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Sister Cora Marie Billings – Philadelphia's Pioneering Black Nun
Villanova launched Black History Month on Feb 4 at 8PM in the St. Thomas of Villanova Church. Continuing our theme of great Black Women in the Civil Rights Movement, Sister Cora Marie Billings gave a talk that opened many eyes to the difficulties of pioneering change in the American Roman Catholic Church. She did so in a way that only someone with her clout, wit, and simultaneously soft-spoken and forthright manner could. Born the only child in a Black Catholic family of a desegregationist legacy, Sister Cora went on to a prosperous career in furthering the fight for freedom, desegregation, and the rights of women in America through the Catholic church, and she continues doing that work today.
Sister Cora Marie Billings was the granddaughter of John Aloysius Lee, Sr., and the first Black recipient of the Vercelli Award from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and the Holy Name Society, a national confraternity. He also has a cultural center named for him in West Philadelphia. He was the first Black man allowed in Philadelphia's Catholic high school league basketball in 1902. In fact, when the league tried to exclude Lee, his teammates decided they would boycott unless he was allowed to play.
Later, Lee's daughter and Sister Cora's aunt, Mary Paul Lee would have a similar experience of exclusion at West Catholic High in Philadelphia, but her teammates would not rally around her. By this specific example, the life experience of Cora's family shows the ways in which progress against individual and institutional racism happens in fits and starts, and the civil and social history of this country is more complex than we sometimes allow.
Sister Cora's aunts were both nuns – Mary Paul Lee and Mary Agnes Lee joined the Oblate Sisters of Providence, one of four orders in Pennsylvania taking Black women in the 1940s. The other orders which accepted Black sisters being the Franciscan Sisters of Mill Hill, Franciscan Handmaids of the Heart of Mary, and the Sisters of the Holy Family.
Sister Cora was candid and strong in telling her tale. She said that she has often been asked about how to maintain a relationship with a church that enslaved her ancestors. Sister Cora Marie argued that you cannot change most organizations from the outside, especially an organization like the Roman Catholic Church. She stated further that pushing the Church forward on civil issues is God's work, and that God's work, no matter how difficult, has to be done.
Sister Cora entered the RSM Motherhouse in Merion, PA on August 22, 1956. Her mother was fine with her decision to enter religious life; she had two sisters that were women religious, and her older brother was in the seminary until he had to leave to take care of their mom. Her father was not as excited, but he did tell her to always be the best she could be. She learned later that the only photograph he ever kept in his wallet was one of her in the old habit of the Sisters of Mercy. He was supportive and proud even though he was not explicitly encouraging.
Dr. Williams asked her about the circumstances surrounding the legacy of "being the first or the only" in so many realms of her life. Sister Cora responded half-jokingly that if she had known in her youth what she knows now, she probably would not be here. Lucky for us that she did not. She said that she was inspired by her aunts, and made her decision to enter religious life at her aunt's going-away party. She was taught by seven different religious orders in school, and they all positively influenced her perspective on religious life. But, she said, "I don't know that I knew or thought about all the repercussions."
Asked about the warnings she might have experienced at the age of 17, she mentioned some peculiar circumstances. In 1956, before her entrance, she had to be interviewed three times as part of her application process, unique among her sisters.
The Sisters of Mercy were founded in Ireland in 1830, and first came to Philadelphia in 1861. Before 1945, all the Sisters of Mercy in this area were Irish, except for "fourteen or fifteen Germans." Mother Bernard was the one to change all that – she brought in the first Italian, the first Lebanese, and the first African American sisters. In 1961, when Sister Cora was sent to Levittown, it was Mother Bernard that sent her. The Myers family were the first African Americans in Levittown in 1957; they left in 1961 after a cross was burned on their yard in March, the culmination of several years of abuse and harassment. Sister Cora moved to Levittown in August.
She taught one hundred (100) first grade students at St. Michael's, all on her own. She never had trouble with students, declaring that racism is something children learn from adults, not something they come into the world with. She said that half of the school was physically in the area where Black families lived, in neighboring Bristol, but that there were no Black students in her classes.
A bit later in her career, Sister Cora was sent as the representative of the Sisters of Mercy to the August 1968 National Black Sisters Conference at Mount Mercy College. The conference was formed after women were excluded from the National Black Clergy Caucus which met in April of that year following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
When she moved to Virginia she realized the truth of the adage that "God closes one door and opens another." Sister Cora was the first Black nun to be a Campus Minister at Virginia State University. When the leader of her home church of St. Elizabeth's went to the monastery, Bishop Sullivan asked Sister Cora to run a church, making her the first African American woman to lead a Catholic church in the United States (and also making her a question on jeopardy). She was one of nine women in the position, two of whom were mothers and laypeople. Sister Cora was Pastoral Coordinator at St. Elizabeth's from 1990 to 2004. She eventually worked for the state of Virginia as Deputy Director of the Human Rights Council.
In the Q&A, Sister Cora talked about the entrance age of women to religious orders, pointing-out that Sisters of Mercy, like most of their contemporaries, will no longer allow one to join until their 20s, whereas they used to allow teens to enter in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s.
Sister Cora also spoke to the work she is now engaged in and the current political moment in Virginia, where the governor was recently outed for a photo he took in blackface with a friend dressed as a Klan member, and the lieutenant governor also confessed to wearing blackface at a party. She said that she voted for Ralph Shearer Northram to be governor, but that she believes he needs to resign. She said that people all over the country have trouble dealing with racism, tending to state defensively "I'm not a racist."
Sister Cora said that the longer we wait to accept and assess, the longer it will take to solve the problems of exclusion and oppression in our society. She said that people need to be honest about where they are and how they feel, and to acknowledge privilege. She said that most people have some degree of privilege in one dimension or another, expressing her own privileged position as , giving her an opportunity to do things she otherwise would not have been able to do. She recommended the book The Pedagogy of the Oppressed, wherein it is written that "the oppressed become the oppressors." Force and hierarchy are imposed and refracted.
Sister Cora said that her vision of the church moving forward, and her message for people of color and people fighting for justice is to be hopeful and to have faith. She said we must live up to that faith and that we cannot think in terms of what "they" need to do, but rather in terms of "we," to tell ourselves that "I have to be involved" in order to make the world a better place.
This summary of the events pales in comparison to Sister Cora's own retelling of her story, available below:
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Campus Events, Interesting Articles
Black Catholic History, Black History Month, Catholic Church History, Civil Rights Movement, Deputy Director of the Human Rights Council, Franciscan Handmaids of the Heart of Mary, Franciscan Sisters of Mill Hill, Levittown, Mary Agnes Lee, Mary Paul Lee, Oblate Sisters of Providence, Ralph Shearer Northram, Sisters of Mercy, Sisters of the Holy Family, The Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Women's History
The Second Annual History Career Day
by Andrea L. Spencer (@__aerdna___)
On Friday, February 8th, 2019, the Lepage Center for History in the Public Interest sponsored its second annual History Career Day.
The day began with a presentation by Emily Swafford, Director of Academic and Professional Affairs at the American Historical Association. Swafford acknowledged that it can be hard to explain what you learn in a history degree and articulate the skills you learned that can help you get a job. Swafford assuaged fears of not getting a job or not making money with statistics that the AHA collects. Swafford also focused on how to articulate the "soft skills" historians have into words and phrases employers want to hear. For example, history majors learn how change happens, how to find, process, and communicate information that is new to them, and how to make judgements and evaluations on complex issues.
After Dr. Swafford's presentation, the Lepage Center provided lunch and an hour for attendees to informally network and she their experiences as history students–both undergraduate and graduate.
After lunch was a panel made up of 3 Villanova history alumni–Mark Kehres, Kathryn Szumanski, and Alain Duroseau–and moderated by Dr. Paul Steege. Each panelist described their career paths after Villanova and how their history degree helped them get where they are today.An audience member asked the panelists how their skills as a historian translate to their day-to-day job responsibilities. Duroseau replied that being a historian teaches you to be able to make an argument and support it convincingly, which is important in any job. Szumanski said that the most valuable skill she learned was how to put everything in context, which means learning from and understanding the past and how that informs present and future projects. Kehres believed that the most important skill he learned was clear and concise communication.
When asked specifically about applying to jobs, the panelists offered three main pieces of advice:
Apply to any job within your interests. Many employers are interested in having all majors apply. They want diversity and creative thinking.
Focus your job search by industry and then see how your skills apply.
Know that, as a history major, you learn how to think about the world, how to problems solve, and how to communicate solutions.
The final session of the day was a workshop by Jhaakira Jacobs, the Assistant Director of Career Development at Villanova's Career Center. Jacobs primary focused on how to write a great cover letter. Her advice was:
Begin with an intro paragraph about how you heard about the position. This is a good place for name-dropping any connections you have to the company.
Tell the reader why this organization appeals to you. Do your research, and decide if the company aligns with your values and interests.
In the second paragraph, pull from the transferable skills you learned in the classroom, from your research paper, and your presentations.
Here, you should mention 2-3 qualifications/experiences, what you took away from them, and how that is applicable to this organization.
In the third paragraph, you want to reiterate your interests and tell them you will follow up soon.
Jacobs also said to follow up on a job posting 2 weeks after the close date. If you are struggling to describe yourself in your cover letter, get feedback from supervisors and professors about your strengths and talents. When writing your letter, a good way to start is to pick out the key words in the post and brainstorm how you are qualified for them.
