Nov
29
2011

URLs du Jour

2011-11-29

  • Incoming e-mail from the University Near Here announced:

    The following is being sent from UNH’s Inclusive Excellence and the Social Justice Educator Facilitators.

    Inclusive Excellence and the Social Justice Educator Facilitators. Weren't they the opening act for Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes at the Casino in Hampton Beach back in the 70s? I'm pretty sure they were.

    But, as it turns out, it's also an Official University Thing, and they want our brains:

    We invite you to join us for this interactive training to explore “social justice” from personal and professional perspectives, and as related to your every day personal and professional practices. For more information, please visit the SJE website at: http://www.unh.edu/inclusive/social-justice-educator-training. If you are interested in participating, please complete your online registration form before the deadlines listed below.

    Want to know more? Specifically, would you like to know how many buzzwords of the academic diversity/social justice establishment can be jammed into a single short paragraph? Here you go:

    The Social Justice Educator Training (SJE) is a professional development opportunity for UNH faculty, staff and graduate students to further diversity awareness, knowledge and skill sets allowing for critical analysis of the services we provide, and of the relational dynamics we seek in a diverse institution. We will explore “social justice” via personal and institutional lenses to analyze: power and privilege, discrimination and prejudice, inclusion and equity through the multiple social identities of race, gender, sexual orientation, class, nationality, ethnicity, ability (physical and mental), religion, etc. This process will include open and honest discussions, readings, and interactive/experiential activities in a respectful environment. The eight-hour training which is divided into two days is facilitated in a small-group setting (maximum of 25).

    Although it's eight hours over two days, I bet it would seem to the participants as if it was going on much, much, longer than that.

    One last observation: the registration form is here, and the list of qualities you are invited to (optionally) provide about yourself is wondrous to behold:

    • Race
    • Ethnicity
    • Nationality
    • Sex
    • Gender
    • Sexual Orientation
    • Class
    • UNH Classification (Faculty, Staff, etc.)
    • Religion/Spirituality
    • Veteran Status
    • Do you have any disability you feel we should be aware of
    • Please feel free to provide a category we have not included and corresponding information that you are comfortable sharing

    Yes: Sex and Gender and Sexual Orientation. (If you have to ask, you probably don't have the proper prerequisites for the training, sorry.)

    And I also admire that final catchall: if our pigeonholes don't provide adequate opportunities for your self-identification, just make up your own!

  • Reason editor Matt Welch interviews Free State Project President Carla Gericke, who wants to keep New Hampshire "awesome".

    For liberty-lovers who don't currently live in the Granite State: come on up.

  • Here's one reason: According to Men's Health, Manchester NH is the second-happiest city in the US of A. (Number one is Honolulu, but who wants to be that happy?)

  • Good news about the Kansas Kerfuffle discussed here yesterday. Jacob Sullum reports that the schoolmarms that were demanding that Ms. Emma Sullivan apologize for her disrespectful anti-Governor Brownback tweet have changed their minds. And Governor Brownback himself has publicly apologized to Sullivan for his stupid staff's over-reaction.

  • Discussion continues on Newt's immigration stance. Thomas Sowell takes Newt to school for his plea to be "humane" about deporting illegals:

    Let’s go back to square one. The purpose of American immigration laws and policies is not to be either humane or inhumane to illegal immigrants. The purpose of immigration laws and policies is to serve the national interest of this country.

    Good point. But on this issue, I always think the last thing I read makes good points.


Last Modified 2012-09-24 3:41 PM EDT