Liberal education

Recently, I have been thinking a lot about learning, and obtaining a liberal education. I feel like my high school years were the formative years, and shaped who I have become today.  I was able to read, study, discuss and learn more than any other time during my life. I was able to obtain a great liberal education, partly because my parents allowed me to do non-traditional schooling between the years 15 and 18.

Most young adults between 14 and 18 attend a public high school, charter or private school. I had the opportunity to attend a mixture of all three. I attended at least 7 different schools or groups during this time. I went part time to South Cache and Mountain Crest, the local public schools. I also attended Williamsburg Academy, Cincinnatus Academy, and the Scholar Academy. These were all amazing experiences, and provide a rich learning environment.

Now that I am older and have more responsibilities,I feel that I have been neglecting learning. That is not to say I am not learning, but I yearn for more time study and learn about a bunch of different topics. I loved attending Utah State University, and learning about databases, data analytics, and technology. I made many connections and relationships with teachers and students. I hope to one day attend graduate school, and get a Masters of Information Systems and a Statistics degree.

While I long for more time, I have decided that I can learn with the limited time I have now. I found an interesting quote today when I Googled “liberal education. ”While liberalism’s meaning is often bastardized by pundits in the media, a liberal is a someone who has freed themselves from bigotry, authoritarian attitudes and established dogmas. Liberalism gets a bad name because of the elitism attached to attaining a Liberal Arts education at a prestigious University. Many highly educated people perpetuate this elitism through their often thinly-veiled contempt for people of lower educational attainment and lesser financial means. This is misguided. A real liberal is someone who seeks the freedom and equality of all people — everywhere in the world — and does not allow him or herself to be caged by any institutions or class biases.” (Pearce 2014)

This is the way I feel about liberal education. I feel that obtaining a liberal education can liberate you from bias, and change the lens which you view the world. A liberal education will expand your mind, change your beliefs, and help you understand and have empathy for others. By studying classic literature, you can identify the origins cultural beliefs come from, and how society has changed.

In an article entitled “A 'major' choice: USU students, experts debate value of a university major” (Opsahl 2016) the Herald Journal, the paper profiled the difficulties of students who choose to pursue and arts or liberal education degree at a traditional university. Students at USU were asked about the challenges they faced, and how they can be overcome. The article highlights how politicians and others are pushing students today to study STEM fields, but we are neglecting the liberal arts.

The STEM fields are what will help propel society into the future, but I feel like discounting liberal education is a big mistake. Reading the classics means you learn to think like the great minds of history. Reading the classics means you get to understand the basis of the free world.  In short, studying and understanding the classics is something I believe everyone should strive for. An often overlooked part of a liberal education is discussion. This will allow you to refine your ideas through argument, critical evaluation of ideas, and defending your beliefs. This allows you to own your opinions, and cements them in your character.

Now, I do understand how boring some classics are.  I dislike reading Charles Dickens and Mark Twain, while I believe many newer books are amazing.  I believe their stories of Dickens and Twain are important, but I fall asleep while reading them.  My mom loves the book 'As a man thinketh', while I do no.  I also do not believe we must all read Plato and Aristotle in Greek.  I think it is fine to understand their ideas and the importance of them. 

To be well educated in something I believe we should all strive for.  Getting a liberal education is an important part of our education. Obtaining a useful skill is necessary, but we need to not neglect the classics. I do not believe it is possible for everyone to read and understand the same things.  I don’t like classic books that others have loved.  I myself think that classics is a fluid term, something that is different for each of us.  I love certain books while others dislike them.

We are all different.  That is the way God intended us to be.  I do believe it is possible for us to agree on a short list of classic books, such as the Bible and Declaration of Independence.  I have come up with a list of 50 great books I feel everyone should read.  Each of those books was chosen because they have influenced me and helped me become who I am today.

I challenge each of you to think more about obtaining a liberal education.  You don’t have to become well versed in all the classics to get a liberal education.  What matters is that you try to think about topics that you may not have thought about before.  A liberal education helps broaden your horizens, and that is a great thing.

