Tim & Ashley

In my last post I reported on the outbreak of pertussis (whooping cough) and how it has caused the administration to shorten the semester.

They're trying to be flexible and accommodate the students as much as possible.

I suggested that since the students will be unable to fully prepare for the exams, and since the exam periods have been shortened from 70 minutes to 60 minutes, they should consider shortening the exams to one or two key questions that summarize the semester. I even provided some examples to help them get started (see below).

What do you think — will they take my suggestions and use them?

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Most of my readers probably already know about the outbreak of pertussis (more commonly known as "whooping cough") on the campus of BJU. At last count something like 40 students have it and nearly 100 are in isolation waiting for test results. On Friday (11/30) the administration announced that as a precaution they would end the semester a week early. 

Instead of a full week of classes this week, we'll have class just Monday and Tuesday and Finals will begin on Wednesday — just 5 days after the announcement. Needless to say things are kind of crazy around here. They've done an outstanding job of managing the situation and communicating with the faculty, staff, and student body, but even so, you can only imagine what it's like on campus, especially at Barge (campus hospital) and UMA (medical offices across the street which are related to BJU). 

As of this posting, the latest news is here.

So far, we're both healthy, though we did both get the vaccine and antibiotics because we both have been exposed to it. We're virtually certain that neither of us have it, but even if we do, after 5 days on the antibiotic we'll not be contagious. And, theoretically, that should prevent us from really getting it ourselves, too.

If you've stuck with me this far be sure to read my next post for my suggestions on how to adapt final exams. 

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When critiquing people or their ideas with which I disagree, I usually try to be as reserved and objective as possible. However, as I read a Fox News article today, my only response was, “this person is a nutcase!” (Feel free to insert the negative adjective of your choice instead of “nutcase.”)

A British woman who had an abortion 10 years ago and was later sterilized did so because she believes pregnancy is bad for the environment, the London Daily Mail reported Sunday.

Toni Vernelli, 35, hopes her actions would ensure her carbon footprint would be kept to a minimum, the Mail reported. The environmental advocate also sees having children as an egotistical act.

“Having children is selfish. It’s all about maintaining your genetic line at the expense of the planet,” Vernelli told the Mail, adding she believes bringing new life into the world only adds to the problem.

Seems like she has things a little backwards. In the first chapter of God’s Written Revelation, we find:

Genesis 1:26-28 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”  27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.  28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

It makes me think of Romans 1, where Paul writes,

For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things (Romans 1:21-23).

This certainly seems like someone refusing to honor God and being “futile in their thinking” and this becoming foolish. Indeed, only 2 verses later, the inspired writer continues to describe them as ones who “worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator” (Romans 1:25).

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