Academics around the country are playing a weird new trivia game akin to Where’s Waldo — Collegiate Edition. I have been challenged by professors to name all of the colleges that Palin attended in her long pursuit of a college degree. Palin pools appear the rage among the academic set. For those who want to check their academic trivia, the answer is below. (Hint: she switched six times in six years but one college was a repeat)
1. University of Hawaii at Hilo (possibly one week)
2. Hawaii Pacific University (freshman year)
3. North Idaho College (two semesters)
4. University of Idaho (from fall 1984 to Spring 1985)
5. Matanuska-Susitna College in Palmer, Alaska (fall 1985)
6. University of Idaho (spring 1986, fall 1986 and spring 1987)
While she finally graduated from Idaho, she was named North Idaho College Alumni Association’s 2008-2009 Distinguished Alumni of the Year Award — for her two semesters.
Matanuska-Susitna College is usually the tough one in this seemingly endless journey in search of a diploma. It is offers vocational degrees on such things as Refrigeration and Heating Technology, but also appears to offer a two-year degree. Obviously, from the six-year effort to secure a four-year degree, Palin did not get credit for some of the time at these schools or did not take a full load. For academics, the issue is not two-year colleges (which can be excellent schools of learning), but the absence of a meaningful liberal arts or cohesive undergraduate training. It is very difficult to receive a rigorous and coherent college education when your degree is based on a patchwork of insular credits secured from five different colleges in six years. Since the college education is designed to broaden the minds and knowledge of individuals, such a record raises obvious concerns for traditional academics.
I expect a courtesy 30% of the bets from any of my colleagues who use this site to win their respective Palin trivia matches.
I am shocked by JT’s sarcastic spin on our future VP’s academic credentials. Just a little research would have revealed the reason for this “around the world” approach to academic success. Obviously, Sarah Palin is the Johnny Appleseed of the Right. Depositing her own brand of warm, fuzzy, hockey Mom insight, she was in great demand by scores of institutions whose only requirement was that she be just “one of the gals.” Isn’t that what everyone wants, just an ordinary soul handing their major surgeries, legal affairs, brokerage decisions, etc. And thus why not charge her with being a heartbeat away from control of the nuclear arsenal, or decisions affecting the lives of a billion or so people. She’s fun and cute, and my what a great Mom. I also must criticise my friend’s list above. He left off her stint at Barber College, and I’m relatively sure she can draw that turtle on the back of that match book with the best of them!
And if you think’s she’s got her feces consolidated as we used to sayin the ’70’s, how about the guy that picked her for the job. Now there, my friend, is unparallled judgment.
I’m surprised she isn’t trying to sell the University of Hawaii at Hilo and Hawaii Pacific University as foreign policy experience. They are so far away that she can’t even see them from her house.
Obama-Sama,
Good point about the Hawaiian connection. Do we know why she moved to so many schools in such a short time? Could it be that our beloved Sarah was running from something or somone? Was the “First Dude” in the picture at any of these schools? So many questions, so little time to ask them.
What a snotty post. Not all of us have the money or the time to go to a swell school like Georgetown. Let’s not forget George W. Bush has a HASVARD MBA.
Oops I meant Harvard. I guess that’s because I went to Syracuse huh?
Good post JT… But I must correct something that Mike K. just noted…GBW probably had his daddy BUY his Has(v)ard MBA… Are we sure there wasn’t a sic. notation next to the name of the school on the diploma ??
North Idaho College Alumni Association’s 2008-2009 Distinguished Alumni of the Year Award, ay?
A gala event no doubt.
The idea of the post isn’t a knock on her economic situation. It makes a statement about her decision making ability and her intelligence.
It was also the only likely chance I had to use Matanuska and Susitna in the same blog entry.
The only people to remember GWB being at Harvard were the people his dad paid to remember him going there!
jonathanturley
1, September 27, 2008 at 2:54 pm
It was also the only likely chance I had to use Matanuska and Susitna in the same blog entry
Well I don’t know about all that but you’d better clean it up when you get done.
Sorry, old joke.
Whats scary about Palin is what I call the “underdog syndrome”. Putting her against an old seasoned pro like Joe Biden in the upcoming debates actually I’m afraid gives her the advantage. She has the benefit of low expectations on her side, as well as the natural sympathy most people feel for the underdog. People will be quick to her defense if Biden makes the mistake of appearing to bully her.
He has to be at his best. He needs to put on his Mark Twain hat, and be witty when he points to her lack of experience and obvious “inoverherheadyness”, without appearing overly smug or sarcastic. Its going to be a fine tightrope to walk.