Bibliography

Opsahl, Kevin. 2016. Herald Journal. April 30. Accessed May 2, 2016. http://news.hjnews.com/allaccess/a-major-choice-usu-students-experts-debate-value-of-a/article_5d13db0a-d61b-5e21-ab1c-b6637c2a25bc.html.

Pearce, Kyle. 2014. DIYGenuis. May 24. Accessed May 2, 2016. https://www.diygenius.com/how-to-get-a-liberal-arts-education-without-going-to-university/.

Thoughts on the Free College Movement

Here are some of my thoughts about the recent movement about free college.  Some students want to be forgiven for all student loan debt, free tuition and a very high minimum wage.  While I also feel like college is expensive, I also do NOT feel like it should be free.

I don't think it should be free because everything that is meaningful in life comes with a sacrifice. You can't make it back to heaven making bad choices.  You must have faith in Jesus Christ, be baptized, repent and endure to the end.  There are no short cuts on the path to eternal life.  If you want a family, you must sacrifice personal time, time with friends and that can be a lot for some people.  The people who make the choice to have a family believe that kids are worth everything that is given up.

I also do not believe that college should be free because once it is, it will be worth no more than a high school diploma is now.  If I am an employer, a college degree would not longer mean a potential employee is worth as much as right now.  I know I expect every one to have a degree and if someone doesn't, it would be easy to pass up those who don't.  It dilutes the pool of those who have WORKED for their degree.

I am 24, have a full time and part time job, have a wife and daughter, and have NO STUDENT LOANS!!!!  I don't feel like going into debt is even an option.  I receive financial aid, which I think is a good thing, but have worked and saved for the rest.  I have paid cash for all my 90+ college credits.
There is no real secret as to how I have done this.  I have worked nights, days, afternoons, and help 2 jobs most of the past 4 years.  I have worked as many as 70+ hours some weeks, all in an effort to pay for college.  My hope is that I will be able to graduate next spring or summer, and then be prepared enough to handle a job that makes a lot more money than I am making now.

I recently switched jobs, and the job I was hired for was difficult.  I had never done anything like it before, so I struggled.  Luckily, there was a position in a different department that I had done well at in the past, so I got hired there.  It was a learning experience for me.  It taught me that I have to work to get better at some things in order to make the kind of money I want to to be able to support a family long term.  The jobs I have now pays better than I had been making, but $10.50 an hour will not support a family for very long.

When I saw this free college movement, I couldn't help but think that those who support this are people who would be willing to accept communism or socialism, because in those societies the government provides everything for its citizens.  I do not want college to be free, and I don't think college is for everyone.  I do feel like you should have to sacrifice in order to obtain a college degree, not whine about it until others feel sorry for you and pay for yours.  I have had to earn what I have gotten thus far by hard work.  Maybe those who want free college should spend their time working instead of whining.

God is in control

A few months ago, my life began to take sudden turns.  Out of the blue, my dad called me about a job opening at his work.  He said I would do well at it, and that I should apply.  This random phone call has changed my life.

I applied for the job, and was one of three finalists for the position.  It would have paid over $12 an hour, which is a huge raise from what I have been making.  It would have begun at 4 am, and it would have allowed me time to do school work at night.  I was excited about the possibility of making more money, and at experiencing new challenges.

I have enjoyed my time working at Comfort Inn and Chrysalis, which have shaped my life.  I have made many friendships at both job.  I will be sad to leave Chrysalis, as I work with three wonderful adults with disabilities.  Despite those disabilities, they are all really smart and fun people.  I have loved meeting new people at Comfort Inn, and have done 90% of my schoolwork thus far while working there.

I did not end up getting the position at JBS, but just the thought that I could make that much money per hour was exciting.  I had thought I had to get a college degree to make that much, and I still have a lot of school left.  But I now knew I had a chance to make some serious money.