All in all, it was a successful and informative day that left attendees feeling positive about their position as job candidates after graduation. The Lepage Center always welcomes feedback on all its events, so please drop by SAC 410 or email lepage@villanova.edu with your comments!
If you want to learn more about getting a job as a history major, here are some sites to check out:
https://www.historians.org/jobs-and-professional-development/aha-career-center
https://www.historians.org/jobs-and-professional-development/career-resources
https://villanova.peoplegrove.com/page/about
https://www1.villanova.edu/villanova/provost/careers/plan/onlineresources.html
Andrea L. Spencer
Alain Duroseau, American HIstorical Association, Career Center, careers, Dr. Paul Steege, Emily Swafford, Falvey library, Jhaakira Jacobs, jobs, Kathryn Szumanski, Lepage Center, Lepage Center for History in the Public Interest, Mark Kehres
Histories of Democracy Pt 2: Global Perspectives – Revolutions and Empire (Roundtable and Q&A)
(All pictures taken from the Lepage Center website)
On November 12, 2018, the Lepage Center continued the conversation about perspectives on democracy, hosting scholars from across the country who study the emergence of representative government across the world. In the first part of our coverage, we recapped the introductory statements. Here we will summarize some of the cross-talk and the question-and-answer portion of the event.
To begin with, Dr. Feinberg rejected the idea of graduating to democracy, quoting Vaclav Havel – a Soviet-era dissident and then the Czech Republic's first president. In an address to the U.S. Congress he made in 1990, he said, "as long as people are people, democracy in the full sense of the word will always remain an ideal. One may approach democracy as one would a horizon, in ways that may be better or worse, but which can never fully be attained. In this sense, you too are only approaching democracy." Democracy is a process which pushes us toward further questions of representation.
Ms. Ortashvili agreed with contesting the idea of that graduation. She said this idea fermented a lot of cynicism in post-Soviet countries where they face new issues for which they are unprepared and unwarned, and that this explains some of the regression in places like Hungary and Poland. There continues to be an aspirational character to EU and NATO membership for countries like Ukraine, but that when you receive the protections involved there remains the question of whether the grass is truly greener. The alternative, though, remains Russian dominance.
This brought Dr. Steege to ask about how possibilities are limited in the creation of and participation in a state. Dr. Gaffield pointed to a racialized concept of civilization in the nineteenth century which precluded the early-twentieth century idea of 'modernization' or this late twentieth/early twenty-first century idea of 'graduation.' Elites in major powers questioned the ability of Haiti's population to self-govern, just as they would later question the ability of the citizens in post-colonial states and sometimes post-Soviet countries. Dr. Abugideiri addressed the issue that our inability to conceive of Islamism as something neutral or positive as opposed to collapsing it into "terrorism" excludes people from politics and creates the opportunity or space for radicalism. [1]
Dr. Feinberg pointed out our predisposition in the West to presume that democracy is what every person, place, and nation-state necessarily aspires to limits our understanding of global political plurality. There are places that have advanced and progressed without assuming American political ideals. She also said that there is an institutional inability for theoretical democracy to take emotion into account, and that a lot of conflicts arise from the emotional human urge to run over the rules of democracy to expedite individual wants. Dr. Gaffield pointed-out how the Haitian case, the common dependence on family and community socioeconomic systems was seen as hazardous to the state. The emphasis on individualism which is championed in democracy has an opportunity to be destructive because of the way it can be used to disrupt nongovernmental support systems.
Ms. Ortashvili said that the dark side of democracy is that it is a menu – all post-Soviet states claim to be democracies in the words of their constitutions, but they are all varying levels of authoritarian. They create "managed democracies" which coerce popular choice through limiting the freedom and fairness of elections as well as limiting the possible entrants. Dr. Feinberg said that the people of Czechoslovakia in 1989 wanted democracy as well as socialism – which is in stark opposition to the Western imagination which ties democracy to capitalism. Dr. Feinberg was observing that some of the cynicism in post-Soviet states toward democracy has to do with the way in which people like the citizens of the former Czechoslovakia were force-fed capitalism alongside the representative government they wanted. Much as the manipulation of the democratic menu to grant legitimacy to authoritarian states is a dark side of democracy, so is its association with economic systems which do not fulfill everyone's needs.
Dr. Abugideiri pointed-out that government and scholarly discussions of the Middle East often address the region with a problematic lack of understanding for the diverse people, cultures, and political histories of the spaces. The upside for the people there tends to be that democracy is often understood as a utilitarian facility for creating economic opportunity. It is just not necessarily romanticized ideals.
Dr. Gaffield tied Haiti in to this story of misunderstanding by arguing that Haiti's revolution has long been panned as a failure and deprived of meaning. Dr. Feinberg posited that the portrayal of history is relative to the agendas of governments to perpetuating a certain narrative, philosophy and ideology, something contemporary historians – and probably most people that think about society – always have in mind.
The crowd question-and-answer session began with an audience member asking about the compatibility nationalism has or lacks with democracy. Dr. Feinberg explained that the basic tension is that nationalism is inherently exclusive while democracy is ideally inclusive. She and Ms. Ortashvili both expressed the issues of ethnic tensions in diverse spaces, a common problem among imperialized or post-imperial spaces. Dr. Feinberg pointed-out that Czechs have a tendency to see democracy as an inherent cultural trait but in so doing they gloss over minorities like Hungarians and Germans in their country, and sometimes they benevolently incorporate these groups but sometimes it leads to repression. Ms. Ortashvili said that "nationalism" for her elicited thoughts of civil wars and lack of compromise. In Eastern Europe and Central Eurasia this is often a case of people living within territories of disputed national ownership for three decades. Dr. Feinberg saw it as representative of the tension between the needs of the state and the needs of the individual, and nationalism as a way to promote state needs over individual needs when using the rhetoric and practice of competition between nations.
Dr. Steege asked Dr. Abugideiri about the way that nationalism fit into the democratic dream in post-Ottoman states in the Interwar period. Dr. Abugideiri discussed the emergence of nationalism in the early twentieth century as utile for resistance to imperial power, and the curiosity of nationalists claiming secular nationalist democracy as a philosophical rallying point considering the point of contact for people of the Middle East with western democracy would have largely come in a non-democratic, imperialist expression. These people were in turn able to use western imperialism as a point of distinction for reimagining democracy.
A student in the crowd asked about the necessity of the state in democracy and the philosophical tradition of the state as a perpetuator of inequality and oppression. He asked if it were possible or advisable for the state be shorn from democracy, and what happens when it is? Dr. Abugideiri answered this by pointing to radical Islamists, some of whom do not necessarily see the world in terms of nation-states so much as a space for a Caliphate, a pan-Islamic empire. She pointed back to the idea that there might be people in the world that do not preconceive that American/Western liberal democratic ideals are something aspire to. Dr. Steege pointed to the way that non-state actors in Haiti were critical to the independence movement there, where Dr. Gaffield pointed to the myth of Haiti being completely isolated until the country was acknowledge by France.
Dr. Gaffield said that de facto recognition of the country came through legal and illegal trade with trades from other countries – naming the Dutch and Danish empires, Britain, and the United States – before the formal recognition by the French. These mercantilists were in fact also petitioning their governments to recognize the country for their own business endeavors, informally engaging in a non-political or semi-political state-building project; they were "unofficial consuls." Dr. Feinberg concluded that, as the first president of Czechoslovakia (Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk) said, it is the duty of the true democrat not to act democratically only in parliament, but in everyday life because democracy is not just a form of government but a way of life. The onus for maintaining democracy rests with everyone, all of us whom have the responsibility of creating a truly democratic society.
Video of the event:
[1] There was a question I wanted to ask but did not have the chance to: Christianity is seen so often as essential to the American character, so why do we have a tendency to exclude Islam from the political conversation? Moreover, in Eastern Europe and Central Eurasia, is there a parallel to the hold of religion on politics? I think the ongoing Moscow-Constantinople schism speaks to this issue somewhat.
Civil War, Czech Republic, Czechoslovakia, demoracy, Haiti, Hibba Abugideiri, Julia Gaffield, Kosovo, Lepage Center, Maia Ortashvili, Melissa Feinberg, Middle East, Moldova, nationalism, Paul Steege, USSR
MLK Keynote: The Legacy of Dr. King and the History of Antiracism
by Kevin Fox Jr (@kevinfoxjr)
The keynote speech for Villanova's Martin Luther King Week was given by Dr. Ibram X. Kendi last Wednesday, January 23, at the Connelly Center's Villanova Room. Dr. Kendi is the founding director of the Antiracist Research and Policy Center at American University in Washington, D.C. In 2016, his New York Times-bestselling book Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racial Ideas in America won the National Book Award.
One major theme of the presentation was that progress against racism has not been socially ubiquitous and unchallenged; rather, its history runs parallel to a history of racism which is increasingly, insidiously masked and sophisticated. Dr. Kendi also argued that one's actions and intentions could be racist or antiracist but not "not-a-racist;" there is no middle ground to perch oneself on.
But perhaps the most important theme was that racist thinking does not necessarily preclude racist policy. Dr. Kendi proposed that the reason why we have a racist society is not because policymakers are ignorant of the humanity of people with different ethnic backgrounds and somatic features than them. Rather, it is elite economic, political, and cultural self-interest that informs the creation of the legal rules that trap Black people in poverty and oppression.
