Busy-ness

Since I last posted, Jay Bennish has been returned to the classroom with the "full support" of the Overland School administration. Cheers to everyone who brought a reality check to that ridiculous set of circumstances, including Principal Jana Frieler, who probably heard from more opinionated observers (myself included) than she cared to. Hell, I even heard from more people than I cared to on the topic. Check the messages readers left from the last post for an indication of the depths to which ideology on this topic sank. Still, it was an important issue and I'm glad to see the winds have blown in Jay's favor.

I was lucky to have Dave Zirin drop by campus to speak on the topic of the history of sports and resistance movements in the United States. If you're not familiar with his work, visit www.edgeofsports.com. Dave is a fantastic journalist, and regardless of whether you like or dislike sports, whether you're highly politicized or apolitical, his work is important to understanding both. Like it or not, neither sports nor politics are retreating from the American social fabric anytime soon, and we do well to consider their intersection, remembering athletes like the revolutionary Muhammad Ali (not the handled, sanitized shell of a man he sadly is today), Billie Jean King, Dave Meggysey, John Carlos and Tommie Smith, and celebrate athletes of our day like Steve Nash and Adonal Foyle, who use to positions to champion causes of social justice, rather than just advertise endorsements. I don't want to "Be Like Mike" at all; I'd rather be like Eton Thomas.

Off to Boston this weekend.