A couple from the Petsana informal settlement in Reitz has been arrested following a tragic shack fire that claimed the lives of their two young children a seven-month-old baby girl and a one-year-six-month-old boy were burned beyond recognition after being left alone in their home while their parents allegedly went out drinking on Saturday night the couple was alerted by a community member that their shack was ablaze only to find emergency services and distraught residents already on the scene It was then they realised their children had been left behind Warrant Officer Mmako Mophiring confirmed the arrests “The parents allegedly left the children unattended in the shack while they went out drinking This gross negligence led to a devastating outcome The children were found burned beyond recognition.” The cause of the fire remains under investigation Police have opened an inquest and a case of child neglect The couple is expected to appear before the Reitz Magistrate’s Court today Bloemfontein Courant is owned by Mahareng Publishing a subsidiary of Caxton Community Papers and joint venture between Caxton CTP and Central Media Group © 2024 Bloemfontein Courant. Developed by Digital Platforms Borussia Mönchengladbach midfielder Rocco Reitz isn't actively looking for a new club Asked if he'll be staying at Borussia-Park beyond the summer I don't see any reason why I should have any other plans.” The midfielder is under contract until 2028 with a reported release clause of €20 million for the summer of 2026 Inter and Brighton & Hove Albion have all been touted as suitors for the central midfielder Reitz has featured 23 times for Die Fohlen this season JASON Reitz might be the most intriguing prospect in baseball right now The University of Oregon pitcher is turning heads for his sheer size Reitz is an abnormal baseball prospect, and could break records if he makes it to MLB and is catching attention from his recent pitching performances The right-hander made his best start of the season on Sunday pitching five solid innings allowing just one hit and one run he improved his record to 2-0 on the season and lowered his ERA to 4.02 His ERA is inflated due to a rough outing in his second game of the season, where he allowed five earned runs in just 1.1 innings. Since then, he hasn't allowed more than three earned runs in a game. Reitz's massive stature got the attention of the MLB TikTok account, which posted a video from his most recent start. and compared Reitz to a Hall of Fame pitcher "That’s another Randy Johnson," one fan said "Should’ve played basketball," another fan said "The second coming of Randy Johnson??" a third fan said "Looks like Paul skenes a lil," a fourth fan said "All I see is Randy Johnson 2.0," a fifth fan said he would tie a record as the tallest player in MLB history He would be just the third 6-foot-11 player Reitz is an inch taller than Randy Johnson who won five Cy Young awards and made 10 All-Star games at 6-foot-10 and will be eligible to enter the MLB Draft after this season if he chooses to Africa’s crypto narrative is maturing from informal peer-to-peer (P2P) trading to institution-ready infrastructure a crypto exchange headquartered in South Africa that operates across over 40 global markets Luno’s general manager for Africa and Europe tells BeInCrypto how the crypto exchange is positioning itself as a regional powerhouse in Africa Reitz started by revealing that Luno has outlived the boom-and-bust cycles that have come to define crypto since its establishment in 2013 Its early focus on regulatory alignment and user-friendly experiences set it apart in an industry often plagued by volatility and regulatory whiplash The exchange crafts access to a modern financial system many have been locked out of “We’re driven by a bold vision to upgrade Africa and the world to a better financial system we’re just getting started,” Reitz told BeInCrypto While much of the West obsesses over meme coins and ETF (exchange-traded fund) speculation Africa’s crypto story is rooted in pragmatism In South Africa, stablecoins like Tether’s USDT have now surpassed Bitcoin in trading volume this surge is driven by the demand for inflation-resistant dollar-pegged assets amid local currency devaluation already a major on-ramp for fiat-to-crypto conversions in the region we’ve seen significant demand for stablecoins on Luno We now offer low-cost USDT transfers across Ethereum and Tron with competitive fees and bulk trade options for professionals via our Trade Desk,” Reitz shared Additionally, Luno’s retail-oriented Luno Pay app integrates crypto into everyday life. South African users can now spend USDT and USDC at thousands of merchants, earning crypto-back rewards Unlike many exchanges that shun regulatory scrutiny, Luno embraces it. In South Africa, where crypto assets are now classified as financial products by the FSCA Luno has secured its operating license and helped shape its framework “Crypto bans force the industry underground We’ve observed that markets with regulatory clarity foster responsible innovation and consumer protection,” he explained However, challenges remain. If misaligned with market realities, South Africa’s upcoming classification of crypto assets as foreign or domestic investments could hinder institutional flows the FATF Travel Rule poses technical and operational hurdles due to fragmented provider ecosystems we’ve implemented the Travel Rule in other jurisdictions The FATF Travel Rule is set to take effect in May 2025 Across the continent, crypto adoption is outpacing infrastructure. Nigeria ranked second globally for crypto adoption, but this remains paradoxical as the country restricts naira P2P trading while fast-tracking exchange approvals under its ARIP framework this means taking a hyper-local approach to compliance “Africa faces significant challenges: regulatory fragmentation, limited banking infrastructure, and crypto-related scams and strong banking partnerships,” Reitz explained Mobile money is dominant in countries like Kenya and Nigeria. Luno’s mobile-native design and stablecoin access offer a compelling value proposition for both retail users and remittance providers Beyond individual users, Luno is also becoming a key partner for fintechs and payment firms. Its custody and liquidity services now support cross-border on- and off-ramping for traditional and crypto-native partners “We receive inquiries from large multinationals wanting to shift part of their payments to crypto Our infrastructure allows them to do so securely and efficiently Luno confirmed,” Reitz stated This is pivotal for Africa’s $48 billion annual remittance market What does the next five years look like for African crypto markets it’s a convergence of retail empowerment and institutional maturity “We expect crypto to become as ubiquitous as banks—used to save, invest, and transact. Stablecoins will anchor trade settlements while ETFs and bank-based crypto products will dominate mature markets like South Africa,” the Luno executive told BeInCrypto Luno is already laying the groundwork. Its Trade Desk, custody solutions, and upcoming stablecoin expansions suggest an exchange ready to grow from a user-friendly app to an institutional-grade platform In a region often overlooked by global players, Luno’s longevity is compelling. While challenges around regulation and infrastructure persist, its blend of compliance, innovation and education positions it among notable actors in Africa’s crypto arena Join Our Telegram Due to recent events, you can now leave online condolences with each obituary posted on the Kutis Funeral Home website. COVID-19 Funeral Assistance – FEMA is now helping those that have lost a loved one from COVID-19. Click HERE to review the information on eligibility and requirements on the COVID-19 Funeral 1927 as the third of four children of John and Emma (Reichert) Martineau Luke’s parish grade school and graduated from Maplewood High School and they enjoyed 38 happy years together until his death in 1987  She is survived by their children Mary Ann Steiner and 1 great-great-grandchild will miss her cookies and visit with her many friends and large family Mary Magdalen Catholic Church in Brentwood Burial immediately following at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions are requested to the Missouri Conservation Department Heritage Foundation www.mochf.org The family is especially grateful to her good neighbors and the staffs of McKnight Place and Evelyn’s House for their exceptional care Much love and prayers for a truly special lady I will never forget how she introduced me to blueberries at breakfast on her back porch and celebrated my 21st birthday with champagne in her kitchen Mary Ann – Peace be with you and your family Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" For personalized and affordable funeral arrangements choose Kutis Funeral Home - a family-owned establishment serving St 2906 Gravois Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63118314-772-3000 10151 Gravois Road, St. Louis, MO 63123314-842-4458 5255 Lemay Ferry Road, Mehlville, MO 63129314-894-4500 Reitz served as Texas’ Deputy Attorney General for Legal Strategy from November 2020 to May 2023. During Reitz’s tenure, the Texas Attorney General was involved in multiple cases related to the state’s abortion bans and restrictions—including the Center for Reproductive Rights’ challenge to a 1925 law prohibiting all abortions in Texas.  Reitz served as Chief of Staff for Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) beginning in May 2023 and administrative teams as well as staff for the Senate Commerce and Foreign Relations Committees and a dozen regional offices throughout Texas.  Used false and inflammatory rhetoric about abortion Solicitor General | Office of the Solicitor General The decision to cease FACE Act enforcement along with the President’s decision to pardon 23 people convicted under the FACE.. Borussia Monchengladbach’s arm may be twisted into selling gifted young star Rocco Reitz in summer It appears that the 22-year-old would like to stay put at Borussia Park for a while longer having extended his contract last February until 2028.  an exit clause was secured by his agent which becomes active in the summer of 2026 The German could leave Die Fohlen for a fee of around €20million.  With Transfermarkt.de valuing the midfielder at €15million already Gladbach may be forced to cash in on their prized asset who are not in the healthiest financial position The Duisburg native is believed to have already attracted interest from potential suitors in England and Italy including Manchester City and AS Roma If Reitz is to be sold the hope is that the fee will be in excess of the €20million release clause valid from 2026 Funds could then be used by Gladbach to invest in other areas of the squad Die Fohlen have already secured the services of Jens Castrop for €4.5million from 1.FC Nurnberg who will arrive next summer.  18-year-old prodigy Nicolas Swider and loan returnee Oscar Fraulo could also deputise if Reitz leaves Rocco’s younger 20-year-old brother, Tony Reitz, recently left Gladbach for pastures new and joined the Borussia Dortmund reserves.  