Life has settled down enough so I can write again-I just defended my thesis this Monday and have been completing a lot of end-of-year projects, such as planning graduation, papers, and finals. There now appears to be a finite end to the amount of work left to do before the end of the month. It's a good feeling :) I am still struggling a little to stay diligent, but I've been reasonably efficient this last week. The goal of graduation is a large motivating force. However, Caltech just sent me three and a half hours of calculus diagnostic exams and a placement writing assignment, so I have to work on those sometime. Thankfully, they are both due after school gets out so I can complete them then.
Well, it's time to say goodbye to Petra, where I have spent the last seven years. I will graduate on May 29, 2008 at 7 PM in the Grace Bible Church youth room. If you live in Bozeman or don't mind traveling to get here, you are welcome to come. I was named valedictorian, which is a great honor, but one I feel I could have gone without. There are only four students graduating--it almost seems superfluous to single out one as the most noteworthy. Petra's education is difficult enough that just graduating is an achievement in and of itself. I have heard from multiple graduates that the work they are doing in college is easier than the work they did at Petra. So, I'll graciously accept the honor, but I don't want to let it go to my head and start thinking I'm some superhuman.
EDIT: My profile picture is now my senior picture. See right
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Saturday, May 10, 2008
The Difficulty of Practicing what You Preach
This week, I have been really struck with how hard it is to make our actions match our words. We see faults in others, but practice the same sins ourselves. What we need is a mirror - the Bible, literature, or other's opinions - to see ourselves as we really are. Two stories I read this week illustrate this well and I'd like to share them with you.
The first is taken from Ravi Zacharias' Jesus among Other Gods, pgs 145-146 (emphasis mine). Dr. Zacharias was speaking as a token theist on the difficulty of preventing cheating in a world where everything is accessible on the internet.
"After [my] lecture, we sat down together for a lunch hosted by faculty members and student leaders. During the lunch, one of the faculty members said something like this: 'All this philosophizing about an objective morality seems so highbrow and philosophically weighty. The basic question I have is very simple: How do we keep students from cheating?'
"As I answered her question, I also reminded her that she was still dealing with the symptons and ignoring the cause.
"At the end of the lunch, a handful of students surrounded me with a flurry of questions. One of them, in low tones, said, 'I really have a problem. I was asked by me professor to come and take in your lecture and to critique what you said. But the truth is that after hearing your arguments, I find myself agreeing with you.'
"'Well, then,' I asked, 'why don't you say that in your paper?'
"'Oh no! I will be definitely docked in my grades if I concur with your reasoning. The professor had been certain that I would disagree with you and wanted me to offer a scathing rebuttal. I am a straight-A student, and I cannot afford to drop my grade.'
"'Are you sure your professor will penalize you just for agreeing with this position on ethics?' I asked her.
"'I am positive,' she said.
"'Was your professor her at the luncheon?' I asked.
"'Yes,' came the obviously hesitant response.
"'Who was it?'
"There was an awkward silence and then an even more uncomfortable admission. 'The one who asked you how she could keep students from cheating.'
"So much for the genuine hunger for truthfulness. I seriously had to wonder if a teacher such as that really wanted her students to learn not to cheat or only to learn to think as she did, even if it meant an entire life of pretense - secondhand doubt."
Wow. As Dr. Zacharias said, the professor did not have a genuine interest in the truth. She wanted to keep students from cheating, but not so that they could write original work - she wanted them to repeat what she thought. That professor herself was part of the cause of intellectual dishonesty (maybe the most serious form of cheating) at the university; she made her own students unwilling to write what they believed. She desperately needed a mirror held up to her own actions; I hope she read Zacharias' book and had enough sincerity left to be convicted and change her ways.
The second story is simply a news article, taken from the most recent world magazine (May 3/10 2008), pg. 15.
"One Idaho state senator should be thankful a bill he sponsored didn't get passed earlier. Police in Boise tagged Sen. John Goedde with speeding through a school zone the same day he debated his bill to increase fines for such tickets on the floor of the state Senate. Goedde's bill to increase the minimum fine for speeding through a school zone eared passage on April 1 - about a month after he was issued a $141.50 ticket for driving 32 mph near a school. 'There was some irony there,' the Coeur d'Alene senator acknowledged."
Irony? It makes me want to cry for this man's hypocrisy. To do him some justice, he asserts that he did not see the signs and flashing lights that signified a school zone. Hopefully he will be be convicted for the right reasons - not just because he was caught and faces very bad publicity, but because he was violating the laws of his state. As a state senator, he ought to be a leader in the area of civic responsibility. Here is the link to the full news article, if you're curious: http://www.spokesmanreview.com/breaking/story.asp?ID=14478
Well, my brother Adam turns 15 today, so we are having a nice dinner. I have some work to do before then.
P.S. Mr. V liked my second thesis on the correct topic.
