I haven’t written in a few months. And the truth is, it’s because I’ve been afraid of what might come out. As a process of personal consciousness-raising, writing allows me to get in deep with my own thoughts and feelings about the personal, political, and vocational. And lately, in all three of those arenas, I’ve… Read More
Breaking Up with Busyness
About a year ago, I started breaking up with Busyness. Busyness and I were pretty deep in a toxic relationship that had started sometime in my sophomore year of college, just around the time that I was introduced to a budding career in Student Affairs. Busyness, which can be described as the constant need in… Read More
Of Course It’s About Race
Last night, in Charleston, SC, there was an individual terrorist attack motivated by white supremacist ideology that left 9 people dead. So of course, some people are all “Why do we have to make this about race?” Because, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, IT’S ABOUT RACE. Most people can look back at things like lynchings… Read More
Racism, Anger, and Not Going Away Quietly.
Originally posted on Ashley N. Robinson:
I’ve heard that there is no excuse for violence in Ferguson. I’ve heard that America needs to get together and “solve these issues”. Which we are supposed to do peacefully, politely, and nicely. To solve an issue, you first must look it in the face. You must name it,…
Our Common Purpose is Inclusion. Change the Location of NASPA 2016.
The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in times of comfort and convenience, but in times of challenge and controversy. – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The 2016 NASPA conference has been planned to be held in Indianapolis, IN in March of next year. Today, the Governor of Indiana signed a… Read More
On NASPA, Yik Yak, and Perhaps What Really Matters
I’m in the airport on my way home from the annual NASPA Conference. And I’m thinking about the great NASPA Yik Yak fiasco of 2015. If you haven’t caught up yet, there’s a lot of brouhaha about a variety of yaks that have been made by conference attendees over the past couple of days. It… Read More
Brooklyn, NY. 12.20.14
Today, a violent man shot his girlfriend in an act of domestic violence, murdered two police officers, and took his own life. Today, and every day, racism and all forms of institutionalized oppression pervasively and negatively impact the lives of people across our nation, manifested in countless ways. Excessive use of police force and police… Read More
Merry Christmas on Campus: A Real, Live Case Study
The University of Maine is apparently trying to ruin Christmas. I woke up this morning to an onslaught of Facebook vitriol from my fellow Black Bears following some questionable and sensationalized reporting from WABI news that the university was forbidding holiday decorations and had, in fact, taken all of the holiday decorations down after an… Read More
Racism, Anger, and Not Going Away Quietly.
I’ve heard that there is no excuse for violence in Ferguson. I’ve heard that America needs to get together and “solve these issues”. Which we are supposed to do peacefully, politely, and nicely. To solve an issue, you first must look it in the face. You must name it, and know it, and critically examine… Read More
On Chivalry (or as I like to call it, Sexist Microaggressions)
For the most part, I do not encounter active, conscious sexism on a regular basis. Most people will acquiesce that social equality is a pretty good idea. It’s rare for me to encounter folks (especially in my age group) who voice or act on obvious and explicit sexist attitudes. But I still experience sexism all… Read More
