#wellesley mentors

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

Extraterrestrial chemistry with earthbound possibilities

Who are we? Why are we here? As the Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young song suggests, we are stardust, the result of chemistry occurring throughout vast clouds of interstellar gas and dust. To better understand how that chemistry could create prebiotic molecules — the seeds of life on Earth and possibly elsewhere — researchers investigated the role of low-energy electrons created as cosmic radiation traverses through ice particles. Their findings may also inform medical and environmental applications on our home planet.

Undergraduate student Kennedy Barnes will present the team’s results at the fall meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS). ACS Fall 2024 is a hybrid meeting being held virtually and in person Aug. 18-22; it features about 10,000 presentations on a range of science topics. 

“The first detection of molecules in space was made by Wellesley College alum Annie Jump Cannon more than a hundred years ago,” says Barnes, who, with fellow undergraduate Rong Wu, led this study at Wellesley, mentored by chemistry professor Christopher Arumainayagam and physics professor James Battat. Since Cannon’s discovery, scientists have been interested in finding out how extraterrestrial molecules form. “Our goal is to explore the relative importance of low-energy electrons versus photons in instigating the chemical reactions responsible for the extraterrestrial synthesis of these prebiotic molecules,” Barnes explains.

The few studies that previously probed this question suggested that both electrons and photons can catalyze the same reactions. Studies by Barnes and colleagues, however, hint that the prebiotic molecule yield from low-energy electrons and photons could be significantly different in space. “Our calculations suggest that the number of cosmic-ray-induced electrons within cosmic ice could be much greater than the number of photons striking the ice,” Barnes explains. “Therefore, electrons likely play a more significant role than photons in the extraterrestrial synthesis of prebiotic molecules.”

Aside from cosmic ice, her research into low-energy electrons and radiation chemistry also has potential applications on Earth. Barnes and colleagues recently studied the radiolysis of water, finding evidence of electron-stimulated release of hydrogen peroxide and hydroperoxyl radicals, which destroy stratospheric ozone and act as damaging reactive oxygen species in cells.

“A lot of our water radiolysis research findings could be used in medical applications and medical simulations,” Barnes shares, offering the example of using high-energy radiation to treat cancer. “I once had a biochemistry professor say that humans are basically bags of water. So, other scientists are investigating how low-energy electrons produced in water affect our DNA molecules.”

She also says the team’s findings are applicable to environmental remediation efforts where wastewater is being treated with high-energy radiation, which produces large numbers of low-energy electrons that are assumed to be responsible for the destruction of hazardous chemicals.

Back to space chemistry, in attempting to better understand prebiotic molecule synthesis, the researchers didn’t limit their efforts to mathematical modeling; they also tested their hypothesis by mimicking the conditions of space in the lab. They use an ultrahigh-vacuum chamber containing an ultrapure copper substrate that they can cool to ultralow temperatures, along with an electron gun that produces low-energy electrons and a laser-driven plasma lamp that produces low-energy photons. The scientists then bombard nanoscale ice films with electrons or photons to see what molecules are produced.

“Although we have previously focused on how this research is applicable to interstellar submicron ice particles, it is also relevant to cosmic ice on a much larger scale, like that of Jupiter’s moon Europa, which has a 20-mile-thick ice shell,” says Barnes.

Thus, she suggests their research will help astronomers understand data from space exploration missions such as NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope as well as the Europa Clipper, initially expected to launch in October 2024. Barnes hopes that their findings will inspire other researchers to incorporate low-energy electrons into their astrochemistry models that simulate what happens within cosmic ices.

Barnes and colleagues are also varying the molecular composition of ice films and exploring atom addition reactions to see if low-energy electrons can produce other prebiotic chemistries. This work is being performed in collaboration with researchers at the Laboratory for the Study of Radiation and Matter in Astrophysics and Atmospheres in France.

“There’s a lot that we're on the cusp of learning, which I think is really exciting and interesting,” says Barnes, touting what she describes as a new Space Age.

IMAGE: Researchers simulate the conditions of interstellar space with this ultrahigh-vacuum, low-temperature chamber containing an electron source to recreate the seeds of life. Credit Kennedy Barnes

[lboogie1906]

Lottie Hawkins (June 11, 1883 - 1961) was born in Henderson, North Carolina, her family moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts, early to avoid racial discrimination.

During her senior year at Cambridge High School, she met Alice Freeman Palmer, who in 1882 was named the first woman president of Wellesley College. Palmer would become a role model, mentor, and influence in her life. She became Palmer’s protégé as the two women developed a lifelong bond. Palmer assisted her financially in attending Salem State Normal School.

In 1901 she accepted a teaching position in North Carolina offered by the American Missionary Association. She did not graduate from Salem State, but she decided to take the post anyway knowing that since there were few educational opportunities for Black children she would do what she could to address the problem.

She taught rural Black children at Bethany Congregational Church in Sedalia, North Carolina. With the assistance of her mentor Alice Freeman Palmer, established the Alice Freeman Palmer Institute. This school, located in Sedalia, taught children between the elementary and junior college levels. It would operate through the late 1950s. She married fellow Institute teacher Edward S. Brown (1915). The marriage was brief.

While directing the Institute she took courses at Simmons College, Temple University, and Wellesley College. She received several honorary degrees and traveled in circles that included Booker T. Washington, W.E.B. DuBois, fellow school founder Mary McLeod Bethune, and Eleanor Roosevelt.

She was a dedicated anti-segregationist and an advocate for African American cultural pride and identity. North Carolina designated the Alice Freeman Palmer Institute the first historical landmark of North Carolina identified with an African American. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence #alphakappaalpha

[awsomebloggersblog]

Job Opening For Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) Opportunities Available Across Mass General Brigham Intuitive Health Services Job title: Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) Opportunities Available Across Mass General Brigham Job description: About Our SystemAs a not-for-profit organization, Mass General Brigham is committed to supporting patient care, research, teaching, and service to the community by leading innovation across our system. Founded by Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital, Mass General Brigham supports a complete continuum of care including community and specialty hospitals, a managed care organization, a physician network, community health centers, home care and other health-related entities. Several of our hospitals are teaching affiliates of Harvard Medical School, and our system is a national leader in biomedical research.We’re focused on a people-first culture for our system’s patients and our professional family. That’s why we provide our employees with more ways to achieve their potential. Mass General Brigham is committed to aligning our employees’ personal aspirations with projects that match their capabilities and creating a culture that empowers our managers to become trusted mentors. We support each member of our team to own their personal development—and we recognize success at every step.Our employees use the Mass General Brigham values to govern decisions, actions and behaviors. These values guide how we get our work done: Patients, Affordability, Accountability & Service Commitment, Decisiveness, Innovation & Thoughtful Risk; and how we treat each other: Diversity & Inclusion, Integrity & Respect, Learning, Continuous Improvement & Personal Growth, Teamwork & Collaboration.Our OpportunitiesThe goal? Source top talent first and foremost and then find the right placement for long term success (based on skills/competencies, as well as candidate goals).No matter where you live or what your preferences are, we have a CRNA job to match your needs! Schedule options include full-time, part-time, and per diem! Available shifts include day, evening, night, and rotating. Locations stretch across Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Care environments for CRNAs include: Academic Medical Centers: Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women’s Hospital Community Hospitals: Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital, Cooley Dickinson Hospital, Martha’s Vineyard Hospital, Nantucket Cottage Hospital, Newton-Wellesley Hospital, Salem Hospital, Wentworth-Douglass Hospital Specialty Hospitals: Mass Eye and Ear Community-Based Ambulatory Surgical Centers: Danvers, Waltham, Salem NH Resource Pools: Floating across multiple locations/care environments Benefits Medical/dental/vision coverage A robust retirement program Paid time off/parental leave Tuition assistance And other perks! We're also offering a generous $40,000.00 sign-on bonus for full-time hires. Recognizing and valuing exceptional talent, we're eager to discuss the exciting details of this bonus during our interview process.Take the first step towards an enriching career by applying today! Upcoming opportunities to explore include: Virtual Hiring Event (8/28) In-Person Hiring Event (9/26) Want to learn more but not ready to submit a formal application? Please contact Katherine Melanson, Talent Acquisition Manager (kemelanson@mgb.org).QualificationsQualificationsWhether you are a seasoned professional or a recent graduate, there's a place for you in our system!Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) are licensed, registered, advanced practice nurses who have completed a post graduate certificate, a master's, or doctorate degree in anesthesia. Nurse anesthetists must become certified by successfully completing a national qualifying examination in the specialty of anesthesia.

