In The News: Department of English
With the rise of hashtag movements like #MeToo, #BlackLivesMatter and #SayHerName, one professor from the California State University system wants her Victorian literature classes to be “more responsive to contemporary conversations about race and gender.”
In director Jeanne Leblanc’s latest film, a small town in Québec on the verge of recovering from a communal tragedy is shaken further once they find out that a local girl, 13-year-old Magalie, is pregnant and unwilling to reveal who the father is.
Now, more than a year later since the coronavirus pandemic began, the prospect of re-entering the classroom en masse is fast-approaching reality for tens of thousands of Nevada students, including thousands who have never set foot on their own school campus.
Now, more than a year later since the coronavirus pandemic began, the prospect of re-entering the classroom en masse is fast-approaching reality for tens of thousands of Nevada students, including thousands who have never set foot on their own school campus.
Faculty across the state’s higher education system are pushing for a new law this year that would expand the state’s nascent public collective bargaining infrastructure to include professors and other professional staff — a sharp break from years of control of the process by the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE).
The line between life and death is a fine one, and it is sometimes difficult to identify. Although one government has found it necessary to warn its citizens to refrain from playing doctor by trying to determine whether a family member has died, even physicians, nurses, paramedics, and other professionals sometimes have trouble pinpointing the cause of death or, indeed, even whether death has actually occurred. The thought that medical experts could pronounce living people dead may seem astounding, but this declaration actually happens much more often than we might think.
Even as hopes remain high that new federal coronavirus relief could buoy state coffers, concerns over expected 12 percent cuts came to the fore Wednesday as members of the joint budget subcommittee on K-12 and higher education met for an initial overview of higher education funding.
Last week, commotion broke out in North Ogden over Maria Montessori Academy’s decision allowing parents to opt out of a social studies unit spotlighting Black History Month. School director Micah Hirokawa “reluctantly” made this concession, yielding to parental pressure for exemption from the curriculum.
Anyone who’s had a pet dog, cat, or other animal is well aware of their amazing abilities. A dog can smell scents and odors imperceptible to people, and a cat’s fantastic balance and nimble coordination are greater than those of the most gifted acrobat or gymnast. Animals that aren’t usually kept as pets also exhibit incredible powers, such as hibernation, using sonar to navigate, walking on water, and delivering powerful electrical shocks to prey or threatening predators. These astonishing powers aren’t the only ones animals possess, though, as the 10 recently discovered awesome animal abilities on this list clearly attest.
Like most Americans, I watched the January 6 Capitol insurrection on television with a tortured mix of horror, disgust and awe. As a former Marine officer, my disgust grew, then eventually boiled over as I noticed that mingling in the throngs of malignant supposed super-patriots and frothing conspiracy junkies were serious-looking guys outfitted in tactical gear, wearing unit patches and insignia that I recognized.
Despite centuries of study, the universe remains largely mysterious, as does the planet we call home. The unknown inspires both wonder and curiosity, which, in turn, often prompt questions. Seeking answers, we gather facts, form hypotheses, and conduct observations or experiments. Sometimes, we remain puzzled. The causes of unlikely phenomena, of seemingly impossible developments, and of strange occurrences continue to mystify us.
Sirius XM | Top of Mind with Julie Rose: There’s a lot of questions about what impact video games have on people. But there’s a positive new trend: some video games are starting to portray deep and vulnerable male friendships. In the video game Final Fantasy XV there is a lot of emotional connection between characters. You wouldn’t expect that kind of emotional friendship from a video game, right?
