Comments for davidsonjournal

Comment on Habits of Mind: Writing the Next Chapter by Mark

Mark — Thu, 26 May 2011 22:26:41 +0000

Thank you John Syme for this inspirational article. My daughter recently graduated from a liberal arts college and it was a wonderful experience for her.

This quote from your article is one I want to print out and hang on my wall:

“You keep learning; you don’t stop when you graduate.”

That is a wonderful attitude to have and leads to a more meaningful life.

I feel that teachers and writers are the heroes of our times, they are what make our nation great, improve our culture and civilization, and help us grow as people.

Every successful person can tell you about a teacher that “believed in me.”

Thanks again for the wonderful article.

Mark

Comment on Habits of Mind: Writing the Next Chapter by Pete

Pete — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 19:56:23 +0000

Just when I thought the only information being published about the current state of education was negative, I find this uplifiting article by John Syme.

As a father of 5 school-age children, I was so happy to read the inspirational stories of these liberal arts graduates.

The negative press surrounding school districts, teachers, budget woes and so on far outweighs the positive. Thanks so much for going against the grain!

Looking forward to more success stories,

Pete

Comment on 300 Words by Philip Jones '68

Philip Jones '68 — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 22:13:03 +0000

I read John Syme’s piece on the class of ’14′s first Humanities lecture with a warm feeling of nostalgia. In the fall of 1964 I found myself in the Dome Room listening to my first Humanities lecture. I remember the combination of excitement and the feeling that I was in over my head. And I remember the anonymous cry of anguish that issued from a freshman dorm the night before our first theme was due — “Gilgamesh sucks!!” Humanities was a grueling struggle but for me it has yielded a lifetime of benefits. Becuase I took Humanities I get Bennet Marco’s comment in Richard Condon’s Manchurian Candidate — that listening to Raymond Shaw talk about his mother is like listening to Orestes bitching about Clytemnestra. I found Woody Allen’s “Mighty Aphrodite” doubly hilarious for its use of a Greek chorus. I reread Dante’s Inferno without getting bogged down in the footnotes. Humanities provided me with a framework that has enabled me to separate the truth from the BS.

I had many great classes at Davidson, but I regard Humanities as the real heart of my education. So my advice to the class of ’14 — persevere. You will find it worthwhile for the rest of your life.

Comment on Davidson & Goliath by Joe Obenshain

Joe Obenshain — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 18:16:30 +0000

This game has a special significance for me as I’m proud to say I’m a “Hokie by Birth” & a Davidson Wildcat by choice. My father was a V.P.I. graduate, ’27, & my brother Scott had just graduated ifrom Tech in ’59.Growing up in Blacksburg, I attended many games at old Miles Stadium but I did not attend this game & was only vaguely aware of Davidson College in 1960 as I was a freshman at Blacksburg High School. I certainly hold my head up high when I wear my Davidson cap to Tech football games these days, such as last night’s exciting win over Georgia Tech, 28-21, Davidson continues to have numerous connections with Va Tech in both the athletic and academic realms over the years, most recenlty for example, Tech’s Baseball coach, Peter Hughes, Davidson, ’90. Joe Obenshain, ’67.

Comment on Davidson & Goliath by Tracy Clark Hyman

Tracy Clark Hyman — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 14:04:17 +0000

I just wanted everyone to know how proud I am of my father, Booker Clark. He played that day, and made some key blocks. As I see him today, active and somedays paying for the football years, I wish I could have been there to see it live. Thank you for posting the YouTube so that I could see him in action. I know he loves those days and reminisces often. He is a winner always in my eyes.

Comment on Davidson & Goliath by Walker Clarke

Walker Clarke — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 02:57:07 +0000

I may have been the only DC student attending that great game. My future brotherinlaw had invited me up for homecoming.Along with a DC aluweave became rather obnoxious running up and down the sidelines yelling at the top of our lungs. That evening I had to be hidden from the wrath of the student body. To this day I have never witnessed an athletic event with the courage and determination of that team on that day. By the way, the VPI newspaper that day had a headline that read something like “Will Davidson show up?”

Comment on Davidson & Goliath by Durant Vick

Durant Vick — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 02:23:33 +0000

What a joy to read! As a freshman in 1958 and playing with a lot of the names mentioned from the Classes of 61 and 62 before transferring, this article brought back great memories of guys who I still consider friends even without contact for 50+ years. Thank you for putting this together and letting me re-live those times. Durant Vick

Comment on Faculty Notes: Spring 2010 by Tina Sweeny

Tina Sweeny — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 22:18:19 +0000

Awww! I miss school so much. Reading stuff like this while Im at work makes me wish I could have stayed for ever.

Comment on The Body Politic by Ann Fox

Ann Fox — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 14:28:32 +0000

Amy, you’re absolutely right: disability is a category that encompasses all kinds of embodiments. And I agree: intellectual disabilities are an integral part of this discussion. Interestingly, the field of disability studies itself is still working to overcome the hierarchies of disability it has created (by overly focusing on physical disability). Just this summer, when I attended the Society for Disability Studies conference, Michael Berube (a Penn English prof and father of a son with Down Syndrome, who is the author of LIFE AS WE KNOW IT, a memoir about life with his son) made an impassioned challenge to humanities scholars to include those with intellectual disabilities in our critical discourses and on our campuses (where their presence can surely invigorate our community and challenge our pedagogy). There is a growing body of scholars who, like you, want us all to be sure we include disabilities from Down Syndrome to autism, as well as others, in the attention we give. It’s an important reminder that the disability “tent” is large, diverse, and that we should embrace the range of difference we model for others. I really like your call to attention, pointing out the importance of including intellectual disability at the table. Thanks for your great comment! Ann Fox, Davidson College

Comment on The Body Politic by Amy Julia Becker

Amy Julia Becker — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 18:49:47 +0000

I am a graduate of Princeton University and the mother of a child with Down syndrome. My daughter is four, so the field of disability studies is relatively new to me as well. I was grateful to learn of some of the projects and courses mentioned in this article, but there seemed to be very little attention to intellectual disability. Although you make reference to Benji from The Sound and the Fury and the use of the word “retarded” in popular discourse, in describing disability, you write, “Disability ranges from visible degenerative diseases like Park McArthur’s condition to an invisible cancer, chronic anxiety, deafness, or simply old age.” Disability is an even broader category than the physical and psychological issues you mention. Just as it humbles and expands those of us who are “temporarily able bodied” to learn from those with physical disabilities, it has been a great gift to me, as a graduate of an Ivy League school, and as someone who valued academic achievement very highly, to learn from individuals whose academic abilities are very different than my own.