I’m often asked whether I truly believe that residential colleges or universities like New College will exist one or two decades hence.  At least once a week, a story in a national newspaper about one institution or another poses the same question.  Last weekend it was the New York Times on Arizona State University. And I write with two books, The End of College and College Disrupted, before me on my desk.  

All suggest that higher education as we know it is over. Our great residential colleges and universities are mired in the past and unable to adapt to the rapid changes that technology brings. They are too expensive and inefficient. Why, the writers wonder, would anyone attend a residential university when high quality massive open online courses (MOOCS) are free or nearly free? Not only are lectures available online, but recitations and interactions with professors occur 24/7 in online chat rooms. These incontrovertible realities lead ineluctably to the conclusion that residential colleges and universities face extinction.   

Or do they?  

Yes, universities are old. Yes, technological change is accelerating. Yes, residential education is often expensive and seemingly inefficient. Yes, some online courses are very good and very inexpensive. But not only are the reports of impending death of residential colleges and universities greatly exaggerated, they beggar common sense.

Universities that bring students and professors together in a single place will continue to exist because learning is both hard work and immensely exciting, and because we humans are social creatures and learn best from and in the presence of others.

Online courses will no more replace today’s universities than the printing press and concomitant availability of books replaced the 42 universities founded before 1500. True, well-designed online courses can engage students with one another and with professors in a way that universities do and books cannot. But they cannot replace physical proximity. If they could, television and live streaming would have obviated basketball and football stadiums.  

To learn and to understand deeply—be it some mathematics or music, or a language, or a physical or chemical law—is to undergo microsurgery on one’s brain. Learning requires forging new pathways and connections among neurons. It requires motivation, experimentation, mimicry and persistence. The mix of solitary study and interaction with others differs for different individuals, at different times, and for different subject matter. Learning goes much faster in an environment where others are learning too. And being with others is exhilarating. A good student’s knowledge doubles each year, a rate of growth and maturation that provides a huge competitive advantage and that amply repays the opportunity cost of the time spent in residence.  

That is why universities are among our civilization’s oldest institutions. That is why young people have travelled across Europe to the Universities of Bologna, Oxford, Paris, Cambridge and Salamanca for more than eight centuries. And that is why young people will continue to come to Sarasota to study at New College or Ringling College of Art and Design or University of South Florida, Sarasota-Manatee. 

SRQ Daily Columnist Donal O'Shea is the president of New College of Florida

Like a page out of the Jerry Falwell’s Moral Majority play book, and just in time for the Republican debates, the candidates were handed a gift from…well, Live Action.  

The anti-abortion group Live Action has been targeting Planned Parenthood with elaborate media hoaxes for over nine years now.  The recent video “expose” reeks of the previous one; released in February 2011, right before the last Presidential Primaries.  As if on cue, the Republican Candidates jumped right in, willing to use this litmus test of true conservatism.  “Pick me! Pick me! No one is more ‘Pro-Life’ than me!”

Yes, the images conjured from the video are a little hard to swallow, but so was the conversation over dinner when my friend was in medical school and she would tell us about the cadaver she had just autopsied a few hours before.  I actually had to pass a no “shop talk” rule when eating with me because, although I knew something brilliant would come from her medical experience, the stories were hard to stomach.  

I am pro-life.  

Harvesting fetal tissue for studies have been going on since the early 1900s.  Research for Parkinson's disease, leukemia, Hodgkin’s lymphoma, AIDS, Polio, Muscular Dystrophy, spinal cord injuries and macular degeneration have all used fetal tissue in their research.  Vaccines, such as chicken pox, rubella and shingles, have been produced in tissue derived from fetuses. The fact that this video from Live Action and the reaction it has caused among some of the public just shows how ignorant we really are when it comes to medical research.  

The one thing we have to consider is that although this research has brought findings that have actually preserved life, it is highly regulated.  Only five states actually allow this process. What the video does not mention is that fetal tissue is from causes both natural (a miscarriage) and unnatural (an abortion).  And while the outrage is directed toward Planned Parenthood, you need to recognize the fallout will be huge.  The National Institutes of Health funds research using fetal tissue with grants to more than 50 universities, including Columbia, Harvard, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford, Yale and the University of California in Berkeley, Irvine, Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco.  

