Family vs. Revolution & University Accommodation Policies
How would you feel if your mother left you to pursue a revolutionary socialist cause? Also, balancing accommodation and academic standards in education.
Featured Articles
My Mother the Revolutionary
The Atlantic • 12 Aug 2024 • ~6700 words
How would you feel if your mother left you to pursue a revolutionary socialist cause? This is an emotional personal account that explores the toll of such a decision and the lasting impact it can have. I think this article will leave you reflecting on the sacrifices made in the name of ideology and the delicate balance between personal and political commitments.
I asked my mother if she had felt overwhelmed by motherhood, and she admitted that she had. Changing the world, for some of us, feels easier than raising a child. They are both, I suppose, expressions of love.
Are Universities Failing the Accommodations Test?
The Walrus • 13 Aug 2024 • ~5450 words
In this piece, Simon Lewsen explores the challenges instructors and students face in navigating university accommodation policies. As demands for flexibility grow, educators struggle with maintaining academic standards while supporting students with varying needs. This article sheds light on the complexities of creating an inclusive learning environment, making it a must-read for anyone interested in the future of education.
Most of all, I worry about the risks of being too lenient—or not lenient enough. If I deny all accommodation requests (except those that are imposed on me by bureaucratic fiat), I’ll make my class inhospitable to students with disabilities or other serious life challenges. That’s unconscionable. But if I grant too many requests, I’ll create a class without stress or friction—the stuff that makes learning happen.
Recommended Articles
How to Start a Professional Sports Team, Win Games, and Save the Town
The Ringer • 13 Aug 2024 • ~8600 words
What does it take to start a professional sports team from scratch and make it a success? The Ringer's latest article takes us behind the scenes of a group of passionate fans who are doing just that, aiming to bring a new baseball team to Oakland and revive the city's sports spirit. It's a fascinating look at how passion for the game can unite a city and inspire hope.
The Ballers lost that night, 9-3, but it barely seemed to matter. More remarkable was the fact that the Ballers had played a home opener at all. Those on hand felt they’d witnessed not just a baseball game, but an act of creation.
How the world’s oldest bank brought a city to its knees
Financial Times • 10 Aug 2024 • ~4800 words • Archive link
The story of Monte dei Paschi di Siena, the world's oldest bank, is a captivating tale of scandal, intrigue, and the complex relationship between a financial institution and the city it has supported for centuries. This piece explores how the bank's downfall nearly brought the city of Siena to its knees, as well as the ongoing efforts to secure its future.
To the people of Siena, Monte dei Paschi is not just a bank. It is the city’s largest employer, affectionately known as 'Babbo Monte, or Daddy Monte.
Everyone Knew About the A-Team
Curbed • 12 Aug 2024 • ~5150 words
The Alexander brothers were once the toast of the luxury real estate world, known for their lavish parties and high-profile deals. This article reveals the dark side of their rise, with allegations of sexual assault and predatory behavior spanning years.
People in the industry cautioned one another about the brothers, much the way their peers had in Miami. Once again, women were warned not to put their drinks down around the Alexander brothers.
It’s not just the planet and not just our health – the impact of a warming climate extends deep into our cortical fissures
Aeon • 13 Aug 2024 • ~3800 words
As the climate crisis reshapes our world, it's not just our environment that's affected—our brains might be changing too. This piece from Aeon explores how rising temperatures and environmental stressors could be influencing our mental health and neurological functions, opening up a discussion about what it means for our minds to adapt to a warming world.
Here are some of the most concerning answers in the affirmative. Immigration judges are less likely to rule in favour of asylum seekers on hotter days. On such days, students behave as if they’ve lost a quarter-year of education, relative to temperate days. Warmer school years correspond to lower rates of learning. Temperature predicts the incidence of online hate speech. Domestic violence spikes with warmer weather. Suicide too
We’re Done
Slate Magazine • 11 Aug 2024 • ~2200 words
Estrangement from family is often seen as a taboo and shameful decision, but this powerful piece challenges that narrative. The author shares how cutting ties with her parents ultimately led to a more fulfilling life and argues that estrangement can sometimes be an act of self-care and love.
No one needs a reason to justify estrangement, because estrangement is not about blame. Instead, it highlights the fact that adult relationships require mutuality. Children aren’t indentured servants; parents don’t owe their grown kids heroic acts of saintliness either.
What Tweens Get from Sephora and What They Get from Us
The New Yorker • 10 Aug 2024 • ~2900 words
This story explores the intriguing relationship between tweens and the world of high-end beauty products, revealing how these young consumers are influenced by social media and the beauty standards it promotes. We explore the pressures this generation faces as they navigate a landscape that blurs the lines between childhood and adulthood. It's a compelling read that raises questions about beauty, consumption, and the messages we send to our kids.
They are on the same social-media networks as adult makeup and skin-care influencers; they are watching and even making the same types of videos, many with the same items. My peers and I were ineptly smothering our faces in drugstore eye shadow. These kids are mimicking the camera-tuned luxury aesthetic of semi-professionals whose makeup tutorials they’ve seen on their phones.