Rocco Reitz has established himself as a key player in the middle of the park for Borussia Mönchengladbach has been trying to make a name for himself at the club as Borussia Mönchengladbach announced on Tuesday Tony Reitz has now opted to join Borussia Dortmund's reserves instead “We would have liked to tie Tony down to us for the long term and offered him prospects for the future,” said Borussia Mönchengladbach's director of development We wish Tony all the best for the future.” How do people respond when the world around them falls apart I gained some insights during a brief trip up north last week The first came on a quiet evening in Petoskey where bestselling author Leif Enger gave a talk on his latest novel a day laborer who spends his days drifting across Lake Superior in a leaky old boat The novel includes scenes set in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula that the story is unfolding in a dystopian world Enger wrote the book during the COVID-19 lockdowns and the subsequent political turmoil “Democracy is no more in America,” said Enger Indentured servitude has made a magnificent comeback The most popular medicine available is a suicide pill and justice is dispensed not by impartial courts but by religious zealots.” Then came the most surprising reflection of the evening “I’ve been trying to understand,” Enger said has been the most hopeful writing experience that I’ve ever had.”  How does a story about loss and terror evoke hope I thought about that question while driving through Northern Michigan knocking out the power for hundreds of thousands of people disrupted cell phone service and closed schools and businesses The Department of Natural Resources said the storm damaged nearly 1 million acres of state forest local and federal agencies are responding with emergency declarations and financial assistance Trees are scattered along highways like toothpicks ranging from insurance companies to government agencies to individuals who own homes and businesses What struck me was the number of people who showed up to help Hotels are filled with utility crews and emergency workers instead of tourists Leif Enger recognized the enigma of finding hope in a grim world — which is how people actually respond to a real-life tragedy People don’t stand around and wait for the person in charge they grab a chainsaw and start clearing a path Sometimes, the most helpful thing government can do in an emergency is step aside. Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, for example, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer realized that state regulations on medical licensing and hospital capacity were impeding the medical response. Whitmer temporarily suspended those unhelpful regulations but state and local officials can plan ahead and communicate their plans they should make room for civil society to act even strangers passing out food — these are not secondary to a relief effort Reitz is executive vice president of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application passed away peacefully at home with family by his side on January 10 touching the lives of many.During his youth Bill's profound sense of duty led him to enlist in the Navy in 1945 where he served with honor as a World War II veteran His tenacity and drive continued post-service when he enrolled in a program through the VA to become skilled in both letterpress and offset printing Bill was dedicated to the printing industry until 1989; when he retired Bill was a devoted American Legion Post #77 member in Hendersonville NY.Those who knew Bill will fondly remember his love for the outdoors for Bill was a true embodiment of the spirit of self-reliance and resourcefulness.Family was Bill's treasured compass throughout his remarkable 97 years He is survived by his daughter Claudia Hager and her husband Larry; his son "Chip"; his sister Jeanne Hunt of Nebraska; and he is reunited in rest with his beloved wife Bill was a cherished uncle to many nieces and nephews each of whom will carry a part of his legacy forward.William "Bill" Reitz's life was defined by his unwavering courage He leaves behind a tapestry of memories woven through the lives he touched and the community he held dear His story will be remembered and told by generations to cherish the remarkable man that he was.  the family would like for their father's memory to be honored by donating to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation they can also be reached at 718-987-1931.  This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors Gretchen Whitmer called out the plight of young men in society in her recent State of the State address are three times more likely to buy a house today than single men Whitmer also decried a gender gap in the Michigan Reconnect program where female college enrollment outpaces male enrollment two-to-one it’s worth evaluating what problem our society is facing and whether government policy has harmed the people we’re now trying to help “I know it’s hard to get ahead right now,” Whitmer said directly to young men as a group during her address This focus is new for Whitmer — in her previous six annual addresses, she never mentioned the challenges young men face. But she is not alone. Other Democratic governors, including Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont, are addressing these issues But concern about young men as a demographic goes beyond politicos Richard Reeves worked at the Brookings Institution before launching the American Institute for Boys and Men. His organization is asking why men are four times more likely to die by suicide in America or why 71% of opioid overdose deaths in America are men a political economist with the American Enterprise Institute has studied the quiet but devastating trend of working age men leaving the workforce In his 2016 book “Men Without Work: America’s Invisible Crisis,” Dr Eberstadt documented a decades-long trend of able-bodied men leaving the workforce he found that the work rate for American men 25-54 was lower in 2015 than it was at the end of the Great Depression he was gratified that elected leaders like Whitmer recognize a problem Eberstadt cautioned against new government programs or incentives that could make the policy worse stop providing perverse incentives that discourage employment that a student can graduate high school without a practical skill He recommended vocational training and apprenticeships as an alternative to college Another harmful government policy is barring people with a court conviction from working in certain industries Policymakers should consider “the millions and millions living in the shadows” because of a criminal record “The last thing any of us wants is a generation of young men falling behind their fathers and grandfathers.” This is the first challenge of policymaking: Is there a problem we can actually solve through policy we should evaluate if earlier policy decisions are making the problem worse By 2024-09-30T14:36:00+01:00 best known for the influential Heimat trilogy has started shooting his latest film Leibniz a portrait of leading Enlightenment thinker Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz A German polymath and one of the founders of calculus Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz was one of the most important thinkers of the late 17th and early 18th centuries Leibniz recounts five days in his life in the winter of 1704/05 when he is supposed to sit for a portrait painter at Herrenhausen Palace a young female painter from the Netherlands takes over She sets herself the task of capturing his whole personality in the picture with all its achievements and hidden fears getting Leibniz to open up his soul to her Antonia Bill and Michael Kranz in the other leading roles who produced the Oscar-nominated The Teachers’ Lounge Leibniz is a co-production of if… Productions with Edgar Reitz Filmproduktion with BR/arte The screenplay is co-written by Gert Heidenreich and Edgar Reitz with Matthias Grunsky as director of photography and Renate Schmaderer as production designer Esther Amuser as costume designer and Birger Laube as make-up artist The film is being shot between September 20 and October 22 Edgar Reitz was honoured earlier this year with the Berlinale Camera award and has received numerous prizes including the German Film Award several times the Luchino Visconti Prize at the Italian David di Donatello Film Awards Reitz’s feature film debut Mahlzeiten premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 1967 and received an award as Best First Film Der Schneider von Ulm (1978) and the Heimat trilogy (1984-2004) Die andere Heimat - Chronik einer Sehnsucht (Home from Home: Chronicle of a Vision) followed on from the trilogy; it was awarded Best Film at the German Film Awards in 2014 Monday’s statement to reporters follows Truth Social The posting on Trump’s Truth Social platform is sending shockwaves around the world US industry frantically working out possible next steps ‘Ish’ and ‘Learning To Breathe Under Water’ will also feature Company’s latest foray into genre will open theatrically on October 10 Screen International is the essential resource for the international film industry access to the Screen International archive and supplements including Stars of Tomorrow and World of Locations Site powered by Webvision Cloud {[ if (obj.is_online) { ]} {[ } ]} {[ if (obj.date_time) { ]} {{ date_time }} {[ } ]} {[ if (obj.location) { ]} {{ location }} {[ } ]} {[ if (obj.is_repeating) { ]} Repeats {{repeats}} {{ until }} {[ } ]} {[ if (obj.has_map) { ]} {{ location }} {[ } else { ]} {{ location }} {[ } ]} Select one or more items below to generate a custom URL for your feed Showing search results matching "{{ obj.search_str }}" Date range: {{ formatDate(obj.start_date Y') }} {[ if (obj.end_date) { ]} to {{ formatDate(obj.end_date Clear all filters Current calendar: {[ if (!