A co-worker of 2 years at Comfort Inn left last month.  He had already graduated, and he was single.  He told me that as long as he had a job, he wouldn't really work that hard at finding a new one.  He enjoyed working at the hotel, and it was comfortable.  After applying for the JBS job, I understood what he meant.  I had it easy, my boss liked me and gave me an easy schedule, and I knew if I didn't find a better paying job, I could always keep working there.

Through this time, my wife Cathy has been a wonderful support to me.  She encouraged me and thought I was worth  more that I thought I was.  She is always the person who tells me to go for things I am unsure of.  She tells me I have nothing to lose.  I am grateful for that encouragement.

A few weeks ago my brother and his wife told me I should apply for a job at Conservice.  My sister in law works there, and she enjoys her work.  Well, I did, and passed the assessment and interview there.  

I got a call on Thursday, offering me a position at Conservice.  I would be paid $12 an hour, with quite a few benefits I am not currently getting.  I would not have to work any more Sundays, so I can become active in the church again.  I will get 10 paid vacation days per year.  I would get medical, dental, and vision insurance.  

I was excited, and the first person I told was Cathy.  She shouted with joy at the news!  She now has a husband who has a normal job, rather than 2 jobs that work at different times.  We will have more income, and the opportunity to greatly help our financial future.

With a huge increase in pay, we are exploring options on how to save, the best ways to save, and to get rewards for using a credit card.  We plan to be responsible and pay it off in full each month.  We just want to start using one or two effectively to get benefits for spending our own money.

I have learned through these experiences that God is in control of our lives.  I have learned I made a very good choice in my wife, and she is very supportive, and constantly encourages me to try new things, and to become a better husband and provider for our little family.

Readings

Lately it seems like I have had much more time to read than I have in a long while.  Or maybe it is because Cathy and I are starting to put Alli to bed earlier each day, so we can have time to do things we want to do without having a baby to look after all the time.  Whatever the cause, the result has been more free time to pursue a passion of mine: reading.

I have been reading several books at the same time.  I enjoy this, because whenever a book reaches a dull part, or I lose interest in it, I can go to another book, and put up where I left off with that one.  After awhile, I come back to the first book.  I have found I have more interesting thoughts, and make connections better when I am thinking of multiple plot twists in the same day.

I wanted to write about a few quotes from several books.  Two are from Words Onscreen by Naomi Baron, and the other two are from Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle.  Words Onscreen is about how eBooks and eReaders, tablets and cell phones have changed the way American's read today, and whether it will help or hurt our literacy in the long run.  And Sherlock Holmes is a classic novel that I have never read before.

"What if you have real work to do, like taking a test on Macbeth in high school, or writing a paper on War and Peace in college?  Teachers would like to believer that in preparation, everyone actually read the works in question.  But let's not be naive.  Not when there are cliffnotes and sparknotes, offering tidy plot summaries." - Baron

"Make no mistake: short form reading can be both enjoyable and edifying.  The essay is short formed, as (obviously) are short stories.  The issue is whether today's surge in snack sized texts also marks a more towards more light weight reading." - Baron

I think these two quotes are the basic for Baron's book.  Her argument is that tablets and eReaders are changing the way people read, and they don't really read the heavy classics anymore.  I admit, when I started Sherlock I didn't know what some words meant.  A lot of people don't read because reading can be hard.  Most people don't read classics because it takes time and effort to read.  The classics are classic because the life lessons they teach, and not many people are reading them anymore.  The most popular books are fast paced, violent novels that are full of fluff.

