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Post Scripts #2

[Since our first Post Scripts on July 13, 2019, readers have continued to respond to Other Aspects posts with interesting comments. Thank you to all who have written. I’ll periodically gather and share items of general interest in these posts called “Post Scripts”. The headings give the name and date of the most recent post being addressed (some posts build upon previous ones). The readers’ comments are in italics, to distinguish from what I write in reply. I edit only in the interest of space and context. Enjoy, and please keep sending your thoughts to KenBossong@gmail.com. Again, if anyone does not wish to be quoted, even anonymously as I’ll be doing it, please just say so when you email me.]

Missing The Trane (7/18/19)

Really, really enjoyed the Coltrane piece. Well-written and an excellent overview of his career, recordings and influences, as well as those he affected.  One of the best short summaries I’ve read about an artist.

Thanks for saying it was “short”, since I can get carried away – especially with a topic like John Coltrane, who deserves a treatise.

Wow, Ken. I just read your Coltrane piece and was blown away. I saw the email linking it earlier in the week, but wasn’t able to read it because I had one helluva busy week. I’m glad I waited until Saturday morning to read it. I could then savor the flowing prose and insights… Even though I knew most of what you wrote of Trane, I liked the way you methodically went through his recordings and evolution. Great perspective.

Thanks for the kind words, and for subscribing. I finally realized how to make that easily available by placing the button up to the right just below the blog’s header. That way, you get new posts without having to do anything.

I’m still hoping to do an in-person presentation of A Love Supreme before the year of its 55th anniversary is over.

The Flores v. Barr Cringe Fest (8/21/19)

I watched the news snippets of the DOJ’s attorney in front of the judges and listened to the judges chastise her for the Trump Administration’s version of what constitutes “safe and sanitary conditions” for minor immigrants. I also read articles following the case. Your legal knowledge and drill down of the case really helped confirm unfortunately what this administration is doing at the border.

I would like to see money spent on better temporary hospitals, housing and vetting stations at the border instead of a wall. Taking care of those people risking their lives to get here while taking time to decide who gets to stay seems logical and humanitarian. We are better than this and what’s happening now. History is not going to be good to this administration especially on the immigration issues, but we shouldn’t be waiting for history to decide the moral responsibility we have as a democratic nation.

How often do we find ourselves saying, “We are better than this”? If there’s one theme to Other Aspects, it’s this: We better be better; it’s up to us. From the same reader a few days later:

Can Trump get rid of the Flores agreement?

Here’s an edited version of how I responded on August 27:

“There is no easy answer to this. It could play out any number of ways. If the Agreement were simply the settlement of a case, that would be one thing. But it’s incorporated into a court order. The executive branch can’t simply ignore or override a court order. Yet, I don’t think res judicata (the thing’s been adjudicated; can’t reopen) applies in the usual way to a case involving ongoing interactions.
A few scenarios:
1) Congress passes legislation comprehensively addressing the issue and obviating Flores. Not happening, which is the subject of my ire going back to the post of 5/10/19.
2) Appropriate agency in executive branch does formal rule-making and issues regulations, which are litigated. This would also involve a lot of time and work.
3) Trump announces he’s defying the court order. Plaintiffs move to hold him in contempt. Mess ensues.
4) The administration does something akin to a hybrid of 2) and 3) not simply defying, but not issuing formal regs either. Perhaps an executive order or something. Litigation ensues.
Looks like 4) has already begun, as one might expect. Trump has announced a plan to abandon Flores, whatever that means, and 19 states have joined in a suit.”

Here’s an update: Shortly after this post, the Trump Administration announced new policies called the “Final Rules”, tossing out the Flores principles (by providing for indefinite detention, diminished safety standards, etc.). Plaintiffs sought continued enforcement of Flores. On 9/27/19 Judge Gee ordered just that, with an injunction against enforcement of the Final Rules. Appeal by the Trump Administration remains pending with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

…Your Flores blog is the perfect pitch [for a non-technical book about famous legal cases]. In just a few words, you took a complex matter and made it both clear and interesting to read.

