Weekly Web Roundup (12/10/16)

Photo Credit: Thomas Hawk

Here are some interesting items that I saw across the web over this past week:

Reimagining Racial Bridge Building in the Age of Social Media by Judy Wu Dominick

"I had indeed allowed my social media feed to become an interloper and provocateur in our marriage.  It makes me wonder about the extent to which the health and stability of all our face-to-face interactions, especially with people who are different from us, are being threatened by the endless electronic stream of quips, memes, rants, demands, news (both real and fake, trivial and earth-shattering), entertainment, propaganda, and sensationalism.  If the best-selling book EAT THIS, NOT THAT! helps people make healthier food choices that benefit their bodies, we need a similar guide for healthier internet consumption that benefits our souls, psyches, and bridge-building work.  A good start would be to choose the meaty over the bitty, the considered over the cutting, and reason over emotionalism."

Dakota Access Pipeline to be Rerouted by Caroline Kenny, Gregory Krieg, Sara Sidner and Max Blau (CNN)

"Celebrations, tears of joy, chanting and drumming rang out among thousands of protesters at the Standing Rock site after the Army Corp of Engineers announced it will look for an alternate route for the Dakota Access Pipeline to cross under Lake Oahe in North Dakota. For months, members of the Sioux tribe and their supporters have camped out, fighting the pipeline they say could be hazardous and damage the water supply of their reservation nearby. "People have said that this is a make it or a break it, and I guess we made it," Chief Arvol Looking Horse, Keeper of the White Buffalo Calf Pipe, announced to a cheering crowd of protesters."

Looking back at what really happened between Alabama and Rich Rodriguez 10 years ago by Paul Talty (AL.com)

"Ten years ago today, possibly the most important moment in Alabama football history took place in West Virginia. No, it wasn't the day Nick Saban, a West Virginia native, said yes to replacing Mike Shula. It was the day West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez said no."

5 Powerful Ways Becoming A Morning Person Unlocks Your Leadership by Carey Nieuwhof

"Work patterns are a lot like traffic patterns: at 5 a.m. you have the road to yourself. At 8 a.m., it could take you three times as long to travel the same distance. These days I do everything I can to beat traffic, not just on the road, but in life. I do most of my shopping at off hours.  My wife and I have even begun to do off-season travel. Why? Because we end up having more time to do what matters most. Ditto with work."

6 Reasons to Get Better at Leading Meetings by Paul Axtell (Harvard Business Review)

"The ability to manage conversations so that they are productive, inclusive, and focused on getting work done is an organizational skill that transcends expertise. Being really good at a core discipline (say, marketing, business development, or social media) is important, but being an expert only gets you so far. If you can add to your repertoire of skills the ability to facilitate conversations, you’ll add more value to your organization, and be recognized for doing so."

Jimmy and Dwayne Johnson Surprise 'Tonight Show' Staffer with Military Homecoming

Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson recently surprised one of Jimmy's staffers. Watch the video. You won't regret it.

Weekly Web Roundup (10/15/16)

Photo Credit: bjmccray

Due to Hurricane Matthew storming through Florida last weekend, I did not write a "Weekly Web Roundup" post last Saturday. So here are some interesting stories from around the web that I've seen during the past couple of weeks:

Seeking Clarity in This Confusing Election Season: Ten Thoughts by Kevin DeYoung (The Gospel Coalition)

Many evangelical Christians find ourselves in a quandary as to whom should receive our vote for president this election, or even if we should vote at all. Pastor Kevin DeYoung offers some helpful things to consider.

It's Never Too Soon to Talk about Race in Your Church by Jemar Tisby (Christianity Today)

"I desire for churches that are predominantly white right now, but [are] looking to become more diverse, [to] do the groundwork first. You’ve got to pull the weeds. You’ve got to break up the soil. You’ve got to cultivate the land that would make it amenable to planting the seeds that would bear fruit of diversity. . . . The minority shouldn’t be the first one at your church to broach topics of race and diversity. That should’ve already been done by the leaders, and it should’ve been done in such a way that they’re shepherding the congregation through those issues."

When Compassion is Exhausting by Melanie Dale (The Mudroom)

"But for our passions, for the things burning deep in our souls keeping us up at night moving us to tears liquefying our insides, it’s going to take more. It’s going to take partnering with really smart local people who have big plans for their own communities. It’s going to take lawyers and therapists and social workers. It’s going to take a lot. Which is why you can’t care about everything because the thing you need to care about the most needs your attention over the long haul. So find a thing and dig deep."

