Although belief in God is no panacea for these problems, religion is more than a theism. It is a bundle: a theory of the world, a community, a social identity, a means of finding peace and purpose, and a weekly routine. Those, like me, who have largely rejected this package deal, often find themselves shopping à la carte for meaning, community, and routine to fill a faith-shaped void. Their politics is a religion. Their work is a religion. Their spin class is a church. And not looking at their phone for several consecutive hours is a Sabbath.

American nones may well build successful secular systems of belief, purpose, and community. But imagine what a devout believer might think: Millions of Americans have abandoned religion, only to re-create it everywhere they look.

Derek Thompson writing in The Atlantic

May 09, 2020

to make a man covet a thing

May 09, 2020/ Stephen Goforth

In order to make a man covet a thing, it is only necessary to make the thing difficult to attain. -Mark Twian

May 08, 2020

The path to sainthood

May 08, 2020/ Stephen Goforth

The path to sainthood goes through adulthood. There are no quick and easy shortcuts. An identity must be established before it can be transcended. One must find one’s self before one can lose it.

M Scott Peck, The Road Less Traveled

May 07, 2020

Articles of interest about the virus and higher ed - May 7

May 07, 2020/ Stephen Goforth

***THE VIRUS

Is It Safer To Visit A Coffee Shop Or A Gym?

About Seven-in-Ten U.S. Adults Say They Need to Take Breaks From COVID-19 News

Fed study ties 1918 flu pandemic to Nazi Party gains

Virus hospitalization is new barrier to military enlistment

UC San Diego to mass test its students for the novel coronavirus

***HIGHER ED: WHAT’S AHEAD

As Students Put Off College, Anxious Universities Tap Wait Lists

Problems from pandemic could last for years: Global education expert offers 6 bold college predictions

Disasters have shut down California colleges in the past: Here’s how they fared

***UNIVERSITY CUTS & CLOSURES

University of Akron will be cutting six of its 11 academic colleges

Professors at Ohio U say faculty cuts can't just be blamed on COVID-19

PSU employees furloughed after university’s loss in revenue

Are layoffs coming? Fresno-area community colleges face massive budget shortfalls

***HIGHER ED & FINANCE

Windfall for Small Colleges like God’s Bible School and College

Faculty, Staff Criticize System President's $200K Bonus

Forecasting the US Higher Education Market: A Primer

University-affiliated hospitals suffer huge revenue losses

The University of Illinois made a prophetic insurance bet in 2017

The ‘Public’ in Public College Could Be Endangered

***HIGHER ED IN COURT

Students at more than 25 universities are filing lawsuits demanding partial refunds on tuition, campus fees

Harvard Settles Federal Grant Overcharge Allegations for $1.3 Million; University And Professor Deny Wrongdoing

Grad student files class action lawsuit against Northeastern University over coronavirus campus shutdown

Initial Considerations for Colleges and Universities Defending Class Action COVID-19 Refund Cases

***TEST-BLIND ADMISSIONS

UC will waive ACT and SAT requirements for most applicants starting next year

Loyola University New Orleans Adopts Test-Blind Admission Process

UW campuses, except Madison, consider dropping SAT and ACT requirement due to COVID-19 pandemic

Alabama colleges waive ACT & SAT scores for admission

Texas Lutheran waives SAT/ACT requirements

Will the Coronavirus End the SAT?

***TEACHING

Paranoia about cheating is making online education terrible for everyone

A college student asked for a project extension after her dad died from coronavirus and was told 'try to get it done in time'

Why I’m Learning More With Distance Learning Than I Do in School

***ACADEMIC LIFE

Plans for fall assume professors will be willing to teach. Will they?

Report details gaps for women and minority professionals in higher ed

***CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS

Christian college president urge Calif. to reopen churches

Holy Family College to close this summer

Liberty University surpasses 100k online students

***RESEARCH

The dangers of sharing unpublished medical articles during a pandemic

Chinese state censorship of COVID-19 research represents a looming crisis for academic publishers

Why are journals so obsessed by theory? If contributing to knowledge is the name of the game, what is wrong with description?

