Dublin • September 8, 2025
Good morning, Dublin. Long before TikTok trends and viral challenges, Columbus was pioneering educational innovation that would reshape American schooling. In 1909, the city opened the nation's first junior high school at Indianola, creating a revolutionary middle ground between elementary education and high school that would eventually be adopted nationwide. This forward-thinking spirit continues today with the Johnstone Fund's upcoming concert series, where musical boundaries will be pushed through nine diverse performances featuring everything from ragtime and electronic compositions to multimedia experiences.
While some sound the death knell for higher education, OSU Professor Emeritus Harvey Graff reminds us that such obituaries are premature and historically repetitive. His vision for reconstructing universities—balancing vocational training with civic foundations while reducing administrative bloat—offers a thoughtful counterpoint to doomsday predictions. After all, Columbus has a long history of reinventing institutions to meet changing needs, whether in education, music, or community building.
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🎵 Columbus concert series delivers eclectic mix of musical innovation. The Johnstone Fund for New Music's 13th season will feature nine diverse performances at Short North Stage from September through June. Opening with the Pendulum Duo specializing in world, ragtime, and electronic music, the lineup includes Brooklyn's Pathos Trio and Unheard-of//Ensemble, Chicago's genre-spanning Missing Piece, and the Columbus Ohio Discovery Ensemble. Audiences can expect interactive experiences, multimedia performances, and boundary-pushing musical explorations throughout the season.
🏫 Columbus pioneered American education with the first junior high school. In 1909, Columbus City Schools opened Indianola Junior High at East 16th and Indianola avenues, creating a more challenging curriculum for grades 7-9. The innovation aimed to provide students with a well-rounded education even if they couldn't complete high school, as many needed to leave school early to support their families financially. The model proved so successful that a new, dedicated Indianola Junior High building opened in 1929, though by 1980, junior high schools were replaced by more flexible middle schools. Both original Indianola buildings were eventually closed by Columbus City Schools in 2010.
🎓 Higher education needs reconstruction, not obituaries. Harvey Graff argues that claims of higher education's impending death are exaggerated and historically repetitive. The Ohio State professor emeritus believes universities must return to being coherent, cooperative institutions rather than disconnected "multi-versities." His vision includes balancing vocational preparation with civic and cultural foundations, acknowledging diverse student paths, reducing administrative bloat, and restoring faculty leadership. Graff draws these insights from his forthcoming book on reconstructing universities from their historical foundations.
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