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Speak Up!

Welcome to “Speak Up!”, our EphBlog community bulletin board. This is where you can post a comment that might be unrelated to a current discussion. It could be an essay, an anecdote, an announcement, a bit of campus news, a question about Williams, or even a suggestion for a topic. From time to time, an author may choose to feature a comment made here, on the front page of the site. Every week or so we will move all the substantive comments to a new Spoken Up archive post.

In any case, “Speak Up!” is here for your convenience and we welcome your contribution. You can also send feedback about the site via email to: eph at ephblog dot com

91 Responses to “Speak Up!”

nuts says:

The Sol LeWitt MASS MoCA Show: Don’t wait until 2033″
by Bryce Lambert on February 25, 2010

…Of interest for two reasons, the show and the layout of “Boston Lowbrow”
February 27th, 2010 at 1:45 pm

Vicarious '83 says:

Here’s an idea for a possible Record article: How about a follow up to this one from 11/18/08?

The college just took ownership of the building that houses the Williams Club, and disclosed in its financial reports that it “intends to sell” it (see Note 1 for the definition of “Real Estate Held as an Investment,” and Note 4 for the list of the actual properties). It was appraised at $21 million, but when was the appraisal done? What has happened to Manhattan real estate since the appraisal was completed? The building is used as a hotel and restaurant. Is this its “highest and best use” compared to say condo/co-ops? Will the College only sell it for cash, or would it be willing to hold a mortgage for the purchasers? The Williams Club is still accepting new memberships on its website – are there efforts underway for the Williams Club to secure new financing and buy it back? Will it be listed publicly?

I don’t think the trustees are obligated to invest the proceeds from a sale into the endowment. Are there any indications of how the proceeds of a sale might be used? Just wondering. [Typo fixed. --93kwt]
February 27th, 2010 at 2:11 pm

Vicarious '83 says:

@Vicarious ‘83:

appraided at $21 million

Should read: appraised at $21 million
February 27th, 2010 at 2:16 pm

Parent '12 says:

REQUEST FOR ON-CAMPUS ASSISTANCE:

If anyone who reads EphBlog attends this demonstration tomorrow, Sunday, Feb. 28, please enlighten me. What is Iaido?

Japanese Swordsmanship: Kendo and Iaido Demonstration
2:00 p.m., Dance Studio, ‘62 Center

Thomas Hooper and members of the Sei-Zan-Kai Kendo will demonstrate the traditional martial arts of Kendo and Iaido, the fighting arts of the samural warriors of old Japan. Thomas Hooper, the head instructor of Sei-Zan-Kai Kendo, holds the rank of 6th Dan (degree), granted by the All-Japan Kendo Federation, and the title Renshi (instructor’s certification, granted by the All-U.S. Kendo Federation) in both Kendo and Iaido. The event is sponsored by the department of Asian Studies and the Lecture Committee. Reception to follow.

http://www.williams.edu/go/atwilliams/?start=2/27/2010#event2787
February 27th, 2010 at 2:35 pm

nuts says:

Blogger/Scholar Emptywheel interviewed about the DOJ’s Office of Professional Responsibility’s Report – the investigation of John Yoo and Jay Bybee’s professional conduct in issuing OLC memos authorizing torture by the CIA:
“Will Torture Memo Authors Evade Justice?” (w/audio 12:30)
February 27th, 2010 at 11:52 pm

Ronit says:

Memoir of a relationship with JD Salinger, with a Williams mention:

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10059/1038697-44.stm
February 28th, 2010 at 2:13 am

jeffz says:

Letter to NYTimes Editor from Ephblog’s own Norman Birnbaum:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/28/books/review/Letters-t-ORWELLSTUDIE_LETTERS.html
February 28th, 2010 at 6:24 am

nuts says:

Photographer mpbaron has a nice photoset of images of campus this February.
March 1st, 2010 at 1:26 am

Dick Swart says:

@nuts:
Genesee … a blast from the past! The mark of a man in the 50’s was hitting an empty can on the top of your head to flatten it. But those were easy days.
March 1st, 2010 at 1:53 am

kthomas says:

Found in the sidebar to Prof. Birnbaum’s letter:

Jewish Revival in Poland; a young man’s discovery of Jewish heritage.
March 1st, 2010 at 3:10 am

PTC says:

Ken- Burning it down late this night I see! Gunfire or fireworks at the local Cantina?

Ever been to Papa’s and Beer? Terrible cheesy seaside dive… worth every cent for your tast of Velveeta Americana Mexico! If you are close by, go have a beer for me!

http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&source=hp&q=papas+and+beer&oq=&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=YHeLS_6tNcjUlAeBnsXPAQ&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=6&ved=0CCYQsAQwBQ
March 1st, 2010 at 3:17 am

Will Slack '11 says:

http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2010/03/su_names_first_female_dean_of.html

and

http://www.iberkshires.com/story/34139/62-Center-celebrates-Failing-.html
March 2nd, 2010 at 1:17 am

Yet another P'12 says:

From The Chronicle of Higher Ed:

Solving the Mystery of Matriculation Decisions

Requires subscription; here is the article:

Enrollment officials often gripe that their success is determined by the decisions of 17-year-olds. But what, exactly, influences those decisions?

