Lisa Perks develops an appreciation for art, travel, and crime prevention techniques while studying abroad in turn-of-the-century Europe. My mom is scared of cities… because cities are where people go to die. Lisa and 15 roommates lived in this stately home from January to May of 2001. English Professor Nancy Cotton (referred to as “the…
This post is part missive against overworking and part belated Boston Marathon race report. As the title suggests, I’m encouraging folks to be more chill about mediocrity. As a teacher and parent, I see a lot of overworked young people: students working full time, taking a heavy course load, doing several extracurriculars, and having allergic…
On President’s Day weekend, my Garden Memoirs class took on a 24-hour challenge to avoid ultra-processed foods. Ultra-processed foods often have several additives: sugars, salts, preservatives, artificial colors, artificial flavors, stabilizers. Food that has undergone any changes–cooking, pickling, freezing–has been processed. But the concern here is with ultra-processed foods. These foods are distorted well beyond…
My friend and Merrimack College colleague, Kevin Salemme, died last week after battling an illness for not quite a year. Some have aptly called Kevin the Mayor of Merrimack. Whereas many folks at colleges and universities remain siloed, Kevin nurtured a community unbounded by field of study, office building, age, or interests. Our Media Center,…
I had the opportunity (or bad break?) to serve as the Chair of Merrimack’s Communication and Media Department from fall 2019 to August 2022. In that time, we added two minors and launched a grad program. The pandemic also hit. You know how that went. Although my Inbox and I are terribly glad I’m no…
Something exciting happened in the last few weeks. I started to feel energized rather than absolutely drained at the end of a teaching day. I’m excited to prep a new class for fall. Research has called out again. My thoughts have turned to long-term projects. In sum, the pandemic malaise has lifted. I wrote about…
Fall 2021 marked the start of my 20th year in the classroom. (Thank you, Penn State, for trusting a 21-year-old with her own public speaking classes.) The classroom is an unpredictable, enchanting space. In these almost two decades, I’ve amassed quite a collection of cringe-worthy, hilarious, and memorable teaching experiences. I welcome you to feast…
After placing my old maternity leggings in the clothing donation pile, I trotted across the starting line on October 11th, 2021. It had been just over 900 days since the last Boston Marathon. The 125th Boston Marathon was electrified with community spirit and support. I ran through the Wellesley scream tunnel, waved at Mandalorian and…
At the end of June, I was a marshmallow aflame. I was 1993 Michael Jordan. In other words, I was burned out. The many months of additional childcare responsibilities, changing expectations at work, and heightened anxiety about health and humanity definitely took their toll. The loss of in-person connections and social support made it even…
Does it count as binge-watching if the content doesn’t have a continuous storyline? I can’t answer that question definitively. However, I know that it feels like my family has been binge-watching Christmas stories. The four of us have been around each other for roughly 24 hours straight, 28 days in a row. Holiday classics have…
This is the third blog post in my gardening series. Modern victory gardens are sprouting up in response to COVID-19, and plants are in high demand. This post focuses on some stranger options, which may be easier to find at this time than well-known varieties. Serviceberry: This native plant has beautiful white flowers and tasty…
Gardening has been an important hobby of mine for about a dozen years and a newish teaching/service interest (check out Merrimack_Garden on Instagram). Gardening provided a sense of peace, food, and all-ages activities when I was a new mom. I’ve needed gardening more than ever during quarantine to give me something meaningful to sink my…
With the world turned upside down right now, people might be thinking about picking up a) a fun, social-distancing friendly hobby that b) helps them provide sustenance in a way that is c) soothing and d) educational. This spring could be a great time to start or expand a fruit/vegetable/herb garden. I’ve done my best…
“Welcome to the Hotel California,” one colleague notoriously said to folks who earned tenure. The foreboding lyric “we are all just prisoners here, of our own device” indeed has some resonance. But some faculty do take that risk and leave tenured positions. I saw friends go through the tenure process a second time. It wasn’t…
After years of media marathoning and not running a marathon, I can now say I’ve done both. I raced the Mohawk Hudson River Marathon in Albany, NY on October 13, 2019. Running a marathon doesn’t connect to this blog in name only: running has been an influential part of my professional life. Briefly, here’s why.…
