Game Plan

So you remember when I wrote this post? (The same misspelling rules will apply for this post. Sorry in advance.)

Yeah. It’s happening.

Tomorrow.

I just want to scream.

It’s never-ending. People are angry on both sides. The e-mails keep coming. Overt threats from superiors keep happening. It’s a nightmare.

Of course, I’m on the side of the quieter group. We’re not going on strik. But we don’t personally dislike anyone that is. It’s fine. Whatever. I will still be more than happy to work with you and talk with you and I will still say hello to you in the halls. Basically, nothing changes about the person in my mind.

HOWEVER, the other side seems to have no such consideration. AT ALL.

We keep getting e-mails basically saying that if we aren’t on strik, then they want nothing to do with us.

It has gone so far as to threaten our grades, degrees, and jobs. Yes. I actually got an e-mail saying this. Shit is exploding all over the place here.

Luckily, I’ve had a couple conversations with f@culty and 98% understand that as TAs, we’re in a weird position and will in no way evaluate us differently or affect our grades based on what we do when tomorrow comes.

But really??!?

For one, it’s illegal. Illegal on so many levels.

Also, they refuse to see our side.

Our side that needs our paycheck. That can’t afford to get our pay docked. The fact that I signed a contract and I agreed to work. I KNEW WHAT I WAS GETTING. Why are you complaining AFTER your signed the contract? You can read. You knew. This just baffles me to no end.

Also, WE ARE TEMPORARY an PART-TIME. We, in no way, deserve the same benefits that full-time f@culty receive. We’re transient. And no, the school should NOT be paying for he@lthc@re for our familes. WE ARE PART TIME.

Basically, I do not agree with what the TA uni@n wants. I don’t.

And I will reiterate- I am not anti-uni@n. I FULLY support the f@culty and their complaints and they should strik since the administration seems to ignore them.

But as a TA, I have a job to do. And I’m not going to strik for things that I am opposed to.

And f@ir sh@re?!

The uni@n goes on and on about how much fees are and how unfair the administration is, but then they take stipend increases off the table and ADD f@ir sh@re to our fees?! They are just hurting the people they “represent”.

And if I get told that I’m only complaining now since the strik is tomorrow, they are wrong. I, and others, have sent numerous e-mails and attended meetings to tell the uni@n how we feel and we are shot down, belittled, told we are wrong and dumb and have no morals.

Oh yeah. The administration has offered pretty good deals. The uni@n has never once brought it to the members to vote on. They aren’t looking out for anyone. They are just as money grubbing as the rest, only the administration isn’t telling me that I have no right to talk and that if I even have a question about something that I am “espousing anti-uni@n rhetoric”.

Sure has been all sunshine and rainbows around these parts I tell ya.

So that’s where we are.

My husband will be walking me and my friends to class on Friday. We’re a little nervous because of the combative and hostile environment that has been created. We don’t know what’s going to happen. I’m sure I’ll be called all sorts of things. Too bad they don’t have a dictionary, because I am NOT a sc@b. I am not covering anyone else’s classes. I am just doing my job and what I believe in.

So we shall see.

I’m fairly anxious and edgy. I can handle being screamed at when I’m doing what I know is right for me. My professors know that I support them. My friends know my heart and know why I’m doing what I’m doing. I can only hope this ends well. And without Mr. A punching someone. He gets a little defensive.

I’ll keep ya posted. Too bad all my anonymity is about to be thrown out the window… Le sigh.

 

**Again, apologies for the spelling goofiness. Trying not to end up on the uni@ns radar. They already keep calling and showing up in my office to harrass me. I would like for my blog to be left alone.

Love Affair

Nothing long or poignant.

And while my last post makes this seem hypocritical, I fell back in love with Twitter tonight.

It has led to some great friendships, amazing conversations, and thoughtful debates.

And to those who can disagree respectfully, thank you forever and ever from the bottom of my heart.

The funny comments. The witty remarks. The snark. The sarcasm. Love.

I still stand behind my previous post, but I am willing to forgive and move on.

Now, can we go back to discussing things like awards shows and Teen Mom and baseball and the best beauty products again?

But keep the snark and sarcasm. They make this fun.

Can’t Stand By

I’m not really sure how to approach this topic. It’s controversial and I try to avoid those topics, simply because I don’t want to deal with the backlash.

But I feel like I can’t stay silent.

Wednesday was a day to support teens being bullied, especially gay and lesbian students. The recent rise of teen suicides due to bullying has been in the news and I’ve been thrilled to see the national outpouring of support. Many of my Twitter friends stated that they were wearing purple to show support to those going through a hard time that it gets better. I saw many statuses on Facebook showing their support, as well as many celebrities showing that they care and that there are resources for them and people that love them. I especially love the comments about the people that will love them that they haven’t even met yet.

Now, whether you agree with a person’s sexual preference or not, I hope all humans agree that being bullied and feeling like your only option is suicide is a terrible thing and something our youth shouldn’t have to suffer through.