Dr. Kendi stressed the importance of remembering that Dr. King's "I Have a Dream Speech" given at the March for Jobs and Freedom in Washington, D.C., was not the end of his story. In some ways it was a beginning. Dr. Kendi wants to learn and teach more about the King who was after Washington and Selma. That is the radical who was transformed into an anti-war advocate, who saw his impulse for a National Civil Rights Movement transformed into a World Human Rights Revolution.
Dr. Kendi stressed to us that this interrogation of Dr. King's legacy required an understanding of the history of racial ideas, which is the history of Black America, and therefore America at large. He said that we are driven into complacency by accepting the ahistorical idea of a teleological march to progress because racist progress marches along with it.
Dr. Kendi inquired into the nature of 'I'm-not-a-racism,' clarifying that it is the denial of the existence of racism. This is not denial in a sense of fighting against racism, but a rhetorical denial which prevents action. The proponents of tactics of racial oppression have always claimed to be something other than racist.
In early modernity, enslavers relied on the Hamitic myth, claiming that Noah's cursed son Ham was the ancestor of all Africans, and that therefore it was God's law that we be enslaved.
When phrenology and physiognomy came about, pseudoscience was utilized to propel the idea that Africans were a lower subspecies, not quite human, and so it was not ethically or morally wrong to keep us in bondage.
Now, as mass incarceration is perpetuated by the War on Drugs and the expansion of for-profit prisons, the refrain is that the Black and Latinx people targeted by over-policing are dangerous people from dangerous neighborhoods.
In none of these instances is the system held responsible for the suffering it inflicts on people. In each case, the oppressed are considered beholden to an oppressive existence by intrinsic failures.
Either, as racists say, we are inferior people; or, as antiracists say, there are racist policies. Dr. Kendi argues that many Americans want to stand in the middle – they will accept that there are racist policies, but will shrug at them, and insist that these policies are not a sufficient impediment to warrant being challenged.
Dr. King would find this insufficient reasoning, as we all should. Dr. King believed that "when a people are mired in oppression, they realize deliverance only when they have accumulated the power to make change." We have to accumulate that power, we have to make that change, and we must recognize these problems; as Dr. Kendi put it, the history of racism is one of denial, while that of antiracism is one of confession.
Dr. Kendi declared that Dr. King's perspective of antiviolent protest was transformed by the civil unrest he saw from 1965 to 1967. Dr. King went to Watts in 1965 to condemn violence and was called a hypocrite. After seeing the Hough riots in Cleveland in 1966 and the Detroit Uprising in 1967 he realized he could not chide the oppressed about violence while his government was the "greatest purveyor of violence in the world." But when he criticized the U.S. government for the War in Vietnam and began his Poor People's Campaign, he was met with incredulity and the questioning of his sanity. He was murdered not long after.
Dr. Kendi implored us to call for immediate equality, we need to call for more than we think is possible, and work for it until it is accomplished. We cannot despair, much as we need to not be naïve; in order to make change, we have to believe in it.
Dr. Kendi's presentation seemed intended to provoke and inspire. I certainly felt inspired afterward. The questions were almost universally from students, but they seemed less interested in the past and the history of antiracism. They were concerned with building on Dr. King's legacy and what to do now.
Dr. Kendi did not pretend to have all of the answers, but he put forward some possible solutions. The first question was about police shootings and how to curb them. Dr. Kendi said that police should be governed by the people that they serve: hiring, firing, and investigative power should be held in the hands of the citizens.
The transparency mechanisms currently in place should not be so easily rerouted – officers should not be able to turn body cameras off. Dr. Kendi also suggested that police should be paid better – more money should mean a higher requirement of qualifications and stricter scrutiny of who we allow to carry a guy and a badge.
In the Q&A, Dr. Kendi stated that the perception of "racist" as a "fixed category," a tattoo which defines someone as a "bad person" has created a fear which prevents people from interrogating their actions and their privileges. Racist is a defining adjective that is not a reflection of a whole person but rather of what an individual sees and says in a given moment; it is correctible.
Dr. Kendi also responded to a question about the ability of our government to do anything besides perpetuate white supremacy. Dr. Kendi said that we are governed by power, which he defined as policymakers, and policy – the powers that have been have perpetuated racist policy, but antiracist policymakers can make antiracist policy.
Another question led Dr. Kendi to stress that people have been taught that we can only create change by educating people, and that some people that know that a system of oppression based on racial hierarchy which situates whites on top and Blacks at the bottom does not exist merely because of ignorance. While it may be possible to separate the consumers of such ideas from the ideas, it is not possible to separate their producers.
But Dr. Kendi also implored the questioner to challenge those uncomfortable with that rhetoric. Ask them to define what a racist idea is, and to define another basic concept. As Dr. Kendi put it, "a bird should be called a bird, a blue chair should be a blue chair, a racist idea should be called a racist idea."
A student from the law school used Dr. King's familiar quote on disappointment with the white moderate to ask how one compels that large, heterogenous, amorphous group to challenge racism. Dr. Kendi responded that those who straddle the racism-antiracism fence may believe somewhere within them that racism should change, but they are not willing to sacrifice anything to support policies which will create change. To inspire them to incite change, they have to be confronted about the ways in which their denial of racism is not based in reality and instructed in the ways that oppressive policies also affect them.
Shortly thereafter, Villanova University President Rev. Peter M. Donohue, OSA, PhD concluded the talk with a warm word of thanks to Dr. Kendi, saying that we definitely know how to talk about making a better world, but we often fail at living-up to that ambition. Father Peter told Dr. Kendi that there was room for him at Villanova if ever he gets tired of residing in the capital.
Hopefully we will see him again soon, and we will be practicing what we have been instructed. To take up the legacy of Dr. King, to make this a country worthy of his sacrifices and those of all the women and men, Black, white, and other that marched and struggled, lived and died with him, we must accept that racism has not gone quietly into the night. We must push it out of our society.
Kevin Fox Jr
1963, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, Detroit Riots, Detroit Uprising, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Father Peter, Hamitic myth, Ibram X Kendi, Martin Luther King Day, War in Vietnam, Watts Riots
Climate Change Town Hall
(Cover photo provided by Dr. Paul Rosier)
Global climate change is harder to deny every day, though some fix their mouths and policies to do it nonetheless. According to NASA, seventeen of the eighteen hottest years on record have taken place since 2001; the exception was 1998. It makes sense that the Villanova community is concerned about the phenomenon. From 1:30 PM to a little bit after 3 PM this past Friday, January 25th, Villanova University hosted a Climate Change Town Hall in the Connelly Center Cinema. The focal word of the day was "sustainability," but it stands to reason that we could have further-investigated what that meant.
The on-stage panel was composed of thirteen members of the faculty, staff, and undergraduate student body that are concerned about the ongoing damage to the world's climate and Villanova University's contributions to that destruction. That people came out from all across campus – including across the tracks at the Charles Widger School of Law – showed solidarity across disciplines regarding the commitment of the university to contribute to transforming our way of life to be more sustainable. Dr. Paul Rosier of the History and Sustainability Studies Program and Dr. Jean Lutes from the English Department began with the introductions and a statement of purpose for the meeting.
Dr. Rosier pointed-out that, despite a wind power petition signed and sent to the President's office in 2006, our university still runs on unsustainable fuel sources and, moreover, that as a Catholic University we have a collective responsibility to not destroy the planet we live on. He stressed that those with the least resources will suffer the most as we enter ever-more-disastrous periods of climate change. Dr. Lutes said that we are currently on pace to leave the world in a worse place than we found it and that the meeting was taking place to cultivate positive action, to put further weight behind an Action Proposal that has been sent to the Strategic Planning Committee because the New Strategic Plan does not account for climate change. The petition that was put forth thirteen years ago had a goal of carbon neutrality by 2050; the Action Proposal wants to move that up twenty years.
Dr. Amanda Grannas, who teaches Chemistry and is Associate Vice Provost for Research, was the first of the eleven speakers assembled to present. She spoke to the lifechanging experience of interacting with indigenous people in Barrow, Alaska, reminded us that "climate change has a real impact on real people." Furthermore, Dr. Grannas warned us not to demonize those of our fellow Americans that are not [yet] on the same page with regard to climate change. The facts of the matter have long been obscured by the powers of a wealthy energy lobby.
Biology sophomore and chair of the Villanova Environmental Group, Alexa Schoeneborn argued that her experience has shown her that students across campus want to know the school is doing its part to combat climate change. Maeve Kavanaugh, a senior at the Villanova School of Business and member of the Student Sustainability Committee talked about the culture shock she experienced coming from California seeing, for instance, the preponderance of one-use materials at Villanova. She advocated that buildings should be metered individually for their power usage and that we should have an electric shuttle system. Kavanaugh said that the university needs to be a leader in sustainability as we are in research, scholarship, fellowship, and sports; and that sustainability should be included in every curriculum, rather than something students need to go out of the way to learn.
Dr. Ruth McDermott-Levy, Associate professor of Nursing and Director of the Center for Global and Public Health, told us about her experience doing research in Finland on a Fulbright grant. They have already had a rise of two degrees Celsius and they are not prepared, despite their affluence. Dr. McDermott-Levy said that, as environmental degradation continues, the quality and nutritional value of our food is decreasing. Dr. McDermott-Levy stressed that we need a system change, that this is an issue of human spirit, and that we need to challenge ourselves and our institutions to be willing to make those changes.