Three researchers probed that question in a new working paper published by the National Bureau of Economic Research. The result, “Students Choosing Colleges: Understanding the Matriculation Decision at a Highly Selective Private Institution,” is an econometric analysis of why students admitted to Williams College chose to attend the institution—or not.

Using data from the classes of 2008 through 2012, the authors created a model for predicting “yield,” the proportion of admitted students who ultimately enroll. Although similar statistical models are ubiquitous in the admissions field, the paper provides a rare, under-the-hood look at one selective college’s enrollment data.

Race was among the strongest predictors of matriculation. When controlling for all other characteristics, the authors found that the probability of black students’ enrolling was lower (by 32 percentage points) than the probability of white students’ enrolling. Hispanic students were also significantly less likely to enroll than their white peers.

Although the effect of net price on the probability of attending was also significant, the authors deemed its impact “small.” They found that a $5,000 increase in net price, for instance, reduced the probability that a student would enroll by only 1.3 percentage points. Nonetheless, students who were offered no financial aid were considerably less likely to attend Williams than students who received at least some aid.

Students’ academic interests also mattered. Applicants with strong backgrounds in studio art were 13 percentages points less likely to attend than students who lacked that attribute. Applicants who wished to study research sciences were 6 percentage points less likely to attend than other students. And those who were not sure which subjects they wanted to pursue were 10 percentage points more likely to attend than students who were interested in social sciences.

As any admissions dean will attest, even the most sophisticated statistical models are imperfect. While the Williams study examined a score of variables with predictive power, those variables do not fully explain the variances in matriculation decisions, the authors conclude: “Perhaps it is the weather on preview day, or the attractiveness of the tour guide that attracts or repels a prospective student.”

Here is the paper the article is based on, authored by Peter Nurnberg, Morton Schapiro, David Zimmerman.
March 2nd, 2010 at 8:08 am

PTC says:

Yet another- I remember my recruiting trip well. I don’t seem to remember it involving a tour or academics… the guy coach assigned to me failed out that year, so I never met him again after that one weekend, but I still remember his name after all these years, even though, I am really bad with names.

I seem to remember continuing the first night of events even after he crawled under his dorm bed and pronounced “game over”… passing out, and leaving me to the devices of another very well informed student… not to worry though, he was back after it with me early that am, tequila sunrise!

It was one hell of a weekend in Boston! It all depends on the student, I guess.

They had me pegged. That’s for sure!
March 2nd, 2010 at 8:51 am

Jeffz says:

Thanks for sharing yet another. DK HAS to be lamenting his timing as that would provide fodder for at least five posts — right in his wheelhouse. Warrants a space on the main page preferably with more info from the original study, if anyone has access.
March 2nd, 2010 at 9:06 am

YoungAlum says:

http://www.row2k.com/features/features.cfm?action=read&id=454

Row2k interview with rower Lindsey Olsen, Williams ‘12
March 2nd, 2010 at 9:44 am

Will Slack '11 says:

http://chronicle.com/article/Solving-the-Mystery-of/64432/
http://papers.nber.org/papers/w15772
March 2nd, 2010 at 3:42 pm

rory says:

Thanks will! That link is absolutely fascinating. If I get the time tomorrow, I might post something that afternoon about it in more depth. But if not, someone should get that onto the main page. Really cool to see those tables and hypothesize about why and what to do about it.
March 2nd, 2010 at 3:58 pm

Jr. Mom says:

@rory:

I agree it would make a great post, but don’t think I could do it justice.
March 2nd, 2010 at 4:04 pm

jeffz says:

I think you’d be ideal to post and discuss Rory … interested to hear your thoughts.
March 2nd, 2010 at 4:14 pm

nuts says:

CNBC has rolled-out a new advertising campaign buoyed by Erin Burnett’s star power “I am … a loyal grad of Williams College…” YouTube
March 2nd, 2010 at 11:42 pm

nuts says:

Longtime readers know why googling “williams college” might yield this result.
March 3rd, 2010 at 12:24 pm

jeffz says:

Nuts, nice :).

From the Record, the story of the epic Cane rush of 1910 …. not to be confused with the epic Kane hush of 2010 (cue Dick Swart).

http://record.williams.edu/wp/?p=13101
March 3rd, 2010 at 2:00 pm

PareskyLawnBowler says:

Vermont based Grace Potter and the Nocturnals at MASSMoCA on March 11th

For you folks in the Billsville area this is a show not to be missed. No indie ironic pretensions, straight ahead psyched up soul rock. Bonus – Scott Tournet (lead guitar) born is a Williamstown native.

Tried to embed this video, no luck

Nothing But The Water @ Bonnaroo 2009

[Embedded. --93kwt as admin]
March 3rd, 2010 at 8:20 pm

nuts says:

Some inspiration for the Men and Women’s roundball teams in the NCAA tournament … and for those who played for Williams before them.

“I knew I had to knock it down”

March 3rd, 2010 at 9:03 pm

nuts says:

Funny or Die’s Presidential Reunion
Barack Obama gets a surprise visit in the night from ex-Presidents Bush Sr., Bush Jr., Clinton, Ford, Reagan and Carter to get a few pointers about the Consumer Financial Protection Agency and why it’s so important.

Funny or Die’s Presidential Reunion from Will Ferrell
March 4th, 2010 at 1:05 am

Parent '12 says:

Yes!

