Education & Opportunity

In my newspaper column for Feb. 1, I discussed how studying math helps students access and develop parts of their brain that would otherwise be underutilized. For all of those folks who have ever said about math, "I'm never going to use this," here's a surprise: You're probably using it all the time without even realizing it. For instance, when a high school senior is writing a history paper, he has to mentally manage a lot of facts, dates, and details.  The study of math actually helps him manage those details better.

So do you go to the gym to get your physical muscles stronger?  Math may help build and tone your mental muscles.

My column for Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 23, focused on the importance of family dinner. I chose this topic because I really think it can make a difference in today's society. I think of family dinner as a sort of "Vitamin C" for family relationships. Sure, your family will still have its trouble spots, but regular family dinner helps the family get healthy much more quickly.

One fact I didn't have space to include in the article: Family dinners become more of a challenge as kids get older. Although the majority of 12-year-olds eat with their families every night of the week, only 25 percent of 17-year-olds do so. At the same time, the potential issues, obstacles, and influences facing kids multiply during the later teen years. Just as we are doing it less, family dinner becomes more important than ever.

In my column for Nov. 16, I profile the story of Amanda Dunbar--a celebrated 23-year-old artist who only picked up a paint brush for the first time, accidentally, at age 13. What interested me in the story was that even in the case of this child prodigy, the role of her parents, Ken and Judi, was still critical in her development. For this reason, I consider Amanda's success more of a success story about the entire Dunbar family than just Amanda herself.

And yes, I truly believe that all of us have hidden talents awaiting discovery!

Also, for those of you who are interested in pursuing fine arts (or have kids interested in the fine arts), here are some tips from Ken and Judi Dunbar: