By Jim Nichols It was a conversation I had multiple times in my academic office at the university. A student (frequently in their second or third year of college) appears in my office. They have a serious expression on their face and, eventually, appear to be pushing back tears. A compressed version follows. “I came to college with a well-defined

By Jim Nichols The question from the church class leader sought to stimulate thinking and it certainly did at our table of four. Randomly arranged with three women that I knew only slightly, we were a group that surprised me with the number of ideas and consensus that we had. The consensus may reflect that our collective age was the

By Jim Nichols There is a specific question that I have been asked for most of my adult life. Knowing that I was trained academically as a scientist (and a biologist at that) and that I was also a Christian, questioners have probed me as to whether that creates conflicts of understanding and practice for me. “How can you be

By Jim Nichols A good boss is hard to find, especially if you are sixteen years old and it is your first job with an outside-the-family boss. Do you remember your first boss? Not the neighbor who wanted you to mow the grass or watch the children for a few hours. Not your uncle or aunt who wanted you to

By Jim Nichols Patriotism levels ebb and flow with many of us. When we watch what seem to be bizarre and wrongheaded statements and deeds reflecting it, we sometimes become cynical and critical. At other times, for instance Independence Day, pride in the country takes on a much brighter side for us. Frequently, an individual swings back and forth through

By Jim Nichols We may try to fool ourselves otherwise, but we must truthfully recognize that we do not like change. It seems that about the time we figure out how to use some features on our cell phones or our computers, necessity requires us to “update.” Of course, these newer options are not recognizable to us so we must

By Jim Nichols It was an undergraduate class in Shakespeare, and I was a graduate student in zoology. Several friends recommended the class and professor if I wanted an exceptional experience. I could audit the class at minimal cost, not take tests or write papers, and learn from an unusual classroom leader. I took the bait and was changed in

By Jim Nichols My elementary school did not have air conditioning. I knew of no schools that did. We did not have it at home either. In the 1950s, air conditioning was an aspiration rather than a reality. When our family took a summer vacation in our (un-air conditioned) car, we would look for a lunch cafe that had a

By Jim Nichols The transition from elementary school to junior high was not a smooth one for me. It was significantly complicated by having to ride the school bus every morning. Hickory Grove Elementary was within walking distance of my home, but the junior high required Bus #38 to pick me up at the corner. My grade was the youngest