InterVarsity Asks Staff to Choose a Stance on Sexuality by Kate Shellnutt (Christianity Today)

One of our partner ministries, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, made the news this past week when the response to a 20-page paper on their theological beliefs on human sexuality was made known. A number of their staff members will be leaving IV as a result. Please be in prayer for both the leaders of InterVarsity and all the staff members affected.

What it Means to be Black in the American Educational System by Kevin O’Neal Cokley (The Huffington Post)

"The results of a recent survey by the Pew Research Center underscore this point. The survey found that black Americans with some college experience are more likely to say that they have experienced discrimination compared to blacks who did not report having any college experience. Additional survey results revealed several differences between blacks with college experience versus blacks without college experience. For example, in the past 12 months, 55 percent of people with some college experience reported people had acted suspicious of them, compared to 38 percent of those with no college experience. Similarly, 52 percent of people with some college experience reported people had acted as if they thought the individual wasn’t smart, compared to 37 percent of people with no college experience."

Maps Shows History of US Immigration

The topic of immigration has been of great interest during this election season. This animated map from Business Insider illustrates immigration patterns to the U.S., including which countries were allowed to send people to the U.S. and when they were allowed to do so.

Hispanic Students Headed To College At Record Rate

Photo Credit: The Tomorrow Fund HS

From USA Today:

"In the span of just 12 years, the percentage of Hispanic students headed to college has exploded, for the first time surpassing that of white classmates, a new report shows. 

Nearly seven in 10 Hispanic members of the high school class of 2012 — 69% — enrolled in either a two- or four-year college last fall, up from 49% in 2000, even as overall rates remained nearly flat. In 2012, 67% of white graduates headed straight to college, up from 64% in 2000. 

The Pew Hispanic Center analysis, out Thursday, offers a glimpse of silver lining in the USA's down economy: Since 2008, the rate of Hispanic high school graduates going on to college has actually accelerated, even as overall college-going rates for white and Asian students have dropped. 

What's more, the sheer number of Hispanic students graduating from high school has actually risen, so the higher college-going rates don't simply reflect a more select group of students, said Richard Fry, a senior Pew researcher. In 2012, he noted, U.S. Census data showed five Hispanic high school "completers" for every dropout, up from three in 2000. 

The recession and economy's sluggish recovery may actually be key to the changes, he said. It has likely played out differently in Hispanic students' lives: U.S. Census data show that more Hispanic students live in states hit hard by the nation's housing bust and subsequent high jobless rates. As a result, Fry said, completing high school and going immediately on to college looks more attractive."

To read the rest of the article please click here.

2012 Demographics For U.S. College Students

Photo Credit: CollegeDegrees360

The nation's college students are growing in number and our campuses continue to become more diverse. Taken from the most recent edition of The Chronicle of Higher Education Almanac and the Open Doors Report, the following statistics from the 2010-2011 school year contain some interesting facts concerning the current make-up of college students in the United States:

*There are now over 21 million college students in the U.S. 

* Of those 21 million students, nearly 4 out of 10 are American ethnic minorities and international students studying in the U.S. 

* Within the state of California alone, there are over 2.7 million students. This is an amazing 13% of the country's total! Of these students, over 1.7 million are American ethnic minorities or international students. 

* Texas has over 1.5 million students in the state, including nearly half a million Hispanic students. 

* Primarily due to the presence of New York City, over 1.3 million students attend college in the state of New York. Nearly 600,000 of them are American ethnic minorities and international students. 

* The number of Native American students across the country is close to 200,000. 

* Asian Americans now number nearly 1.3 million students. 

* There are more than 3 million African Americans on our campuses, more than 14% of all students. 

* Hispanics and Latinos are rapidly growing in number and influence and now comprise nearly 13% of all students, totaling over 2.7 million students. 

* There are well over 800,000 international students currently studying in the U.S., many of whom will return to their country of origin a different person than when they came here. 

*In demonstration of the country's increasing cultural diversity, over 300,000 of America's college students define themselves as being multi-ethnic. 

* Students of European descent are still in the overall majority with 12.7 million. If current trends hold true, however, there will be no ethnic majority by the time we reach 2020.

What does this all mean? The college campuses of the United States are becoming more diverse, the coasts are rapidly growing and our cities are home to many of the nation's students. In order to reach these students, campus ministries like those that I work with need to adopt new approaches that will effectively reach: 1) students of color; 2) those that speak a primary language other than English; and 3) those in our major cities. The world is here. How will we respond?

