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Week in Review: Family Vacation

Ali Lincoln

I’m heading off on vacation this weekend, our first solo family trip, and I’m kind of unsure about what to expect. Even though the flight time to Florida is a little long, my daughter’s been racking up the sky miles for about a year, so she’s a seasoned flier by this point. And we’ve been to the beach with her, before, too. She likes the water when it’s warm, and she’s been really into digging up rocks and sand lately, so that’s convenient. But so far, our vacations have also included our entire extended family in a house with us, which means there were a lot of extra hands to help us out—and let us relax. We’ll see if we get any relaxation on this resort vacation with just the three of us!

Don’t worry; the TVP Comms team will still bring you the latest in higher ed news while I’m out. For this week’s happenings, scroll on down.

What’s new this week:

On Monday, Sweet Briar College announced the appointment of Meredith Woo as the College’s 13th president. News of the announcement ran in media outlets across the country including the Washington Post, The Chronicle of Higher Education, Inside Higher Ed, the Associated Press, The Roanoke Times, The Columbus Ledger-Enquirer and numerous television and radio outlets throughout the state of Virginia.

Emily Hanford, APM Reports producer of Stuck at Square One: the Remedial Education Trap, questioned what it means to be college ready in a piece for the New York Times. Interested in finding out if you would be considered college ready? Be sure to check out the sample Accuplacer quiz, too.

Professor Megan Gerhardt of the Farmer School of Business weighed in on the similarities between millennials and baby boomers for NBC News.

In the wake of Beyoncé’s pregnancy announcement, Drake University professor Renee Cramer was interviewed by The Atlantic to discuss the obsession with celebrity baby bumps.

Grinnell College professor Tammy Nyden shared her story about her son’s mental illness and her advocacy on behalf of children and families affected by mental illness with Independent Journal Review.

Professor Mathew Schmalz of Holy Cross is on fire! His recent article on the Bible’s teachings about refugees, which originally appeared in The Conversation, was also picked up by Newsweek. This week, he considered the true meaning of mercy in The Conversation.

This week on Inside Higher Ed’s Call to Action blog, be sure to read about linking program review and strategic plans and how to address the decline in higher ed’s reputation.

What we’ve been talking about:

It feels as if the news has been singularly devoted to political topics, and it is causing personal and professional fatigue for Ali.

What’s next on our calendars:

On March 30, Erin will be presenting with Inside Higher Ed’s Paul Fain on crisis communications at CASE’s 25th Annual Conference for Institutionally Related Foundations.

On April 4, Teresa will be presenting at the CASE Institute for Senior Marketing and Communications Professionals.

Teresa is a member of the planning committee for PRSA’s Counselors to Higher Education Senior Summit, which will be held in Washington, DC, April 5-7. At the Summit, Erin will participate in a panel discussion on the importance of a smooth presidential transition.

What we’re recommending:

Teresa Valerio Parrot
It’s official! I’m taking up smoking! Well… sort of. This year I’ve felt overwhelmed by all that is happening in the world and how little of it I feel I can influence. So I decided to take a step back and identify what I can change and proceed accordingly. My Christmas present to myself is a series of beekeeping classes and this week I ordered my supplies, including my hive, smoker and veil. I’m a month away from the start of my classes, but damn am I going to look great once those bees arrive. Well, really I won’t but I’m trying to get myself excited to wear what basically looks like a HAZMAT suit. My daughter has promised to take videos of my adventures (from a safe distance) and has grand social media plans for what she is sure will be meme-worthy. What can go wrong, right?

And, a tweet earlier this week alerted me to free, downloadable adult coloring sheets and coloring books posted by libraries and museums from around the world. Since we all need a way to unwind (especially these days), know that I’ll be picking up my pencils and shading until I can’t shade any more.

Cristal Steuer
There has been no shortage of Super Bowl coverage this week, especially in New England. From the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history to the snow-covered duck boat victory parade, the news has dominated headlines. But if you haven’t seen “Tom Brady” stop by Jimmy Kimmel, take a minute to check this clip out.

Ali Lincoln
I still harbor a not-so-secret ambition to be a writer someday when I grow up, but often, I make no effort to move toward this goal. However, every once in a while, usually after reading something particularly poetic or well written (in this case, This Boy’s Life by Tobias Wolff), I once again make an attempt (sometimes feeble, sometimes earnest) to “be a writer.” Ironically, it involves more reading than writing—this time I’ve finally gotten around to Stephen King’s acclaimed On Writing. I’m not sure that this will actually lead to any writing, but I’m definitely enjoying the reading behind my latest effort.

Kristine Maloney
Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her sapphire jubilee (65 years on the throne) this week, and since getting sucked into the Netflix original series The Crown recently, I have found myself much more attuned to news of the British royal family. This Atlantic piece looks back at a profile of then Princess Elizabeth at age 17, nine years before The Crown picks up on her life and new role as Queen. Interestingly the focus of the 1943 profile is on Princess Elizabeth’s education, which also plays prominently in the television series. The two portrayals of her time in school don’t exactly align, but I think the differences in what was reported and what survived cuts in a television drama make watching the show even more intriguing.

Erin Hennessy
Last week, I had the honor of presenting at a NACUBO meeting of endowment and debt fund managers. I also had the challenge of presenting after the smart, funny, emotionally charged remarks of Wes Moore. You may have read his book, The Other Wes Moore, a bestseller in which he examines the life of a man with whom he shares a name and a very similar background, except for the fact that the other Wes Moore is serving a life sentence for the murder of a Baltimore police officer. I can safely say that following Mr. Moore was intimidating, but he also made my job easier by exhorting business officers to remember that our students are our best examples of return on investment that we can offer and that we can’t shy away from telling their stories. To learn more about Mr. Moore’s remarkable journey, check out these two TED Talks.

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