Dr. Samantha Chapman from Biology said that where she does research in northern Florida, the risen temperatures have transformed former salt marshes into mangrove fields. Dr. Chapman said that we must look into the humanities to see how we can adapt; we cannot look at flora and fauna as inspiring as they can be. We need to mitigate change; to use clean energy and to educate our students and communities.
Dr. Christopher Kilby, an Economics professor from the Villanova School of Business, whose research involves the environmental impact of the World Bank's lending policies, called on the university to invest more resources in sustainability – to focus more classes, majors and minors, research, and funding for student projects in the area. Dr. Kilby also said that Villanova needs to incentivize responsible choices – we need to find ways to discount public transportation for students, to offer cheaper parking for electric vehicles rather than offering that parking at a premium. He also argued that the selection process for the Board of Trustees should take sustainability into account.
Dennis Gallagher, the Director of Parking and Transportation, said that he was completely in favor of acquiring electric vehicles, and that in his time here the university had shrunken the fleet of old vans and moved to newer, more fuel-efficient options. Mr. Gallagher pointed-out the gains his department has made with the Nova Van OnDemand app which has gone from running all night to pick up an average of nine students between 9PM and 1AM to an efficient service providing more transportation to more people. They have gone from 32 to 800 accounts with an average of 76 people picked up each night. One change he wants to make is putting solar panels on the tops of the parking garages, and Dr. Kilby mentioned putting them on some of the new buildings being built across Lancaster. The only trouble is Radnor Township's refusal to make an exception to the ordinance limiting the building height.
Dr. Bill Lorenz, the Director of the Sustainable Engineering Program and the Chair of the Service Learning Community, stressed that climate change is the existential threat to our species. He said that it is required of all of us to adopt an ethos of sustainable living, inclusive of social wellbeing, so that we can create "enough, for all, forever." Dr. Lorenz declared that the school is not in a leadership position at all, even when compared to other similar schools, and that we need to base our campus-wide goals on the UN's sustainability goals. Dr. Lorenz said that the strategic plan needs to have an interconnected methodology of material quantitative measurements rather than an isolated qualitative one made of insubstantial statements chosen for their audible appeal. He directed students, faculty, and staff to get involved by contacting Matt Ashcroft at mashcro2@villanova.edu.
Dr. Barbara Wall, Professor of Philosophy and Vice President of Mission and Ministry, said that Earth is God's gift and just as we have a responsibility to steward it we need to move beyond one-dimensional thinking to actively love it. She said also that we need to be an institution without walls and that we as individuals cannot stop at petitioning the board; we must change ourselves and the way we view the world. She stressed communicating with empathy and civility, acknowledging that we are all on different levels of understanding, passion, and education. Dr. Wall concluded that we need to think ahead seven generations, and that taking better care of the planet is not just something nice for us to do for our hypothetical grandchildren; it is an ethical responsibility. We cannot be numbed and we must practice hope.
It was encouraging to see so many people come out to talk about climate change. There was standing room only with both doors open and people in the alcove trying to pick up what they could. It was unfortunate that more students did not get to talk. The conversation from the crowd was largely dominated by faculty, though the educators were definitely the minority in the room. The bookends were the standouts.
A student opened the Q&A with a comment that a similar townhall had taken place in the same room when the decision to arm Public Safety was made. The board will ignore us if they can. He said that, if this was as important to us as it seemed to be then we needed to be willing to sacrifice something personally. His sentiment was echoed by several faculty members across the arts and sciences. We were called-upon by the panel to contact the board directly, not just through our petition but through individual emails.
Toward the end, a student asked the most sensible question anyone heard, a practical one – what are we doing to reduce food, plastic, and paper waste? The panel assured us that Tim Dietzler, the Director of Dining Hall Services, is one of the campus leaders on sustainability, and that he is all the time moving toward more plant-based foods.
I was personally left with two unanswered questions. One – how do we define sustainability? Do we mean to sustain our current way of life? Because that is not foreseeable in the long run.
The Environmental Science-specific definition of sustainability in the Random House Dictionary is "the quality of not being harmful to the environment or depleting natural resources, and thereby supporting long-term ecological balance." If the core of this university's mission to educate, unite, and care for people in a sustainable manner, we might need to be willing to make changes beyond raising parking and doing a better job with food waste. We might need less food; we might need to stop trying to expand.
My other question is simpler and more practical: what can we do about all of the lights that are on after everyone has gone home? We need to start at the obvious steps so we can move on to the larger systemic ones.
Below is the key passage from the 2006 proposal put forth by the Villanova Environmental Group:
"This petition signifies our support for a change in the environmental policy at Villanova University. Currently we are one of the few schools of our caliber in the state of Pennsylvania that is not purchasing a percentage of our energy from wind power. Wind power is a renewable, environmentally friendly method of obtaining energy. As young scholars and potential leaders in society it is our duty to be stewards of the environment and address the pertinent issue of environmental degradation. As members of a Catholic institution we also have a responsibility to adhere to the Catholic social teachings that involve environmental issues. Our actions should reflect our values. To not participate in progressive steps by purchasing wind power deprives the Villanova community of being part of a movement of concerned global citizens."
accountability, Biology, Center for Global and Public Health, Charles Widger School of Law, Chemistry, climate, climate change, Economics, Engineering, Environmental Science, global warming, leadership, Mission and Ministry, Parking and Transportation, Philosophy, Service Learning Community, Student Sustainability Committee, sustainability, Sustainable Engineering, transparency, Villanova Environmental Group, Villanova Nursing School, Villanova School of Business, Villanova University
"Public Disclosures of Private Realities: LGBTQ History and the Archive of Everyday Life"
(by Keeley Tulio)
On November 28th, Villanova's Department of Gender and Women's Studies hosted Visiting Assistant Professor Dr. Stephen Vider of Bryn Mawr College. Vider received his Ph.D. in American Studies from Harvard University, focused on the politics and social practices of everyday life in the United States with attention to gender and sexuality. After receiving his doctorate at Harvard, Vider dived into several public history projects. As an Andrew W. Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow at the Museum of New York City, he curated the exhibition AIDs at Home: Art and Everyday Activism in 2017. Vider's presentation "Public Disclosures of Private Realities: LGBTQ History and the Archive of Everyday Life" revolved around his work on queer domestic spaces and the source base he used to create an exhibit on domestic activism.
While previous scholarship prioritized the actions of the LGBTQ community in public spaces, Vider turned to examine domestic space. In his book Queer Belongings: Gender, Sexuality, and the American Home After World War II, Vider examines the home as the site of contact between class conflict and LGBTQ identity. A person's sense of being part of their nation was demonstrated by performing and adopting domestic roles that developed in the 1950s. With this, members of the LGBTQ community adapted this domesticity of the home to form their own sense of belonging within American culture. The book examines the political meaning of home for the LGBTQ community in shaping this sense of belonging.
The AIDs at Home exhibit continued to examine the domestic sphere of LGTBQ in another political meaning, activism. Vider wanted to dispel the stigmas that surrounded AIDs victims and their domestic life in conversation with other contemporary exhibits that revisited the AIDs crisis. Because he believed that this new attention on the AIDs crisis continued to obscure the impact of the nonphysical and more private responses of LGBTQ activism, Vider wanted to expand on his examination of LGBTQ domesticity in connection to the New York AIDs crisis. In the domestic sphere there was a place for activism, new definitions of family, and social support. The exhibit further focused to reorient the topic of activism to focus on care in the domestic space as a critical site of queer activism. To display this, the exhibit moved thematically around four parts of domestic activism: "Caretaking," "Housing," "Family," and "HIV/AIDs at Home Today."
The "Caretaking" theme focused on the relationship of AIDs victim and caretakers, a role filled with a variety of people from friends and family to members of a caregiving program. The caretaker role served as a method of activism against the stigma with AIDs that resulted in avoidance of physical contact with AIDs victims. Loved ones, friends, and volunteers in organizations combated this stigma by their role of caretaking in the private, domestic space as evident in the photograph Kachin and Michael at Michael's Apartment. The first part of the exhibit prominently displayed pieces of artwork, on canvas or photographs, to display the different methods of caretaking.
The second and third themes of the exhibit featured the notions of "Housing" and "Family" as activism. Housing as a form of activism was a response to the rise of homelessness among those suffering from HIV/AIDs in New York City. To illustrate this, Vider used architectural drawings and plans as well as a documentary of people displaced by the HIV/AIDs crisis. Much of the homeless crisis that arose from AIDs was due to evictions that were caused when one partner died from AIDs and the other was not named on the lease. These evictions were not reflective of how members of the LGBTQ community defined their own households and family. The theme of housing flowed directly into the notion of chosen family, the third theme of the exhibit. Family was redefined to mean chosen family instead of blood relations as a form of activism. The chosen family section also featured a short video called "Two Men and A Baby" that symbolically redefined family by following a black gay couple that was raising their nephew, a child born with AIDS whose mother passed away.
The last theme of the exhibit, "HIV/AIDs at Home Today," moved to display how HIV & AIDs are experienced today. This ended with a short film codirected by Vider, A Place in the City: Three Stories about AIDs at Home, which followed the work of three activists in New York City that mirrored the previous themes of the exhibit. HIV and AIDs still affect people and with that there is no true end for the exhibit. The experience of HIV and AIDs at home is ongoing and therefore domestic activism, as Vider has defined it with the themes of his exhibit, continues.