Three ways to turn the page after your first paper rejection

***STUDENTS & THE GAP

Coronavirus fears may lead to big gap year for college students

College Students Are Considering Gap Years If Classes Are Still Remote In the Fall

***STUDENTS & GRADUATION

A principle and a group of teachers went to the homes of all 220 seniors on graduation day to celebrate with them

Daytona, Texas to host high school graduations, NASCAR style

****STUDENT PROTESTS

University of Chicago students refuse to pay spring quarter bills until the school cuts tuition

College protests go digital, distant

****STUDENT LIFE

San Diego college students adjust to online job interviews

Gallup/Knight Foundation survey shows students conflicted about free speech

Chinese students who remain on American college campuses during the pandemic adjust to quieter lives

Students face restricted access to open records and meetings due to COVID-19

***SEXUAL HARASSMENT & ASSAULT

The new regulations governing campus sexual assault under Title IX

The New Federal Rules Will Better Protect Students Accused Of Sexual Assault

ACE: The Education Department "is not living in the real world"

What Colleges Need to Know About the New Title IX Rules

May 07, 2020

one step

May 07, 2020/ Stephen Goforth

If you're running a 26-mile marathon, remember that every mile is run one step at a time. If you are writing a book, do it one page at a time. -Charles Swindoll

May 06, 2020

It's over

May 06, 2020/ Stephen Goforth

What you knew, what you understood, and what you trusted about everything is OVER. Because everything’s changed. It’s over. That’s the first truth.

The second truth.. is that it’s just beginning—if you choose to be remarkable. Why not choose to show up in your life and then your profession with a kind of engagement and energy and commitment and passion that says, “I can do it again! And I can’t wait.” Why wouldn’t you choose that?

If you say, “I don’t know,” then look at your beliefs. Because chances are someone told you long ago that you couldn’t do it. You weren’t tall enough. You weren’t smart enough. You weren’t rich enough. You weren’t the right color.

Don’t pay a bit of attention to that. You are in the process every day of becoming. Take your hand off the doorknob and say, “Now.”

Roger Fransecky, The Apogee Group

May 05, 2020

Articles of Interest about the virus, journalism, writing & more - May 5

May 05, 2020/ Stephen Goforth

***THE VIRUS

New Studies Add to Evidence that Children May Transmit the Coronavirus

Coronavirus spares one neighborhood but ravages the next. Race and class spell the difference.

Covid-19: What if a vaccine is never developed?

Authors to correct influential Imperial College COVID-19 report after learning it cited a withdrawn preprint

Anti-Vaccination Activists Are Growing Force at Virus Protests

Study shows mutant coronavirus has emerged, even more contagious than the original

***PROTECTING YOURSELF

Is It Ok To Go To Parks And Beaches? Coronavirus Experts Weigh In

Report on face masks' effectiveness for Covid-19 divides scientists

How does alcohol change immunity? 3 truths about lockdown drinking

***ZOOM

How to hide yourself on Zoom—and why you should

Hackers target remote workers with fake Zoom downloader

***GOOD NEWS

Anonymous donor gives $1 million to virus-fighting hospital staff —designated entirely for employees

An Alabama teacher paid several months of utility bills for some of his students and their families

FSU students create map of kindness

***WRITING & READING

Indie bookstores take a page, and a slice of sales, from Amazon

For a lot of book lovers, rereading old favorites is the only reading they can manage at the moment

***PLAGIARISM

India’s University Grants Commission: 'Self-Plagiarism, Text Recycling Not Acceptable'

Illinois Republican congressional candidate’s fundraising email plagiarizes Chicago Tribune story

***JOURNALISM

The Rev Guide to Surviving Journalism in 2020 (A Toolkit)

COVID-19 Resources for Reporters

The topography of local news: A new map

“Shots Fired. Hilton Hotel”: How CNN’s Raw, Unfolding Reagan Coverage Heralded the Nonstop News Cycle

***THE BUSINESS OF JOURNALISM

Local newsrooms unite to cover coronavirus pandemic

After coronavirus furloughs, Gannett newspapers lay off journalists around the country

Most newspapers not eligible for stimulus loans, says report

***FAKES & FRAUDS

The scientific community must take up cudgels in the battle against bunk (opinion)

Trump’s Pick for Intelligence Chief Follows a Slew of QAnon Accounts

***SOCIAL MEDIA

Social media use spikes during pandemic

The founder of surveillance startup Banjo has a secret racist past

***LANGUAGE

Can COVID-19 isolation change how you speak? You may emerge with an accent, experts say

What protects minority languages from extinction?

