Whatever your religious preference, year-end offers a cornucopia of celebrations. Perhaps your family tradition includes feasting on turkey or Tofurky, followed by exercising credit cards on Black Friday morn. Maybe you display an Advent wreath and light candles as a way to prepare for the Nativity. Or, perhaps you’re a historian who mourns the attack…
While we would like to pretend otherwise, death will come to all. Día de los Muertos, Day of the Dead, originated in Mexico. The festivities honor those who have gone before and marks life’s end as an occasion for hope and cheer. Celebrated annually from 31 October to 2 November, the holiday corresponds to Halloween,…
In a mandatory writing class, my professor emphasized proper citation of sources. She gave an example of what NOT to do based on her membership on the university’s board that investigates alleged lapses of academic integrity. One accused student defended himself by throwing his mother under the bus: “It wasn’t my fault. My mother wrote…
From the time they can talk, children ask a multitude of questions about the world and the people around them: Why is the sky blue? How can a tree grow from a seed? Are God and Santa Claus the same person? Around age 5, many parents hand off their children to schools for 12 years…
Kris Casey chose a serendipitous approach for her post-work life. Upon retirement from a corporate accounting job, she was exhausted and burned out. It took 10 months before she felt restored enough to plan her next steps. She used this time primarily for fitness: working out at a gym, walking and bike riding, and catching…
When I met Jack Norton he was eighty years old: energetic, outgoing and long-since retired after almost forty years in the US Army. I’d been waiting on a friend in the bar at West Point’s Thayer Hotel when he walked in and pulled up a chair. Norton was there for an alumni conference and wore…
“Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.” ERA amendment text Just one more state is needed to reach the magic number (3/4 of states) in order for the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) to become an amendment. Currently, thirty…
