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Articles by Mary Francis
The Ethics of Data in the Age of AI: What We Get Wrong and How to Fix It
Data is everywhere. It’s collected, mined, shared, sold, and used to make decisions about everything from what job applicants get shortlisted to who qualifies for loans or parole. But the more power data holds, the more urgent one question becomes: Are we using it ethically? Most people assume data is objective. It’s not. It reflects human choices: what to collect, how to label it, who to include, and who to ignore.
Webinar - The future of ethical trade: what are the human rights risks that brands must address?
Recent years have seen calls for major changes in human rights due diligence and reporting gathering momentum. This tidal wave of governments making legislation that holds businesses legally accountable isn’t stopping any time soon. In addition, NGOs, investors and consumers are demanding more than just the bare minimum when it comes to business and human rights practices.
Editor2Editor Archives | Public Books
How does a scholarly book differ from a dissertation, or a string of articles? What does and doesn’t change with a shift to digital publishing? Is industrial espionage ...
Editor 2 Editor: Mary Francis and Gita Manaktala
How does a scholarly book differ from a dissertation, or a string of articles? What does and doesn’t change with a shift to digital publishing? Is industrial espionage a problem in the scholarly publishing world? And what do editors do all day, anyway?
Opinion: Find the courage to share your story, by whatever platform you choose
We are sad to say this will be our last official column entry in the Coloradoan. What started out as a six-month trial has turned into almost three years of sharing our life with you. We are unbelievably grateful for the opportunity to share our challenges, our thoughts and our experiences with our readers. Many of our friends have told us we are brave (or crazy) for sharing so much of our life with the public and for sharing our perspective in print.
Opinion: Our children hear us, but what voice will they hear?
As I was tucking Matthew into bed after his last flag football game, we were discussing his amazing touchdown. I told him how much I love watching him play and how proud I was of him for not giving up when it looked like the other team was about to stop him. He told me used what he had learned in practice to get around his opponents and score, and that hearing the crowd cheer him on helped him keep going — and that the voice he heard cheering the loudest was mine.
Opinion: Women supporting women make a tremendous difference
We just finished celebrating Women’s History month and it’s truly an amazing time for women and our country. We have a lot of work to do, but we’ve seen an increase in women running for office, we’ve heard women speaking up for pay equity and finding their voices to report discrimination and abuse. If you are a woman, you might be saying that we’ve been speaking up for years but nothing has changed.
Opinion: No parent should have to bury a child
I admit it; my kids don’t know how to tie their shoes. They can kind of wrap and swirl the laces around each other and we buy shoes that easily slip on or that have zippers. I help them because I know eventually they’ll get it. They can usually dress themselves, and thank God for school uniforms. But sometimes they still need help picking out clothes, so I do it because I’m their mom and that’s my job. Last week we had a snow day, a holiday and another day I had to stay home with sick kids.
Opinion: Beware of judging others from the comfort of your couch
We’re well into the first week of the Winter Olympics. This is the first time I realized I’m almost twice as old as many of the athletes and could actually be the parent of some. Ouch! Actually, that ouch wasn’t just for my hurt ego, I sneezed while my head was turned and actually hurt myself: No triple lutzing for me; welcome to 41. The kids and I snuggled in this weekend and watched Red Gerard win the gold medal during his final run on Saturday night.
Opinion: It's not a kid's job to understand what a parent go through
January was busy and we’ve spent a lot of time together as a family over the last few weeks. We went on our first real vacation as a family, meaning the kids had their first flight and first trip to the beach in Florida. When we came back, Ashley was sick so I spent two more days at home with her followed by Matthew spraining his ankle, warranting a trip to Urgent Care the day before we had another quick school-sponsored mountain trip planned.
Francis: Finding community and life lessons through football
We just returned from an incredible trip to Florida for Matthew’s second grade flag football championship. When we signed up Matthew for flag football in preschool, we were hesitant. We weren't sure what it would entail exactly, how dangerous it would be and how much time we would need to devote to it.
Opinion: Lofty goals are great, but remember to give yourself some grace
It was another wild and crazy New Year celebration at the Francis house this year. It began with an urgent care visit for Ashley for an ear infection, followed by several stops for a prescription and groceries on the way home. The boys picked up pizzas for our final feast of 2017. We were in jammies by 6 p.m., reviewing our highlights from the year and dreaming about what wanted to create in 2018. For as long as I can remember, I have made a list of events and highlights at the year’s end.
