Hank001 wrote:... Which was BADLY needed since the local campus is empty for summer, ..
In my experience, that can be one of the best times for students to hang out, if even for just a little while. I remember opting to stay during the summer for a bit and it was a blast. (Even if not taking classes or just a light load.) Profs were more approachable, too, with lower class sizes for some reason... Some students still thought like they were in High School - Summer = Vacation. IIRC, I took my first summer off in terms of classes, but stayed for the rest.
On a different tack, something worth noting for everyone:
Today was Octavia Butler's birthday! (A Google Doodle told me...)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octavia_E._Butler
Yes, she was a "she." Yes, she was an "African American." (She was "black.") Yes, she was, in a large way, an "activist" during times filled with cultural and social turmoil. And, yes, she was a SCIENCE FICTION WRITER!
Why note it? Because, we're all here because of Science Fiction. Science Fiction can be so much more than just spaceships and lasers. It can make a statement, it can address cultural and social issues, it can introduce brand new "practical" ideas or even far fetched ones. It can create a sandbox where we can say "what if" and then go wherever the "if" takes us.
Science Fiction is
important.
And, anyone, not just white males with backgrounds in science, can write it.
And... you can say what you want, write what you want, and nobody can easily condemn you for it.
("Easily" - There are plenty of banned Sci-Fi books.)
So, yeah, Octavia Butler. No, I haven't read a bunch of her stuff, but that doesn't matter - I am overjoyed that the genre welcomed her contributions.
Celebrate science fiction, dudes and dudettes, because it's a genre that has a powerful voice.
