> A response to Bill London's thought piece:
>
> Faculty were given permission to cancel classes, not all faculty did so.
> Many, like myself, attended because we care enough about the institution
> and its heritage. I cancelled no classes, missed no other appointments, but
> did take work home for the weekend. No one paid for my involvement in the
> inaguration but myself! And, besides, isn't attending to the functions of
> the institution a part of our job?
And MoscowSam sez: Neither did I have to cancel classes, and I attended,
with mixed feelings, but afterwards felt glad that I did.
There are certain rites of passage that we need in society; there are
certain civilities we must not lose. Would weddings suffice if our
children simply went to a judge, without us, the parents, and came back
with a certificate?
Besides, the contents of the various presentations reminided me of what we
are trying to do in education, and that education IS the foundation of a
perpetuating, "civilized" society.
And my attendance was somewhat at my personal expense. I did not rent my
cap, hood and gown. I purchased them several years ago, for several
hundred dollars, realizing that would cost less than perpetual, annual
renting.
Also, my UI "work" isn't an 8-5, M-F affair. Typically, I am doing work
at home at night, and weekends, which my second phone line at home, and my
computer, all paid out of my pocket, by choice, for my convenience to do
my UI job in a more flexible and fun way. This too, enables my frequent
email interchanges, night and weekends, with my advisees, and class
enrollees.
I gather that there are other faculty members do this, too.
Despite the most dismal pay, I do have a very good job, and it sometimes
does have very rewarding moments.
Calculating the dollar and cents "cost" of a presidential inauguration
versus the work which faculty members perform routinely is difficult at
best.
I'm glad we had the inauguration.
Okay, I'll now get off my soap box. ;-)
MoscowSam
aka Sam Scripter
Professor of Geography (forever)
University of Idaho, Moscow Campus
> Cheers.
> Nick Sanyal, Ph.D.
> Assistant Research Professor
> Department of Resource Recreation and Tourism
> University of Idaho
> MOSCOW ID 83844-1139
> USA
>
> Phone +208 885 7528
> Fax +208 885 6226
>
>
>
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scripter@mines.uidaho.edu ;-) (Sam M W Scripter)
MoscowSam/GeoSam/PiperSam/RiderSam/SamTheHam/SamIam!
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