by Paul Birch | Apr 30, 2019
Since becoming a member of the PLA in April 2016, I have written approximately 54 blogs. During that time, I believe I have grown as a writer to be better at concisely expressing points and intertwining a few ideas into what I find to be a relevant and engaging topic....
by Paul Birch | Apr 14, 2019
I’ve been working day and night, but I’m finally within striking distance of finishing my thesis. I’m very glad to have put in the work to produce a thesis of which I can be proud, and I think the final paper will be something that makes a noticeable contribution to...
by Paul Birch | Mar 18, 2019 |
The title of this blog post is certainly NOT about the PLA trip to Los Angeles. On the contrary, our days in Los Angeles were a fantastic use of spring break time, balancing cultural and historic experiences, interaction with unique problems, perspectives, and...
by Paul Birch | Feb 21, 2019
Tammany Hall: a festering cesspool of bribery, corruption, and exploitation. The epitome of bureaucratic Gilded Age excesses at the expense of the suffering masses. The stimulus for a generation of reformers and the inspiration for a series of muckraking Thomas Nast...
by Paul Birch | Jan 27, 2019 |
Going into our class on the leadership style of Theodore Roosevelt, I’m certain that people had mixed feelings about the 26th President of the United States. Whether appreciative of TR’s naturalism and efforts in establishing the first National Monuments...
by Paul Birch | Oct 25, 2018 |
It’s pretty fair to consider me a ‘math person’. Both my classes and my general mindset tend to be analytical and quantitative in nature, which lend themselves to my future actuarial career. I like dealing with uncontestably true facts and assumptions that lead to...
by Paul Birch | Oct 6, 2018
I’m currently enrolled in a Management and Ethics class through the Sapphire program, which has been forcing me to analyze the ethical position of both my own decisions as well as those of others. While reading Team of Rivals this week, I began to look at the ethical...
by Paul Birch | Sep 6, 2018 |
(Background: This blog is in response to the first Hon 401 class of the semester, where we discussed Abraham Lincoln’s legacy. Though we generally agreed Abe is a man worthy of admiration and respect, there was also significant questioning if Lincoln is...
by Paul Birch | Apr 27, 2018
End-of-Semester Reflection Whether we like it or not, another year of has come an end. Friends will soon be going different ways, some to see each other within a few weeks, some never again. Some academic careers are finishing, some are just on pause. One way or...
by Paul Birch | Apr 5, 2018 |
Aaron Burr stands as one of the most polarizing figures in American political history. A former Revolutionary Army officer, Senator from New York, and one-time Vice President, he was a successful politician with an ambitious personality. Unfortunately for him, this...
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