"He was not studying medicine.  He had himself, in reply to a question, confirmed Stamford's opinion upon that point.  Neither did he appear to have pursued any course of reading which might fit him for a degree in science or any other recognized portal which would give him an entrance into the larned world.   Yet his zeal for certain studies was remarkable, and within eccentric limits his knowledge was so extraordinary ample and minute that his observations have fairly astounded me.  Surely no man would work so hard or attain such precise information unless he had some definite end in view.  Desultory readers are seldom remarkable for the exactness of their learning.  No man burdens his mind with small matters unless he has some very good reason for doing so." - Doyle

"You see," he explained, "I consider that a man's brain originally is like a little empty attic, and you have to stock it with furniture as you choose.  A fool takes in all the lumber of every sort that he comes across, so that the knowledge which might be useful to him gets crowded out, or at best is jumbled up with a lot of others things, so that he has difficulty in laying his hands upon it.  Now the skilled workman is very careful indeed as to what he takes into his brain-attic.  He will have nothing but the tools which may help him in doing his work, but of those he has a large assortment, and all in the more perfect order.  It is a mistake to think that that little room has elastic walls and can distend to any extent.  Depend upon it, there comes a time for addition of knowledge you forget something that yo knew before.  It is of the highest importance, therefore, not to have useless facts elbowing out the useful ones." - Doyle

I love these two quotes, because they describe Holmes so well.  He is so good at solving crimes, he has no use for anything else.  The second quote shows how to be excellent at anything.  All you can do is practice, eat sleep and breathe what you want to be good at, whether it be sports, gaming, singing, or the piano.  I don't know if I have that type of commitment to anything, so I don't know if I have the drive to become excellent at a single thing.  And that is OK with me.  I want to be good at many things, so I can help myself and others out.

Writing for school

I am taking a course about Utah history this summer, and it has been quite interesting. I have had to read a journal written by a girl who crossed the plains in the Martin handcart company, as well as the journal by the first Spanish explorers in Utah. It has been fun to read about their experiences.

Here is the essay I had to write about the Dominguez/Escalante journal:


When Fray Francisco Atanasio Dominguez and Fray Francisco Silvestre Velez de Escalante went on an exploration in late July 1776, they had no idea that they would be among the first men of European descent to enter the area of the United States now called Utah. They traveled with a number of companions each of whom became part of a historic group of explorers. These explorers discovered and recorded things about the land that proved invaluable to those settlers who came after them. While their main purpose was to spread Christianity which in their minds they failed at, their ultimate result was to document a land that would eventually lead to the safe harbor of one group of Christians. The information they collected proved invaluable in the years to come.

The first English translation of the Dominguez/Escalante journal was not published before 1909.[1] While this translation was made much later than Utah was settled, stories of the journey must have spread letting early settlers of Utah, like the Mormons, know that Utah was suitable for settlement. The expedition was the first of many journeys by Europeans to the land now called Utah.

While the group set out to discover a possible land route to California, they marched over a large area and walked over a large portion of Utah. Fray Escalante wrote the most about the trip in his diary, and, thus, gets most of the credit for it, but a careful study of it shows that both Dominguez and Escalante had a part in its writing. The maps found in the journal were drawn by Don Bernardo Miera[2]. Unfortunately, they were unable to accomplish their goal of reaching California.[3]

The journal is important because is it the first primary source we have about most of the state of Utah. The traveler’s route took them across eastern Utah, to Utah Lake,[4] and south along the I-15 corridor. They found and then named the Virgin River, and discovered a way across the Grand Canyon.

The Dominguez/Escalante journal was important for several other reasons. The journal gives us a glimpse of what Utah looked like in 1776. Sometimes we can forget that the landscape of an area can change over time. The land has since been mined for precious metals, and houses have filled up many valleys in Utah, making it hard to see the original landscape. It is the first known account of the land, geography and latitude of much of the state. It describes areas that would be ideal for settlements, should the Spanish want to start one.

