right and wrong show why feelings shouldn’t be hurt.” See Campus Episodes (Part One) here. See Campus Episodes (Part Two) here. Episode 1 Academics We had just been discussing how various Christian groups share the gospel. My young friend expressed her … Read more

How do you “self identify”? See Campus Episodes (Part One) here. Episode #1  “Social media is an illusion where people try to control our image using people to value ourselves.” Our discussion was about why young people don’t feel like they are doing any good in their lives. Students, my young conversationalist contended, are depressed … Read more

“She kept dropping F-bombs throughout her talk.” Episode #1 My text notification chirped. She was writing from a classroom lecture. “I’m in a world language course. In our random reading this week we read the story of Adam and Eve. The professor told the class it was a myth that teaches women are useless, scapegoats … Read more

Oxford English Dictionary’s word of the year 2017: The passion of youth, the wisdom of age. The old adage “too soon old, too late smart” is one gray-hairs enjoy leveling at those who still have their hair. But I am struck by the idea that passion needs wisdom. As a hexagenerian (yes, I’m 60 years … Read more

They took over. It happened just yesterday. A group of Comenius students gathered in the campus center at IUPUI to talk. Often I am the one to ask questions of students: “What have you heard in classes lately that challenge your faith? What is the question being discussed on campus this week? How are you … Read more

“I don’t want you to believe anything I tell you.” This mantra has been and continues to be repeated daily to all my classes. I believe, as did the Bereans, that we should check all information against a standard. In my case, as a biblical professor, I encourage students to go back to Scripture to … Read more

It was just more of the same. Comenius students and I text throughout the week: when I will be on campus, prayer requests, helpful essays about their studies, and what they are learning in class. The screen shot above is an example of a classroom message. “Where do ethical standards come from? Are they universal … Read more

Same beliefs, different approaches. In the spring of 2016 I took a class on literary theory from a brilliant IUPUI professor, Tom Marvin. The class was structured around student discovery and presentation. One of my class projects was to explain the African-American approach to literature.     Our text referenced both W.E.B. Du Bois and … Read more

The discussion was anything but typical. Cytotechnology. Forensic linguistics. Finite math. I had to ask her if she would type out cytotechnology to me on my cell phone. I had not heard of it before even though I had seen its affects in medical research. “Does your professor ever talk about origins, where things come … Read more