tony clennell on mon 25 jun 12
Since I was one of the people from Clayart that left a successful studio
practice at age 55 to pursue a MFA I thought maybe I might have a
perspective. I ended up graduating at age 58 which is a tad late to secure
a full time position. I have however landed two adjunct positions- one at
Sheridan College School of Craft and Design and one at Ontario College of
Art and Design University. Both pay well and offer me some security in
these uncertain times. It is easier to get a car loan when you have a
teaching job than when you are a self employed potter with sales that go up
and down like a toilet seat at a mixed party. I also discovered how
"WONDERFUL" it is to be in the studio making pots and not teaching. I love
teaching but making pots with no grading, no staff meetings, no
administrivia is something I had taken for granted.
I came out of my MFA $27,000 in debt. That debt was incurred as I had to
keep my wife alive in a house, with a car, and insurance and all that
stuff. I was able to live in Utah on my teaching stipend. I paid off the
student debt with savings made from years of making pots.
Was it worth it???? Oh yes! I don't have full time hours but I get paid
over $100 an hour for my teaching. I know, I know I put in lots more hours
than I get paid for. The advantage you have in the US is that almost every
two horse town has a college with a Ceramics program. If you have your MFA
and you can teach a day or two and make pots in my estimation you have the
best of two worlds. A bit of security and the freedom to be an artist.
It is true that there are hundreds upon hundreds of MFA's that want my
adjunct jobs. It is competitive but so is making pots. There are thousands
of potters out there that are all after your customers. That is life!
gotta go slip some teapots.
tc
--
http://smokieclennell.blogspot.com
John Britt on tue 26 jun 12
Tony,=3D20
They pay you $100 and hour in Canada?=3D20=3D20
They pay about $30 here. Maybe $3,000 - $4,000 a class best I can=3D20
remember. (15 weeks for 6 hours a week and of course that doesn't count=3D2=
0=3D
prep or clean up or extra for kiln firing, etc.)
John Britt Pottery
Lee on tue 26 jun 12
On Tue, Jun 26, 2012 at 7:41 AM, John Britt wr=
=3D
ote:
> They pay about $30 here. =3DA0Maybe $3,000 - $4,000 =3DA0a class best I c=
an
> remember. (15 weeks for 6 hours a week and of course that doesn't count
> prep or clean up or extra for kiln firing, etc.)
NCC pays less. But the firing and all that stuff is done by other folks.
--=3D20
--
=3DA0Lee Love in Minneapolis
http://mingeisota.blogspot.com/
=3DA0"Ta tIr na n-=3DF3g ar chul an tI=3D97tIr dlainn trina ch=3DE9ile"=3D9=
7that is, =3D
"The
land of eternal youth is behind the house, a beautiful land fluent
within itself." -- John O'Donohue
shane mickey on wed 27 jun 12
hey all,
=3DC2=3DA0
As someone who teaches the next crop of potters I will chime in here also.
=3DC2=3DA0
An MFA has been a life saver for me. When the recession hit alot of my whol=
e=3D
sale
galleries bit the dust. I picked up a 2 day a week teaching gig. I fell bac=
k=3D
in love with teaching!!
Now i am working five days a week. Its at western piedmont com college's Pr=
o=3D
f crafts program.
The pay is 30 an hour and is not really that much hassle because of work st=
u=3D
dy students. The clay=3DC2=3DA0
mixing, kiln loading, cleaning is mostly done by students and if not studen=
t=3D
s then work study. This
gives me time to be in the office scheming up new ways to torture the stude=
n=3D
ts with projects that
make them think!
=3DC2=3DA0
I hardly feel that the mfa is a ponzey scam or a pyramid scheme! One simply=
=3D
chooses to go to get one.
Who's fault is it then if it doesnt produce and end result? Most likely the=
=3D
student. If you know in your
heart of hearts you never ever never want to teach at the college level, th=
e=3D
n dont go get an mfa.