AIDs at Home presents a deeply personal view of the history of AIDS in New York City with a source base that accurately reflects that personal history. Vider primarily focused his efforts on establishing what he termed an "archive of everyday life" to be the source base for the exhibit. It used pieces of archival materials and artwork to capture the history of the emotional experience of the repeated caregiving that happened for AIDs victims in domestic spaces. The exhibit features archival documents like membership lists, architectural plans, and medication lists but in relation to representational pieces of art. Putting the archive together for the exhibit involved working with a variety of people, from the artists themselves to members of LGBTQ support organizations to families of victims from the AIDs crisis. This process was not easy because many active and ongoing organizations do not keep up with archiving their papers. Similarly, families that lost a loved one to AIDS can be motivated by grief to get rid of the victim's belongings and papers.
"Public Disclosures of Private Realities" offered insights in new methods of examining LGBTQ history. Vider wanted the audience to rethink how everyday history is created, to rethink where history happens or how history happens or when. This reorientation of how everyday history is created can lead to a reexamination of the narratives of history. For Vider this meant the change of examining the AIDs crisis as a medical narrative of great change to a domestic narrative that shows the continuity of everyday life. The presentation and Vider left the audience with an encouragement to look at the narratives of history and reexamine them in a new light or with different sources.
keeleytulio
AIDS at Home, Art, Bryn Mawr College, HIV/AIDS, LGBTQ, museums, Queer Belongings, Stephen Vider
Histories of Democracy Pt 2 – Global Perspectives: Revolutions and Empires (Opening Statements)
(All photos from the Lepage Center for History in the Public Interest website)
On November 12, the Lepage Center for History in the Public Interest had the second part of its Histories of Democracy event, in Driscoll Hall Auditorium. Moderated by Dr. Paul Steege, the Lepage Center's Faculty Director, the panel featured our own Dr. Hibba Abugideiri, who specializes in the experience of women in medicine in early-20th century Egypt specifically and imperialism and nationalism in the Middle East more broadly; Dr. Melissa Feinberg from Rutgers, who studies communism and post communism, especially in the former Czechoslovakia, as well as emotion in politics and the history of feminism; Dr. Julia Gaffield from Georgia State, who focuses on the Haitian Revolution and the history of early Haitian democracy; and Maia Ortashvili, who works on democracy in the former Soviet Union as the Deputy Director of the Eurasia Program for the Foreign Policy Research Institute.
Dr. Steege started-off the talk by discussing the 100th anniversary of German democracy, with the establishment of the Weimar Republic on Nov. 9, 1918, followed four years later by Hitler's Beer Hall Putsch, and commemorated seventy-one years later with the Fall of the Berlin Wall. He stoked the introductions by asking the panel and the audience to consider democracy as an evolving, contested process; not just something exported from the United States, but something imported or synthesized contextually.
With that, he turned to Dr. Gaffield, to preview what Haiti can teach us about democracy. She said that she uses her research to analyze democratic innovation at the state and local level in Haiti, rather than just looking at despotism and totalitarianism in the nineteenth and twentieth century. She raised the philosophical quandary of an ongoing struggle at the center of democracy – the state against the nation – and explained that the essential composure of the republic is found in the contest between group and individual needs. Dr. Gaffield argued that the Haitian conception of the border certainly has relevance to contemporary US conversations about democracy. Haitian restrictions on white land ownership, as well as the porousness of the border which encouraged the migration of dispossessed people, send contrasting messages when held against the idea of who belongs in this historical moment.
Dr. Gaffield argued that Haiti stands out because it was the second independent state in the hemisphere, but it was the first where abolition was the driving force for independence. Abolition in Haiti unfortunately did not equate to freedom the way that individuals had hoped for. The needs of the state to protect the lives of the property of the citizenry stressed the creation and maintenance of capital through an export economy. In order to secure freedom in the sense of abolition, there was a restriction of freedom as the independence of human beings over their own movement and choices.
Dr. Feinberg said that her research focused on the interwar period in Czechslovakia … Democracy in Czechslovakia was not killed by Nazi Germany but was instead killed by authoritarian/authoritative democracy which wanted to cohabitate with Nazi Germany while still holding onto democracy as part of its heritage – it was "democracy only in name." In 1918, the Czechslovakian government formally equate women with men to symbolize equality and progress and move away from the Hapsburg dynasty. Women's suffrage passes the legislature unanimously and the legislature states that "the law shall not recognize privilege of sex," but institutionalized patriarchal sexism and discrimination does not have to be written down in order for the status quo to be maintained.
Dr. Steege used this part of the discussion as a pivot into Dr. Abugideiri's opening statement – asking who is allowed to be involved in the discussion. Dr. Abugideiri went on to ask discuss gender and citizenship in the Middle East. The Middle East itself is not an objective geographic entity – it is one shaped by external forces, global development, and internal disputes. She pointed out that the early twentieth century saw the fruits of the labors of democracy in Europe, specifically Great Britain and France, resulted in opposition by those states to the forces of democracy in other places, especially the Middle East. The Cold War saw the entrenchment and institutionalization of authoritarianism in Middle Eastern powers, including radical attempts at democratization in Iran and Egypt, and a constitutional crisis in Egypt in the interwar period.
The rise of the U.S. as the sole superpower was refracted throughout the Middle East as U.S. interest in oil, Israel, and arms sales created complexities and contradictions – the U.S. helped prop-up authoritarian regimes in both Iran and Egypt. Islamism emerged as a political force in the 1930s, initially it was anti-authoritarian while attempting to create theocracy, whereas in the latter half of the twentieth century and the beginning of the twenty-first it has been conceived of as more strict and conservative. Dr. Abugideiri argued that the U.S. does not support the liberals or the radicals in the Middle East, that after the Arab Spring our government has supported new authoritarians. Perhaps this is because the order they impose serves economic interests in this country. In any case, Dr. Aubgideiri concluded by discussing how the interaction of global and internal dynamics has complicated the question of citizenship in the Middle East, noting especially that the introduction of women into the democratic process further complicates it because of the ways the state wants to regulate women's bodies and labor for the state's productive ends.
Dr. Steege saw this as an apt point to bring in Maia Ortashvili to discuss moments of emerging democracy in the failure of empire, the opportunity of democratic expansion in post-Soviet settings, and to question the waning of the window of opportunity for the spread of democracy. Ms. Ortashvili said that there are basically three categories in the post-soviet nation-states, with the political spectrum from democracy to authoritarianism visible on a map on a west-to-east axis. The farthest west, including the former Czechoslovakia, "graduate" to democracy by fulfilling the expectations of the European Union and NATO in government reform, setting a standard for Black Sea countries to follow. On the opposite side of the spectrum are Russia, Belarus, and Central Asian countries which borrowed some parts of the democratic prescriptions they received from the West, but are primarily authoritarian.
She named Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine, "sometimes Armenia," and formerly Azerbaijan as among the "hybrid democracies" with philosophical and institutional underpinnings in both camps. This leaves the region in a "bipolar" situation where nations are largely either associated with the EU or Russia and Russian influence. Dr. Steege's introduction to Ms. Ortashvili included mentioning Francis Fukuyama's concept of an 'end of history,' where the end of the Cold War would see the transition into a world system where competition is solely over markets. Ms. Ortashvili called-back to that at the end of her closing remarks, noting that the end of history came decades ago for many of these countries which had established democratic republics in the early twentieth century which were forcefully annexed by the USSR in the 1930s.
In part 2.2, we will look at the general discussion and question-and-answer session of the event. The video and audio can be found here, at the Lepage Center Site.
Campus Events, History in the News, Interesting Articles
Arab Spring, Czech Republic, Czechoslovakia, democracy, History in the public interest, Lepage Center, Soviet Union


The Elan 310, here in "deep draft" version, is a 30'4" monohull sailboat designed by Rob Humphreys. She was built by Elan Yachts (Slovenia) and made of GRP (glass reinforced polyester). The production started in 2009 .
The Elan 310 is as well listed, on Boat-Specs.com, in version Standard.


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Home / Blog / SUPERGIRL, WONDERGIRL AND THE JAROONSAK FAMILY GYM
SUPERGIRL, WONDERGIRL AND THE JAROONSAK FAMILY GYM
Muay Thai is a living art, constantly evolving, being reinvented. Techniques are passed down, adapted and often improved. An example of this is Ann 'Supergirl' Jaroonsak, who has been causing a sensation on social media with her spearing knees. That a 16 year old female has adapted a technique so well is a testament to Muay Thai's versatility and also the resourcefulness of Jaroonsak gym.
Located in southern Bangkok the gym began when former Sor Vorapin fighter Jaroonsak started training his daughters in a small area at the front of his house. Soon other kids in the area joined and eighteen months ago a gym complete with ring was built.
"The girls were fighting regularly and becoming well known, we needed a proper area to train", says Jaroonsak. Today the gym is a hive of activity with Thais and foreigners training every afternoon. Ann and her sister 20 year old Nat 'Wondergirl' are both fighters and trainers.
"I could never run the gym without them", says their father. Besides studying, the girls are now accomplished fighters with championship belts. Traditionally females weren't encouraged to try Muay Thai, however this has changed in the last decade. Jaroonsak believes the sport has lots to offer women and girls. Besides fitness and self-defense, there are opportunities for fame and travel.
