Commentary
Summer is far from New England’s best season – but at least there are farmers markets
If pressed to list the seasons in order of preference, summer would land at the bottom of my list. Fall and winter are nearly tied for first place, and spring isn’t far behind. Maybe if summer was a steady 76 degrees with a breeze, I might reconsider. But those sweltering days really get me down. […]
Jimmy Carter set a high bar for public life after the presidency
We pay a lot of attention to our world leaders while they are in office. From following policies, successes, failures, and speeches, our media and information sources provide much for us to consume. The same cannot be said, however, of our attention to a leader after they have left office. Several of our American presidents […]
How did the US presidential campaign get to be so long?
Four hundred and forty-four days prior to the 2024 presidential election, millions of Americans tuned into the first Republican primary debate. If this seems like a long time to contemplate the candidates, it is. By comparison, Canadian election campaigns average just 50 days. In France, candidates have just two weeks to campaign, while Japanese law […]
We must rebuild our nursing workforce
The chronic and escalating shortage of nurses that the U.S. faces moved me to write an op-ed last year laying out my top reasons why nursing is a career path that young people should consider. In that piece I noted that my employer, FedPoint, was launching a program that awards four $5,000 merit-based scholarships annually […]
Anne Frank, detained immigrants, and a long history of suffering
During the pandemic, our rallies to support imprisoned immigrants took place outside the Strafford County detention center in Dover. Inmates banged on windows to show appreciation for vehicles adorned with the picture of Anne Frank, the face of the Holocaust, who died in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. The message was that innocent detainees were suffering […]
Adventures in aging – and innkeeping
Aging has a solid way of directing our behavior. It gradually takes over our lives. It adjusts our bedtime, and clarifies what’s truly important in the grand scheme of life. It forgives the transgressions of our younger selves, and even sometimes those of others. It extends gratitude more often, and hopefully it embraces the unfamiliar […]
DEI in higher education advances our nation
Dozens of bills aimed at curtailing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs in public colleges and universities have been introduced in more than 20 states. Lawmakers might want to think twice before joining this national trend because, as president of a public university, I see DEI’s many benefits. I won’t wade into the debates on […]
An open letter of thanks to the teachers who built me
Earlier this summer, I packed up my school belongings that found a home in my office as a school principal. Before that, many of these prized possessions lived in various classrooms. As one would expect, among these treasures are crayon drawings, mugs, unintentional abstract sculptures, exquisite paintings on canvas, and more than one apple-themed knickknack. […]
Editor’s Notebook: Fumbling toward enlightenment
Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve been reading a book by Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj titled “I Am That.” In its essence, “I Am That” is a collection of talks that serve as short prompts for meditation, which makes it a bit of an odd choice for me because I don’t really meditate. I do […]
Expanding affordable health care in New Hampshire
One year ago, the Inflation Reduction Act became law. I’m thrilled to be traveling coast to coast on a national bus tour with Protect Our Care to celebrate that achievement, and to share the news about all the changes to our health care system in the past few years under the Biden administration. When I […]
Montana kids win historic climate lawsuit – here’s why it could set a powerful precedent
Sixteen young Montanans who sued their state over climate change emerged victorious on Aug. 14, 2023, from a first-of-its-kind climate trial. The case, Held v. State of Montana, was based on allegations that state energy policies violate the young plaintiffs’ constitutional right to “a clean and healthful environment” – a right that has been enshrined […]
Editor’s Notebook: Stage directions
A former president – and current presidential candidate – visited New Hampshire this week. I found a livestream of his Tuesday afternoon speech so I could follow along, and even from that distance the whole thing was dizzying. First of all, it looked really hot in there. (The candidate himself put the temperature at about […]