I received this comment about College Critiqued:
"'They have dumbed down academics grotesquely so as to accept the foolish.' That is simply not true. I am no fool. People come from all over the world to attend one what you call “second rate” institutions. How do you think we were able to land on the moon, shoot down enemy missiles, perform neurosurgery, and discover new sources of energy? Answer? Universities. The research and education opportunities that can be found at public AND private colleges and universities all over the U.S. have enabled us to improve and save countless lives. Your claims are unfounded."
I figured everyone could benefit from the response.
In Christ, Josh
First of all, before you state that an individual’s claims are unfounded, it’s generally a good idea to ask the person his reason for a particular claim. Please note that my video was only 7 minutes and 21 seconds; there isn’t exactly enough time to address every issue. Secondly, I just knew this line: “They have dumbed down academics grotesquely so as to accept the foolish,” would more than likely spark some debate. Let me begin by clarifying. I’m not saying that everyone who attends a university is a fool. Not in the least. I personally know brilliant young men and women who are attending both public and private universities and are studying very complex material. But let’s take a look at some history.
Since I mentioned Harvard in my video, why don’t we investigate the “Laws and Statutes for Students of Harvard College (1642).” Here’s just the first requirement for admission (if you wish to read the document in its entirety, you can find it here):
"1. When any Schollar is able to Read Tully or such like classicall Latine Author ex tempore, and make and speake true Latin in verse and prose suo (ut aiunt) Marte, and decline perfectly the paradigmes of Nounes and verbes in the Greeke tongue, then may hee bee admitted into the College, nor shall any claime admission before such qualifications."
Yes, these men were brilliant :)
Harvard’s current requirements?
-3 SAT subject tests
-Secondary School Report and Mid-Year School Report
-Two Teacher Evaluations
-SAT or ACT
I’d say that’s a significant dumbing down from reading Tully, reading classic Latin, speaking Latin in verse and prose, and declining PERFECTLY the paradigms of nouns and verbs of the Greek language. Keep in mind that this is only one university, and these are merely the entrance requirements!
Jumping back into the present; look at your average college athlete. According to the NCAA, a college athlete need only possess a GPA of 2.0 – 2.5 to retain his eligibility for collegiate sports. But this doesn’t just apply to athletes. Many degrees available at universities and colleges today are “non-degrees” (i.e. Women’s Studies. What is that?? Anyway, who majors in Women’s Studies? Women or men?). Such degrees require very little academic responsibility and are made available so that universities have an excuse for accepting athletes and other students that want to waste 4 years or more of their life on a college campus engaging in wicked acts, hanging out with foolish friends, and accumulating debt on degrees that most of them won’t even use.
Furthermore, how long has it been since you turned on the TV and listened to a reporter interview a college student only to hear the student’s most frequent words are “like” and “you know.” Do you call that academic excellence? If you still don’t believe me, read this quote from the Washington Post:
"Literacy experts and educators say they are stunned by the results of a recent adult literacy assessment, which shows that the reading proficiency of college graduates has declined in the past decade, with no obvious explanation.
'It's appalling -- it's really astounding,' said Michael Gorman, president of the American Library Association and a librarian at California State University at Fresno. 'Only 31 percent of college graduates can read a complex book and extrapolate from it. That's not saying much for the remainder.'" – Sunday, December 25, 2005
DID YOU SEE THAT?! Only a whopping 31 percent of college graduates can even read a complex text book and extrapolate from it (Contrast that with Harvard’s entrance requirements)! If 31 percent of our college students, who can barely read, can still manage to earn a degree at a university, then there is some SERIOUS dumbing down of academics going on!
Look at your average college; they lower their entrance requirements because students can’t do things they should have learned in government school:
"[O]f the 12 California state university colleges, 60% of students need remediation; a Florida study showed at least 70% of recent high school graduates need remedial courses when they enter community college - - in other words, they need to learn material they should have mastered in public high school - but did not - - costing an extra $59 million per year." - USA Today, November 24, 1997
Every year, the value of a BA drops, and many companies are realizing this. But a degree is not essential to getting a good job. For example, my aunt never earned a college degree, yet she has a very respectable job as a manager in a major communications company! Bill Gates never graduated from college, yet he created some of the world’s greatest computer software.