***LITERATURE

Alaska school board removes 'The Great Gatsby,' other famous books from curriculum

‘Never Be Afraid’: William Faulkner’s Speech to His Daughter’s Graduating Class in 1951

***POETRY

Poetry in a pandemic

A beginner's guide to reading and enjoying poetry

Emory professor wins Pulitzer prize for poetry

May 05, 2020

a dog barks

May 05, 2020/ Stephen Goforth

If you stop every time a dog barks, your road will never end. - Arabian Proverb

May 04, 2020

Why couples start to look alike

May 04, 2020/ Stephen Goforth

It’s folk wisdom that couples in long and happy relationships look more and more alike as the years go by. Peer closely at those old photographs, and you’ll see that the couples haven’t actually grown similar noses or chins. Instead, they have reflected, each other’s expressions so frequently and so accurately that hundreds of tiny muscle attachments to their skin have reshaped their faces to mirror their union. How this happens gives us a window on one of the most fascinating recent discoveries about the brain, and about how we come to “feel felt” by one another.

Daniel J. Siegel, Mindsight

May 03, 2020

Carl Jung's patients

May 03, 2020/ Stephen Goforth

I have treated many hundreds of patients. Among [those] in the second half of life-that is to say over 35—there has not been one whose problem in the last resort was not that of finding a religious outlook on life. –Carl Jung

May 02, 2020

Celebrating what is right

May 02, 2020/ Stephen Goforth

If we celebrate what is right in our lives, we gain the perspective to deal with some of the things that are wrong in our lives.

May 01, 2020

Articles of interest about the virus & higher ed - May 1

May 01, 2020/ Stephen Goforth

***THE VIRUS

Poop may tell us when the coronavirus lockdown will end

How the COVID-19 Pandemic Could End

Florida medical examiners were releasing coronavirus death data. The state made them stop.

Texas Still Won’t Say Which Nursing Homes Have COVID-19 Cases. Families Are Demanding Answers.

***FAKES & FRAUDS

Cue the debunking: Two California doctors go viral with dubious COVID test conclusions

Groups sow doubt about COVID vaccine before one even exists

An infectious disease expert on Covid-19, misinformation and 'bullshit'

Covid hoaxes are using a loophole to stay alive—even after content is deleted

***WORKING FROM HOME: ZOOM

Google Meet tackles Zoom by going completely free for all

When Mom’s Zoom Meeting Is the One That Has to Wait

Is video conferencing draining our productivity?

***WORKING FROM HOME

Tips to settle into your new work-from-home routine

Should I run with a mask? Experts share coronavirus mask guidance

What Expenses Can I Write Off Working From Home During the Pandemic?

Bad WiFi is slowing you down. Fix yours without spending a dime

Managers turn to surveillance software, always-on webcams to ensure employees are (really) working from home

***HIGHER ED & THE VIRUS

Higher Education in the Age of Coronavirus

Colleges and universities could see more interest in nursing

What are some of the key decision points colleges face?

***HIGHER ED & FALL CLASSES

What Do US Universities Risk If They Reopen This Fall?

Anxiety builds as California colleges consider how and when to resume on-campus fall courses

These universities say their students will return to campus in the fall

Colleges Are Weighing the Costs of Reopening in the Fall

There's No Simple Way to Reopen Universities

Even if California college campuses reopen, will most students still come?

