Inside Higher Ed

Until starting work at Northeastern, I was not aware of Inside Higher Ed. I’ve been very impressed with the content I’ve read thus far, and it’s good to keep abreast of higher ed trends across the country. I was also pleased to see that one of today’s articles features the same title as Diann’s blog post: Sticker Shock! However, this article deals with the lowering value of the US dollar, the increase in the cost of fuel, and the shaky future of the US economy in the face of a growing emphasis (including at Northeastern) on college study abroad programs. Despite rising costs, there’s still a huge push (and student interest) in programs abroad. The article posits that the future for such programs may lie in cheaper foreign destinations, and that the ultimate effect on the future numbers who go abroad is still uncertain.

Sticker Shock 2

The engineering library at Cornell University has updated their original Sticker Shock display. Visit Sticker Shock 2 for a visual tour of price increases for a small selection of engineering journals. It’s a stunning display that emphasizes how much libraries spend to deliver quality information to its community of researchers. Another sticker shock display that illustrates rising journal costs can be found through the Snell Library’s Scholarly Communication pages.

Library FAQs

Associate Dean Lesley Milner had a great idea to try and incorporate a list of Frequently Asked Questions into the “Library Suggestions” part of the blog. Handling the suggestions, I’m familiar with some of them. Often, the library is contacted by members of the public who are looking to see if they might have access to the library. (Which they are as long as they present a current photo ID and sign in at the library’s security desk. They are also required to abide by the Library’s conduct policy and the University’s computer use policy, available on the library website). Are there questions you frequently encounter that you’d like to see included?

Oh the weather outside is (not at all) frightful

I’m going to go off on a narcissistic tangent right now, so hold on and I promise the part about me will be over soon enough.

Today, March 26, is my birthday. I’m 19. On this same day, every year, for the past 19 years, it has been a beautiful day. The springs in Seattle, where I grew up, are notoriously mild but rainy. But come March 26th, out comes the sun, and away goes the rain.

So this morning, when a close friend woke me with a birthday phone call, the first thing I asked was, “How’s the weather?”

I was pleased to hear that in fact, the weather was nice. And is nice. As I sit here in this well-lit office typing this post, the entire campus is illuminated by the glow that means (hopefully) the nasty weather is on its way out, and spring finally stopped hitting the snooze button.

With this new, improved weather, I’ve started running outside again.

There’s nothing better (in my mind) than lacing up the running shoes and taking a spin through some of the more beautiful parts of Boston. So without ado, here is my favorite, easy running loop.

Starting at Northeastern’s Marino Center, run North towards the Fens. Once you get there, take a left on the path that runs along the rim of the Fens. As you run along, you’ll notice another, parallel path to your right that is at a lower elevation. For the maximum nature exposure, run along this path. Continuing past the Fens, you’ll eventually cross Agassiz Rd. If you continue, the Fens eventually hits Boylston, where it loops back towards the start. At this point, I usually let my feet decide where in the Fens’ trails I want to go, but you can also follow the loop back.

I love this small park because of the density of nature compared to the rest of the city. Coming from the Evergreen State, trees are integrated into even the most urban parts of Seattle. So the Fens is my small way of recapturing my youthful love of all things nature. (Approx. 2 miles)

The Page 69 Test

The Page 69 Test is a fun and easy way to decide whether a novel is right for you. Simply open a book you think you might enjoy to page 69 and read that page. If you enjoy it, there’s a good chance you’ll enjoy the rest of the book. So the next time you’re in a bookstore, or here in Snell, try out the Page 69 Test and see if it works for you.