Although these protests will probably not have any impact, it’s great to read about them… memories. And, it reminds me of a post that was here about apathy.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/05/education/05protests.html?hp
March 4th, 2010 at 3:55 pm

John C. Drew, Ph.D. says:

Pleased to see that some folks are asking the obvious question: If President Obama is no longer a Marxist-Leninist, then what caused him to change his views?

See, http://www.allamericanblogger.com/9926/exactly-who-taught-obama-to-be-an-ardent-believer-of-the-free-market/
March 5th, 2010 at 12:43 am

Jr. Mom says:

Are liberals smarter? Are vegetarian liberals, even smarter?

(from the sidebar)
March 5th, 2010 at 10:44 am

nuts says:

from CBS Moneywatch.com:

Last year, colleges dug deeper and dramatically increased the amount of financial aid they provided students as families struggled through hard economic times.

But what about this year? …

I asked Jonathan Epstein, a senior consultant at Maguire Associates, a high-ed consulting firm, to elaborate on his firm’s recent paper, The State of the Enrollment Market: Where Are We Now and What Does it Mean?

Here are the highlights:

1. Admission applications are up. …

2. Families are focusing on financial aid. …

3. Colleges will continue to dig deeper. …

At the same time, there are signs that some elite institutions, which offer the most generous financial aid packages in the land, might be caving on their commitment to provide no-loan financial aid packages. Dartmouth and Williams College have pulled back.

4, Demographics are cresting. The good news is that the number of high school seniors peaked last year. The number of high school seniors will drop about 200,000 until 2013 or 2014 when the number of teens begins climbing again primarily because of the Hispanic population.

5. Endowments and donor contributions have slumped. Endowments cratered during 2009. Harvard, for instance, lost more than $5 billion in its endowment, which was more than double the losses of all other Massachusetts colleges and universities combined. Donor contributions to colleges and universities last year dropped nearly 12%, which is the biggest decline since the Council for Aid to Education began keeping tabs in 1969.

link

March 5th, 2010 at 11:35 am

Jr. Mom says:

This is interesting from Sam Sommers. It’s a bit of a reversal of the negative effects of teachers who stereotype certain students as less apt to do well.

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/science-small-talk/201003/just-i-expected
March 5th, 2010 at 12:04 pm

aparent says:

It seems that, as of Thursday, West will be removed from Spencer Neighborhood housing stock and designated as “quiet housing” (according to comments on WSO):

http://wso.williams.edu/discuss/comments.php?DiscussionID=2364
March 5th, 2010 at 3:08 pm

Parent '12 says:

@aparent:

Will linked to a Record article about the housing recommendations in the return of his “Best of … ” series. Other recommendation(s) might be more eye-opening.

Apparently, there will be another report issued after spring break, per the article in the Record.

http://record.williams.edu/wp/?p=13146

(Sorry, it seems to take more attention to detail than it would first appear to do the “pretty” links.)
March 5th, 2010 at 3:56 pm

nuts says:

BIG loss. Whalen returns to his alma mater.
March 5th, 2010 at 6:29 pm

nuts says:

P.S. …effective April 1. They wouldn’t be joking about it, would they?
March 5th, 2010 at 6:32 pm

aparent says:

I’m with JM — wondering where Mr Frank U is and if he’s OK. Seems he could add a bit of perspective on this.
March 6th, 2010 at 2:21 am

Ken Thomas '93 says:

Uible? Ubile? Calling Frank Uible? Can someone in Williamstown confirm that Uible is alive and belching, or on vacation somewhere? I won’t be there for a few weeks to check myself…
March 6th, 2010 at 2:54 am

nuts says:

Wrestling program prospects bolstered ‘14.
March 6th, 2010 at 12:02 pm

John C. Drew, Ph.D. says:

I’m exploring the implications of the idea that President Obama is not the genius that his supporters claim him to be. His over dependence on the teleprompter is a good indication that there are some holes in the Obama is a genius mythology. See, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SPdLYMR_Wg
March 7th, 2010 at 8:38 pm

jeffz says:

Yeah, you have to be pretty dumb to be a magna cum laude graduate of Harvard Law school, editor of the Harvard Law Review, a con law prof at the most intellectual law school in the country, and a guy who mastered every nuance of every major policy issue in just a few years as a Senator, to the point where he trounced far more seasoned politicians in debate after debate. Certainly, he can’t compete with intellectual power houses like GWB and Sarah Palin! Stick with Obama as a marxist … you’ll get a lot further with that than Obama is dumb. Of course, I’m sure you’ll have some recovered memory from your 30 year old chat with Obama in which he claimed two plus two equals five, so what do I know …

OK enough mocking Drew for tonight, even though it is oh-so-easy, better to just ignore dumb trolls …
March 7th, 2010 at 10:25 pm

Ken Thomas '93 says:

@John C. Drew, Ph.D.:

It might be more accurate to say he’s not the speaker that some of his supporters make him out to be, or that like all recent occupants of the US Presidency, he doesn’t write much of his own speeches and is led by the nose of a prompter and handlers. But hey, this wouldn’t really differentiate him by party, would it?

