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Week in Review: Fall Behind

Ali Lincoln

Don’t forget to set your clocks—daylight saving time ends this weekend. Even though I know a toddler throws off the chance to enjoy the extra hour of sleep, I’m glad that I don’t have to wake up and start working in the dark for a while. Plus, when it gets dark earlier, it means it is totally acceptable to don pajamas and go to sleep earlier.

If you don’t want to fall behind on the latest in higher ed news, scroll down for more.

What’s new this week:

President of Grinnell College Raynard Kington examined the lingering effects of housing discrimination and legal segregation on wealth accumulation in a piece for Salon.

In a Chronicle of Higher Education roundup, Mike Latham, Grinnell College’s dean and vice president for academic affairs, shared what he learned from his campus job as an admissions interviewer.

And another Grinnellian, Professor Peter Hanson, explained how Senator Jeff Flake made the best of a losing hand in an essay for the Des Moines Register.

Paul Glastris, editor of The Washington Monthly, landed a op-ed in The New York Times in which he urges colleges to better support adult learners and discusses the magazine’s rankings to show which schools are doing just that.

In a piece for The Conversation, College of the Holy Cross Professor Cynthia Hooper discusses how the oppressive Russian government celebrates historic revolution.

This week on Inside Higher Ed’s Call to Action blog, be sure to check out posts on school reputation beyond rankings, project management, and getting real about Facebook.

What we’ve been talking about:

In her debut on the TVP Comms blog, Kylie writes about how her passion for talking about higher education was ignited.

Our first official staff book club pick: Little Fires Everywhere by @pronounced_ing. Read along with us! (Gourds not included.) #bookstagram #nowreading #amreading #instareads

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What’s next on our calendars:

On Dec. 7, Erin will conduct media training for participants in the American Council on Education’s National Women’s Leadership Forum in Herndon, VA.

Teresa will lead a crisis communications session and case study review for the Dean’s Section of the American Association of Law Schools in San Diego, CA on January 6, 2018.

On Feb. 9, 2018, Erin will present “Finding—and Using—Your Voice: A Communications Toolkit for Advocates,” part of Mount Holyoke College’s Advocacy in the Public Domain event series.

Teresa will be at the National Conference on Trusteeship for the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges in San Francisco. She will run the Crisis Management: What is the Role of the Board? Workshop on April 22, as well as facilitate the master class Fake News, Social Media, and Your Institution’s Reputation on April 23.

What we’re recommending:

Ali Lincoln
Much of my week was spent watching Stranger Things 2, released last week on Netflix. I won’t say anything plot-related, not only to avoid spoilers, but also because that’s not why I watch it. I LOVE the little posse of friends. The characters are hilarious and well written, and the actors make them totally real. Dustin is my favorite, by far, and even though he hammed it up as expected, he also had some touchingly vulnerable and emotional moments, too. And new this year, I’ve also been watching Netflix’s Beyond Stranger Things now that I’ve finished the series. It’s a fun behind-the-scenes look at the show, and definitely worth watching if you’re sad that you binged too hard. If you’re looking for even more, Spotify has a special Stranger Things page that offers a playlist for each character, plus you can find the season’s original compositions and various playlists featuring some awesome 80s jams.

Kristine Maloney
It’s been almost a year since Donald Trump was elected president, and though fake news and bots existed before then, the 2016 election was a turning point in the proliferation and impact of both. Facebook and Twitter have been under a lot of pressure to address the problem, but many are quick to point out that not enough has been done. Enter two 20-year-old Berkeley computer science students. Among their efforts to help combat these issues is Botcheck.me, a Google chrome extension that inserts a button into every Twitter profile to help spot bots. This Wired feature gives great insight into the issues, how Twitter and Facebook are responding, and the students working around them to create change.

Teresa Valerio Parrot
For those who were in my life for the mandoline slicer incident, you may remember I was attempting to make a Martha Stewart recipe that disastrous night. And, I was a teenager and in college in the 90s—of course I love Snoop Dogg. I’ve blogged about Snoop Dogg before, but I’ve not shared my love for Martha & Snoop’s Potluck Dinner Party. Season two premiered last month, and I’ve just started catching up on the episodes. The combination of the two is nothing short of a tasty treat. Enjoy!

Cristal Steuer
When I was 10 years old, I was busy riding my bike and playing with Barbies. If you haven’t heard this story about this young reporter breaking a homicide in her town, then keep reading. After her initial story garnered much attention (both positive and negative), Hilde Lysiak started her own newspaper, reporting on the happenings in her Pennsylvania neighborhood. She is not writing fluff pieces either; she likes investigations and scandals. She is now the author and main character of a children’s book series, Hilde Cracks the Case, which is based on her experiences. While the whole piece is a great read, this is my favorite quote from Hilde: “I think a lot of adults tell their kids they can do anything, but at the end of the day don’t actually let them do anything.” 

Kylie Lacey
I’m not ashamed to admit one of my all-time favorite movies is Jurassic Park. I think it has everything required for a good watch—action, comedy, moral conflict, a little bit of romance and of course, dinosaurs. It is fascinating to think about how millions of years later, scientists are continually able to discover and make inferences about previously unknown breeds. One of the latest dino discoveries is a carnivore that was “twice as long as a giraffe is tall,” according to researchers who found fossilized footprints in Lesotho, Africa. This great Live Science article breaks down how scientists are able to determine the dinosaur’s size, as well as information about the ecological conditions in which it lived, all from the footprints.

Erin Hennessy
It’s been a long week and once again the news seems unrelenting and awful. So this week, I’m sharing a video that gave me a huge smile. Julien Turner, a student filmmaker at Morehouse College, was told by his professor that if he made a music video on any subject covered during the semester, he’d receive an improved grade. The tweet featuring his video has been shared widely and liked by none other than John Legend. Take a look—this is the catchiest song about DNA you’ll ever hear.

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