The journal describes what the natives lived in, what they ate, and what they dressed like. “Their dwellings are some sheds or... huts of hollow willow. They are very poor as regards to dress.” “They gather the seeds of wild plants in the bottoms and make gruel, which they supplement with the game of jackrabbits, cottontail rabbits and fowl.”[5]

The journal describes the geology of the land,[6] native plants that are edible,[7] and where there is good timber for building, rivers and good soil for crops. This information must have helped those who came after them, such as the Mormon leader, Brigham Young, who later considered the area to be a place where he could take his followers. “There is good land along these three rivers, (Lower Duchesne, Lake Fork and upper Duchesne rivers) that we crossed today, and plenty of it for farming with the aid of irrigation - beautiful poplar groves, fine pastures, timber and firewood not too far away, for three good settlements.”[8] The journal describes many features of the land that are distinctive to southern Utah: mesas, the Virgin River was known as “Rio Sulfureo”, which is Spanish for Sulphur River and red rocks.

The travelers fell into hard times as they approached and went through the area of Southern Utah, called Dixie today. They ran out of water and food. They had to kill horses to survive.[9] The journal describes canyons that were difficult to traverse by house, and by foot.[10]

The expedition was significant because it was one of the first groups of Europeans to cross the Grand Canyon. The group had a hard time finding a way through, and they were unable to cross it for several days. They tried floating down the river,[11] (page 114) and climbing steep cliffs. Finally they found a way out. The climb was a “very sloping sand dune for a start, and afterward extremely difficult stretches and dangerous ledges.”[12]

The expedition was significant at the time because it helped open a trail from California to New Mexico. This enabled the Spanish to begin trading and have contact with Indians. There was once a thriving overland trade between landlocked New Mexico and California. This trail was the principle route for most goods that went from east to west. It led to a significant decrease in time taken to move goods from Santa Fe to Los Angeles or San Diego.

The journal and expedition impacted Utah’s history later by introducing the native tribes to white men, and making them familiar with them. Most Indians were probably unfamiliar with white men before Dominguez and Escalante came. Establishing good relations among the Indians surely would have helped the later Mormon settlers.[13]

The stories comprised in this journal provided important information to the Mormons who learned people could survive in the Rocky Mountains, where they could live their lives free of religious persecution and fear. They knew that there were few hostile Indian tribes, and that there was land where they could grow crops. Before the 1900’s, most food people ate they grew themselves, so this was very important.

The friars Dominguez and Escalante wanted to help spread Christianity.[14] “The motives of our coming [were explained], and the principal one was to seek the salvation of their souls and to show them the only means whereby they could attain it - the chief, primary, and necessary one being to believe in a single true God, to love Him and obey Him wholly by doing what is contained in His holy and spotless law.”[15] This was their main purpose for undertaking this journey that took them across Utah. The friars were unable to come back to Utah to teach the natives,[16] and it would be several years before any Spanish came back to the region. However, long after their deaths their goal was ultimately realized in the information they provided to save one group of Christian Mormon pioneers.



[1] Ted J. Warner, editor, The Escalante Journals, (Salt Lake City: The University of Utah Press, 1995). Intro, xi
[2] Ibid, intro xii
[3] Ibid, intro xv
[4] Ibid, page 63
[5] Warner, page 72
[6] Ibid, page 6
[7] Ibid, page 7
[8] Ibid, page 58
[9] Ibid, page 99
[10] Ibid, page 99
[11] Ibid, page 114
[12] Ibid, page 116
[13] Warner, page 65
[14] Ibid, page 66
[15] Ibid, page 66
[16] Ibid, intro xv

Memorial Day

This weekend is Memorial Day, where Americans remember those who have passed on.  This year has already been a great few days centering around this day.  On Thursday my family and I got the chance to go to Salt Lake to see several of my ancestor's graves.

We visited my grandma's parents, aunts and uncles graves.  We found of from my grandma the reason why they are buried where they are.  We are keeping track of how to best find each grave, so we can show our kids these graves.

We went to Hyrum, where Cathy's grandpa's parents and some siblings are buried.  Her mom told us about an uncle, who had a very adventurous life.  We went to Hyde Park, where our common ancestor's are buried.  Cathy and I are 4th cousins.  We found the grave of Karlo, who Cathy knew from Scout Camp.  We found my grandfather's parents, and his siblings graves.