What Are The Top 20 Universities In The World?

Photo Credit: wallyg

According to The Guardian, 14 of the top 20 universities in the world are located in the United States. Here are the world's top 20 most reputable universities:

1. Harvard University, United States

2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, United States

3. University of Cambridge, United Kingdom

4. Stanford University, United States

5. University of California, Berkeley, United States

6. University of Oxford, United Kingdom

7. Princeton University, United States

8. University of Tokyo, Japan

9. University of California, Los Angeles, United States

10. Yale University, United States

11. California Institute of Technology, United States

12. University of Michigan, United States

13. Imperial College London, United Kingdom

14. University of Chicago, United States

15. Columbia University, United States

16. Cornell University, United States

17. University of Toronto, Canada

18. Johns Hopkins University, United States

19. University of Pennsylvania, United States

20. Kyoto University, Japan

To see the complete list of the world's top 100 universities please click here.

(h/t to my friend Trae for the link.)

Helping More Hispanics Receive A College Degree

Photo Credit: wyoguard

From The Orlando Sentinel:

"Although recent reports show that more Hispanics are going to college, they're the least likely demographic group to graduate.

With President Barack Obama having set a goal of leading the world in college graduation by 2020, educators have focused on Hispanics — the nation's fastest-growing student demographic group — as a way to make progress.

Nationwide, about 19 percent of Hispanics ages 25-34 had earned an associate degree or higher as of 2009, compared to 49 percent of white students and 29 percent of black students, according to the College Board.

Florida is generally seen as a national leader in college completion among Hispanics. Almost 29 percent of Florida Hispanics ages 25-34 had at least a two-year degree in 2009.

At this morning's gathering of education leaders, the College Board released a report offering 10 recommendations for how the country can help more Hispanics graduate.

Many of the ideas, however, are ones that have been discussed for years: improving guidance counseling in the middle schools and high schools, simplifying the college admissions process and offering more need-based financial aid."

To read the complete Sentinel article please click here.

Dave Bing & Why Honesty Matters

Some disappointing news has come out of Detroit as it has been discovered that former Piston great, respected businessman and current mayoral candidate, Dave Bing, has not been truthful about his college education.

For years Bing has communicated that he received his bachelor's degree from Syracuse University in 1966 and that he received a master's in business administration from Kettering University. However, Bing was informed in 1995 that he was three credits shy of the Syracuse degree and needed to re-submit a paper that would enable him to complete the requirements to graduate. He did so and received the actual diploma from Syracuse that year.

In explaining the Syracuse mix-up, Bing commented that he was under the impression that he had, in fact, completed the requirements for graduation and that he had officially been a graduate of Syracuse. He has yet to explain why he never received the actual paper diploma. Even if this misunderstanding could be reasonably explained, there still is the matter of the MBA from Kettering (formerly the General Motors Institute.) ESPN.com reports on the matter:

"Mayoral candidate and former NBA great Dave Bing said Wednesday it was "not correct" when he earlier claimed to have earned a master's degree in business administration. But the claim on a videotape touting education and staying in school on the National Basketball Retired Players Association Web site was meant to be interpreted in a different manner, Bing told The Associated Press.
The founder and chairman of the Bing Group, a steel manufacturing operation and auto supplier, was responding to a Detroit Free Press story revealing he didn't earn an MBA from General Motors Institute, now called Kettering University in Flint, as he said on the tape.
"I felt I had an MBA for the work I had done in the industry I was in," Bing said. "When I made references to an MBA it wasn't that I went there and got it, but through what I had done. "I made reference to how important education was for players, active and retired, and young people, that they should stay in school as long as they can and get their degrees."

It is hard to understand why someone would think that because they worked hard in a given field that they automatically had received an MBA for their work. While it is common practice for institutions of higher learning to award honorary degrees for excellence in a certain area, that is not the same as just bestowing the degree on oneself.

This may seem like a small matter, but I think that Bing needs to come forward in complete honesty and transparency. In a city still reeling from a scandal resulting from the dishonesty of a mayor, this matter needs to get cleared up. Unfortunately, it is not at all uncommon for people to exaggerate on resumes or to embellish accomplishments. But that doesn't make it okay. Although he has to attempted to address this, I think he needs to share his college transcripts with the public so there is no doubt that what he has said in recent days is truthful. Our public officials need to set an example of truthfulness and integrity and Bing has the opportunity to regain the public trust in him if he clears up this matter fully.