Alex Chediak

Helping young adults thrive at college and beyond

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Alex Chediak

Why Focusing Too Narrowly in College Could Backfire

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Insightful commentary from Peter Cappelli in the Wall Street Journal on the danger of over-specializing in college. Being a business or engineering major is one thing, but narrower specializations like hospital financing, casino management (ethics aside), and pharmaceutical marketing, can backfire. For students in all majors, broad, general learning skills (like critical thinking, problem solving, and writing) are of tremendous importance. More on this in chapter 10 of Preparing Your Teens for College. Capelli writes: … [Read more...] about Why Focusing Too Narrowly in College Could Backfire

Malcolm Gladwell’s Rediscovery of Faith

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Those who have enjoyed following the best-selling work of Malcolm Gladwell will find his article in Relevant to be a fascinating insight into the iconoclastic author's religious roots, faith rediscovery, his latest book, and even his research methods. To the best of my knowledge, Gladwell's theology is undeveloped at best. But I think there's a valuable lesson in what he says about "seeing God's power." The closing: I have always believed in God. I have grasped the logic of Christian faith. What I have had a hard time seeing is God’s power. … [Read more...] about Malcolm Gladwell’s Rediscovery of Faith

The Humanities Have Forgotten Their Humanity

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Heather MacDonald unpacks how political correctness is contributing to the demise of the humanities at UCLA (and elsewhere): In 2011, the University of California at Los Angeles wrecked its English major. Such a development may seem insignificant, compared with, say, the federal takeover of health care. It is not. What happened at UCLA is part of a momentous shift that bears on our relationship to the past—and to civilization itself. MacDonald explains that the evisceration of the core curriculum (not surprisingly) results in students losing interest in studying the humanities. Victor Davis … [Read more...] about The Humanities Have Forgotten Their Humanity

Why Working Class Men Are Falling Behind

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Michael Jindra writes: In my work as an anthropologist, I’ve become convinced that American lifestyles are increasingly diverging between “hyper-achievers” trained early on to succeed, and those often labeled “slackers” whose lives revolve around entertainments of various sorts. You won’t be surprised to learn that a disproportionate percentage of “slackers” are men. Males, particularly in the working class, are working less, earning less, and are increasingly disconnected from families and from society as a whole. The future prospects for many working-class men seem very dim. … [Read more...] about Why Working Class Men Are Falling Behind