Overheard

A public-school faculty came up with the following at an Imagineering [sic] session recently. My mother-in-law pointed out that “most of these goals, even the more stupidly expressed ones, would be accomplished by closing down the government schools and getting parents to homeshool.”
Somebody’s tax money is paying for this, you people!
________________________________________________
I want my school to be a place where …
-Students exhibit shared responsibility to grow academically, emotionally, and
socially.
-We are safe.
-Classes are small (no more than 20).
-Learning is exciting and challenging.
-Testing does not take priority over learning.
-Everyone looks forward to coming every day.

Published
Categorized as Education

A New Low – Unconscionable

The following was sent to the Children of God for Life email list today:

This afternoon at the Hospice Center Terri Schiavo, whose feeding tube was removed on Wednesday, was denied Viaticum. Monsignor Malanowski was told by police and the attorney for her husband that she could not receive the 1/4 Host he had brought her. (Mrs. Schiavo is fully capable of swallowing.)
She has been visited by Msgr. Malanowski for over three years and today, as always, she reacted with joy at his presence as she sat in her chair and turned to greet him.

This is no longer about removing artifical life support (if one considers a feeding tube life support); it is about a cruel and vicious murder of an innocent woman.
Please, spread the word of this outrage to as many people as you can. Call your own dioceses, pastors, civil rights leaders and let them know what has happened to Terri. The local press picked this up at 5:00PM, and this news should be distributed nationally and worldwide. Thank you for anything you can do to help restore this woman’s rights. Terri’s case will set far-reaching precedents for all disabled people nationwide. Consider this: the attorney for Michael Schiavo believes that anyone who cannot lift a spoon to his mouth should die. He is the director for Florida’s Right to Die.
Children of God for Life
For more information on Terri visit www.terrisfight.org

Advice: Offer It Up

Georgetown University has an incipient music program (the orchestra has no trombonists, which confines them to playing the first three movements of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony and a bunch of Haydn). Guess where the Jesuits decided to put them for ensemble rehearsals as well as individual practice? In the basement of the New North building, directly underneath the Department of Theology’s study area. Apparently there has been some tension. Can’t imagine why.

Published
Categorized as Amusements

A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste, No?

A student in my philosophy class argued yesterday that we can’t know if invertebrates think deep thoughts just because they haven’t built up any civilizations, written books, or discussed philosophy.
Maybe, he said, they are communicating telepathically and have decided that a life in the mud at the bottom of the ocean is better than our wars, poverty, &c.
This would be less of a problem if I thought the student were arguing for the sake of annoying me, but he seemed to be earnest in his beliefs.
We’re starting the Summa tomorrow.

Published
Categorized as Education

Overheard

This appeared on a message board for elementary general music teachers:

[…]I am hoping people can help me to locate some songs about the following:
[…]
Costume Holidays (Halloween, although more about dressing up than ghosts and goblins, Mardi Gras – I’d love a song related to that!)
[How about the De Profundis?]
Independance Days (anything other than American)
[Of course.]
[…]
Feasts (Thanksgiving, Ramadan/Eid – I can’t find Ramadan music anywhere!)
[There’s a reason for that.]