This has proved true for Anna who recently returned from a trip to China where she appeared in a TV series. While Nat eyes more MMA fights. Both girls are fluent in English, another benefit of the gym.
While Muay Thai has a lot to offer, so does running a gym. Through hard work and resourcefulness the Jaroonsak family have created a space for a diverse group of people to come together. Like most Thai gyms, the atmosphere is warm and welcoming. A place where there are no strangers, only friends you haven't met.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Most months, Charles Oppenheim, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) Chief of the Visa Control and Reporting Division, provides visa bulletin explanations and predictions. Predictions for cutoff date movement were included in the February 2019 Visa Bulletin, and the employment-based predictions can be found in the MurthyDotCom NewsBrief, February 2019 Visa Bulletin: Cutoff Date for EB3 India Passes EB2. With this update, Mr. Oppenheim explains a bit about the movement in the employment-based cases for India and China.
Mr. Oppenheim explains that the main reason India's cutoff date in the employment-based, third preference (EB3) category has passed that of its counterpart in the employment-based, second preference (EB2) category is that there has not been a great demand for EB3 from most other countries of chargeability. This is allowing more of the visa numbers to spillover to EB3 India.
This transition no doubt will result in an increase in the number of EB2-to-EB3 "downgrade" cases from Indian-born applicants. If the increase is significant, this eventually could lead to EB2 India once again having a more favorable cutoff date than EB3 India.
For many months, it was China, not India, that was experiencing the issue of EB2-to-EB3 downgrade cases. Now, however, EB2 China has returned to having a more favorable cutoff date than EB3 China. Mr. Oppenheim expects this will not change in the near future. To the contrary, movement in the EB2 China category is expected to outpace that of EB3 China for at least the next several months.
MurthyDotCom will continue to closely monitor and report on movement and predictions related to the monthly visa bulletin. Subscribe to the MurthyBulletin to receive updates.


It's rare to see someone dressed in earthy hues during India's festive season, but Kriti Sanon's khaki Manish Malhotra sari proves that they can most definitely be worn for celebrations. While her contemporaries celebrated the festival of lights in bright yellows, royal blues and scarlets this year, Sanon attended director Karan Johar's house party in a greenish brown net version of the Indian staple with a pretty silver border. But it's not the embroidery on the sari that's got everyone talking; it's Sanon's not-so-basic sari blouse.
Head to Manish Malhotra's Instagram page and you'll see that the designer recently shared a picture of what Kriti Sanon's silver and khaki blouse looked like from the back. While the front was fairly simple (the round-necked number featured khaki fabric under silver lattice work), the edgy details at the back brought together two strips of fabric that let Sanon show off her toned shoulders. A blouse like hers is a great alternative to predictable cuts, and would look perfectly on point at your BFF's sangeet ceremony.
Keeping with the colour palette, Sanon complemented the silver work on her outfit with silver jhumkas (note: silver jewellery is currently a favourite with everyone from Sonam K Ahuja to Anushka Sharma), and left her hair down for her evening out. The next time you step out this festive season, give a look like hers a try.


Bounty Hunter License For Each State.
Alabama to Wyoming; plus Canada .
Bounty Hunters are called Professional Bondsmen or Agents of Professional Bondsmen.
A Bail Bondsman can give authority to an agent to apprehend a fugitive by endorsing a certified copy of the bond and the act to apprehend. The Bondsman or his agent can pursue the fugitive anywhere in the state. Alabama does not have any special regulations in regards to bounty hunting. A licensed private investigator can act in the capacity of a bounty hunter.
The main requirement to become a bounty hunter in Alaska is to obtain a bail bond limited producer license.
Alaska's requirements are not high to become a bounty hunter, since a private citizen is allowed to make arrests. Bail Recovery Agents and residents can both arrest a fugitive and turn them over to the police officials for a fee. It is recommended to get bounty hunter training.
Arizona is very concerned about bounty hunters and has more regulations than some of the other states.
To work as a Bail Recovery Agent you are required to work for a licensed bail bondsman. You must complete 20 hours of state approved training. You cannot have a felony conviction or have been convicted of a crime with a weapon. Arizona does require a state bail recovery license. There are restrictions on what you can wear and display, so people know you are only a bail enforcement agent and not law enforcement. You need to contact the licensing authorities and study all regulations.
You cannot represent yourself as a bounty hunter in Arkansas. To be a bail enforcement officer in this state you have to be either a law enforcement officer, a licensed private investigator or a licensed bondsman from a bond-issuing state.
To act as a fugitive recovery agent in Arkansas you must be a licensed bondsman or a private investigator; or be employed under the licensing terms of either profession.
California requires Bail Enforcement Agents to take a state test, complete state approved training and obtain a license. The state does have a specific bounty hunter license, you are called a Bail Fugitive Recovery Agent or Bail Enforcement Agent. You may track down a bail fugitive if you have written permission from a licensed bail bondsman, or be employed by a licensed bail bondsman.
The California Bail Agents Association can be a world of information and assist you in obtaining your license. You must be at lease 18 years old, have no felony conviction, be a U.S. citizen and a California resident. After training you can apply for your license with the California Department of Insurance. You will need to pass an exam with a passing score of 70%. You are required to work closely with law enforcement. Any uniform you wear cannot give the idea that you are a state approved law officer. The training consist of a 40 hour Police Officer Standard Training - power of arrest course and a 20 hour Department of Insurance approved licensing bail education course.
Colorado requires all Bail Recovery Agents to be licensed and complete a bail recovery training course.
Colorado is not as tough as California or Arizona, but they do require a background check and no felony convictions. The license is issued by the Department of Regulatory Agencies, through the Insurance Division. Contact that division for more information.
The state of Connecticut monitors Bail Enforcement Agents. They require formal training, background checks and a state license, issued by The Department of Public Safety.
The state licensing board makes sure that bail enforcement agents are well qualified and know all the laws that pertain to them. There are requirements on your uniform and how you perform your duties. You are also required to work with law enforcement when going after a fugitive.
The Department of Safety is responsible for the activity of Bail Enforcement Agents. You must complete state approved training and obtain a state license.
The minimum age is 21 years old with no felony convictions. There are specific requirements for your uniform and in the way you capture a fugitive. You will also have to work closely with law enforcement.
Bounty hunting in the district does not occur very often, so there are very few requirements.
The only requirements are that you become a bondsman. To engage in the bonding business requires a background check and you need to obtain a license.
You cannot call yourself a Bounty Hunter in this state (by state law). You are either a bail bondsman or a surety agent. You are required to work with the courts and obtain their permission before going after a fugitive.
You have to be 18 years old, be a resident of Florida, go through a tough background check, pass a state test and obtain a state surety license. There is also continuing education every 2 years. Due to the high crime rate in south Florida, there seems to be a demand for licensed surety agents.
In Georgia, bounty hunters are called Fugitive Recovery Agents and work very closely with law enforcement. Agents are regulated by the Georgia General Assembly.
To become an agent in Georgia you must complete state approved training, obtain a state license and be employed by an established bondsman. The Georgia Association of Professional Bondsmen can offer a lot of information.
The only requirement is to be over the age of 18 years old. There is no requirement for training or a license to be a Bounty Hunter.
You are required to work under a contract with a licensed bondsman, but realize they only hire the best and only the people they trust. Presently the legal system is trying to pass laws that will require training and licenses for bounty hunters. The present fugitive recovery system works because the bail bondsmen are very careful who they hire. Therefore, it is very difficult for a rookie to find work as an agent. The best way to join this industry is to get hired by a group of established bounty hunters.
Idaho does not require a license or training to operate as a Bounty Hunter.
You are required to be a resident of the state and follow the statutes that cover bail arrests and bond insurance. Established bail bondsmen only hire agents they know and treust; plus have a successful record. This is a tough state to break into the business; unless you are connected. If you have a strong resume, with past experience, then this could open some doors. Recommend you talk with an experienced bondsman to gain more information.
Forget about being a bounty hunter in Illinois. Bail bond firms are not allowed to operate in the state. The industry is totally controlled by the state and bounty hunting is banned.
People wanting out of jail on bond receive the bail bond from the state. In fact, bounty hunters from other states cannot operate in Illinois. Agents from another state can be charged with kidnapping if they try to apprehend a fugitive they have chased into the state. A few of the regulators have attempted to allow bonding firms back into the state, but this has failed.
The state of Indiana requires Fugitive Recovery Agents to be licensed, pass a state test and be a resident. All agents are governed by the Department of Insurance.
The license is called a Bail Agent's License. You must be 18 years old and not have a felony conviction. You are also required to have knowledge of the bail bond business.
Bounty hunters are called Bail Enforcement Agents. They must be 18 years old, obtain a state license, have no prior convictions and pass a background check.
You are required to complete state approved training before the license will be issued. As an agent you must work closely with law enforcement. There is also a requirement to prove your financial stability. The Department of Public Safety can offer you more information.
In the past Kansas had some tough laws for bail bond firms and the fugitive recovery business. Those laws have been repealed and now there are no specific laws that apply to bounty hunters.