Despite the many achievements and advancements that are directly and indirectly the result of the work of our universities (people in every era make new discoveries; some due to universities, others due to their own research), it is clear that there indeed has been a SIGNIFICANT dumbing down of higher education in our country. This is why I called the EDUCATION, not the universities (as you said) second-rate. I’ve given only a few evidences of the dumbing down of our colleges and universities. In addition to these, and most importantly, campuses are filled with unfathomable immorality, false history, false science driven by the religion of Darwinian evolution, and political correctness that plagues and degrades campus life and replaces true education with outright lies.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Monday, February 22, 2010
College Critiqued
HERE IT IS! It was a long week, but by God's grace we got it done. Here is my video essay!
Friday, February 19, 2010
A few pictures from the set
Me and my lovely sister after her interview
Editing video
Mess ups always happen...
Thursday, February 18, 2010
How Would You Revolutionize Higher Education?
That’s the question I’m attempting to answer right now. Jonathan and I are back on set (feels great!) shooting a 7-8 minute video for a contest with College Plus! which strives to answer the question, “How would you revolutionize higher education?” Although it’s only an 8 minute video, we’re trying to squeeze as much content in as possible without making it crazy for the viewer. There are several interviews we’ll be filming (one of which we did a few nights ago).
Yesterday, Jonathan and I went over to the Virginia Tech campus, where most of the film takes place, and shot for the better part of the afternoon and came back after dark to shoot one crucial shot in downtown Blacksburg. What can you expect this to look like? For those of you who have seen “Drive Thru History,” I would say that’s a pretty good comparison. The video has interviews, voice over mixed with scenery shots, quotes, and segments of speaking right on the tech campus. I’m in a mad rush to complete it due to the fact that the deadline is February 22 (next Monday). It will be posted, here, on my blog for everyone to see. However, part of the goal is to get as many views as possible, so spread the word!
In Christ,
Josh
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
The "Snow Fort"
My older brother Jonathan and I have really been enjoying the snowy winter we've had here in Virginia. I've posted a video below which gives you a tour of our "snow fort." It's not the most elaborate in the world, but we had a fun time building it, and a fun time making this comedic clip as you will see ;)
Enjoy!
Josh
Monday, February 8, 2010
Faith and Leadership
It was a cold, wet, rainy evening as General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson set out with other officers on a mission to locate the Union Army’s shattered right flank. The panting breath and the trot of the horse’s hooves is all that could be heard. Stonewall clutched the reigns of his horse tightly in his hands. Unfortunately, after a day fighting, the Union’s position had been lost. Little did Jackson know what waited for him and his men on his own lines.
Although Stonewall Jackson is a name familiar to many Americans, few know the real story of his life and the magnificent role he played in the Confederate Armed Forces. This influential leader in the War Between the States was a man of superb character. His love and trust in God was so fervent that he dwelt securely on the fact that God was watching over him. His trust in the almighty providence of God is almost beyond comprehension, being quoted as saying, "Captain, my religious belief teaches me to feel as safe in battle as in bed. God has fixed the time for my death. I do not concern myself about that, but to be always ready, no matter when it may overtake me. That is the way all men should live, and then all would be equally brave." This remarkable General led the confederacy through a number of battles, many of them won due to Jackson’s uncommon skill in trickery and surprise attacks. What happened to this general? And what lessons can he teach?
On April 21, 1861, Virginia seceded from the union. From this secession rose one of America’s bravest, most courageous, yet most calm, respectable generals in all of American history; his name, Thomas Jonathan Jackson, better known as “Stonewall” Jackson. According to a quote by a fellow officer of Jackson’s, (found in Discovering Stonewall Jackson written by the staff of the Stonewall Jackson house in Lexington Virginia), he says, “From the calm, collected (person that he appears to be), he becomes the fiery leader. Passing like a thunderbolt along the front he is everywhere in the thickest of the fight, holding his lines steady, however galling the fire, and rallying his men to charge where the danger is greatest and the pressure the heaviest…” Jackson was a deeply committed Christian who understood that he depended on God for his very next breath, no matter where he was. God knew when his time to pass from this earth would come; therefore there was no need for fear.
