Anthony's Graduation

On Saturday, May 24, 2014, Anthony graduated from Calvin College with a double major: Mathematics and Philosophy.  He heads to University of Oregon in the fall to pursue a Ph.D. in mathematics.

 Calvin College Arena packed out for the ceremony:

Anthony being congratulated by President Michael Le Roy:

Each department has up a poster of all its grads.  Here are the posters from the philosophy and mathematics departments:

Lots of hugs and congratulations from family and friends:

Celebrating together with a very special friend, Brianna:

A sampling of pictures with some of his profs - first picture is of his research team from his freshman year (and since Professor Bolt has an Erdos Number of 8, Anthony and Rebekah now have Erdos Number 9, which is way cool!).

Good-bye to good old North Hall, home of Calvin's math department:

Leaving campus as an alumnus:

Directing Change

What a day!  Caleb and his film-making team from Enochs High School entered a student video contest called "Directing Change."  The contest was put on by "Each Mind Matters," and the categories were "Suicide Prevention" and "Ending the Silence."  More than 420 teams in the state submitted a video.  The Enochs team created a PSA on suicide prevention, and they won first place in their region, which meant they also advanced to state-level competition.

The started the day today at our county office of education to be recognized by the county school board and County Schools Superintendent Tom Chagnon.

That was an awesome way to start the day, but what was yet to come blew me away entirely.  I had no idea how big a deal this was!  It absolutely ended up being a red-carpet event!

Caleb headed up to Sacramento with his teacher, Neal Barlow, and his team.  David and I followed later.  The screening and awards were held at the Crest Theater.

 Here are actor Max Adler and producer/director/editor Bradley Buecker introducing the event.

And the Enochs team won second place in the state for their PSA "Perception."

Here's a video clip of them getting their award:

Bradley Buecker:

Caleb and team members Megan and Justin chatting with director (and future colleague?) Bradley Buecker:

In front of the state capitol building:

Here is their award-winning PSA:

Do the Lit

"Each time I hear someone say, 'Do the math,' I grit my teeth. The phrase reinforces how little awareness there is about the breadth and scope of the subject. Imagine, if you will, using 'Do the lit' as an exhortation to spell correctly."

As a mathematician, I can attest that my field is about ideas above anything else. Ideas that inform our existence, and permeate our universe and beyond, that can surprise and enthrall."

Prof. Manil Suri (NYT 9/15/13)

Turn an Envious Look

Fish in the Unruffled Lakes

    Fish in the unruffled lakes
    Their swarming colours wear,
    Swans in the winter air
    A white perfection have,
    And the great lion walks
    Through his innocent grove;
    Lion, fish and swan
    Act, and are gone
    Upon Time's toppling wave.

    We, till shadowed days are done,
    We must weep and sing
    Duty's conscious wrong,
    The Devil in the clock,
    The goodness carefully worn
    For atonement or for luck;
    We must lose our loves,
    On each beast and bird that moves
    Turn an envious look.

    Sighs for folly done and said
    Twist our narrow days,
    But I must bless, I must praise
    That you, my swan, who have
    All gifts that to the swan
    Impulsive Nature gave,
    The majesty and pride,
    Last night should add
    Your voluntary love.

W. H Auden

Confluence

I love it when one of my students gets inspired by the math and uses it creatively in another discipline.  The sculpture pictured here is by my Math 101 student Brisa who created it in such a way to evoke the Sierpinski Gasket fractal.

Lines

Man alive, that mournst thy lot,
Desiring what thou hast not got,
Money, beauty, love, what not;

Deeming it blesseder to be
A rotted man, than live to see
So rude a sky as covers thee;

Deeming thyself of all unblest
And wretched souls the wretchedest,
Longing to die and be at rest;

Know: that however grim the fate
Which sent thee forth to meditate
Upon my enviable state,

Here lieth one who would resign
Gladly his lot, to shoulder thine.
Give me thy coat; get into mine.

Edna St. Vincent Millay (1892-1950)

Prose and Poetry

This blog is titled "Mostly Poetry," but for more than a year now it's been "Mostly Not Poetry."  I simply haven't had time to discover new poets and new poems.  The poetry that has become part of my soul, of which I've shared much here, remains there and informs and shapes my days and my life.  I was happy today to come cross a new poem by one of my favorite poets.  It's about where the line is between prose and poetry.

The timing of finding this was interesting for me because I find more and more as I become busier and busier with work as a tenured professor (not just the busyness of teaching and grading and planning but also that of involvement in the politics and structure of the college, committees, grant work, etc.) that I have to work harder to find ways to make my life poetic rather than prosaic - a hard thing to do when time becomes more and more limited.  

It's interesting as well how these changes in life take place on a spectrum on which it is hard to determine when a change has actually occurred.  More and more in recent months I want to remember how to "fly," and I find I have forgotten.  So this poem has hit me at a number of different levels.

So, without further ado, and whether you asked or not, here it is:

Because You Asked About The Line Between Prose And Poetry Sparrows were feeding in a freezing drizzle That while you watched turned into pieces of snow Riding a gradient invisible From silver aslant to random, white, and slow. There came a moment that you couldn't tell. And then they clearly flew instead of fell. Howard Nemerov

Lyrics, I Thought

While grading today I pulled out some old tunes from my college days - Alan Parson's Project - good stuff!  One of the songs really hit me - seemed to be speaking to a situation I'd dealt with since that time - lyrics I hadn't seemed to catch before:

"Nothing's good that uses bad;
The beat goes on and it drives you mad.
Scornful thoughts that fly your way
You should turn away -- 'cause there's nothing left to say

"You gave the best you have to give;
You only have one life to live;
You fought so hard, you were a slave
And after all you gave there was nothing left to save."

Well, I didn't get it quite right, but it buoyed my spirits while grading nonetheless - and it gave me a new perspective on a difficult time, so it's all good!

Here's a link to the actual lyrics of Alan Parsons Project's "Nothing Left to Lose:"

http://www.lyricsfreak.com/a/alan+parsons+project/nothing+left+to+lose_20005402.html

Didn't Know How Good I Had It!

 

I love teaching the liberal arts mathematics courses!  They allow me to explore all sorts of ideas with my students.  We're in a geometry unit right now and exploring different ways of defining dimension.  As part of their homework I asked if they thought time travel would ever be possible (time sometimes being considered a fourth dimension).  As I sit here grading the homework now I see a 50-50 split between those who think it will and those who think it will not. 

 

The next question is about whether they would travel to the past or the future if time travel ever did become possible.  I'm getting a lot of interesting answers - again, about a 50-50 split - many people saying they would go to the past and avoid the mistakes they had made.  But I think my favorite answer this year is the following:

 

"I would travel back to the 1980's. I have always loved 80s culture and am kinda bitter I was only around for 3 years of it."

 

WOW!  Given a choice of ANY era from past or future, this person would go to the decade I spent my high school and college years in.  I had no idea how good I had it!!

Wishing!

Tonight Jeopardy! started its "Battle of the Decades" tournament.  I'm so disappointed that I didn't get invited back.  Alas  .  .  .  I guess I'll just reminisce about when I was there  .  .  .

Being questioned by Alex

Daily Double - anybody out there know the answer?

And talking with Alex after the show.  Yes, he really is smart!  It's not just that he has the answers in front of him.  This was quite a conversation!

"A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of small minds..."

Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)

Stills of New Years Day at K.F.