Providing a Path for Lifelong Learning
As I mourn the loss of my second graders’ year (no field day, walking field trips, last hugs), I can’t help but think of how much harder the loss would be if my son were an 8th grader, senior in high school or in college. Graduation weekend at Centre is such a lovely time. Watching… Continue reading A Letter to the Families
We are now two weeks into emergency online teaching and I’m writing this from my closet if that tells you anything about my experience so far. I’ve had to accept that I look ridiculous when I record myself teaching, I can’t possibly grade things meaningfully while my children are in the same room as me… Continue reading Learning and Community
When elite Kentuckians founded Centre in 1819 they were not starting the college in a vacuum. As I wrote about a few weeks ago, Centre was a part of white Americans "civilizing" the west as they expanded past the Appalachian mountains. I think 1819 is a hard year for Americans to wrap their heads around.… Continue reading 1819
In 1819, Centre College was chartered in Kentucky. This year, we celebrate this institution's 200th anniversary. A celebration like this is no small feat. Few schools were founded west of the Appalachian Mountains before 1820; Centre, along with Transylvania, the University of Tennessee and Ohio University and a handful of other academies were among the… Continue reading After 200 Years
Over the past few weeks, my American Religious History class has been grappling with the question "was America founded as a Christian nation?" We have thought about whether the founders envisioned a Christian country, why people have argued about this question for the past 200 years, and why it matters. The question is fascinating for… Continue reading History, Religion, and the Bladensburg Memorial Cross
If your Facebook feed looks anything like mine, you have seen A LOT of valentine memes this week. I love this whole genre; the cute, weird, pun-filled images remind me of the popular cards made and bought throughout the Victorian period. Years ago now I remember seeing the dictator card memes like this one: benkling.com… Continue reading Smashing the Patriarchy on Valentine’s Day
Hey, all you Centre students! As registration is approaching I thought I would give y'all a quick roundup on our Spring course offerings: History Survey Classes: These courses have wide chronological and geographical coverage. They are designed to introduce students to major events and ideas but they are also intended to expose students to how… Continue reading History Courses Spring 2019
I know this is hard to believe, but we here at Centre Trail aren't the only student/faculty blogs on campus. In fact, our friend Dr. Young over in the Chemistry program has her students writing really fascinating blog posts that discuss chemistry in our world at large. Ever wondered if we need better, safer batteries?… Continue reading Centre Student Blogs
When I was an undergrad one of the pervasive stories about Americans in the nineteenth century was that doctors used vibrators to cure women of "hysteria." It was an intoxicating historical assertion--those stodgy, chaste Victorians were also secretly using sex to treat women's mental health! Astonishing! Except, it probably isn't true. In a recent peer-reviewed… Continue reading The Victorians Did WHAT?
This summer I saw Hamilton. If you have been living under a rock somewhere and the genius of Lin Manuel Miranda has somehow escaped you, do a quick Google search. I'll wait. Much to my 6 year old's dismay, I did not take him with me--I took my husband instead. We didn't get to sit… Continue reading We’re Gonna Teach ‘Em How to Say Goodbye
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