In the first battle against Lincoln’s union army in Manassas, Virginia July 1861 General Jackson received the nickname “Stonewall” from General Bernard. As his men began to retreat from the ceaseless fire of the Yankees, General Bernard pointed up to General Jackson and his brigade, “There stands Jackson like a stone wall, rally behind the Virginians!” (Recorded by the staff of the Stonewall Jackson House, (Discovering Stonewall Jackson). From then on General Jackson was known as “Stonewall” and his brigade, “the Stonewall Brigade.”
On one occasion Stonewall and his troops were outnumbered three to one; however, despite the immense imbalance of troops, Jackson and his men defeated all three armies which the president sent to protect the Shenandoah Valley! “With not more than 17,000 men, he defeated 60,000 Union troops in a series of lighting marches and brilliant battles.” (World Book Encyclopedia). This great feat was accomplished through sly, crafty moves and fake marches on the union in unexpected places so as to overwhelm the union forces. From that time on “Stonewall” was feared for his tricky moves and crafty maneuvering through the union army.
Out of all the battles Stonewall fought, his last battle at Chancellorsville, though his last, I believe was his greatest. Stonewall and General Robert E. Lee decided to divide the confederate army in half and launch a surprise attack. This plan was carried out and the surprise shattered two miles of the union army’s right flank. On May 2, 1863 Stonewall and other confederate officers went behind enemy lines after dark in an effort to locate the traumatized union army in hopes of launching another attack. Having seen no sign of the union army or where they could attack, Stonewall and his men returned to their own lines. Upon their arrival, men from the confederate army mistook Stonewall and his men for union Calvary. They opened fire on Stonewall and his men hitting the general twice in his left arm. Jackson was immediately transported to a field hospital where his left arm was unfortunately amputated. Upon hearing the news concerning General Jackson, Robert E. Lee said, (World Book Encyclopedia), “He has lost his left arm; but I have lost my right arm.” As bad as his wounds were, General Jackson did not die from them. While in the hospital he caught pneumonia and became very ill; his illness is what ultimately led to his death. On May 10, 1863, in the field hospital in Guiney Station, Virginia Stonewall Jackson, “crossed over the River,” eight days after being shot. His body was brought back to his hometown of Lexington, Virginia for burial.
Through this man’s tactical moves against the troops President Lincoln sent his way, Stonewall remained firm literally to the death. General Jackson was a man through whom many lessons can be learned. Although his life was shrewdly brought to an abrupt end, the way he lived can still be an influence to all. He was a completely selfless leader, a leader who could be counted on to make wise decisions in the heat of the moment; his basis for these selfless actions being his faith. General Jackson possessed a strong faith in God that is rarely seen in our nation today. His life held the theme that when God is on my side of whom or what shall I be afraid. Not even when bullets were flying all around him, cannon balls bursting in front and behind, and thousands of young men dropping dead around him would he let his fear derail his faith. He clung steadfast to God and never let go until his last breath. He stood firm upon the authority of the word of God, no matter the cost. Good leadership, then, starts with faith. If we realize that our very life is in God’s hands, no matter where we are, then our life will be seen as a vessel through which God accomplishes His purpose. Men are to be leaders. A leader who is humble and willing to make wise decisions, not based on his own comfort, but in spite of it, will be a man everyone will want to follow. God blessed General Jackson for his faith and trust in Him and used this general in a mighty way until it was his turn, along with many other men that died on those great battlefields, to enter into paradise with his Lord and Savior. In a similar way, we should be willing to be used by God in whatever capacity of leadership He chooses, regardless of the cost.
Josh
Although Stonewall Jackson is a name familiar to many Americans, few know the real story of his life and the magnificent role he played in the Confederate Armed Forces. This influential leader in the War Between the States was a man of superb character. His love and trust in God was so fervent that he dwelt securely on the fact that God was watching over him. His trust in the almighty providence of God is almost beyond comprehension, being quoted as saying, "Captain, my religious belief teaches me to feel as safe in battle as in bed. God has fixed the time for my death. I do not concern myself about that, but to be always ready, no matter when it may overtake me. That is the way all men should live, and then all would be equally brave." This remarkable General led the confederacy through a number of battles, many of them won due to Jackson’s uncommon skill in trickery and surprise attacks. What happened to this general? And what lessons can he teach?
