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February 10, 2012
Lisa M. Krieger: Man with defibrillator demands access to his own heart's information
David G. Savage: Why activists may not be in a hurry to have High Court rule on alternative marriage
February 9, 2012
Laura McMullen: 10 Least Expensive Public Schools for Out-of-State Students
Kimberly Palmer: How to actually enjoy -- relaxing, financially -- your vacation
February 8, 2012
Warren Richey: Why momentous Prop. 8 ruling might not satisfy gay-rights groups
Menachem Wecker: Though Controversial, LL.M.'s Can Lead to Specialized Legal Jobs
The Kosher Gourmet byDana Velden: Going to the bother of making soup? You know it better be good. This CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP certainly is! And it's a cinch to make, too (Includes techinques and serving secrets)
February 7, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Caught off-guard? President's Super Bowl interview with Matt Lauer gives those who need a reason not to vote for him, a darn good one
Suzanne Bohan: Leaping lizards! Tiny reptiles advancing robot design
February 6, 2012
Jonathan Tobin: Iran Threatens Israel With Destruction, But the New York Times Doesn't Hear It
Jeffrey Fleishman: In newly democratic Egypt, tens of democracy activists jailed, to stand trial; their groups are 'threatening the stability of the homeland'
Julie Deardorff : Researchers say antioxidants may not be that effective and could do more harm than good
Mark Clayton: How did Anonymous hackers eavesdrop on FBI and Scotland Yard?
February 3, 2012
Edmund Sanders : Israeli official says Iran is creating missile that could reach East Coast of US
Victoria Kim: Immigrant-smuggling ring used black drivers to avoid racial profiling
February 2, 2012
Jim Carney: Wrong number call may have saved her life
Reza Kahlili : Ex-CIA spy in Iran's Revolutionary Guard: What Obama doesn't grasp about striking deals with Tehran
Tina Susman: For woodchuck rescuer, every day is Groundhog Day
February 1, 2012
Brian Bennett: US officials see increasing threat of domestic attack from Iran
Emily Brandon: How to Take Advantage of New 401(k) Fee Disclosures
January 31, 2012
January 30, 2012
Paul Richter and Ramin Mostaghim: Misreading Teheran's limits -- deadly and economically devastating as they may be -- is a risk administration, Europe seem willing to take
Suzanne Bohan: Warning: Nap-deprived tots missing more than sleep, study finds
Meg Handley: Banks Revamping Rewards Programs to Woo Customers
January 27, 2012
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Yochonon Donn: In liberal New York City, fervently-Orthodox Jews may soon be getting a district to call their own
Jeannine Stein: An inflated ego and thinking you're 'all that' doesn't just make others sick of you, it can make you ill
Katy Hopkins: New budget rules may affect how much money you get for college
January 26, 2012
Ed Koch: To the New York Times, calling for the murder of Jews by those capable of having their incitement taken seriously isn't news
Jeannine Stein: Mental illness struck one in five U.S. adults in 2010: Report
January 25, 2012
Richard Simon: House passes two bills endorsing the use of religious symbols at military memorials
Fred Weir: Putin: Multiethnic Russia cannot survive as a US-style 'melting pot'; must find its own way
Susan Johnston: 5 Sneaky Coupon Strategies Consumers Should Watch Out For
January 24, 2012
Carol Clark: The price of your soul: How your brain decides whether to 'sell out'
Caroline B. Glick: America lost most in 'Arab Spring'. Sadly, many voters still don't grasp the extent
Warren Richey: Drug criminal scores win in GPS ruling from conservative-leaning high court
Erika Bolstad: Black conservatives gather to talk about gaining strength
January 23, 2012
Melissa Dribben: Jewish voters to play a key role in Florida's Republican primary
Jordan Rau: In quest to grow, Catholic hospital system will announce this morning its break from church
Ali Safi: U.S. envoy gives Taliban terms for peace talks
January 19, 2012
January 18, 2012
January 17, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney Jr.: No-kidding red lines: U.S. response to an Iranian nuke may be bluster, but Israel's won't be
David G. Savage: They sued their principals after slandering them online --- now the cases are headed to the Supreme Court
David Francis: Where to Invest in 2012: With stocks expected to rebound, opportunity abounds for investors
January 13, 2012
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Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz: Thriving through touch: Gentle massage helps older people with low mobility improve in mind and body
January 12, 2012
Warren Richey: Landmark Supreme Court ruling a 'resounding win' for religious groups
Warren Richey: Supreme Court says no to new rule on eyewitness testimony
John Fauber : Statins found to raise diabetes risk in postmenopausal women
