Levi Vonk

Oct 18, 2024 | publicbooks.org | Levi Vonk |Megan Cummins

By the time the tear gas came we were ready for it. The police had already been gathering for hours along the university’s serpentine walls, forming ranks and donning battle gear. I’d dashed home and grabbed my camera, then talked my way back past the officers securing the perimeter against the thousands of students who’d come running from dorms and libraries to witness the standoff. “I’m a professor,” I told a cop.

Oct 18, 2024 | publicbooks.org | Nancy A Khalil |Levi Vonk |Charlotte Rosen

This essay was originally published in Middle East Eye. As the school year begins, universities across the United States are confronting their policies on free speech, protest and freedom of assembly. Some are revising these policies to include swift consequences for those who dare to follow what have been student protest norms for decades. Similar threats loom for university staff and faculty—not only those who protest, but even some who simply speak out.

Jun 18, 2024 | newsbreak.com | Levi Vonk

Welcome to NewsBreak, an open platform where diverse perspectives converge. Most of our content comes from established publications and journalists, as well as from our extensive network of tens of thousands of creators who contribute to our platform. We empower individuals to share insightful viewpoints through short posts and comments.

Jun 18, 2024 | lithub.com | Levi Vonk

Recently, I had a baffling exchange with my undergrads. I was teaching a course on southernness and southern literature, at a southern university, and I asked the nineteen students in front of me how many considered themselves to be “southern.” Only one. Then I asked how many grew up in a place that is technically part of the South. Fifteen tentative hands. Article continues after advertisementHow could this be? I asked. What was the distinction these young people were making?