Item for Trivia– who was the last US Presidential contender to claim to write his own speeches?
March 7th, 2010 at 10:34 pm

nuts says:

Where Clarence Thomas will weigh in if torture ever gets to SCOTUS…

… the OPR Report includes a section on the background of the lawyers who had significant hand in writing the torture memos:

Steven Bradbury, Clerk, Clarence Thomas, 1992 to 1993
Patrick Philbin, Clerk, Clarence Thomas, 1993 to 1994
John Yoo, Clerk, Clarence Thomas, 1994 to 1995
Jennifer Koester, Clerk, Clarence Thomas, 2004 to 2005

March 8th, 2010 at 12:42 am

Ronit says:

@Ken Thomas ‘93: Not just recent US Presidents. Even Washington had Madison and Hamilton write for him.
March 8th, 2010 at 1:02 am

Jr. Mom says:

Item for Trivial– who was the last US Presidential contender to claim to write his own speeches?

My guess is Ron Paul.
March 8th, 2010 at 1:14 am

nuts says:

… and the winner is
March 8th, 2010 at 1:16 pm

Dick Swart says:

@nuts:
Yes, the winners are known! The votes in the notional mayonnaise jar on the back porch of PriceWaterhouseCoopersLybrantAbbottCostello have been tabulated.

They will be splashed across the front page of blogs both nation-wide and around-the-world as soon as the EphBlog Academy can work its’ way down to 2nd and Oak to select this years’ spectacular prizes!

The tension builds …
March 8th, 2010 at 1:58 pm

John C. Drew, Ph.D. says:

#40 – jeffz

I met the young Barack Obama and I can certainly compare his raw intellectual firepower to that of other people I have met (and taught) including political science students at Occidental, Cornell and Williams.

Objectively, Obama is an affirmative action baby. He has no scholarly publications to his credit.

Personally, I’m convinced Bill Ayers ghost wrote “Dreams of My Father.” On the Williams campus, Obama would have been a dim bulb compared to 80% of the students I taught in the late 1980s.
March 8th, 2010 at 4:24 pm

jeffz says:

Fantastic stuff from Drew … absolutely hilarious. Professor Drew, if your career as whatever you are currently doing doesn’t pan out, I suggest you try to become another Stephen Colbert conservative parody … I really enjoy your work, even Colbert doesn’t make right-wingers look as crazy as you do. Kudos!
March 8th, 2010 at 6:20 pm

John C. Drew, Ph.D. says:

#48 – jeffz

Even you have to admit President Obama is losing it when he over estimates the CBO savings calculations from health care reform by $868 billion over the next decade. :)

See, http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/03/08/obama-confuses-decades-inflates-estimated-health-care-savings-b/

I don’t think Obama would last a minute in a trully challenging intellectual environment. If he really is a genius, then he should be willing to publish his transcripts from Occidental, Columbia and Harvard.
March 8th, 2010 at 8:49 pm

rory says:

@John C. Drew, Ph.D.: you’re right, he’s clearly shown he can’t be an intellectual giant like other brilliant luminaries such as George W. Bush. lol.
March 8th, 2010 at 8:56 pm

nuts says:

Hero or terrorist?
March 9th, 2010 at 3:03 pm

JeffZ says:

Mezze leaves Water Street (plus a nice picture of exterior of new Pub) …

http://www.iberkshires.com/new/story.php?story_id=34211

Wonder if a new restaurant will take their (gorgeous and convenient) space …
March 9th, 2010 at 5:40 pm

kthomas says:

@JeffZ:

Wow. The new location is really far away…
March 9th, 2010 at 5:47 pm

Parent '12 says:

@kthomas: on distance to Mezze’s new location

Yes, but at least when I’ve eaten there, at least one of the patrons looked to be like me, an out-of-towner or parent. I can’t recall ever seeing a table filled with only undergraduates. So, there’s bound to be someone with a car and now it will be easier to park.

I remember their original location, which had a deck above the river. It’s nice that they will have a deck for outdoor dining this summer.

I hope someone takes over the Mezze space before the Williamstown Theatre season begins. They’re doing Sondheim’s A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.

http://www.wtfestival.org/?gclid=CP_u3ejprKACFSZo5QodrUhFcw
March 9th, 2010 at 6:37 pm

JeffZ says:

Amazing group of actors already lined up for the WTF …. Christopher Fitzgerald, the star of AFTHWTF, is a fantastically talented Billsville and Broadway regular, for example …

On another random note, awesomeness, as usual from my favorite Amherst alum Jonathan Keats:

http://www.newyorker.com/talk/2010/03/15/100315ta_talk_gopnik
March 10th, 2010 at 12:18 pm

Ronit says:

George Steinbrenner ‘52 mourns the passing of his old friend Dick Kraft ‘52:

http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100310&content_id=8748338&vkey=news_nyy&fext=.jsp&c_id=nyy
March 10th, 2010 at 10:34 pm

Diana says:

All the Williams Record articles in the feed on the right sidebar are from 2005. Tucker Kain just scored his 1000th point, yay! but this happened long ago. Maybe there is a newer feed we could use?
March 11th, 2010 at 11:10 am

Ronit says:

@Diana: we are using the “current” feed, but their feed is messed up:

http://record.williams.edu/wp/?feed=rss

I tried contacting someone at the Record about this issue several weeks ago, using the “Contact” form on the Record site, but have yet to get any response, and the feed clearly has not been fixed.

