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Week in Review: Cheers!

Ali Lincoln

I know I just got back from vacation, but I’ve already got vacation on my mind again. My husband and I had talked about taking a big trip to celebrate our 30th birthdays a while ago, but logistically, it’s turning out to be kind of a nightmare to plan. Technically, we’ve got from May 10 until October 10 to squeeze in a trip while we’re both 30, but between the unrelenting soccer schedule, wedding season, and the required parading of our child in the northeast among family, we’re running out of options. So we’ve turned our thinking to a fun staycation instead, and I’ve got my eye on Virginia’s wine trails—cheers to that!

If you’re only interested in keeping your eye on the latest in higher ed news, scroll down for the highlights from this week

What’s new this week:

College of the Holy Cross professor Cynthia Hooper examined how the Trump-Russia election controversy has only made Putin stronger in a piece for Fortune.

In another piece for Fortune, Caleb Elfenbein of Grinnell College considered whether Ivanka Trump might be able to change the president’s immigration policies.

This week on Inside Higher Ed’s Call to Action blog, be sure to check out tips on implementing new social media strategies, crafting meaningful messages, and building a better marketing budget.

What we’ve been talking about:

Cristal profiled College of the Holy Cross’ vice president for mission, Rev. William Campbell, S.J., for Connections, an online publication for the Association of Jesuit Colleges & Universities. He highlighted the college’s new contemplative center and new mission-related initiatives on campus.

We all love Slack at TVP Comms, but Ali found another reason to love it after coming back from vacation: the All Unread option.

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:

Erin Hennessy
This year’s Oscars are Sunday night, and to say they are my Super Bowl is putting it mildly. I will be in position in front of the TV at 6 p.m. sharp (with snacks, of course) to catch the early red carpet arrivals (and, let’s be honest, to make fun of the vapid red carpet interviewers who find it impossible to go any deeper than “tell us about your eyelash extensions.”). But my Oscar weekend will officially begin on Saturday, when I’m planning my own film festival of as many of the nominated movies I can fit into a 12-hour span. Of particular interest are Moonlight, Manchester by the Sea, Arrival, Loving, and Fences. And the festivities won’t wrap up until I’ve devoured all of Monday’s Oscar attire coverage on sites like Go Fug Yourself and Tom & Lorenzo. 

Cristal Steuer
I read The Skimm every morning for their informative stories and comedic headlines. With the Oscars coming up this weekend, I found their Guide to the Oscars 2017 very helpful in getting ready to watch the annual star-studded event. (I could have used this at my last job, when I always came in last in the annual Oscar ballot contest.) And since I am not an Oscar guru like Erin, I also now know what films I need to add to my watch list.

Teresa Valerio Parrot
Some of my strangest high school memories include doing homework at the kitchen table while my mom religiously joined Richard Simmons in “Sweatin’ to the Oldies.” I remember taking the AP American History test and having the damn songs from the VHS tape in my head like memory markers for key facts in our nation’s history. (I did well on the test, so I guess I should thank Richard.) With this experience, how could I not get wrapped up in the recent search for Richard? Like many people, the mystery of his whereabouts combined with his eccentric personality are the perfect fodder for our imaginations and, hence, an audience for the podcast “Missing Richard Simmons.” And, I’ll be listening just in case he makes an appearance in the final episode.

Ali Lincoln
Each class at daycare is named after an animal, and my daughter’s group is the pandas. They read books on pandas and make panda-related art (really just blobs of paint but loose interpretations of pandas, I suppose), and from time to time, we let her watch the short panda clips from the Smithsonian channel, Zoo Qs and Wild Inside the National Zoo. She really likes them and squeals whenever we watch them together, and we are planning to take her to the zoo later this spring. This week, we were talking about pandas a lot with Bao Bao’s departure from the U.S. and checking out all of the goodbye photos and videos available online. We’re glad Bao Bao made it safely to China and is settling in!

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