Tomorrow, we will go and see even more graves.  It is an exciting time, as both Cathy and I want to learn more about our relatives.  This is a fairly new development, as I haven't been all that enthusiastic about genealogy in years past.  But now, I am.

I have been thinking about why this is.  Is it because I am older, and more mature?  Could it be because some of those I love are getting older?  I realize that grandparents and parents must die sometime.  Luckily, the closest person I have had die to me are two great grandma's.  I have my grandparents and parents still living.

I think it is hitting home that this life really is short.  I won't be here forever, and I want leave a mark during my life.  I want to make a difference.  If I can help a few people become better, I will be so happy.  I am sure all of these people, whose graves I have seen recently, were the same.  They wanted to be happy, and make the world a better place.  Marking graves is a way people can remember those who made a mark on their lives.

I have seen several variations of a picture that brings this point home.  The picture is of a cemetery, with a woman in front of the grave, with a baby in a carrier.  A caption underneath says something like: "In case you thought Memorial Day is National Barbecue Day."  The purpose of this picture is to remind us that tomorrow is a time for family and friends, but also remembering those who have made an impact during their lives.

God is in control

There is a lesson I have learned the past few days: God is in control.  This is a concept that is hard to learn, as it implies we give up the desire to control our lives.  That's not to say we are unable make our own choices. We still have total control of our mortal bodies and lives, but we don't control others actions.  This is what I have learned: God will causes things to happen to you no matter what you do. These things are for your (or my) benefit.

This past semester I have been taking a math1050 class.  I am not one who likes math very much.  I love it when I have a use for it.  If I need to add or subtract, I am grateful I can do math.  But when I am learning how to find the center of a hyperbola, what use is that to my in my life right now?  Unless I am planning on teaching math, or do something with a lot of math, this has no use to me.

This is my biggest grip against the traditional public school setting: there are many things that are taught when there is no practical use for the information.  I didn't even know what a hyperbola was until this class. I see absolutely no reason under the sun why I need to know this.  It holds no practical use to the average person.  It makes no sense to me.  Instead of making me learn how to solve an inequality, why not help me learn useful information?  Schools could do their students a big service by teaching practical knowledge and how to use it.

I am not against public schools.  They help millions gain basic knowledge and life skills.  I think they could do a better job doing it, however.

I bring this up because I did not pass the math 1050 class.  I got below a 60% on the final exam, which according to the school meant I fail the class, no matter how much work I put into it. I spent hundreds of hours over the course of the semester learning, studying, and doing homework problems.  I know I did terrible on the test, which is my fault.  I am not very good at taking tests, especially with subjects I dislike.

Well, I got really down on myself.  I felt like a failure.  I've never failed a class before.  It was a new feeling for me.  I needed to take this class, as this was a pre-requisite for Stats 2300, which is required to get into the USU school of business.  I had received special permission to get into the class before my grade for 1050 had posted, and now I had failed to pass.

Well, I told Cathy, and she has been a huge help.  She has been encouraging, helping me see that I am not a failure.  She was by my side the whole time, even when I was down on myself.  She saw the true potential in me.

I went home that night, and opened the scriptures to Alma.  I don't remember which chapter I read, but Alma was giving a sermon about the priesthood, and how great a blessing it is to hold it.  I realized that others may not see me as a success, but God does.  I have been blessed to hold His priesthood on earth, as long as I live worthy of it.  Reading this changed my whole outlook on the situation.

I knew I could enroll again in 1050, and make sure I knew the material this time.  Or I could take a placement test, and hopefully pass.  Well, the math department was kind enough to allow me to take the placement exam, and I PASSED!  I was so excited, and Cathy jumped for joy when I walked out of the building smiling!

We went to Cafe Sabor to celebrate my success.  While I ended up still being able to get into Stats 2300, if I had passed 1050 the first time, I may not have been able to learn this valuable lesson:  God is in control, and as long as we trust him, we will be ok.