I’d like to begin a series of posts about signs of hope in the academy. There has been a lot of bad news lately, esp. involving the federal government. There have also been some signs of hope in our society, such as the Texas legislative battle and abortion clinic closings.
I’ve seen many articles about the distress in the academy, the demise of a genuine liberal arts education, the chronic illiteracy of students, and their tendency to fall under the influence of radically anti-life ideas.
As the school year begins I’d like to elicit from you any concrete signs you’ve seen in your work in the academy of real progress in the development of a culture of life. I’m thinking of anecdotes about actions, programs, events by students, by faculty, or by administrators that show that something is stirring among young collegians and among the academics. It could be anything from an increase in evidence in student work of pro-life sentiment to new centers and institutes. Anything in your daily work that makes you say, “There’s hope!”
I personally know some very zealous pro-life undergrads, thousands of whom gather annually in DC for the March for Life. I’m also excited about the new Prolife Center at the University of St. Thomas.
If you would like to contribute a sign of hope, please e-mail me at [email protected]. I will post it on the blog, plus it will be included in a summary article in the ProVita Online newsletter of the UFL. If you want your name used in the post or article, let me know. Otherwise I’ll presume you want to be anonymous.