Today, I added the phrases "researcher" and "scholar-practitioner" to my social media profiles. I didn't do this because I actually believe that anyone actually reads the little blurb below my picture on Twitter, but, on the off-chance that they do...I should really be putting my best foot forward. In all honesty, the foot that I'm putting … Continue reading The Space Between Scholar and Practitioner
Blog Posts
Moving Forward.
America is a broken and divided nation. Trump is a symptom of these conditions. Today I feel a great deal of fear and anger. I recognize that this is a result of the fear and anger of a great many Americans who feel dissatisfied because our economy and government have caused much anxiety over the … Continue reading Moving Forward.
Risk Without Reward
This morning, as I was walking across campus, my mind was racing with the events of the past few days. The murders of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, now counted among the continued, senseless murders of black and brown people; the swirling anger and vitriol that encompasses our national landscape--the blaming and finger pointing; the … Continue reading Risk Without Reward
#SASpeaks: Breaking Up With Busyness
During the NASPA 2016 Annual Conference, I had the wonderful opportunity to give a talk on "Breaking Up With Busyness," inspired by a post originally published here, as well as my ongoing personal journey and the great work of many writers and researchers. Busyness, which can be described as the constant need in our … Continue reading #SASpeaks: Breaking Up With Busyness
“And so we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past”
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 … Continue reading “And so we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past”
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 … Continue reading Breaking Up with Busyness
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 … Continue reading Of Course It’s About Race
Racism, Anger, and Not Going Away Quietly.
I wrote this post in response to the events in Ferguson, MO in November. And now, we see another death of a man of color in the hands of law enforcement and another community expressing their pain and anger, feelings which, in some cases, have been expressed as more violence.
I still do not condone or advocate for violence. But I can understand how the response to a lifetime of physical and psychological violence is violent. If you look around and see that your life, your body, your community is not fully valued, is not protected or respected, what choice do you feel like you have but to fight back and attack that system?
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 it before you are able to build the resolve to undertake its destruction. The current state of anger, rage, and upset that is spreading across our country is unsettling. It is upsetting and, in some cases, has become destructive. As emotion pours into the streets of our nation’s cities, it is worth noting that it does not come from a place of random, unassigned destructiveness and disregard for the social contract. It comes from a place of deep pain, developed over decades of sustaining a social condition of pervasive inequality in our nation. The rage…
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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 … Continue reading Our Common Purpose is Inclusion. Change the Location of NASPA 2016.
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 … Continue reading On NASPA, Yik Yak, and Perhaps What Really Matters