To maintain their license to practice anesthesia, CRNAs must be recertified biannually by attending 40 contact hours of continuing education programs. CRNAs must have current ACLS (required) and PALS (recommended) certifications and continue to maintain these certifications. Apply for the job Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) Opportunities Available Across Mass General Brigham At Intuitive Health Services, our goal is to make healthcare better for everyone. We help hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare places find the right doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers. For over 15 years, we have been doing this important job. We work with places like state hospitals and correctional facilities to make sure they have the best people to take care of patients. We don’t just connect people with jobs; we also support them throughout their journey. We help with things like improving resumes, preparing for interviews, and finding the job that fits best. We work in over 50 different locations and have over 900 professionals who trust us to help them. If you are looking for a job in healthcare, we are here to guide you. If you are a healthcare facility needing to hire someone, we can find the best person for you. Our team is always ready to help, and we believe that by working together, we can make healthcare stronger and better for everyone. If you need to contact us, you can find us at: Address: 520 West Lacey Blvd, Hanford, CA 93230 Email: jobs@intuitivehealthservices.com Phone:+1 (805) 703-3729 We’re here to help you with all your healthcare staffing needs! https://intuitivehealthservices.com/register

[jamhood]

Beacon of Freedom

Even though said to be the leader of the free world and the most powerful position in the world, a president of the United States really isn't. Thank goodness a president doesn't have the power to fundamentally transform the United States, as Obama thought he could. If indeed he could, the United States would cease to be the beacon of freedom to the world. The free market economy of the United States would be dismantled and replaced by the authoritarian collectivist society proffered by Frank Marshall Davis, Saul Alinsky and their kind. From March 23, 2015 Washington Post article by Michelle Ye Hee Lee [washingtonpost.com],

He and his peers … believe communist influences have been played down by the media. Obama has shown to be an ineffective communist, ... He has failed to unravel the capitalist system over the past six years that he has held the most powerful position in the world.

And

No other person can claim the title of Obama “mentor” than Davis, wrote Paul Kengor in The Communist, his book about Davis and Obama. “Frank is a lasting, permanent influence, an integral part of Obama’s sojourn."

The influence of Davis and Alinsky on Obama, Hillary Clinton and other global collectivists of the Democrat Party is abundantly manifest in their speeches. They consistently implement the principles of Saul Alinsky from his publications, Reveille for Radicals and Rules for Radicals. Examples,

Control healthcare and you control the people.

If people don't think they have the power to solve their problems, they won't even think about how to solve them.

If you push a negative hard enough, it will push through and become a positive.

The most effective means are whatever will achieve the desired results.

The disruption of the present organization is the first step toward community organization.

In the beginning the organizer's first job is to create the issues or problems.

When she was a college student, Clinton studied Saul Alinsky. Clinton first met Alinsky in 1969 at Wellesley working on her thesis on his controversial theories of community organizing outlined in his 1946 handbook, Reveille for Radicals. In Clinton's 1971 letter to Alinsky [news.yahoo.com] referring to his new book Rules for Radicals she wrote,

When is that new book coming out or has it come and I somehow missed the fulfillment of Revelation? I have just had my one-thousandth conversation about Reveille and need some new material to throw at people. If I never thanked you for the encouraging words of last spring …, I do so now. I am living in Berkeley and working in Oakland for the summer and would love to see you.

Yet, she denounces as radicals those free market economy Republicans and right thinking people who hold that government must adhere to the Constitution. She defames them as a "basket of deplorables." A most conspicuous example of Clinton's devotion to Alinsky is her constant use of Alinsky's fundamental rule,

Accuse your opponent of what you are doing, to create confusion and to inculcate voters against evidence of your own guilt.

As the proponents of global collectivism, the left, only have one principle, which is the ends justifies the means, any indictments of their wrongdoing are cast aside. Clinton, Obama and their kind use the principles of those on the right against them.

Make the enemy live up to their own rules. You can kill them with this, for they can no more obey their own rules than the Christian church can live up to Christianity.

The occupant of the office of president isn't a king, emperor or dictator. The president isn't responsible for the economy and everyone's well being. By indoctrinating the people into the notion of the president as the leader of the free world and the most powerful position in the world, the global collectivists of the Democrat Party and their minions in the news media, if they attain the goal of their struggle to become the permanent majority, will have everyone accustomed to the idea of the president as dictator and absolute ruler of the United States. As the political party with a permanent majority, they could establish an absolute democracy in which no minority political party, nor anyone not in the majority, would have any say in government.

Heed the words of Pericles, the ancient Greek Athenian statesman, "Just because you do not take an interest in politics doesn't mean politics won't take an interest in you." Let us make a stand to preserve our constitutional republic of the United States from becoming another democratic socialist failure like the former Soviet Union and all the others.

[wellesleyunderground]

Calling all Wellesley writers for new mentorship program!

An Open Letter from Wellesley Writes to Wellesley Alumnae

We all know that writing is hard. To many students, becoming a writer, making a living out of a hobby we love feels like an elusive dream that might never come true. Wellesley Writes is Wellesley’s one-semester-old student-run creative writing club that encourages students not to give up on that dream. Throughout the past semester, we have hosted two panels on publishing and monthly writing workshops for students to review each other's work. Through our events, we seek to connect student writers to each other and to resources they need to become better writers. For the upcoming academic year, we are interested in launching a pilot mentorship program, to connect student writers with alumnae working in creative writing-related fields.

Through this mentorship program, we hope to increase the accessibility of information for aspiring writers, be it on what it takes to get published in specific genres of writing, what it’s like writing while having another job, or what to do to get an agent. We wish to inspire, by putting students in touch with alumnae who have achieved what might seem like the impossible, to prove that it is possible to dream big. And of course, we want to provide a platform for friendships to form, for Wellesley alums and students across the years to come together and celebrate the beauty of language and creation.

The success of this program is contingent upon your support. If you are willing to volunteer as a mentor, please fill out this form here. If you know any other Wellesley alumnae who might also be interested in participating, please pass this along to them! We have over a hundred interested student writers, and we would like to cater to as many of them as possible.  

Through the number of responses we receive from this form, we will be able to better gauge the capacity of our program. Before students are paired with mentors, they will be expected to go through a series of writing review workshops or enroll in creative writing classes throughout fall semester. Mentorship pairings will be made in late December 2019, and the degree of commitment expected will be determined by individual mentors and mentees. Each mentor-mentee relationship will be self-directed, self-monitored, and self-guided.

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Samantha Lai (President of Wellesley Writes) at mlai4@wellesley.edu or Eleanor Mallett (Alumnae Chair of Wellesley Writes) at emallett@wellesley.edu. If you have any suggestions for events we should host or thoughts on creative writing-related experiences you wish you had when you were in Wellesley, please feel free to reach out and tell us more about it! We thank you in advance for your time and assistance!

Best regards,

Wellesley Writes

[spine-buster]

feat.

JACOB MARKSTROM

struc·ture /ˈstrək(t)SHər/

noun the arrangement of and relations between the parts or elements of something complex.

Jacob Markstrom is a star.  Always has been.  Wonderful brother.  Doting uncle.  Loving son and middle child.  Successful goaltender for a slew of Swedish, American, and Canadian teams.  Caring friend and thoughtful mentor.  Sees a girl in a Tudor bonnet and graduation robes at the Turf Tavern in Oxford one night, and his structures are built.

Geneviève Monette is a star.  Always has been.  Top of her class.  Wellesley College valedictorian profiled in national publications.  PhD at Oxford University.  Essayist.  Humourist.  Cultural critic.  Satirist.  Public speaker.  The new Franny Lebowitz.  The Joan Didion of the new generation.  Sees a guy in a Swedish football jersey with his buddies at the Turf Tavern in Oxford one night, and her structures begin to fall.

CONTENT WARNINGS

This fic will deal with mental health issues, including (manic) depression, thoughts of self-harm, thoughts of worthlessness, and issues regarding struggles to conceive.  

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SNEAK PEEK

excerpt taken from Act 1, Scene 3

They were still in the spot she left them, neatly beside the flowers.  There was no way Jacob wouldn’t have seen them if he’d watered the flowers and wiped down the kitchen.  She reached over to grab them, looking over all the paperwork she’d filled out.  She even went so far as to sign everything she needed to sign so that, when he signed them himself (or at least she thought), all she had to do was file them.  When she looked back up, Jacob was looking at her.  “You had to have seen these,” she said.

“I saw,” he nodded once.  “Saw that you even signed them.”

“Three nights ago I was convinced these would be signed by the time I got back here,” she revealed, placing them back down on the counter.  

Jacob looked pained.  “Tell me the truth,” he began.  “Do you want to divorce me?”

“No,” Geneviève answered instantly.  “I love you more than anything.  Like I said on the phone, I just wanted you to be free from me.”

Jacob shook his head, reaching over and grabbing them in his hands.  He made sure he was looking Geneviève in the eye as he tore them up, halved and then halved and then halved again, before opening the garbage and chucking it into the recycling bin.  “Never.”

Geneviève felt tears forming in her eyes as she saw Jacob rip up the divorce papers.  “I’m so sorry, Jacob,” she mumbled out, the tears finally spilling out.  “I’m so sorry for everything.”

Jacob made his way around the island quickly, bending down slightly so he could be at eye level with her as he cupped her face in his hands.  “Listen to me,” he whispered urgently.  “We’re going to get through this together, okay?  Just like last time.  Because I love you more than anything too, and I’m your husband, and I’m here for you, alright?”

PREMIERING MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 13

[khantoelessar]

Sharpe Series and Hogan’s Heroes

Attention all Richard Sharpe and Hogan’s Heroes fans. Do not read any further unless you want to be bitten by the most vile and evil of plot bunnies.

Alright I warned you.

So I was thinking . . . okay, more daydreaming about Hogan’s Heroes and somehow my weird brain jumped to Richard Sharpe and the similarity between two characters suddenly hit: Major Michael Hogan and Colonel Robert Hogan. And now I’m not just talking about their names.

Anybody remember this scene?

