This article, (also here) from the Chronicle of Higher Education, serves as a good portrait of the issues, attitudes, and atmosphere on campuses right now. I’m very impressed by the many angles it covers. This is one to be included on the “2020/COVID-19 History” course to be taught to leadership folks in decades to come.

This is such a horrible experiment, but will absolutely teach so many of us so many valuable lessons about untenable situations, no-win decision-making, etc.

And surely there will be one about the compressing of 15-wk terms and the cost to students in learning effectiveness.  I never understood the idea of “being nimble” because we could “pivot” more easily with shorter terms...

It’s officially been nominated, and now accepted that nomination, for POTUS candidacy. The endless lies, the “law and order” stance that sounds no different than the Southern strategy used by Nixon–“we’re white, keep them others down.”

The news reports are all about “fact checking.” And it makes me laugh, as a lifetime of its lies have gotten it here, making shit up left and right, echoed by those who want to assure whatever sort of bizarre idea of ‘governing’ this represents. And that lifetime of lies was no secret. And the years of lies while in this office have been no secret. And it took the media years to find the spine to actually use the word “lie.”

And even now there’s little use of the word lie...

With classes suspended yesterday and today, it hasn’t stopped the reporting of new cases in/around campus. Pattie and I rode our bicycles around campus a bit; a ghost town, as you might imagine, and a healthy number of parents loading up their kids to get ’em home. Have received emails from some students who are so very disappointed, of course.

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But, this came in last night; clearly Jackson’s stair-climbing skills have developed quickly over the previous 24 hours!

Sure do love the morning video calls that often come in from Joe/Jackson. The call yesterday morning (in addition to watching Jackson enjoy his peanut butter & banana breakfast) was a particular treat, as he took on a flight of stairs successfully for the first time.

And that was the best news of the day.

Shortly after that call, received official notice that ECU will go all-remote (for undergrad classes) beginning Wednesday. No classes today/Monday and Tuesday, allowing students to begin clearing out of dorms–although they have until Aug 30 to do so. Don’t know what all the people who’ve signed lengthy leases will do, of course.

Am glad to hear that...

A week of long days. Teaching feels more manageable, though I and several others experienced a major technical glitch on Friday (unable to connect to Webex for a class). This was my first big tech issue. I think the good news is that even with outbreaks on campus, students seem to be doing ok.

As the students are really in a kind of anti-social restriction (not necessarily a full lockdown, but definitely not ‘normal’ college), some are doing work at all hours. I see homework submissions coming in from more than one student between midnight and 4am. I am trying to get them very fast feedback while the iron’s hot; if they submit, i get back to them so that they can make adjustments and resubmit. During these first two weeks (we’re 30% done with this 7...

76 days until Nov. 3.

Growing up outside Boston, we took pride in the “Don’t blame me, I’m from Massachusetts” bumper stickers generated by the results of the 1972 presidential election. That year, George McGovern won a single state, the crook took the other 49. Of course I was just 11, really had no clue about anything, but I learned pretty quickly what it meant to have a lying cheat in the White House.

I know it won’t happen, but gosh I’d love to see this election prove even more of a landslide than ’72.

A fabulous piece written by a long-ago classmate from UMass, truly worth the quick read. Was so very glad to see this via Facebook.

UNC cancelling in-person classes after one week; making all kinds of national headlines, of course, as a major university.

ECU reporting a cluster at a freshman dorm. Students (that’s where all students in my frosh class live) are, of course, frightened (if not terrified).

Just such an impossible situation.

After Isaias, then a rare derecho storm in the midwest causing people to be without power for over a week now.

CA experiencing rolling power blackouts during an incredible heatwave–friends reporting temps between 105-110.

Incredible numbers of people without jobs. None able to find work...

Truly, these two items say it all:

An ABC news piece

and a editorial from the UNC student newspaper

Yesterday’s treat was a zoom-party for a bro who turns 65 today. Odd to write that, “65,” as it seems a big number. As I’m the youngest of the five siblings in our family, all the ‘numbers’ of my sibs seem big, I suppose, and really always have. Cliched those it is, it truly does seem that these are just numbers, and not states of mind or condition.

For sure, each of us has and is mellowing in our own ways; and there’s a distinct slowing down to be observed among a few–one is a little concerning, the other i find welcoming. This is the process of life, isn’t it? They each seem no less vital than ever, it’s perhaps just the level of animation that’s less obvious...