Further entrenchment of athlete exploitation

Big time college sports, mostly football and basketball rely on the exploitation of student athletes. The reality is that billions of dollars are generated by these athletes and they get none of it.

but in Tennessee they want to take it a step further.

 

What next?

After the pain has been expressed.

The eruption has subsided, then what?

What would you like to see happen and how would it be implemented?

What if anything are you willing to exert or sacrifice to see it happen?

 

 

Trump Administration Takes $400 Million From Puerto Rico Recovery to Fund Border Wall

Yet another diss to American citizens by their own president.

 

Source: Trump Administration Takes $400 Million From Puerto Rico Recovery to Fund Border Wall

Trump at 6 months.

donald-trumpI have tried to avoid making blanket statements about our president because there is just so much talk about him. You get the usual stuff about presidents, but the amount of noise about this president is unprecedented.

I mean every day, this man has something going on. Whether it’s bullying his staff, pretend fighting with the media or trying to flex non existent influence of congressional republicans, it’s really just a constant stream of Trump. It’s hard to get through the day without some kind of mention of him. I believe this is the part of his current situation that he likes the most. He doesn’t seem to care much about actual governing, but he does realize that he will be in the news each and every day and seems to do whatever he can maintain that focus upon himself.

Once he was over the fact that he actually won without any real interest in having the job, he settled into the reality of the position he was in and then set on a course to make the most out of the platform. He likes the pomp and circumstance, the reverence and the adoration from his base. He also has rancor and disdain for his detractors and those that disagree, their concerns and views are summarily ignored until a microphone is put in front of him and then begins the lips service.

my evaluation at 6 months? Irresponsible Entitled Narcissist.

His lack of regard for governing, the rule of law or the judicial process should be offensive to any conscientious adult, no matter what side of the aisle you reside upon especially if you have any experience with children. At 71 years old there is little hope that his behavior or level of respect is going to change over the next 42 months, but at least we know that his time in the spent diminishing the honor of this lands highest elected office will end, eventually.

Questions Regarding Trump’s “Skinny Budget” for Education

Trump has proposed what is being labeled a “skinny budget” with intense cuts (more than $8 billion) for the US Department of Education. Here are some questions that my colleagues and I have pondered regarding the impact on all levels of education, education professionals, and most importantly children and adult students. Feel free to comment with responses as well as additional questions. More information on the budget cuts can be found here NPR On Trump’s Skinny Budget

1. How will the “private school choice program” impact public K-12 schools across the nation?
2. What will be the impact for charter schools?
3. How will the decrease in Pell Grant funding at the Higher Education level impact current college students, perspective college students, families of college students, and colleges and universities?
4. How will the $1 billion funding for Title I impact the high-poverty schools that it is “intended” to support?
5. How will the the cuts to after-school programs impact children, parents, and families?
6. How will the cuts to teacher professional development impact teachers, schools, and students?

Let’s all just be cool.

I know it seems extremely bad, quite horrible, depression worthy and an utter catastrophe of unprecedented proportion, but…
We’ve been through worse and we will get through this. As a matter of fact this is an opportunity. An opportunity to see the depths of what we are dealing with. Now that it’s been laid bare with great anger, vitriol and malice there can be no mistaking on the depths to which the divisions in this country run.
It’s been said,

The problem is not the problem, it’s the way that you see the problem that’s the problem.

So how are we going to see this problem and better yet, what are we going to do? That’s what I implore everyone who is upset by the outcome of this incredibly long and demoralizing election, to think about what you are going to do. Think about the reasons why this happened and what you can do to stop it from happening in the future. It takes all of us to participate in this democracy in order to make it what we want it to be.

I am not happy with the outcome, but experts have said that in this election, no one was actually going to be happy because we disliked both candidates. Both candidates were weak and the lowest of the low won out because they’re stuck in a time warp and the republican candidate told them all the things they wanted to hear with full knowledge that he couldn’t deliver, nor is he actually interested in doing so.

Big Black Scholar would like to let you know that, yes it is ugly, but it will make it. So let’s all grieve, regroup and keep moving forward.

Dr. Carla Hayden to become the new Librarian of Congress

Carla Hayden

Photo from Google.com

Dr. Hayden will officially become the next librarian of Congress. Although President Obama nominated her in February, the vote was just recently passed by the Senate.

Dr. Hayden was the former head of the Public Library system in Baltimore, and also formerly served as the President of the American Library Association.  More on Dr. Hayden and her new position can be found here NPR article

Illinois, their budget and higher education

The Illinois Legislature has been locked in a budget stalemate with Gov. Bruce Rauner (R) since last summer. Rauner sought a 31.5% cut to higher education, but legislators wanted to limit the cut to 8.6%. In the meantime, schools have received no funds from the state government, nor have students who rely on state-awarded Monetary Award Program (MAP) grants.

To keep their doors open, schools are deferring maintenance, redistributing funds designated for special projects, laying off staff, cutting sports teams, and considering cutting academic programs.

This is really sad. It’s a microcosm of what’s happened in the country nationally. Two sides fighting over things that do not effect them directly, but they are personally invested in, to the point of where they cannot (or will not) compromise.

And those most ill equipped to endure this kind of high level gridlock, get nothing out of it but suffering. The people who’s lives are being stymied could care less about the ideological battle that politicians are waging, and just want to be able to go to class, tend to the work of educating students and maintaining and operating a university.

This once again shows what our leadership has devolved into, they are so wrapped up in their “anger and ideals” that they are unable to agree on the the basic premise that regardless to how they feel about work still needs to be done. And they’re not getting it done. Most of the time, one’s boss is more interested in the task being completed than anything else. With this kind of failure to carry out their duties, all these “leaders” should be replaced for people who are fit for government, because these people are not.

 

notes: eab

Higher Ed. professional fired over Assata Shakur mural

Mural

If college is the marketplace of ideas that should be open to freedom of expression and diversity of ideals, was it really right to remove a mural depicting Assata Shakur from a “remote” area on the campus of Marquette University? Furthermore, was it appropriate (or right) to fire  the Director of the Gender and Sexuality Resource Center (who was responsible for the creation of the mural)? Some regard Shakur as a terrorist, cop-killer, and dangerous black militant, especially after her murder conviction and escape from prison in the 70’s. However, some regard her as a powerful black activist, a leader, and a feminist leader.

A statement was released on behalf of Marquette University recently regarding the removal of the mural and the dismissal of a well-respected campus administrator:

“This is extremely disappointing as the mural does not reflect the Guiding Values of Marquette University. It is being removed immediately. We are reviewing the circumstances surrounding the mural and will take appropriate action.”

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Tuition Exemption for Texas Veterans: Open Discussion

Some public institutions of higher education in the state of Texas have requested funding from the state legislature to cover or subsidize the cost of tuition for veterans. Under the Hazlewood Act, Veterans and their dependents and spouses are exempt from paying tuition for up to 150 hours at certified institutions. Even though the act is mandated by the state government, the institution or system has the responsibility of paying for the tuition. The University of Houston system has requested full funding from the state legislature because of the great expense the university system has had in the past covering tuition. Here is a link to a story from The Cougar regarding this matter: http://thedailycougar.com/2015/04/29/uh-seeks-hazlewood-funding-legislature/

What do you think: Who should pay for tuition for veterans under the current Hazlewood model? Should it be an institutional or state responsibility? Please feel free to post comments below or tweet them @BigBlackScholar using  #HazlewoodTX