I am pro-choice.  

While the Republican Congress stomps around with their investigations and Gov. Rick Scott jumps on the bandwagon threatening to fight the “evils” housed in Planned Parenthood, everyone should be brought back to reality.  Abortions are dropping in numbers, and not because of the fools who picket the clinics but because women have more options and more education than ever before. In addition, defunding Planned Parenthood won’t get the desired effect by those who wish it to happen. Abortions won’t end. But the lies and the fear fanned by the politicians will have an effect that is too early to predict on the development of new medical discoveries.  

I wonder if Live Action understands that when they produce these videos, what they actually do is realign the pro-choice base.  All of those women well past their child-bearing years (but wealthy enough to write a check) are reminded what it is like to have decisions made for them. And for the young women (and men) who can’t access medical care and see an organization who is there for them be attacked, do you think they are really going to stand by and watch Planned Parenthood take the fall?  

Planned Parenthood always had my support because they were there for me when I needed it. And I want them to be there for those that need it now.  

SRQ Daily Columnist Susan Nilon is the president of Florida Talk Radio and owner of WSRQ Radio. She hosts The Nilon Report on WSRQ Sarasota 1220AM/106.9FM weekdays 4pm-6pm. Email her at susan@sarasotatalkradio.com.

All Faiths Food Bank announced that their mid-summer food program numbers are already surpassing last summer’s totals. The summer BackPack Kids program alone - which sends children home with bags of kid-friendly food - provided 12,666 bags at 27 new sites by mid-July. New partnerships with the Sarasota County Public Libraries, Children First, Boys & Girls Clubs, several programs of the Early Learning Coalition and others are working with All Faiths to ensure children have food all summer long. All Faiths Food Bank’s Campaign Against Summer Hunger which ended May 9, raised $1.2 million and more than 935,000 pounds of food to support All Faiths’ summer food programs including new mobile food assistance sites, Backpack Kids, and helping the School District expand its meal programs.  

All Faiths Food Bank

We run for different reasons. We have different goals. We come from different places. Yet, we are all on the same road - one without a finish line. Where personal achievement, performance, and connection run together. And that's the Power of Running at Fleet Feet Sports. Every weekend between Aug. 1 & Sept. 30, a portion of the sale of certain products will be collected into the fund for Special Olympics. Step into some new shoes and join Fleet Feet at the finish line while you help others along the way. It's just one piece of what happens at Fleet Feet Sports through The Power of Running. 

Fleet Feet Sarasota

As the leading advocate for female consumers, the Women’s Choice Award is delighted to honor University Self Storage (USS) for Outstanding Customer Experience based on an extraordinary recommendation rating from their female customers. University Self Storage, offering long & short term storage solutions for personal & commercial needs, serving Sarasota & Manatee Counties, received excellent survey scores in several areas including the overall sales experience, where 9 out of 10 of their customers reported that they would highly recommend University Self Storage to friends and family. Mary Fischer, USS Property Leasing Manager, stated “All of us at University Self Storage are proud to be associated with the Women’s Choice Award! We strive every day to give outstanding service, realizing the huge impact that our female customers play. We are especially delighted that we have been recognized for the third year in a row.” University Self Storage (USS), owned and operated by the Sarasota Manatee Airport Authority, provides an exceptional customer experience to every client. Recognizing the sometimes stressful circumstances surrounding a need for storage, the professional, courteous, and trustworthy staff at USS offer a safe haven for your stored items, including 24-hour access and/or air conditioned units. Utilizing the training and attitude of the Women’s Choice Award, USS staff create an environment of reassurance, dependability and efficiency.   

