Monthly Archives: November 2013

Rescinding Opportunity

There’s a new GED (high-school equivalency) in town, promoting itself as “a new comprehensive program.” The old GED test, phasing out next month, consisted of readings and multiple choice questions, often very challenging, in the areas of science, reading, and … Continue reading

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An Irksome Question

There are three weeks left in this semester, and after class today a student asked me one of my least favorite questions. “Will the final cover the whole semester,” she wondered, “or just since the midterm?” This question might make … Continue reading

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Movies of Interest

An interesting event at the Cinematheque tomorrow night inaugurates a great weekend of films. Father Don Cozzens, a noted author and teacher, leads a discussion after La Strada, Federico Fellini’s 1954 Oscar winner (7:00 pm). Pope Francis has cited this … Continue reading

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Chatty Kathy

I was thinking this morning how much better I am at talking to people than I used to be. This might be a common experience: as we get older, we’re more comfortable with ourselves and acquire better social skills. Along … Continue reading

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Big Thumbs Up

I should have told you to see To Be or Not to Be at the Cleveland Cinematheque last weekend. There was a big crowd there, anyway, because the Plain Dealer wrote a nice story about the film and the Ernst … Continue reading

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A Bureaucratic Odyssey

Here’s a circuitous tale. It concerns a certain GED student in the program where I volunteer.  I’ll call him Joe. I could write a book about Joe, but suffice it to say he’s a very deserving guy, someone who has … Continue reading

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