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Literature and Writing

56 Articles

All Literature and Writing Stories

Frederick Douglass Prize Winner will be the 2015-2016 Schaenen Scholar

The Janet Prindle Institute for Ethics is proud to announce that Christopher Hager will be the 2015-2016 Nancy Schaenen Endowed Visiting Scholar of Ethics. Dr. Hager received his bachelor’s degree from Stanford University and his Ph.D. from Northwestern University. Currently he is Associate Professor of English at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, where he teaches … Continue reading "Frederick Douglass Prize Winner will be the 2015-2016 Schaenen Scholar"
31 Mar 2015
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Prindle News Hound

Destroying Medieval Books - And Why That's Useful

By Erik Kwakkel This post was originally posted at Medieval Books, and is posted here with Dr. Kwakkel’s permission.  Old furniture, broken cups, worn-out shoes and stinky mattresses: we don’t think twice about throwing things out that we don’t need anymore. And books? Here things are a bit different. Apart from the fact that you may find … Continue reading "Destroying Medieval Books – And Why That’s Useful"
2 Nov 2014
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Guest Author

Literary Hazing "Ain't" Ethical

That’s right. This post has the word “ain’t” in its title. So what? In a recent interview, Harvard University Professor of Psychology and celebrated writer, Stephen Pinker, explains the “curse of knowledge,” and his perspective that academia has placed too many old-ruled restrictions on how writers should or should not write. Explaining that the word “ain’t,” … Continue reading "Literary Hazing “Ain’t” Ethical"
13 Oct 2014
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Rachel Hanebutt

TheSkimm: Is "Reading the News" Overrated These Days?

“I really should read the news, but I _______”. Insert excuse here. This might be a direct quote from myself this morning at breakfast. We’ll admit it. We’ll even take pride in it: We’re busy, we’re caught up, and we’re stressed. Yes, Iraqi citizens are getting bombed and victims of the Ukraine conflict are losing family … Continue reading "TheSkimm: Is “Reading the News” Overrated These Days?"
8 Sep 2014
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Natalie Weilandt

The Media and Tragedies: Coverage of Flight 370 and the Sewol Ferry Accident

Turn on CNN. The anchor is most likely dissecting what may have happened to missing Malaysian flight 370 or the ferry that sunk off the coast of South Korea. The two disastrous events have prompted extended coverage on many television networks. The question becomes: does the information deserve such extended coverage, or is it merely … Continue reading "The Media and Tragedies: Coverage of Flight 370 and the Sewol Ferry Accident"
25 Apr 2014
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Suzanne Spencer

Competitive College: Does competition help or hinder our academic performance?

“What obligations do we have to our adversaries? Do virtue and integrity enhance or impede our quest for victory? Is competition an obstacle to or an essential component of a meaningful life? How should competition be effectively regulated?” These questions and others will be addressed by visiting students and scholars from across the country in … Continue reading "Competitive College: Does competition help or hinder our academic performance?"
11 Apr 2014
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Noelle Witwer

The A-Listers: Can College Rankings Define a School?

How important are college rankings? As prospective students size up educational institutions, what is it that attracts them, their parents? Time and time again, we’ve seen DePauw’s name on the top party school list across the nation, but does that invalidate the academic standard we hold ourselves to? A new list was recently published by … Continue reading "The A-Listers: Can College Rankings Define a School?"
4 Apr 2014
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Madeline O'Brien

Ubben Lecture by TOMS founder offers chance to think and act

On Sunday, March 2nd, Blake Mycoskie, the president and founder of TOMs will deliver a speech about his story and his revolutionary Buy One Give One (BOGO) business model. I don’t need to point out that the Ubben Lecture Series has a reputation for bringing in impactful speakers from varying fields. The Ubben guests I’ve … Continue reading "Ubben Lecture by TOMS founder offers chance to think and act"
2 Mar 2014
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Natalie Weilandt

Sochi Olympics' ethical problems overshadow spirit of cooperation

We have all seen the stories about the less-than-perfect conditions of the 2014 Winter Olympic games. There are stories of un-flushable toilets, malfunctioning snowflakes, and even an athlete breaking out of a jammed bathroom door like something out of a Kool-Aid commercial. Despite all of this, you can’t say that the Russian government didn’t try … Continue reading "Sochi Olympics’ ethical problems overshadow spirit of cooperation"
21 Feb 2014
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Corby Burger

US outsources production and pollution to China with unintended consequences

All actions have consequences, and it turns out that the production of goods on the other side of the globe has consequences for air quality in the United States. It’s a well-known fact that air pollution in China has reached alarming levels, supported by the horrifying fact that 16 of the 20 most polluted cities … Continue reading "US outsources production and pollution to China with unintended consequences"