If you want options of teaching and more FOCUSED time to work on your pots,=
=3D
then by all means
GO! If you look at the sweetest pots out there alot are being made by BFA =
=3D
=3DC2=3DA0and MFA students. This=3DC2=3DA0
shows the in depth studies one receives. When you go the route of just maki=
n=3D
g hundreds of pots
everyday the result is usually pots with less focus. usually.
shane mickey
=3DC2=3DA0
http://www.shanemickeypotterslife.blogspot.com/
James Freeman on wed 27 jun 12
I don't think the debate regarding an art degree, graduate or
undergraduate, needs to hinge on whether or not the degree pays off
financially, or in a strictly personal way. I think we can all agree that
some percentage of the graduates will benefit from the degree financially,
some in terms of personal growth, and some in both ways, but I think that
we can also agree that for very many, and according to the Georgetown study
probably for the vast majority, it does neither.
I personally believe that the real problem stems not from what the various
degree programs provide in terms of content, but rather from who they
accept into the program. A little story:
Years ago, I used to run a rather large and growing NASDAQ trading desk.
Contrary to what many investment pundits claim, trading the stock market is
not a science, it is an art. That is, there are no formulas, systems,
algorithms, or any other "rules" that can be taught and universally
applied. While the simple mechanics of the job can be taught, one must
have an inate "feel for the markets", the ability to sense patterns and
trends and to synthesize them into a plan of action, even if one cannot
explain what he or she sees or why he believes as he does. I possessed an
ability to see very quickly whether or not a trainee had this inner vision,
whether or not they were "cut out for" a trading career. If it became
clear to me that a given trainee just didn't have what it took to succeed
in trading, I would politely and mercifully, but quickly, terminate their
employment. Rather than allowing them to waste a year or more in a pursuit
for which they were not constitutionally suited and from which they would
never make a good living (even if they did not see this themselves), I
forced them to pursue other options, with the hope that they would find a
path which more suited their talents and abilities.
While this may seem cruel on the surface, it was in fact just the
opposite. Over the years, I have received many letters, and later, emails,
from folks I had fired, in which they actually thanked me for firing them.
Some recent examples are a gentleman who now runs hunting tours and a bed
and breakfast with his wife, one who runs his own management consultancy,
one who built a successful insurance practice, and one who became an
accountant. The one common factor is that they all said that I was able to
see that they were not cut out for their chosen career long before they
realized it for themselves, and that I saved them a lot of time and
frustration in the long run.
I think the problem with art education is similar. While the top art
schools are extremely competitive, I believe that very many state
universities and smaller liberal arts colleges are not, at least at the
undergraduate level. That is, they let students into the program who
clearly lack the talent, drive, or both, to succeed. One can verify this
by simply walking down the halls in various art departments and viewing
what is on the walls, easels, and sculpture stands. Would it not be kinder
to these students in the long run to tell them flat out that they likely
won't make it, or at least let them know how hard they are going to have to
fight if they do wish to pursue such a path? (And let's please not have the
"but who are we to say" argument. We aren't talking about Rudy.)
I heard a painting professor once tell a student, "If you can't draw, just
do abstract"! I almost descended into emesis! The student so advised
graduated with an art degree, then went on to pursue her career as a
cashier at a local hardware store chain. How much more merciful might it
have been to send her on her way BEFORE she incurred a mountain of student
loan debt, or to at least have guided her into a major which suited her
real abilities rather than her imagined ones? The current fad of
conceptual "art" notwithstanding, if you can't draw, be an English major.
Be an economics major. Be ANYTHING.
How many new art graduates, undergrad or masters, do we create and release
into the wild every year? Let's conservatively say that there are 10
colleges and universities with art programs in each state, or 500
programs. If each graduates, say, 10 undergrads and 2 MFAs per year, that
gives us 6000 new art graduates per year that we need to find a place for.
Are there actually 50 art programs per state? Then its 30,000 new art
grads every year. How many actual full-time art jobs, with hours and a
paycheck, are open each year? 10? 50? 100? How many tenure track
teaching positions? 50? How many adjunct positions? 500? Even if NONE
of last years' grads, or the year before's, or the year before that, apply
for those jobs, and if NONE of the folks who used to earn a living as an
art fair artist apply for those jobs, that still leaves a good 5000 new
grads every year (or many times that number) who won't find a job. How
many of those remaining will make a living as an art fair potter or other
freelance artist? While the numbers in the 1970s and 80s were probably
rather high, that just isn't the case anymore. The art and craft buying
public, at all but the very highest echelon (where we don't play), is way
down, and the competition for the remaining buyers is fierce. If we were
honest with students up front, perhaps there would be far fewer
underemployed and frustrated art majors.