Talent and Success in Sports (Part 1, 9/18/19 and Part 2, 10/2/19)

The following is from a reader from inside the Washington D.C. beltway:

Very well done! I enjoyed your analysis despite its “inside Philly BBall” skewing and skewering. We have a process here in Skins Country, too. It consists of:

  • knowing to a certainty every year that the season is a lost cause before any games are played;
  • understanding that Snyder’s strategy is to lose now and lose later;
  • being too ignorant to understand the grammatical subtleties of terms such as “transitive verb;” and
  • being mindful that there is little to choose between “tanking” and monumental incompetence.
    At least we have Max, Steven, Anthony and Juan.

You do have them, and what a remarkably unprecedented World Series they won with the Nationals! I wasn’t kidding about being grateful as an Eagles fan that Dan Snyder owns the Redskins, by the way. Now, if only the Dallas Cowboys could have retained their head coach even longer…The only real difference between tanking and monumental incompetence is intent.

Consider the Kurds and Weigh (10/31/19)

Well said…[Trump] is a deep insult to every veteran who stood up and served our country. I have spoken to my fellow veteran friends about his betrayal of the Kurds and they are livid.
I have run out of adjectives to describe his behavior and am stunned that his “base” cannot see or understand the harm he is doing, much of it irreparable.

Another reader cited a specific line in the post before commenting:

Abandonment of the Kurds to the Turks in Syria is the single most despicable act of a president in my lifetime.

What about the Abandonment of the Iraqis to isis by the prince of darkness? Or how about the thousands of Coptic Christians left to be slaughtered by isis? No help offered … Wouldn’t even allow asylum to the US for them… ask yourself why… Or how about our own soldiers and ambassador left to be slaughtered in Libya to cover up the running of weapons to Syria. Obama let isis run unopposed throughout North Africa while they offered almost daily videos of their beheadings, burning people alive etc… Or maybe we can remember the abandonment of the South Vietnamese in 75 with untold slaughtered by the North Vietnamese after the dems leveled Nixon, then defunded the south’s ability to hold the truce.
[A]t least the Kurds have hundreds of millions in guns and weapons that you and I paid for.   After 19 years of this Middle East crap, The American People are fed up with it.

Prince of Darkness? I don’t recall Miles Davis or Ozzy Osbourne being President.

I believe Obama’s withdrawal of troops from Iraq in 2011 to have been one of his mistakes, premature at best. Perhaps he felt the American people were fed up with this Middle East crap. It was in accord with a status of forces agreement (SOFA) signed by George W. Bush on December 14, 2008 that all US troops would be out of Iraq by December 31, 2011. (Remember the press conference where W had to dodge a couple of shoes flung at him by an Iraqi journalist? That was the one.) The withdrawal followed painstaking analysis in consultation with experts, and months of unsuccessful negotiations with the Iraqi government to keep 3-5000 there. I wish we had. While it would not have prevented the rise of ISIS, 2014 may not have played out so badly had we maintained a presence.

That includes what happened to the Coptic Christians, who have been the victims of persecution for centuries. While 2014 was the worst recent year, the persecution continues to the present. This is one of the outrages in the world that must be addressed by all as simply unacceptable. Of course, we still have wackos who deny the Holocaust.

Obama has called the Libya debacle his “worst mistake”. Gadhafi deserved to be ousted by the US-led NATO intervention (approved by UN resolution), but a lack of planning for what was to happen next left the violent mess it remains. Unfortunately, we failed to learn from W’s declaration of victory in Iraq after toppling Saddam Hussein. We seem astonished when the locals don’t  celebrate by rushing into the streets and setting up an American-style democracy the next day.

Then there was Benghazi, where inadequate security despite warnings left the embassy vulnerable to a deadly attack. The ambassador and three others were murdered; Obama and Hillary Clinton foolishly denied the attack was a terrorist act when they must have known better. Conspiracy theorists had a field day, especially after American arms found their way into the hands of terrorists in Syria. Altogether, Obama may be right that Libya was his worst mistake. Had I been writing a blog back then, my displeasure with Obama’s handling of Libya, Iraq, and other items would have been clear. That doesn’t change my assessment of Trump’s actions.