_.isEmpty(group)) { ]} {{obj.group}} {[ } else { ]} Main Calendar {[ } ]} Subscribe to all {{obj.group}} events University of FloridaGainesville, FL 32611UF Operator: (352) 392-3261Website text-only version UF Public Recordshttp://publicrecords.ufl.edu/Contact: Janine Sikes352-846-3903 Send help right to the people and causes you care about Your donation is protected by the GoFundMe Giving Guarantee « Back Manchester City are reportedly monitoring German midfielder Rocco Reitz who has been likened to compatriot Michael Ballack and could serve as an ideal replacement for the injured Rodri City have struggled enormously since Rodri ruptured his ACL They have since lost five times in all competitions Concerns have been raised over the midfield with Ilkay Gundogan singled out for his struggles in the 4-0 loss to Tottenham in late November City are believed to be assessing midfield options According to GIVEMESPORT they have been keeping tabs on Borussia Monchengladbach 22-year-old Reitz who has been likened to former Germany midfielder Ballack due to his quality on the ball The barren run of form at City without Rodri has led them to seek reinforcements with the club weighing up whether to test the Bundesliga side’s resolve given it’s believed they don’t want to sanction Reitz’s exit The report states it’s too soon to be certain if the Citizens will move for him in January the midfielder has cropped up on the radar of many Premier League clubs for his performances of late so they might decide to attempt to beat rivals to the punch READ MORE: The key contract details of every Man City first-team player: Expiry dates, weekly wages, agents… Reitz is just 22 and has performed aptly for Germany under-21s over 10 appearances City’s current holding-midfield options are ageing while 26-year-old Matheus Nunes has been used further forward when he has played it seems the Citizens could benefit from adding some youth to the engine room a player who can protect the defence but also score goals – six in the Bundesliga last season – might be a great asset to bring on board It is clear that City are keen to improve their midfield, with talks having apparently been held for Juventus pair Douglas Luiz and Nicolo Fagiolo Morten Hjulmand is also on City’s list but it’s believed Manchester United will look to barge them aside for the Sporting CP man Meanwhile, a move for Adam Wharton could be tough, as Arsenal are said to be in the mix for him the Citizens are said to be edging closer to confirming Erling Haaland’s new contract with a report stating they’re ‘increasingly confident’ of tying him down but whether or not his release clause remains is unclear By Samuel Bannister Last season was a breakthrough campaign for Reitz in the Bundesliga after his return to Borussia Monchengladbach on the back of a second loan spell in Belgium with Sint-Truiden Reitz only had four appearances for the club to his name at the time of his return but added another 37 by the end of the 2023-24 campaign in which his side finished in a disappointing 14th position Reitz earned the opportunity to train with the senior German national team in the build-up to Euro 2024 even if he wasn’t included in the final squad His debut at under-21 level had only come in November 2023 which shows how much he developed over the course of the season Reitz boasted good passing and tackling metrics last season A profile posted on the Bundesliga’s official website back in May 2024 compared him to Michael Ballack in terms of his playing style has highlighted his “aggressive” attributes but also his ability to spot chances to create in the final third Four times over the course of the 2023-24 season Reitz was named Gladbach’s player of the month before being nominated for their player of the season award None of his team-mates contested as many duels as he did over the season His reliability no doubt helped his development as he was able to feature in every Bundesliga match for his side he could develop even further throughout 2024-25 poignant and sublime work of cinematic artistry.” Edgar Reitz has always had a fascination with history and the role art plays in defining society at different points in the past There is a moment in his most recent offering where a man sits for his portrait in a stately royal manor and he asks the artist on the other side of the canvas why he has chosen this as his profession stating that he is “rescuing mortals from oblivion” A subtle but meaningful sentiment that quickly escalates into one of the many heated debates about the nature of existence that occur throughout Leibniz – Chronicle of a Lost Painting a film that leaps into the past and explores a very particular historical moment writer and academic who served as beloved Court Counsellor to Queen Sophia Charlotte of Hanover who was particularly fond of his intelligence and ability to find meaning in just about every situation This led her to commission a portrait of the man she dearly respected in the hopes that committing his visage to a canvas would allow him to remain eternal it is Pierre-Albert Delalandre who is commissioned to paint the portrait and whose talent does not outweigh his arrogance; he is soon replaced by Aaltje van der Meer who is well aware of her position as a female painter in a society driven almost entirely by patriarchal values She proves to be a perfect match for Leibniz who finds an unexpectedly kindred spirit in the thoughtful young woman who shares his fascination with questioning reality the pair forming a friendship that Reitz and co-director Anatol Schuster explore extensively throughout this stunning provocative historical drama that captures the past and the people who reside within it in vivid One should not be mistaken when venturing into Leibniz which presents itself as a historical drama but where the boundaries between fact and fiction are deliberately blurred With the exception of the titular character and the royals who he served there is very little information about several of the key players which seems to play into the directors’ intention to tell a story that has its roots in history but by presenting it through a fictionalized lens The purpose of this film is not to be a whistle-stop tour through the life and times of Leibniz or a statement on the political and social atmosphere of Prussia in the early years of the 18th century it aims to be a vibrant examination of the human soul as filtered through a series of conversations between the titular philosopher and various other characters that weave in and out of the film imparting their knowledge and expressing their existential curiosities creating a rich and captivating depiction of a number of complex ideas Reitz is aware of the weighty subject matter and endeavors to find ways around the denser theoretical components which are vital to the narrative in terms of providing context but would be too bulky had the entire film hinged on these more intense The director lays his intentions bare throughout while still keeping some elements concealed at first gradually revealing them when a specific moment calls for further insights It all coalesces around the discussion on the process of creation with the director making some bold comparisons between art over the years as a means to examine his own relationship with creativity and the process of using art as a way to capture those elusive thoughts that mere words can never quite do justice.   Leibniz may be a superbly engaging examination of the process of expressing one’s innermost quandaries through art there are additional elements that constitute this film and make it such a fascinating exploration of these varying themes detailed character study in which the actors deliver exceptional performances as these complex characters – Edgar Selge and Aenne Schwarz anchor the film as the titular philosopher and the artist commissioned to paint his portrait starting out in fierce opposition to one another and finding common ground once they realize that there are many similarities that bind them together Very rarely do we find a film that manages to be so extraordinarily compelling when the vast majority of scenes consist of two actors in a studio debating the nature of reality and plumbing the emotional depths of the human soul It is their spirited and complex performances that provide the necessary nuance needed to make this premise exceptionally intriguing and undeniably moving They’re supported by the likes of Lars Eidinger The film benefits immensely from her quietly compassionate portrayal of Sophia the Electress of Hanover that acts as the catalyst for the film’s central premise The performances are quite subtle (although there are a few moments where the actors take some bold risks in terms of their approach to characterization especially as the film is not entirely committed to authenticity and historical accuracy overall and gives the actors some degree of free rein to develop these parts) but they all represent something much deeper in terms of the philosophical underpinnings that pulsate throughout the film.   is a unique and captivating visual and tonal aesthetic that contributes to the general conversation around the role of art in capturing the past Reitz has consistently shown precise attention to detail when constructing his films being one of his most visually arresting works to date The entire film is enshrouded in a dreamlike hypnotic aesthetic that immediately separates it from the rigid dull period pieces we may anticipate based on a cursory glance at the premise and which proves that giving the benefit of the doubt to a filmmaker committed to examining history is always the most appropriate method of entering such a film The attention to detail is immediately notable with production design and costuming precise right down to the smallest most nuanced feature in the continuous endeavour to capture the spirit of the past Reitz works closely with his collaborators on both sides of the camera to evoke this period handcrafting a film that doesn’t convey the sense of being a mere attempt to make a historical drama but rather a series of voyeuristic glimpses into the personal conversations between these people a vivid document plucked from the past and in which we are able to make some fascinating observations from a distance Several additional elements enrich the film – the titular portrait is never seen by the audience creating a sense of mystery and indicating that there is much more to this film than just the story of a painting being created which oscillates between intellectual musings and melodramatic reflections (punctuated by subtle touches of humour throughout) ensures that the film is consistently enthralling and deeply compelling even when engaging in slightly more challenging conversations that form its theoretical foundations Leibniz is the very definition of a late-period masterpiece in that it finds a legendary filmmaker reflecting on his relationship with art in the form of a well-crafted fascinating character study in which he examines the deepest crevices of the human mind and our understanding of the world that surrounds us While it may not be the sprawling historical epic that we found in Heimat (the work for which he will always be known) Reitz still commits wholeheartedly to challenging certain concepts and using them as the foundation for this vigorous engaging period drama that is as provocative in concept as it is stunning in execution It consistently straddles the line between tradition and innovation and is consistently seeking out ways to represent the underlying themes in a manner that is both entertaining and informative without becoming too restricted by its historical basis which Reitz is careful not to rely on as he ventures through a number of challenging topics Rather than being a stuffy period drama in which great actors are placed in beautiful costumes and told to do their best to recreate the past engaging character study that addresses a range of complex ideas each one gingerly placed throughout the film and brought to life with an elusive complexity that keeps us wholeheartedly engaged and enthused narrative and philosophical achievement in which Reitz cobbles together a series of philosophical musings about the nature of art done in an attempt to capture the spirit of existence through pondering many challenging themes poignant and sublime work of cinematic artistry that consolidates Reitz as one of our greatest and most essential visionaries.   