Students and faculty at the Philadelphia University of the Arts were shocked to learn that the college was closing. The news was reported in a Philadelphia Inquirer article on Friday. The university later posted online that the college was in a precarious financial position after “years of declining enrollment, declining revenue and rising expenses.” The college is scheduled to close on June 7, with the community given just one week’s notice. Education reporter Kristen Graham sat down with the publication to learn more about the background to the closure and its impact on the roughly 2,000 students and faculty. Additionally, we heard from Natalie, a fourth-year student at the University of the Arts, about how she found out about the college’s closure just hours after receiving an email from the university to apply to graduate.
Bruce Springsteen’s Born united states of americaReleased in 1984, it was the best-selling album of 1985 and was misleadingly touted as a patriotic song during the Reagan reelection campaign. The lyrics actually describe the experiences of a disillusioned Vietnam veteran who felt abandoned by his country. Springsteen’s nuanced approach challenges perceptions and reveals a discomfort with how commercial success has led to a loss of control. We spoke to Steven Hyden, author of the book, about the song. Nothing could be done: Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the USA” and the end of Heartland.
