via Neatorama

I took Billiards as my gym class in college. My instructor started off the class saying that all college courses were required to have a book by law or rule of the institution. He then added that the book for his class was very helpful, but as college kids, if we needed the money, he’d understand if we took it back. The class was taught at the local bowling alley, so at 10am on Fridays we shot pool, had the occasional beer and earned a college credit.

This video was popular 3 months ago, but I chose not to post it because I didn’t want to give this group more exposure even in jest. However, it does seem to be back to school time for many of you folks, so enjoy.

I am open minded enough to give them the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps, they made this video highly exaggerated to get a laugh? Unfortunately, religious fundamentalists can’t be open minded enough to believe a non-Christian individual could actually be a decent human being. Therefore, it is much easier to sink to their intolerable level of thinking and attack this video just as harshly.

Everyone knows college is about churning out future alcoholics for the liquor industry not hippies.

You can also watch a video where they murder a college professor with an ipod, which simultaneously promotes rational thinking. Huh? Yes be rational, don’t actually believe they want you to kill your professor. It’s just ‘comedy.’ Now, forget reason and rational thought and buy our MP3s on defending the bible in your classes.

I like the beginning of this short, but then it sort of slides into a cheesy college comedy. Nonetheless, I thought I would share.

via io9.com

Michigan Radio was talking about how much money the state has invested in Wall Street and the loses they have recently taken.  This evening I noticed this story, Bank Limits Fund Access by Colleges, Inciting Fears.  I guess I should stop applying to Colleges and try to find a job as a repo-man.

I want to be safe on campus, who doesn’t?  However, I am not sure that a Segway, that travels around 12mph, is going to protect me any better or increase response times.  My Alma mater, and current, gracious employer, has at least 2 Segway x2 Police models this semester.  I don’t have the details to know if GVSU is leasing them, received a grant or is simply trying them out.  However I am curious, because after digging a bit I found a site that says the MSRP is $6280.

As I mentioned above, Segway, depending on the dealership, does offer rentals, trials and financing. Furthermore, it appears that you can qualify for a grant from the government thanks to the Homeland Security Act.  The grants page says,”The Segway PT is classified as a CBRNE incident response vehicle and under the Homeland Grant is described as a 2 wheeled personal transport vehicle for transporting fully suited bomb technicians, Level A/B, to the Hot Zone.”  Does GVSU have a bomb squad?  If they do, and a grant was used, I am way out of line.  Certainly with loads of armor on, traveling away at 12mph from a bomb I couldn’t diffuse is a good idea, though adrenaline, not to mention the explosion, may carry me away much faster.

If a grant wasn’t used, I could argue that the school, and its various departments, could use that money.  I could complain that adjunct instructors, like myself, could be paid more.  I could mention that at least one building in particular, Lake Superior Hall, is not really accessible, missing an elevator to take students to two floors.  These complaints probably wouldn’t help much because of the bureaucracy that the university is becoming, which is the bigger picture that the Segways rode into.

I don’t mean to show ill will towards my employer or the school that educated me.  However, as I look towards my future as an educator, I constantly question the practice of adopting a business or corporate model for schools.  At times, I feel that universities no longer see the potential for our future in enrollment.  Instead, they see dollar signs.  Dollars mean more more dormitories for more enrollment the next year and unfortunately, larger class sizes. GVSU did just put some new labs in their Honors Housing, and though I haven’t seen them, it sounds like they are intimate.  Yet, the equipment in the lab was all donated, from my understanding, and of course, it is a living center which is most likely why it got built in the first place.

I’d argue that more money doesn’t equal a better education or better opportunities for students; it just equals, well, more.  Quantity is not quality and value is not measured in the number of things or students that our colleges possess.  While safety is important, I believe education comes first.  So, I say to you, what’s next?  Perhaps a boat to patrol the pond in front of the library?

When I first saw the Kindle, I was in love.  Cheap books, lifetime access to them and computer-like functions of searching, highlighting, etc. seemed to me like a great idea.  Whenever I spoke about the Kindle, I got that glazed over look from friends who were just thinking, “he’s just a gadget obsessed freak.”  At one point, while I was trying to plead the case for Kindle, I said it would be great if text books were available on Kindle because then a college student could spend the $360 for a kindle and the $10 per book each semester instead of $400+ each semester for books.

Supporting my theory that I am bugged, it looks as if Amazon is going to pursue the student version of Kindle.

This one is for all you idealist who graduated from college hoping to step out into the world and make a difference.

Now get back to work before your master catches you fooling around.