Before the dung starts flying my way, note that these same arguments apply
to very many majors other than art. Philosophy majors? Psych majors?
Gender studies majors? Communications majors? History majors? Foreign
language majors? Sports majors? The list is long.
Just some things to think about. Off to unload a kiln full of objects the
world does not need. After that, I will haul, shovel, and spread gravel.
Shalom.
...James
James Freeman
"Talk sense to a fool, and he calls you foolish."
-Euripides
http://www.jamesfreemanstudio.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamesfreemanstudio/
http://www.jamesfreemanstudio.com/resources
POST, JOHN on thu 28 jun 12
My next door neighbor used to be a plumber, then he got hurt and felt he =
=3D
couldn't do that kind of work anymore. He started asking my wife and I =3D
about becoming a teacher. He also asked about the teacher certification =
=3D
process and what types of certificates you could get.
I told him that Michigan colleges graduate way more teachers than there =3D
are jobs. My neighbor didn't think he had the academic chops to get a =3D
math or science certification so he asked me what I would recommend. I =3D
told him to become an elementary classroom teacher. There is a =3D
certification exam but it only requires basic algebra skills in the math =
=3D
section. =3D20
There are 24 elementary schools in my district and everyone of them has =3D
20 or more classroom teachers. That's 480 possible positions. ...and =3D
if you are a male and you are willing to teach little kids, you are =3D
practically guaranteed the job when you show up for the interview. My =3D
principal has hired every male who he has interviewed over the last 10 =3D
years.
So what did my neighbor decide to do about his certificate? He got a =3D
secondary level gym and social studies certificate. There are 8-12 =3D
secondary gym positions in my school district. I was at the school =3D
board office 18 years ago when they posted a secondary social studies =3D
position and there was a pile of over 400 applications for the job.
My neighbor is still unemployed as a teacher. My principal has hired 3 =3D
male elementary teachers in the time since my neighbor earned his =3D
certificate. I would be willing to bet that my neighbor never gets a =3D
full time teaching job. He hasn't got the right type of certification =3D
to even get an interview.
Early in my career as an elementary art teacher, I was laid off a couple =
=3D
of times. I went back to school and earned an elementary classroom =3D
certificate. I call it my nuclear bomb degree. I have it, but I hope =3D
to never use it. I prefer being an elementary art teacher, but if I my =3D
job disappeared and I have to put food on the table, I would have no =3D
problem teaching little kids to read, write and do math.
John Post
Sterling Heights, Michigan
http://www.johnpost.us
Follow me on Twitter
https://twitter.com/UCSArtTeacher =3D20
James wrote:
------------------------------------------------------------
Before the dung starts flying my way, note that these same arguments =3D
apply
to very many majors other than art. Philosophy majors? Psych majors?
Gender studies majors? Communications majors? History majors? Foreign
language majors? Sports majors? The list is long.
Monica Wright on thu 28 jun 12
We posted for 15 elementary classroom positions this spring and had 3000 ap=
=3D
plicants. That's 2985 unemployed, college educated people. ...and not a sin=
=3D
gle MFA.
--- On Thu, 6/28/12, POST, JOHN wrote:
From: POST, JOHN
Subject: Re: Wading into the MFA mud
To: Clayart@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Date: Thursday, June 28, 2012, 8:23 AM
My next door neighbor used to be a plumber, then he got hurt and felt he co=
=3D
uldn't do that kind of work anymore.=3DA0 He started asking my wife and I a=
bo=3D
ut becoming a teacher.=3DA0 He also asked about the teacher certification p=
ro=3D
cess and what types of certificates you could get.