The first is taken from Ravi Zacharias' Jesus among Other Gods, pgs 145-146 (emphasis mine). Dr. Zacharias was speaking as a token theist on the difficulty of preventing cheating in a world where everything is accessible on the internet.
"After [my] lecture, we sat down together for a lunch hosted by faculty members and student leaders. During the lunch, one of the faculty members said something like this: 'All this philosophizing about an objective morality seems so highbrow and philosophically weighty. The basic question I have is very simple: How do we keep students from cheating?'
"As I answered her question, I also reminded her that she was still dealing with the symptons and ignoring the cause.
"At the end of the lunch, a handful of students surrounded me with a flurry of questions. One of them, in low tones, said, 'I really have a problem. I was asked by me professor to come and take in your lecture and to critique what you said. But the truth is that after hearing your arguments, I find myself agreeing with you.'
"'Well, then,' I asked, 'why don't you say that in your paper?'
"'Oh no! I will be definitely docked in my grades if I concur with your reasoning. The professor had been certain that I would disagree with you and wanted me to offer a scathing rebuttal. I am a straight-A student, and I cannot afford to drop my grade.'
"'Are you sure your professor will penalize you just for agreeing with this position on ethics?' I asked her.
"'I am positive,' she said.
"'Was your professor her at the luncheon?' I asked.
"'Yes,' came the obviously hesitant response.
"'Who was it?'
"There was an awkward silence and then an even more uncomfortable admission. 'The one who asked you how she could keep students from cheating.'
"So much for the genuine hunger for truthfulness. I seriously had to wonder if a teacher such as that really wanted her students to learn not to cheat or only to learn to think as she did, even if it meant an entire life of pretense - secondhand doubt."
Wow. As Dr. Zacharias said, the professor did not have a genuine interest in the truth. She wanted to keep students from cheating, but not so that they could write original work - she wanted them to repeat what she thought. That professor herself was part of the cause of intellectual dishonesty (maybe the most serious form of cheating) at the university; she made her own students unwilling to write what they believed. She desperately needed a mirror held up to her own actions; I hope she read Zacharias' book and had enough sincerity left to be convicted and change her ways.
The second story is simply a news article, taken from the most recent world magazine (May 3/10 2008), pg. 15.
"One Idaho state senator should be thankful a bill he sponsored didn't get passed earlier. Police in Boise tagged Sen. John Goedde with speeding through a school zone the same day he debated his bill to increase fines for such tickets on the floor of the state Senate. Goedde's bill to increase the minimum fine for speeding through a school zone eared passage on April 1 - about a month after he was issued a $141.50 ticket for driving 32 mph near a school. 'There was some irony there,' the Coeur d'Alene senator acknowledged."
Irony? It makes me want to cry for this man's hypocrisy. To do him some justice, he asserts that he did not see the signs and flashing lights that signified a school zone. Hopefully he will be be convicted for the right reasons - not just because he was caught and faces very bad publicity, but because he was violating the laws of his state. As a state senator, he ought to be a leader in the area of civic responsibility. Here is the link to the full news article, if you're curious: http://www.spokesmanreview.com/breaking/story.asp?ID=14478
Well, my brother Adam turns 15 today, so we are having a nice dinner. I have some work to do before then.
P.S. Mr. V liked my second thesis on the correct topic.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
I was supposed to write on what?
Ever had a miscommunication with a teacher, and turned in the wrong assignment? You probably have, it happens sometimes. Ever researched a thesis topic and handed in the first rough draft and had the teacher say "Uh... you weren't supposed to do this topic?" Well, I have. It was kindof a bummer. OK, not kindof - really a bummer. Last Thursday classified as a terrible, awful, no-good very-bad day.
I had my thesis on moral absolutes all researched, and turned it in to Mr. V only to hear him say I did the wrong topic. He didn't really read it, just browsed and added that to top it off I had done a poor job on the wrong topic - at least, I could have done much better (which was true). He was nice about it, and said I could continue with moral absolutes if I wanted to. I told him I wasn't very attached to the paper (which was true) and that I would switch. So, I have a week to research and write the correct thesis.
How did the miscommunication happen? I'm not sure. I do know that I was gone the day he assigned thesis topics, and that what I heard him say about the topic was mainly from a conversation he had with another classmate, so I must have transmuted that into my topic. Anyways, it was not the kind of news that makes you jump up and run around the room cheering.
However, this did me perspective - for I received an email around the same time from my youth group leader. He asked me to pray for a girl who was a senior in high school but wouldn't graduate this year - she had been diagnosed with breast cancer. I can't even imagine this. She probably already had her college picked, was ready to graduate and head off on her own. Weeks before commencement, she is told she has an often fatal illness and is flown to another city for medical treatment that could take years. Her bad news makes mine pale in comparison. I stopped feeling sorry for myself, and thanked God for all the blessings I have, even if clear communication isn't one of them.
