Toddlers and Scholars

I’ve been flooded with emails from students in the past week since papers are soon due. It’s always interesting to see how they address me. After all, I’m not much older–and look about as young–as many of them, and on the first day I invited them to call me David (I don’t believe in titles of distinction; see Matthew 23). But many of these very respectful, surburban Catholic students can’t quite bring themselves to call me by my first name. Here’s a sample of how some recent emails have begun:

Professor Swartz

David

Dr. Swartz

Prof. David

Hey

Sir

Andrew woke up sick this morning.

Jonathan is still playing hard though.

In U.S. History II today, I focused on baseball as a reflection of American culture in the 1920s. We discussed ethnic and class negotiations (Jews living in Queens were big supporters of the Mets; blacks were relegated to Negro leagues as Jim Crow laws took hold; a succession of strikes reflected tensions between owners and players), the new industrial prosperity and the rise of leisure (huge stadiums were built), mass consumption and celebrity (Babe Ruth), and the tension between American ideals of individuality (individual statistics, meritocracy, hard work) and community (the bunt, teamwork, players’ unions).

Snyder goes to jail after a breakfast of blueberry pancakes. Read about it here.