WKCR is delighted to announce a unique 24-hour broadcast to celebrate the life and work of pioneering music historian This broadcast will truly be one of a kind including both the entire catalog of Rosetta Records—a label founded by Rosetta Reitz that released often sidelined or underappreciated music of early women of the Blues and Jazz—and special interviews and finds from the WKCR library and other archival collections WKCR will air all nineteen releases by Rosetta Records in full treating listeners to those rare recordings of artists such as Ma Rainey But we will also go beyond the recordings released by Rosetta Records to showcase the music of other early women Jazz and Blues pioneers––artists whom Rosetta loved but did not get the chance to feature We will also celebrate Rosetta’s other contributions to the music world such as her writing and criticism (she wrote detailed liner notes for every Rosetta Records LP) WKCR promises a segment devoted to rare 78s unreleased audio of a live concert organized by Rosetta and interviews with people close to Rosetta or experts in her life and work Come celebrate with us this incredible pioneer of the early Jazz and Blues as well as the music of those that she championed Listeners can tune in on 89.9FM or stream the broadcast live on our website Follow WKCR on Instagram (@wkcr) and Twitter (@WKCRFM) for updates about this special broadcast and future events online listening is available 24/7 at wkcr.org via our web stream we can continue to bring you innovative live-hosted radio Give Today board@wkcr.org Public File who as a 17-year-old joined a Boer Commando to fight the might of the British Empire in 1899 has been described as an adventurer that could have kicked dust into the faces of the likes of Livingstone and Stanley.  who drafted the ultimatum that led to the start of the Anglo Boer War where custodian Andre Reitz has established a restaurant and venue.  About 150 members of the Van Plettenberg Historical Society joined them on the evening and were spellbound by Emslie’s presentation and review of Deneys Reitz's simple and expressive style of writing Reitz's exploits during this time are contained in his three books the trilogy has been combined in Adrift in the Open Veld and it is a remarkable piece of Africana These books give an insight into South Africa's history during the Boer War the First and Second world wars – and the politics and machinations at that time believes that better known African explorers of earlier times would have paled against Reitz's adventures as explorer (particularly as Minister of Lands and Water in the 1930s to 40s) Reitz was given a Mauser Rifle at the age of 17 by Transvaal President Paul Kruger "I had started fighting when I was younger than him (Reitz)." Kruger asked that with his weapon Reitz should account for three "Rooinekke" and Emslie says he believes Reitz accounted for more than 30 most significantly after the Anglo Boer War when he preferred exile in Madagascar to serving under the British Empire both while "On Commando" with the Boer forces serving under General Jan Smuts and his two other books reveal the understated and simplistic way of life that Reitz led as young guerilla war veteran in German West and East Africa and the First World War (where he joined as a private and ended up commanding a Scottish Regiment in the trenches of Belgium He then served politically under Smuts again as deputy prime minister – ending his career as South African High Commissioner in London until his death in 1944 Reitz first met Winston Churchill (who was a Boer prisoner in SA while he was a war correspondent for the Times at 21) and recognised his stature as a future prime minister of Britain fighting Hitler during the Second World War Reitz also rubbed shoulders with royalty during his time in Britain and was told by King George that the King kept copies of two of his books for bedtime reading King George wanted to bestow a Royal honour on Reitz at the time – but Reitz had to decline the honour because the government in SA had legislated that none of its citizens could receive such an accolade when he was the South African High Commissioner in London "The passing of Reitz comes as a shattering blow to me His loss is a national one and will be mourned all over this country which he knew and loved as no other In him passes one of the greatest South Africans of our generation and he leaves a record of achievement of which South Africa will remain justly proud.  I remember him as a dear friend and a comrade the faithful companion through vicissitudes such as few have passed through and he leaves a personal memory which I shall treasure all my days." receives a gift of thanks from Len Swimmer chairperson of the Van Plettenberg Historical Society ‘We bring you the latest Garden Route Dennis graduated from Goodrich High School in 1967 After graduation he joined the Air Force as a Wheeled Mechanic Following his honorable discharge he attended college at UW-Oshkosh and they were subsequently blessed with two children He worked various jobs until his retirement as a Sgt of Corrections at Fox Lake Correctional Institute Dennis had many interests including photography and prided himself in lawn care management (mowing) He was an outdoorsman and avid hunter who spent countless hunting seasons with many generations of the Hayward Hunters His hunting prowess earned him a hill named after him (Dennis’s Hill) Dennis is survived by his loving wife Kathy Reitz his favorite son Christopher (Sarah Brown) Reitz sisters Gail (Leo) Anthony and Roxana Reitz (Doug Fields) He is also survived by nieces and nephews Jason (Sarah) Anthony his grandpup Chloe and all of his “favorite” cousins Dennis was preceded in death by his caring daughter Ashley “God saw you were tired when a cure was not to be So He wrapped his arms around you and whispered ‘come to me.’  You didn’t deserve what you went through And when I saw you sleeping so peaceful and free from pain I could not wish you back to suffer that again.” we hope you are enjoying a giant bowl of ice cream while asking everyone “Can I help you with that?” and sharing one of your favorite sayings “I’m just trying to be helpful!” Good words to live by Thank you to Eden Vista for the love and compassion shown to Dennis and to Preceptor Hospice for making him comfortable.  Memorials can be directed to the charity of your choice.  Visitation will be held from 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM The memorial service will begin at 6:00 PM followed by Military Funeral Honors rendered by the US Air Force Services are in the care of Uecker-Witt Funeral Home Additional information and guestbook can be found at ueckerwitt.com  Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text The towering 6-foot-11 right-hander turned heads during the Ducks’ 3-2 win over rival Oregon State pitching five strong innings and allowing just one hit while striking out a single batter.  But, it was a clip of Reitz in action that really caught fire, posted by the official MLB TikTok account later that evening Captioned “that’s what we call a tall drink of water,” the video quickly exploded on social media racking up more than 1.2 million views and 154,000 likes in less than 22 hours.  Baseball fans were quick to marvel at Reitz’s imposing presence on the mound with many commenting on the unusual sight of a pitcher nearly seven feet tall dominating from the rubber "The Lakers need a center," one user wrote.  Oregon’s Jason Reitz pitches against Columbia Saturday © Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Reitz improved to 2-0 on the season and continued to show why he’s becoming one of Oregon’s most intriguing players His performance helped the Ducks (30-12) cap a crucial series sweep over their in-state rivals as the regular season winds down The Ducks and Beavers won’t have to wait long for a rematch Oregon will travel to Corvallis for a midweek game against Oregon State on Tuesday 13at3Maryland Photo by: Zoe RiversDominant Reitz leads Oregon to doubleheader split04/13/25 | Baseball He met Dottie Wind while working at a bank in Lincolnshire Gary was a man of many talents and interests and never met a kitchen gadget he didn’t love always ready with a great dad joke or a quick-witted comment He took pride in looking sharp—always dapper and stylish Gary had a smile with a twinkle in his eye and a way of making everyone around him feel at ease he’d give you the shirt off his back and Joshua; Loren (Scott) Klein and their children and Elliot; Leslie (Michael) Messagie and their children Leah and Ella; Donna (Craig) Lucas and their children and Grace; along with Robert and Daniel Murphy and their families He was also a proud grandfather to Dottie’s grandchildren Ronald (the late Barbara) Reitz and Shirley (the late Raymond) Kerley from 10:00 AM until the service at 12:00 noon at Davenport Family Funeral Home and Crematory In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to Stand Up to Cancer https://standuptocancer.org/ Davenport Family Funeral Homes and Crematory – Crystal Lake Home > 2024 > Charles Reitz’s Review of The Marcusean Mind Many of us have spent our whole professional lives as teachers in the multicultural education reform movement but we have faced strong opposition all along the way We worked hard to transform the curriculum in an anti-racist and anti-sexist direction – and over the course of about thirty years Some of us Marxists and critical theorists have called our work part of Dutschke’s ‘long march through the institutions’ Our progress has been opposed by the right-wing’s reactionary culture war against our advances in democratization That we have actually been successful is shown by how desperate the right-wing is to turn back our advances in education and politics It has been an uphill struggle all the way That this election was so close in the popular vote shows that we have been effective even if the outcome is a setback for multicultural democracy who have been the greatest force for progressive change it’s the progressive social movements – in the streets and elsewhere: the women’s movement all of whom who have been the civilizing forces of our age Radical educators have recognized this and stood in solidarity population still rejects critical reasoning and a lacks any real sense of history The bogus satisfactions of a patriotism of race and gender and nationalist superiority are still strong Are we not mortified by the outcome of the U.S 2024; further by the genocide and ecocide in Gaza renewed danger of ‘tactical use’ of nuclear weaponry in Ukraine famine in Sudan – catastrophe looming for humanity and the world According to one of the more than three dozen critical essays collected in The Marcusean Mind mass mortification may promote human survival (338) ‘toward a transformation that fosters the emergence of new needs and the burgeoning realization that those needs can only be satisfied by revolution’ (338) Herbert Marcuse’s caustic condemnations over fifty years ago of U.S capitalism and its systems of economic waste terror war and environmental degradation deserve invigorated discussion in cultural and political circles today Insights from some of the foremost Marcusean commentators and activists around the world today are