There is no doubt that there is a growing and more vocal distrust of Higher Education in the United States. From free speech to rising tuition there are lots of reasons many do not trust higher education whether warranted or not. The major issue seems to be that higher education is struggling to show it’s value. While there is data we can point to supporting a case for higher education, in my opinion, there is not enough research in the humanities which develops an education narrative. So, despite the numbers being mostly in our favor the lack of narrative is hurting our case for education leaving us open to qualitative attack from those who want to diminish our value.Continue reading “Want to defend Higher Education? Invest in Humanities Research.”
What I was Listening to This Week
So every Sunday (for the most part) I am planning on writing a post focused on what music I am listening to and thinking about in terms of music. I hope that I can reach other music nerds and also highlight what I am into. If you are interested or like something let me know and let’s talk about it. I love listening to music and podcasts and I hope you do to.
This week I slowly started listening to albums on my #Preston1600 list. This album list is made up of albums I compiled for a massive data review of dozens of “best of” lists from Rolling Stone magazine to KEXP Radio to The Source magazine. From that I curated the top 1600 albums. Here are short reviews of these first few listed albums –Continue reading “What I was Listening to This Week”
The Day I Fell in Love with Hip Hop
Today, August 11th, 1973 at 1520 Sedgewick Ave. DJ Kool Herc played a party for his sister and the art of hip hop began. 1973 is a pretty important year for me because it was also the year I was born. So I am partial to 1973. So, today there were a number of posts on Twitter asking when did you fall in love with hip hop? I reflected on this question for some time today. You see, hip hop feels like it has been part of my life for a long time. So long ago I could not really recognize when I actually fell in love with hip hop.Continue reading “The Day I Fell in Love with Hip Hop”
Politics, Free Speech, and the Provocateur’s Privilege
So this is going to be another blog post on free speech and I apologize in advance for walking down this well worn trail. But I have to address the elephant in the room when it comes to free speech and college campuses. Free speech is not free! As a matter of fact it can be very expensive. We have seen all of the stories. At the University of Florida in the Fall of 2017 officials spent over $500,000 to provide adequate security for invited speaker Richard Spencer. A speaker, it should be noted, who was not invited by the university but by a student organization. The University of California – Berkeley spent over $2.5 million on security for various speakers in 2017. When I was the director of the Office of Student Involvement at the University of Central Florida we routinely spent tens of thousands of dollars for various events where public safety and discourse had to be simultaneously upheld. Continue reading “Politics, Free Speech, and the Provocateur’s Privilege”
I am not an academic scholar . . . . yet.
I have to admit something . . . I am not a good writer. I don’t even think I can be a good writer. I believe good writing takes talent and I am lacking that talent. Of course this is an issue because I dream of becoming a member of the faculty and a scholar one day. I really like professional scholarship and admire those who are good at it. But, alas, I struggle. But that does not mean I should not try. That is why I am beginning with this blog. I figure if I get in the practice of writing everyday, even if it is just quirky observations and personal exploits then I will grow into a better writer and that will help my scholarship. Continue reading “I am not an academic scholar . . . . yet.”
A Walk of 100,000 Steps Begins with one Blogpost
Most people who know me know I am a walker. With very few exceptions I walk a lot. Over 10,000 steps everyday. And I enjoy the art of walking. I enjoy listening to podcasts (the Dan LeBatard Show is a favorite) and I also listen to a lot of music. But outside of not breaking my steps per day streak I have been having a hard time setting goals. We all know that a good goal can be motivating and fun. As a former runner I definitely understand that. Training for a half-marathon was the goal and I did that three times. Then I got hurt and running became less appealing. So back to this goal. Continue reading “A Walk of 100,000 Steps Begins with one Blogpost”
1980 – the Dadaism of music history
As I began thinking about my work and passion for music I wanted to identify the perfect year to explain how I feel about and think about music. And the year I came up with was 1980. It is to music what dadaism is to art. Hits by Blondie and Pink Floyd, Gary Newman and Prince. This was a year of tremendous change. Think about how strange the world was at that time. We were emerging from the 1970s and looking at the 1980s as literally the future. It was the end of Carter and the rise of Reagan and that was just the beginning. 1980 was a time of many sonic changes. Punk rock, disco, and arena rock were dying off and new wave, pop music, and post-punk were the new music styles. A lot was changing .Continue reading “1980 – the Dadaism of music history”
Are times finally changing?
Last night Stacey Abrams became the first black woman to lead the Democratic party ticket in Georgia when she won the state primary there. One of the major reasons I am proud to be a Democrat is our commitment to diversity and the diversity of our candidates. We believe that politics needs to be a big tent where all are welcome to help diversify perspective and ideas for policy and law development. But we still have a long way to go. Politics in general is far to white and male to be productive. However, that seems to be changing for the D’s.Continue reading “Are times finally changing?”
Why College Matters More Than We Know
Welcome to May! It is a time for spring to bloom in northern states like New York and Minnesota and for my home state of Florida to begin the slow march to summer. May is also a time for reflection and the promise of tomorrow because at colleges and universities all over the United States we are celebrating the rite of graduation. A time where students from all sorts of backgrounds and abilities line up, receive their caps and gowns, and are declared alumni. I myself, have had the pleasure and honor to graduate three times. I earned my B.A. from East Carolina University in 1995, my M.S. from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale in 1997, and my Ed.D from Texas A&M – Commerce in 2011. Each time I walked across that stage it was special and I really understood the gravity of what was happening. I was fulfilling the hopes and dreams of my family, that I would soar past where they worked so hard to bring me to. Neither my father or mother completed college.Continue reading “Why College Matters More Than We Know”
Face it, your kid is smarter than you.
Let’s Face It, Our Kids Are Simply Smarter Than We Are
Nothing is more grating on our nerves than a smart-aleck kid. We all either have one in our homes or we know one. These kids love to show us how much they know about technology, access information on the web far faster than we can access it with our brains, and they can YouTube a solution to just about any task. Yep, kids these days. But are kids really getting smarter? The science and practical evidence seem to say yes. Despite all of our efforts to quell our kids curiosity and ability to learn through draconian textbook committees, school voucher systems, attacks on their self-esteem, and the constant barrage on changing education standards our efforts to dumb down our kids has fallen mostly flat.Continue reading “Face it, your kid is smarter than you.”
Considering Outloud 