China's Great Universities

According to the NY Times, Beijing is seeking to make top universities in the next 10 years or so. That is quite a lofty goal, but China has had plenty of those in recent years. And they have been successful in many of those goals… For example, in the last 15 years, Shanghai went from having one skyscraper to over four thousand! But, this isn’t about real estate, it’s about education. According to Howard French, “China has already pulled off one of the most remarkable expansions of education in modern times, increasing the number of undergraduates and people who hold doctoral degrees fivefold in 10 years.”

Something that I found quite interesting is the idea of creating great universities in a country that still tightly regulates freedom of speech, expression, etc. Imagine having the free-spirited professors (and students) of U.C. Berkeley in China; I’m sure the government wouldn’t appreciate that. After all, isn’t one purpose of a university to promote free thinking and revolutionary ideas? The Chinese government will eventually have to change its stance on freedom of expression in order to make this more of a reality. For now, China can try and create great universities from a non-liberal arts point of view.

Remembering a Remarkable Woman

For those of you who haven’t yet heard, Rosa Parks passed away yesterday (24 October 2005). I would like to pay my respects to this noble woman who changed the course of history with such a simple act: she refused to give up her bus seat that fateful evening on 1 December 1955. I will not go into much detail about her life, but I would like you to reflect on what has gone on during these last 50 years. Can you believe it? Fifty years have passed since this historic event occurred. I urge all people to remember racial equality and respect towards all mankind. Have a wonderful day. If you would like to learn more about Rosa Parks, please visit the Academy of Achievement web site (or Google it).

Etiquette and Mormons — Does it exist?

Mormons don’t seem to always know proper etiquette. Or maybe it’s just me. However, this past weekend, I had the opportunity to attend a concert sponsored by O.C. Tanner and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It was great to hear the Mormon Tabernacle Choir accompanied by the Utah Symphony (with special guests, Ronan Tynan and Leahy). The concert was wonderful and I enjoyed it very much. However, I don’t believe that it was worthy of four standing ovations. This actually surprised me. I’ve been to several concerts held at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City and many other concerts, operas, ballets, etc. held in the DeJong Concert Hall at BYU. Normally, there’s just one standing ovation at the end (and I still don’t agree with this). But four?!?! They were good, but they weren’t that good. I don’t know why Mormons have to take away the special meaning of a standing ovation. I guess the same would apply to encores. This one actually applies outside of the Mormon culture, so I won’t press the issue here.

Also, at weddings, why is it that many LDS people choose not to dress up? They show up in shorts, jeans, wear tennis shoes, etc. People, you weren’t invited to go to the beach. You were graciously invited to a wedding. Show some respect to the bride and groom and dress appropriately (slacks, dress shirt, and tie unless otherwise specified). Also, when people pay money for a DJ, be courteous and dance for some time (even if it’s not for a long time). There’s nothing worse than having a dance floor with three people on it. Nobody likes it.

Homecoming

With BYU’s Homecoming game happening tomorrow night, I thought that I’d share some thoughts about this whole homecoming event. First, what ever happened to BYU’s homecoming queens? They still have their pictures on the walls of the Wilkinson Student Center from the 70s. Some of them were quite beautiful and I’m still searching for their daughters here at BYU. ( Anyway, this year I haven’t been much into the homecoming scene. I haven’t participated in the special Homecoming kick-off, the noonday activities, etc.

But, I will be in the parade. Yes, who ever imagined that I’d be part of some parade? Well, the Foosball Club is sponsoring a “float” and I will be on it. We even went as far as to get a foosball queen. After a “rigorous” interview, I’m happy to see that she’s still going through with it (we made her balance a book on her head and walk across the room). She’s even going to be wearing one of her old prom dresses. So, I must commend our beloved friend, Brooke, for her willing spirit.

So, I guess that even though I haven’t been as spirited this year (in regards to homecoming), I’m still doing my part. Are you doing yours?

Realities of Life

Now that I don’t have midterms (well, I technically have one that begins this afternoon), I’m taking the opportunity to write. Having finished my projects for the week on Tuesday, I thought that I’d be able to go to bed before 1 a.m. Well, that hasn’t been the case these past few days. As I mentioned in a previous post, I tried going to bed before midnight. Since I’ve recently reprogrammed my body to stay up later, I’ve had trouble go to bed earlier. Hopefully this will revert back to normal in the next few days. I really enjoyed going to bed between 10:30 and 11:00 p.m.

Video iPod - Gotta Have It?

Whether you like Apple or not (I don't see how you cannot like them), you have to give credit to Steve Jobs and his faithful following. They manage to make headline news every few weeks. If you haven't heard, the latest revolutionary product to come out is the Video iPod. I first heard about this about 2 weeks ago. Having now read more extensively, I am convinced that this is the greatest portable player currently out on the market.

In fact, I almost bought one, but then I stopped myself. I really don't have the money and since I made the decision not to buy a snowboard/season pass, how can I justify spending $370 on a new iPod? Alright, my logic isn't very convincing since I'm encouraging people to buy the new video iPod, even though I haven't bought one. Well, I best be getting back to class.

Well, if you want the opinion of somebody who has already used it, check out this review by the LA Times.

Blogging — Surprisingly Simple

What's strange is that I've had this account for some time, but I didn't actually create my blog until now. I give credit to my good friend, Jake Lybbert, for pushing me to become a blogger. He probably doesn't know it, but since I'm supposed to be helping him out with his blog (onlifeandlybberty.blogspot.com), I decided that I should become familiar with Blogger.com. Anyway, I was lying in bed thinking that I'd get to bed early (i.e., before midnight), but sleep did not come to me, so I decided to get up and create my blog. It's a work and progress, but I appreciate any comments anybody might have.

Cheers.