Matt Dilworth

Matt Dilworth

The March of Civil Rights

The March of Civil Rights

, , Library Resources, Matt Dilworth
The tumultuous month of April, 1968 was fifty years ago. It saw a national low on April 4th, when Martin Luther King Jr. was shot. And days later, on April 11th, it saw the high of President Lyndon Johnson signing the Civil Rights Act into law. Locally, it also saw the explosion in downtown Richmond on April 6th – the aftermath of which, in contrast to the violence and arson and riots seen nationwide, saw black and white Richmondites working hand in hand to staunch the damage – putting out fires together, perhaps a sign of hope in the midst of national conflict. But fifty years later, the march of civil rights is not yet finished. Perhaps this legacy and … Continued
Wide Awake

Wide Awake

, , , Library Resources, Matt Dilworth
This month features an opportunity to see a documentary, “Awake: A Dream from Standing Rock” about the failed Sioux-led protests against the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline, which in the process of delivering oil from North Dakota to Illinois crosses both the Missouri and Mississippi River upstream of American Indian tribal lands. Government pushback against the protests over the course of more than a year led to around 300 injuries and 500 arrests. This film is sponsored by the Diversity Events Committee and will play five more times in various venues on campus in the months of March and April. While the protest movement was not successful, it has brought national and international attention to the legal battles surrounding … Continued
Doing Our Homework

Doing Our Homework

, Matt Dilworth, Programs
Commencement is coming up in a few months, and lots of you will be walking away with a brand new degree, ready to get a good job that your new credentials qualify you for. But why is your degree worth what it is? Why do employers have confidence that a degree means you’ll be a great employee? Recently, we were visited by accreditors examining our upcoming Masters program for Public Administration. These are like ‘quality inspectors’ who make sure we’re doing what we say we’re doing, and that our program measures up to standards acceptable to the U.S. Department of Education. Our accreditors are chosen by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools from … Continued
Selling Yourself Quick

Selling Yourself Quick

, , Library Resources, Matt Dilworth
There’s excitement in the air for many seniors, as your college career hurtles towards its conclusion, and the outside world beckons. Soon, you will be hunting for a new job with your freshly minted degree. But that degree, significant as it is, doesn’t have a voice of its own. You’ll need to be able to sell yourself to potential employers. Sometimes, this will be in formal interview settings, after you’ve submitted a résumé to a job you really want. You’ll be able to lay out your full case for your aptitude and skill. But sometimes it will happen by serendipity – you being in the right place at the right time, able to talk to someone with power in your … Continued
Staying Sharp

Staying Sharp

, , Library Resources, Matt Dilworth
With the close of another semester, you’ll have a well-deserved break to spend time with family, catch up on pursuits you put off during the semester, and generally enjoy yourself. But the things you’ve learned – particularly critical thinking and how to research – can accentuate your everyday pleasures, too. For example, lots of us like to unwind after a long day with some time watching television. Plenty of TV shows and movies create immersive worlds for us to enjoy, but oftentimes the particulars have been changed to suit the dramatic narrative, and can give a skewed impression about what’s real and what isn’t. Maybe you watch history-inspired fiction on the History Channel, like Vikings, Knightfall, or The Curse of … Continued