Connecting teaching and research to communities

"I like the land-grant mission—good teaching, good research, and connecting those two activities through work with the community. Every time we can accomplish something in that broader context, we've done well." Tom Scott, former director of CURA (Center for Urban and Regional Affairs.

Scott's quote struck me. The university system, weighted down by offices, departments, initiatives, centers, and programs; layers which cause transparency to become opaque. What is the University doing? Where is the money going? What benefit does the public receive? It is refreshing to have someone within (or formerly within) the univeristy asking those questions, and I think CURA does that well. To be loyal and critical at the same time-- to respectfully question-- what a role, what a challenge! I'm hopeful that others will continue in his post as advocates and practitioners of the land grant mission.

Almost-Monday-Reminder

Giving thanks.

Thanks for roommates and friends and gut-spilling and older wise women and phone calls and honesty and moms and laundry and popcorn and brothers and sisters-in-law and beer and sufjan and blogs and grad program possibilities and internet and conflict and found keys and hope in the hope-giver.

"So in our darkest times he came, He who is the Light of the morning came to us. He is faithful that promised. We say, then, to anyone who is under trial, give Him time to steep the soul in His eternal truth. Give Him time and, as surely as dawn follows night, there will break upon the heart a sense of certainty that cannot be shaken."

-Amy Carmichael writes to my soul. Prescription: read this three times a day until tests and applications are done. And continue to GIVE THANKS.

Food security and climate change

A changing climate brings world wide challenges. As glaciers shrink, global water levels will change, which causes crucial rivers to dry up, which directly impacts agriculture. Lester Brown, author of an updated "Plan B 4.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization," expounds on this point and clearly exposes the link between global warming and food security. This link is jaw dropping, and needs to be studied further! In this interview, Lester sounds like a prophet with dire warnings for the world, and without many solutions.

If these warnings are taken seriously, it's obvious why scientists are freaking out. I would be too, but my faith whispers "Christine, the earth is His and the fullness thereof. God is the author of civilization, and he alone can save it. Man has gotten us into this mess, and man cannot get it out of it! But dependent on God, and repentant of our sinful ways, seek Him earnestly in this crisis! Without him, there certainly is no Plan B, C, or D...."