Several years ago, I was invited to teach a literary translation class at the college in my small town in Montana, something that was completely out of my profession as I was a civil engineer with a master’s degree in Information Systems. Moreover, it was not part of my remotest dreams but since at the … Continued
Sure, I had studied the Incas in school. I knew about Machu Picchu or I thought that I did. “You cannot judge a man until you walk a mile in his shoes” from To Kill a Mocking Bird describes my moment. The trail went through the Andes, we were able to interact with local villagers. … Continued
My Humanities Moment came earlier this year as I watched the news reporting on North Korea’s recent test launch of a ballistic missile coming on the heels of Iran shooting down a drone and possibly attacking oil fields and facilities in Saudi Arabia. Having spent twenty years in the military and ten more working for … Continued
The guiding question for my Humanities Moment pertains to the most recent film that I cannot stop talking about with my peers, friends, family and strangers. As a self-described film aficionado, I typically find myself at the movie theater 2-3 times a week. I definitely appreciate the power and effect films can have on our … Continued
My Humanities Moment starts off years before I became a teacher, but it culminated when I realized what my ultimately mission was as a teacher. When I grew up, I was a very poor student, and there were many reasons why (poverty-level upbringing, broken home, alcoholic parent, mentally-handicapped parent, poorly identified learning disabilities, etc…). most … Continued
“Because a warrior carries helmet and breastplate for his own protection, but his shield for the safety of the whole line.” ― Steven Pressfield, Gates of Fire Like many parents, I have always felt like I am my families shield. It was not until I read this novel that I understood the importance of that … Continued
Matt Smith is a nationally recognized musician, founder of Six String Ranch, and Music Studio Director of Phoenix Academy Austin, a youth residential drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility. Here he recounts how, as a young street musician, he came to understand both the importance of deep listening and the power of manipulative rhetoric. In addition … Continued
I could do several Humanities Hours out of Humanities Moments – there are so many passages and ideas that have animated my imagination. I first find myself drawn to the heart-wrenching climax of Cervantes’s novel Don Quixote, but to describe that would be to reveal the ending, which I would feel queasy doing. So I’m … Continued
The most literal definition of the word humanities as always fascinated me. What could be cooler than getting to the very crux of what it means to be human by studying all the unique, beautiful, and awe inspiring things humanity has created? Humanists get to study the “whoa” and the “wow” moments of the human … Continued
I was born in Boston and raised in New England. I attended an elite, all-girls, private school in New England, which was established in 1854 with the mission of turning out highly educated, capable young ladies, even before college was an option for all. So by the time I got there in the 1960s and … Continued