Just sent another email
March 11th, 2010 at 11:12 am

John C. Drew, Ph.D. says:

I’m having fun exploring the hypothesis that President Obama isn’t very bright. :) Mostly, I’m anxious about the tendency of his followers to create a charismatic mythology about his supposed brilliance and genius. If you see Obama as an average mind, however, it starts to explain some alarming facts, includinig new evidence of the role Bill Ayers played in drafting Obama’s first book, Dreams of My Father. See, http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2009/09/andersen_book_blows_ayers_cove.html
March 12th, 2010 at 5:06 am

jeffz says:

I want to thank Professor Drew for FINALLY having the courage to speak truth to power. I mean, first of all, when is the WHITE MAN finally going to get a fair shake in America? When was the last time you saw a white male Senator, or CEO, or professor, or President, or captain of industry, or Supreme Court Justice, or TV anchor, or Governor? Prof. Drew has got it right — the only possible explanation for success for any black man in America is that they are an affirmative action hire, and the only possible reason for anyone who is a white male failing is that they have been discriminated against on account of their race.

And he’s right about Obama in particular … yes, sure, he graduated magna cum laude from Harvard Law and was President of the Law Review, but I think it would be “fun to explore the hypothesis” that Bill Ayers actually took all his law school exams and attended the Harvard Law meetings. Yes, millions upon millions of Americans voted for him after watching his incredibly articulate, well-reasoned, and masterful performance in televised debates, but you know who were they were REALLY voting for? OF COURSE — Bill Ayers! Bill Ayers must have been feeding President Obama though an earpiece the entire time; that is the ONLY possible explanation for one of dem dere blackies being able to read and write in an articulate fashion, after all. Bill Ayers was also, I’m gonna hypothesize, teaching all of Barack Obama’s Con Law classes at the University of Chicago Law School (at the same time he was a State Senator, to boot!).

Really though, why stop with Obama? We all KNOW Michael Jordan wasn’t really that good at basketball … were he a white man, he never would have been playing in the NBA. Michael Jackson? Shitty dancer … actually just a Bill Ayers stand-in. Colin Powell? Crap general. The military, yet another field where white men have no real chance of advancing through the ranks. Chris Rock? Not funny at all! Stand-up comedy … white males need not even apply.

The pernicious history of discrimination against while males in this country is truly staggering. Only if Bill Ayers is pulling the puppet strings is there any hope of a black man accomplishing anything on his own. No wonder Professor Drew’s life hasn’t worked out for him as he hoped … clearly, that makes him no different from all the other white men who never had a fair shot because they were born white, and male. It’s tragic, really. President Obama, on the other hand, had it easy, growing up in Kansas poor, multi-racial, and with a single Mom. With that background, ANYONE would be President! His success was practically handed to him on a silver platter! Now GWB, THERE is someone who had to work for what he had, who rose through the ranks through the sheer force of his staggering intellect and academic accomplishments. Same with Sarah Palin … clearly a misunderstood genius decades ahead of her time. And they even did it without the help of Bill Ayers!

Of course, all of this begs the question, why don’t we just vote Bill Ayers for President? Any man THAT omniscient, THAT omnipotent, who can do it all despite only having actually even MET Barack Obama a few times, clearly deserves to be the leader of the free world. It’s just too bad he is a white man, and thereby will never have a chance to succeed.

It took a few years, but we finally found our own David Broadband 2.0. Yahoo!
March 12th, 2010 at 6:01 am

jeffz says:

PS … I love, in particular, how Drew thinks putting an emoticon after something stupid / racist / paranoid / crazy / completely-made-up (or usually, some combination of the above) makes it somehow acceptable, appropriate or cogent (I guess next time I write a wild conspiracy theory about how Sarah Palin eats babies’ blood, or something, all I have to do is put a smiley face after it and I’ll be immune from being called out on it!). The fact that this guy is too nuts even for Glenn Beck, Bill O’Reilly, Limbaugh, Coulter, Bachmann or Liz Cheney to have discovered him says it all … you have to be REALLY out there for your wild conspiracy theories NOT to be aired amongst that august group! I apologize, yet again, Ephblog for bringing his attention to this site … my bad!
March 12th, 2010 at 6:14 am

PTC says:

Good god. Obama commands issues and open discussion better than any President that I can remember. Better than Clinton in both style and thus far, execution.

Obama is a proven genius in both academics and politics.

Next topic.
March 12th, 2010 at 8:02 am

Dick Swart says:

(original comment removed)
I have received a note from a much-respected contributor to EphBlog, that the provocative comment I put up re Dr Drew should be considered in light of my previous admonishments under the first discussion to resist baiting bears and teasing the inmates of Bedlam.

I am heeding his wise council. I have removed the note.

My apologies to readers who may have seen my clearly hypocritical action.