Brown University President On Why Universities Need To Reopen By Fall

Community colleges offer summer discounts to help struggling students and enrollments

***HIGHER ED & FINANCE

Coronavirus pandemic brings staggering losses to colleges and universities

Colleges could lose up to 20 percent of students, analysis says

Colleges are facing a cash crunch and it could alter campus life

***EDUCATION IN COURT

How Colleges and Universities Should Prepare for the Wave of Tuition Reimbursement Class Action Litigation

Students sue California’s university systems demanding coronavirus-related refunds

Court Rules Detroit Students Have Constitutional Right To An Education

***STUDENTS & THE VIRUS

One in 6 students who have put down money to attend a 4-year colleges full-time no longer plan to do so

Some students are considering dropping out of college because of coronavirus

Gap Years To Financial Aid: A College Decision Day Colored By Coronavirus

This College Student's Viral Tweet About The Stress Of Online School Shows How Education Is Being Impacted By The Coronavirus

***STUDENT LIFE

Millennials outnumbered Boomers in 2019

Students in off-campus housing struggle to make rent

An all-star virtual graduation awaits college students

Uncertain Job Market Awaits Soon-to-Be Graduates

Who qualifies for a stimulus check? Not most college students or adults under 24

***TEACHING

From Wuhan to Brooklyn, educators are rethinking what students really need

Synchronous instruction is trending, but experts say a more intentional mix of live and asynchronous classwork is necessary for future remote terms

5 Traps That Will Kill Online Learning (and Strategies to Avoid Them)

21 Times Zoom University Was Truly Out Of Control

***ACADEMIC LIFE

Who’s Laughing Now? (A Letter from Henry David Thoreau)

University of Miami professor resigns after reportedly sharing porn bookmark on Zoom

***CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS

Wheaton College offers a full room/board refund instead of a prorated refund

Beyond Cedarville: Why Do Pastors Keep Getting Rehired After Abuse?

The Promise & Paradox of Christian Higher Ed

Faith-based colleges face challenges even bigger than coronavirus

Point Loma Nazarene 3D Prints Over 300 Face Shields for Tijuana General

***SEXUAL HARASSMENT & ASSAULT

NCAA sued by 7 women for failure to protect in alleged sexual assaults

Harvard Law School Students Come Together To Demand The School Stop Harassing Three Students

NC Supreme Court orders UNC-CH to turn over sex assault info

May 01, 2020

Take a Closer Look

May 01, 2020/ Stephen Goforth

This lovely furniture looks like cozy quarters. But you won't findthe furniture taking up space in someone's living room. The trees in the background offer a hint that something's amiss. These items are tucked away in a Seattle park. They're made of solid cement. And while you can take a seat on the sofa, cozy wouldn't be the best word to describe the experience.

Today you will come across a situation that will look quite different--if you would only take a few small steps toward it. A closer look can change your whole perspective.. when you take the time to go deeper.

Stephen Goforth

April 30, 2020

Speech & Silence

April 30, 2020/ Stephen Goforth

I have often regretted my speech, never my silence. -Xenocrates

April 29, 2020

Choosing Your Plan

April 29, 2020/ Stephen Goforth

He who lets the world, or his own portion of it, choose his plan of life for him, has no need of any other faculty than the ape-like one of imitation. He who chooses his plan for himself, employs all his faculties. He must use observation to see, reasoning and judgment to foresee, activity to gather materials for decision, discrimination to decide, and when he has decided, firmness and self-control to hold to his deliberate decision.

John Stuart Mill, On Liberty

April 28, 2020

braver

April 28, 2020/ Stephen Goforth

I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who overcomes his enemies. –Aristotle

April 27, 2020

Articles of Interest about the virus, higher ed, research, student life, etc. - April 27

April 27, 2020/ Stephen Goforth

***HIGHER ED IN THE FALL

Will students show up for college in fall 2020? Community colleges offer a hint. It isn't pretty

Higher education's 'to-do' list — the consequences of coronavirus

Nothing is firm, but some colleges are telegraphing their intentions

Beloit College moves from traditional semesters to two-course modules to allow for flexibility next fall

Will Colleges Keep All Virtual Classes For Fall Semester?

College students want answers about fall, but schools may not have them for months

What If Colleges Don’t Reopen Until 2021?