I told him that Michigan colleges graduate way more teachers than there are=
=3D
jobs.=3DA0 My neighbor didn't think he had the academic chops to get a mat=
h =3D
or science certification so he asked me what I would recommend.=3DA0 I told=
h=3D
im to become an elementary classroom teacher.=3DA0 There is a certification=
e=3D
xam but it only requires basic algebra skills in the math section.=3DA0=3D2=
0
There are 24 elementary schools in my district and everyone of them has 20 =
=3D
or more classroom teachers.=3DA0 That's 480 possible positions.=3DA0 ...and=
if =3D
you are a male and you are willing to teach little kids, you are practicall=
=3D
y guaranteed the job when you show up for the interview.=3DA0 My principal =
ha=3D
s hired every male who he has interviewed over the last 10 years.
So what did my neighbor decide to do about his certificate?=3DA0 He got a s=
ec=3D
ondary level gym and social studies certificate.=3DA0 There are 8-12 second=
ar=3D
y gym positions in my school district.=3DA0 I was at the school board offic=
e =3D
18 years ago when they posted a secondary social studies position and there=
=3D
was a pile of over 400 applications for the job.
My neighbor is still unemployed as a teacher.=3DA0 My principal has hired 3=
m=3D
ale elementary teachers in the time since my neighbor earned his certificat=
=3D
e.=3DA0 I would be willing to bet that my neighbor never gets a full time t=
ea=3D
ching job.=3DA0 He hasn't got the right type of certification to even get a=
n =3D
interview.
Early in my career as an elementary art teacher, I was laid off a couple of=
=3D
times.=3DA0 I went back to school and earned an elementary classroom certi=
fi=3D
cate.=3DA0 I call it my nuclear bomb degree.=3DA0 I have it, but I hope to =
neve=3D
r use it.=3DA0 I prefer being an elementary art teacher, but if I my job di=
sa=3D
ppeared and I have to put food on the table, I would have no problem teachi=
=3D
ng little kids to read, write and do math.
John Post
Sterling Heights, Michigan
http://www.johnpost.us
Follow me on Twitter
https://twitter.com/UCSArtTeacher=3DA0 =3DA0=3DA0=3DA0
James wrote:
------------------------------------------------------------
Before the dung starts flying my way, note that these same arguments apply
to very many majors other than art.=3DA0 Philosophy majors?=3DA0 Psych majo=
rs?
Gender studies majors?=3DA0 Communications majors?=3DA0 History majors?=3DA=
0 Fore=3D
ign
language majors?=3DA0 Sports majors?=3DA0 The list is long.
Randall Moody on thu 28 jun 12
I am not sure where you are but where I am you must have a teaching
certificate to even apply. It is easier if you have a teaching degree. I
have gone through the "provisional" teaching certificate circus and found
that the schools want you to have a full certificate before they hire you
but you need to be hired before you can change your provisional into a full
certificate. It is a sad situation when a friend of mine noted that even
with his PhD in Physics, PhD in Astronomy, Masters in Mathematics and a few
other degrees in related fields the system doesn't view him as qualified to
teach primary and secondary students.
--
Randall in Atlanta
http://wrandallmoody.com
On Thu, Jun 28, 2012 at 3:31 PM, Monica Wright wro=
te:
> We posted for 15 elementary classroom positions this spring and had 3000
> applicants. That's 2985 unemployed, college educated people. ...and not a
> single MFA.
>
>
>
Lee on fri 29 jun 12
Everyone should start with a good liberal arts foundation. No
specialization until the 5th year.
When I was in school during the 70s, everyone was bailing out
of the liberal arts for MFAs and computer science.
If there was a better foundation in the humanities, there
would be less corruption on Wall Street and in Government.
--
=3DA0Lee Love in Minneapolis
http://mingeisota.blogspot.com/
=3DA0"Ta tIr na n-=3DF3g ar chul an tI=3D97tIr dlainn trina ch=3DE9ile"=3D9=
7that is, =3D
"The
land of eternal youth is behind the house, a beautiful land fluent
within itself." -- John O'Donohue
Lee on fri 29 jun 12
Correction: MBAs, not MFAs. Sorry!
In the '80s, amongst my writer friends who were teaching writing, many
of them found their creative writing jobs converted into business
writing ones.
These choices let us to the spot we find ourselves in.