The misadventures of Vietnam are a whole other ballgame, well beyond the scope of the post. Mistakes go back at least to the Gulf of Tonkin resolution, yet another lesson that if you must misrepresent the truth, there is something wrong with your position. The democrats did not level Nixon, however; Nixon’s behavior leveled Nixon. Back then, reprehensible behavior had consequences. It was over for Nixon when Barry Goldwater, a conservative’s conservative, and Hugh Scott told him his Watergate position was indefensible, which it was, though nothing much compared to current presidential behavior. Now, Senate republicans are led by the likes of Mitch McConnell. [Sigh]

The point remains: Any president makes mistakes, but not Trump; just ask him. He don’t need no stinking experts. Issues are easy when all you care about is what’s best for you. (In an unsettling way, actually, this was no mistake. The president deliberately sought to create a diversion from the Mueller report and Ukraine.) Trump’s unique blend of ignorance, arrogance, dishonesty, corruption, and narcissism make him as spectacularly ill-suited for the presidency as a person can be. It’s interesting that his grave flaws are finally dawning on some of his fans due to his atrocious handling of COVID-19, the only crisis of his presidency not of his own making.

As we see how much worse the pandemic gets than it had to be, the withering criticism is richly deserved. I’m still concerned, meanwhile, about what an increasingly desperate candidate for re-election will do as he realizes he was correct in wanting to run against Bernie rather than Joe. Will there be any inspector generals left? Will any act of telling the truth in the executive branch go unpunished? Will the Trump campaign simply merge into the Department of Justice? After the Memorial Day we just had, one shudders to consider the distress and harm this one man can cause leading up to November.

I, Citizen (12/15/19)

I found it very interesting. I especially thought the part where you spoke about Hamilton was amusing since the majority of its viewers/fans are actually kids or young adults…I think I’ll share this with my government teacher from last year…

It should be safe to share my post with a former teacher, since he is no longer grading you. Meanwhile, I should probably ask you to explain some parts of Hamilton to me.

Thoughts on Choosing a College (1/25/20)

Thanks for posting this, Ken, as we are in the college application process for my youngest daughter. At this time the things that hit home for me were in your summary: do not believe there is only one perfect place for your child, the option to transfer later if things don’t work out, and the chemistry or subjective feel according to the student (something I believe applies more to the girls than the boys).

We don’t want 17 or 18-year-olds thinking their lives are ruined if they didn’t get in to good ol’ Alma Mater. Or somewhere a couple friends want to attend (for no particular reason). Or…

As to the chemistry or subjective-feel thing, my two favorite stories on this point involve one girl and one boy. Since writing this post, I’ve been feeling badly for high school seniors who were relying on college visits this spring to make their final decisions. Hopefully, the post’s checklist helps.

Ken, two comments:
1. Community colleges merit mention. Some of the most dynamic programs geared to actually achieving rewarding employment upon graduation are centered here, and the cost is very reasonable. Moreover, it is a good maturation ground for those who need some maturity before moving on to a four-year school.
2. Changing majors is not so easy at places like Cornell and Penn. This is key info that students and parents need to know before they hand over the check.

These are two good thoughts. The second point is generally true at some schools, and may depend on which majors are involved at others. If a school is particularly renowned in one field, securing admission to the college may not automatically mean that major is available to all. Some places just seem to make things more bureaucratic than others, though my overall sense is that these issues have improved over the years. When frustrated, we used to call red tape the “RU screw” at Rutgers in the 70s, but it is much better there now.

McCoy Tyner, Philly’s Pianist Supreme (3/9/20)

I read your excellent ode to McCoy Tyner, then listened to some of his work. I’m afraid my tin ear doesn’t get it, but then it took me until maturity (some would argue that’s still in the future) to appreciate Mozart, Beethoven, Patsy Cline, Husker Du and Meatloaf. Keep the good stuff coming.

Give McCoy another listen sometime. He really is all that. By the way, what did Husker Du? 

Tony Allen, Fela’s legendary drummer, died [on 4/30]. He wasn’t as iconic, but he was every bit as important [as Fela Kuti].

Indeed, what is Afrobeat without the beat? The list of greats we’ve lost recently is getting way too long. In addition to McCoy and Tony, RIP: Jimmy Heath, Lyle Mays, Henry Grimes, Jymie Merritt, Bill Withers, Bucky Pizzarelli, Wallace Roney, Ellis Marsallis, Lee Konitz, Little Richard, Lucky Peterson, Jimmy Cobb.

