CU Boulder, the "Ivy League" Public School

I covered my friend's classes today while he was at a conference. I just got done with the last one and I have to say that all hope for the future of this planet is lost.

First of all, there is no other way to say it. They're stupid. They cannot think. They do not wish to be able to. Their vocabulary is limited to that which T9 recognizes.

But beyond that, they're the rudest, most disrespectful, and "entitled" little bastards I've ever encountered. Pitts got nothing on these bitches.

A student, in this class today, picked up a newspaper and started reading it while I was talking to him. I swear to god. I stood there shocked for a second, then said, "Could you put that away? That is so disrespectful." To which he replied "sorry" under his breath then proceeded to sit there like a wounded animal for the rest of the class, because obviously I had wronged him so.

Of course, the class wouldn't participate after that. I'm the villain, right. I'm out of line.

I can't give an accurate estimate on how many students text-messaged throughout the entire class period. Even when I told them to stop.

Several students came in more than 15 minutes late...one without so much as a backpack or the assignment to turn in. She told me after class that she'd just email it and that would be fine.

I don't know if the regular TA puts up with this bullshit, but that's exactly what it is, bullshit. I would NEVER even DESIRE to behave that way. These people are unbelievable.

And I really, really want to shake them until their heads roll away.

WVU @ CU

My very first CU game and it was probably one of the best they've had in the past 10 years. Nationally televised, "Blackout" attire, against WVU (a school of some significance for me, being my formal rival), and a tie game won by us in OT after a botched WVU field goal attempt. Add to this Liz Allen and her family visiting and me getting to see and hang out with them after the game. Woo hoo!

Definitely got to rush the field at my very first CU game. Awesome. Just awesome.

go to school to get a degree, go to life to learn

I think there may be a few people in my department who are losing it. And, I can't blame them, cause, let's be honest, shit sucks. The pressure is immense and there is just an unjustifiable focus on production--constant, consistent production.

The university is a business. This could not have been made more clear than when CU selected oil tycoon, Bruce Benson as the sole finalist for its president. What is he good at? Not academia. That's right, people, this man can make money.

That's what they want. But, it's kind of scary--to me at least. Consider something he said when asked about how he was going to get more funding for our school. He said he'd get us the money when we show results, referring to scientific study results. You know, you find the cure for something, you're gonna see more cash flow. Which makes sense, but what about the humanities? Sorry sir, we don't produce 'results' per se, at least not the ones you're talking about.

In a department that's already completely obsessed with identity and justification, where our introductory class is nothing but defining and defending the field, it's no wonder that we're all worked to death trying to produce papers, and books, and presentations, and reviews, and every other little piece of nonsense as fast as our little fingers can churn it out. They gotta have something to show for us!

It's not their fault. But, it really is killing us.

I will acknowledge some limitations to this claim: I say that the humanities are the ones under pressure to perform, but the departments I am contrasting our workload with are all humanities based fields. English specifically. So, I guess I really don't know what Comm's problem is. I just wish we could all chill out a little bit on the b.s. and concentrate on the important stuff.

Yeah, I think that would be great.