There is considerable evidence that a growing number of college students today are engaged in many new forms of spiritual search and practice. The forms and patterns of contemporary college student spirituality are diverse and multifaceted and not yet well understood or documented. Consequently, there is much to be learned about this recent development in college student spirituality in order to determine its meaning and importance for today's college students as well as for the educational and student developmental efforts of colleges and universities.This article reports on the findings of the authors' research into the contemporary forms and patterns of college student spirituality and offers an analysis and discussion of the implications of these findings for colleges and universities. The authors examine in particular the behaviors and involvements of college students related to spiritual search activities and what some colleges and universities are doing to respond to this important student trend. _____________________________________________________________________________ growing number of college students are participating in a variety of activities that, in one form or another, provide gateways to the inner life of reflection and self-examination (Higher Education Research Institute, 2004;Mooney, 2005;Gallup, 1998; CRRUCS/Gallup, 2003;Dalton, 2003). Perhaps the most powerful metaphors for the spirituality movement among college students today are "inward journey" and "quest." When college students write or are asked about spirituality, they consistently describe it as a journey or quest that takes them inward into the unknown, unexamined regions of their inner lives. It is a journey of introspection and reflection that students sometimes take alone and at other times in the company of others. When asked about the object or purpose of their spiritual journeys, college students often describe it as an inward search for purpose, meaning, fulfillment, depth, wholeness, and authenticity. They describe a journey of discovery that is, in the end, not only about understanding themselves in a deeper and more authentic way but also about discovering their purpose and destiny in life and how these connect to what they believe is sacred and transcendent. Sharon Parks (2000) describes the inner search of youth as a quest to answer the "big" questions of life. A College students take many paths on their inward journeys. Some make their spiritual searches within the context of a religious faith orientation. The spiritual practices in which they engage are directly connected to the community beliefs, rituals, symbols, and meanings of their personal faith tradition. Other students choose to explore paths outside the boundaries of a Jon C. Dalton is Associate Professor of Higher Education and Director of the

Birdsong as a phenomenon falls at the intersection of two disciplines: ecology and music. The shared space includes bird vocalizations and musical patterns that comprise these vocalizations. The connection between natural sounds and human music has recently garnered attention from both scientists and musicians; however, thematic-based curricular connections between the science of birdsong and musical concepts have yet to be fully explored in research settings. To address this, a fifth-grade curriculum unit combining ecology and music was developed within the organizing theme of Birdsong. Inquiry-based learning guided engagement of students and teachers; the culminating project was student-composed birdsongs. The researchers examined what issues arose when integrating two disciplines, what issues arose when integrating two disciplines, how a curriculum unit based on birdsong differs when students experience problems from dissimilar viewpoints, and how projects can require inquiry-based learning. Implications for teacher preparation are included.

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in their own terms, on their own terms: capturing meaning in community musical theatre cast member e-journals aBstract Community musical theatre actively engages individuals in music-making and dramatic performances across the United States. Through these productions, enthusiastic volunteers are afforded socially and musically meaningful opportunities to perform alongside other members of their community. While a large body of scholarly musicological and historical literature on American musical theatre exists, little work has been done to engage individuals involved in these community productions in an attempt to understand reasons for participation or to examine the meaning found in participation. In response to this gap in the literature, this article reports research from an intensive ethnographic study of a Florida community group as they present a production of Maury Yeston's blockbuster musical Titanic. In addition to ethnographic observation and interviews, e-mail-based cast member journals (e-journals) were used as a way to explore participants' experiences as the show progressed. E-journal entries are the focus of this article, discussed here in terms of the meaning they capture and the general utility of the methodology. Consideration 298

Mental health education is growing in importance among college students, as students are arriving on American college campuses with more diagnosed and medicated mental health problems (Gallagher, 2005). The first-year classroom is an excellent setting for raising awareness about the importance of identifying and treating these issues in order to ensure that every student has an enjoyable, successful, and healthy college experience. This article compiles research gathered by a graduate student in a higher education master’s program during an internship with the First-Year Experience Office at Florida State University. It discusses the growing need for mental health awareness on college campuses, identifies current trends in mental health education in the first-year classroom, and presents several useful resources for those campuses who are considering including this topic in a college transition course.