Natalie Draper

Yup. I really get the sense that every person I know who is teaching somewhere is really struggling right now with all of this (and other aspects that are crippling higher ed). And it’s amazing how fast things have deteriorated. My job felt very different even six years ago.

Holy moly I am drowning in grading this weekend. Seriously hope I can get caught up. 😵‍💫

It’s a disaster and my understanding is that it’s not just Indiana - the big beautiful bill has stuff about this that will affect federal support for arts programs nationally. My Dean just sent us all a note about it.

Alysa Liu telling 60 Minutes “I love struggling, it makes me feel alive” is a legit revolutionary statement from a Bay Area native in a time when copious amounts of time and resources are being put toward convincing us to opt out of experiencing struggle, friction and self-actualization

The Unstoppable Alysa Liu Watching a young woman be free was the joy I didn’t know I needed

I don't follow figure skating, so I couldn't figure out why I started sobbing while watching Alysa Liu's gold medal-winning performance.

Then it dawned on me: I was watching a young woman be free.

Watched Alysa Liu's free skate last night and it was chef's kiss. So cool to see someone achieve that level of freedom and joy. And you know she put in the work. You don't get to that state of ease without having rock solid technique and an insane work ethic.

This is random, but just coming on here to say that the Starbucks drive-thru is an abomination.

It honestly tells you all you need to know about misogyny in our culture that so many people had ties to Epstein and that so few are facing any meaningful repercussions.

On a related note, it's days like this that make me appreciate how very, very real SAD is.

Omg it's sunny outside in Syracuse, NY. I don't even know how to feel. What is this. What is happening.

The amount of times I hear someone say that "we can't possibly change something" because "it's always been that way" in academic bureaucracy is crazy-making.

Then again, we don’t have doctoral students, so that makes a difference.

Dr. Draper. Never my first name. Boundaries, people. 😂

I’m grateful that it has allowed me to speak bluntly to our Dean on several occasions, not that it has made much difference. This is not to defend those who don’t speak up, but the idea that tenured profs have significant power in today’s academia is simply false.

Extreme cold has arrivedin Central NY: Wind chills could reach -35 degrees Gusty winds up to 40 mph are expected to create hazardous blowing snow conditions through Sunday morning.

Extreme cold has arrivedin Central NY: Wind chills could reach -35 degrees

Writing Classes Are About Writing, Not AI-Aided Production If we want students to learn to write, AI tools shouldn’t have much of a role. If we don’t think students need to learn to write anymore, I’m not sure what we’re doing here.

My thoughts are also hugely shaped by my core view that there are important distinctions between writing and AI-assisted (or automation-assisted) document production. I'm 100% focused on what it means to learn to write, not just make texts. www.insidehighered.com/opinion/colu...

There's too many fucking people in the Epstein files. Need Yakko Warner to sing a song about it to help me get caught up

Everything he touches turns to trash and we are footing the bill for all of it.

Oh, the Kennedy Center!!!! This really breaks my Maryland heart. 💔

Snowcrete -- If there's one thing it's good for is building structures!

Several creations from our readers:.

1) from Laurie McCartney Wehmeyer (Woodbridge)
2) from Sara-Jayne Barnes (AU Park)
3) from walter-in-falls-church
4) from Free Little Art Gallery (Arlington)

Thanks to all for sharing

Opinion | ICE Took Their Classmate. They Started Writing Letters.

Truly, I don’t know how ICE sleeps at night.

Buffalo hospital laying off 150 workers, forcing furloughs amid rising costs Financial challenges have forced a 3% staff cut.

Buffalo hospital laying off 150 workers, forcing furloughs amid rising costs

Why are so many academics who should know better using AI. Holy crap it’s depressing.

One of my theory students wrote to me that he used chromatic mediants in his intro for his YouTube channel and I really needed this little moment of theory nerd joy to remind me why I love teaching.

That is fucking depressing

But SU is like 🤔 “we’re still thinking on it”…….

Finally sat down to work on this and the stupid platform that we have to use for this didn't save the work I did on it last time. I have a lot of thoughts...none of them appropriate to vent publicly.

This is niche to academia, but there is no procrastination quite like the procrastination to avoid doing the CV Update. 😵‍💫

Tomorrow’s front page of the times needs to have an image of all the folks lighting candles.

The real “domestic terrorists” are in the White House.

The victim, Alex Jeffrey Pretti, was reportedly a law abiding US citizen & an ICU nurse at the VA. He was licensed to carry a firearm.

Trump & Miller are responsible for his killing & are now lying to the American people.