Dynamic Duos (5/10/20)

One reader already had a suggestion for a duo:

Dolphy and Mingus

They are on the list and a compelling pair. Also under consideration was Charles Mingus and his long-time drummer, Dannie Richmond. Given the volcanic temperament that accompanied Mingus’s genius, it’s astonishing how long and how consistently Danny played with him – and how well.

Multi-reed virtuoso Eric Dolphy, like his friend Bobby Hutcherson, was one-half of a dynamic duo with a number of colleagues, including the two of them together (Out To Lunch and Iron Man, among other truly great albums).

Again, thank you for reading – and writing.

Ken Bossong

© 2020 Kenneth J. Bossong

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Thoughts on Choosing a College

High school seniors and those who care for and about them are in the midst of a process right now that is equal parts exciting and trying. Colleges are announcing their decisions on admissions and financial aid, and families are left to cope with the information arriving daily. Juniors are a year away.

In the course of giving students tips about taking the SAT over the years, I’ve given some thought to what comes after the test scores are in. There is a lot to consider, of course, but having an approach attacking it one issue at a time can make it all less daunting. 

An Approach

What follows can serve as something of a substantive checklist. For those inclined toward a quantitative approach, one could assign a numeric value to each factor that matters. The challenge is to work in a weighing of factors that are most/least important versus high/low scores in the factors. That is, how do you reflect a good but not great score in an important factor as opposed to a great score in a less important factor? 

One approach would be to make a broader range of scores (10 to -10) available for more important factors, and a smaller range (5 to -5) for less important ones. Note the flexibility: the student, (or parent or trusted adviser) gets to decide which factors are most heavily weighted in any analysis. The approach should be flexible; no two students are the same.

Location

Let’s start with one that seems easy: How far is the college from home and how much does that matter to you? Just look up the mileage and we’re done here, right? Maybe not. Consider a student in the Philadelphia metro area evaluating two good schools, one in upstate New York and the other in Chicago. The latter is hundreds of miles further away, but there are dozens of direct flights a day between O’Hare (or Midway) and Philadelphia, and they tend to be relatively inexpensive. Which school is “closer to home”? In short, don’t forget to factor in the ease and expense of getting home.

Is the campus setting urban, suburban or rural? I’ve seen this be a deal-breaker. If you’re a city kid, for example, how do you feel about the college town having exactly one traffic light – and it’s blinking? What if there is one pizzeria and you don’t like the pizza?

Attractiveness of the setting – Does beauty inspire or distract? Does drab depress? Same for weather/climate.

Safety and security – ah, the parents perk up with this one. Every college tour ever points with pride to the Blue Light Phones throughout the campus and how safe it all is. Unless there is reason to believe otherwise (statistical or reliable anecdotal evidence that danger lurks), it is probably reasonable to assume that student safety depends most on the company kept and behavioral decisions made.

Academics

Reputation/Prestige – Is the college renowned overall? Would their degree bolster your resume?

Reality – Does the college deserve to be renowned? Does it deliver the goods? Do its graduates find jobs in their field or get into the grad school of choice? Some schools live on past glories; others are underrated and rising. 

Which departments are strong? Some schools are world-leaders in a few fields and so-so in others. The surer a student is about what the major will be, the more this may matter. Keep in mind that many students change majors, though. When that happens, strength across the board becomes very reassuring.

Obvious areas are class size and student teacher ratios. Will you be taking Bio 101 with 350, or more, of your closest friends?

More subtle, however, is who teaches what. There are prestige schools where superstars who have never met an undergrad roam the halls. Their job is to attract grant money, not teach 18-to-22-year-olds. It’s nice to have Pulitzer Prize winners around, but will most or all of the courses be taught by TAs (teaching assistants)? Is there a commitment to undergrads?

Is there any sort of core curriculum, or may students take literally anything they please? Can a student emerge from four years of time and expense with little coherent education? Are the courses you want and need actually available? What must a student do to enroll in them?

How are mentoring, guidance and placement?  Are there research and internship opportunities? How about special programs – double majors, 5-year masters, relationships with professional or graduate schools?

Amenities

If you’re going to live somewhere four or more years, what’s the living like? How’s the housing; how’s the food?