Brown University president argues that colleges must reopen this fall from coronavirus closures

***HIGHER ED

Coursera to give unemployed workers free access to 3,800 online courses

SAT, ACT Policies May Improve Diversity At Colleges And Universities

Colleges and universities offer virtual campus tours

***HIGHER ED & FINANCE

Downward price pressure: Tuition freezes and cuts

Why coronavirus-battered universities may not be able to use their endowments

Boise State is furloughing for all employees paid more than $40,000

Private colleges brace for downturn amid pandemic fallout

Community colleges could see a surge in popularity amid Covid-19

Coronavirus sends colleges and universities over a cliff

Rutgers Freezes Hiring, Cuts Leaders’ Pay to Weather Budget Woes By Janet Lorin

***HIGHER ED

Will the Coronavirus Forever Alter the College Experience

Public Universities Censor Social Media Speech

***HIGHER ED IN COURT

Why universities may face lawsuits related to the coronavirus

Students in NY file class-action lawsuits against 3 universities: claim failure to adequately refund fees

***TEACHING

African American students at University of South Carolina 'Zoom-bombed' by racist images, language

Zoombomber crashes Fresno State session with child porn, professor confirms

Teaching Literature in the Time of COVID-19

How lenient, or not, should professors be with students right now?

6 Reasons Students Aren't Showing Up for Virtual Learning

***TEACHING: ONLINE EXAM MONITORING

Are Schools Forcing Students To Install Spyware That Invades Their Privacy As A Result Of The Coronavirus Lockdown?

Fordham Opts Out of Using Exam Monitoring Software

Online classes lead to claims of privacy invasions

***ACADEMIC LIFE

Exhausted and Grieving: Teaching During the Coronavirus Crisis

***CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS

Cedarville professor fired over allegations of misconduct

A Former Cedarville Prof Describes Disturbing Response to a Latina Author’s Description of Her Sexual Abuse As a Child

Fire Cedarville University President Thomas White NOW

***RESEARCH

A Number Of Coronavirus Studies Are Now Being Released. How Do We Gauge Their Validity?” (podcast)

Scientists Now Say No, They Weren’t Reporting The First Case Of A Dead Body Spreading The Coronavirus

Coronavirus Is Forcing Medical Research to Speed Up

People are dying from coronavirus because we’re not fast enough at clinical research

A Stanford University professor’s wife made false claims about her husband’s study to recruit subjects

Small studies routinely generate signals of promise that are not confirmed in subsequent trials

Early journal submission data suggest COVID-19 is tanking women's research productivity

COVID-19 misinformation: pay close attention to four major communication challenges

How to tell whether you’re the victim of a bad peer review

***STUDENT LIFE

San Diego College students shudder at thought of starting freshman year with online classes

Coronavirus is changing the way universities connect with potential students

5 things college students should include in a plan for their wellness

‘My World Is Shattering’: Foreign Students Stranded by Coronavirus

How a College Final Became a Lesson in Survival

What we know about disabled students in the U.S.

35% of Summer Internships Have Already Been Canceled, New Yello Study Reveals

How to score an internship during the COVID-19 pandemic

Why are so many college seniors in influential Trump admin posts?

PLNU’s Zack Noll: Pandemic like a 2-0 curveball, ‘I wasn’t expecting this’

April 27, 2020

The Doctor’s Prescription

April 27, 2020/ Stephen Goforth

A physician gave some rather whimsical advice to a patient, an aggressive businessman. Excitedly he told the doctor what an enormous amount of work he had to do. "If I write you a prescription will you follow it?" asked the doctor, realizing his state of mental tension.

This, believe it or not, was the prescription: The patient was to take off two hours every working day and go for a long walk. He was to take off a half-day a week and spend that half-day in a cemetery.

In astonishment, the patient demanded, "Why should I spend a half-day in a cemetery?"

"Because," answered the doctor, "I want you to wander around and took at the gravestones of men who are there permanently. I want you to meditate upon the fact many of them are there because they thought even as you do, that the whole world rested on their shoulders. Meditate on the solemn fact that when you get there permanently, the world will go on just the same and, important as you are, others will be able to do the work you are now doing."

Norman Vincent Peale, The Power of Positive Thinking