On Fri, Jun 29, 2012 at 11:02 PM, Lee wrote:
> Everyone should start with a good liberal arts foundation. =3DA0 =3DA0No
> specialization until the 5th year.
>
> =3DA0 =3DA0 =3DA0 =3DA0When I was in school during the 70s, everyone was =
bailing =3D
out
> of the liberal arts for MFAs and computer science.
>
> =3DA0 =3DA0 =3DA0 =3DA0 =3DA0If there was a better foundation in the huma=
nities, th=3D
ere
> would be less corruption on Wall Street and in Government.
>
> --
> =3DA0Lee Love in Minneapolis
> http://mingeisota.blogspot.com/
>
> =3DA0"Ta tIr na n-=3DF3g ar chul an tI=3D97tIr dlainn trina ch=3DE9ile"=
=3D97that is=3D
, "The
> land of eternal youth is behind the house, a beautiful land fluent
> within itself." -- John O'Donohue
--=3D20
--
=3DA0Lee Love in Minneapolis
http://mingeisota.blogspot.com/
=3DA0"Ta tIr na n-=3DF3g ar chul an tI=3D97tIr dlainn trina ch=3DE9ile"=3D9=
7that is, =3D
"The
land of eternal youth is behind the house, a beautiful land fluent
within itself." -- John O'Donohue
Ric Swenson on fri 29 jun 12
I did the BFA then the k-12 teacher's cert. in Washington State...student t=
aught at Hilltop School...6th grade...art classroom...all black school...in=
teresting...especially during the Watts riots. took me 5 years to complete=
the BFA and Cert. I was a psych/history minor.
A year later I found a job at a new jr-sr high school in Eagle River, AK.=
..taught at several new schools in Anchorage.
Five years later I borrowed $5,000 from the State of Alaska for an MFA pro=
gram...finished it in 12 months cause I had some acceptible credits toward =
the MFA. All this time I had been an adjunct at UAA...teaching ceramics at=
night. I then taught at UAA in ceramics and art history. Alaska reduced m=
y loan to zero after I had taught 5 more years.
Never sorry for any of it. The MFA program allowed me to grow as an artis=
t and a teacher. It also made it possible to save money for my 2 daughter's=
education expenses.
Still teaching 40 years later....but now teaching oral English 10 hours a w=
eek to college English majors....and ceramics to grad students...in JingDe=
Zhen, China. On weekends I tutor young kids in English...teaching is still =
fun...a kick in the pants!
Ric
Ric Swenson, B.F.A, M.F.A.
Ceramist, Artist and Teacher.
Jing De Zhen Ceramic Institute
Jing De Zhen City,
Jiang Xi Province
China
Mobile: 86-13767818872
> Date: Thu, 28 Jun 2012 12:31:34 -0700
> From: wright271@SBCGLOBAL.NET
> Subject: Re: Wading into the MFA mud
> To: Clayart@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
>
> We posted for 15 elementary classroom positions this spring and had 3000 =
applicants. That's 2985 unemployed, college educated people. ...and not a s=
ingle MFA.
>
>
> --- On Thu, 6/28/12, POST, JOHN wrote:
>
>
> From: POST, JOHN
> Subject: Re: Wading into the MFA mud
> To: Clayart@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
> Date: Thursday, June 28, 2012, 8:23 AM
>
>
> My next door neighbor used to be a plumber, then he got hurt and felt he =
couldn't do that kind of work anymore. He started asking my wife and I abo=
ut becoming a teacher. He also asked about the teacher certification proce=
ss and what types of certificates you could get.
>
> I told him that Michigan colleges graduate way more teachers than there a=
re jobs. My neighbor didn't think he had the academic chops to get a math =
or science certification so he asked me what I would recommend. I told him=
to become an elementary classroom teacher. There is a certification exam =
but it only requires basic algebra skills in the math section.
>
> There are 24 elementary schools in my district and everyone of them has 2=
0 or more classroom teachers. That's 480 possible positions. ...and if yo=
u are a male and you are willing to teach little kids, you are practically =
guaranteed the job when you show up for the interview. My principal has hi=
red every male who he has interviewed over the last 10 years.
