Introduction I previously wrote about “The Mathematics of Ranked Choice Voting” (RCV) for this blog, using simple, concrete examples to demonstrate how the RCV method is used to determine an election winner. In the surrounding discussion, I also illustrated some arguments made by proponents of using RCV in place of the more common plurality voting […]
There are blogs, books, podcasts—an entire industry devoted to gratitude. There are gratitude journals, complete with prompts in case you are stumped about how to express it. There are gratitude experts: Dr. Robert Emmons, a psychologist and professor, and Gretchen Rubin, blogger and author of “The Happiness Project.” There’s scientific research touting the many health […]
As an instructor, after the COVID-crisis disrupted the spring 2020 semester I often found myself wondering what impacts this global pandemic was having on the students I’d come to know in my classroom. To my surprise, an assignment innovation I first introduced in my Principles of Microeconomics course around ten years ago provided a unique […]
Introduction: Elections are Group Decisions We have a Presidential election happening very soon and there’s a lot at stake on ballots across the country. Here in Massachusetts, in addition to electing representatives to federal, state, and local offices, we also have an opportunity to change the way we will calculate election winners in the future. […]
2020 has been a game-changer, especially for many of you who entered college this fall in a world altered by COVID-19. Your experience is likely similar to my own son’s. In the bizarre blur since March, Evan shifted to online learning, completed high school, and entered college. No prom. No customary graduation ceremony. No face-to-face […]
Why do some people not care about facts? In the Digital Misinformation Age, critical thinking is often replaced with more immediate forms of gratification. In general, whether we like it or not, much of our behavior is unconsciously caused. Reward seeking behavior driven largely by the pleasure center of our brain provides one of the […]
Having grown up playing video games almost my entire life, I have always had a deep-rooted love for them – so much so that they became the focus of my academic research, and a big component of my teaching. In my several years of experience teaching gaming-related courses and now helping to develop Emmanuel College’s […]
On October 1, 1950, the Boston Globe published an article on the feast of Saint Rosalia, the patron saint of Palermo. As the colorful and festive event unfolded in the Italian North End, a member of the processional band, the tuba player, was captured in a photo eating “a piece of pizza, famous Italian tomato-spice-cheese […]
Lots! While the Registrar may seem mysterious or just the office where you sign up for classes or request a transcript, a Registrar’s Office does many things for students, their institution, and are connected to pretty much every department on campus! The Registrar’s Office is the “Keeper of the Academic Record.” Our job is to […]
“Life is a succession of lessons,” counseled nineteenth-century writer Ralph Waldo Emerson, “which must be lived to be understood.” The Emmanuel community is being schooled in some difficult lessons as together we navigate the abrupt pivot to a remote campus and fully online teaching. Faculty and students alike mourn for daily routines now completely upended. […]
About Insights
Insights is a collaborative blog in which members of Emmanuel College’s administration, faculty and staff share their authentic viewpoints, perspectives, thought leadership and examples of scholarly work. Focusing on the needs and curiosities of both prospective and current students, the blog provides an opportunity for readers to seek out, learn from and make connections with the greater Emmanuel community.
About Emmanuel
Many colleges talk about being "in the Boston area," but Emmanuel is at the city's very heart. This means unparalleled access to world-class internships, cultural experiences, recreation and more just steps from campus.