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Week in Review

Ali Lincoln

What luck, dear readers, that you get a Harry Potter related-opening two weeks in a row! Today is Harry’s (and J.K. Rowling’s) birthday! And there also happens to be a blue moon tonight, so I hope there will be some fanciful reveling in households everywhere. And if you aren’t particularly fond of HP (and know that I judge you for this choice), use today as an excuse to eat cake and believe that magic exists—even if it’s just the magic of science and nature in seeing two full moons in one month.
With 40 percent of our team on vacation, our offices—and by offices, I mean Slack threads—were pretty quiet this week. But our clients still had a lot to say, so scroll down to get the latest from them.
What’s new this week:
Mary Johnson, Vice President of Financial Literacy and Student Aid Policy at Higher One, offered great advice on the Financial Brand for financial institutions to help millennials avoid risky money management and financial behaviors.
NASPA President Kevin Kruger discussed his concerns with the “Enough Is Enough” campus sexual assault legislation on the Washington Post Grade Point blog.
Congrats to Anthony Gaughan, law professor at Drake University, who had a double-hit week! He wrote a piece for The Conversation on Scott Walker’s political fundraising controversy and its implications for 2016. And he also penned an op-ed for U.S. News & World Report on voter ignorance and the effects it has on campaign spending.
Drake also made an appearance on ACE’s Higher Education Today blog, as over the weekend, the school’s Harkin Institute for Public Policy and Citizen Engagement unveiled congressional files on the 25th anniversary of the American with Disabilities Act.
California State University San Marcos was featured in an Inside Higher Ed article for its creative problem solving and community collaboration to bring degrees to a city in need.
What we’ve been reading:
Ali Lincoln
This article made the rounds late last week, and I LOVED it. It was so blunt—opinions are not facts and people can be just totally ignorant and wrong—and funny that it made me cheer a little. I’m all for freedom of expression, but make sure you take a look at the facts and check yourself before you wreck yourself.
While I have not yet personally been to the Jamestown settlement (unless Jamestown River Beach counts), I was still intrigued by the bones dug up in my backyard. It’s crazy to think that people who lived 400 years ago can still be identified and make headlines.
And finally, in a time where it now seems impossible to go a week without a news story about a black individual being killed by a white police officer, I found this article about DJ Henry’s case and his family utterly fascinating—and devastating. Their reasons for keeping their son’s death largely away from racial injustice conversations are interesting and well articulated and truly, their ideas for change did make his case stand out for me.
Erin Hennessy
We’ve all clicked on maps that show us the many ways in which our one nation breaks down along different lines— regional accents, most frequently used curse words, what you call that fizzy beverage that comes in a can (where I’m from, it’s soda.). A reporter and author (and Tufts grad) recently rolled out a map that divides the US into 11 distinct nations “where dominant cultures explain our voting behaviors and attitudes toward everything from social issues to the role of government.” And so, I extend to you a hearty greeting from the Tidewater!
To capitalize or not to capitalize, that is the question. The word in question? Internet. Or rather, internet. There’s a linguistic debate raging over whether or not it’s time to drop the cap—and about what a lower-case word means about how we think about the Internet.
Kyle Gunnels
This week I tuned in to watch some of the Senate’s hearing on the Iran Deal (I’m a glutton for punishment, I suppose). I was very impressed with Secretaries Kerry, Moniz, Lew and Carter for showing extreme patience and poise responding to some of the “questions” from GOP Senators. I was also reminded of an article from The Atlantic from a few years ago that shows a very different side to Iran, one different than the image presented by those conducting the hearing. It’s a great reminder that, especially in global politics, nothing is black and white, and that no place can ever be characterized in 100 percent certainty.
Keeping with the political theme for what I’m reading this week, I am eagerly awaiting next Thursday’s first Republican primary debate. With 17 declared candidates and only ten microphones on the stage you can’t think of higher stakes for those on the bubble of being left out. Next week’s debate has so many intriguing side stories—such as how to address The Donald: the debate within the debate, and early outcry over the polls used to determine the top ten—that it will truly be must-watch TV. On one hand it’s sad that something so important to our country is turning into a Bachelor-like reality show, but on the other hand I will have my popcorn ready and tune in…
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