brought together in the volume One of its distinguishing features is that it includes numerous chapters by younger scholars from across the globe This new generation is doing important work in advancing radical critical theory Readers will be captivated by the wide-range of resources presented The project was originally planned as a philosophical dictionary of Marcusean terms but evolved into a critical consideration of issues It retains an encyclopedic quality covering the history of Marcuse’s relationships with others connected to the Frankfurt School and its intellectual tradition (Löwenthal the philosophical foundations of Marcuse’s Marxist/Hegelian/Kantian/Freudian critical theory and the radical political implications of Marcuse’s thinking on the climate emergency the advent of authoritarian populism and neofascism the newest elements of queer theory and feminist critique Marcuse’s classic critique of technological rationality and the logic of domination function as a center of gravity in this volume (Feenberg given the prominence of Marcuse’s One-Dimensional Man in the overall reception of his political and philosophical influence Marcuse’s ‘afterlife’ evokes not only apt criticisms of lacunae in his historically conditioned work – a lack of a gendered analysis of reason for example (Kuhrshid) but this volume also extrapolates ongoing areas of Marcusean relevance which are intertwined across the volume and exemplify Marcuse’s intersectionality: global fascist counterrevolution and the mobilization of authoritarian populism John Abromeit and Terry Maley carry forward here their earlier work drawing out the implications of Marcuse’s critique of neofascist tendencies in the U.S They emphasize that Marcuse not only warned against ‘fascism emerging from within liberal democracies of the global North’ (475) but also how Marcuse valorized ‘the persistence of emancipatory possibilities and rebellious subjectivity’ (435) Marcuse’s emphasis on educational leadership and our ongoing need for critical political learning is highlighted: ‘people must liberate themselves from their servitude’ (351) We must also educate against the loaded and repressive use of tolerance in higher education and in the wider political culture The volume’s contours further enfold: the decommodification of labor and life postcolonial struggles in the Third World/Global South Marcuse’s relationship to Angela Davis and a prescient version of critical race theory and the far-right attack by Christopher Rufo the carceral state and abolitionist politics the digital culture industry and algorithmic ideology Marcuse was the only member of the Frankfurt School whose revolutionary project included ecosocialism and radical feminism The existential ecological threat of global oligarchic domination and the right-wing mobilization of authoritarian populism is countered by Great Refusal forces such as prefigured in Extinction Rebellion’s ‘appealing festival-like protest against that which is’ (339) Socialism’s minimum standards required the provision of adequate social needs-oriented programs and services such as housing law enforcement and public media that ensure the optimization of the human material condition the radical goals of socialism went beyond the elimination of want and poverty through efficient production and distribution of use-values: they involved a ‘qualitative leap’ in needs and values – not only against stupid performances and stupid merchandise The fullest development of socialism/communism reaches further: to labor that is free from its commodity form (as wages or salaries) becoming common work for the common wealth Labor’s liberation and sublation to the new commonwealth form allows human life to be infused with beauty from its foundation up – ultimately for the entire society to express itself as a work of art All of this ground is covered with scholarly aplomb Our charge is to expropriate the expropriators guarantee incomes to all and dismantle the military industrial complex continuing allegiances to crumbling structures of power will be seen as fatally misguided because they entail real material loss and suffering; they can and will swiftly shift Our duty over the long haul is to replace capitalist self-destruction with intercultural labor force activism and humanism – to create laboring humanity’s self-governing cosmopolitan commonwealth on earth We must build a new intersectional politics of Great Refusal and a revolutionary project of ecosocialism and radical feminism (Review author: Charles Reitz is a retired professor of philosophy at Kansas City Kansas Community College He has authored three monographs on Marcuse with the fourth to be released by Routledge in 2025 entitled Herbert Marcuse as Social Justice Educator [This review from Marx & Philosophy Review of Books is reproduced here under a Creative Commons License] Volume 9 - 2024 | https://doi.org/10.3389/frma.2024.1301354 The German system of higher education and public research is characterized by a high rate of temporary contracts with short contract durations and a nearly complete absence of structured career options About 82% of employees not holding a full professorship have fixed-term contracts with an average contract period of 20 months This is facilitated by a special fixed-term employment law (Wissenschaftszeitvertragsgesetz) which universities and other public research institutions have stretched to its limits Against the background of a survey which we conducted in 2021 and whose results once more demonstrate the shortcomings of this system we discuss alternative options in the form of model calculations We propose a reform of employment structures and career paths that could improve not only personal working conditions but also ensure the quality of research and teaching in German academia By quantitative comparison with the current employment situation our model calculation demonstrates that plannable career decisions can be enabled at an early stage without changing budgets or teaching duties We also show that the counter argument of a “congestion” of positions is not substantiated and that young scholars will still have the opportunity to start a career in the reformed system while the total number of employees can be kept nearly constant Discussions about limiting the rate of fixed-term contracts in German academia reach back decades now Yet both federal and state legislators as well as universities struggle to implement substantial reforms Ministries on the one hand acknowledge problems but share some arguments that have hindered reforms so far Some of these arguments have lost their appeal such as the need for a broad throughput of fresh staff to constantly generate new ideas A similar argument against creating more reliable perspectives and job security is that such a system would be too expensive and consequently exclude too many people from working in academia These arguments against creating a more sustainable employment structure at German universities have never been proven Much less have they been weighted against the downsides of such a policy: encroachment on employees' rights we demonstrate that sustainable job structures are possible without preventing new generations from finding jobs in academia and without altering universities' budgets we show that new employment structures would not only ensure a healthy balance between experienced researchers and doctoral students but also significantly increase teaching outputs so that studying conditions could be improved the following section first provides a brief introduction to the German academic system a statistical model of the current or status quo employment structure is constructed and several indicators are introduced for evaluating the status quo as well as alternative models These alternative models are presented and evaluated in section four 38) showed that postdocs in particular often do not seriously aspire to a habilitation or equivalent although that is the official reason for their fixed-term employment The proportions alone −87% of all academic staff compared to 13% of professors—indicate that non-professorial staff occupy a rather hybrid role (Bloch et al., 2023) and contribute to fundamental functions of the university involving not only research and teaching but also so-called self-administration (universitäre Selbstverwaltung) and other organizational tasks For what we address here as academic staff official statistics (ICEland 60302) show a large variety of formal positions apart from or below a professorship is the designation as research associate (wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiterin/wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter All other formal positions like “research assistant” (wissenschaftliche Assistentin/wissenschaftlicher Assistent) are largely due to historical developments and special policies in some of the German states The proportion of fixed-term contracts (85% Iceland 60402) within the group of these other designations does not differ much from that of WMAs (83%) although they presumably have longer work experience We will therefore consider them as one group Recent public debates on the German higher education system also refer to the different career phases (R1–R4) for academic staff as proposed in the European framework for research careers more independent postdocs and R4 full professorships These phases so far find little reflection in current employment situations in Germany In modeling academic employment structures a distinction should at least be made between pre- and postdocs even though their working contracts do not differ in kind and it usually remains undecided for postdocs whether they are still working to qualify for permanent employment at a university or will have to look for work in other sectors of the economy the lack of clear demarcations in current employment situations finds continuance in most statistical data in general and for the status quo presented here to determine how many employees can continue with a university career after having obtained a doctoral degree and how many people compete for a full professorship at some point much later in their career Furthermore, in accord with missing formal career paths for becoming a professor, there is no agreement about the formal end of a postdoc qualification phase (Krempkow, 2016), which contributes the difficulty of determining the total number of early career academics. The influential Bundesbericht wissenschaftlicher Nachwuchs (BuWiN – Konsortium Bundesbericht Wissenschaftlicher Nachwuchs, 2021) opted for a rather arbitrary age limit of 45 years to identify “offspring” proper a distinction is only made between doctoral and non-doctoral researchers universities have created positions for teaching staff for special tasks (Lehrkräfte für besondere Aufgaben These must be considered separately in our calculation as they carry a much heavier teaching load we also include honorary teachers (Lehrbeauftragte) in our calculations who are not employed but usually work on the basis of honorary contracts with very low remuneration Salaries for all employees except professors are based on the collective agreement of the federal states (Tarifvertrag