Idit

HOW YOU CAN HELP FIGHT CUTS UO Leaders to Call/Email: President Karl Scholz: (541) 346-3036 or pres@uoregon.edu Provost Chris Long: (541) 346-3081 or provost@uoregon.edu Dean Chris Poulsen (541) 346-3902 or poulsenc@uoregon.edu If you are a student, tell leaders how these cuts harm your educational experience. If you are a donor/alumnus, tell leaders how these cuts negatively impact your view of the administration’s stewardship of donated funds. If you are a parent, tell leaders how these cuts undermine the value of the tuition you pay for your student’s education at the UO. If you are staff/faculty, demand leaders find alternatives to layoffs to meet budget goals.

Folks at the faculty union at U of Oregon requested these actions (see image and alt text) to fight back against the proposed massive cuts to humanities programs. Here is also a comprehensive note from the faculty union on these + other actions to take: newsletter.uauoregon.org/fighting-bac... 2/3

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, Classics, and German & Scandinavian (three separate units); in addition to Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies; Judaic Studies; Arabic Studies; and Holocaust Studies (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 that personnel expenses outpace revenues -- 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. The faculty union at UO won a new contract 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 huge attack on several humanities units (Arabic, Judaic Studies, Holocaust Studies, Classics, Religion, German/Scandinavian, Russian) and tenure now unfolding at the University of Oregon (a blue state!) Closure of units + faculty layoffs threatened. See next post in thread for actions to take. 1/3

RFK Jr and Statistics:

Congrats!

For the record, I made Gefilte and it’s not even gross

#AcademicSky As reported by a UCLA prof: the faculty senate at Rutgers took up the attached mutual defense resolution. Their unions (full time faculty, grad workers, post docs + adjunct faculty) voted to endorse it. Michigan & Northwestern looking into it too.

senate.rutgers.edu/wp-content/u...

Program of classical saxophone pieces to be performed tomorrow. Albright Sonata, Lennon Distances, Burhans Dreams May Come, Westby, Dundee, Alden, Zoulek, and Michat’s The Dark Side.

UA and admin reached agreement, strike averted, studio concert going tomorrow at noon as planned. Tune in at noon PST for livestream.

A classical saxophone concert program for this coming Tuesday. Pieces by Albright, Lennon, Burhas, Westby, Dundee, Aiden, Zoulek, and Michat.

We’ll be live streaming from Beall hall our first studio class of spring term - this coming Tuesday, April 1st, 12:00pm PST - here’s the program if you want to tune in.

Timeline cleanse!

My humble contribution

A poster for the economic blackout on February 28. It is a big red Jack rabbit on an aqua blue back ground. It says economic blackout in hand done black type. There are two black speech bubbles. One says “don’t buy stuff Friday February 28th. The other says we have power. Below it says No Amazon, Walmart, target, gas food, gas. Below that it says OK small business, use cash. Designed by Martha Rich.

I made this the other night while procrastinating, mainly because I thought all the posts about the blackout were boring. It feels like there is momentum bringing people together!

Flying out of town tomorrow (yay adjudicating!) - what new music should I check out during the flight(s)? Tell me all about your new and newish projects!

What Felt Impossible Became Possible | dansinker.com

dansinker.com/posts/2025-0... a wonderful read

This cold suuuuuuucks. So much coughing.

And! If you’re in Seattle, I’ll be in Century Ballroom Sunday 2/16 with the Stealin’ Apples. Fun swing music and totally wholesome vibe, the Lindy Hop community is something special.

Hi! Mhondoro will be at The Jazz Station Thurs 2/13, I’m told there are less then 15 tix left *hint hint* get yours today, show will sell out soon

Hi all, We’re still here at OPM.

We have a situation where we MIGHT, and I do mean, MIGHT have four of Elon’s people blocked from the building.

Can we get press or a member of Congress down here? We’ve blocked them for two hours and they keep coming back and trying to go in.

