Living-Room Lectures

INDIANAPOLIS STAR, Jan. 16— In another sign of home schooling's growing popularity with mainstream Americans, the Indianapolis daily reported that the number of Hoosier children educated at home has grown from 4,430 in 1995 to a current level of 20,596 — a rise of more than 300%.

Xavier: No. 1

TIMES-PICAYUNE, Jan. 16— Xavier University sent more black students to medical school in 2001 than any other American college, marking the ninth consecutive time the historically black Catholic university claimed the honor, according to the New Orleans daily. Xavier's total of 94 students sent to medical schools more than doubled that of any other institution, according to data collected by the Association of American Medical Colleges.

Reverse Crusades?

WASHINGTON TIMES, Jan. 16 — A course about Islam, now being taught at California public middle schools, has come under fire as parents have learned that students wear Muslim robes, adopt Islamic names and stage make-believe pilgrimages to Mecca, the Times reported.

Students at one school even pretended to be warriors fighting for Islam. “We could never teach Christianity like this,” said one parent who is part of a group that filed a complaint with the local school board.

“A lot of it is a desire to overly compensate in the name of political correctness and sensitivity,” said Brad Dacus, the lawyer that is representing the parents. “It's outrageous.”

Catholic Urban Flight

ASSOCIATED PRESS, Jan. 17 — The number of urban Catholic elementary and secondary schools across the nation has been steadily shrinking, while suburban and rural schools have increased, reported the wire service.

Most of the 54 new Catholic schools that opened last year were in suburban areas, while most of the 61 that closed or consolidated were in urban areas, according to the National Catholic Educational Association.

“Catholic officials blame the declines on the fact that white, working-class Catholic families have moved to the suburbs,” says AP. The trend began as early as the 1960s, but has become more noticeable in recent years, school officials suggested.

‘Devoted Witness’

MICHIGAN CATHOLIC, Jan. 8— Felician Sister Mary Francilene Van de Vyver, 60, the president of Madonna University since 1976, died Dec. 31. Under her leadership, Madonna achieved university status and enrollment doubled, to nearly 4,000.

Cardinal Adam Maida of Detroit said Madonna University would be an enduring tribute to Sister Van de Vyver's “humble and devoted witness of faith.”

Ivory Tower Leans Left

CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF POPULAR CULTURE, Jan. 15— Ivy League professors are out of touch with the American people, according to a poll commissioned by the Anti-Political Correctness Organization.

The poll found that, issue by issue, the faculty holds views that are far to the left of the American people.

For example, even though the country was almost perfectly divided in the 2000 presidential election, only 9% of the professors said they voted for President Bush.

The professors oppose school vouchers 67% to 26%, while Americans support vouchers 62% to 36%.