der Länder, TV-L) with the exception of the state of Hesse, which has similar agreements. However, Germany's universities are creatively adjusting individual salaries to their needs and budgets by extending part-time employment to staff who effectively work much more hours (Kuhnt et al., 2022 While university statistics list the number of full-time and part-time positions—for all academic staff we calculate that 55% of people are paid full-time they do not list the average weekly working hours salaries play a subordinate role compared to the sources of funding Forty percent of all non-professorial academic positions are funded by project money (ICEland 60402)—usually for research projects— although universities rely heavily on them to maintain their basic functions in research and sometimes even teaching they are reluctant to create permanent positions from these budgets even in situations where the influx of funds is permanently renewed Universities act under the presumption that project income could stop completely at any time The situation is well illustrated by the fact that project funding accounts for a whole of only 1,365 permanent positions compared to 30,470 permanent positions funded by the universities' budgets Despite the frequently used term “third party funding” (Drittmittel), 85%4 of these funds come from public sources. It is therefore a political decision to organize funding in this way, further promoting fixed-term employment without clear career opportunities. Interestingly, even the German Science and Humanities Council (Wissenschaftsrat, 2023) Another reason for a lack of structured career opportunities at German universities is the atomized structure of decision-making mentioned in the beginning Not only do professors “own” project-funded positions that are granted to them but in most cases units with project-funded and budgetary positions combined are simply too small to allow for an employment structure that encompasses all career stages and thus could allow for steady upward mobility In order to propose new employment structures for academic staff available budgets and required teaching loads have to be estimated we developed status quo models based on statistical data in this section we will then present and discuss alternative models that overcome the current precarity chains of fixed-term contracts and poor career perspectives for university staff to develop models that can be compared to the status quo in terms of budget According to federal statistics (ICEland 60402), 113 German universities (not including universities of applied sciences, schools of education, art schools and theological universities) employed 25,645 full professors in 2021 (Table 1) This figure also includes “junior”-professors—which is only partially convincing regarding their employment situation the universities employed 193,365 persons as academic staff plus 6,490 LfbAs 114,225 (60%) staff members and 6,150 (97%) LfbAs have budgetary funding no further distinction is made among the LfbAs due to the low proportion of project-funded positions temporary positions are the dominant form of employment amounting to 82% of the positions of academic staff not holding a full professorship LfbAs are the only exception with a fixed-term rate of 30% by the tighter legal constraints for such contracts A differentiation between budget and project funded positions was not necessary in this respect Since the size of the model institutes has no influence on proportional distributions in the subsequent model evaluations it suffices to make a plausible guess for an average institute size All models can easily be scaled to other sizes Minor difficulties arise where fractional numbers are to be avoided but this will be discussed in more detail later Status quo six professor institute for all fields of science The analysis of the total budget for different disciplines once again highlights the significant differences in funding for example between engineering and social sciences also in light of the fact that in 2021 50,915 students completed their studies in social sciences compared to 24,210 in engineering (ICEland 51301) This is an imbalance that should be discussed elsewhere Status quo model of the engineering sciences Status quo six professor institute for the social sciences Status quo six professor institute for the engineering sciences Status quo six professor institute for the natural sciences students complete their diploma or master's degree or equivalent at an average age of 26.6 years (ICEland 34501) A doctoral examination is taken at an average age of 32.2 years The difference of 5.6 years neatly corresponds to the current 6 year limit of fixed-term employment for doctoral students Further statistical information about typical career paths is unfortunately scarce It must be taken into account that some doctoral students never complete their doctoral thesis and drop out earlier there are exceptions that allow for continued fixed-term employment at a university even without a doctorate We therefore assume that these effects cancel each other out and a predoc period of 6 years can be assumed A 6-year duration of the predoc-phase was kept constant for all proposed models Similar considerations underlie our assumptions for the postdoc phase fixed-term employment on budgetary positions is permitted for a further 6 years and universities tend to exhaust these possibilities it is to be expected that some of the staff leave the university earlier while others remain in fixed-term employment contracts even after a 6-year postdoc period we can calculate and compare for various models how many people finish a particular stage of their academic career and how many positions at the next stage become vacant at the same time 4.8 predoc positions become vacant each year and can be taken by new doctoral students For these 4.8 people who now hold a doctoral degree which corresponds to a transition rate of 32% 1.5 postdoctoral employees reach the end of a fixed-term employment each year only 0.6 will find a vacant permanent position only 38% of employees can continue working in academia Figures differ significantly for different disciplines in our model calculation with a transition rate after completing a doctorate of 25% in the social sciences 11% in engineering and 31% in the natural sciences The success rate in achieving a permanent position after the postdoc phase is 45% in social sciences 53% in engineering and 34% in the natural sciences As alternatives to this unsatisfactory status quo we propose a tenure-track and a lecturer model These two approaches do not completely abolish the idea of selection in the course of an academic career but create organized fair and sustainable ways of attaining positions with the main exit option situated directly after finishing a dissertation The aim is to overcome the problematic combination of short-term fixed contracts and a great uncertainty about the possibility of continued employment at a German university and to ensure the recruitment of professionalized academic personnel This proposed reform also involves a shift from providing basic academic functions by personnel without a doctorate to the employment of more permanent staff with almost no change in overall staff numbers To improve doctoral students' readiness for academic careers fundamental reforms of graduate programs are required Our proposal aims at prioritizing doctoral students' career development over fulfilling universities' requirements by reducing the teaching loads for doctoral students to just one semester hour per week (SWS) This adjustment allows students to improve their teaching abilities without the pressure of rushing through course preparation and inadvertently sidelining their research pursuits and responsibilities Project-funded positions are—at least in theory—exempt from any teaching obligations which leads to quite problematic imbalances when it is highly contingent whether a position is budget- or project-funded we do not calculate with a complete and radical change we introduce the additional criterium that experienced teachers will be available at the postdoc level our models ensure that the rate of budget-funded doctoral students that finish their doctorate every year always exceeds free postdoc positions the proposed models increase the factor of paid weekly hours for doctoral students to 0.8 except for engineering with a factor of 0.9 This constitutes a compromise since full positions would be desirable since the aim of the proposed models is to show how to improve the status quo we reduced but not removed the problem of possible underpayment on the predoctoral level A further transition to full positions would be feasible within teaching and budget constraints Such a transition would reduce the total number of employed doctoral students which would imply slightly smaller chances for students to achieve a doctoral position but higher transition rates toward a postdoc position We also reduced the number of external teaching contractors from the current average of seven to only two in our models Such contracts may have some legitimacy if external experts can actually be hired to offer courses to complement the regular curriculum this option is abused by universities to hire cheap personnel for providing the core curriculum Even though tenure-track positions play only a minor role in German academic employment today an expansion of this category is a focus in the debate and an objective of the policy of the Federal Ministry for Education and Science (BMBF) Our first model will thus calculate how a system with tenure track as the regular career path could look like Although such a system is feasible and clearly superior to the status quo in plannability and transparency we will also encounter modeling difficulties and practical doubts The selection process before gaining a full professorship poses the problem of how to provide the adequate number of positions To look for potentially superior alternatives we then propose a lecturer model that involves only one selection stage after attaining a doctoral degree tenure-track position holders in such a way that a success rate of about 75% would be possible meaning that three out of four tenure track candidates could gain a full professorship position after a period of 6 years The idea here is not that the success rate should be effectively capped but that a system moving around such success rates would work For those tenure-track holders who are unsuccessful in their evaluation after 4 years we took into account the current practice of allowing some time for finishing publications and finding a new employment before leaving the university we set this transitional employment period to 2 years providing for 6 years in total regardless of whether an evaluation was successful or not After successful completion of the tenure-track phase the start of a professorship is assumed at a much earlier point than today The period until retirement is therefore extended to 35 years Tenure-track department for all fields of science Tenure-track department for the social sciences In this constellation, the department would need 19 full professors and four tenure-track