And by chance, I happened across a documentary about the Westb@r@ B@ptist Church. (I don’t need anyone in support of them googling and finding my little corner of the internet.) If you don’t know about them, they got a lot of publicity when they started picketing at funerals of soldiers. Not necessarily gay soldiers, but soldiers because they were happy they died because the U.S. has gay people. See? I can’t even put the logic together. I guess because we have gay soldiers it’s a good thing all soldiers die? They make no sense.

What bothered me even more was the rhetoric being used, and that the children were just as indoctrinated. And while I don’t use this word and it bothers me, these people, these so called Christian people, used the word “fag” more often than I’ve ever heard. They were so mean and judgmental and unlike anything I’ve ever been taught in church. And protesting funerals? It makes my blood boil and the hair on the back of my neck to stand up. I was, however, happy to see that a local motorcycle group placed themselves and their super loud bikes between the protestors and the funeral so that the grieving family didn’t have to hear their hateful words.

And we wonder why kids are having such a hard time these days.

We have this small, but very loud, group of people who are spouting off about how terrible and evil they are. And it’s not just this group. There are, unfortunately, plenty of people who are willing to yell and shout and scream about the sins of gays and that they will go to hell and that they don’t deserve to live. And when a middle schooler keeps hearing this, but they can’t make their feelings change, they might start believing that they don’t have a reason to live.

Katie from the Overflowing Brain, wrote an awesome blog post about this topic, and she wrote it better than I can, so might as well get to read her words. I just came across her blog the other day, and it was the same time that all of these news stories were breaking my heart and I really enjoyed her post and was happy some people are willing to speak out.

I went to school to work with high school kids. I really do love that age group. Yes, they have HUGE attitudes, but I’ve never claimed to not have one myself. And sarcasm doesn’t usually work with 3rd grade kids. Also, high school can be a very rough time for some kids. It wasn’t a cake walk for me and I was pretty average. Some of these kids think that high school is everything and that high school is what the rest of the world is like. Believe me. It’s not. Or I would still be single and with a bad group of friends who made me take the brunt of all their jokes so they could feel better about themselves.

And I know it’s the current slogan, but I hope kids can truly understand that it DOES get better. I would never want to go back to high school, but I am happy now and high school showed me who I didn’t want to be like.

I did my student teaching at a VERY conservative school. Believe me, I wouldn’t have picked that school, especially with some of my viewpoints and the rampant racism that ran through that place. And overall, it wasn’t as bad as I expected, but there were definite problems. And when reading a book that mentioned harassing someone for being gay, my students didn’t see a problem with it. I almost lost it that day in class. We had a very serious talk about attitudes and behaviors and sayings that would not be allowed in my classroom and how they need to grow up and not be so closed minded.

I just don’t understand why this is still such an issue today. If two men or two women want to marry, let them. It doesn’t bother me, and in my opinion, love is love.  It’s not like heterosexual relationships are doing all that great. I know 3 people my age who are already married and divorced. At 23. Why not let people marry who they love?

I don’t know what else to say about this that hasn’t already been said. I just hope everyone can try to be a little more understanding, and even if you don’t agree, there’s no need for the hate. If you want to be a true Christian, love your neighbor and don’t judge. It’s time for everyone to have a little more love in their life.

Networking

(Source)

We went and saw The Social Network this weekend. I really liked it. I think it was written well, and the actors seemed realistic. I’m sure they dramatized some aspects, but it felt realistic and I thought the storyline was so interesting.

But it got me thinking.

What in the world was college like before Facebook?

Facebook went big the summer of 2005. The summer before I started my freshman year of college. I signed up that summer and have had it ever since.

Meaning, I do not know a college that doesn’t have Facebook. They seem synonymous with each other.

I mean, how do you know if people are actually dating? How did you know about a party? How did you find out about events on campus? How did people stay in touch with friends from high school? How did you ask that guy from class a question about an assignment even though you didn’t really know him? And how did you ever see your friends pictures of parties/engagements/weddings/everyday musings?

It really is interesting to me.

When Mr. A and I started dating, I remember a friend telling me it wasn’t “official” until it was on Facebook. Really? I can’t date someone without it being on the internet? I thought it was strange they would say that, but don’t people do that all the time now?

I laughed when I was marching the movie and they showed the original Facebook page. You know, only the profile, no pictures, no wall, and no news feed?

Yeah, those were the days.

It’s amazing how much this one simple website has changed everything. It changed the college experience, and beyond now that it’s available to everyone.

So I’m showing how young I am. I don’t know a college without Facebook and I’m one of the millions of people who check their Facebook several times a day. Both Facebook and Twitter are usually always pulled up in the background, no matter what I’m doing on the computer.

My generation has a need to be constantly connected. We have FB and Twitter and foursquare and every other social networking program on our computers and our cell phones.

I admit, I kind of love Twitter and the connections I’ve made. It started with blogging and expanded. I’ve made great friends and we joke and share stories and recipes and pictures and snarky comments.

I know a lot of bloggers/tweeters have met their online friends and made them in real life friends that they couldn’t imagine not knowing.

So, if you didn’t have Facebook from the moment college started, what was it like before you could be connected to almost anyone you ever knew at the click of a button? What changed when you finally signed up? Do you think it made things easier or better? Or did you think it was invasive and unnecessary?

I’d really love to hear your comments.