On April 21, 1861, Virginia seceded from the union. From this secession rose one of America’s bravest, most courageous, yet most calm, respectable generals in all of American history; his name, Thomas Jonathan Jackson, better known as “Stonewall” Jackson. According to a quote by a fellow officer of Jackson’s, (found in Discovering Stonewall Jackson written by the staff of the Stonewall Jackson house in Lexington Virginia), he says, “From the calm, collected (person that he appears to be), he becomes the fiery leader. Passing like a thunderbolt along the front he is everywhere in the thickest of the fight, holding his lines steady, however galling the fire, and rallying his men to charge where the danger is greatest and the pressure the heaviest…” Jackson was a deeply committed Christian who understood that he depended on God for his very next breath, no matter where he was. God knew when his time to pass from this earth would come; therefore there was no need for fear.
In the first battle against Lincoln’s union army in Manassas, Virginia July 1861 General Jackson received the nickname “Stonewall” from General Bernard. As his men began to retreat from the ceaseless fire of the Yankees, General Bernard pointed up to General Jackson and his brigade, “There stands Jackson like a stone wall, rally behind the Virginians!” (Recorded by the staff of the Stonewall Jackson House, (Discovering Stonewall Jackson). From then on General Jackson was known as “Stonewall” and his brigade, “the Stonewall Brigade.”
On one occasion Stonewall and his troops were outnumbered three to one; however, despite the immense imbalance of troops, Jackson and his men defeated all three armies which the president sent to protect the Shenandoah Valley! “With not more than 17,000 men, he defeated 60,000 Union troops in a series of lighting marches and brilliant battles.” (World Book Encyclopedia). This great feat was accomplished through sly, crafty moves and fake marches on the union in unexpected places so as to overwhelm the union forces. From that time on “Stonewall” was feared for his tricky moves and crafty maneuvering through the union army.
Out of all the battles Stonewall fought, his last battle at Chancellorsville, though his last, I believe was his greatest. Stonewall and General Robert E. Lee decided to divide the confederate army in half and launch a surprise attack. This plan was carried out and the surprise shattered two miles of the union army’s right flank. On May 2, 1863 Stonewall and other confederate officers went behind enemy lines after dark in an effort to locate the traumatized union army in hopes of launching another attack. Having seen no sign of the union army or where they could attack, Stonewall and his men returned to their own lines. Upon their arrival, men from the confederate army mistook Stonewall and his men for union Calvary. They opened fire on Stonewall and his men hitting the general twice in his left arm. Jackson was immediately transported to a field hospital where his left arm was unfortunately amputated. Upon hearing the news concerning General Jackson, Robert E. Lee said, (World Book Encyclopedia), “He has lost his left arm; but I have lost my right arm.” As bad as his wounds were, General Jackson did not die from them. While in the hospital he caught pneumonia and became very ill; his illness is what ultimately led to his death. On May 10, 1863, in the field hospital in Guiney Station, Virginia Stonewall Jackson, “crossed over the River,” eight days after being shot. His body was brought back to his hometown of Lexington, Virginia for burial.
Through this man’s tactical moves against the troops President Lincoln sent his way, Stonewall remained firm literally to the death. General Jackson was a man through whom many lessons can be learned. Although his life was shrewdly brought to an abrupt end, the way he lived can still be an influence to all. He was a completely selfless leader, a leader who could be counted on to make wise decisions in the heat of the moment; his basis for these selfless actions being his faith. General Jackson possessed a strong faith in God that is rarely seen in our nation today. His life held the theme that when God is on my side of whom or what shall I be afraid. Not even when bullets were flying all around him, cannon balls bursting in front and behind, and thousands of young men dropping dead around him would he let his fear derail his faith. He clung steadfast to God and never let go until his last breath. He stood firm upon the authority of the word of God, no matter the cost. Good leadership, then, starts with faith. If we realize that our very life is in God’s hands, no matter where we are, then our life will be seen as a vessel through which God accomplishes His purpose. Men are to be leaders. A leader who is humble and willing to make wise decisions, not based on his own comfort, but in spite of it, will be a man everyone will want to follow. God blessed General Jackson for his faith and trust in Him and used this general in a mighty way until it was his turn, along with many other men that died on those great battlefields, to enter into paradise with his Lord and Savior. In a similar way, we should be willing to be used by God in whatever capacity of leadership He chooses, regardless of the cost.
Josh
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