#134: Ball Breakers
Take the morning off and dive into The Highlighter! I have 2 ½ hours of quality material for you on a range of topics, including billiards, for-profit colleges, online free speech, informed self-care, and pills that make you smart. Please enjoy!
Also, this month on the podcast, Anne and I are focusing on who goes to college and how they get there. We’ll end the month with stories from students and subscribers. Want to be on the show? Listen to Episodes #29 and #30, then leave a message at (415) 886-7475 to share your thoughts on college.
Renée Mata plays nine-ball on the West Coast Women’s Tour and has dreams of making it to the American Poolplayers Association Championships. Right now she competes against 30 women at Billiard Palacade, a pool hall one block from my house in the Crocker Amazon. This is an article about billiards and women of color and trans women and what it takes to succeed in a male-dominated sport. The photos and videos are maybe even better than the words. ⏳⏳
What I Learned From A For-Profit Education
There are many paths to earn a college degree, but attending a for-profit college should not be one of them. This classic article details the horrors of the University of Phoenix. For-profit colleges exploit low-income students and students of color, many of whom end up not graduating, taking on debt, and getting bad jobs. But this piece also asks broader questions, like whether college is for everyone, and whether for-profit colleges are merely the scapegoat for a broken public school system. ⏳⏳
Stanley, who belongs to loyal subscriber Denise, donned this ensemble for Bowtie Tuesday. Want your pet in The Highlighter? j.mp/nominatepet
The Struggle to Detoxify the Internet
Is it possible to facilitate a space for open dialogue without also facilitating hoaxes, harassment, and threats of violence? In this profile of Reddit, our country’s fourth most popular website (who knew?), Andrew Marantz (#115) explores this question and realizes that the people in charge of keeping the Internet safe are sitting around a conference table eating cheese sticks. ⏳⏳
Want to feel more calm and sane in our crazy times? Read your news in print, says Farhad Manjoo, who skipped online news and phone notifications for two months. You’ll stay informed without corresponding spikes in cortisol. (You’ll also pay $81 a month for a subscription to the New York Times.) Want an extra level of challenge? Go no news, cold turkey, like this ignorant man. ⏳
Anne-otations: Can Science Make Us Smarter? | On Point
Mark and I have been reporting on what college students are up against these days. So how do they cope? Many self-medicate. A third take study drugs. Plus, there is still marijuana and alcohol to let off some steam. (If your students or children have asked which is worse for you, click here.) Take a listen to On Point (fast forward through the first 5 minutes) to hear if “smart pills” help or hurt those who try them. ⏳⏳
That’s it for this week! Thank you very much for reading The Highlighter #134. Use the thumbs below and let me know what you thought of today’s issue. My goal is to provide a weekly email newsletter that you’re excited to open. Also, let’s welcome Matthew, Stephen, Matt, Christine, Ranna, Anna, and Lauren! Have a great week, and I’ll see you again next Thursday at 9:10 am.
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