I went to the Chicago Outdoor Film Festival's showing of "On the Waterfront" last night. Brad got a patch of grass front and center - not shabby! Now, I admit to being horrible about not having seen some of the "classics" - be they "On the Waterfront" or "Night of the Living Dead" (is that the one with the guy with the chainsaw killing the zombies?).
But wow. Marlon Brando was quite the hottie and that was a damn good movie. I really want to see the film version of Tennessee Williams' "A Streetcar Named Desire" now. I've been poking around Amazon and maybe I'll just buy them. Just not now - no money right now!
Also saw my booklists for my classes this semester. Seven. Normally I would be saying "OUCH!", but it looks like the majority of them will be cheap-o. I finally tracked down someone useful in the Linguistics department that authorized me to take the Linguistics course I need. That class is probably going to bite me in the ass. The introductory linguistics course I took a couple semesters ago was a joke; I imagine that could put me at a serious disadvantage in the one I'm about to take.
My other course is about community colleges. I hope it's interesting; someday I'd love to teach at a community college (if not a regular four year university). Everyone knocks it, but CLC (local college by me, often opined as the "College of Last Chance") is quite good. They have so many offerings and it serves an important function. As four year institutions become increasingly expensive and out of reach, these are the places that people can turn to and get their dinky pre-req courses down or accustom themselves to the demands of college courses and figure out what they really want to do (instead of wasting time and tens of thousands of dollars fucking around at a four year). Beyond that - just great for continuing education and opening your mind. I remember when I was very little, right after my parents got divorced, my mom took some secretarial courses there so she could get a better job.
Classes start Monday. I should really try to keep posting about how classes go this semester.
Oh - and as far as grades for this summer: I earned As in both my classes. THANK GOD. Well, it was to be expected in that absolute ridiculous fucking Special Education class. I should really post the emails I had to write to my program chair about that crap here, if I haven't done so already. I was actually shocked to see an A for my masters thesis. Seriously. Was that an "A for effort"? I know that the end product wasn't really an "end product" - we'd always discussed it in class as a "work in progress" and as something we should really shoot to do once we are in a classroom of our own. Hopefully, I will be able to do my experiment someday. I think it'd be cool.
At least all the torturous hours (and MONEY) spent at Starbucks, Borders, university library and emergency pick up trips of friends stranded in dying cars paid off. I couldn't have done it without my classmate A. At least having someone suffering through the same hell being at the same table kept me focused. On my own: I would have been like "screw this!"
I'm curious to see what the Professor wrote for comments on my paper. I think he'll have them ready for pick up on next Monday. I'll have to swing by and get the paper before I meet with my advisor to discuss my transcripts. WHICH IS ALSO HIGHLY INTERESTING. Besides getting certified in my main area (English), I might also be eligible for certification in not only history, but - get this! - political science!!!! *cackles of evil liberal laughter*
I double-majored in English (not that you can tell from the extremely loose format blog style writing, but I am much better in formal settings) and Western European Studies in undergrad. The latter really amounts to history. My minor was poli sci (albeit heavy on the European side as opposed to the American). SO FUCKING COOL. I can't wait to see what happens. I would love it!
No, this is not to say that I would do like one horrible undergrad professor I had: he was a Republican shill and the only way to get an A was to spew back his beliefs (not a joke). I dropped that class quickly. I don't want people to spew back my beliefs, as amusing as that would be. I want to teach kids how to think for themselves. I want them to be able to read between the lines of what groups with various agendas are trying to sell them. Because that's what it is: everyone's a salesman trying to sell you one hopped up piece of shit after another. Are you going to be an idiot consumer, or a smart one? This is exactly how the Bush regime has manipulated its way into power: keeping people dumb, misleading them, and using fear as a weapon.
Great things to read:
Many Children Left Behind. Surprisingly, it's a page turner and should absolutely enrage anyone who legitimately cares about our children's education today. It's short, quick, but deadly.
Elaine J. O'Quinn's "Critical literacy in democratic education: Responding to sociopolitical tensions in U.S. schools". Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 49, 260-267. This? Was the thing that made the lightbulb go on in my head last fall semester. We had read about the major theories about why people choose to teach. One of them was to "produce good citizens" or out of social responsibility. I initially laughed it off as some Mayberry-esque stupid reason. Then I read O'Quinn and realized the joke was on me. That really is why I want to teach.
What I'm Reading Now:
I bought a literal armload of books at B&N last week - for the amazing price of $28 and change. Most were B&N classics books that were 60% off. To quote Jem: truly outrageous.
I'm winding my way through The Federalist Papers. That's not the edition I bought, but oh well. From the first few that I've read, John Jay, James Madison and Alexander Hamilton HAVE to be spinning in their graves at the current state of affairs. Jeeee-sus. Prior to this, I've only really read Federalist no. 10 for a class. It takes some effort (duh!), but so far it's definitely been worth reading. (Weirdly, I picked this up BEFORE I realized I might get endorsed for poli sci. Is it a siiiiiiign? *oogedy boogedy*)
Ah well. I've blabbed long enough. I need to get to work again.
P.S. I need to go pick up my comics. I have come to the unfortunate conclusion that I must wait to get comics until after work. D can't shut his trap the entire time I'm in the store if I go during lunch. It gets goddamned annoying. I don't know if he's really bordering on a severe case of logorrhea or if he's just doing it because he knows it annoys me. Probably both. Can I please just get my comics and pay for them in relative peace and quiet (with the occasional chauvanistic snide remark from C or J)? Guess not.
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