Cornershot

The administrator’s review committee had emailed recently its novel notice of planned “listening circles” to faculty members.

Grateful for a chance to share our views, nearly 40 folks quickly slipped into an ordinary classroom in a 50-year-old building at the allotted time.

Many spoke passionately of small pleasures and large disappointments. The steady rhythm of comments kept the chairperson scribbling notes on a legal-sized pad for the full hour.

Noting first the unusual absence of the chairperson’s laptop, I then became acutely aware of the room’s amazing, historic progression of presentation modes attached to the walls: bulletin board, green board, pull-down screen for overhead and later, LCD projection and Smart Board.

Surrounded by these state-of-the-art communication tools and skilled in their use, we had opted for speaking and listening, pen and paper.

The stark simplicity of direct human expression delivered powerful messages that afternoon.

Weather Journal

3 hours ago

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2. Virginia Tech football roster has holes on picture day

3. Medicare penalties hit hospitals in Roanoke, New River Valleys

4. Microfestivus beer event gets downtown Roanoke hopping 

5. McFarling: 2 little numbers are a big hurdle for Virginia Tech football 

6. DAN CASEY: Copter cost still stirring up dust

7. Arrest made in case of missing Nelson County teen

8. Roanoke farmers markets making local foods more accessible

9. Virginia attorney general's office grows under Ken Cuccinelli 

10. Man's drowning is 5th in Lynchburg area