Sweet Dates and Dead Oaks: The Dichotomy of Gratitude and Grief

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 […]

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Lessons in Reading and Resilience

“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. […]

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Teaching through Travel: How Short, Immersive Experiences Abroad Enhance Classroom Learning

It’s difficult to argue the benefits of study abroad for college students—cultural immersion, language skills, new friends and professional connections, personal development and, for some, graduate school and career opportunities. But many students are unable to dedicate an entire semester to traditional international travel, due to financial constraints or an already rigorous course load. Since […]

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The Myth of the Writer as Genius

One of the first things students considering a major in writing need to understand is that they do not have to be geniuses to be good writers. The myth of the writer as genius is probably the single greatest obstacle that otherwise interested, talented and hardworking students have to overcome to pursue a career path […]

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