Sir Arthur Wellesley: “Major Hogan. Meet Mr. Sharpe.” Hogan: “Congratulations! Capital choice, sir. The minute I saw him, I looked. ‘Hogan says I, that fellow don’t seen much but he’s a natural born office. Of course, you know, uh, Sir Arthur, he’ll need a mentor.” Sir Arthur: “Hogan, you keep your hands off him.” Sir Arthur: “Hogan is an officer on . . . Hogan: “Ahem!” Sir Arthur: “Ah, on my staff.”

Hogan: “Light duties, sir. Light duties it is. Absolutely.” Hogan: “See here, Sharpe. Light duties means staying at headquarters and being snobbed by snobs. How would you like me to find you something else?” Sharpe: “As long as it’s safe sir.” Hogan: “That’s my boy.”

Then I remembered all the times Colonel Robert Hogan would say something rather similar to his crew. This is only one example.

Hogan: “Hold on, hold on. This is a reconnaissance job. We need a volunteer, whose got plenty of guts and can move fast.” Le Beau: “Oh, you can depend on us Colonel.” Newkirk: “Oh yeah. We’ll think of somebody to send.” Kinch: “One of us will be glad to go.” Hogan: “Oh come on. I said volunteer, I can’t order you to go on a mission like this. Now who’s going to step forward and take on this job, thank you Le Beau.” Le Beau: “I didn’t move a muscle.” Hogan: “You had that volunteer look.”

The similarity between these just struck me right then. And that is when the evil plot bunny bit me.

What if, maybe, in fanfic world. Major Michael Hogan was the ancestor of Colonel Robert Hogan? What if Major Hogan kept journals of his time during the Napoleonic Wars filled with stories about a band of sharpshooters who operated a lot of the time behind enemy lines? What if Robert Hogan read those? What if?

I told you it was an evil plot bunny!

[asoulofstars]

🗣🗣🗣🗣🗣🗣🗣🗣🗣🗣🗣🗣!!

i. Riona is such a workaholic in her human AUs that she struggles to make friends outside of work. In faerie verses, she struggles to connect because Soll's death causes some divisions in the community.

ii. Riona desperately craves love but will not seek it out.

iii. Her main differences from human AUs to faerie verses are cultural. Faeries don't have pets, and non-Flora Faeries don't work with plant life. She has a cat and gardens in human AUs.

iv. Aislinn and Aislinn's family play a big role in Riona's life. In human AUs, they help Riona save up the money she needs to run away from Wellesley, and in faerie verses, they give Riona a place to be that's not trapped with her parents whenever their societal rules allow it.

v. Morrigan is Riona's mentor as a faerie, and as a human, she is an astronomer who talked to one of Riona's science classes, and she saw how Riona was enthralled. Morrigan gives Riona a way to reach her and helps Riona in a mentor capacity.

vi. Riona falls in love easily and stays in love.

vii. Human Riona LOVES Nikita Gill's poetry and tries to get every book signed.

viii. Riona is not a genius, but she is passionate, and ADHD hyperfixations mean lots of knowledge.

ix. Riona loves pet names, especially ones special to them.

x. Though faeries do not have terms for it, in both versions of herself, Riona has ADHD, anxiety, depression, C-PTSD, and rejection sensitive dysphoria.

xi. Riona does not fear death.

xii. Riona still loves Soll more than anything, and no amount of therapy will lesson her guilt for his death.

[phroyd]

We lost a Great Journalist today, and there are very few, if any, working today, who could fill her shoes!  We will miss you Cokie, and we wish there were more who could live up to your bar! - Phroyd.

Cokie Roberts, who drew on her upbringing in a powerful political family to fashion a career as a leading Washington journalist for NPR and ABC News, bringing a tough, knowledgeable voice to the rough-and-tumble political arena at a time when few women had national profiles in the news business, died on Tuesday in Washington. She was 75.

ABC News, in a posting on its website Tuesday morning, said the cause was breast cancer.

Ms. Roberts was known to millions for both her reporting and her commentaries, moving easily among radio, television and print to explain the impact of world events and the intricacies of policy debates. And in books like “Ladies of Liberty: The Women Who Shaped Our Nation” (2008) and “Capital Dames: The Civil War and the Women of Washington, 1848-1868” (2015) she highlighted the often overlooked role of women in history, especially political history.

“Cokie Roberts was a trailblazer,” Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the House, said on Twitter, “who transformed the role of women in the newsroom & our history books as she told the stories of the unsung women who built our nation.”

Ms. Roberts, who joined NPR in the late 1970s and ABC News in 1988, carved out a career that served as an example to later generations of women in journalism.

“I’m proud as hell — proud as hell — to work at a news organization that has ‘Founding Mothers’ whom we all look up to,” Danielle Kurtzleben, an NPR reporter, said on Twitter. “God bless Cokie Roberts.”

In a statement, former President Barack Obama and the former first lady Michelle Obama called Ms. Roberts “a role model to young women at a time when the profession was still dominated by men; a constant over 40 years of a shifting media landscape and changing world, informing voters about the issues of our time and mentoring young journalists every step of the way.”

And President Trump, speaking to reporters on Air Force One en route to California from New Mexico, said of Ms. Roberts: “I never met her. She never treated me nicely. But I would like to wish her family well. She was a professional and I respect professionals. I respect you guys a lot, you people a lot. She was a real professional. Never treated me well, but I certainly respect her as a professional.”

If Ms. Roberts brought keen insight to her work, that was in part because she was a child of politicians, one who first walked the halls of Congress as a girl. Her father was Hale Boggs, a longtime Democratic representative from Louisiana who in the early 1970s was House majority leader. After he died in a plane crash in 1972, his wife and Ms. Roberts’s mother, Lindy Boggs, was elected to fill his seat. She served until 1991 and later became United States ambassador to the Vatican.

Ms. Roberts’s background gave her a deep respect for the government institutions she covered, and she didn’t hold herself or her journalism colleagues blameless for the problems of government. “We are quick to criticize and slow to praise,” she said in a commencement address at Boston College in 1994.

“But,” she told the crowd, “it’s also your fault.” Constituents, she said, needed to allow members of Congress to make the tough votes and “let that person live to fight another day.”

In an oral history recorded for the House of Representatives in 2007 and 2008, she expanded on the impact her childhood experiences had in shaping her views about America.

“Because I spent time in the Capitol and particularly in the House of Representatives, I became deeply committed to the American system,” she said. “And as close up and as personally as I saw it and saw all of the flaws, I understood all of the glories of it.”

“Here we are, so different from each other,” she added, “with no common history or religion or ethnicity or even language these days, and what brings us together is the Constitution and the institutions that it created. And the first among those is Congress. The very word means coming together. And the fact that messily and humorously and all of that, it happens — it doesn’t happen all the time, and it doesn’t always happen well, but it happens — is a miracle.”

Mary Martha Corinne Morrison Claiborne Boggs was born on Dec. 27, 1943, in New Orleans. She said that her brother, Tommy, invented her nickname because he couldn’t say “Corinne.”

She, her brother and her sister, Barbara, were immersed in political life, accompanying their father on campaign trips, attending ceremonial functions and listening to the dinner-table discussions that ensued when other political leaders visited the home.

“Our parents did not have the children go away when the grown-ups came,” Ms. Roberts said. “In retrospect, I’ve sometimes wondered, ‘What did those people think to have all these children around all the time?’ But we were around, and it was great for us.”

Although her father had considerable influence on her, so did her mother, who was active in furthering her father’s career, along with other women she came to know, like Lady Bird Johnson.

“I was very well aware of the influence of these women,” she said, adding, “I very much grew up with a sense, from them, that women could do anything, and that they could sort of do a whole lot of things at the same time.”

It was a theme she teased out in her 1998 book, “We Are Our Mothers’ Daughters.”

“For years my mother kept telling me that it’s nothing new to have women as soldiers, as diplomats, as politicians, as revolutionaries, as explorers, as founders of large institutions, as leaders in business; that the women of my generation did not invent the wheel,” she wrote. “In the past women might not have had the titles, she painstakingly and patiently explained, but they did the jobs that fit those descriptions.”

Ms. Roberts attended Catholic schools in New Orleans and Bethesda, Md., and graduated from Wellesley College in Massachusetts in 1964 with a degree in political science. In 1966 she married Steven V. Roberts, who was a correspondent then for The New York Times. Journalism was a largely male world at the time, something driven home to her when she went job hunting.

“In 1966 I left an on-air anchor television job in Washington, D.C., to get married,” she told The Times in 1994. “My husband was at The New York Times. For eight months I job-hunted at various New York magazines and television stations, and wherever I went I was asked how many words I could type.”

She eventually became a radio correspondent for CBS before joining NPR in 1978. (Sources give both 1977 and 1978 as her start year at NPR.) With her fellow newswomen Nina Totenberg and Linda Wertheimer, she began to change the journalistic landscape.

“As a troika they have succeeded in revolutionizing political reporting,” The Times wrote in that 1994 article. “Twenty years ago Washington journalism was pretty much a male game, like football and foreign policy. But along came demure Linda, delicately crashing onto the presidential campaign press bus; then entered bulldozer Nina, with major scoops on Douglas Ginsburg and Anita Hill; and in came tart-tongued Cokie with her savvy Congressional reporting. A new kind of female punditry was born.”