Francis: Making every moment of a last Christmas special
We were talking about Christmas recently with our wonderful mentor and coach, Al Killeen. We were talking about trying to stay grounded and present during the holidays and he posed the most challenging question to us: “What would you do if you knew this was your last holiday with your loved ones?
Opinion: Preserving aging kids' spirit of Christmas takes work
Every year we try to think of lots of fun activities we can do to make the holidays special for our kids. When they were babies and toddlers we could get away with cookie baking and frosting, setting out the nativity, holiday cartoons and a visit to Santa. They were captivated by the sparkly lights throughout the house and in the neighborhood.
Opinion: It takes effort to slow down and be mindful
Last week I was honored to speak at the Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce Envision Young Professionals Luncheon on the topic of gratitude and mindfulness. I know I said I was slowing down and letting some of my commitments go, so why would I agree to such a thing? Because I believe gratitude and mindfulness are crucial to a healthy life and I learned a lot as I prepared my presentation.
Francis: The importance of mental health awareness
A few weeks ago Kevin and I were invited to an event hosted by Kaiser Permanente to discuss mental health in our community. Although we are not health care providers, we were asked to share ideas and problems in our community in an effort for Kaiser and its health care partners to provide better resources in Colorado. As it turned out, the day of the event was one day after we all learned about the shooting in Las Vegas. I’ll admit, I was feeling pretty mad that day.
Francis: A mom finds the courage to quit
As many of you with school-aged kids will probably relate to, the last few weeks of summer are hectic to say the least. This year, preparing and sending the kids back to school after Labor Day felt like, what I can only imagine, is running the last few miles of a marathon. Except, at the finish line, the race officials tell you they made a mistake and you have another 5 miles to go.
Francis: I was wrong to doubt the new Colorado State stadium
I have to admit, I had mixed feelings about the new stadium. As an alumna, former Colorado State University employee, a lover of all things Green and Gold and longtime Fort Collins resident, I wasn’t sure why we needed a new one. It seemed a little wasteful to spend so much money and I wondered what the community impact would be for our little city when 40,000 people descend upon the center of it. I also have many wonderful memories cheering on our Rams at Hughes Stadium.
Francis: Please stop telling me to enjoy this time
Summer is coming to a close and I think I can speak for many parents when I say I’m ready for school to begin. During the summer months we all try to soak in family time and create memories. I try to make my schedule more flexible to watch my kids at swim and tennis lessons, plan extra meals, field trips and play dates.
Francis: Uniforms level the playing field for schoolchildren
We are beginning our third year at a wonderful Fort Collins public charter school. When we went to the open house to learn more about the school, we loved everything about the curriculum and style of teaching, but we weren’t sure how we felt about having the kids wear uniforms. Up until that time, we had given our kids a lot of freedom in what they were wearing, allowing them to express their little selves in their animal print, ruffles, cowboy boots, Crocs and occasional superhero costumes.
Francis: The power of grief affects us all
Mary Francis We spent the last few days with some of my sisters, my brother and our families. We don’t get to see each other often, but we came together to celebrate my brother’s new grandbaby. We had a wonderful time, but it brought up a lot of feelings for me, specifically missing my mom throughout the visit. I realized, even though we are approaching six years since my mom’s death, sometimes the unlikeliest things can trigger grief, well after we’ve lost someone.
Opinion: Receiving is an art, just like giving
Last summer we spent several nights in a wonderful, cozy cabin in Estes Park that Kevin had bid on at a fundraiser. He attended a golf tournament to help support a local child with cancer. Friends and family had organized many unique auction items in an effort to raise money for medical bills and additional costs the family had incurred. As you may know, our son Matthew’s birth mother and Kevin’s cousin is a two-time leukemia survivor.
Francis: Wonder Woman shows us compassion is greatest super power
I recently saw the new Wonder Woman movie with some girlfriends. I’m not really into comics and superheroes, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I had heard it was good, but I had no idea the kind of thoughts and questions it world spark within me. As I sat in the cool, dark theater, watching Diana — Wonder Woman — and the Amazons sparring with each other in training, it was incredible. They were strong and powerful and more beautiful with every kick, jump and fierce jab of their sword.