positions to meet teaching requirements (Table 10) professorial salary was not reduced compared to the status quo even though such positions are taken up 10 years earlier in the career The given budget then allows for a total of 19 doctoral students be realized by alternating between three and four positions in consecutive terms or by adjusting the department size Such a model department could accommodate 17 doctoral students Tenure-track department for the engineering sciences Tenure-track department for the natural sciences The lecturer model follows the principle that by achieving a doctoral degree a researcher should have proven her or his qualification to work as a scientist a university must make a decision about employing persons on a permanent position we aim to demonstrate that scientific careers can be organized without being confronted with existential threats for long time spans The size of the exemplary department is chosen once more to accommodate six professors. The available budget then determines the total number of lecturers and doctoral students. The lecturer model allows for much higher degrees of freedom in choosing the number of lecturers and doctoral students, as constraints in teaching output are easily met. In the general model, a total number of 20.5 lecturers and of 20 doctoral students was chosen (Table 14) The 20.5 lecturers are divided into those two to three persons who take up a professorship after 10 years and those who do not and therefore remain on these positions presumably until retirement after 35 years the fractional numbers used here can be realized by alternating numbers by various time frames or different department sizes It should be noted that even whole numbers only represent averages as well Lecturer department for all fields of science Lecturer department for the social sciences Lecturer department for the engineering sciences Lecturer department for the natural sciences The main concern of disputes about a sustainable system of academic employment should be not only to preserve but also to improve the performance of German universities with regard to research and teaching Reliable employment and career structures are a fundamental instrument for this An additional goal is to enable as many people as possible to work in science in order to preserve a variety of individual perspectives and social backgrounds The models we propose do just this by increasing the number of people with a perspective of continued employment in the academic sector While the status quo allows such a permanent perspective for only 14.5 people in the model institute sometimes after a long period of uncertainty the tenure-track model increases this number to 19 persons much earlier in their career This can be achieved at the cost of only a slight reduction of the total number of employees An additional decision built into our alternative models is to only include full-time or nearly full-time positions we also compared full-time equivalents: while the status quo model accommodates a total of 44 full-time equivalents The lecturer model department with 43 people only demands a very small reduction compared to the status quo the social sciences department shows a very similar decline from 26 members in the status quo to 22 in the tenure-track and to 24 in the lecturer model and for the natural sciences from 38 to 33 or to 36 The status quo ratio between the total number of staff financed from university budgets and those financed from projects represents a constraint that can be easily met in different versions of our lecturer models although not always by the tenure-track models if the condition of a minimum number of budgetary doctoral students is maintained to ensure continuity we propose what we believe to be a healthier ratio with relatively less project funding makes sustainable human resources planning difficult To further account for these imponderables all departments in our alternative models direct project funding exclusively to the employment of doctoral students even if status quo rates of project funding remain unchanged a sufficient number of doctoral students would be available for later career stages in the unlikely case that all project funding should cease The increased rate of budget funded positions in our alternative models can be represented most clearly when we take into account all positions the overall share of budget funded positions under status quo conditions is 71% engineering institutes are the most relying on project funding with a budget-funded share of 49% Since the number of doctoral positions in the tenure-track model is much more limited and we are trying to maintain a reasonable number of budget-funded doctoral positions the proposed budget share in these models is quite high: 91% for the general model 76% for the engineering and 89% for the natural sciences In the construction of lecturer departments, which allow for much higher degrees of variation, we propose 86% for the general model, 85% for the social science, 76% for the engineering and 83% for the natural science department. But even an engineering lecturer department with a budget share of 52% could still employ enough budget-funded doctoral students to ensure sufficient qualified teaching staff at the lecturer and professorial level (Table 18) Lecturer department for the engineering sciences with a current project-funding rate It is therefore crucial that our alternative models imply a much earlier decision about whether a person stays at the university. Among these models, the tenure-track model proposed here (cf. Table 10) selects much stronger and from fewer people after a doctoral degree is awarded when scientists have already reached the age of about 30 years the selection can no longer be as harsh as currently and our general model allows for success rates of 81% in the tenure-track evaluation As we have decided to avoid fractional numbers as far as possible this somewhat overshoots the target success rate of 75% for the general model Both tenure-track probabilities multiplied result in a success rate of 17% in becoming a professor after having achieved a PhD The tenure-track social science department raises these probabilities from the status quo of 11% (Table 7) to 32% (Table 11), the engineering department from 6% (Table 8) to 16% (Table 12) and the natural sciences department from 11% (Table 9) to 16% (Table 13) the importance of these figures lies much less in the final quotas than in a shift toward higher probabilities at later selections which still take place much earlier than in the status quo We thus observe an increase in the overall success rates for all our models due to the variable number of doctoral positions a good part of these probabilities is not dictated by systematic constraints but rather reflect degrees of freedom for strategic decisions The tenure-track and lecturer models of academic employment presented here show that it is possible to create transparent and fair selection processes for academic staff while at the same time providing enhanced job security These alternatives do not necessarily increase the chances of an academic career but they do shift such decisions to a much earlier point in time people work on the basis of consecutive fixed-term contracts before they finally receive a permanent contract or before they are effectively dismissed at an excessively high rate of about 60% the proposed lecturer models can strongly increase teaching output and therefore greatly improve learning conditions for all students Longer employment and therefore less turnover furthermore reduce recruitment costs and the loss of organizational knowledge Collective decisions about staff appointment are also helpful in forming units that are large enough to design attractive career paths within single institutions We have also included the reduction of project funding rates in our proposals This is not necessary for the models to work it is an additional instrument to increase sustainable employment at universities and reduce transaction costs the statistical data lack information on the age doctoral status and paid working hours of university staff Such data are available but are not compiled into the published tables Better overviews in these respects could significantly improve the understanding of academic career paths we had to rely on a number of assumptions and on survey data the models proved to be robust enough so that adjustments would not change the general finding: a sustainable and fair employment structure would benefit both the universities in general and their employees in particular The original contributions presented in the study are included in the article/Supplementary material further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding author The author(s) declare that no financial support was received for the research The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher The Supplementary Material for this article can be found online at: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frma.2024.1301354/full#supplementary-material 1. ^All statistical data stem from the Federal Statistical Office of Germany, using the ICEland portal provided by the German Centre for Higher Education Research and Science Studies (DZHW, https://iceland.dzhw.eu/) The respective data set number (60402) is also always given 2. ^While the Bundestag refrained from a clear definition which qualifications are subject to the WissZeitVG the federal labor court (Bundesarbeitsgericht 7-AZR-573/20 from 02.02.2022) ruled in its decision that basically any qualification fulfills the necessary condition to allow for temporary contracts 3. ^The habilitation is a formal qualification originally necessary to assume a full professorship at a German university 4. ^Based on full time equivalents Source: Federal Statistical Office of Germany 5. ^German Research Foundation (DFG), Personalmittelsätze der DFG für das Jahr 2023, Vordruck 60.12 – 01/23, https://www.dfg.de/formulare/60_12/v/60/12/2023/de.pdf (accessed September 24 6. ^The higher teaching quotas in the general status-quo model compared to the disciplinary institutes are mainly caused by much higher numbers of permanent employees in the medical sciences 7. ^The lower rate of fixed-term contracts for the general model compared to the disciplinary institutes is caused again by the much higher share of permanent employees in the medical sciences Latente Widersprüche und offene Konflikte Google Scholar BuWiN – Konsortium Bundesbericht Wissenschaftlicher Nachwuchs (2021) Bundesbericht Wissenschaftlicher Nachwuchs Google Scholar DGJ – Deutsche Gesellschaft Juniorprofessur (2017). 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Available online at: https://zeitgeschichte-online.de/themen/professorinnen-gegen-machtmissbrauch-universitaeten (accessed September 24 Google Scholar Wissenschaftsrat (2023) Strukturen der Forschungsfinanzierung an deutschen Hochschulen Google Scholar Müßig P and Reitz T (2024) There are alternatives Models for sustainable employment structures in the German system of higher education Received: 24 September 2023; Accepted: 06 February 2024; Published: 01 March 2024 Copyright © 2024 Kuhnt, Müßig and Reitz. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited in accordance with accepted academic practice distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms *Correspondence: Mathias Kuhnt, bWF0aGlhcy5rdWhudEB0dS1kcmVzZGVuLmRl Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher 94% of researchers rate our articles as excellent or goodLearn more about the work of our research integrity team to safeguard the quality of each article we publish MIDLAND — A young woman dressed in a professional business outfit shook my hand and introduced herself the second affirmative speaker,” said her partner Claire and Ethan were joined by another team I watched a masterclass of civil debate and disagreement as they tackled the radioactive topic of election reform What I witnessed was both impressive and instructive More than 40 high school debate teams gathered this past weekend at Northwood University in Midland The two-day event drew teams from four states Nearly 150 people from the community showed up to judge speech and debate competitions: business leaders The debate resolution was broad: “Resolved The United States Federal Government should reform its policy for the administration of federal elections.” A round of debate — each team completed seven rounds — followed a rigorous format The affirmative team proposed a plan to accomplish the resolution with clear policy changes and measurable advantages The negative team then pummeled the plan with objections: Why should we care about this problem Each team cited experts in support of their arguments swatting statistics back and forth like a ping pong match David Furlough is an assistant debate coach who lives near Dayton He said many people struggle to speak in front of others “The first and fundamental skill we’re teaching here is how to speak how to communicate your ideas,” he told me Furlough participated in debate as a high school student He credits it with his ability to work in a technical field “The biggest benefit for me was the ability to synthesize an idea and communicate it in a multitude of different ways,” he said In addition to speaking skills, debate participants gain a civic education. The statistics on civic awareness are abysmal. In a study the U.S more than 70% of Americans failed a civic literacy quiz with basic questions about our system of government Only half of respondents correctly identified the Legislature as the branch that passes laws The 2024 Annenberg Constitution Day Civics Survey found that fewer than a third of Americans could name three or more of the rights enshrined in the First Amendment Twenty percent of respondents could not name a single right debate students must study how elections work so they can argue convincingly Should Congress change voter registration requirements Should states require photo identification to vote How do cybersecurity concerns affect election data management A successful debate participant will have considered these questions and many more The guest judges I spoke with expressed amazement that high schoolers could master such a complex subject and then argue with grace and goodwill Megan and Scott all shook hands and thanked me for judging I wondered: Is this a positive sign for the future or a dying art Recent tensions — like the backlash against Gov Gretchen Whitmer for simply meeting with President Donald Trump last week — suggest civility and bipartisanship are becoming political liabilities But considering the reality of divided government in Michigan Jeffrey Gorman is joined by former Colts offensive lineman and current radio analyst Joe Reitz to discuss the Indiana native’s career and what he thinks of the Colts in 2025 Gorman gets into Reitz’s transition from basketball to football some of his favorite moments from his time with the Colts and how he sees the Colts’ quarterback competition between Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones playing out Jeffrey Gorman is joined by former Colts offensive lineman and current radio analyst Joe Reitz to discuss the Indiana native's career and what he thinks of the Colts in 2025 Gorman gets into Reitz's transition from basketball to football some of his favorite moments from his time with the Colts and how he sees the Colts' quarterback competition between Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones playing out Jeffrey Gorman sits down with Super Bowl winning Colts left tackle Tarik Glenn to reflect on his Ring of Honor career playing with Peyton Manning (and diffusing a scrap between Manning and Jeff Saturday) and what he's up to now in his post-playing career Jeffrey Gorman catches up with Hall of Fame running back Edgerrin James about his legendary career with the Colts including some incredible stories both on and off the field Jeffrey Gorman sits down with Bruce Arians the former Colts assistant and Super Bowl winner to hear stories from the legendary coach's career Jeffrey and Arians get into what it was like to work for the great Bear Bryant stories from early in Peyton Manning's career with the Colts and his experiences working with quarterbacks like Manning Arians also explains his unique coaching style why he made an effort to open doors for women in NFL coaching ranks and what he sees in the Colts' quarterback competition between Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones EVANSVILLE — One of Indiana's oldest high school football stadiums will be renovated this summer board approved a construction project for Reitz Bowl with the money coming from general obligation bond funds The major change will be new bleacher seating throughout the home side Reitz High School and Mater Dei High School share the stadium for home football games "It has to be done," said EVSC Athletics Director Andy Owen "You’re talking about an historic structure It’s not only historic and iconic in Evansville but throughout the state They decided that to keep the structure we would need (new seating)." Why did the 104-year-old stadium require the project More: Zac Nero chosen to be the next North High School football coach Three city football stadiums — Reitz Bowl, Enlow Field and Central Stadium — received bleacher seating repairs that the EVSC described then as "caulking, sealing and repainting of the grandstand areas." It was later determined a product used at Reitz Bowl during the repainting process had failed The EVSC declined additional information due to ongoing litigation — attorney Pat Shoulders confirmed the EVSC is the plantiff involving the matter One possible solution — using high-pressured water to remove the product from the seating area — wasn't deemed viable because it would "damage everything," according to Owen the new project will install seating on top of the product throughout Reitz Bowl fans would sit directly on the concrete in the south end zone and southwest corner The visitors seating on the east side of the stadium will remain unchanged "We had to preserve the structural integrity of the historic facility," said Owen "The concrete is not thick enough to take a hydro blast That’s how strong and powerful it would be to remove (the failed product) spoke against the project during public comment on Monday Her main concern involved the hefty price tag for taxpayers The school board voted 7-0 to move forward with the construction project "Should we not wait until the legal action is over?" Braker told the board "I realize this reimbursement will not cover the full amount and that other improvements are planned we teach them to be financially responsible Reitz Bowl will not be the only EVSC football stadium to receive an update Bundrant Stadium at North was approved for new synthetic turf in January — the project begins immediately following graduation on May 23 The previous turf had been used since the stadium opened in 2011 is next in line for an upgrade in the future The cost for the install at Bundrant was approved for $608,600 via general obligation bond funds Enlow Field received new turf last summer. Reitz and Central were updated in 2021 Martinsville backers were printing “Siderewicz for President” t-shirts after coach Bill Siderewicz seven years after losing an 84-0 game to Bloomington led the Artesians to a 26-22 win over Bloomington South to cap a perfect 10-0 regular season who had the Martinsville stadium named after him in 2002 led the once downtrodden program to a quick rise in the ‘70s the state playoffs were still in its infancy a three-class system that replaced the mythical state championships decided by the polls before 1973 only 24 teams made the playoffs in the three football classes (a concession made by basketball coaches to expand from 12 teams total; they were not in favor of delaying basketball season) in a sectional game in the eight-team Class 3A field By all the metrics of tradition and history leading the program to a 77-12 record coming into the game Reitz had nine mythical state titles in pre-playoff days That did not keep Siderewicz from poking the bear the Martinsville coach quipped: “Our goal now is to get into the Cracker Bowl.” Playing off the Reitz name Siderewicz was calling the state power the “Ritz Crackers” to his team so it can’t be the Super Bowl,” Siderewicz was quoted that week in the Evansville Press That’s why we’re calling it the ‘Cracker Bowl’ since we’ll be playing the Ritz Crackers.” That slight did not play well with the Evansville press resulting in a back and forth leading up to the game “Siderewicz has the heads of Evansville’s sportswriters spinning and has their typewriters keys going full blast in an attempt to get the Panthers from the Pocket City ready for Martinsville’s invasion,” wrote S.L But I guarantee Martinsville that they’ll be hit harder than they’ve ever been hit before.” knowing it would rile up the home fans … though it may not have mattered In front of a reported 12,000 fans (some reported 13,000) at the legendary Reitz Bowl Martinsville quarterback Mike O’Neal suffered an injury in the fourth quarter and was taken off on a stretcher after the game was delayed for 10 minutes There were plenty of headlines referring to Siderewicz having to “eat his words.” “Reitz was too strong physically,” Siderewicz told the Evansville Courier and Press That first playoff appearance was just the beginning for Martinsville Siderewicz led the Artesians to seven sectional titles a 4A semistate appearance in 1984 and a 5A semistate appearance in 1996 Those teams lost to Warren Central and Ben Davis Siderewicz went 234-84 from 1970-99 at Martinsville leading the program to five undefeated regular seasons and 11 South Central Conference championships In the decade prior to Siderewicz’s arrival at Martinsville no one has galvanized the community of Martinsville on Friday nights more than coach Bill Siderewicz,” Martinsville athletic director Kip Staggs said when Siderewicz died Friday’s game will mark the first regional game for Martinsville since 1996 Evansville Reitz went on to play Ben Davis the following week Giants coach Bob Wilbur had read enough to know not to give Reitz any reading material “I told my principal today: ‘You tell (Padgett) he’s going to have to write his own halftime talk,’” Wilbur told the Courier and Press