I don’t know if there is such a thing, “good oligarch”. Once you amass such wealth you are inherently disconnected from everyday experience and have no incentive to help society at large.

Updated list of companies committed to DEI

Costco, Meijer, Kroger, Giant Grocery, Ben & Jerry’s, Ulta, Macy’s, Old Navy, Nordstrom’s, TJ Maxx, GoTo Foods (includes Moe’s Southwest Grill, Mcalister’s, Auntie Anne’s, Jamba, Cinnabon, and more…), Dollar Tree, Walgreens, Wegmans

1:30pm: master class #2 to 50 saxophonists, they are hanging on my every word, top notch education, etc
3:00pm: still in dress pants but at the laundromat cause everyone else in the fam has a cold and our washer decided to break.wish i could turn this to a @miriamgershow.bsky.social story

Left to right: Michael, Idit, Jack, Patrick on stage at Christo’s after the show was over.

Christo’s was a blast! And fine turnout too. So it seems like not promoting this on the socials beforehand did not really move the needle either way. Interesting.

You see it’s been a predictable cycle for quite a while: post gig poster 3 weeks in advance -> post week of -> day before -> vid from after. But what if *none* of that mattered?! It’s an interesting experiment.

Playing at Christo’s in #SalemOR tonight with Jack Radsliff’s trio. Aside from looking forward to some awesome swing, also curious to see turnout: Will people show up without the usual self promo on various meta platforms?

The real fear is that after a few years of degraded education people would not be exposed to human art/music/books and would not have context or prior experience to know any better, and will settle for AI trash.

Side view of stage at the Vet’s Club in Eugene. Shane (piano) Alex (bass) Devin (trumpet)

Stealin' Apples at the Vet’s Club - always a blast!

Just 57 companies linked to 80% of greenhouse gas emissions since 2016 Analysis reveals many big producers increased output of fossil fuels and related emissions in seven years after Paris climate deal

57 companies are responsible for 80% of global greenhouse gas emissions since 2016.

These companies include fossil fuel giants like Chevron, Shell, and BP, who have been raking in record profits.

The profits of Big Oil should not be more important than the future of our planet.

A news release reading "Claiming that the change from being a “county” to a “community” library in 2017 negates the county’s charter mandate for “the support and maintenance” of libraries in Josephine County, Commissioner John West urged his fellow commissioners to terminate the lease with 30 days’ notice. The lease, which has been in place since 2008, runs until December 31, 2025. The discussion preceding the vote failed to consider that in the late 1990s, citing Measure 50, the Board of Commissioners shifted a 33-cent library levy to the general fund to pay for public safety — an increase in the county’s property tax of 57 percent. The County then absorbed that levy into the permanent tax rate, raising it from 25 cents to 58 cents. Except for maintenance of the Grants Pass branch, none of that money goes towards supporting the library. “This abrupt decision undermines community trust and investment,” said Library Director Kate Lasky. “Terminating the lease with just 30 days’ notice disregards these contributions and the essential services the library provides to thousands. We deserve a fair and respectful process.” As it stands, the library’s lease will end on February 6, leaving no recourse if the commissioners choose to evict the library from the building. For more information about library programs and services, visit josephinelibrary.org, email info@josephinelibrary.org, or call 541-476-0571.

The county commissioners here in Josephine County, Oregon, have basically evicted my county's library.

They voted unanimously to terminate the library's lease with 30 days' notice (the lease is through December 2025).

Petty? Foolish? Malicious? All of the above?

#library

This man and a small group of capitol police officers singlehandedly saved our democracy four years ago.

In November, 77 million Americans said "to hell with them" and voted for the insurrectionists.

Your "Back the Blue" flags are a pathetic disgrace and your patriotism is bullsh*t.

Why are you trying super hard to make the US a third world country?

YouTube video by Jesse Welles United Health

youtu.be/e9LJh81n_zA