Ms. Roberts wrote a syndicated political column with her husband for many years. They lived in Europe for a time in the 1970s, and over the years she covered international stories, but Washington was her main turf. She covered Congress at a time when her mother was an increasingly important member of it, though that proved to be not as big a benefit to her professionally as it might have seemed, Ms Roberts said.

“She would never tell me anything,” she said in the oral history. “She was disgustingly discreet.”

Ms. Boggs died in 2013.

Ms. Roberts continued to provide segments for NPR even after joining ABC. The difference between the two, she said, was partly a matter of airtime.

“My average piece from the Hill for NPR would be four and a half minutes,” she said, “and my average piece for ABC would be a minute 15.”

At NPR, one of her regular segments was “Ask Cokie,” in which she used her vast knowledge of Washington, politics and history to answer listeners’ question on matters major, minor and obscure. One asked whether nuclear weapons could be launched by executive order only, absent Congressional authorization. One wanted to know where the phrase “lame duck session” came from.

In a recent installment pegged to the 100th anniversary of the House vote to approve the 19th Amendment, Steve Inskeep, the host, found himself interrupted by Ms. Roberts when he used the phrase “granting women the right to vote” to introduce the segment.

“No, no, no, no, no granting — no granting,” Ms. Roberts said in her characteristically emphatic style. “We had the right to vote as American citizens. We didn’t have to be granted it by some bunch of guys.”

She is survived by her husband; her two children, Lee and Rebecca Roberts; and six grandchildren.

Ms. Roberts received numerous honors, including sharing in several Emmy Awards. In 2008, the Library of Congress named her as a recipient of one of its “Living Legends” awards.

Ms. Roberts long had a front-row seat to history. In a 2017 interview with Kentucky Educational Television, she recalled a moment when she had to remind herself not to become jaded by that proximity. It was March 2013, and she was waiting in a cold rain for the Vatican smoke signal that would soon announce the selection of Pope Francis.

“Hundreds of thousands of people are pouring into St. Peter’s Square with the rain deluging them,” she said. “And my first reaction was: ‘Who are these people? What are they doing? That is crazy.’ And then I thought, ‘You jerk,’ to myself. ‘You are really not getting it. This is a moment in history that will be maybe the only time in all of these people’s lives that they have this front seat to history, and you’re so privileged you get it all the time.’”

But, she also reflected, big-stage moments give journalists only one part of the larger picture of their times.

“The individual interview with someone who is a mom in a shopping mall,” she said, “can tell you more about what’s going on in the world and how people feel about it than any of those grand things.”

Peter Baker contributed reporting from aboard Air Force One.

Correction: Sept. 17, 2019

An earlier version of a digital summary with this obituary misstated the sequence of Ms. Roberts's career. As the obituary correctly states, she was at NPR before she was at ABC, not after.

Phroyd

[nowitsdarkfic]

chapter ten (joe the drummer)

“Coin operated boy, He may not be real, experienced with girls but I know he feels like a boy should feel Isn’t that the point? That is why i want a Coin operated boy, With his pretty coin operated voice saying that he loves me, that he's thinking of me Straight and to the point, that is why I want A coin operated boy.” -“Coin Operated Boy”, The Dresden Dolls

November 28, 1988. Boston, Massachusetts.

So I had left Oswego at about ten this morning because I didn't know if or when Matt and Dominique were going to be in Boston today, but I have this hydrogen car that Maya left behind and I have nothing more to do than to take it for myself. I had the copy of Ultramega OK in the disc player for the first stint of the trip: as I drove through Syracuse, their cover of “Smokestack Lightning” came on, and I couldn't help but think of Ellen and seeing Brick in the hospital. It felt like a sign, seeing the chimneys in the outskirts with their rising smoke against the bitter upstate cold.

I've done this drive before by myself and with my parents and my grandparents, but this time it was interesting because not one time did I have to stop to refuel because of the hydrogen. There was that one time Maya stopped on the way back up, but that was it. The whole thing throws me because I always think it's going to run low at some point and it never does. To be honest, I'm surprised this car doesn't have an autopilot option because sometime around Albany, I wanted to put my feet up on the dashboard next to me and relax for a moment before I resumed onward to Springfield and then eventually to Boston. I played Ultramega again once I entered Massachusetts, where more and more the brick and mortar began to rise up from the cold earth and the outskirts of the City.

She said they're going to be near the women's college, and the only one I can think of offhand, just from my doing gigs over here with Anthrax and a couple of my past cover bands, is to the north of the heart of the city itself.

I take the next exit leading me over to Wellesley, and this is the part of town that, along with New York City, makes me wonder if Maxwell Industries in Seattle is serious about their wanting to move out this way. Over the edge of the freeway, I can make out the small cobblestones comprising the streets down below: every other building is made of stone and brick, and has a chimney bleeding out plumes of pure white steam. The sky is pure white with the sun reflecting on the steam, and so I'm driving about with my mirrors on and my scarf around my neck like I'm a pilot. I even have the black gloves and the black boots.

Everything is made of brick and mortar and cold metal: not a lick of bright blue neon to be found. There's a row of shiny silver entities floating in the air over my head, but they're too small to be considered airships. At least I think so anyways. They seem to drift onward over me and across the freeway to the other side within a mile of my next exit. Something about them is unnerving, like what are they?

I'm soon winding my way through the tightly woven web of spirals that is Wellesley and I indeed recognize the school up the street and past the four roundabouts.

Oh boy, this is going to be fun!

Trying not to wreck the car, seeing as this isn't even mine and I just don't want to wreck the damn thing, I begin to weave my way through the roundabouts like it's a snake. I really am like a pilot now because I'm having to keep this thing in control. The hydrogen hum is totally silent but the tires are yelling at me over the cobblestones.

Surprised there are no passersby on the sidewalks. It's the middle of the day following Thanksgiving: usually I would expect the whole area would be filled to the brim with hustle and bustle like Syracuse or Albany—Oswego had more happening when I left this morning. But no: there's no one here.

I weave one last time around the fourth and final roundabout and I catch the view of the stationary shop in question: this little pale brick building with a bright pink and white striped awning over the gilded glass. I know that's what it is because I recognize Dominique and her heavy black overcoat and purple tinted glasses standing next to Matt and another woman.

I don't realize where I'm going and I almost drive right into the narrow alleyway running adjacent to the place.

I slam on the brakes. I turn the wheel around so as to avoid hitting anything.

And the car drifts up to the curb.

I stop right there right before them, and Matt pushing the two women back away from the edge of the sidewalk so as to miss me. He then recognizes me with a nod.

“Oh, hey! It's Joey!” I hear Dominique declare through the windshield.

I switch the thing off and stumble out of the car to meet up with them. The steam in the air makes everything feel cold and the whole place smells sweet, like cooking molasses. I toss back my black curls and adjust the shades before meeting up with them.

“Quite the entrance if I might say so myself,” Matt remarks with a big beaming grin underneath his big smokey sunglasses.

“Joey, this is my mentor Angeline Belotti from the New York Times,” Dominique introduces me to the blonde lady in a lush dark red velvet dress with a low plunging neckline and a big matching handbag in her left hand. She's got on these little cream colored leather gloves protecting her hands from the bitter cold around us.

“Joey Belladonna, right?” she asks me in that strong Queens accent that makes me think of Anthrax.

“Yes'm.”

“I thought I recognized you. That little upstate indigenous boy that Anthrax fired for—reasons I haven't been able to find out.”

I shrug at that. Yeah, me, too, and the thousands of other fans who are left wondering.

“Anyways, I'm glad you could make it, Joey,” she continues, “Matt and Dominique were just telling me about a young lady named Maya Sorensen whom you found last month in a gutter.”

“Yeah, I was just walking and I saw her laying there on the sidewalk all disoriented and helpless.”

“He was just being a good guy, y'know?” Dominique fills in for me.

“Well, of course. But what I don't understand is why didn't you take her to the authorities and earn credit that way?”

I flash back on what she said in After the Watershed: her fear of being discovered by someone who wanted to hurt her. Come to think of it, that's actually quite the bullet I dodged myself, too.

“She told me not to,” I reply to her.

“She told you not to?” Angeline repeats it.

“See, I thought there was more to this,” Dominique says, her eyes lighting up behind the purple lenses. “I thought you and I would be in for hell of a scoop, Angeline.”

“Well, anyways, she and I were going to do some writing practice here in this shop next to us,” Angeline explains to me, “and we were hoping you'd show up because Matt's got nothing better to do at the moment.”

“Yeah, today's my birthday,” he says out of the blue. “I'm twenty six.”

“Oh, really? Happy birthday, man.”

“There's a pub right back here if you guys want a bite to eat,” Angeline gestures behind me to the sidewalk running around the corner of the shop.

“Yeah, we're gonna be in here a while,” Dominique adds.

“I haven't eaten since I left Oswego,” I confess.

“All the better,” Matt assures me. “C'mon, man—”

He leads me away from there and we turn the corner to the narrow alleyway I almost plowed into. This little passage way smells more of molasses even with the piles of rusty wires and the shiny silver air conditioners resting upon the ground.

“Dom and I got one of these,” he starts, gesturing to the air conditioner closest to the other end of the alley.

“These exact ones?” I ask him as the bright white glare of the sun shines over his blond hair like it's a vein of pure gold.