I had my thesis on moral absolutes all researched, and turned it in to Mr. V only to hear him say I did the wrong topic. He didn't really read it, just browsed and added that to top it off I had done a poor job on the wrong topic - at least, I could have done much better (which was true). He was nice about it, and said I could continue with moral absolutes if I wanted to. I told him I wasn't very attached to the paper (which was true) and that I would switch. So, I have a week to research and write the correct thesis.
How did the miscommunication happen? I'm not sure. I do know that I was gone the day he assigned thesis topics, and that what I heard him say about the topic was mainly from a conversation he had with another classmate, so I must have transmuted that into my topic. Anyways, it was not the kind of news that makes you jump up and run around the room cheering.
However, this did me perspective - for I received an email around the same time from my youth group leader. He asked me to pray for a girl who was a senior in high school but wouldn't graduate this year - she had been diagnosed with breast cancer. I can't even imagine this. She probably already had her college picked, was ready to graduate and head off on her own. Weeks before commencement, she is told she has an often fatal illness and is flown to another city for medical treatment that could take years. Her bad news makes mine pale in comparison. I stopped feeling sorry for myself, and thanked God for all the blessings I have, even if clear communication isn't one of them.
Monday, April 21, 2008
I'm a Techer
Well, it's Caltech for me. I decided to attend their beautiful campus in Pasadena on Sunday afternoon after church. After sitting down to think about it, I realized that even though I hadn't had the greatest visit, Caltech was still the best school. I'm sure I can find friends who share my interests somewhere in the freshman class. Also, I knew that I wouldn't have a peace of mind until I just decided and remained committed. LOL and I really need my peace of mind this week with the play going on. The practice today was good, but I didn't get home until 8:00, and each day is just going to get later and later until we finish on Friday. If you're in Bozeman, you should be at Grace Bible Thursday or Friday by 6:30 to see the play!
In long range news, I don't have to be at Caltech until September 21, so my summer gets an extension this year. :D
In long range news, I don't have to be at Caltech until September 21, so my summer gets an extension this year. :D
Saturday, April 19, 2008
College Visits
Well, this week and last I took a few trips across the country to visit the colleges I was accepted at. Last week was Cornell and Stevens, this week was Caltech. The traveling left me really wiped out... and I didn't use the plane time very well so I had a lot of make-up work to do. Both nights when I got back I was up really late doing work, and this week I didn't quite get it all done. All I need to do is keep my A's so the college I choose doesn't drop me, and I'll be OK.
About the colleges - Caltech is the most famous, and I honestly thought I would decide to go there. I went to the campus hoping to fall in love with it and make the decision quickly and painlessly, but life didn't work out like that. Generally, most of the people there seemed one-dimensional engineers. I visited a humanities class and two of the students told me not to go to Caltech if I wanted to study the Humanities at all - but I had been interested in a minor in literature, or at least taking some humaning classes. Moreover, the university is extremely focused on research, which I'm pretty sure I don't want to do. They have the highest percentage of their undergrads pursue a higher degree - in the entire nation. So, now I am seriously a coin toss away from Caltech, Stevens, or Cornell. If they were all in one climate with the same campus it would be easier, because the weather and situation of the school definitely factor in somewhere.
So, I have until May 1 to make my decision. It's not going to be easy, though I can rest assured that all the options are good. I can't really make a bad choice - excepting the decision to wait a few years and do the whole college thing later. :)
In other news, the Petra play is coming up, I just presented my thesis on John Hick's religious pluralism, built a bridge across our river with my dad, and life has been so crazy that I haven't gone to gymnastics in months (which means I'm out of shape). Over and out.
About the colleges - Caltech is the most famous, and I honestly thought I would decide to go there. I went to the campus hoping to fall in love with it and make the decision quickly and painlessly, but life didn't work out like that. Generally, most of the people there seemed one-dimensional engineers. I visited a humanities class and two of the students told me not to go to Caltech if I wanted to study the Humanities at all - but I had been interested in a minor in literature, or at least taking some humaning classes. Moreover, the university is extremely focused on research, which I'm pretty sure I don't want to do. They have the highest percentage of their undergrads pursue a higher degree - in the entire nation. So, now I am seriously a coin toss away from Caltech, Stevens, or Cornell. If they were all in one climate with the same campus it would be easier, because the weather and situation of the school definitely factor in somewhere.
So, I have until May 1 to make my decision. It's not going to be easy, though I can rest assured that all the options are good. I can't really make a bad choice - excepting the decision to wait a few years and do the whole college thing later. :)
In other news, the Petra play is coming up, I just presented my thesis on John Hick's religious pluralism, built a bridge across our river with my dad, and life has been so crazy that I haven't gone to gymnastics in months (which means I'm out of shape). Over and out.
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