What to Expect after the Hobby Lobby Decision

If one wants to know what to expect after the Supreme Court’s decision on the Hobby Lobby case, one need only to look at what has followed two other recent and controversial decisions by the Roberts Court. In April, the conservative majority on the Supreme Court upheld a Michigan ban on affirmative action. Justice Roberts…

A Swede Appreciates Fourth of July

When I was a child visiting America, I remember my aunt having these square pans, deep, with chocolate cake, and upon it in the right colors, the American flag was drawn in enough sweetness to now make my teeth hurt. That was the summer, too, she took me to a drive-through bank, and I recall…

Independence Day: Traditions to Suit Every American

At one extreme, here is a very health-conscious way to celebrate Independence Day: At the other extreme, here’s a very patriotic way to integrate bacon into your celebration of Independence Day: I believe that those are blue potato chips.

Good Riddance to the Common Core Tests!

The Creepy Invasion of Cengage in My Email Inbox

July 3 and I am minding my own business, just checking email before Independence Day, and I have an email from someone named Ashley Minton, Ashley.Minton@cengage.com, with a cc: to someone named Rachael Pigg-Wisner (Wisner) at rachael.wisner@cengage.com. Yes, the sender’s email contains two caps, and the carbon-copied recipient’s email is all lower-case. The email subject…

Standards Versus Students?

My father used to ask for a student volunteer to come to the chalkboard the first day of the semester. He would then ask that student to draw a line a meter long. A little puzzled, the student would pick up a piece of chalk and draw a line. My father would shake his head…

From the Frontier of Teaching

While the intellectual in me has always been a bit suspicious or patronizing of persons who read their daily devotional or Bible, I must confess that I have turned to literature in my life in what must be a very similar capacity. I have found comfort, reaffirmation, suffering, joy–I have been a participant and spectator…

Reading the Situation at Northern New Mexico College from the Outside

I know nothing about the situation at Northern New Mexico College beyond what has been posted on this blog, but here is an open letter from the institution’s president in which she attempts to identify and to address the issues there. _________________________ A Letter from Dr. Nancy “Rusty” Barceló, President of Northern New Mexico…

More on the situation at Northern New Mexico.

A few hours ago, Aaron posted a story about the situation at Northern New Mexico College. I’m told that this is a blog written by Northern New Mexico faculty. Here are some low-lights: 1. “In the last 60 days, Northern New Mexico College has removed or lost over 25% of its full-time faculty. In addition, 4 program directors,…

Northern splits adjunct faculty pay without telling them

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