“Exact one. For some reason, the cybernetic ones Maxwell Industries makes don't work as well as they should. Here we are—”

He holds the door for me and I step into the cozy, intimately lit pub of dark wood and wire framed lamps first. The place smells of French fries and honey. Once I take off my sunglasses, I catch a glimpse of a little plaque on the wall next to us.

“'Open mic night,'” I read aloud.

“Huh?” He takes off his sunglasses once the door closes behind him.

“It's open mic night.” I grin at him as I lead him into the main room of the pub.

“Oh, no, you aren't suggesting—”

“I am, and—hey! Check it out! There's a full on drum kit in here!”

“Oh, man.”

“Come on, dude. I'm out on the job and I'm pretty much a trash digger at this point. Sometimes a guy's gotta drum his heart out, y'know?” And then he bursts out laughing.

“I hear that!”

We take a seat at the big heavy dark polished wooden bar dotted by single beeswax candles held up by fancy iron catches. He asks for a glass of stout, and I for a glass of straight up root beer. Too much bad karma with sarsaparilla now. He takes a sip from his glass when I sit back in the stool with my legs crossed. A few more people enter the place behind us, followed by an elderly couple.

“Been meaning to ask you this, too,” he starts, “—what do you think of our album?”

“Ultramega?”

“Yeah.”

“It's all so—grungely,” I tell him, and he bursts out laughing at that. “Grungely and totally badass.” He picks up his glass again for another swig of stout and then takes a look over at me with a lick of his lips. I raise a glass to him and we clink them together at the edges. He asks for a refill when I ask for some battered cod and a little dish of tartar sauce.

The candles seem brighter than they were when we came in. More and more people are coming in behind us, and soon the pub is bustling with people.

I turn my head to the window on the other side of the room, at the growing shadows casting across the floor and the drum kit with the waning light. A girl with a guitar steps up onto the stage.

“Any volunteers to play rhythm section with me?” she asks into the microphone over the drum kit. I turn to Matt as he's downing the rest of his stout.

“That drum kit over there's freed up,” I point out to him.

“I dunno if I can play, though,” he admits. “I can be—kinda unsure of myself when—hic, 'scuse me—I've taken down a couple of drinks.”

I think back to the first time I played Ultramega OK on my player, and the other times I played it, including this morning.

“You know, I really like you guys' cover of 'Smokestack Lightning',” I tell him.

He swallows, but doesn't reply. I glance up at the drum kit once again. All the times I played in cover bands are returning to me.

Oh. Oh, okay. I'm gonna be Phil Collins now. I take one final sip of the root beer and wolf down the last bite of fish before striding on over to her to join her.

She welcomes me by telling me she's not the best singer. I concede as I take a seat on the stool behind the snare and the bass. It's a small kit, one that I'm definitely used to. I tell her what song I want to play and her face lights up; and then there's that microphone next to my head.

“Hi, my name's Joe Belladonna. I'm the singer as well as the drummer for tonight. Just call me Joe the drummer.”

I'm a little rusty, especially since Matt's got such an interesting way of playing but I do know it. I'm also doing the duty of singing like Chris.

Nancy says I'm like Chris. Well, tonight I'm gonna be Chris as well as Matt, playing this old blues song in a dark steamy town that smells of molasses.

There's just one difference: my screams don't go as nearly high as Chris, and I'm a tenor.

[awsomebloggersblog]

Job Opening For Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) Opportunities Available Across Mass General Brigham Intuitive Health Services Job title: Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) Opportunities Available Across Mass General Brigham Job description: About Our SystemAs a not-for-profit organization, Mass General Brigham is committed to supporting patient care, research, teaching, and service to the community by leading innovation across our system. Founded by Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital, Mass General Brigham supports a complete continuum of care including community and specialty hospitals, a managed care organization, a physician network, community health centers, home care and other health-related entities. Several of our hospitals are teaching affiliates of Harvard Medical School, and our system is a national leader in biomedical research.We’re focused on a people-first culture for our system’s patients and our professional family. That’s why we provide our employees with more ways to achieve their potential. Mass General Brigham is committed to aligning our employees’ personal aspirations with projects that match their capabilities and creating a culture that empowers our managers to become trusted mentors. We support each member of our team to own their personal development—and we recognize success at every step.Our employees use the Mass General Brigham values to govern decisions, actions and behaviors. These values guide how we get our work done: Patients, Affordability, Accountability & Service Commitment, Decisiveness, Innovation & Thoughtful Risk; and how we treat each other: Diversity & Inclusion, Integrity & Respect, Learning, Continuous Improvement & Personal Growth, Teamwork & Collaboration.Our OpportunitiesThe goal? Source top talent first and foremost and then find the right placement for long term success (based on skills/competencies, as well as candidate goals).No matter where you live or what your preferences are, we have a CRNA job to match your needs! Schedule options include full-time, part-time, and per diem! Available shifts include day, evening, night, and rotating. Locations stretch across Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Care environments for CRNAs include: Academic Medical Centers: Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women’s Hospital Community Hospitals: Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital, Cooley Dickinson Hospital, Martha’s Vineyard Hospital, Nantucket Cottage Hospital, Newton-Wellesley Hospital, Salem Hospital, Wentworth-Douglass Hospital Specialty Hospitals: Mass Eye and Ear Community-Based Ambulatory Surgical Centers: Danvers, Waltham, Salem NH Resource Pools: Floating across multiple locations/care environments Benefits Medical/dental/vision coverage A robust retirement program Paid time off/parental leave Tuition assistance And other perks! We're also offering a generous $40,000.00 sign-on bonus for full-time hires. Recognizing and valuing exceptional talent, we're eager to discuss the exciting details of this bonus during our interview process.Take the first step towards an enriching career by applying today! Upcoming opportunities to explore include: Virtual Hiring Event (8/28) In-Person Hiring Event (9/26) Want to learn more but not ready to submit a formal application? Please contact Katherine Melanson, Talent Acquisition Manager (kemelanson@mgb.org).QualificationsQualificationsWhether you are a seasoned professional or a recent graduate, there's a place for you in our system!Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) are licensed, registered, advanced practice nurses who have completed a post graduate certificate, a master's, or doctorate degree in anesthesia. Nurse anesthetists must become certified by successfully completing a national qualifying examination in the specialty of anesthesia.

To maintain their license to practice anesthesia, CRNAs must be recertified biannually by attending 40 contact hours of continuing education programs. CRNAs must have current ACLS (required) and PALS (recommended) certifications and continue to maintain these certifications. Apply for the job Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) Opportunities Available Across Mass General Brigham https://intuitivehealthservices.com/register

[kapwacollective]

Kapwa Collective and PACHA Arts co-present WAYS of WEAVING a zero-waste weaving playshop with special guests, Maria Montejo & Cynthia Alberto Date: Friday, April 5, 2019 Time: 6-9 pm Location: 519 Church Street Community Centre, Toronto Suggested donation: $40 (All materials provided) *Proceeds go toward supporting the 4th International Babaylan Conference (www.centerforbabaylanstudies.org) >><< Access: The closest accessible subway station is WELLESLEY. The 519 is a fully accessible building with gender inclusive washrooms. 2SLGBTIQ* Positive space. >><< ***To register, please send an email with your name and send e-transfer to: kapwacollective@gmail.com >><< Playshop Description: Maria Montejo and Kapwa Collective will share stories of Mayan weaving and indigenous weaving practices of the Philippines. Guest artist, Cynthia Alberto (Weaving Hand, NYC) will introduce the concept of zero-waste weaving. She will demonstrate basic weaving techniques, share woven tapestries, and teach us how sustainable weaving practices can benefit the environment. Participants will receive a wooden frame and learn how to make their own looms, then we will weave together! All materials are provided but participants are encouraged to bring recyclable and fabric-based items (i.e. plastic or paper bags, used clothing, etc.) to weave into their projects. Everyone can take their looms home! >><<  Bios: 

Maria Montejo (Deer clan) is a member of the Jakaltec/Popti (Mayan) community of Indigenous people. In addition to her formal schooling, Maria has been mentored from a young age by various Elders, Medicine people and Traditional Teachers on Turtle Island and from Central and South America. Cynthia Alberto is an artist, designer, and founder of the Brooklyn-based healing arts studio Weaving Hand, Cynthia Alberto seeks to bridge traditional and contemporary weaving techniques, drawing inspiration from ancient communities of Europe, Asia, Latin America, and Africa. Her artwork, performances, and public weaving projects honour traditional and artisanal techniques while also incorporating unconventional materials and a zero-waste philosophy. Throughout her artwork and teaching, Alberto continuously explores the many intersections between weaving and healing, as well as craft and sustainability. Kapwa Collective is a mutual support group of Filipino-Canadian artists, critical thinkers, and healers who work towards bridging narratives between the Indigenous and the Diasporic, and the Filipino and the Canadian. We are co-presenting the 4th International Babaylan Conference on September 20-22, 2019. www.centerforbabaylanstudies.org PACHA Indigenous Arts Collection is a family run business. Pacha (meaning "earth" in Kichwa) aims to showcase the best of indigenous arts and crafts. https://www.pachaarts.com 

[wellesleyunderground]

The Double Standard in the Wellesley CS Department: An open essay from former students of the Department

The following was submitted to us by former students in Wellesley’s Computer Science Department: 

The Wellesley Computer Science (CS) Department prides itself on preparing its students to take on both the technical and social challenges they will face in their professional futures. Questions of gender discrimination in the greater CS community are frequently discussed* with the Department’s active support evident, for example, in its funding for students’ attendance at the Grace Hopper Celebration, the conference known for being the “world’s largest gathering of women technologists”. However, the treatment of the Department’s junior faculty and lab instructors (non-tenure track positions) confers a contradictory message. 