University Self Storage

Donte’s Den is pleased to announce that it has received a $2,500.00 grant from the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, Inc. from the Hubert and Ruth DeLynn Fund. The grant will sponsor the first dog to enter into the Semper Paw Military Program. Dozer, a two year old American Bulldog mix, will join the ranks at Donte’s Den in July while his Army mom deploys to Africa for up to one year. Semper Paw gives peace of mind and supports responsible, lifelong pet ownership for qualified members of the US Armed Services and their companion canines by providing pet counseling services, discounted veterinary care and temporary care for companion dogs during deployment, service commitments and emergency hardships. The program aims to alleviate the necessity of soldiers having to surrender their beloved canine buddies to animal shelters when they deploy or experience emergency hardships, and is close to Marsha Panuce’s heart, who is the Founder and President of Donte’s Den.  In speaking about the impact of the funds received from Community Foundation of Sarasota County, Inc. from the Hubert and Ruth DeLynn Fund, she states, “We’re delighted that the community has joined forces and cares enough to recognize the need for this program and the importance it has to the men and women fighting for our country.” 

Donte's Den

As the summer winds down and back-to-school shopping looms right around the corner, many parents are already thinking about how to save money on the purchases needed to get children ready for school. Goodwill Manasota is committed to helping to ease some of the economic challenges faced by area families and teachers. On Sunday, August 9, Goodwill Manasota's major retail stores will offer 50% off all apparel, linens and Boutique items. As an added benefit, the clothing will be tax-free, as the day falls during the state's 2015 back-to-school sales tax holiday. Between August 9-15, Goodwill is holding "Teacher Appreciation Week." Teachers can stock up for back to school with 25% off merchandise from Goodwill Manasota Bookstores. “We know families are on a tight budget this coming school year and that every dollar counts. We also know how hard it is to keep up with growing children and long school supply lists. And we've all heard too many stories of teachers who supplement their kids' supplies using their own money," said Bob Rosinsky, president and CEO of Goodwill Manasota. "That’s why we’ve stocked our stores with a large variety of new and gently used items to fill up that backpack or dorm room for back-to-school. We are happy to try and help to minimize the financial burden for area families and teachers as they return to school for the 2015-2016 school year.”  

Goodwill Manasota

The Sarasota Family YMCA Sharks Swim Team won the 2015 Long Course Florida State Age Group Championships (FLAGS) held at the Evalyn Sadlier Jones (ESJ) Selby Aquatic Center July 16 – July 19, 2015. Over 65 teams competed in the four day event which featured Florida’s best swimmers ages nine to fourteen. The Sharks went on a winning streak back in 2004 and have won 21 out of the last 22 State championships. “We’re proud of the hard work and dedication that our swimmers put into the program, said Brent Arckey, Head Coach of the Sharks swim team. “We are gearing up for another great season!” 

Sarasota Sharks

Looking to uncover some hidden gems in Sarasota? Renaissance School of Art will be holding two open houses at their new studio location on South Tamiami Trail. The Plein Air Painters exhibition will be closing on the first open house date August 15, so make sure to check out the exhibition before its gone! The second open house will be on August 22. Head on over to the studio from 3-5pm on either Saturday to learn about Renaissance School of Art’s 2015/16 visual art programs for kids and adults, meet the teachers, and see amazing exhibitions from local artists.  

Renaissance School of Art

The Perlman Music Program/Suncoast (PMP/Suncoast) is expanding its programming for the 2015-2016 Season by offering PMP Alumni: In Concert, a series of three concerts featuring alumni of New York’s esteemed Perlman Music Program (PMP). Founded by Toby Perlman 21 years ago, PMP offers unparalleled musical training to string players of rare and special talent between the ages of 12-20 from all over the world. With a first-class faculty led by her husband, internationally acclaimed violinist and conductor Itzhak Perlman, PMP is developing the future leaders of classical music. These three alumni concerts-two in Sarasota and one in Venice-are presented by PMP/Suncoast in addition to the 12th Annual PMP Sarasota Winter Residency program in December. Tickets are now on sale! Buy a subscription to the series for $75 and save $30. Individual concert tickets are $35. Youth tickets (18 and under) are available for $5 with the purchase of a regular-priced ticket. 

Perlman Music Program