Dick Swart
March 12th, 2010 at 10:50 am

JeffZ says:

Oh, and by the way, this is a blog about WILLIAMS. There is no need for Drew to re-post links (which are already featured, in all events, in the Eph Planet feed) to blog posts that have no relationship whatsoever with Williams here. Again, for those interested in reading your bizarre and nonsensical rants, we are perfectly capable of doing so via the Eph Planet feed. Or I guess you can pop it in Purple Noise, the once-per-week thread devoted to non-Williams topics. But really, the Eph Planet feed should be platform enough for Drew’s vitriol. For those more interested in reading irrational hatred of Obama than discussing Williams, I can refer to you about 50,000 places on the web where people hate on Obama daily and call him dumb, unqualified, racist, socialist, an affirmative action hire (even though he wasn’t actually “hired” but rather voted in) fascist, or whatever the right wing insult du jour is.
March 12th, 2010 at 11:00 am

John C. Drew, Ph.D. says:

Obama’s Glorious Leader Gap: Dr. Drew’s new post at David Horowitz’s Newsreal blog. See, http://bit.ly/bKx9CM I included information regarding Williams College and the true geniuses I met while I was teaching there.
March 12th, 2010 at 1:40 pm

John C. Drew, Ph.D. says:

#61 – Jeffz

What is it with you, always trying to run down my credentials? :) David Horowitz’s Newreal is in the top 15 conservative blogs. See,

http://rightwingnews.com/2010/03/the-top-40-conservative-blogs-for-2010-version-1-0/

I’m proud to be a regular contributor to a site that is famous for confronting the liberal bias in modern education. I’ve also been featured in Hot Air, the number one rated conservative blog.

http://hotair.com/archives/2010/02/17/quotes-of-the-day-271/

Your comments remind me of the unhealthy hatred directed at conservative and independent students when I was teaching at Williams in the 1980s.
March 12th, 2010 at 2:02 pm

JeffZ says:

Here’s a better question — why are you always trying to run down President Obama’s credentials? It just reeks of bitterness and jealousy, and is frankly quite pathetic. His intellect is self-evident, as PTC noted. I mean, I have no love for Richard Nixon, but I recognize he was intelligent. I’d say Obama, Clinton, and Nixon are CLEARLY the smartest three Presidents in recent memory, and it’s not even close. Obama is a brilliant man, AND he is black. Deal with it. I may disagree with a conservative, but I won’t call him dumb, unless he, in fact, actually is kinda dumb (like GWB, and actually, I don’t think he is naturally dumb, just lazy, uninformed and lacking in intellectual curiosity). Unlike you, I am able to put my political and racial animus aside and make an objective analysis of someone’s intellectual abilities and credentials. You are apparently unable to do so. That is where you and I differ. If you want to say, hey, Obama is screwing up the economy (he’s not, in fact the economy is in MUCH better shape relative to when he assumed office than the American economy was one year after the GOP saint Reagan — the man who INVENTED trillion dollar debt — took over in a similarly downtrodden situation), fine, make that argument. If you want to disagree with his policies or rhetoric, fine, make that argument. But you only embarass yourself when you continually claim, despite his obvious keen intellect, that he isn’t smart and that the only way black people can succeed is through affirmative action and that the only way white people can fail is because of racial bias. If you look at the make-up of leadership in this country in almost any sector, it is overwhelmingly white and male, belying your ridiculously unhinged and racist assertions. And because many of your arguments about Obama are grounded in either your own personal experience with him, you have opened yourself up for scrutiny of that past history, including your own claims about your past credentials. I promise that I never have, would, or will invoke any credential of yours to counter an argument about a policy. But when you start bitching about how people aren’t that smart (and it’s always blacks who seem to be on the receiving end of those claims), well, you kind of get what is coming to you. Anyway, since everything you say is so facially ridiculous to anyone with half a brain, I am just wasting my time responding. I don’t really enjoy it polluting the shores of the temporarily calm Ephblog waters … if they are going to be riled up, I’d much rather they be done so by David Kane, someone who is both conservative AND very smart AND usually has a cogent argument to make AND whose points are usually related to Williams, rather than by you. But hey, such is life.

Again, I’d just ask you to, rather than periodically posting and reposting the same baseless ad-hominen attacks about Obama on a blog about Williams, to let your blog, which is linked to here, speak for itself. This is not directed towards you in particular, as many other folks have been asked, in the past, to have a more Williams-focused presence here. There are 10,000 angry right wing blogs irrationally bashing Obama as an affirmative action marxist fascist gun-stealing fraud, 24/7, 365. We really don’t want that or need that here. Thanks.
March 12th, 2010 at 2:19 pm

Fifi, un caniche de Paris says:

Oh mon Dieu, M. Jeffz … il faut être très attentif de la manipulation, même les petits chiens enragés.

Prenez garde, prenez garde!
March 12th, 2010 at 2:24 pm

kthomas says:

Start of favorite reply letter to law firms:

“Wooof. Woof Woof.” Bark bark. You can bark, but can you bite?
March 12th, 2010 at 2:28 pm

Brandi '07 says:

Coincidentally, I’ve been exploring the idea that certain commenters with Ph.Ds on this site are not very bright. Discuss!
March 12th, 2010 at 6:31 pm

kthomas says:

@Brandi ‘07:

To successfully troll for Page(asinLarry)Rank points, you need to link your blog!

Speaking of which… tech team mini-meeting??… we may wish to think about our link-back policy. Someone please put that on the agenda.
March 12th, 2010 at 6:42 pm

Brandi '07 says:

All of I have written/linked to on my blog recently is a podcast where I discuss homophobia, comedy and Dogville Shorts. Mainly, Dogville Shorts which are very un-PC, possibly racist and kind of genius.

2/3 of those terms I guess overlap with my original observation. Genius is not one of them.