>
> So what did my neighbor decide to do about his certificate? He got a sec=
ondary level gym and social studies certificate. There are 8-12 secondary =
gym positions in my school district. I was at the school board office 18 y=
ears ago when they posted a secondary social studies position and there was=
a pile of over 400 applications for the job.
>
> My neighbor is still unemployed as a teacher. My principal has hired 3 m=
ale elementary teachers in the time since my neighbor earned his certificat=
e. I would be willing to bet that my neighbor never gets a full time teach=
ing job. He hasn't got the right type of certification to even get an inte=
rview.
>
> Early in my career as an elementary art teacher, I was laid off a couple =
of times. I went back to school and earned an elementary classroom certifi=
cate. I call it my nuclear bomb degree. I have it, but I hope to never us=
e it. I prefer being an elementary art teacher, but if I my job disappeare=
d and I have to put food on the table, I would have no problem teaching lit=
tle kids to read, write and do math.
>
> John Post
> Sterling Heights, Michigan
>
> http://www.johnpost.us
>
> Follow me on Twitter
> https://twitter.com/UCSArtTeacher
>
>
> James wrote:
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> Before the dung starts flying my way, note that these same arguments appl=
y
> to very many majors other than art. Philosophy majors? Psych majors?
> Gender studies majors? Communications majors? History majors? Foreign
> language majors? Sports majors? The list is long.
Robert Harris on sat 30 jun 12
This is completely out of the question for scientists. By the time you
actually get anywhere at all these days you're at least 40 (BS, (MS) Ph.D.
and at least one 4 year postdoc). All at well below the average wage for
that amount of education.
And that's irrespective of whether you're in academia or industry. Add
another 4 years of liberal arts education and you'd be totally screwed.
Robert
On Sat, Jun 30, 2012 at 12:02 AM, Lee wrote:
> Everyone should start with a good liberal arts foundation. No
> specialization until the 5th year.
>
> When I was in school during the 70s, everyone was bailing out
> of the liberal arts for MFAs and computer science.
>
> If there was a better foundation in the humanities, there
> would be less corruption on Wall Street and in Government.
>
> --
> Lee Love in Minneapolis
> http://mingeisota.blogspot.com/
>
> "Ta tIr na n-=3DF3g ar chul an tI=3D97tIr dlainn trina ch=3DE9ile"=3D97t=
hat is, =3D
"The
> land of eternal youth is behind the house, a beautiful land fluent
> within itself." -- John O'Donohue
>
--=3D20
----------------------------------------------------------
Edouard Bastarache on sat 30 jun 12
"If there was a better foundation in the humanities, there
would be less corruption on Wall Street and in Government.
Lee Love in Minneapolis"
I second that !!!
Plejkore,
Edouard Bastarache
Spertesperantisto
Sorel-Tracy
Quebec
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30058682@N00/
http://edouardbastarache.blogspot.com/
http://smart2000.pagesperso-orange.fr/bloggs_edouard.htm
http://www.facebook.com/edouard.bastarache
"Ta tIr na n-=F3g ar chul an tI-tIr dlainn trina ch=E9ile"-that is, "The
land of eternal youth is behind the house, a beautiful land fluent
within itself." -- John O'Donohue
Lee on sun 1 jul 12
On Sat, Jun 30, 2012 at 2:38 PM, Edouard Bastarache wr=
=3D
ote:
> "If there was a better foundation in the humanities, there
> would be less corruption on Wall Street and in Government.
> I second that !!!
>
> Plejkore,
I once heard the Director of the National Endowment for the Humanities
say, "The purpose of the Humanities is to learn what it means to be
human. " Many on Wall Street have no idea that the work they are
doing effects human beings. People are not just numbers on a piece
of paper.
Much of higher education's current purpose is to make us good share
croppers and consumers. I have never made a good sheep.