This disparity is highlighted by the recent reappointment denial to Prof. Ada Lerner; the decision has surprised the student community given Ada’s status as a beloved professor, known for both their focus on teaching and inclusivity in the department, and their contributions to the field of computing more broadly.  We, a group of former students of the Department, question the rationale behind Ada’s dismissal and what it indicates about the treatment of junior, or pre-tenure, professors in the department.

(*We later discuss the fact that other forms of discrimination are not consistently discussed by the department, but we do note that gender discrimination in particular is frequently mentioned, owing in particular to Wellesley's status as a historically women's college.)

 A champion of all students

Prof. Ada Lerner joined the Wellesley CS faculty in 2017, immediately upon their graduation from the UW Allen School of Computer Science doctoral program, after receiving numerous tenure-track offers. Ada quickly became a favorite of students for their remarkable teaching skills, instructing students at a variety of levels, including Introduction to Computing, Data Structures, and an advanced seminar on Security & Privacy–their research area. Students frequently commend their flexible late policy, which carefully balances student mental and physical wellbeing with course content and academic achievement. A variation of Ada’s policy was implemented near universally by the Department at large.

Ada’s belief in and support for their students is further exemplified by their content delivery and expectations of students. One former student summed up their seminar course as “by far the most challenging elective I took as a computer science major, and while in any other context that might’ve been an incredibly stressful experience, Ada worked with me to make sure I could finish all the work. She by no means went easy on me, but she did give me the support I needed to finish the work.”

 “She definitely doesn’t let you off easy,” adds another student, “but she gives you the support so when it gets hard, you know you can ask questions without judgment. The material would go over my head in class and then Ada would explain it fifteen different ways until I felt comfortable.”

Ada’s research area reflects the same care and concern for the experience of marginalized populations. Their research was featured in Wellesley Magazine in Summer 2019, with the article “Online Safety for All” highlighting their focus on inclusive security and privacy, describing the field as “a subfield of security that focuses on specific populations, including marginalized or vulnerable groups like refugees or LGBTQ people, as well as groups with key roles in society, such as lawyers or journalists.” Their work recently garnered a prestigious $175,000 grant for “Understanding and Addressing the Security and Privacy Needs of At-Risk Populations” from the National Science Foundation and has been published in highly selective computing conferences, including the 2020 ACM CHI conference (24.3% acceptance rate). As former students, we note that her lab is impressively staffed with students from various grade levels who often serve as co-authors on lab publications and are actively involved in a variety of projects. A student who has worked with Ada as a research assistant jokes that they feel “almost spoiled” for having had the chance to work with a research mentor who is so considerate of student experience and learning.

Outside the classroom, Ada is an outspoken advocate for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in the Department. “Ada shows up,” one alum states. “They not only consistently attend events where students voice their concerns and celebrate their identities, they intentionally look for ways to uplift and empower marginalized student voices, asking all the right questions and putting in whatever work is necessary to aim for equity in all aspects of college life.” Ada helped lead a self-study that publicly disclosed the experiences of different student populations in the Department, with a particular focus on the roles of race, ethnicity, LGBTQIA+ identity and class, as well as the experiences of students with learning accommodations. While the results were conclusive that the CS Department, like many others on campus, had a lot of work to do, DEI efforts seemed to stall at the study’s conclusion.

Students were confused that the Department failed to implement student-facing changes the study suggested; some students noted the repeated absences of some professors and observed that some senior faculty members didn’t seem to buy in to the topic. We cannot help but wonder if some professors hostile to the DEI push led by Ada did not support her reappointment as a result of their feelings about the self-study.

All of the above leaves us puzzled by the College’s decision to terminate Ada’s tenure-track contract, making this their last year at Wellesley. The Committee on Faculty Appointments (CFA), which decides matters of faculty appointment, promotion, and reappointments on behalf of the College, handed down the decision leaving us both surprised and concerned about the integrity of the reappointment process and the potential factors affecting the decision. We note that the CFA states they make decisions based both on the recommendation of the candidate’s home department, as well as their own evaluation of a candidate’s quality of teaching, research, and service to the College. Given the information we’ve shared, we question why the College chose not to reappoint an assistant professor who is clearly beloved by students for her teaching, mentorship, support, and inclusivity.

To that end, we remind students that are bothered by the decision made regarding Ada's reappointment they can voice their concerns to the Committee on Faculty Appointments, who are ultimately responsible for reconsidering the decision. Information on that process:

You  can send emails concerning your impressions of Professor Lerner to the address: cfa@wellesley.edu.  If you want to send physical letters, they should be addressed to:

___________________________________________________________

Provost/Dean of the College

Chair of the Committee on Faculty Appointments

106 Central St

Wellesley, MA 02481

___________________________________________________________

According  to college policy, your letter will be shared with Professor Lerner and the  chair of the Computer Science department (Professor Takis Metaxas), as well  as all members of the Committee for Faculty Appointments. You may indicate in  your email whether you would like for your letter to be shared anonymously  with identifying wording removed, or with your name attached. Letters may be  submitted electronically as an email, or as an email attachment.

If  you have any further questions about this process, you can contact Jennifer Ellis, Clerk of the Committee on Faculty Appointments (jellis5@wellesley.edu).

Reflecting on departmental culture

We reflect on this decision in the context of the Department’s junior faculty at large; specifically, we are concerned by trends that we have witnessed as students in the Department interacting directly with junior faculty. We are frustrated with the way some of the more senior members of the department have handled the hiring and retention of faculty in general.

Junior faculty are held to extremely high standards that we believe the people imposing those standards wouldn’t necessarily have met at the same point in thei careers. Junior faculty are also much more likely to be approached by students, both because they teach many of the introductory classes that students will have taken by the time they must choose an advisor, and because their demographics are often more similar to those of the student population. While the formal advisor process has been restructured to take some of the load off the junior faculty, many are still approached for informal advice and guidance in a way their senior peers are not; it is also unclear if current tenure-track professors will have their research expectations reduced as a result of the excessive amount of advising they were previously providing. We also note that a particular source of emotional support for students – lab instructors – are mostly women and untenured, meaning that they do not have the job security that their peers do, and are not necessarily compensated for their mentorship in the same way.

We call on the senior faculty to make themselves more approachable to students, so that the load does not fall on junior faculty, who are also facing the pressures of research and teaching evaluations. There are existing models for this, including many adopted by Wellesley's own Math department, who host informal teas to build community and encourage interaction between senior faculty and students in various ways. We also note that along with Ada, Prof. Sohie Lee is a champion of D&I initiatives and has worked to implement new tutor training, yet she is one of the few faculty members of color and is technically a lab instructor, despite holding a PhD, This again reflects an onus of emotional and cultural labor on already overburdened pre-tenure and non-tenure track faculty.

 It is unclear to us why the Department is both unable to hire many faculty of color, and unable to retain the faculty of color that they do hire. We question whether the environment of the Department is perceived as hostile, and, if so, what can be done to change that. We theorize that, in part, the Department's hiring practices may be exclusionary, as the majority of candidates come from a small pool of highly selective CS programs, which are already known to have a host of systemic problems that make them unwelcoming environments to both people of color and those who are not cisgender men.

Moving forward

This letter has two main goals. First, we hope to make the Wellesley community aware of the double standard in the CS department, and especially encourage the upper levels of administration to investigate the treatment of junior faculty in the department. Second, we hope to encourage members of the department to reflect critically on the treatment of their peers and engage in self-reflection with regards to departmental culture. Ultimately, we believe that it is in large part these systemic problems in the department that contributed to Ada's reappointment denial, rather than official, concrete factors such as teaching, research, and service to the CS department and College at large.

We call on those involved to truly reflect on the concerns raised here and via other fora, and to commit to measurable improvement; in short, to do better, both for current students and faculty and for those to come.

[spine-buster]

Hockey Masterlist

                                                         *     *     *     *     *

If you want to read the Masterlist in order, upon which the entire canon is built:

Alone, Together

The Storm Before the Calm

The President Wears Prada

The Space Series

Peaceful Easy Feeling

Patience is a Virtue

Structures

Meant Just for You

That Which We Are, We Are

To Sail Beyond the Sunset

Lost in the Memory

                                                         *     *     *     *     *

Brock Boeser

Extraordinary circumstances bring two extraordinary people together.

CONTENT WARNING: parents with disease/sickness (Parkinson’s); swearing; sex; alcohol use; lots of emotions.

Told as a sort of 4+1 series.

AO3 LINK TO PEACEFUL EASY FEELING

Peaceful Easy Feeling Series Playlist                      Grace Face Claim

Grace’s fashion

part one

part two

part three

part four

part five

Check out the Brock and Grace Canon tag for more insight into the characters and their relationship, especially the things you might not get to see in chapters.

Elias Pettersson

AO3 LINK TO THE SPACE SERIES

The Space Series Playlist          Svea Face Claim

Svea’s Fashion

Made of Outer Space     ~14.8k

Brock Boeser invites Elias Pettersson and his childhood best friend, Svea Nilsson, to his place on Prior Lake for the weekend.  Petey is feeling some feelings.  So is Svea.  And in a big group of twenty-somethings at a cottage on a summer weekend, what could go wrong?

