What’s the hardest decision you’ve ever had to make? Why? Sometimes, you’re asked a question, and you have to replay your entire life in your mind—rewind, fast-forward, stop, play, then more rewinding… Did you miss any details, and did you see enough of the highlights? Rewind again…. Or maybe it’s more like checking your analytics.Continue reading “Hard Choices”
Tag Archives: doctorate
Caught in the Web(page)
What are your favorite websites? Do I have favorite websites? There are those places I love to hate: Facebook is one of these, and how many of us are sorry we sold our souls (and posted all those photos we probably have no other access to now) to the great and powerful Zuck? Sidebar: yes,Continue reading “Caught in the Web(page)”
Nickname?
What’s the story behind your nickname? In another blog post I talked about the origin of my avatar’s name, and how I came up with Phorkyad Acropolis. Here we focus on my real life name. To begin, I don’t really have a nickname, per se. My birth certificate says, “Stephen Alan Schrum.” My mother onceContinue reading “Nickname?”
Pirate or Ninja?
Are you a leader or a follower? My title is not an equivalent question to today’s prompt (“Are you a leader or a follower?”) but it’s the first thing I thought of when I saw the question. I would always ask students to introduce themselves on the first day of classes, and I wanted themContinue reading “Pirate or Ninja?”
“Do You Play Pool?”
Share a story about someone who had a positive impact on your life. In the past I’ve told the story about the high school nun who set me on a path into the arts, and also my college theatre professor who served as my gateway into my academic career. So let me tell you nowContinue reading ““Do You Play Pool?””
Covid Changes Everything!
How have you adapted to the changes brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic? My post title is taken from the Cindi Lauper song, “Money Changes Everything.” Although, as we noted during the pandemic, some people refused to change, or even acknowledge there was such a thing. I’m amazed that such ignorance did not lead toContinue reading “Covid Changes Everything!”
Education IS Important
What’s something most people don’t understand? Free and public education seems to not only be taken for granted lately, but is also under attack. In our social media/misinformation-filled world, people seem to have forgotten how important education is. Occasionally I’ll get a friend request on Facebook. When I look at their profile, I see theyContinue reading “Education IS Important”
Confidence? Umm…
How would you rate your confidence level? I have a PhD from UC Berkeley. I’ve presented at national and international conferences. I’ve taught for 31 years. So anyone would think my confidence level would be high. But in another blog post I mentioned the 10 year old boy who hides inside me and undermines thatContinue reading “Confidence? Umm…”
Independent-Thinking Scholar
At conferences, I would sometimes see the title, “Independent Scholar” and, in my snobby way, I would think, “Well, that person can’t find a real job.” Of course, maybe they chose that route. The title of this blog post suggest a scholar who thinks independently of what he or she has been taught. In myContinue reading “Independent-Thinking Scholar”
Podcasts 51 and 52 Part 2
In my previous blog entry I talked about podcast episodes number 51 and 52. Here is a postscript to one aspect of that story. In episode 51 I talked a bit about the comprehensive exams. For those, we were placed in a room for four days, three hours each day, and were expected to writeContinue reading “Podcasts 51 and 52 Part 2”
