Emily

I turned 31 on Saturday. My partner and I went to the movies, then wandered around the mall, then wandered around the park next to the mall and saw two herons, then went home and ate banana cream pie. I fell asleep on the couch while she played Zelda. I could not have asked for a more perfect day.

I've now been allowed and asked to share more details about what's going down at the University of Oregon, which involves imminent announcement of firings, among others, of tenure-track and tenured faculty. Given the units impacted (see below), please share this with your professional networks in related disciplines and start getting ready to put pressure (or begin putting pressure already) on the University of Oregon upper admin to abandon this alleged plan before they finalize it. It appears that, with no prior consultations, the departments of Religion and Classics (two separate units), and the programs in Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies, German & Scandinavian, Judaic Studies, Arabic Studies, and Holocaust Studies (the latter five all parts of a previously-consolidated mega unit called the Schnitzer School of Global Studies and Languages) are facing imminent announcement of elimination (expected the week of Sept 7), with layoffs of pre-tenure, tenured, and career faculty in these units. The reason given is "financial exigency" -- upper administrations of several universities across the country (and in blue states like Oregon also) appear to be giddy to use the context of Trump attacks on higher ed to dismantle the humanities. Faculty at OU won a faculty union not long ago; this may be, in part, a retaliation for that, I've been told. The union is working with AAUP, etc.; my understanding is that the maximum spotlight is needed at this point.

A massive attack on several humanities units (Arabic Studies, Judaic Studies, Holocaust Studies, Classics, Religion, German & Scandinavian, Russian/East European/Eurasian Studies) *and* tenure now unfolding at the University of Oregon (a blue state!). Closure of units and faculty layoffs threatened.

Staring down the barrel of my final year in the PhD. Dissertation, teaching, internship, frantically trying to use the school gym before I lose (free) access.

I should definitely take Introductory Classical Ethiopian this year, right?

No way is XPN playing "Hold On" two hours before I see the Alabama Shakes at the Greek in Berkeley... Greetings from the top of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs! #TBTXPN

Yes, I do strongly associate "Home" by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes with WXPN. #TBTXPN

Being the person in the room who knows the most about the Late Bronze Age is such a rush. (It doesn't happen to me that often.)

Having a little farewell ride on the 79 from Rockridge to campus. I used to get the first one of the morning from Plaza when I lived in El Cerrito and taught an 8am section. Good times.

I'm a GSI for R44 this fall, and I had a similar conversation with a friend today. I've only been a GSI since Fall 2019 and I feel like there's been a dropoff even in that time.

I just know Leo is going to drop an absolute banger of a first encyclical

Three times in a matter of minutes, in fact. Is this some kind of earthquake drill (I am failing, if so.)

I really do not know what kind of construction they are doing on the building next to Dwinelle right now, but the whole building just vibrated in a way that made me wonder if it was a under-desk-worthy earthquake.

Contemplating getting my first-ever Square Enix game because of "Philabieldia." More specifically, because everyone immediately made fun of Philabieldia. This naturally caused me to go, "What, you've got some kind of problem with Philabieldia?"

My hometown's historical society has gone all-in on AI "artwork." Almost every post they put out is accompanied by yet another AI-generated image. Today it was four loosely-connected historical figures sitting together outside one of the town's 21st-century coffee shops. It's deeply annoying.

Watched The Terminal (2004) and it made me miss Baja Fresh.

Student on the fact that the text of my final slide ("He is assassinated in 44 BCE after declaring himself dictator-for-life.") is 44pt: "I feel like you're trying to tell us something about whether or not this is significant." Yep. Award-winning pedagogy at work!

Part II of the workshop started today. Turns out that I still enjoy talking about Gaius Julius Caesar and his many actions and reactions, and students seem to enjoy hearing about it.

Yes! I have been using and enjoying English & Irby's "A Little Latin Reader." Lots of passages, graffiti, and inscriptions, all organized by grammatical concept.

global.oup.com/ushe/product...

If the Athletic Brewing Company website is to be believed, the only place near me that has Free Wave tallboys is, incredibly, the Berkeley City Club.

This made me laugh out loud

Did it take me three days to rewrite a paragraph? Yes. Did that paragraph turn out a lot better for it? Also, yes. Like and subscribe for more dissertation tips.

Hill Country flooding: Here’s how to give and receive help Catastrophic flooding in the Texas Hill Country has killed 32 people, including 18 children, with seven victims still unidentified. Rescue crews are searching for 27 missing girls from Camp Mystic. Mo...

The Texas Tribune has a good list of ways you can help flood rescue efforts in Central Texas or get help if you need it: www.texastribune.org/2025/07/05/t...

Thinking today about how the Free Speech Movement Café doesn't even have very good coffee.

Van Drew is a clown.

Catching sight of the pink triangle on Twin Peaks always makes me emotional. TIL it's visible from the Bay Bridge. 😭

There is nothing as satisfying as riding a Transbay bus to Pride and coming with the escalator to the exact block where my contingent is gathered.

For the last three consecutive mornings, I sat down and dissertated for 30-45 minutes before doing anything else. While directing the workshop. And even though I was very sleepy this morning. All I'm saying is that I should probably go to heaven when I die.

Tfw you make a big professional decision and you're sitting in your office in Dwinelle, wondering if you did the right thing, and the Campanile starts ringing out "Ode to Joy."

YouTube video by thomasfburke Wellesley College Office Hours

www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_mO... I rewatch this constantly

I miss xtranormal.

Trump is now officially bombing Iran.
The US is now bombing Iran.
The man who destroyed Obama's Iran nuclear deal that prevented this war has finally completed his mission: an American War with Iran