BACK TO SCHOOL: MIT's disappearing Black student population, Affirmative Action, and sea changes in higher ed

Hello!A quick note before we start: We recorded this as we always do on Tuesday for an early Wednesday release. The last part of the show focuses on what at the time was a wishy-washy and evasive response from Kamala Harris when asked about what Trump and Vance were doing to Haitian residents in Springfield, Ohio. Since then, Harris has come out and called their attacks a “crying shame” and likened it to Trump’s demonization of the Central Park Five. We decided to keep the section in the show because while it’s great that Harris did finally address it, I (Jay) still find it interesting that she chose to liken it to well-worn things she’s already talked about, but decline to say anything positive about immigrants or immigration at all. This defensiveness is what we were responding to and while I think the tone we reached would’ve been muted a bit, I still think the logic is sound and relevant. Other than that, we talked about how we now view the “fascism debate” in light of these disgusting attacks on a specific, vulnerable population who already is seeing daily bomb threats at schools, and we talked a bit about the latest assassination attempt on Donald Trump’s life. Enjoy! This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit goodbye.substack.com/subscribe

Hello!Today we have a fun conversation with recurring guest Ben Recht, a professor of computer science and machine learning at UC Berkeley and Leif Weatherby, an associate professor of German at NYU. We talk about the article they wrote about Nate Silver’s latest book, the world of Big Data, and then we start talking about how maybe the inability for the iPhone to improve might signal a type of end of history. This was a fun one with lots of random asides with two very smart people so please enjoy! This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit goodbye.substack.com/subscribe

Hello!Welcome back to school everyone. This week, we talk about an article in the New York Times that asks whether we infantilize students and whether we should start treating 18 year old college kids like adults. We also get into the admissions numbers out of MIT after the Affirmative Action Supreme Court and whether we might be seeing a sea change in how the public looks at prestigious Ivy League institutions (as in they hate them now). Enjoy! This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit goodbye.substack.com/subscribe

Hello! Today, we talk about Kamala’s big speech at the DNC, the cat-and-mouse game her campaign is playing with the media, why we’re probably fine with it in the end, and RFK’s 45 minute speech that outlined his new role as Trump’s new attack dog. (Mostly because JD Vance is not doing so well.) We also talked about scandal in the English Department at Pomona College and a big story in the Chronicle of Higher Education that stars some of the most annoying people you’ll ever read about. Also as a periodic reminder: This show is free and we love putting it out, but if you enjoy what we do and can find it in your heart to hit the subscribe button and contribute $5 a month, it really does help us keep going with this project. Thank you! This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit goodbye.substack.com/subscribe

Hello! We’re joined today by Matt Karp, a columnist for Harper’s, a professor of History at Princeton and one of the most intelligent and incisive writers on the left. We talk about AOC’s big night at the DNC, the somewhat moribund state of the left after Bernie’s big win in the 2020 Nevada primary, and whether the future for the left is bright or gloomy. This was a lively one and lotta good thinking from Matt here so please take a listen! One note: apologies I think there was some street work being done towards the back end but we tried to clean it up as best as we could. Shouldn’t be too much of a problem. thanks! This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit goodbye.substack.com/subscribe

Hello!Today, we talk about the rural vote and the positioning of Tim Walz as the rural whisperer. Will it work? Is there such a thing as a “rural identity” that might look at Walz and gravitate towards him? What’s the thinking behind all that? To help us through it, we talked to Paolo Cremidis, the organizer of the recent Rural Americans for Harris Zoom call and the executive director of the Outrun coalition. Topics covered: Ice skating rinks turned into giant Fiji water bottles, running back Obama, the Sims, how the culture warriors of the right misunderstand rural voters and what rural voters actually want. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit goodbye.substack.com/subscribe

Hello!This week we’re extremely excited to have on Astra Taylor, a filmmaker, author, and organizer with the Debt Collective. We talk about Walz, whether VP picks matter, good vibes and joy for once, and also what the hell was RFK Jr. thinking when he dumped that dead bear cub in Central Park. Astra also talks to us about the book she co-authored with Leah Hunt-Hendrix titled “SOLIDARITY: THE PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE OF A WORLD CHANGING IDEA,” which all of you should pick up and read as it’s extremely relevant to everything we discuss on the show. Enjoy!Jay and Tyler This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit goodbye.substack.com/subscribe

Hello!We brought back repeat guest and esteemed journalist Bradford William Davis to talk about White Dudes for Harris, “weird,” and Trump at the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) conference this week in Chicago. Also discussed: good cringe, Cocomentum, and whether the left should just kinda let the liberals and the identity politicians cook. Please enjoy! This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit goodbye.substack.com/subscribe

HELLO! Today we talk about the Kamala campaign, who she should pick as VP, speculate on where Joe Biden might be, and offer a spirited defense of AOC doing politics. Gets a bit unhinged in the middle tbh but we at least had a good time with this one. If you’d like to see Trump play the theme song, click here (Substack won’t let us embed tweets bc Elon did it first, I guess. https://x.com/GraduatedBen/status/1815807377309864437 This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit goodbye.substack.com/subscribe

Hello! Today, we talk about what exactly is going to happen to the country just a few days after the assassination attempt of Donald Trump and whether this will go down as a turning point in the country’s history or if it might just be quickly forgotten as everyone goes deep into RNC and JD Vance talk. Jay shares his very stupid thoughts on whether Donald Trump might have seen God after a near-death experience and the chances that he might be a changed man and Tyler makes both the best case and worst case for what will happen with the Trump/Vance ticket. Enjoy! This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit goodbye.substack.com/subscribe