Category: college

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What College freshman Know?

wine, Laura and Song make a great life

Part of what makes life interesting is all the changes we experience as time goes by. Some people lament that younger and older folks really have a hard time understanding our generation. There is some reason for this. We are forged by the events of importance in our lives… and to understand someone, we must first put them in context. Boomers can tell you exactly where they were when they heard that President Kennedy was assassinated, older still will recall vividly when they first heard that President Roosevelt passed away. Today’s generation “flash bulb” memory is 911.

So to supplement what my  Professor bride discussed in her blog  ( about what incoming college freshman know from their lives), here is a few other things that happened in their birth year (1989):

Cuban troops leave Angola 

Soviet troops leave Afghanistan 

 

Los Angeles City Council bans sales of automatic weapons 

 

Iranian leader urges Muslims to kill Salman Rushdie for his writings, puts $3 million dollar reward… however, Iranian leader dies within year 

 

Time Warner merge 

 

2 asteroids come close to earth (Asceleptious & a thousand foot chunk) 

 

First free elections, new Soviet parliament goes against Russian Communists 

 

Dilbert is first syndicated… life in a cubical is exposed! 

 

Nintendo begins selling game boy in Japan 

 

Borders start coming down… Hungary with Austria 

 

South Africa’s last election under apartheid 

 

Disney’s “Little Mermaid” comes to theaters 


Famous deaths: Konrad Lorenz, Salvador Dali, Jim Backus, Irving Berlin, Secretariat,

A lot of good things have happened since 1989, but we have many new challenges and no generation has it ‘easy.’

Good Luck to the Class of 2011… the world belongs to you!

Roger Freberg

PS. In 1989, Laura and I had been married for 17 years with three young children ( 10, 7 and 5 years of age)

 

 

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Only YOU can invest in YOUR future!

What, me worry?

Here is my daughter  Karen  relaxing at our home in San Luis Obispo. My girls often take over my favorite spots when they come home… and that’s fine with me. They work hard, play hard and from time to time they let me spoil them…. they make me proud.

On Saturday, I am fixing a South African ‘Welcome Home & Happy ‘SC Graduation’ Celebration… a little respite from Jenny Craig… a ‘planned’ excursion into gastronomical delights! Oh yes,  Kristin  gets the same treatment when she comes home in December: Dad’s pancakes, Turducken, barbecued ribs & specialty baked beans.  They tell me, these are the ‘smells and sounds of home that they love.

I believe that parents are the ‘pit crew’ for the ‘next …  greatest generation.’ As I have often said to young people,” if you are standing on the podium having a gold medal put around your neck… then someone was successful in seeing that you got your chance… but it was your hard work that got you there.”

Fight On!

Roger Freberg

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Public Service Academy? training or indoctrination?

Some ideas just don't want to go awaySOMEONE suggested the concept of a “Public Service Academy”  Hmmm… although it sounds ‘innocent’ enough, I found one quote unsettling:

“I think just like our military academies, we need to give a totally all-paid education to young men and women who will serve their country in a public service position.”

What is of concern is something about a national academy for the training of all those entering Public Service. By te way, what do they mean by ‘public service’?…. & why do we need this, again? I suspect we are not talking just about Americorp or the Peace Corp… but developing ‘leaders’ for local, state and government office … and activists? Kinda like someone wants a ‘farm team’.

In politics today, many political leaders start off on the bottom rungs by volunteering for committees attached to some local political entity… a city or county. Often, many are asked to participate by local political groups, which is neither all that sinister or surprising. Although this is not necessarily a great system to help develop our future leaders, I am suspicious of making the process too streamlined and too easily manipulated & abused.

Roger Freberg

PS. By the way, don’t be fooled, this idea has been around before….

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Greg Lukianoff’s Free Speech!

Some of my friends are even...er... liberals

Yep, this ol’ boy does like those liberals every once in a while. Especially, anyone who practices what he preaches. Greg Lukianoff is one of those thoughtful, sincere individuals that you can’t help but like.

I first ran into Greg at  theFire.Org.  This is an organization that supports folks who have had their free speech trampled on at any of the major universities in our great country. TheFire.Org has found itself representing many folks including conservative students, faculty and organizations that found them in the liberal cross hairs. He has said that trends change and he’d hate to see the guns turning into the faces of liberals as time rolls on. Greg is into ‘fairness’… what a concept!

I guess, I admire Greg… however, I don’t feel the same about saving folks like Ward Churchill.

So, whether you are conservative or liberal, Greg’s Blog is worth a look.  CHECK IT OUT!

Roger Freberg

 

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Controlling Anonymity on the Internet

contolling the world of anonymity

Psychologists and anyone who studies human nature knows that anonymity can bring out the worst in people. This is why ‘terrorists’ love masks. Yes, there are those wonderful anonymous good Samaritans in life and on the net… but they are rare. Many folks put on the hood of evil to let their own personal demons out on the world and it amazes me who these people are in reality. Unfortunately, many of these are just average folks… with issues.

I know one athletic board that is frequented by young athletes and their coaches that has since descended into meaninglessness due to anonymous bullying. Controlling bad behavior and eliminating anonymity keeps a board useful, informative and productive. Posters & coaches who have not earned their laurels on the field try to claim them on boards… unfortunately, bullying isn’t always limited to the bad coaches and less accomplished athletes. Athletics — I fear — has its share of psychopaths.

Cyber bullies and cyber gangs can dominate chat rooms and various posting boards if left uncontrolled. Their acrimonious methods and unethical and abusive tactics are much the same. However, regardless of their behavior they are all masked in anonymity. The better boards control for this by demanding verifiable emails and personal data from posters. There are some boards where nastiness occurs even when you KNOW who they are… but they’d no doubt be worse were they anonymous.

It takes effort to keep boards focused… but it benefits everyone.

Roger Freberg