Nat Geo Birthday, German Uni X Exodus, UCLA Fire App Extinguished, & More
Around the College Towns: Links and commentary related to urbanism and higher ed for the week of Jan. 11 - Jan. 19.
Note: Around the College Towns is my links round-up post that comes out every Friday. I include links to articles that I find interesting and that may have fallen through the cracks. I will also offer some short commentary per each link that may grow into full-featured posts in the future, which are my weekly Monday posts.
National Geographic Turns 137
The National Geographic Society celebrated its 137th birthday this week. The adventurers released a celebratory illustration from
, who you may know from the enchanting Dinotopia book series (he also has a Substack called Paint Here). While the society is more than the magazine, the magazine is why most of us know the name National Geographic.The illustration caught my eye because it harkens back to Norman Rockwell’s nostalgic Americana and the heyday of the magazine industry. It is especially poignant as National Geographic doesn’t really exist as the same magazine we all grew up with, laying off its staff writers in 2023. I am an avid collector of old issues, and I will have a future post on the magazine’s legacy and importance.
UCLA Fire App Shutdown By Uni
The fires are still a concern down here in Southern California, and many college communities are still grappling with how to handle the start of the upcoming semester under such conditions. One enterprising student from UCLA pitched in to help by creating a fire watch dashboard called uclafire(.)org that tracked problem areas, evacuation notices, and university messaging. See the video of the site below:
Unfortunately, UCLA didn’t like Kyle Jeong’s usage of the name and likeness of the university. I guess I can understand the concern that it could create some confusion in a time of chaos. But did you really go to college if you didn’t ruffle the admin’s feathers a bit? I am happy to report that Jeong reworked the name, now called westwoodfires.org, and the site is live reporting updates as I type this. There is a bright future for Jeong!
Harvard Hires Former Trump Staff as Lobbyist
Harvard University hired Ballard Partners to consult on lobbying efforts. The firm employs familiar political names from the Trump administration, such as Pam Bondi, the incoming president’s pick for attorney general. I should also note that it is not just Republicans associated with the firm. Even Biden world alumni, such as Jill Biden’s former press secretary Michael LaRosa, will be part of this lobbying team. Washington DC is a small fraternity, and protecting the endowment is serious business!
German Universities Quit Twitter X
Over 60 German universities have stopped using the X social media platform. Some of the reasons cited are unacceptable behavior and issues in free speech. Those notable institutions who left according to Anadolu Ajansı:
Düsseldorf Heinrich Heine University
Freie Universität Berlin
Humboldt University
Heidelberg University
Münster University"
RWTH Aachen University
German Sport University Cologne
European University Viadrina Frankfurt
I have noticed that higher ed is rapidly becoming absent from X. My colleagues are gone, and institutions are abandoning the platform. I do not blame them, X is not old Twitter. But it is unfortunate that the sector is becoming more siloed without a central Internet Town Square.
Mandarin Spikes at Duolingo
In more social media news, Duolingo has reported a massive jump in people taking their Chinese Mandarin language services. The jump is reportedly related to users moving to the app Xiaohongshu, fearful of the US ban on TikTok.
I am a bit dubious of Duolingo Mandarin’s impact (I use it myself and don’t think it’s very good), but I am always happy to see more engagement with China. Americans should be learning about the country, and few do. Mandarin language courses have cratered in the US, few students study abroad in China, and joint programs are closing down between the two countries. I’ll have more on this in an upcoming post.
Peak Child
Max Rose over at Our World in Data has reported that the world has passed “peak child.” This means that the world’s population should begin to decline soon. The birth rate and de-population have become a growing concern for many countries, even those that aren’t fully affluent yet.
While I agree that it is an issue that needs to be grappled with, I am skeptical of a kind of reverse Malthusian disaster situation looming for the planet. Just like the failed prediction of the Population Bomb in the 1970s, I believe we will innovate a way out of it. More to come on this important issue.