DEAR HARRIETTE: I really want to have a child, and my doctor told me that soon I will be in the "danger zone" age-wise for having a healthy child. I am not in a relationship right now. My doctor says I need to find somebody who will help me have a child, or else.
I am active in my church, and I know my pastor will not look favorably on me if I have a child without being married. It goes against my religious beliefs. What can I do? -- Clock's Ticking, Lake Charles, La.
DEAR CLOCK'S TICKING: Schedule a meeting with your pastor to talk about your situation. Find out how your church feels about a sperm donor. There may be some leeway if you use medical technology, because you would not have violated the vow to refrain from sex before marriage.
Although it's clear that you want to give birth to a child, you do have the option of adopting. That would allow you to remain true to your religious convictions and have the privilege of shepherding a child through the world.
DEAR HARRIETTE: My macroeconomics teacher is an intelligent woman who knows a lot about the economy and clearly has a passion for it, which I respect. However, she is teaching only one-sided, and all our outside readings are opinionated articles that are only left-wing. I had to write about it, but writing about it made me feel I was being brainwashed into believing those opinions. My teacher does not even provide an alternative or other arguments to these topics, which is quite frustrating.
I learned that the materials she gave us were one-sided after I did more research, but that was after the fact, after I had turned in my paper. I want to address this with her. What should I do? -- Standing My Ground, New York
DEAR STANDING MY GROUND: The educational experience ideally is a well-rounded one in which students are presented with different points of view by an objective teacher. I'm sorry your teacher did not follow that protocol.
I recommend that you send a formal note to your teacher describing your disappointment that you were not exposed to the range of thinking on the topics that were taught. You can explain that you subsequently read other perspectives and wished you had had the opportunity in a class to consider all points of view. I also would send a note to the department head and/or guidance counselor with the intention of learning about curriculum protocol. It would be helpful for you to know if it's standard for your school to allow teachers to teach one perspective or if it is more common for them to be objective instructors.
In the future, if you have questions about what any of your instructors is teaching you, speak up and either schedule an appointment to discuss your questions or concerns or send an email. Typically, educators appreciate interacting with their students.