October 23, 2006

Temporal Homicide

Yes, I'm killing time again. Go Me!

The food part of the Caf is closed due to a boil water advisory, so I'm here in the computer lab, (D242, for those keeping track) waiting out another 2 hours until I start work. I know, I could go home and come back, but I'm here, so I might as well stay.

I've sent out most of my "gather information" emails to the Com. Org group, so hopefully I rolled high enough on that to get most of the info tonight as I type up the minutes.

Shawn (yeah, the hot guy with the nipple ring) and I are going to see Randy tomorrow. About one of our other profs. I feel really bad about this, but at the same time, there's really nothing else we can do. Some of the things she has been teaching have been more than a little questionable. For example, from today's notes...

1) If we come from a powerful or privilaged background, "good will" is not enough to overcome our attitudes and assumptions. (so, if we're white and from a developed country, we're automatically biased against others, and good intentions are not enough to overcome this bias).

2) Concerned others (us: not of a "different" race) have a responsability to educate ourselves about other cultures (but other cultures don't have to be educated about us)

3)Outsiders (aka those of white privilage) must conduct self under the assumption that we are missing something, not that the other is wrong. (White people are always wrong about other cultures)

4) Outsiders may miss insider's experiance, for example oppression and it's emotional effects, and the subtle expression of oppression. (White people are never oppressed)

I get what she's trying to say, but something in me still says that this is wrong. She's basically teaching us that because we're white and all-powerful, we're wrong. Isn't that racism?

Most of you have heard about the video experiance, Blue Eyes Brown Eyes, and the firestorm that produced. Here is the leader's website. I wasn't able to find something that really captured a break-down of the video. Basically, Aboriginal people in the program are told to treat the white people (who are segrigated from the group) with the same level of discrimination that they have felt. In theory, this is supposed to teach the white people about how the Aboriginal people feel. In reality, it teaches racism against white people.

She has been teaching us that, because Canada is a mosaic, we should treat every culture individually, and accept their differences, yet treat them exactly the same as everyone else. Last time I checked, you can't treat someone the same and different at the same time.

I don't take much issue with this stuff. Some profs use confusing methods in order to get the students to think. What gets me is that she left class 3 times today to find people's assignments, and still managed to lose a handful (including mine), as well as a test. Again, wouldn't be so bad, except she hasn't entered the marks yet. So... My mark is now lost, unless she finds my damned paper. And the girl who's test is lost just about lost it in class.

also, she took away marks on people's papers if their families didn't have traditions. Um... what if they really don't have traditions? I know lots of people like that! And there is really no stereotyping for a British person, aside from the accent and the bad teeth. So... what could I say about that?

I like her. I do. She's a good person. She's just a terrible prof. She can't control the class (we get into arguements almost every class), she teaches us the way a grade 4 teacher teaches, and we haven't learned anything yet. Nothing. I have sympathy for her, because she recently had a death in the family, and because she was hired about 2 days before classes started. She didn't even have an office until about 2 weeks ago. But still... And we're not the only ones. The Second Year Students have already lodged a complaint because she has turned the Family Violence class into a "Violence toward Women Only" class. We wnt to Judy, who is one of the student advisors, and she told us to go to Randy, so it's not like we're breaking the chain of command... I don't know. What I do know is that when I spoke to Judy, a girl from my class was begging Judy to help her drop the class. And I couldn't blame her.

So, that's my rant for today. And I do feel bad. I don't want to be a voice of opposition against a prof, because that never looks good for a student. But I don't want things to keep going like this.

Moving on: NaNo is looking perty good so far! I'm excited! I've got gifties in the works for the Wrimos, and I'm starting to get together some information about the post-NaNo events, including ScriptFrenzy.org, starting July (June? Maybe June...) 2007. I'm glad that I decided to finally write Sweet Hearts this year, as it will be fluffy and pretty easy to write. This gives me more time for work, assignments and other nonesense.

Tonight, I will be heading to Sarah and Larkins for a round of Heros, followed by maybe an ep of Firefly. Yay for that!

Well, I'm of to peruse the forums now, then probably to the Library or something to study for my Sociology test tomorrow.

Cheers!

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