Maroons Online Vol. 1… No. 54
Acta non verba
Observer: Keep An Eye On Summer
Macky’s New York: River Crossing On The N Train
William Peay: Tales From The Wood…
RHS Athletic Hall Of Fame Induction Dinner: October 30, 2021
In Memory Of By RHS Class: 1892-2021
PSA: Bruce Schneier On Security
Observer
Keep An Eye On Summer
I knew when I saw the title, Keep An Eye On Summer, that I was going to paraphrase Bob Lefsetz:
Sounds like a Beach Boys hit, but it wasn't, just an album track. I heard this the other day, it brought me back to a simpler era, when summer wasn't commercialized, but a two month era of freedom, that never ended before Labor Day.
Do we really need to literally keep an eye on Summer? It appears to me to be growing shorter. Children are attending school begining in August, which sounds heretical to me, even if all the rooms are air-conditioned. The young boy in me says that July and August need to be off-limits to anything but exploring nature, cutting lawns, playing endless games of flashlight tag, and counting the days until school starts. Yes, there were boring moments. The incessant, “What do you want to do.” But these tedious and dull questions prompted us to think and invent new games or look at things in different ways. We need to leave room in people’s lives for unscheduled activities so they learn for themselves the capacity to wonder.
I wonder how our appreciation for summer’s seemingly endless activities changed. Was it the air conditioners which allowed us to stay inside all the time, or the video games with no end? My guess is it was a combination of these things plus the feeling that children needed to be supervised at all times. Parents stopped telling their kids to get out of the house and don’t come back until dinner time.
I know this is all a huge simplification and that school vacations are arbitrary and a vestige of when children used to be needed to work on the family farm. That hasn’t been true in quite some time. In reality, no one action caused the shortening of Summer in my mind, least of all by beginning school in August.
Though it is something I suggest we keep abreast of as we venture forth into our towns and cities with Covid rearing its ugly face again. Some educators are even suggesting that children may need schooling year round to catch up. It seems the results of online education were not as effective for the general population as in person learning. I agree.
My only wish is that time continues to be allotted for children and their teachers to rest and recharge their proverbial batteries, but not too much so as they acquire the “summer fade” where they forget their previous year’s lessons. This will all require change on everyone’s part and the inclusion of new institutions and opinion makers in the equation.
Rest assured this will not be the last time this space examines the question of how well our public schools are educating our children and treating their teachers. It is one of the most important collective actions we take as a society. The more in-depth discussion by people from all ages and backgrounds, the better off we will be.
Macky’s New York
Matthew Cortellesi Photography
July 14, 2021 - Manhattan Bridge.
River Crossing On The N Train
Most of the time when we ride over the bridge...I like to stare out the window at the river below and the city in the distance but today...as I stood up...I noticed flashing colors through the door coming from the subway car in front of me and as the shadows from the girders flickered into the car ahead ..I shot this.
Shot through 2 pains of glass from the last car into the second to last car somewhere over the east river on the N train with reflections in glass and metal.
Time 330pm.
#mackysnewyork
William Peay
Tales From The Wood…
Hohokus Bridge
Construction on Hohokus Hill
Hohokus Brook
RHS Athletic Hall Of Fame Induction Dinner
October 30, 2021
Order Your Tickets For 2020 Induction Dinner Celebration
Visit The Online RHS Athletic Hall Of Fame
In Memory Of By RHS Class
1892-2021
Visit and let us know if we can update your class or pay your respects to a relative.
Public Service Announcement
Bruce Schneier On Security
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It is not too hard a read. He does explain cybersecurity better than anyone.
Bruce Schneier is a public-interest technologist, working at the intersection of security, technology, and people. He has been writing about security issues on his blog since 2004, and in his monthly newsletter since 1998. He is a fellow and lecturer at Harvard's Kennedy School, a board member of EFF, and the Chief of Security Architecture at Inrupt, Inc.
Peace