Since there is no license requirement, it means that anyone can become a bounty hunter. It is recommended that you do receive professional training, but the field is wide open. Realize that bonding firms only hire the best agents with proven records, but there are still opportunities, if you can get hired. As an agent you will have to notify law enforcement prior to an arrest. You are not allowed to have a past felony conviction within the past 10 years. The Kansas Bail Association is trying to get stronger legislation to regulate bounty hunters.
Kentucky has banned bail bond firms and bounty hunters. Bounty hunting is illegal in the state.
The police and state law enforcement are the only people who can make bail fugitive arrests.
Louisiana requires Fugitive Recovery Agents to be licensed and take the state approved training.
No license will be issued if you have a felony conviction. You must work for 6 months with an existing licensed agent before your license is issued. The Louisiana Department of Insurance issues the license and can provide more information.
There is no license requirement for bounty hunters. The bounty hunter works for a licensed surety company that issues the bail bond.
Realize that the state of Maine has the lowest crime rate in the nation. They also have the lowest number of people in jail. This all equals very few requirements for bounty hunters and very few job openings. It would be best to become a bounty hunter in any of the adjoining states. Career opportunities are very slim for bounty hunters in Maine.
Only requirement is that you are employed by a licensed Bail Agent.
Bail Agents (bondsmen) have very strict state laws they must follow, so these firms are very careful who they hire as bounty hunters. There is state legislation pending to regulate bounty hunters. The best recommendation is to learn the bail bond business. Talk to some of the larger bail agent firms to learn more about the business.
There is no license or training requirement for bounty hunters. The only requirement is to observe state laws and register with the Superior Court.
Register with the court then contact a bail bond company. Learn the state bail bond laws. Crime was on the rise in Massachusetts, even though they are one of the lower crime states in the nation.
Michigan does not require a license or training to be a bounty hunter.
You do need to work with a bail bond company. The state gives you arrest authority, but local law enforcement must be notified when you plan to arrest a fugitive. In some cases they will assist you in the arrest. Due to the facvt that some of the cities have the highest crime rate, there is a demand for bounty hunters. The job is on the dangerous side in these high crime areas, so make sure you receive the best training possible.
There is no license or training required to be a bounty hunter.
You must be employed by a bail bond company. The bonding company is going to require you to have training and a past history of fugitive recovery. This is a hard state for a rookie to become a bounty hunter. Talk to a bonding company to see if you can offer some free service to work for them and learn.
To be a Bail Enforcement Agent in Mississippi you need to be 21 years old and be a resident of the state for one year. You need to complete a state approved training course offered by the Professional Bail Agents Association.
Once you complete the training you can apply for a state license from The Department of Insurance. Past felony convictions are not allowed and you must be employed by a licensed bonding company. There arer state regulations for bounty hunters and you need to learn these regulations.
Fugitive Recovery Agents must obtain a license issued by The Department of Insurance.
There is extensive training, you must be 21 years old and a resident of the state. You must have a high school diploma or GED. No felony convictions and you must work with a licensed bonding company. There is a full background check. Contact The Department of Insurance for more details.
This is probably the easiest state to find work as a bounty hunter. There is no specific state legislation for Fugity Recovery Agents. No license or training requirements.
All you have to do is get a job with a licensed bail bond company and abide by the insurance laws of the state. A past criminal record does not seem to be a problem in Montana, as long as it is not recent. Contact a licensed bail bondsman or surety insurance firm for employment and more information.
Bounty hunting is not governed by any specific state laws. You must follow the common laws of the state.
The first thing to do is to be employed by a bonding company. Since there is no license required a past minor criminal record would be accepted. Contact a licensed insurance company, that issues surety bonds, for more information.
Nevada is one of the tough states to become a Bail Enforcement Agent. You must be 21 years old, have a high school diploma, complete extensive training and pass a very difficult test. It can take up to 9 months to get your license.
The training includes the use of firearms. The Nevada Division of Insurance issues the license and can offer more information. There is a background check and a drug test. The state only wants the best qualified people to be Bail Enforcement Agents. If you have a criminal history of convictions, forget about being a bounty hunter in Nevada.
As a bounty hunter in New Hampshire, you are a representative of the state. There is state law that applies directly to Recovery Agents. You are required to complete state training, be certified and obtain a license. You must also provide liability insurance on yourself.
You work as a Recovery Agent representative of the state. You must notify authorities prior to a fugitive search. Contact The Secretary of State office for more information.
New Jersey requires bounty hunters to be a minimum of 25 years old. You must have 5 years experience as a private investigator or law enforcement officer. If you have 5 years as a proven bounty hunter, that experience would be accepted. New Jersey wants the best of the best and there is nothing here for a rookie.
A license is required, a tough back ground check, criminal history check and drug test. There is extensive training and bounty hunters in New Jersey are probably the best in the nation. Bounty Hunters are regulated by the State Police and if you have a criminal record, forget about being a bounty hunter. The state Department of Law and Public Service can offer you more information.
There are no specific laws governing bounty hunters. You do need to learn the state laws of bail enforcement. You must work with a licensed bail bondsman.
There is required training along with 30-hours of on-the-job training with a licensed bondsman. Upon training completion, you can then apply for your license, but still must work with a bail bondsman.
Rookies can forget about becoming bounty hunters in New York. You are required to have three years experience as a police officer or a licensed private investigator.
You will need to contract with a licensed bail bondsman. A Bail Enforcement license is required along with passing the bail enforcement course. There is a background check and criminal history check. New York only wants the best people with past law enforcement experience.
In North Carolina you work for and are sponsored by a licensed bail bondsman. There is 20 hours of bail enforcement training, plus you are required to obtain a state license.
The minimum age is 18 years old. You must be a resident of the state and have no felony convictions. You must know how bail enforcement operates and have experience in bail enforcement duties. There is a criminal and background check. You answer completely to your bondsman and cannot operate as an independent bounty hunter.
The minimum age is 18 years old. There is no license requirement, but you have to be employed by a licensed bail bondsman.
No training is required, but there is a background check and you must be a resident of the state. Contact a licensed bail bondsman to learn more.
To be a bounty hunter in Ohio you must become a surety bail agent. This requires completion of state training.
The minimum age is 18 years old. You must pass a state exam and complete a licensing certificate program. Contact a bail surety company to obtain more information.
There is no license requirement, but you must be employed by a licensed bail bondsman.
To be an agent of a bail bondsman you will need to attend training, be 21 years old, have a clean criminal record and be a high school graduate. You must be a resident of the state. Contact a licensed bail bondsman for more details.
Oregon does not allow commercial bail enforcement and does not allow bounty hunters in the state.
State and local law enforcement take care of all bail enforcement.
Pennsylvania does not have a lot of laws affecting Fugitive Recovery Agents. There is no license requirement. You will need to provide personal information on an application and take weapons training that is state approved.
Expect a background check and you must be at least 18 years old. The state does require a physical exam and a psychological profile test. You will work directly with bail bond firms, so it is recommended you contact one of the larger firms for more information.
Rhode Island does not require a license for Fugitive Recovery Agents. You are required to obey the common laws of the state.
You must find employment with a licensed bail bondsman or bail surety firm. It is a good idea to learn the state laws of bail enforcement and contact a bonding company for more information.
South Carolina requires bounty hunters to complete approved training, take a state exam and obtain a license.
You must be 18 years old, be a resident and have no felony offences. The license is issued by the South Carolina Department of Insurance and can provide you with more information. You will need to connect with a bail bond company and they will have to endorse you and inform the state that you will be working for them. The South Carolina Bail Agents Association can also provide you a lot of information.
South Dakota requires a minimum age of 21 years old to be a bounty hunter. You must be a resident of the state and have no felony convictions. They do require you to obtain a state issued license.
The license is issued by the South Dakota Division of Insurance. You will need to gain knowledge about the state bail bonding laws. It is best to approach a licensed bonding company to gain knowledge of the business and make contact for possible future employment. The state has a written exam and training is highly recommended.
Tennessee does not have any specific regulations for bounty hunters. You are required to complete state approved training and you must apply for certification.
You cannot have a felony conviction on your record and will have to be employed by a licensed bail bond company. The Tennessee Association of Professional Bail Agents can provide more information.
You cannot be a bounty hunter that operates on your own in the state of Texas. This state has strict laws that control the arrest of a bail bond fugitive.
The only person that become a bounty hunter in Texas is a licensed private investigator, a law enforcement official or a state commissioned security officer. Bail bond firms can only work with these people. The state requires these people to obtain a state license to perform as a bounty hunter.
Utah has a lot of laws that regulate a bounty hunter. You must complete required training, gain experience in the field and obtain a state license.
The state would prefer that bounty hunters gained experience as a law enforcement officer. You must have a letter stating that a bail bondsman will hire you upon receiving your license. There are three different levels of bounty hunters in the state. Contact a licensed bail bond firm and they can explain the different levels; plus provide more information.
There is no licensing requirement in Vermont. You do need to obtain approval from the state Commissioner of Banking and Insurance. Upon approval the court can give you the authority to apprehend fugitives.
Bounty Hunters work with bonding companies. Training is not required, but it is recommended to complete a bounty hunting course and try to get field training from another agent.
Virginia requires you to be 21 years old, have a high school diploma or GED and complete state approved training.
Once you complete the training you can apply for a state license. No felony conviction allowed in your past. You are required to be under contract with a bondsman to pursue a fugitive. Virginia has quite a few laws in place that cover Bail Enforcement Agents and you need to know these laws. The Department of Criminal Justice Services can offer you more information.