Francis: Chris Cornell was the soundtrack of my youth
I was shocked to hear about the death of musician Chris Cornell last week. I was trying to figure out why it felt more personal than other artists we’ve lost, and I realized the majority of my formative high school and college years were set to much of the music he helped create. The Godfather of grunge, he, along with many amazing musicians, created a musical genre that easily captured the teenage angst and rebellion my generation was feeling. But for many of us, it represented much more.
Opinion: Here's what Mom really wants for Mother's Day
Happy Mother’s Day to all of you hardworking moms out there. Moms come in all shapes and sizes, with different beliefs and values, but when it comes down to it, once you become a mom, everything you do is in some way related to what’s best for your family first and yourself second.
Francis: Let go of things, not memories
This year our family has been making more of a conscious effort to get rid of things we no longer need. The kids have done surprisingly well with our little experiment. So far there has only been one item that Ashley regrets giving away, and surprisingly, every time the kids clean their room or put away their laundry, it seems like a new giveaway pile emerges in the hallway.
Abdul Karim rallies state athletes amidst tragedy
MIRI: Assistant Minister for Youth and Sports Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah has described the death of Mohd Syafiq Halias as a heart-break for his family in particular and fellow state athletes in general but hoped it would not dampen the spirit of the Sarawak contingent. “No doubt, there are some interruptions in the preparations for the team involved, especially those who had undergone the training, and of course the deceased’s family.
TYT, wife on Hari Raya visits in Miri
MIRI: Head of State Tun Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud and his wife Toh Puan Datuk Patinggi Ragad Kurdi Taib made their round of Hari Raya visits here yesterday. Accompanying the couple were the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Nancy Shukri, Minister of Welfare, Women and Community Wellbeing Datuk Fatimah Abdullah and Assistant Minister for Public Health Datuk Dr Jerip Susil.
Sarawak contingent has best foot forward
MIRI: The Sarawak MRC contingent did the state proud when it emerged first runner-up in the foot drills competition at the national-level ‘21st Tutti Fratelli Camp’ held at Bukit Cahaya Seri Alam, Taman Botani Negara, in Shah Alam. And another source of pride came from Chu Yan Win of the Sarawak contingent who was adjudged the best head/commander.
Four generations crammed into dilapidated house
MIRI: Four generations of a family are living in misery and fear that their dilapidated house which is more than 40-years-old will collapse on them. Noraini Hassan who lives in Pujut Padang Kerbau here, claimed that they had been waiting and looking forward to the fulfilment of promises made a year ago to restore their ancestral home.
Work on Miri-Marudi road to start after mid-Sept
MARUDI: The RM77.4 million project to improve the 43.2km Miri-Marudi road will take off in mid-September when the road design is completed. Assistant Minister for Local Government Datu Penguang Manggil said the survey work was completed on May 11 while the design work would be completed by Sept 16.
More basic facilities in the pipeline for Tudan
MIRI: Basic facilities and amenities in Tudan Resettlement area, which has a population of over 4,000 people, will soon be added and upgraded. Giving this assurance was Assistant Minister for Tourism Datuk Lee Kim Shin during the site inspection of a multi-purpose hall being built in the area yesterday.
School of choice policy forces parents to gamble on the future
This is Matthew and Ashley’s first year of kindergarten. Eight months ago, our preschool held a kindergarten informational session to learn more about “school of choice” (part of state law) and registration with a representative from Poudre School District. We live and work in Fort Collins but feed into Loveland schools. It wasn’t that our neighborhood school isn’t great, but long-term, feeding further into Loveland didn’t make sense for our family.
Sunfire
Length: 32 Books First: April 1984 Latest: July 1989 Rating: Series List in Order Order Author Book Series Genre Date Rating 1 Ransom, Candice Amanda SNF-1 Historical Romance / HR Apr-1984 5 2 Ransom, Candice Susannah SNF-2 Historical Romance / HR Apr-1984 5 3 Roberts, Willo Davis Elizabeth SNF-3 Historical Romance / HR Jun-1984 0 4 Schurfranz, Vivian Danielle SNF-4 Historical Romance / HR Aug-1984 0 5 Miner, Jane Claypool Joanna SNF-5 Historical Romance / HR Sep-1984 0 6 Shura, Mary Francis...
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