When I visited Euan and Mika Craig and family in Minakami, I
met a young 18 year old
man named Raku, who was living with them. His mother sent him to
the Craigs to help them rebuild after the earthquake and to learn
traditional Japanese culture. (Yes, he is learning about his
traditional Japanese culture from an Australian. By definition,
culture is not genetic.) His parents are both immigrants from Japan
to California and Raku was born in California. His grandparents
live a short train ride from the Craigs, so he visits them on
occasional weekends, toting a cello in a black case. In the fall,
this young man will attend MIT to study physics. In the evenings,
when we stayed with the Craigs, Raku would practice my favorite Bach
pieces for the cello.
Raku helped cut all the beams and posts for the nailess frame
building that we erected as Euan's kiln shed. The timbers come from
Mika's Grandmother's house that was recently dismantled. Raku didn't
mind getting dirty or carrying 16 foot long beams on his shoulder.
He will be a fine physicist that can cook pancakes on the woodstove,
isn't afraid of a pit toilet, and is able to build his own
timber/frame house.
I don't think 18 year olds should be cloistered in a
University. They should spend at least a year overseas.
The best way to know where you come, from is to go away for a while.
Euan's latest update:
http://euancraig.blogspot.com/2012/07/small-miracles.html?spref=3D3Dfb
--
Lee Love in Minneapolis
http://mingeisota.blogspot.com/
"Ta tIr na n-=3DF3g ar chul an tI=3D97tIr dlainn trina ch=3DE9ile"=3D97tha=
t is, "T=3D
he
land of eternal youth is behind the house, a beautiful land fluent
within itself." -- John O'Donohue
Edouard Bastarache on sun 1 jul 12
Lee, nice story, very interesting.
Thats the way started our life at home.
Here in Quebec most of the professionals
my age have a B.A from studying humanities
including ancient and modern languages,
philosophy, ancient and modern, etc.
It was a prerequesite to enter other faculties
such as science, law, medicine; etc...
When we talk to the younger ones, it shows
they do not have the same education
Plejkore,
Edouard Bastarache
Spertesperantisto
Sorel-Tracy
Quebec
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----- Original Message -----
From: "Lee"
To: "Edouard Bastarache"
Cc:
Sent: Sunday, July 01, 2012 1:52 AM
Subject: Re: Wading into the MFA mud
On Sat, Jun 30, 2012 at 2:38 PM, Edouard Bastarache
wrote:
> "If there was a better foundation in the humanities, there
> would be less corruption on Wall Street and in Government.
> I second that !!!
>
> Plejkore,
I once heard the Director of the National Endowment for the Humanities
say, "The purpose of the Humanities is to learn what it means to be
human. " Many on Wall Street have no idea that the work they are
doing effects human beings. People are not just numbers on a piece
of paper.
Much of higher education's current purpose is to make us good share
croppers and consumers. I have never made a good sheep.
When I visited Euan and Mika Craig and family in Minakami, I
met a young 18 year old
man named Raku, who was living with them. His mother sent him to
the Craigs to help them rebuild after the earthquake and to learn
traditional Japanese culture. (Yes, he is learning about his
traditional Japanese culture from an Australian. By definition,
culture is not genetic.) His parents are both immigrants from Japan
to California and Raku was born in California. His grandparents
live a short train ride from the Craigs, so he visits them on
occasional weekends, toting a cello in a black case. In the fall,
this young man will attend MIT to study physics. In the evenings,
when we stayed with the Craigs, Raku would practice my favorite Bach
pieces for the cello.
Raku helped cut all the beams and posts for the nailess frame
building that we erected as Euan's kiln shed. The timbers come from
Mika's Grandmother's house that was recently dismantled. Raku didn't
mind getting dirty or carrying 16 foot long beams on his shoulder.
He will be a fine physicist that can cook pancakes on the woodstove,
isn't afraid of a pit toilet, and is able to build his own
timber/frame house.
I don't think 18 year olds should be cloistered in a
University. They should spend at least a year overseas.
The best way to know where you come, from is to go away for a while.
Euan's latest update:
http://euancraig.blogspot.com/2012/07/small-miracles.html?spref=3Dfb
--
Lee Love in Minneapolis
http://mingeisota.blogspot.com/
"Ta tIr na n-=F3g ar chul an tI-tIr dlainn trina ch=E9ile"-that is, "The
land of eternal youth is behind the house, a beautiful land fluent
within itself." -- John O'Donohue
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