Author Archives: admin

The Lost Cause: Still Winning in Mississippi

Posted on April 13, 2021 by admin

Gavin Stevens, Yoknapatawpha’s learned attorney and most articulate southern apologist, quipped in Requiem for a Nun that “The past isn’t dead. It isn’t even past.” For Stevens, this means that the glory and the terror of antebellum Mississippi lived on … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics, Race in Mississippi | Leave a comment

Mannerly Mississippi

Posted on April 9, 2021 by admin

Mississippians scold their children from toddlerhood forward for anything perceived as rude. Say sir and ma’am. Sit up straight. Don’t speak unless spoken to. Don’t say anything that might hurt somebody’s feelings, or about politics, or about church–unless it’s to … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Ethics | 4 Comments

Pressing Ahead

Posted on March 29, 2021 by admin

Congratulations. You’ve made it more than three-quarters of the way through a year in pandemic education. We’ve already used the blog to discuss the use (or non-use) of virtual teaching measures next year. Here’s a more fundamental question: what has … Continue reading →

Posted in Education | 4 Comments

Good Intentions Gone Awry

Posted on March 25, 2021 by admin

Here I sit in an empty classroom: after administrators listened to meteorological reports last night, they decided to make instruction virtual. I appreciate that administrators prioritize safety over quality of instruction. However, it sometimes feels like we’ve slipped down the … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Ethics, Politics | 4 Comments

My Snow Day…

Posted on February 16, 2021 by admin

…was better than yours! This almost makes up for all the times I’ve biked or jogged up that hill to ward off the middle aged spread.

Posted in Uncategorized | 4 Comments

Zooming into the Future

Posted on February 15, 2021 by admin

This morning, while most high school students in Mississippi slept in because of the weather, MSMS students filed into their Zoom rooms and stayed on track. Technology can seem like a blessing in situations like these, but I am curious: … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Science | 9 Comments

Takeaways from the First Four Hours of the Second Impeachment

Posted on February 9, 2021 by admin

The House managers for the prosecution have rested after the first phase of this impeachment trial, which defends the constitutionality of impeaching a president who is no longer in office. They presented scholarship by conservative legal scholars in favor of … Continue reading →

Posted in National Politics, Politics | 4 Comments

O Hell, Thy Name Is Instructional Video

Posted on February 2, 2021 by admin

I write important things down–not just because I don’t want to forget them, but because seeing them scratched into the page or flickering on the screen grants them a stronger sense of permanence than any other medium. Roosevelt and Reagan … Continue reading →

Posted in Education | 4 Comments

Beggars Would Ride

Posted on January 27, 2021 by admin

If there had been an impeachment hearing on January 7, 2021, I do not doubt that Donald Trump would not only have been the first president impeached twice–of course, that’s still true–but also the first president removed from office by … Continue reading →

Posted in National Politics | 4 Comments

A Thing of Beauty is a Joy Forever

Posted on January 26, 2021 by admin

I have two sons. Both identify as male. Both are very in touch with their Y chromosomes. They enjoy theatre, but would rather do yard work than shop for clothes. You would not find a stitch of pink in their … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 11 Comments