I am a college lecturer, so my income is derived from college students. In general, I enjoy working with them. Teaching also provides me with the excuse to stay on top of the reading that I need to do for my profession and it also forces me to read outside my general area of expertise. For the most part, they are interesting, endlessly entertaining (some more than others) and they do provide hope.
But I absolutely hate getting on the T when the college students are there. I would rather work late than get on the E-line any time between 5 - 7 pm on a Friday. Or a Thursday. or a Tuesday. Or any day of the week.
Most of the freshman will enter the Spring semester still not understanding the rules of the system. They will block the doors. They will refuse to move into the car where there is plenty of room. They will keep wearing their backpacks instead of taking them off and putting them on the floor so that people can actually pass by them to get to the open space in the middle of the train that they refuse to occupy.
When you work with college students, you understand the whole issue of prolonged adolescence. You know that there are 20 year olds that are still trying to figure out who they are. They are still very ego-centric. That's fine. But it sucks to share space with a group of 19 and 20 year olds who are trying out a variety of obnoxious personalities in an effort to one-up each other.
So, while I'm teaching, I put my best effort in developing their capacity to think for themselves, to understand the role of history and context in the way things are today, in providing some of them with opportunities for advancement, and in fostering a sense of collective responsibility. But I am beginning to understand why many professors, even the ones who rail on about environmental sustainability, drive home.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Happiness is....
Shoveling a half an inch of fluffy snow to Celia Cruz and Christina Aguilera and then coming in for a long hot shower.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Link between theory and reality via public disrobing
In my Cities and Suburbs class today, we were discussing the process of urbanization. There are several processes involved in this process, one of which is a social process. As part of this social process, city residents develop a value system and world view that is distinctly urban. This includes things like greater tolerance for noise, crowds, and different patterns of living.
It also includes a greater tolerance for difference. We like to think this means tolerance for people who are different than us, like racial tolerance. Unfortunately, our ideals often fall short of the mark on that score. Nonetheless, city residents are remarkably tolerant of what might otherwise be considered strange behavior.
This was no better illustrated than at an annual event in Boston this past weekend: No Pants Day on the Subway. A New York City group called Improve Everywhere, whose mission is to bring excitement to otherwise unexciting locales, organized a not-so secret mass disrobing on the subway this past Saturday. The rules were that people had to be wearing underpants and they had to, ahem, keep their packages wrapped. The MBTA police were notified so no one was going to be hauled off for indecent exposure this time.
In reading the press reports post event, it appears that the organizers met their goal of spreading joy through chaos. While some folks inevitably were offended, it appears that the whole event was viewed as funny or, consistent with theory, was ignored altogether. My favorite picture of the event comes from Boston.com.
The young woman in the pink hoodie is doing her best to keep her eyes away from the prize, but if you look at the other two people, they are oblivious to the half dozen folks who are riding around the subway in their boxers in 40 degree weather.
As with all theories, there are contingencies that have to be accommodated. For specific strange behaviors (like public disrobing) intolerance may be the norm, but tolerance may be generated depending on the circumstance. This is aptly demonstrated by the story on this event reported in my university student newspaper. A young woman said that an gentleman sitting next to her was initially offended by the pantless young men in his subway car. His tone changed, however, when two young women in their undies walked by. He reportedly made a point of stating his approval of the whole event.
I just love it when current events coincide with my theory lectures.
It also includes a greater tolerance for difference. We like to think this means tolerance for people who are different than us, like racial tolerance. Unfortunately, our ideals often fall short of the mark on that score. Nonetheless, city residents are remarkably tolerant of what might otherwise be considered strange behavior.
This was no better illustrated than at an annual event in Boston this past weekend: No Pants Day on the Subway. A New York City group called Improve Everywhere, whose mission is to bring excitement to otherwise unexciting locales, organized a not-so secret mass disrobing on the subway this past Saturday. The rules were that people had to be wearing underpants and they had to, ahem, keep their packages wrapped. The MBTA police were notified so no one was going to be hauled off for indecent exposure this time.
In reading the press reports post event, it appears that the organizers met their goal of spreading joy through chaos. While some folks inevitably were offended, it appears that the whole event was viewed as funny or, consistent with theory, was ignored altogether. My favorite picture of the event comes from Boston.com.
The young woman in the pink hoodie is doing her best to keep her eyes away from the prize, but if you look at the other two people, they are oblivious to the half dozen folks who are riding around the subway in their boxers in 40 degree weather.
As with all theories, there are contingencies that have to be accommodated. For specific strange behaviors (like public disrobing) intolerance may be the norm, but tolerance may be generated depending on the circumstance. This is aptly demonstrated by the story on this event reported in my university student newspaper. A young woman said that an gentleman sitting next to her was initially offended by the pantless young men in his subway car. His tone changed, however, when two young women in their undies walked by. He reportedly made a point of stating his approval of the whole event.
I just love it when current events coincide with my theory lectures.
Monday, January 14, 2008
Snow Day
We are having our first real winter in about two years. This is the second or maybe third big snow storm of the season. My classes were canceled and I am sitting here in my PJs reading the newspaper and watching the snow fall. This is what I love about winter in New England - it causes us to pause.
I feel blessed that I have a job and life situation that allows me to enjoy these pauses. Wouldn't it be wonderful if most commercial and business activity ceased for the day? Wouldn't it be nice if Blockbuster and McDonald's closed up shop and gave their workers a day with pay to spend with their children or just hanging about the house. Some places should probably stay open, at least for a few hours. Supermarkets. Drug stores. But is there any reason for the Verizon Wireless store to be open? Who in their right mind is going to go out in this weather to start a new cell phone plan? Or perhaps the better question is, should anyone be inside a cell phone store or a mall on a day like today? If they are going to be outside, shouldn't they be having snow ball fights and making snowmen with the kids (their own or their neighbors), shoveling their walk or their neighbor's walk, and generally enjoying the day off.
I would even be open to the argument that even the T should stop running. It's not like anyone is flying out of Logan today. There are probably really good reasons for the T to continue running, but if not, why not let the drivers stay home like the rest of us privileged folks.
If there is a purpose to winter, beyond what physical science has told us, it is to make us stop. You can't think nor can you enjoy if you don't stop every once in a while.
I feel blessed that I have a job and life situation that allows me to enjoy these pauses. Wouldn't it be wonderful if most commercial and business activity ceased for the day? Wouldn't it be nice if Blockbuster and McDonald's closed up shop and gave their workers a day with pay to spend with their children or just hanging about the house. Some places should probably stay open, at least for a few hours. Supermarkets. Drug stores. But is there any reason for the Verizon Wireless store to be open? Who in their right mind is going to go out in this weather to start a new cell phone plan? Or perhaps the better question is, should anyone be inside a cell phone store or a mall on a day like today? If they are going to be outside, shouldn't they be having snow ball fights and making snowmen with the kids (their own or their neighbors), shoveling their walk or their neighbor's walk, and generally enjoying the day off.
I would even be open to the argument that even the T should stop running. It's not like anyone is flying out of Logan today. There are probably really good reasons for the T to continue running, but if not, why not let the drivers stay home like the rest of us privileged folks.
If there is a purpose to winter, beyond what physical science has told us, it is to make us stop. You can't think nor can you enjoy if you don't stop every once in a while.
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