By: Esther Edwards on September 4, 2023
The year was 1974. My mother was an accountant at a large, growing automotive remanufacturing company in Philadelphia and was asked to house an office with three employees in our home to manage the executive payroll. My father remodeled the basement to accommodate but had no idea how large the office would become with the…
By: Travis Vaughn on September 4, 2023
Not long ago, the CEO[1] of a certain organization had to give a speech. That speech would be recorded and played for incoming trainees connected to a particular field of study and a particular university. I asked the CEO about that recording, after he told me he used AI to help write the speech. Three…
By: Jenny Dooley on September 4, 2023
It wasn’t long ago I found myself in the musty basement of Collins Memorial Library at the University of Puget Sound doing research using a microfiche. My much younger fellow graduate students had no idea what a microfiche was and quickly introduced me to the wonders of online research. I found the documents I needed…
By: Jennifer Vernam on September 4, 2023
Along with seemingly everyone else, I recently saw the Barbie movie with my sons. There was a comment from the film that called attention to a truth: when we humans try to solve a problem, we frequently create new problems. In the context of the movie, they were talking about patriarchy (and the creation of…
By: Cathy Glei on September 4, 2023
The use of artificial intelligence offers benefits and opportunities, but it also presents challenges and risks. Technology acts as a catalyst that expands the opportunities for humanity to pursue. It is amoral, not good or evil in itself, but can be designed and used for good and evil purposes. Much of its use for good…
By: Kally Elliott on September 4, 2023
The history and information in Paul Sullivan’s The Secret History of Oxford is vast and detailed and after reading through it I found I could only retain a few facts. However, it will be a great book to have on hand when visiting Oxford. Fact vs History Speaking of facts, the history of Oxford is…
By: John Fehlen on September 4, 2023
In 2002, Steven Spielberg directed a movie staring Tom Cruise called “The Minority Report.” I remember watching it and seeing aspects of technology that was so mind-blowing to me at the time. Tom Cruise, for crying out loud, would use this hands to move files around on a large touch screen computer. Absolutely Insane. And…
By: Russell Chun on September 4, 2023
Искусственный интеллект – тьма и свет – (Russian) – Artificial Intelligence – Dark and Light (Google Translate) Summary (before you read) Part 1. AI – Initial task, “The Creator – A Film”, responding to the fear. Part 2. AI – Weapons, at the US Northern Border & AI at the Southern Border. Part 3. AI…
By: Tim Clark on September 4, 2023
The phrase “Artificial Intelligence” makes me think about the Terminator films, in which John and Sarah Connor are trying to stop Judgement Day, the day computers become self-aware… …or the Matrix where the singularity quickly leads to the machine uprising, with AI dominating and tricking humans into believing the world they experience is real when…
By: Kim Sanford on September 3, 2023
“Humans have been collaborating with technology for writing since sticks were used for drawing in sand or on cave walls.” [1] The expanding use of technology in higher education is inevitable. The question is how to use it well. The most obvious pitfalls include the potential for plagiarism and consequently that students will undermine their…
By: Mathieu Yuill on September 1, 2023
In his book, The History of Oxford, Paul Sullivan presents a collection of narratives that question the perception of Oxford as a stronghold of tradition and prestige. Through his stories Sullivan exposes a city filled with peculiarities and paradoxes mirroring the experiences of those who traverse its streets. As I prepared to visit Oxford, not…
By: John Fehlen on September 1, 2023
I have friends that have been known to laugh and mock me for reading “touristy” guide books, such as ones by Rick Steves, Lonely Planet, and, a PNW regional favorite travel guide: the late Gerry Frank (whom I personally met at my local grocery store!). The primary reason for their jeering: The Internet. And they…
By: Jana Dluehosh on August 31, 2023
What did come first? I would love to know! Is it nature, is it nurture, is it have a mentor like an older sibling or is it mirroring our parents? When I read through The Secret History of Oxford by Paul Sullivan I was drawn by the people, or as he states the “the Good,…
By: Dinka Utomo on August 31, 2023
The endeavor to secure a proper education represents a challenging and profoundly meaningful journey. Over time, humanity has encountered many obstacles and impediments in its pursuit of access to quality education. In this context, reflecting on this struggle reveals the pivotal role of education as a foundation for personal development, empowerment, and societal advancement on…
By: Todd E Henley on August 31, 2023
I’ve been looking forward to the Oxford Advance for a few months but what sold me was the famous quote by Dr. Jason Clark, “Oxford is the oldest, whitest, most elite place in the world…Let Oxford be Oxford.”1 As a black man growing up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, one of the oldest, diverse, and founded by…
By: Adam Harris on August 31, 2023
Here we go. Time to dust off the old blog cobwebs. I can almost hear the gears trying to crank back up in my head writing this post after the summer break! I have to say I never knew Oxford contained so many colleges within it, 44 to be exact. While reading through Paul Sullivan’s…
By: Cathy Glei on August 29, 2023
The Secret History of Oxford by Paul Sullivan delves into the lesser-known aspects of Oxford University’s rich and storied past. Unveiling hidden narratives, the book explores intriguing stories that have shaped the university’s history. Historical narratives and timelines are intriguing to me for so many reasons, one of the reasons being that historical narratives expose…
By: Kim Sanford on August 29, 2023
As I read Secret History of Oxford I am struck by a number of things, some interesting yet unsurprising but others quite unexpected. In any case, in a few weeks we are headed to a town that is obviously steeped in history like few other places on Earth. We’re talking about history that few of…
By: Jenny Dooley on August 28, 2023
I never knew Oxford was on my bucket list until discovering it as a location for our Advance. It has been 43-years since I last traveled to the United Kingdom. Decades have passed with longings to visit destinations I missed during my summer backpacking adventure through Europe in 1980. I knew nothing about Oxford as…
By: Esther Edwards on August 28, 2023
As I read through the pages of Paul Sullivan’s “The Secret History of Oxford”, my finite mind was overwhelmed at the incredible stunning architecture, historical significance, and continuing educational investment of a place that I have only heard about in movies. As the author gave behind-the-scenes stories, I felt as if I had embarked into…