Dorms – Are they guaranteed and available? This can range from no issue for four years to freshmen being on their own. Their functionality and appeal vary widely from really nice to more suited to Board of Health review.

If you and your friends want to rent a place, does the town feature good, plentiful, reasonably priced housing stock, or is it slumlord city?

Food – Most college students will say most food is uninspired at best, but there are exceptions. If you find one, it’s a plus. Quantity is usually not the issue; you’ll want to hear about quality, variety and healthfulness. Are food plans required or simply available?

Intangibles

Campus Size

Another factor that can make a real difference is size. Some students would not consider going to a college smaller than their high school. Others feel like they went to a factory for 9th through 12th grade and would like nothing better than an intimate, family-like atmosphere. As with everything else here, there is no one correct answer. There are also some subtleties. Being part of a team, club, or other activity with built-in friendships can make a huge campus manageable.

Social Life

People – Are these your kind of people? Is there some fun going on? Are alcohol and other substances essential to the fun?

Fraternities and sororities can dominate social life or not exist at all. Is Greek life desirable?

Facilities – How are the student center, the gym, fields, and other venues? Are there good places to gather, throw a Frisbee or a ball, get a workout, or attend an event?

Speaking of events, are concerts and speakers of renown drawn to campus? Some schools devote resources to get the best; others don’t see the value.

Sports and extra-curriculars – If you play a sport, you know better than I all that is involved in taking it to the next level. Division 1 recruits will have a full-time job awaiting them. Whatever level is appropriate, balancing and integrating any activity into one’s life is worth the effort it takes to get it right. If you’ve always wanted your own radio show in college, make sure the station puts undergrads on the air.

Spiritual life – If it’s a factor in your life, make sure it’s available in the campus community to the extent desired.

Politics – Campuses range from the Far Left to the Far Right. I’d like to think some of them remain more interested in open minds, objective inquiry, and intellectual rigor than indoctrination. If it matters to you, check it out. At least, attend with your eyes and ears open.

Cost

Nothing like saving the best for last, eh? That college is usually outrageously expensive almost goes without saying. This brings the financial aid package up in importance to equal that of the admissions decision. Like admissions decisions, the financial aid offers can be irrational and inexplicable. As I recall it, the process produced an EFC, the expected family contribution, and ours bordered on the preposterous.

In looking at the cost factor, try to include everything in the budget: tuition, room and board, fees, “books” and supplies; travel, and miscellaneous personal stuff. Compare apples to apples among the colleges as best you can.

All financial aid is not created equal. Grants, scholarships, and fellowships are the real deal. While lower interest rates are better than higher ones, loans are not financial aid at all. Loans are debt. Folks have finally begun noticing that bearing a burden equivalent to a mortgage without the benefit of owning a home is a very bad idea. It’s a lousy way for a young adult to launch a career and an even worse way for their parents to approach retirement.

If a financial aid package is particularly disappointing because the school would otherwise be the top choice, consider contacting the school. A sincere, well-reasoned and amicable appeal is sometimes well received. One reason is that colleges and universities like to attain the highest “yield” possible. Yield is the percentage of candidates offered admission who enroll and attend. It is considered one of the most telling indicators of a school’s desirability.

Summing Up

The approach here was to include more rather than fewer considerations. Please tailor to your needs. If, as I hope, you find this helpful, please pass it along to interested others, including next year’s seniors to be.

Resist the urge to believe that there is out there one, and only one, perfect place for every student, and that all others would be markedly inferior. The truth is more likely to be that there are a number of very good placements for most or all students, with varying strengths that make the choice a really close call. If you narrow it down to a few excellent places, you have done your job and cannot make a mistake.

And even if you do make a “mistake”, nobody holds it against anyone for transferring anymore. Indeed, if you buckle down and do well where you are, you may gain entry somewhere that foolishly rejected or wait-listed you the first go-round.

Finally, sometimes this just comes down to chemistry. How do you feel when you step onto campus? If something inside tells you “This is the place”, it may well be.

I used to wish students only thick envelopes, but that’s just showing my age. Now notifications are mostly electronic. But you get the drift. Good luck with all this.

Ken Bossong

© 2020 Kenneth J. Bossong