I don’t know Gerald Hodges personally, so I can’t say this for certain, but I’m pretty sure when he signed up for the swim team back in high school, he didn’t do it with the goal of landing on CBS Mornings. Especially considering that he couldn’t even swim. This…

Yesterday a student walked into my office and asked if I had a moment. Over the course of this semester, I’ve been supporting her on a new effort she was getting off the ground, so I figured she wanted to provide a quick update or run a thought by me…

I think it started a few months ago when I got back into making the bed daily. As bad as this may sound, I just haven’t been the bed-making kind in recent years. I was raised better, for sure. I even know what hospital corners are. But over time I…

This week’s* piece is going to be a little scattered. I already know. But work with me. Last night my wife and I were watching Amazon’s Harlem, a pleasant surprise that we’ve viewed over the past couple of weeks. While we’ve aged out of (and more importantly, happily married far…

Reflecting on purpose and persistence — I have a pretty long history with MLK Day. I can remember back to when it was just an idea, then an optional event, and later a national holiday, finally embraced by all states twenty-two years ago. I’m now thinking back to that gray era when Black student leaders on…

Today is the first day of classes at the University of Pennsylvania, the place where I work and teach. Other campuses have also resumed or will soon as we get the business end of 2022 underway. It goes without saying that the days ahead are much more uncertain than the…

The Philadelphia 76ers trade old / sad Ben Simmons.

No matter what point you are in the semester, it’s important to be clear on everything you have going on. Ideally you do this right at the beginning, perhaps even before the first day of classes. (But do this one in pencil or dry-erase marker, because we know schedules may…

I was at a red light when I glanced over my shoulder and saw it. I’d been at this intersection dozens of times during my summer commutes, dropping the kids to camps and part time jobs, and my wife to the community clinic in North Philly where she works, but…