Lips Like the Galaxy’s Edge     ~14.3k

Every new relationship has its growing pains, its ups and downs.  But Svea and Elias are back in Sweden, where everything is perfect.  And besides, they were best friends before they started their relationship.  So are the growing pains the same?

The Colour of a Constellation     ~15k

Life comes at you in moments.  Elias and Svea are on solid ground now.  Back in Vancouver after an idyllic time in Sweden, they are faced with personal decisions that will affect their future together – both on separate and different paths professionally, though personally their connection is stronger than ever.  Many things are up in the air, but one thing that Svea and Elias know for sure is that they will always be together.  So how hard could those decisions be?

Catching the Light     ~13k

Eleven years into the future, Elias and Svea embark on their next adventure.  They have tackled everything together in life thus far with the other by their side.  Now, it’s time to add someone new.

Check out the Elias and Svea Canon tag for more insight into the characters and their relationship, especially the things you might not get to see in chapters.

Frederik Andersen

“There are some things you learn best in calm, and some in storm.” --Willa Cather

When Frederik Andersen finds a girl alone and crying in the middle of a Shoppers Drug Mart at 2am, her tear-stained face haunts him.  It’s all he can think about in the weeks following.  Who was she and why was she crying?

AO3 LINK TO THE STORM BEFORE THE CALM

The Storm Before the Calm Playlist          INSPIRATION BOARD FOR ALEIDA

Aleida’s Fashion

prologue

one

two

three

four

five

six

seven

eight

epilogue

drabble: game seven, 2021

Check out the Fred and Aleida Canon tag for more insight into the characters and their relationship, especially the things you might not get to see in chapters.

Jacob Markstrom

Jacob Markstrom is a star.  Always has been.  Wonderful brother.  Doting uncle.  Loving son and middle child.  Successful goaltender for a slew of Swedish, American, and Canadian teams.  Caring friend and thoughtful mentor.  Sees a girl in a Tudor bonnet and graduation robes at the Turf Tavern in Oxford one night, and his structures are built.

Geneviève Monette is a star.  Always has been.  Top of her class.  Wellesley College valedictorian profiled in national publications.  PhD at Oxford University.  Essayist.  Humourist.  Cultural critic.  Satirist.  Public speaker.  The new Franny Lebowitz.  The Joan Didion of the new generation.  Sees a guy in a Swedish football jersey with his buddies at the Turf Tavern in Oxford one night, and her structures begin to fall.

 Structures Playlist                                             Genevieve Face Claim

Prologue

Act 1, Scene 1

Act 1, Scene 2

Act 1, Scene 3

Act 2, Scene 1

Act 2, Scene 2

Act 2, Scene 3

Act 2, Scene 4

Act 3, Scene 1

Act 3, Scene 2

Act 3, Scene 3

Epilogue

Check out the Jacob and Geneviève Canon tag for more insight into the characters and their relationship, especially the things you might not get to see in chapters.

Matthew Tkachuk

                        Give me these years again and I will                         spend them wisely.                         Done with the compass; done, now, with the chart.                         The ferry at the dock, lit                         stern to prow,                         the next life like a footfall in my heart.

                        – excerpt from “The Night Ferry”, a poem by John Burnside

When someone asks you to think of the world, what do you think of?  Your own world – small, insular, personal, intimate?  Or the wider world – complicated, nuanced, complex?  Is it beautiful, or is it dark?  Can you see the beauty, or do you only hold on to the headaches?

She is new to the world.  Quite literally.  And she needs to learn about it.

Does Matthew Tkachuk have the patience to teach her?

CW: this story deals with cults, polygamous cults, escaping cults, strict adherence to religion, gender roles, abuse, miscarriage, and a character with a traumatic past.  Please be warned.

AO3 LINK TO PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE

Patience is a Virtue Playlist           Effie’s Face Claim           Effie’s Fashion

Part One: Courage (12,744 words)

Courage is the virtue of having the strength to make difficult moral choices.    The virtue of courage enables one to conquer fear, even fear of death, and allows a person to still do the right thing despite the fear.

Part Two: Justice (14,635 words)

Justice is the virtue that consists of respecting the rights of each person and establishes, in human relationships, the harmony that promotes equity with regard to persons and the common good.  A just person determines what people deserve and never tries to deny it.  

Part Three: Temperance (15,503 words)

Temperance is the virtue that moderates the attraction of pleasures, and provides balance in the use of created goods.  It is finding a balance in life.  It ensures a person’s mastery over instincts and keeps desires within the limits of what is honourable.

Part Four: Hope (14,585 words)

Hope is the virtue by which you open yourself up to the promise of joy from God.  It is placing our trust in Christ’s promises and relying not on our own strength, but on the help of the grace of the Holy Spirit that you will enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

Part Five: Charity * (20,294 words)

Charity is the greatest of the theological virtues.  It defines charity as means participating in tangible acts of loving-kindness toward all others (friend or enemy) in unconditional and self-sacrificial ways.  Love (charity) may need to suffer or face things it does not prefer, but it does rejoice in the truth to the benefit of others.  Charity, the form of all the virtues, "binds everything together in perfect harmony" (Col 3:14)

Part Six: Prudence * (15,839 words)

Prudence is the virtue of being able to choose the right course of action in every situation.  It disposes practical reason to discern our true good in every circumstance and to choose the right means of achieving it.  A prudent person does not make rash decisions.  A prudent person overcomes doubts about the good to achieve and the evil to avoid.  

Part Seven: Faith * (10,120 words)

Faith is the virtue by which we believe in God and believe all that He has said and revealed to us.  It is the belief and trust that God holds our best interests.

Epilogue: Patience (2899 words)

Patience is the ability to wait, or to continue doing something despite difficulties.  Patience is actually not a virtue!

Check out the Matthew and Effie Canon for more insight into the characters and their relationship, especially the things you might not get to see in chapters.

Morgan Rielly

“I like my own space,” Rielly says.  “My mom always commented on that, the way I liked to -- not necessarily be alone, but -- more or less, be alone.”  -- The Athletic, January 2019.

Bee McTavish and Morgan Rielly are thrust together after a waiter notices they are reading the same book in a Toronto restaurant.  Bee might be the only person in Toronto who doesn’t watch hockey, and Morgan might be the only person to actually appreciate that.

AO3 LINK TO ALONE, TOGETHER           The Alone, Together Playlist 

Bee’s Fashion

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4            one-shot: morgan and bee’s first time

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9          *

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14          *don’t read if you’re a prude

Chapter 15

                             one shot: morgan and bee babysitting henry gardiner

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18           one shot: what happened after they said ‘i love you’

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21          *

Chapter 22

Chapter 23          *         

Chapter 24

Chapter 25            one shot: fred rips morgan a new asshole at dinner

                              one shot: the morning after their huge fight

Chapter 26

                              one shot: morgan and bee have a conversation about money

                              morgan buys bee spring by ali smith

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31          *

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35          *

Chapter 36          *

Chapter 37

                             briony’s first new instagram post

                             the fallout.

Chapter 38          *

Chapter 39

Chapter 40          *

                              one shot: aryne finds bee playing with baby jace

                              one shot: bee and tyler’s phone call when he gets traded to edmonton

                              morgan celebrates his 26th birthday

                              drabble: game seven, 2021

          Epilogue 1: Never Be Alone

          Epilogue 2: My End and My Beginning    

                              one shot: morgan asking rocco for bee’s hand in marriage

          Epilogue 3: My Eyes

          Epilogue 4: The Sweetest Eyes I’ve Ever Seen

          Epilogue 5: Together

THE CONTRACT: Morgan signs an 8-year extension with the Leafs

Bee and Morgan’s Houses in Visuals

Bee and Morgan’s Wedding in Visuals

You can also check out the Morgan and Briony Canon tag for more insight into their relationship, especially the stuff you might not see in the chapters.

Nathan MacKinnon

Nathan MacKinnon and Sorcha Saint-Coeur grew up on the same street, and they went to the same schools, and they knew the same people, but they were not the same type of person. Nate’s friends made that clear every single day, and Nate didn’t exactly do much to stop them.

But life is never always just high school. People grow up and evolve, and they move on to bigger and better things. Nate definitely did, and so did Sorcha. It’s only when the past shows up again unexpectedly that memories from high school come back to haunt you.

And boy, does Nate show up unexpectedly.

ON HAITUS

AO3 LINK TO THAT WHICH WE ARE, WE ARE

That Which We Are, We Are Playlist

Sorcha’s Face Claim                                             Sorcha’s Fashion

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

ON HAITUS

You can also check out the Nathan and Sorcha Canon tag for more insight into their relationship, especially the stuff you might not see in the chapters.

Rasmus Sandin

Lusine Forrester lived a very sheltered life growing up, and the allure of the city always drew her to want bigger and better things than what she was given. But being sheltered comes with naïveté, inexperience, and innocence – things that are dangerous if one doesn’t smarten up. So, against the wishes of her family, she applied to university; when she got in, there were no second thoughts. She packed her suitcase and took the chance, moving into the dorms at the University of Toronto without looking back.

