Voices of Xenia

The Tale of the Castle and the Political Sandbox

(Photo by Scott Gries/Getty Images) Content © 2010 Getty Images All rights reserved. When I was in kindergarten, I had to sit in time-out for throwing sand.  I had already suffered the humiliation of getting my name on the blackboard because I forgot to do a morning activity, matching a paper bear with my phone number.  So, when I was caught throwing... [Read more of this post]

Hijacking History, Part 3: Educating Ideologies

This post is the third in a series of blogs of I’ve written following the actions of the Texas State Board of Education (SBOE) at their January meetings to approve revisions to the state’s K-12 social studies curriculum.  Known as TEKS, these standards will determine the learning goals for Texas students for the next decade and will also impact... [Read more of this post]

The Evolution of the Heroine…

Australian actor George Lazenby poses with several of his female co-stars whilst filming the new James Bond film 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service' in the Swiss Alps, 22nd October 1968. From left to right, the actresses are (at the back) Helena Ronee, Zaheera, Catherina von Schell, (sitting) Anouska Hempel, Julie Ege, Joanna Lumley and Mona... [Read more of this post]

January Updates

Hello Friends of Xenia, I hope this note finds you well and enjoying the first weeks of the new year and decade.  We are in preparation mode at Xenia, and there are several things I want to make you aware of: First, our fifth annual Sam Matthews Social Justice Award Banquet has been postponed to Thursday, February 11 at 7 p.m.  It will be held in... [Read more of this post]

How We Live Matters: City Design in the Modern Age, Part 1

Oklahoma City skyline, circa 1955 -This is part one in a series about city design and the perception of modern-day communities- It’s a sunny winter day as I maneuver my bicycle from Norman’s Boyd Street to Porter Avenue and finally onto Main Street, rolling toward my favorite coffee shop. The gears click harmoniously with my perpetual leg... [Read more of this post]

Nothing to Report

If you’re my Facebook friend, you might have noticed my status update on Friday afternoon, in which I vaguely reported: OK, fine! Nothing, there’s no color to report. Happy? (sheesh!) I’m probably not letting any cat out of any bag if I actually reveal what I was talking about. Yes, I gave in to the many many (many!) inbox-forwarded... [Read more of this post]

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