But I’d also be up for discussing Dogville Shorts. I’m planning on hosting a Dogville Shorts film festival at a local comedy club.
March 12th, 2010 at 6:59 pm

aparent says:

Re #58 Ronit 3/11/10 and the Rccord being “messed up”:

I’ve been sent a letter from the current Record business manager stating that their “system has significantly overextended (my) subscription” and that the Record “will no longer be” sent to me – although I paid in full for a multiyear subscription that has not yet run its course.

Even though it arrives one to two weeks after the date of publication, I still enjoy (time permitting) reading it for the cartoons, charts, advertisements, etc. that don’t make it into the online version.

Apparently, the subscription database is something else (besides the feed) that needs fixing.
March 13th, 2010 at 9:57 pm

John C. Drew, Ph.D. says:

It looks like all the hard work of conservatives and independents is paying off. It doesn’t look like Speaker Pelosi has the votes to pass ObamaCare. See,

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/House-Dem-whip-We-dont-have-the-votes-yet-87615147.html

To me, it never made any sense to force people to buy health insurance from private companies. This is effectively a huge tax increase. I guess Obama forgot that he was opposed to that idea, the “individual mandate,” back in the 2008 campaign. :)
March 14th, 2010 at 4:12 pm

FYI says:

Dr. Drew: This is a blog about Williams-related matters, not a place to write updates about random political happenings. Does you comment have anything to do with Williams?
March 14th, 2010 at 5:35 pm

kthomas says:

@John C. Drew, Ph.D.:

We are working on having a special section for politics, and discussion.

I have to admit, though, that sometimes I’ve had to wonder if it’s you posting, or you’ve hired a firm or consultant to create in-links to your site.

In addition to missing a good Williams hook that we can grab onto now and then, the point of what you’ve been posting is not always very easy to grab hold of– other than a “pot shot.” Your opinion is your opinion– I’m honored to hear anyone’s considered opinion on important subjects, and have a place where we can discuss opinions.

Otherwise, as important as health-care is, I might ask that you consider giving the situation in Mexico, a few column-inches here and there.
March 14th, 2010 at 6:57 pm

John C. Drew, Ph.D. says:

#76 – kthomas

I think the connection to Williams College in my most recent article for David Horowitz’s Newsreal

http://www.newsrealblog.com/2010/03/12/glorious-leader-gap-president-barack-obama-not-so-bright-for-a-harvard-law-grad/

is perfectly clear…even to a distracted reader. :) It’s sad to me that there aren’t any award-winning, outspoken conservatives teaching on the Williams College campus today. Young people need to be exposed to scholars who can poke holes in the myths created to produce Obama’s charismatic image.

I’m kind of proud that one Williams College junior, Will Slack, even responded to my article by placing a series of comments on my website at

http://anonymouspoliticalscientist.blogspot.com/2010/03/glorious-leader-gap-president-barack.html#comments

My gut feeling is that I’ve added to Mr. Slack’s educational experience by providing him with a challenging perspective he would not otherwise get to see in his traditional academic environment. As far as I can tell, he learned about me through Ephblog.
March 14th, 2010 at 7:14 pm

John C. Drew, Ph.D. says:

#76 – kthomas

I was kind of pleased to see that Will Slack, a junior at Williams, posted a response to my most recent blog article at Anonymous Political Scientist.

See,

http://anonymouspoliticalscientist.blogspot.com/2010/03/glorious-leader-gap-president-barack.html#comments

As far as I can see, Williams College students are starving for a lack of exposure to mainstream conservative and independent thought.
March 14th, 2010 at 7:36 pm

kthomas says:

John,

I’ve wanted to reply to this as well, all day.

I knew many of the students involved in the Observer, the Free Press, other conservative publications, and the Garfield Republicans, until I stopped regularly visiting Williams in ‘97.

Many of those conversations were very valuable to me, and I remain grateful for them.

What was clear to me, was that these students did not have an intellectual home at Williams, in the way that those of us who began more on the left, did.

They did have other homes– the Garfield Republicans often filled the auxiliary dining room in Dodd, with thirty or forty people for dinner, when the Williams Democrats could not get more than three or four people at meetings.

What was also clear– because there was no intellectual home, the Right at Williams– their ideas were never tested and honed, in the same way. They never became deep, they never evolved through challenge. They never accepted challenge.

In this sense, they remained naive.

Another home they had– was a little non-profit, started by Dominic Kulik– as the Center for Common Security, later LEAD, USA– a bit leftist– but dedicated to exploring, methods of ensuring the national security of the United States.

It disbanded, more or less, as I left Williams in ‘93. Whatever its political leanings– it welcomed all sides and perspectives. It incorporated all sides.

What struck me again earlier today– something very important was lost at Williams, not to have such an institution, at the edge of campus, contributing.

We could use one or two or three or more, such places, closely associated to Williams, again.