I know I couldn’t do it. Right off the bat I’d be asking her how she liked the campus at Bullwinkle U.
Probably be calling her Natasha. Especially after her little interview with Katie “NavySealsRKool” Couric. Remember?
“Putin rears his head…”, lol.
Quieek… Bordiss.. it’s the moose”
Palin recently complained that she didn’t have the money when she was younger to travel to foreign countries, the way some others do. She said that instead she had to work.
It seems she had the money to bounce around the Continental U.S. and Hawaii sampling a variety of schools, though.
McCsame and Flail’in Palin — “Thanks but no thanks …”
Palin is an example of the far right wing and religous right in their most extreme. From being against abortion even in cases of rape and incest and the kicker is that the Republican platform does not even exempt the life of the mother as a reason to allow an abortion. Why do you think Dobson finally backed McCain after Palin was named the VP choice?
Have you heard the speculation in the British press that perhaps a Palin family wedding is coming soon? It quotes a McCain aide anonymously regarding what a great photo op this would be.
The GOP is sadly morphing into the WWE: melodramatatized distractions punctuated by angry outbursts., with bloodsport to follow.
As desperate as a televised wedding sounds (I wouldn’t have believed it a week ago) it may be McCain’s only hope as that Couric interview is downright comical, and devastating is distributed.
Even the National Review, which the week before featured a creepy, almost fascistic cover proclaiming her “THE ONE!”, now features Kathleen Parker wisely observing that she isn’t wearing any clothes.
BTW, did you read Krugman proclaim that we’ve become a “banana republic with nukes.” Ouch, the truth hurts.
Krugman’s column is such a scurrilous attack on Banana Republics, which generally have a healthy GNP and an export economy.
rafflaw.
does being raped or an incestual relationship make the baby any less of a human being. I often hear right to lifers refer to this issue when discussing rape or incest and it blows my mind. If one is for life, does it matter how the baby was consumed. Shall a life be taken because the circumstances were not consensual? There’s a double standard there. Would not someone want to adopt a child (if we right to lifers hate killing of innocent babies in the womb) though the baby was consumed from rape or incest. I await your reply.
The word is ‘consummated’ and applies to marriages. Otherwise the word you want is ‘conceived’.
And the decision is the woman’s, under any circumstance, with the distinction being made between an actual and a potential human being.
It is what the 1973 Supreme Court Roe v Wade decision is about and what women fought for for years and it will stand – if intelligent women and men are paying attention.
It’s called ‘freedom’ of choice.
If it’s not your choice, then mind your own business.
i think her multi-step journey to her degree shows one thing—
Perserverance!!!
Perserverance?
I suppose.
After all, when you haven’t earned your 4 year degree by your fifth year and 5th college, it must take a lot of perserverance to go for a 6th year AND a 6th college.
And I’ll bet it really took perserverance to acheive a journalism degree when the school newspaper wouldn’t even hire you.
Thats perserverance all right.
Its reported that Palin switched to the University of Idaho to finish her journalism degree after realizing one afternoon following an extremely difficult seer coil swap out on an 80,000 BTU two stage Rheem furnace that the there wasn’t a Journalism dept at Matanuska-Susitna College, and she wasn’t doing research on a story about the HVAC industry for it.
Or so I’ve heard.
What were the last words that Sarah Palin said prior to her departure from Matanuska-Susitna University?
“…oops”
What were the last words were that the Dean of Matanuska-Susitna University said to her as she left the campus?
“Mam, you’ve got to leave the toolbox”
Let’s see, Joe Biden thinks FDR was president in 1929, addressed the nation on TV, and calmed people about the stock market crash. And we call Sarah Palin dumb? Joe Biden has out-Quayled Dan Quayle. But he gets a pass from the press. Go figure.
A child conceived of hate and fear (Rape and Incest) is not a child of Love. If you wish to proclaim that the rape victim has no rights to terminate because the child is of GOD, what GOD are you talking of. And if you presume that the fetus is protected by the concept that “we all are GOD’s Children,” then you accept that the activity of the rape or incest is “in GOD’s Plan.” AND, if it is in GOD’s Plan… Why then do we presume to be superior to GOD’S Plan and Will by punishing the instrument of GOD to create this child of rape or incest! Why not just celebrate the Rapist for doing GOD’s Will!!!
While a Rapist may get 5 years to life, and as little as 18 months early release for good behavior, the Victim gets 19 years to life with no chance of parole untill 19 years are served…and a lifetime of shame thereafter!
FYI – She attended Hawaii Pacific College during her freshman year for one semester, not the whole year. At the time it was not yet Hawaii Pacific University.
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