Loyal Student

Sometimes I am surprised by people. Just when I think my cynicism is about to take full control of me, someone does something that restores my battered faith in humanity. Two days ago, just such an event happened.

One of my better students is a member of the committee that is determining what the senior class gift will be. This student has been through the ups and downs of my own sabbatical proprosal and, in the process, has really come to appreciate the present plight of the honey bee. So it really didn't surprise me when he convinced his fellow committee members to seriously consider a bee hive as the senior gift.

Last week he presented his idea for a gift to an administrative committee that included the provost, the college president and the vice president of the academic affairs (who was the individual who rejected my sabbatical proposal).

The meeting started out well but ended a little abruptly. My student asked the administrators whether they'd mind bees on campus and they assured him that they were completely supportive of the gift. He went further, though, and asked them whether they'd mind if the biology department were involved in this project. Again, they were supportive. But then the congenial tone of the meeting went sour when my student asked if the sociology department could be involved as well. The president and the provost laughed nervously while the VP frowned, stated that this wasn't possible, and ended the discussion.

This student knew I was hurt by my sabbatical rejection and risked alienating administration by going to bat for me. I wasn't aware he was even thinking of doing this either. He might have failed in getting my sabbatical reconsidered but he did succeed in making the rest of my week rather pleasant.

Apology

I guess my last post was not taken in the spirit it was intended. It was meant in jest but, as can often happen on the internet, meaning can be misinterpreted without emoticons. :) Well, anyway, I'm sorry for hurting anyone's feelings. I really enjoy your blog.

"Rate Your Students" Rates "Canaries..."

I'd like to thank the people at Rate Your Students for mentioning this blog. Their criticism of the blog is well taken as it does lack "anything approaching wit or style." After 25 years of teaching, I've substituted "sight gags" and "silly voices" for anything approaching written satire, depending much more on Buster Keaton for my pedagogical inspiration than Jonathan Swift. Well crafted sarcasm and humorous social commentary have only gotten me in trouble with administrators and students alike. I am just so out of practice.