Opinion

Mind Ablaze

Source: The New York Times

Critic Jayne Anne Phillips outlines Stephen Crane’s life as she reviews Stephen Crane: A Life of Fire, a 2014 biography of the American author written by Paul Sorrentino.

3 Reasons Why Chinese Workers Were the MVP’s on the Transcontinental Railroad

Source: Medium

Chinese immigrants made significant contributions to the building of the Transcontinental Railroad. Completed in 1869, their work went largely unrecognized at the time.

Are we raising a generation of nature-phobic kids?

Source: Los Angeles Times

James Campbell, author of Braving It: A Father, A Daughter, and an Unforgettable Journey into the Alaskan Wild, discusses scientific research that shows children have become more afraid of being outside and argues that parents should take their kids out into nature.

Measuring Success in the Game of Life

Source: Psychology Today

Po Chi Wu, a professor of entrepeneurship and innovation at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, asks how to define success and whether that definition requires people to compare themselves to others.

PRO AND CON: Should Confederate monuments be removed?

Source: Richmond Times-Dispatch

Read two differing arguments about whether Confederate statues should be removed from public places. Remember to analyze the authors’ reasoning and supporting evidence.

Education Innovation in the Slums

Source: TED

In this video, education researcher Charles Leadbeater argues that more disruptive innovation and informal settings will improve the aging education system in both developed and deveoping nations.

Hashtag activism is fleeting

Source: The Baltimore Sun

Columbia University graduate student Nick Donias argues that protest movements must move beyond slogans and hashtags in order to affect long-term change.

Extracting the Woodchuck

Source: Harvard Magazine

In this biographical essay, literary critic Adam Kirsch argues that Robert Frost led a kind of double life that was necessary to create his acclaimed poetry.