Katy Hopkins : Consider This Before You Pay for an Online Degree
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January 11, 2012
Shari Roan: Millions of atrial fibrillation sufferers at risk for devastating, but preventable, stroke
Tom Hussain: Pakistan -- recipient of more than $21 billion in civilian and military aid -- speeds pursuit of Iranian pipeline, defying US
David G. Savage: High court signals it won't be loosening TV's 'indecency' rules
Stephen Ceasar: Oklahoma's Islamic law amendment can't go into effect, court rules
January 10, 2012
Reza Kahlili: From an ex-CIA spy: US must exploit new split in Iran's Revolutionary Guard
Karen Kaplan: Study: Nicotine replacement products ineffective when used in real-life situations
January 9, 2012
Michael Doyle: Put through legal hell over dream home, couple fought back hard --- all the way to Supreme Court
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Jewish World Review
April 27, 2009
/ 3 Iyar 5769
Not the way I recall college
By
Mitch Albom
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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
If you want to feel nostalgic, go back to college. Not your college. Any college. In the last nine months, I have taken four campus tours of major universities in an effort to find the best spot for one of my nephews.
We traveled to Stanford, Dartmouth, Tulane and Michigan. These are all excellent schools (hey, he's a smart kid), but it could have been Cheesy State or Open-To-All-U.
College, today, is a trip.
At each place, we were greeted by student guides. These kids are, and it's amazing how true this was everywhere we went, severely over-caffeinated. They put the bubble in "bubbly." One young woman at Stanford, freshly scrubbed and wearing flip-flops, walked backward quickly as she toured us and said the word "amazing" at least a thousand times.
This professor was amazing! This lab was amazing! This overseas program was amazing!
And, of course, she was right. Because college today is amazing especially if the last time you lived in a dorm was 25 years ago. The rooms haven't gotten much bigger, but they now have cable TV, Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs in the lounges, personal microwaves allowed.
I didn't see any small chocolates on the pillows, but it wouldn't have surprised me.
By the way, in many dorms, the guys now have rooms next to the girls. That stunned me. It stunned some of the kids on the tour as well. They couldn't understand why there weren't mixed-sex roommates.
SO MUCH TO DO, SO LITTLE TIME
Then there are the facilities. Buildings that look like corporate world headquarters. Bike paths. International houses. At Tulane, we were taken to a gym/sports complex that made me want to turn in my health club membership.
Speaking of Tulane, perhaps it's the New Orleans influence, but its cafeteria had better food than my wedding.
Groups? You can join everything from Save the Rainforest to Barbershop Quartets.
Activities? Well. You wonder how any kid has time to study. There are so many "amazing" lectures, parties, exhibits, celebrations. In one small stretch at Stanford, it had a forum on Tibet, a dance marathon, the Kronos Quartet, a lecture by the executive producer of the "Batman" movies and a Rubik's Cube competition.
I'm exhausted.
When I remember foreign exchange programs, I recall London, Spain and maybe Brazil as choices. The schools today have 40, 50, 60 countries on the roster. One school told us you can pick a country, and it will find a school to partner with.
Pick a country?
GET OUT THE CHECKBOOK
Now it may be because I went to a small school in the Northeast, but we got excited with intramural basketball. A stereo was major technology. A Friday night concert was a big deal on campus. And when they got a soft-serve ice cream machine, well, we were pretty much done.
So you can understand how I went through these tours with my mouth open. Especially in the cafeterias. (By the way, these campuses all have coffee shops, everywhere you look, which may explain the overly perky guides.) And we haven't even gotten to the community public service hours, the flexible year planning (Dartmouth basically lets you tell it what semesters you want to come to school) or the stock market lab that we saw on one campus (you start with a fictional $100,000; who says academia is out of touch?).
Of course, all of this will only cost you a mere $50,000 a year in most places, maybe a drizzle less or more. But what's $200,000 for a degree when the cafeteria has make-your-own-waffles?
I had a great time on these tours. And I was sad that I wasn't starting out in college these days and also glad. I couldn't handle the challenge of finding time for classes.
By the way, my nephew chose Michigan. It's a great school. And he's not really into a cappella.
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