Rasmus Sandin, self-confessed maker of “weird decisions”, decides to help Lusine out of a horrible date in a coffee shop. What happens next is a whirlwind for both of them. Life in Toronto is very different than what Lusine is used to, and Rasmus is very different than the people she’s used to, but she grows to learn that – in this case – different is good.

Meant Just for You Playlist                                             Lusine Face Claim

the meet-cute.

the coffee date.

mutual pining, pt. 1

the third date.

the secret’s out.

the crossover.

the hurt/comfort, pt. 1

the female bonding.

mutual pining, pt. 2 *

the injury.

the first time. *

the watching her and falling in love.

the rescue romance. *

the new year’s eve party. *

mutual pining, pt. 3

the snowed in. *

the birthday party. *

the hurt/comfort, pt. 2

the hurt/comfort, pt. 2; continued.

the porn without plot.

the oh my god there’s only one bed.

the money mystery.

You can also check out the Rasmus and Lusine Canon tag for more insights into the characters and their relationship, especially the stuff you might not see in the chapters.

Ryan O’Reilly

Ryan O’Reilly and Whitney Napier have a secret.

Lost in the Memory Playlist

Whitney Face Claim                                                           Whitney Fashion

Prologue

Volume I

Volume II

Volume III

Volume IV

Sidney Crosby

Sidney Crosby and Juniper Brooks grew up together though they blazed through different paths: he, of course, as a hockey superstar, and she as a competitive ballerina.  Consistently being at the top of their game meant that they were the only ones who really understood each other’s intensity, discipline, and dedication to their craft. 

After thirty years, three Stanley Cups, and thousands of pointe shoes, Sidney and June are still faced with the questions that haunt every person in their thirties: who have they become?  What are they doing?  What are they going to do?  Will they be able to answer these questions with each other, or do things get more complicated as time goes on?

ON HAITUS

AO3 LINK TO TO SAIL BEYOND THE SUNSET

To Sail Beyond the Sunset Playlist

June’s Face Claim                                             June’s Fashion

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

ON HAITUS

Tyler Ennis

The Tyler and Tehilah Canon

Good Things Come...Playlist                                 Tehilah Face Claim

William Nylander

[ a modern re-telling of the 2006 movie “The Devil Wears Prada” ]

Aberdeen Bloom, a recent graduate from the University of Toronto, moves to downtown Toronto and somehow lands the job – executive assistant to Brendan Shanahan, president of the Toronto Maple Leafs.  “A million people would kill for your job,” she keeps being told about the man, the team, and the company she knows nothing about.  “It’s the dream job.”

So things shouldn’t get complicated.  Right?

AO3 LINK TO THE PRESIDENT WEARS PRADA

The President Wears Prada Playlist               Character List / Face Claims

Aberdeen’s Fashion

PROLOGUE

ONE

TWO

THREE

FOUR

FIVE

SIX

SEVEN

EIGHT

NINE

TEN

ELEVEN

TWELVE

THIRTEEN

FOURTEEN

FIFTEEN

SIXTEEN *

SEVENTEEN

EIGHTEEN

NINETEEN *

TWENTY

TWENTY-ONE

TWENTY-TWO

TWENTY-THREE *

TWENTY-FOUR

TWENTY-FIVE *

TWENTY-SIX

TWENTY-SEVEN *

TWENTY-EIGHT

TWENTY-NINE *

          the rest of auston and aberdeen’s phone call 

THIRTY

THIRTY-ONE

THIRTY-TWO

THIRTY-THREE *

THIRTY-FOUR

THIRTY-FIVE

          william tries to explain things to jason

EPILOGUE 1: IN AUGUST

EPILOGUE 2: A QUEEN’S CROWN

EPILOGUE 3: A LOVE SO TENDER

drabble: game seven, 2021

You can also check out the William and Aberdeen Canon tag for more insights into the characters and their relationship, especially the stuff you might not see in the chapters.

[hanspoppe]

Shayan fled Pakistan because he feared for his safety as someone from an often-persecuted faith. He was in his early 20s when he arrived in Canada all alone, ready to start a new life. But he faced a challenge he never expected to be as hard—finding work. "I applied for jobs but always got the same response, 'You have potential, but unfortunately … ’" Shayan’s degree in economics from a respected university in Pakistan was overlooked and he didn’t have any Canadian work experience. "I started feeling depressed," he says. “But then I heard about COSTI Immigrant Services and I knew it was my only hope.” . @Costi_org youth mentoring coach, Tejal Solanki, recommended United Way’s netWORKS Program to help Shayan build a better résumé, practice interviews and, most importantly, meet contacts at job fairs and networking events. After attending several workshops and networking—to his delight—landed a position in his field just two months after his first meeting at COSTI. . Today, Shayan works as a contact centre service representative, helping bank clients sort out credit issues. He hopes to apply for a financial analyst position in a couple of years before shooting for his dream job of being an economist at the Bank of Canada. Shayan says he’ll use his new connections to make that dream a reality. "I have learned that any connection can be helpful, and with the right contacts, you’ll find opportunities." #hanspoppeart #iamanewcanadian #artist #painting #portraiture #artist #Illustrator #mississauga #Toronto #freelancedesigner #freelance #acrylicpainting #artoftheday #creative #instaart #instaartist #artwork #inspiration #nonforprofit #color #colour #art #artwork (at Wellesley station) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bw7Q4nLA5BM/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1sjllt3rb495f

[buncompass]

Promise me you'll always remember: you're braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.

Winnie the Pooh, AA Milne

I have always held a deep love for Pooh Bear. I grew up with Disney as my drug of choice, and there was always a special place in my heart for this chubby little bear of very little brain. From a very young age, one of the few things that could calm me down was watching the 1977 Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. Regardless of any tantrum, mood, or meltdown, by the time the Heffalumps and Woozles rolled in, I’d be passed out cold, calm and asleep.

When I was two years old, my favorite cousin gave me Pooh Bear for Christmas. I spent countless hours snuggled up against him, or in his lap, watching the animated show on Disney. Pooh went all around the house with me, and when I mourned the fact that I couldn’t take him outside (he was too big to justify carrying around), my family gifted me with Beanie Baby-sized versions of Pooh and his friends. Pooh Bear stayed in my backpack and came everywhere with me up until I was in sixth grade, when I got my very first locker. He chilled in there instead, and every time I visited my locker, I smiled.

After high school started, my parents decided that my interests were too childish and stored my giant Pooh Bear in the basement, where a basement flood took him away from me. I was devastated, but had to cope. By 14/15, I was determined to be Mature, and therefore pretended that losing a stuffed animal wasn’t causing me as much pain as it actually did. I talked down to myself and dismissed my lifetime comfort item and friend, determined to be the grownup that my family wanted me to be.

College happened, as it does. A lifetime of unchecked mental illness slapped me in the face and I ended up taking a semester off from school. I had repressed my anxiety, depression, autism and the PTSD I had after experiencing an abusive relationship so deep down that it’s taken from then to now to fully sort it all out. On one particularly bad night that sophomore year, when I was lower than I care to admit, I saw that Netflix had added the 1977 Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. No one was home to judge me, and so I changed into comfy clothes, curled up under a blanket, and hit play.

It was like I was two years old all over again. I hummed and sang along with every note, smiling like an idiot in the dark as Pooh fought through his blustery day, got stuck in Rabbit’s front door, and saved Piglet from heavy rain. It was then that I decided that I wanted a Pooh Bear tattoo. Shortly after making the decision, I fell asleep. Right before Heffalumps and Woozles.

My main coping mechanism for the next few years was watching Pooh Bear before bed on bad days. No matter what state I was in, how anxious or depressed or overstimulated, I found peace in the Hundred Acre Wood. When Netflix removed it from their lineup, I found versions online to use instead. The movie now lives forever on my laptop's desktop, a click away when I need it. Amazingly, I haven’t had to watch Pooh Bear in a year or so. Although I was battling some pretty severe lows for a while, I’ve had a much better support system recently than I ever have before. I don’t need to seek comfort from fictional characters anymore, though it’s still nice to. 

Yesterday, for my birthday, I decided to spontaneously go for it. I’ve been talking about the tattoos I have planned for years, but only a few people knew how badly I wanted my Pooh Bear. My 26th birthday felt like the right time to get it. Wellesley and I went to a local shop and I asked if anyone was free for a walk-in appointment. I was both delighted and terrified to find out that someone was. My artist admitted that she was going through a hard time, and something so cute and simple was exactly what she needed to brighten her own day. When I told her it was my first, she became even more excited.

She led us back to her studio and showed me her setup; she seemed to sense that I needed to know everything. She explained everything thoroughly, then permitted Wellesley to rearrange her chairs a bit so that he could hold my hand and stay in my line of vision the whole time. I nervously chattered away about everything that came across my mind as her needle did its work. When I took a breath, she told me that the spot I chose is a soft spot, and that even her best friend and mentor, who is tattooed everywhere, refuses to get his inner arms done. She told me what a champ I was, and insisted she was impressed, especially considering all the anxiety I have about needles and bodies.

After 45 minutes of intense discomfort, I walked out of that tattoo shop with more than my first tattoo, I walked out with a lifetime friend and good luck charm. Pooh Bear is positioned so that he’s always walking forward, but looking back at and extending his paw towards me, ready to lead me onward. He’s always been there for me, and now not even a flood of biblical proportions can take him away from me.