Washington requires you to have a license, be at least 21 years old, have a high school diploma or GED. A felony conviction will not be accepted. There is a requirement to complete state approved training.
There is a written exam and background check, along with state certification to carry a weapon. You must be under contract with a licensed bail bond firm.
There is no license requirement, but you must register with the West Virginia State Police Department. In order to register you must have employment with one bail bonding company.
The State Police will conduct an interview to check your qualifications, perform a background check and ask what type of training you have completed. It is recommended to talk with a bonding company to gather more information.
Wisconsin has no commercial bail bond system. Bounty hunting is illegal and subject to arrest.
The courts and state law enforcement control the bail bond system.
There is no requirement for training or a license. You must contract with bail bondsmen and follow the common laws of the state.
A Fugitive Recovery Agent can make an arrest without the approval of local police. You must know the state laws that control the surety companies. Recommendation is to contact a bonding company to gain more information.
No bounty hunters allowed in Canada.
Canada and the United States have laws in place that there will be no cross-border kidnapping of Canadians. The Canadian courts police their own bail enforcement.


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3d Cir: Employers cannot use paid meal breaks to offset unpaid overtime
A few weeks ago, I blogged here about a federal agency — one that rhymes with EEOB — reaching a 7-figure settlement with its workers of alleged Fair Labor Standards Act overtime violations involving comp time.
Last week, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals issued an opinion, in which it addressed another tricky situation involving overtime offsets.
The facts alleged were rather straightforward. The plaintiffs claimed that they were scheduled to work 12-hour shifts. And, supposedly, the plaintiffs worked before and after their 12-hour shifts, time for which they were allegedly not paid. However, the plaintiffs conceded that their employer paid them for 30-minute meal breaks during their 12-hour shifts. Still, the plaintiffs argued that they were owed overtime.
The defendants argued that they should be allowed to offset what it paid the plaintiffs for meal breaks during their shift—for which they was not required to provide compensation under the FLSA—against such required overtime.
Break time and the FLSA.
Under the FLSA, when employers offer short breaks — generally anything less than 20 minutes — that's considered compensable time. The time "worked" during those short breaks gets lumped in with the other hours worked during the work week and considered in determining if overtime was worked.
The FLSA does not require that employers provide any break time — let alone longer breaks such as meal breaks. Bona fide meal periods (typically lasting at least 30 minutes) are not work time and are not compensable. Put simply, the FLSA does not require that employees be paid for 30-minute lunch breaks.
Pay for lunch, offset overtime?
In a word, "nope."
Here's the money shot — see what I did there? — from the Third Circuit opinion:
Among the bedrock principles of the FLSA is the requirement that employers pay employees for all hours worked….The regulations also support limiting employers' ability to offset overtime liability….Nothing in the FLSA authorizes the type of offsetting…, where an employer seeks to credit compensation that it included in calculating an employee's regular rate of pay against its overtime liability….In essence, at the point at which compensation is included in the regular rate (regardless of whether the Act required it be included), an employer may not use that compensation to offset other compensation owed under the Act.
Let's break it down…
If an employee works; an employee must be paid for that time.
There are limited exceptions to Rule No. 1; e.g., 30-minute meal breaks.
Heck, you don't even have to provide meal breaks.
But if you provide meal breaks and pay employees for meal breaks, you cannot offset those payments against other hours — especially overtime hours — your employees work.
Overtime, Pennsylvania, Third Circuit Employment Law 101 and Wage and Hour


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Each day, an average of 85,700 passengers ride more than 300 Amtrak trains over a national system covering 21,300 miles. There are many software programs, projects, and analytics that enable those passengers to have an enjoyable ride.
Volanno has developed several key software programs for Amtrak that do everything from tracking each train to allowing passengers to interactively plan their trip. We have also taken the lead on project managing major projects like Onboard Wi-Fi, Passenger Information Display Systems, Trackside Wi-Fi, and Onboard Information Systems. We have also assisted Amtrak with making smarter business decisions, improving efficient operations, increasing higher profits, and creating happier customers through advanced data analytics such as a train status algorithm.
The United States has the safest and most efficient air traffic system in the world. In order to maintain that status, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) spends a considerable amount of time reviewing operational data, modernizing their support systems, and engaging subject matter experts on a variety of topics.
Volanno has been at the forefront of modernizing various FAA software systems, providing vital operational data through ASPM, a data warehouse of performance metrics, and developing actionable dashboards aimed at transforming operations and enabling decision making. In addition, Volanno has provided program and project management consulting services to fill vital roles aimed at enhancing productivity, decreasing costs, and improving safety.
Parsons is one of the premier technology-driven engineering services firms with more than 70 years of experience in the engineering, construction, technical, and professional services industries.
Parsons recognized the incredible success that Volanno has with building custom software and contracted with us to build and maintain a key contract management system for a contract Parsons holds with the Federal Aviation Administration. This system tracks work requests for drafting, equipment installation, and other technical services.
The Port Authority of Allegheny County provides public transportation throughout Pittsburgh and Allegheny County by operating, maintaining, and supporting bus, light rail, incline, and other services for approximately 200,000 riders a day. The Port Authority is currently focused on enacting a number of improvements to make service more efficient and easier to use.
Volanno is supporting a key modernization effort to integrate financial, operational, and equipment maintenance systems through the implementation of PeopleSoft, an integrated software package that provides a wide variety of business applications to assist in the day-to-day execution and operation of business processes. Volanno has provided Program Management and implementation resources to ensure that this project remains on time, on scope, and within budget.
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA, Metro) is the mass transit provider for the Washington, DC Capital Region. Metro operates the second largest heavy rail transit system, sixth largest bus network, and fifth largest paratransit service in the United States.
One of Metro's major initiatives is to replace WMATA's existing Comprehensive Radio Communications System with a new Metro Area Radio System as well as the Public Safety Radio System in its entirety, and provide the infrastructure for a Cellular Neutral Host System. Volanno was selected by Gannett Fleming Parsons (GFP), to provide Program Management support.
CALTRANS (California Department of Transportation) manages California's extensive transportation systems, including train services provided for the Surfliner, Capitol Corridor, and San Joaquins train routes. The Warranty Data Performance System (WDPS) application tracks repairs needed on any of the train cars and engines operated on these routes. The system tracks repair status, warranty status, repair costs, penalty fees, lost service time, and a wealth of other information needed to accurately track and manage repairs and their effect on train services overall.
Volanno was selected through Jacobs, the Prime Contractor, to provide Caltrans with the support needed to develop and maintain the WDPS application based on our subject matter expertise in train tracking and train systems.
Volanno has developed content-rich landing pages for onboard Wi-Fi systems on Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority (CCJPA), San Joaquins Joint Powers Authority (SJJPA), and LOSSAN Rail Corridor Agency (LOSSAN) train services.
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01/07/2021 Film Carnage - Rebecca
Review: Notes
Written and directed by Jimmy Olsson, when Philip moves into a corporate apartment for a project, his only company is his piano keyboard. Missing his girlfriend back home, he composes a song for her, but when he can't get a bit right, a better variation plays through the wall from his neighbour. Starring: Philip Oros, Moa Silén and Richard Sseruwagi.
Music is a universal language, it can express or change your emotions, it can be tied to memories throughout your life and as this film demonstrates, create meaningful connections. This story explores the power of music, what it can mean to find a group of notes that relate to how you feel and how it can easily turn into a shared experience. Everyone can relate to the turmoil of relationships, making its lead (Oros) utterly sympathetic. Given that the film is twenty minutes long, some would read that as long for a short film but the progression of the story keeps you hooked in and the credits are rolling before you know it. One of the aspects that helps it flow so smoothly is the huge vein of kindness that runs throughout it, it's heart-warming and touching. It also brings in a surprising comedic edge, a touch that helps keep that relatable feel going strong. There isn't a huge amount of dialogue to the film but that works in its favour as the film actually tends to have more to say when it's saying nothing.
Jimmy Olsson's direction is as emotionally charged as his writing, it moves in a way that's graceful and subtle. The slow close-ups and smooth editing give the time for its feelings to land and connect. There's then shots focusing more on the details, there's a moving quality to watching his hands glide across the keys and out of the shot. It has an understated, flowing feel to its strong theme of sentimentality. The gradient of its visual also pushes that emotion further, having a nostalgic feel to its almost muted colour palette. Everything about its visual quality emphasises the emotions being brought forth by its writing and acting.
Philip Oros has an immediate air and look to him that's relatable, he's embodying your classic average guy, you don't know much about him but he doesn't give off a feeling of being vain or arrogant. He has to go through a decent amount of emotion in this role and he handles it extremely well, going easily from happy to angry to depressed, and especially in the latter moments when he expresses his character's change and realisations purely through his eyes and facial expressions. Although it wouldn't serve the story this film's telling, it would have been great to see more from Richard Sseruwagi, in the brief moment he does appear, he has such a lovingly wise and generous quality.
Notes is a love letter to music, how much it can mean to you, how it can create an instant connection with another person and how it can perfectly express your emotions. Its direction, writing and acting are all emotionally charged, its style is understated with a certain elegance to its movement. It flows smoothly and draws you in deeply to its emotional journey which keeps a great pace. It's sentimental, moving and hugely satisfying to watch, ending on a note of hope and kindness.
Verdict: ✯✯✯✯½ | 9/10
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