Thank you John, for the conversation.
March 15th, 2010 at 3:31 am

jeffz says:

This Tuesday campus event sounds interesting:

Who’s Minding the Vault? Following the Bailout Money from Pennsylvania Avenue to Wall Street
7:30 p.m., Griffin 3

Eric Thorson, Inspector General of the Department of the Treasury, oversees independent oversight of Treasury keeping the Secretary and Congress informed through independent audits, investigations and reviews to help the Department accomplish its mission; improve its programs and operations; promote economy, efficiency and effectiveness; and prevent and detect fraud and abuse. Sponsored by Political Economy and Sociology/Anthropology.
March 15th, 2010 at 8:27 am

Jr. Mom says:

Interesting post by Kim Fassler. Would make a great topic for discussion. I thought of Sam Crane when I saw the “guanxi” reference.
March 16th, 2010 at 2:05 pm

Jr. Mom says:

Larry George, if you are reading, this link in the sidebar made me think of you. Hope you are well.
March 16th, 2010 at 10:41 pm

'11 says:

(All campus email today)

To the Williams Community,

I am shocked and saddened to report that, while on leave from the College, Jamie Neal died suddenly at home.

Our hearts go out to her family and friends at this profoundly sad time.

Her obituary is available at http://www.shepherdfuneralhome.com/obituaries.html .

Jamie came here in Fall 2006 as a member of the Class of 2010 and was most recently in residence at the College in Fall 2008. In addition to her being a member of the varsity basketball team, she will be remembered by those who knew her here as being a young woman full of life with a natural way of growing close to people.

Members of the campus community are understandably unsettled by this news. I encourage us all to be aware of who around us might be in need of our support.

A celebration of Jamie’s life is scheduled for Friday, March 26, at 11 a.m. at the First Parish Church in Duxbury, Mass.

Regards,
Karen Merrill
Dean of the College
March 16th, 2010 at 11:04 pm

Vicarious '83 says:

Big ups to Derek for the fascinating article he linked to on this post on his blog. (also highlighted on the sidebar)

Dcat, would Errol Morris’ documentary The Fog of War fit in somewhere in the Cold War section of your upcoming course on your “US History through Film?”

Any chance you might share some of your thoughts about your course and/or syllabus?
March 17th, 2010 at 1:56 pm

aparent says:

Williams 2010 Commencement speakers announced:

http://www.williams.edu/admin/news/releases/1938/

The author may be interesting, the politician not so much.
March 17th, 2010 at 2:38 pm

Derek says:

Vicarious –
I had to make the very difficult decision not to deal with documentary film this time around, as those films raise such different issues. I might do a course devoted to documentary film in the future.
I can at some point, especially as I am doing it, post some thoughts or the syllabus (or at least the reading list and basics of course structure). Maymester is an odd phenomenon, not quite like Winter Study inasmuch as the classes legitimately count for full credit. I think these courses might be somewhat dubious given that in history you need to read and write and reflect. But if we are going to do them, I want to try to do them right. The nice thing is that we get four hours a day, which is perfect for a film class. As of now I am going to introduce the topic that each film addresses through a brief lecture plus a discussion of relevant readings. Then I will discuss the film to provide some context (year, actors and director, awards, public response, etc.) From there we will watch the film, after which we will have a discussion about the film and its reflection of history. Some films will be from the era, others will be about an era. So we may look at what a movie like Full Metal Jacket tells us about the context of the 1980s as much as it tells us about Vietnam per se, which allows us to discuss questions of memory. I’m no film scholar, so there will be very little on the artistry or on auteurs or anything like that, though we will be reading a book on the rise of movie critics after WWII.
Each day they will have a brief paper that will require them to respond to the film as a document and to consider what it might tell us and what it decidedly does not tell us about history. I have not decided how many “bad” historical films (“Mississippi Burning,” eg — not a terrible film, but lousy history) to show. I have settled on almost all of the films and am thinking that if nothing else, I’d like to improve their film literacy by making sure they watch good movies. If nothing else, the idea that they all will have seen Dr. Strangelove and Do the Right Thing and The Best Years of Our Lives and Manchurian Candidate makes me feel that I am adding a little bit to their cultural literacy.

The key to me is not to make this a “movies I like and why I like them class,” and to avoid it being simply a film criticism class — not that such a class would be bad, but that it would not play to what i bring to such a course.

dcat
March 17th, 2010 at 5:20 pm

Parent '12 says:

@Derek:

Sounds like a great way to tackle a Maymester. And, thanks for explaining the context.

I’d love to see the list of films.

I know your approach isn’t this. But, given the films you’ve listed so far, it brings to mind all those WWII-themed television series, both the dramatic and comic. I wonder what students now (and historians) would think about those shows that my generation grew up with.

Another aside, your course reminds me of one that my son had (not a Williams), called something like “Images of War.”
March 17th, 2010 at 5:45 pm

Vicarious '83 says:

@Derek:
Thanks for the reply. I’m with P’12 – this really does sound like a compelling course and a perfect coupling with the Bruscino article. Teach ‘em up, Perfesser.
March 17th, 2010 at 6:01 pm

Jr. Mom says:

Derek,

I also hope to hear more about your class. I also think that much of your writing (about Africa, and sports, etc.) would make for terrific discussion here on EB, if you are so inclined…and have the time.

March 17th, 2010 at 6:33 pm

Parent '12 says:

What is the Watson Fellowship?

According to the Williams Website, Martinez and Watts have won a “Dream” Fellowship.

And, it is- “A one year grant for independent study and travel outside the United States.”

Click around their website. It’s an amazing opportunity. One must remain abroad for 12 months.
March 17th, 2010 at 7:42 pm

Parent '12 says:

@Parent ‘12:

Congratulations to all the recipients!
March 17th, 2010 at 7:43 pm

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