We're back for year 3! To say that academia is a wild ride and that we still have jobs is...an understatement. Whew! Nic and James take time to reflect on the summer break and their current trajectories before jumping into the newness of the year and all that comes along with it. Did you hear that we're getting some student loans cut by the Biden administration? Is it nearly enough? Do we need to continue demanding more forgiveness? Hint: You probably know the answer. Also, it turns out that big money and big tech are the only ones who can save us from ourselves?!? Oh, so much to unpack in this episode. Have a listen and find out!

Also, we want to hear from you. Drop us a line at lotjpod@gmail.com

Further Reading:

• “Biden’s student loan plan: What we know (and what we don’t),” Associated Press
• The Debt Collective
• “Biden Just Forgave Some Student-Loan Debt. Now What?,” The Chronicle of Higher Education
• “Higher Ed Must Change or Die,” Inside Higher Education
• ‘A Historic Moment’: New Guidance Requires Federally Funded Research to Be Open Access, The Chronicle of Higher Education
• The College Devaluation Crisis Market Disruption, Diminishing ROI, and an Alternative Future of Learning, Jason Wingard

What We're Reading:

• How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America, Kiese Laymon
• There’s a Disco Ball Between Us, Jafari S. Allen